Updates from the President
I love the sense of a fresh start that comes at the beginning of a new semester. It is great to have everyone back on campus and seeing our students reminds me how much faculty and staff do for them as they move through their educational journeys. At MCC, we care deeply about our mission and the students we serve.
This semester, we will continue to work on supporting efforts that promote student success and retention, improve learning environments, and enhance institutional efficiency and effectiveness. In each of these areas, there are many collaborative projects underway. At this week’s Opening Forum (Link to Presentation), we discussed a wide range of innovative collaborations but it is only a fraction of the many initiatives going on at this vibrant college.
Over the break, I was involved in Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations both in Bedford and Lowell. I am proud that our college participates actively in our communities to promote Dr. King’s message of peace and reconciliation. In an increasingly divisive world, this message still rings loud and clear. Additionally, I attended the swearing in of the new Lowell Mayor, Bill Samaras, former Headmaster of Lowell High School – it’s great to have a career educator in that seat.
Another highlight was an opportunity to sit in on part of the SOTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Winter Retreat and learn about the very interesting work they are pursuing to increase retention. Their creative efforts, led by professors Sally Quast and Cathy McCarron, are research based and classroom focused and will be supported by the college.
Getting a chance to spend time with students is always a bonus, here are a few of my most recent meet ups:
- I had lunch with students in the National Science Foundation LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation) program that works to strengthen the preparation, representation, and success of historically under-represented minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Many thanks to Michele Stein, Assistant Professor, STEM for inviting me.
I also managed to get through Skate Night unscathed and really enjoyed being on the ice with some self-described “first gen skaters.” Several students mentioned they were the first in their family to go skating. Kudos to Wellness Coordinator Emily Norton for putting this event together.- My wife, Judy, and I caught up with two well-known alumni, Maria Aybar and Diego Garcia. Diego is fast approaching graduation at Boston University and Maria just completed her first semester at Amherst College.
- Finally, I also had coffee with Sarah Marcotte, another MCC alum who just successfully completed her first semester at my alma mater Columbia University.
When asked about transitioning to their respective institutions, each student made clear that MCC had prepared them well. Each of these students will go on to do great things because MCC gave them a rare combination of opportunity and support that put them on the path to success.
We do good work here and I feel lucky to be part of a mission driven institution where helping others achieve their goals is our number one priority.
Please stay healthy and have a great semester.
– Jim Mabry
Upcoming Events
- February 21 — Transfer Fair, 10 a.m. – 1. p.m., Lowell Campus
- February 22 — Transfer Fair, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Bedford Campus
- February 22 — MCC Trustee Meeting, 7:30 a.m., Bedford Campus
MCC in the News
- Home-schooled student, 17, set to graduate MCC
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_31575452/home-schooled-student-17-set-graduate-mcc (Lowell Sun, 1/7/18) - Pathways for the undecided: A Massachusetts college is using pathways to help students get from ‘undecided’ to completion
http://www.aacc21stcenturycenter.org/article/pathways-for-the-undecided/
(AACC 21st Century Center, 1/2/18) - Biopharma techs now face tougher job qualifications
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/01/09/biopharma-techs-now-face-tougher-job-qualifications/wY5eJh81GSH5cASw5oPiNN/story.html (Boston Globe, 1/9/18) - Grants strengthen MCC refugee, TRIO programs
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_31560810/grants-strengthen-mcc-refugee-trio-programs (Lowell Sun, 12/31/17)
Current Grant Initiatives
AANAPISI Grant Update
On December 4, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) and the Boston Asian American Film Festival hosted a screening of the film “The Land of Wandering Souls”. The event engaged faculty, staff, students and community members in a conversation about the economic development and land cultivation in Cambodia after the civil war. This film provides a haunting glimpse into the lives of these indigent workers as they encounter painful remnants of the past in a landscape littered with human suffering, land mines and human remains.
Following the film, the audience had the opportunity to ask our distinguished panel about the documentary’s topic. The panel included Dr. Phala Chea who is an educator and administrator in the Lowell Public Schools; Claire Kamasaki, Professor of English at Middlesex Community College; Visal Chin from the Cambodian Mutual Assistant Association; Margaret Rack, Professor of Art at Middlesex Community College; Venerable Lem Mee from the Angkor Temple; and Soeun Sok who is the co-founder of the USA-Cambodia Basketball Program.
MCC 360 Update
The MCC 360 project has been moving forward with the implementation of EAB Navigate, the IPAS (Integrated Planning and Advising Services) solution which the college is purchasing with funds from Title III grant. Several cross-functional teams have been assembled from stakeholders across the college to help plan the rollout. The EAB team was on campus on January 10 to work with four functional teams: Academic Planning, Advising, Onboarding, and Communication. On that day, 30 faculty and staff received guidance as to their roles in the implementation over the next six months, while students provided their perspectives on navigating the current system and how new features may help them enroll at the college, register for classes, and persist into graduation and/or transfer.
EAB Navigate will transform the entire student experience through promoting self-service guided by technology. The tool will help faculty and staff communicate with students more effectively, and offer more targeted just-in-time guidance. You are invited to take some time to become familiar with this exciting and potentially game-changing tool. Information on MCC360 and the EAB Navigate tool can be located at https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/mcc360/. For a presentation of the project that was conducted at Middlesex, please go to https://youtube.com/watch?v=SvQoahKvF5o&feature=youtube.be
A second grant activity, increasing student success through data analytics, is underway with a review of data warehouse and predictive analytics solutions. Several products are under consideration, with the goal of finalizing a contract by the end of FY18.
Academic Affairs
Advising
The Advising staff would like to welcome all members of the campus community back for the Spring 2018 semester. Over winter break, the Advising staff has been busy assisting students and preparing for the semester ahead.
The leadership provided from the Enrollment Working Group has led to a combined effort from Advising, Admission, Enrollment Management, and Student Financial Service staff to support walk-in registration for Spring 2018. Since walk-in registration began on December 19, the advising centers in Lowell and Bedford have assisted over 2200 students with their registrations for intersession and the spring semester. This does not include group advising sessions or one-on-one appointments during this time frame. This work would not be possible without the support of Enrollment staff and assistance provided by Admissions. We would like to thank them for their continued support. While we lost some registration periods due to inclement weather, the combined effort of all staff has made up for some lost time.
Thanks to the efforts of faculty and academic deans through the curriculum process and the great work of marketing, updates to Academic Maps for spring 2018 have been completed and uploaded to the college catalog and website. Our continued efforts in this area are important as we begin the process of onboarding EAB Navigate here at Middlesex Community College. This application will provide a great visual tool for faculty, staff, and students to work with in the future, and it all revolves around your great work on Academic Maps.
We have made some changes to staff in the Advising department. Winny Oyamo will now serve as a Coordinator of Advising for our Lowell Advising Center, while Jane Fain will now serve as the Coordinator of Transfer Affairs. These changes will allow for us to continue our diligent work around Pathways, EAB Navigate, and transfer-related work. We are also proud to announce that Josselyn Porter and Jacqueline Volk will now work as full-time advisors in Bedford and Lowell, filling past full-time positions. The Advising Department is also working closely with area Higher Education programs to provide graduate assistant opportunities to students, to provide them with relative work experience and encourage future practitioners in the field to see the great work being done at Middlesex and the possibilities of working in a community college environment.
As we move into the Spring 2018 semester the Advising staff is preparing training sessions for new faculty members and for the college community. The Academic Advising Institute will begin next week with training for new faculty and staff to the college. Sessions will include information on Advising Theory and Practice, Career Advising, Transfer Advising, Academic Progress, Financial Aid and other related topics. We will also begin to offer online advisor training for faculty and staff. We will share those dates with the faculty and professional staff shortly.
A new semester brings another round of advisor assignments for faculty and professional staff. We have worked closely with the academic leadership regarding assignments and hope to have assignments completed by the third week of the semester. Faculty and staff advisors will receive a communication from the department when completed, as well as tips throughout the semester to aid early registration for upcoming summer and fall terms.
In closing, we are excited about the renovation progress taking place in the Bedford Enrollment Building. New furniture has been delivered to the Advising Center and other offices on the first floor. Our workshop room is starting to come together with technology options being reviewed. Our goal is to provide a great space for students. A space where new students feel comfortable and supported during the onboarding process, while providing ample space for returning students to meet with advisors to assist with academic planning and utilize self-service applications on their personal or college provided devices for registration and more. It is starting to take shape and we encourage you to walk through to see the progress and say hello students and staff.
Academic Divisions
Business, Education & Public Service
Business
- Student Venture Fund committee members Kevin Seery and Gillian Inglis organized an extremely successful SVF fundraiser that brought in over $130 dollars.
- Jasmin Colon, Maureen Simolaris, and Kerianne Riley attended the Babson Entrepreneurship Forum in Newton on Nov 10.
- Students in the Business Department participated in many IDEA Week activities including tours of the LowellMaker space, a finance talk from bankers at Leader Bank, and the DifferenceMaker@MCC IDEA Challenge.
Hospitality and Culinary Arts
The Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program hosted a two part speaker series discussing restaurant management on November 27 and December 5. Students heard from Tom Totman, the COO of Webber Restaurant Group, owners of The Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton and The Bancroft in Burlington, as well as Fireside Catering ; and Scott Plath, owner of Cobblestones of Lowell and Moonstones of Chelmsford. Both speakers talked about the challenges of the restaurant industry today, careers in management and answered many student questions, while offering some great career advice.
Nursing and Allied Health
Mass Casualty Teddy Bear Triage Simulation – A Unique Way to Teach Disaster Preparedness
STEM
STEM News January 2018
Students Explore STEM in Winter Workshop
Seventeen students recently spent a week of their winter break exploring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as part of an LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) Winter Workshop, held on the Bedford campus.
The workshop was supported by a longstanding partnership with UMass Boston funded by the National Science Foundation, Urban Massachusetts Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Project. The grant is aimed at strengthening the participation, representation and success of historically under-represented minority students in STEM fields. The workshop was designed by Michele Stein. She and fellow faculty Patricia Richard, Linda Dart Kathios and Cris Algarra designed and implemented sessions. The students spent five days doing hands-on activities such as isolating DNA from their own saliva, dissected cow eyeballs, and designing roller coasters. The Winter Workshop helped give students a sense of community.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology MassBioEd has endorsed Middlesex’s Biotechnology Associate degree program and certificate program at the Platinum level. We are pleased to have our Biotechnology program recognized with this platinum endorsement from Mass Bio Ed. The endorsement validates the work our Biotechnology coordinator and faculty do on behalf of the program and its students. Further, this platinum recognition highlights the valuable work of our faculty in their collaboration with our industry partners and preparing our students for the Biotechnology workforce.
Enrollment
Admissions
On December 5, the Office of Admissions and Recruitment sponsored a Pathways to Success Day under the direction of Jeff Tejada. With the assistance of guidance counselors, this event targeted first-generation students who are eager to attend college. We hosted 80 students from two of our feeder schools – Greater Lowell Technical and Greater Lawrence Technical High. This event gave students the opportunity to experience college for a day, complete with admissions, transfer and financial aid presentations, campus tours, and student engagement opportunities. One of the highlights was a student panel made up of current students and alumni who explained why they decided to attend MCC, what they do for fun on campus, what campus resources they use, and what they plan to do after graduation. And we know our students are our best advertisers! Many thanks to multiple members of the college community for helping to make this a successful event.
The second week in December we partnered with Colleen Winn to offer College Application Week at Lowell High School. Some impressive numbers: 154 participants submitted 167 applications to two and four year schools – and 89% of the students who applied to 2 year schools, applied to MCC!
Campus Tours and Information Sessions
We continue to offer campus tours and information sessions for various populations. Cold weather is never a deterrent. We ended December and have devoted January to working with Advising, the Student Information Centers, and Testing Centers, to offer Walk-in Enrollment sessions. These three walk in weeks provide students with the flexibility to register without an appointment. Hopefully the weather will cooperate a few more days so we are able to register as many students as possible.
Enrollment Management
Spring 2018 Semester Key Dates
The Spring 2018 semester is underway. Full-term and Minimester I classes begin on Monday, January 22 and Minimester II classes start on Monday, March 26.
Key semester dates to remember include:
Drop for Nonattendance Grades Due
• Minimester I February 1
• Full-Term February 10
• Minimester II April 5
Last Day for students to Withdraw
• Minimester I March 2
• Full-Term April 18
• Minimester II May 4
Final Grades Due
• Minimester I March 21 at 10am
• Full-Term and Minimester II May 23 at 10am
Academic Calendar and Spring 2018 Final Exam Schedule
The 2017-2018 Academic Calendar (https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/academiccalendar/Downloads/acnew.pdf) was slightly revised to better reflect the final exam dates.
The Spring 2018 Final Exam Schedule with exam dates and times for Day, Evening and Online classes can be found at https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/finalexams/. Detailed room locations will be posted in April 2018.
Fall 2017 Graduation
Graduation review and awarding for Fall is complete resulting in 338 new Fall 2017 graduates. Students can pick up their diplomas beginning on February 16, 2018.
Enrollment Management Center (EMC) Activities
Over the past few months the EMC and SIC staff made over 1,000 calls to students to encourage registration and assist with questions or issues. A big thank you to the full- and part-time EMC staff for coming in over the holiday and on a recent snow day to make calls.
Banner 9 Implementation is Just Around the Corner….
The Enrollment Management Center staff have started to review their current processes by using the new Banner 9 forms. The staff are taking an active role in documenting the differences in their procedures, using the current Banner forms compared to the new Banner 9 forms. This documentation will assist other areas of the college in their testing and training plans.
Soft Docs Rollout – Human Resources and Payroll
The Human Resource and Payroll Departments went live with Etrieve Content. The two departments have created a total of 100 document types that can be stored and shared electronically amongst their own department. The latest version of Etrieve Content contained a critical security feature that allows only sensitive documents to be viewed exclusively by department users. Technical support can be granted by viewing the document structure such as area, document types and key fields, but not viewing the electronic document itself. A number of hours were allocated from HR, Payroll, Enrollment Management and the Technology Center staff to make this implementation deadline.
Student Affairs
Civic & Service-Learning
Middlesex Community College has partnered with Up to Us, a national program building awareness and generating action around America’s fiscal future. Six MCC students will be competing against student teams from across the nation to create campus-based programs informing their communities about the long-term national debt. With support from their Principles of Economics faculty, the Civic and Service-Learning Office, and the Office of Student Engagement, these students will participate in regular webinars about the topic, promotion, and event management and meet frequently as a group to plan and implement their ideas. They will attend in-person campaign preparation in Oakland, Calif. in February and bring their events to MCC by the end of March. The top 20 teams will head to Washington, D.C. in May to participate in deliberative dialogue with senators around this critical issue.
International, Multicultural and Veterans Affairs
Social Justice in Action Conference
The second annual Social Justice in Action conference, focused on Fostering Financial Freedom, took place on Friday, December 1, 2017. The conference was well attended by 30 “transformer” students who took part in dialogues and activities that promoted awareness of the Social Justice issue of wealth inequality. At the end of the conference, students recognized how their personal experiences and perspectives impact their understanding of social justice issues. They demonstrated and articulated the process of collectively taking action in promoting equity and inclusion in our communities. At the conclusion of the conference, participants connected with UMass Lowell students and partnered with Fair Shot to share their debt stories with the hope of encouraging others who might be in similar journeys.
Veterans Club
The Veterans Club teamed up this holiday season in December with Cradles to Crayons. This non-profit organization provides items for homeless and low-income children living in the Greater Boston area with the essentials they require to feel safe, warm and valued. With the help of MCC faculty, staff, and students over 500 children’s books were collected as well as school supplies and assorted toys. The donations were delivered by Veteran Club members to a local donation site.
Wellness
The 2017-2018 flu season has proven to be unusually challenging, as a particularly resistant and aggressive strain of the flu virus has made its way to all corners of the nation. The Office of Student Engagement has shared Newscaster information (provided by the CDC) to the MCC campus community about best practices for flu protection/prevention. Additionally, the OSE has scheduled two additional flu clinics, and is strongly encouraging those who have not already received a seasonal flu vaccine to do so. Flu clinics will be offered on Monday, January 29, from 9-2 on the Bedford Campus (Main St. – Campus Center) and on Thursday, February 1, from 9-2 in the Lowell Campus Upper Cafeteria. Please check Newscaster for additional information regarding the registration process and accepted health insurances.
Institutional Advancement
The Institutional Advancement team has been working together for more than a year now. Its’ mission is to advance Middlesex Community College through a strategically aligned team that is charged with identifying opportunities to promote institutional effectiveness and support student success. As you can see from the organization chart below, it is a collection of departments that have come together in a synergistic way to advance the college.
Marketing Communications
Marketing Efforts for Wintersession
There were many ways that Wintersession was promoted, below are some by-the-#s:
- 10 print ads
- Online ads yielding over 50k impressions
- Showcase Movie Advertising (Lowell + Woburn)
- RMV Advertising
- Social Media (10 second animation reaching over 438 users)
- Postcard sent to 5,500 recipients
- Campus Table Tents, posters, and TV advertising
Marketing Efforts for Spring 18 (Including Mini-mesters)
There were many ways that Spring Semester (including Mini-mesters) was promoted, below are some by-the-#s:
- 16 print ads
- Online ads yielding over 100k impressions
- Geofencing to 13 communities
- Comcast TV Commercial (multiple zones)
- Showcase Movie Advertising (Lowell + Woburn)
- RMV Advertising
- Instagram posts with a reach of over 1,900 users
- Boosted FB ads (People Reached: over 11K, Post Engagement: 1500)
- Multiple postcards sent to 16,000+ recipients
- Spring 2018 + Mini-mester Promo with LTC
- Campus Table Tents, posters, and TV advertising
MCC FOLDERS
Need folders for an internal or external special event? Our newly redesigned #MyMCC folders are now available. To request folders, please email marketing@middlesex.mass.edu with “folders request” in the subject line. In the body of the email tell us: the quantity you need; the purpose/event you need them for; date needed; and where to deliver them. We will do our very best to fulfill all requests.
Advancement
Alumni Association Social
On Thursday, December 7, the MCC Alumni Association held its first social and networking event at the Nesmith House in Lowell. Close to 30 alumni, representing a broad range of class years from the first MCC graduating class of 1972 to the class of 2016, came to celebrate, connect, and share stories with fellow MCC alums. Fiona Almeida, MCC alumna 2012 and Alumni Association Board members, greeted the group and discussed that the Alumni Association’s mission is to engage MCC alums through social events and to provide opportunities for alums to network, to fundraise for the MCC Foundation, and to advocate for MCC in the community. Several alumni shared their MCC experiences with the group and talked about how the college has made a positive impact on their careers and lives. The MCC Alumni Association plans to hold more social events in 2018, and the Alumni Association is actively looking for members to join committees and to volunteer.
For more information about the MCC Alumni Association, go to: www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/middlesexccalumni, or contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at leea@middlesex.mass.edu.
2017 Year End Middlesex Fund Message
Through the generosity of alumni, faculty and staff, and community donors, the MCC Foundation Middlesex Fund provides funding for student scholarships, academic enrichments, and faculty initiatives. By supporting the Middlesex Fund, you are helping our students achieve their goals and dreams. Your gift can:
• Empower a young student who struggles to finance his/her college education
• Support an adult who needs new skills and education to begin a new career path
• Provide funding for innovative, sustainable academic enrichment and campus projects
• Address areas of greatest need for the college
“Thanks to the generosity of the donors to the MCC Foundation, I am one step closer to my career goal. Hopefully, one day I too will be able to contribute to the Middlesex Community College Foundation and continue the tradition of supporting future students.”
Jesse, MCC 2017 graduate – Nursing; PTK member, 2017 Secretary of the Student Nursing Club, and 2016 & 2017 MCC Foundation Scholarship recipient
You may choose to direct your donation to a particular area or existing fund such as a named scholarship or a college program. Thank you for your generosity and support!
To give online, go to http://www.middlesex.mass.edu/thefund. Full-time employees may give via payroll direct deposit. Payroll forms can be found on the foundation website: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/
To give by mail: Middlesex Community Foundation, P.O. Box 8681, Lowell, MA 01853
For any questions regarding the Middlesex Fund, please Amy Lee at leea@middlesex.mass.edu or 978-656-3028.
Remember the MCC Foundation while shopping online. If you choose the MCC Foundation for your charity on Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of the purchase to the MCC Foundation.
Corporate Education and Training
Corporate Education and Training delivered or will be delivering:
• First Aid and CPR trainings for LifeLinks. The courses are conducted at MCC in order to provide employees exposure to taking classes in a college setting.
• Managing Change trainings for Minuteman Senior Services at the Meetinghouse.
• Dealing with Difficult Client training for CTI at the James Houlares Early Learning Center.
• Basic Safety, Personal Protective Equipment, and Global Harmonization trainings at Montevideo Technology, Inc.—Torque Systems in Billerica, MA.
• Customized trainings for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at WNA in Chelmsford.
• Effective Communication trainings for Lowell General Hospital at the Main Campus.
• A Workforce Training Fund Program Information Session on Friday, January 26th from 8:30am—10:30am in the Trustees House. Kristen Rayne from the Commonwealth Corporation will be providing an overview of grant options and presenting content on the Workforce Training Fund.
Corporate Education and Training collaborated with Resource Development to complete and submit a Workforce Training Fund Grant for Monogram Gourmet Foods, LLC, in Wilmington that was awarded. The training topics will consist of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) training, LEAN training, Math in the Workplace, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word, Project Management, and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) training.
Corporate Education and Training collaborated with Resource Development to complete and submit a Workforce Training Fund Grant for Aved Electronics, Inc. in Billerica. Topics will include ESOL, Electrical Mechanical Assembly, Critical and Creative Thinking, Management and Supervisory Skills, Inspection Techniques, Fundamentals of Problem Solving, and Basic Blueprint Reading courses.
Community Education and Training
MCC’s 1st Annual Food Truck Festival in conjunction with our 24th annual Craft Fair was a great success! It was a beautiful, crisp fall day with hundreds of people in attendance. Clyde’s Cupcakes sold out of cupcakes by 12:30pm and Phoenix Rising Pizza sold over 70 box tops. The Food Trucks in attendance included Souped-Up Foods, Clyde’s Cupcakes, Chez Rafiki, Teddy’s Lunchbox, Big T’s Jerky & BBQ House, Phoenix Rising Pizza, and Let’s Roll Egg Roll. AMP 103.3 radio provided music for a party-like atmosphere on the quad. Given Erwin Florist and Mill City Grows Mobile Food Market were a highlight as well. Thank you to everyone who helped support this wonderful event.
Check out Community Education’s non-credit course catalog for the spring 2018 term. Enrollment is open.
https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/uniflip/sp18noncredit/
Lauren Ellis attended Career Night at Coalition for a Better Acre to talk about her role at the college to their after school youth program. It was great to partner with Coalition for a Better Acre as the Program Coordinator, Dolores Sierra is a MCC graduate. Keep your eye out for more happenings with CBA as Dolores is partnering with another MCC alumni, Nicholas Lopez, to launch a Teen Program in March 2018.
Fourteen students successfully completed our 4-week winter intersession Nurse Assistant/HHA training program, January, 2018.
Our spring 2018 term is under way. January classes include MTEL Exam Preparation classes, TEAS Exam Preparation classes, Digital Photography, Social Media Certificate Program, Accounting Fundamentals, Technical Writing Certificate Program, and Couples Cooking.
Homeland Security
The MCC Law Center works in cooperation with and is funded by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration.
MCC Program on Homeland Security Executive Director Terry Downes made a number of recent appearances as a radio news analyst. On November 1 he was interviewed by WBZ Radio News/CBS Boston regarding the previous evening’s New York City massacre, when 29 year-old Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbekistani immigrant living in the U.S., acting in the name of ISIS, drove a pickup truck down a crowded bicycle path, killing eight and injuring another twelve. Mayor Bill deBlasio described the attack as “a particularly cowardly act of terror”.
On November 4 Terry appeared on WBZ’s “Weekend Live” broadcast for two hours of conversation and listener questions, discussing the Manhattan truck attack, the Las Vegas mass shooting investigation, the recent shooting inside a Colorado Walmart, and analyzing the threat posed by ISIS to the U.S. and Europe during the upcoming holiday period.
On December 11, he was interviewed by WBZ News live on-air concerning that morning’s New York City subway attack. Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi immigrant living in Brooklyn, allegedly set off an improvised explosive device he had made and carried strapped to his body. Fortunately the device did not fully detonate; this resulted in serious injury to the bomber but only minor injuries to bystanders. Arrested immediately, he told police he was inspired by ISIS attacks on Christmas markets in Europe, and by the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS in the Middle East.
And on December 17, Terry returned to “Weekend Live” for another two hour discussion of the Manhattan subway attack, to review recent terror attacks around the country, and to analyze the current threat posed by ISIS-directed or inspired terrorists to holiday events in the U.S. and Europe.
In addition, Terry recently collaborated with Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan on an employer forum entitled “Workplace Violence and Mental Illness”, examining the growing phenomenon of violence against medical and nursing in hospitals and other medical settings. And he recently attended the Boston Corporate Security Symposium at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The symposium featured presentations and interactive audience participation with experts from the Department of Homeland Security, the F.B.I., the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department.
Government & Community Relations
- MCC sent a team of 7 staff members to training Jan. 11th and 12th at Worcester State University for Title IX Training. Alisa Chapman attended as MCC’s Title IX Coordinator, as well as Phil Sisson, Pam Flaherty and Pat Bruno on behalf of Academic & Student Affairs, and Mary Emerick, Reggie Nichols and Marielle Abou-Mitri on behalf of Human Resources. This training focused on conducting investigations.
- Alisa Chapman continues to conduct Active Bystander Training- Intervention for an Inclusive Community sessions. Future sessions of these trainings will be posted on Newscaster.
- Alisa Chapman is conducting a Title IX Training Series for the Spring 2018 semester. The information for these is listed below. They will also be posted on Newscaster with campus location and times. If there are Departments interested in a specialized training or training during a department meeting, please contact Alisa Chapman.
- January 25th (B) & 31st (L): Understanding the College’s Policy Against Sexual Harassment & Sexual Violence
- February 9th (B) & 16th (L): Working with Pregnant & Parenting Students in the Classroom
- March 6th (B) & 30th (L): Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence, Domestic & Dating Violence and Stalking
- Alisa Chapman and Abby Vergados continued the CORI/SORI screenings for students in clinical placements for the upcoming Spring 2018 semester. These checks are required for all students in AHP courses and CET courses that have a clinical placement as part of the course requirements.
- Director of Public Safety Daniel Martin, Bedford Campus Resource Officer Craig Naylor, Executive Director of Government & Community Relations Patrick Cook and Securitas Account Manager Jeff Peterson conducted an Active Shooter Training for students and faculty of the Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School (LMACS). As these tragic incidents continue to occur across the country, it is more important than ever that people be armed with the tools that will help them choose their best course of action in the case of such an event.
- Dan Martin hosted the December meeting of NEMLEC STARS on the Bedford Campus. These monthly meetings afford the opportunity for team members to review previous call outs, discuss upcoming trainings, and hold various trainings for members, ensuring that the most up-to-date information and procedures are available to all.
- Since taking over the College’s transportation services, Dan Martin has been working to plan and coordinate shuttle driver services for Winter Session and the Spring 2018 semester. Dan has also been working to update policies and procedures relating to shuttle services on campus.
- Lowell Campus Resource Officer Tom Hickey filed and A&B report on behalf of an LMACS student and instructed said student how to file for a harassment order. Officer Hickey also supported another LMACS student and parent with the steps to file a harassment order.
- Officer Hickey assisted several students with various issues, ranging from a medical call to helping to locate lost property on campus. Officer Hickey also installed a car seat for an MCC staff member.
- Bedford Campus Resource Officer Craig Naylor presented to two Intro to Criminal Justice classes on how to become a police officer. Officer Naylor also presented to a First Year Experience class about the job of being a police officer, not only training, but what it takes to successfully carry out the day-to-day responsibilities. In addition, Officer Naylor conducted a program for Transition students on online safety.
- Officer Naylor attended annual training, covering topics including legal updates, defensive tactics, and CPR First Responder/Defibrillator training.
Middlesex Connector 