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As Queens College prepares to welcome students for the fall semester, the Journalism Department is opening its doors to a new professor. On Monday, columnist Sheryl McCarthy will assume her role as Distinguished Lecturer. Her responsibilities include teaching, mentoring and hosting a weekly public affairs talk show on CUNY-TV.

The columnist attended Mount Holyoke College and later received her Masters degree in English and a law degree from Columbia University. She has been employed by New York Daily News, Newsday and USA Today, not to mention Channel 13 and WNYC-TV.

“One of the things I hope to do is give more students greater exposure to accomplished working journalists so they can learn what it’s like to work in the business and how journalists view their function in society,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy will teach Critical Issues in Journalism, an advanced-level course focusing on ethics in journalism. McCarthy’s program of study will cover the Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass scandals, undercover shows, wartime coverage, First Amendment protection and the role of diversity in the press.

“These issues are fascinating and very topical,” McCarthy said. “I encourage students to sign up for these courses.”

Journalism professor Gerry Solomon, born in Bayside and a Queens College alumnus, expects that McCarthy will find the student body to be “diverse and hard working.”

He is thrilled that McCarthy came to CUNY interested in teaching at the undergraduate level.

“She’s familiar with the community and population,” Solomon said. “Frankly, we we’re happy to have someone of that caliber.”

McCarthy’s talent has been recognized with awards from the Education Writers Association and the NYS Associated Press. Harvard University named her a Nieman Fellow in 1996.

In the spring semester, McCarthy’s course will shift gears slightly to address the role of opinion-writers and the craft of column writing.