Summer Reading

I hope that you are enjoying this hot and humid summer. Whether you are spending the summer working, in school, or vacationing with your family, take the opportunity to enjoy a good book. Reading is a lifelong hobby for me and an important part of my professional and personal growth.

I recently returned from vacation with my family and would like to share with you my summer reading list. My list includes non-fiction references to expand my knowledge as well as narrative works to develop my imagination.

That Used to Be Us:  How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back 

By Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

Steve Jobs 

 By Walter Isaacson

El Cantaba Boleros (in Spanish)
By Guillermo Cabrera Infante

Educating the Net Generation 

 By Diana G Oblinger

I have also asked our distinguished faculty to share their summer reading lists. Below are a few of their suggestions.

Red Harvest

By Dashiell Hammett

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands 

By Michael Chabon

Persuasion

By Jane Austen

Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living
 by Graham Hill, Meaghan O'Neill

I invite you to share your summer reading favorites by clicking on the comments section. 

Cordially,

Dario A. Cortes, PhD

President

BERKELEY COLLEGE DEDICATES LARRY L. LUING SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

On Friday, June 15, 2012, we celebrated the dedication of the Larry L. Luing School of Business.

Berkeley College Chairman Emeritus

Larry L. Luing became President of Berkeley College in 1969. Through his vision and leadership, The Berkeley School was transformed into a regionally accredited coeducational college awarding Bachelor's and Associate's degrees with a solid reputation locally, nationally, and around the globe.

  

Click to view "A Vision of a Leader" video


As President of Berkeley College, I am honored to continue the legacy of Larry L. Luing.

One of my first tasks as President was the development of a strategic plan. An outcome of this plan was the realignment of the academic departments into three schools, one of which is the School of Business.

I am proud to report that today the School of Business student population comprises 5,000 students. Of these, 80 percent are pursuing Baccalaureate degrees.

Larry L. Luing School of Business
naming ceremony

Join me in thanking Larry L. Luing for creating an institution that has allowed thousands of students to attend college, graduate, and follow their dreams.

Please share your congratulations and excitement for this momentous occasion in the comments section.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially,

Dario A. Cortes, PhD

Berkeley College Community Service Day

Berkeley College has a long tradition of serving organizations in the local and global community. On Friday, May 11, 2012 we continued this tradition with our annual Berkeley College Community Service Day.

I am proud to report that over 350 Berkeley College associates and 15 alumni volunteered over 1,500 hours of community service at 36 locations across New York and New Jersey.


Community Service Day at
Room to Grow in New York City

This year I volunteered at Room to Grow, a non-profit foundation with the mission to enrich the lives of babies born into poverty. Room to Grow provides parenting support and essential baby items to families across New York City that they receive through donations. Our task on Community Service Day was to sort and organize the donated clothes and toys.


Community Service Day with Mayor McCormac
at Trinity Church in Woodbridge, NJ

 While we spent the day knee-deep in baby blankets, our colleagues were busy serving lunches at the Hoboken Shelter, cleaning up the beaches in Sandy Hook, NJ, delivering meals with City Meals on Wheels, planting a garden at Gilda’s Club, as well as
other activities in New York and New Jersey.  

Giving back is a core value of Berkeley College. Teaching and learning takes place both in and out of the classroom and is critical to the full educational experience of our students.

Community Service Day is a wonderful opportunity for our associates to give back to the communities where we live and work.

Please share your Community Service Day experience or tell me about your past service experience by clicking on the comments section.

Cordially,
President Cortes