The Graduate Baruchian

By Emily Rotella

As Baruch College students, we are part of many communities: social, business, professional, and more. As members of an academic community, we share experiences in taking many of the same classes, learning from the same professors, and dealing with the same frustrations surrounding curriculum and course requirements. Because we are such a large school with a mix of full- and part-time students, it can be difficult to connect with each other and to deliver our comments and suggestions about academics to faculty members and the administration. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt that any of us fill out the class evaluations at the end of each semester with any faith that they make a true impact.

Did you know that there is a Curriculum Committee that meets every month to deal with all aspects of curriculum at Zicklin, and another committee for curriculum issues at the School of Public Affairs? Did you know there is a seat for a graduate student on the committee with voting power? Here’s something else you may not know: last year the Zicklin Curriculum Committee passed a measure that will overhaul the entire core MBA program.

My name is Emily Rotella. I’m a part-time MBA student at Baruch with a major in Operations Management. I work full-time as a Project Editor and Sales Representative at Random House, Inc. I like to keep pretty busy, so I’ve got a few different things I do at Baruch: I’m on the club boards of the Sustainable Business Club and the OutSource Club, I am the student coordinator for a volunteer reading program called Power Lunch, I’m on the Graduate Student Assembly as the Chairperson for Academic Affairs, and I am the student representative on the Zicklin Curriculum Committee. I’m interested in making our shared educational experience at Baruch the best it can possibly be, and in these last two roles, it is my responsibility to be a voice for all students on everything academic and to help enhance our experiences in the academic community at Baruch. My blog post at the GradBaruchian will be about all things academic at Baruch for graduate students. I hope to start discussions with an among students so that we can all have an active role in determining how academics grow and get better at the school.

So, do you want to know details about the changes coming to the core curriculum? Have some comments about anything having to do with classes, professors, and anything academic? Want to be part of the decision-making process for future academic affairs changes? This blog will be a place for you to post comments/questions/suggestions, and to have conversations with your fellow students about academics at the school. And you can always contact me at emily.rotella@baruchmail.cuny.edu – I would love suggestions of what students would like to see on this blog!

Good luck to everyone starting their new semester!!!

Peace,
Emily