Press Releases

November 13, 2000
Opening Doors to Opportunity: Queens High Schools and Southampton College Collaborate

Contact:
Jane Finalborgo
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

SOUTHAMPTON, NY -- "Today was a celebration and an opportunity," said June Orchanian, Principal of John Bowne High School in Queens, at the close of a day-long collaborative workshop between Southampton College of Long Island University and three Queens High Schools. Her remarks were greeted with enthusiastic applause.

More than 100 faculty members, administrators and students from the high schools spent Tuesday, November 7 at the College as an outgrowth of an ongoing partnership between Beach Channel High School and Southampton College that is designed to smooth the path of inner-city high school students toward higher education. Beach Channel High School in Rockaway Park, John Bowne in Flushing, and John Adams in Ozone Park all participated in the day's activities.

The latest development in the partnership is the College's announcement that it will offer full-tuition, four-year scholarships to the top two students - the valedictorian and salutatorian - at all 35 Queens high schools starting next fall.

"The scholarship is tangible evidence of the value we place on this partnership," Provost Tim Bishop told the group during a luncheon meeting in Chancellors Hall. "It speaks to what our college and university are all about - access, diversity, supporting students and providing opportunities."

Bernard Gassaway, Principal of Beach Channel, outlined the achievements of the collaboration between the college and the secondary school since the partnership began 18 months ago through a mutual interest in oceanography and marine science. At the first meeting of the two groups, Gassaway said, "We planned to meet for 20 minutes, but ended up talking for an hour and a half, and we were still thinking of ways we could collaborate," he said.

Among the accomplishments reported during the day-long meeting: · Beach Channel English teacher Amy Regis described how she co-taught a creative writing course last summer with a graduate student in Southampton's MFA in Writing program. "I did just as much learning as the students" she said. "It was an incredible opportunity for me." She also took two graduate courses in the MFA program.

• Beach Channel student Paul Kirchgaessner talked about his experience in a one-week summer marine biology program at Southampton. "We did field research and studied ichthyology. Each day was filled with learning," he said. "I also learned about college life and how to deal with roommates."

• Andrea Valentin, last year's salutatorian at Beach Channel, offered highlights of her freshman year as a marine science major at Southampton College made possible through a scholarship and the collaboration. "The science classes require lots of studying and research, but if you need help the faculty make themselves completely available," she told the group at a meeting in the Avram Theater.

Michael Brophy, Southampton's Associate Provost, explained that the student and faculty exchanges, mentorships, diversity retreats, summer workshops in web design, writing, photography and marine science, and the creation of two Accelerated College Enrichment (ACE) courses at Beach Channel have helped the College learn more about the living and learning needs of urban students while opening new doors for the high school students' college preparation.

The collaboration began through a chance encounter between Gassaway and Manhattan Architect Paul Broches, when Broches was tapped to serve as "Principal for a Day" at Beach Channel in May of 1999. Broches, a partner with Mitchell/Giurgola, is well acquainted with Southampton College having designed Chancellors Hall, its new academic center. After learning about the high school's program in oceanography, Broches told Principal Gassaway about Southampton's top-rated marine science program and offered to connect the two institutions.

Since then, Gassaway and Brophy have worked together to forge the partnership, making numerous trips back and forth between Beach Channel High, located in urban Far Rockaway on Jamaica Bay, and Southampton College, 70 miles to the east on Shinnecock Bay in the midst of the world-renowned Hamptons beach resort. In the process, the two administrators have become friends, as have various students, faculty and administrators at the two institutions. Last April, administrators began presenting the collaborative model to other Queens high school principals.

Both Southampton and Beach Channel administrators hope their efforts will inspire other universities and high schools to form similar partnerships for the benefit of students.

"All the participants in the collaboration have been energized by the possibilities generated whenever dedicated educators meet," said John Marcus, Vice Principal at Beach Channel and a key member of the team. "Both communities have contributed from the head and the heart, and the result is inspiring."