Sandra Watson

Description

Sandra Watson Director of Family Staff (at time of interview) talks about her experience in the Division of Adult and Continuing Education and as a counselor in the Veterans Program

(00:46) Sandra Watson spoke about the founding of LaGCC in the early 1970s -- a period when people struggled during the Civil Rights movement and CUNY was in position to respond – at a time for women and people of color wanted to come into the institution -- it was a time after the Vietnam War.
(2:23) Goes on to describe the student body
(2:47) Talks about her coming to LaGuardia Community college as a vocational counselor for the Veterans Programs.
(4:05) Came to LaGCC in 1974 and said it was a very exciting place. Talks about the Great Hall, Leonard Saremsky who would drive up in his motorcycle right up to the door; tennis courts in the back; partitions separating the space, no offices – a feeling of oneness.
(4:47) Talks about Joseph Shenker’s age and the overall young staff.
(5:43) The Division of Adult and Continuing Education was written in the Governance Plan – the arm to reach out to the community – a community that was very diverse.
(6:53) Speaks about Adult and Continuing Education creating programs which would later be turned into degree programs – The Dean of Adult and Continuing Education was Ann Marcus, Sandra spoke about different faculty lines in Adult and Continuing Education and support for President Shenker.
(8:18) Sandra said, most of the people in the division ran program areas and knew how to write grants.
(8:47) Mentions the Single College Concept
(9:38) “We were told we could fail, we could try, we could experiment”
(11:22) Discusses the Veteran’s Program and says it was one of the most challenging programs she ever worked in. Talks about how the counseling and workshops were organized
(14:14) Mentions that the Veteran’s program was not funded for the first time in 24 years (1996), in her opinion due to the sharp conservative political turn in government
(15:11) Talks about how ACE programs were funded, developed and community involvement in the process. Discusses the Deaf Program
(17:55) Speaks about Fern Kahn
(18:19) Speaks about collaborating with funding agencies and city agencies
(19:19) Goes in depth about the Deaf Program and its diversity
(22:31) Discusses the continual need for space in the college, the Great Hall, moving offices
(25:44) Speaks about changes in the college now and before, and innovation and LaGCC.
(30:11) She also discussed changes and development of programs for changes and the community. Sandra spoke about Queens and the development of programs and going to the community – Children’s College was built.
(30:11) Mentions the change of the ESL program – credit and non-credit programs.
(36:11) She discussed the college and its growing older.
(37:04) Sandra says she comes to a place where she works with social problems and social change – happy to be here. The institution is for the students.