LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring President James L. Muyskens upon the
occasion of his retirement as President of Queens College

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge signif-
icant milestones in the distinguished lives and careers of esteemed
residents of this Empire State; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor President
James L. Muyskens upon the occasion of his retirement as President of
Queens College; and
WHEREAS, Dr. James Muyskens is being recognized for his dedicated
service to New York State as the ninth President of Queens College, City
University of New York, a position he has held with distinction since
July 2002; and
WHEREAS, President Muyskens will retire as of December 31, 2013, leav-
ing a legacy of excellence in education during a period of outstanding
growth and achievement for the institution; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Central College in Iowa, Dr. Muyskens earned a
Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a
Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Muyskens' appointment to Queens College brought him back
to New York City where he began his career as an assistant professor and
then full professor of philosophy at Hunter College; he also served as
chair of the Hunter College Department of Philosophy and as associate
provost and acting provost; moving on to a seven year position as dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas and then
serving as senior vice chancellor for academic affairs for the 34-campus
University System of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Upon his retirement, Dr. Muyskens will continue his contrib-
ution to education by returning to the halls of academia as a professor
of philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, This honorable and committed educator is also a man of
vision; during his tenure, Dr. Muyskens revised and upgraded the
college's undergraduate General Education curriculum; introduced new
programs in business administration, neuroscience, graphic design,
bioinformatics, and other disciplines; recruited hundreds of new, world-
class faculty who emphasized instruction and research; oversaw the
completion of the renovation of Powdermaker Hall and a major addition to
Remsen Hall; and, in 2009, welcomed 500 students to the college's first
residence hall; and
WHEREAS, While President Muyskens' vision for the future has given the
college an exceptional plan and ambitious goals for the next 20 years
through the college's new strategic planning initiative, he made
provision for that future by spearheading the college's most successful
capital campaign; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Muyskens' excellence in leadership earned Queens College
a glowing reaccreditation report from the Middle States Association of
Colleges and Schools in 2007; in 2011, Education Trust named Queens
College as one of the five top schools throughout the nation that
excelled in serving low-income students; and in 2013, Washington Monthly
ranked Queens College second in the nation for best value; and
WHEREAS, As one of his goals was increased enrollment, President
Muyskens saw the number of students increase from 15,000 to 20,000, over
half of whom were born in other countries, improving access to the
college and significantly elevating Queens College's status in the high-
er education marketplace; and
WHEREAS, Reflecting both his background in religion and philosophy and
the ethnic diversity of Queens County where more than 160 languages are

spoken and people have immigrated from 200 countries, President Muyskens
introduced the "Year Of" initiative to help expand students' awareness
of the world's diversity; each year, the campus examines the history,
art and culture of a different country through the Center for Ethnic,
Racial and Religious Understanding which has become a forum that
students praise for addressing difficult issues through dialogue and
interaction; and
WHEREAS, Dr. James Muyskens is the author of two books, THE SUFFICIEN-
CY OF HOPE and MORAL PROBLEMS IN NURSING: A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION,
as well as numerous articles concerning the philosophy of religion and
ethics; and
WHEREAS, President Muyskens will leave behind a rich legacy, having
served with loyalty, honor, and distinction, governed by a keen sense of
duty; this remarkable educator and administrator always showed a unique
grasp of human problems in his official acts; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Muyskens has led Queens College with grace and skill and
is an inspirational guide for the college and its students; Queens
College and the City University of New York are in his debt; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor President James L. Muyskens upon the occasion of his retirement as
President of Queens College; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. James L. Muyskens and to the City University of New York.