In the News

This CUNY SPS blog listicle recaps the top tips from a roundtable discussion in which CUNY SPS Communication and Media alums offered advice on preparing for and applying to graduate school. Organized and moderated by Communication and Media faculty member Dr. Sarah Jacobs, the panel featured alums Milan Fredricks ('19), Lisa Sheridan ('20), and Tony Maldonado ('23), as well as Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay, the director of the MA in Liberal Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.

In this op-ed by CUNY SPS Dean Braverman written for the online publication University Business, Dr. Braverman shares suggestions for how higher education institutions can attract, support, and retain adult learners. She also highlights the advantages of online learning for adult students who, unlike most traditional students, often manage multiple responsibilities in addition to their coursework.

Dr. Sarah Zeller-Berkman, distinguished lecturer for the CUNY SPS Youth Studies program, published an article in "Youth Today" about a report prepared by The Collaborative for Advancing Youth Development (CAYD). Dr. Zeller-Berman's piece discusses the need to expand access to youth after-school programs across New York City and CAYD's staffing recommendations to achieve these goals. CUNY SPS partners with CAYD to strengthen and amplify youth development across New York City.

Ruru Rusmin, assistant dean of Faculty Development and Instructional Technology at CUNY SPS, is quoted in the New York Times article "A.I. Agents are Taking Entire Online Courses for Cheating Students." In the piece, Rusmin reflects on ways that online classes have been structured at CUNY SPS so that students have little incentive to cheat using artificial intelligence.

CUNY SPS Academic Director of Communication, Culture, and Society and Assistant Professor of Sociology and Human Relations, Dr. Melanie Lorek collaborated on this Teaching Sociology article with Dr. Sara Martucci, adjunct faculty also in the Sociology and Human Relations programs, and Dr. Daniel Douglas. The research interrogates assumptions about online learning and the measurement of student learning outcomes. By analyzing data from students enrolled in introductory sociology courses, the study found no evidence that sociology courses increased empathy, whether online and asynchronous or in person. Additionally, the article highlights the need for new approaches to assessing how sociology helps students understand the perspectives and lived experiences of others.