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Title: Shirley Saulsbury
Description: Shirley Saulsbury, Executive Associate to the Dean and Assistant Dean of Affirmative Action at the time of interview, started at LaGuardia Community College in 1974 as an employee, later becoming a student at LaGuardia which served to help her continue both her professional and academic careers. Timestamped summary of video (follows Andy Saluga on tape): (33:28) Saulsbury started as an hourly worker in 1974 in the Adult and Continuing Education department. She was convinced by a counselor at the time to begin to attend LaGCC. Talks about the student side of the registration process in the 70’s (36:00) Talks about working in the Human Services department and Augusta Kaplan, one of the department’s chairs. (37:14) Describes the positive classroom environment and professors she had as a student, as well as crowding issues. Mentions Professor’s Deborah Harrell and Elaine Leff. (39:16) “Students were vibrant and vocal, they knew how to voice their opinion and there was student unity.” (41:09) Describes her Coop Seminar with Professor Janet Cyril. (42:16) Talks about physical growth of the college “…it’s so large we barely know the people in our immediate area. It’s changed.” (43:00) Talks about getting her Bachelors Degree at York College and Master’s Degree and Baruch College. (45:30) Goes into her career at LaGuardia working for Human Services, Adult and Continuing Education, and then Assistant to the President. Describes writing grants, specifically for the Sheet Metal Program. (50:24) Describes the evolving campus, E-Building and Main Building (52:55) Talks about her role as Vice President of the Alumni Association and working with President Shenker to develop a more diverse Alumni program. (53:55) 1989 is interviews and hired by President Bowen as Assistant to the President. Talks about the Deans and Administrators and their involvement with the college. (1:00:01) End
Subjects: , 25th Anniversary, Oral History, Saulsbury, Shirley, President's Office, Cooperative Education
Publisher: LaGuardia Community College (New York, N.Y)

Title: 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.
Subjects: , 25th Anniversary, Oral History, Watson, Sandra, Veterans Affairs, Adult and Continuing Education, Program for Deaf Adults
Publisher: LaGuardia Community College (New York, N.Y)