Manhattan College Starts Preparing for a Return to Campus

Manhattan College has announced the convening of a collegewide Preparation and Planning Task Force, as well as an Advisory Council comprised of industry experts and leaders, charged with developing and defining a plan to support the safe return to campus for the start of classes on August 31, while continuing to navigate through this global pandemic. 

Informed by Manhattan’s Lasallian Catholic values and heritage, the plan will be guided by five core principles: (1) protecting the health and safety of its students and the entire community; (2) continuing the pursuit of its core mission of academic excellence and student support; (3) respecting the individual circumstances and the dignity of each member of the community; (4) managing resources in order to assure the short- and long-term financial viability of the College; and (5) communicating with all stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.   

“Planning for a timely and safe return to campus this fall will not be easy. It will require us to draw extensively on the knowledge, expertise, creativity and wisdom of our community in order to anticipate a broad range of possible scenarios and provide for the many changes in our operations and interactions that will be required of us,” said President Brennan O’Donnell. “Our work together will proceed in a thoughtful and systematic way, always keeping at the very top of our priorities the health and safety of our community and the excellence in teaching, learning, and student support that is the heart of our Lasallian mission.” 

The work of the Task Force will be directed by Provost William Clyde, Vice President for Student Life Richard Satterlee, and General Counsel and Government Affairs, Tamara Britt, who will chair the three major planning committees — Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Management, Policy, Compliance, and Campus Operations. Incoming Provost, Steven Schreiner, also has been and will continue to be engaged in these plans, in anticipation of his coming on board in July. 

In addition, the Advisory Council will help to inform and guide Manhattan’s efforts from a broad range of perspectives and professional experience. The members of the Advisory Council are:

• Ken Bouyer, Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting, Ernst & Young; Board of Trustees, Manhattan College; Dean’s Advisory Council, North Carolina A&T; Accounting Advisory Board, Arizona State University; Corporate Advisory Board Member, Ascend.
• John McAvoy, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Con Edison; Board of Trustees, Manhattan College; Board of Directors, the Partnership for New York City and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; Member, Governor’s New York Forward Re-opening Advisory Board.
• Marybeth McCall, M.D., Former Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield; Board of Trustees, Manhattan College; Board of Trustees, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York; Delegate to the House of Delegates of the Medical Society of the State of New York.
• Eileen Murray, Former Co-Chief Executive Officer, Bridgewater Associates; Former Member, Board of Trustees, Manhattan College; Board Member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Irish Arts Center; Past Board Member, the YMCA of Greater New York, the Argonne National Laboratory at the University of Chicago and the American Women’s Economic Development Corporation.
• Frederic Salerno, Chairman of the Board, Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Former Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, Verizon; Former Member, Manhattan College Board of Trustees; Former Chairman, Board of Trustees, The State University of New York; Former Member, Board of Governors, State University System of Florida; Chairman, Board of Trustees, Cleveland Clinic Martin Memorial Hospital. 
• Thomas Scarangello, Executive Chairman, Thornton Tomasetti; past Chairman, New York City Building Congress; Board of Advisors, Columbia University Center for Buildings, Infrastructure, and Public Space; Member, National Academy of Construction.
• Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, American Express; Board of Trustees, Manhattan College; Member of the Executive Committee of the Partnership for New York City; Board of Trustees, The Valerie Fund. 

Together, the Task Force and Advisory Council will assess the many complex and evolving challenges that Manhattan College faces and will recommend the necessary policies, accommodations and practices in order for the College to achieve its goal of a safe and timely return.