Updates from the President

Smart Start for Success

I have always found the start of the semester an exciting time. When I taught, I would get the jitters before every new class. I still thrive on the energy of the first few days when excitement, nervousness, and hope permeate the college. I recognize how much planning and hard work go into making the start of the semester a success – and for MCC, getting students on the path to success has been an ongoing endeavor.

For the last three years the college has been working hard to provide a robust New Student Orientation (NSO) that engages students and gets them connected and on the path to success. Initial efforts on both campuses were focused around a dynamic half-day NSO on the Tuesday after the Labor Day weekend. While much thought, planning, and hard work went into making this a success, this model had inherent flaws that made it less successful than it could be.

Last fall, as part of a more comprehensive Smart Start initiative, the college engaged faculty and staff in a more comprehensive two-day mandatory NSO. This, combined with On Time Enrollment, was designed to give students greater opportunities to connect with other students, interact with faculty, and receive more comprehensive advisement. The goal was to have students better prepared for the start of the semester and improve retention rates. While there is still much work to be done, the results from the first year of the Smart Start initiative are encouraging.

The Fall to Spring retention rates was 16% higher (61% v. 77%) for the new students who attended orientation versus those that did not. The retention rate was 4% higher in 2017 than in 2016 (73% v. 77%). In 2017, 978 students attended NSO representing 55% of the 1,651 new students eligible. The goal in 2018 will be to increase the number of students who attend NSO and make the NSO even more engaging. To do this, we will need your support and ideas, so we can get every student on the path to success. A group of more than 12 staff members from across the institution have already begun meeting to plan this pivotal student event.

Two equally important faculty- and staff-focused events are Fall Opening Forum and Professional Day. Fall Opening Forum will be an experiment this year. In order to allow everyone at the college to participate, I will prepare an opening video statement with the ability for asynchronous dialogue. This will enable those who are serving students to participate as their schedule allows, with an option to ask questions and view the ensuing dialogue. We will, of course, asses the effectiveness of this approach.

Professional Day is another very important activity that succeeds because of the involvement of a wide range of faculty and professional staff. Because of scheduling issues, we will be doing Fall Professional Day on Tuesday, Oct. 23^, this year. With your participation, I am confident this will be another great opportunity for reflection and professional development.

– Jim Mabry

Upcoming Events

February 27, 2018 — 20th Anniversary Celebration of MCC’s Online Education Program — 6 p.m., Lowell Campus
March 1, 2018 —DHE Statewide Trustees Conference—11 a.m., Doubletree Hotel in Westborough.
March 6, 2018 — Middlesex Community College Foundation Scholarship Awards, 3:30 p.m., Bedford Campus
March 21, 2018 — MILES Opening Session — 2 p.m., Bedford Campus
March 26, 2018 — Spring Mini-mester II Begins
March 27, 2018 — Lowell Open House — 5:30 p.m., Lowell Campus

MCC in the News

Middlesex CC to Host Transition Program Info Session
(Bedford Patch, 2/8/18)
MCC Radiologic Tech Student Saves Infant’s Life with CPR Skills
(Bedford Patch, 2/6/18)
MCC plans FAFSA Day to help with financial aid
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_31642105/middlesex-community-college-plans-fafsa-day-help-financial (Lowell Sun, 2/4/18)
Café features young faces and their passions
http://www.eagletribune.com/news/merrimack_valley/cafe-features-young-faces-and-their-passions/article_89617809-fc96-5307-8e06-45489a5c0acd.html
(Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 2/2/18)
From Botswana to Lowell: Civil Engineering Student Finds His Way
(Bedford Patch, 2/2/18)
Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union announces new Chairman of the Board https://www.cuinsight.com/press-release/jeanne-darc-credit-union-announces-new-chairman-board (CUInsight, 1/31/18)
MCC Biotechnology Programs Receive Highest Industry Rating
(Bedford Patch, 1/30/18)
MLK Celebration http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_31627617/passing-ball-dr-king-slideshow (Lowell Sun, 1/29/18)

Current Grant Initiatives

AANAPISI Grant Update

On February 1, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) hosted a screening of the film “First They Killed My Father.” The film is an adaptation of Cambodian author and human rights activist Loung Ung’s gripping memoir of surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1978. The story is told through her eyes as a child soldier when the Khmer Rouge came to power, and depicts the indomitable spirit and devotion of Loung and her family as they struggle to stay together during the Khmer Rouge years.

Following the film, the audience had an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with a distinguished panel of community members about the film’s topic. The panel included Dr. George Chigas, Senior Lecturer in Cambodian Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Tim Chan Thou, founder of Angkor Dance Troupe; Yary Livan, Adjunct Professor of Ceramics at Middlesex Community College; and Sovann Khon, Adjunct Professor of World Music at UMass Lowell. The event was organized in collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement, UMass Lowell Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, and The Lowell Community Health Center.

MCC 360 Update

On January 2, MCC leaders convened for “The Future of Data at MCC: A Summit” to discuss the College’s current and future needs for information and analysis. The importance of data was underscored in MCC’s most recent strategic plan under the goal of Institutional Effectiveness and the College’s commitment to the objectives outlined in the Title III-supported MCC 360 project. The Summit was facilitated by Frank DeRose of DeRose Consulting Services and was organized to draw upon the collective experiences and expertise of those who use data to make decisions or who play major roles in the management of information.

On January 10, the College had a day-long series of workshops related to the adoption of EAB Navigate. At this meeting, four build-teams were formed whose members included faculty, staff, and students from across the College. These teams were tasked with addressing four areas related to the college-wide adoption of EAB Navigate: Advising, Onboarding, Communications and Academic Planning. In addition, the EAB team meets virtually with the leadership of the build-teams and the technical team on a regular basis. After user training, full implementation of EAB Navigate is expected for the fall, depending on the internal team’s ability to meet expectations.

On January 30, as part of our efforts toward obtaining a CRM to store and organize our institutional data, representatives from MCC met with administrators & IT staff at UML to discuss UML’s experience with Salesforce, a comprehensive CRM built to address multiple communication and case management needs, including recruitment, retention, workforce development, and financial aid. The Salesforce CRM also serves as a ‘solutions center’ for faculty, staff, and students who have any type of question.

Academic Affairs

Advising

Staff in the Advising Center are currently assisting students with summer registration and developing their academic plans for fall registration, which opens March 26. We encourage all advisors at the college to connect with their assigned students to prompt early registration for both summer and fall terms. Every step we take to encourage early registration of returning students ensures they are prepared to be successful and in your class on the first day.

State University / University of Massachusetts Transfer Fairs

This week, we held our annual State Transfer Fair. Representatives from public institutions throughout the Commonwealth were on the Lowell campus February 21 and Bedford campus February 22. The fairs were a huge success, focusing on degree completion and utilizing MassTransfer Pathways and agreements to simplify the transfer admission process. Jane Fain, Coordinator of Transfer Affairs, and the advising staff worked diligently to pull off the event and encourage students to attend. A special thank-you to faculty and staff for prompting their students to attend and to thoroughly participate in the plan, incorporating transfer into their academic plan.

Advising Summaries

The Advising Center is incorporating an overview of theoretical approaches to advising in online resources and in virtual training sessions. Whether you prefer an intrusive/proactive approach, appreciative approach, or developmental approach to advising, reviewing the following resource can assist in developing an advising method that works for you and your students. You can find the following document on our Academic Advising Institute website.

Advising Refresher Sessions

This semester, all Advisor Refresher Workshops will be held virtually online! Faculty and Professional Staff will be able to log in from their desktop, laptop, or mobile device. Each session will run 60-75 minutes and participants will be able to interact via your microphone or the chat function. Simply sign up with Jessica Frost at frostJ@middlesex.mass.edu to ensure you receive the link via email.

Our online sessions will be:

February 28 @ 2 p.m.
March 8 @2 p.m.
March 8 @ 3:30 p.m.
March 14 @ 3:30 p.m.

EAB Navigate

We encourage all advisors at the college to create an account with EAB. As a member institution, all of us are allowed to create an account to access more information on the EAB Navigate platform, and additionally Student Success research forums, articles and resources. To create an account, visit the following page, enter Bedford, Massachusetts, as your location, and select Middlesex Community College. EAB – Member Registration Website

NACADA

NACADA | The Global Community for Academic Advising, provides webinars on their YouTube page for free. Topics include Learning Outcomes for Academic Advising, Effective Academic Advising Strategies, The Role of Academic Advising in Student Persistence, and much more. We encourage all advisors to bookmark this page and review webinars to impact their practice of advising students. NACADA Executive Office – YouTube Page

Commonwealth Commitment / MassTransfer

Thank you for referring students to participate in the Commonwealth Commitment at Middlesex Community College. This past fall semester we awarded 27 Commonwealth Commitment rebates, providing these students with 10% savings off their fall overall cost. We are also proud to report that we have our first potential graduates of the program this spring and summer! This work would not be possible without your efforts in promoting the program and encouraging students to sign up. With changes to the program being considered for Fall 2018, we’re hopeful that more students can participate in the program. We will keep you updated!

Classroom Visits

Advisors at the college are available for classroom visits. Whether you want a staff member to provide an overview of academic maps, DegreeWorks, Career or Transfer Services, simply reach out to our department and we’ll work with you to have a visit take place. Simply email Bryan Wint at wintb@middlesex.mass.edu or Jessica Frost at frostj@middlesex.mass.edu for more information.

First-Year Experience

First-Year Experience FYE/IDS Spring Semester Pilot – An exciting experience for our students! “IDS 101 Freshman Seminar,” “IDS 102 Service-Learning” and “IDS 103 Leadership” — What do these three one-credit courses have in common? They are all part of a pilot whereby students are enrolled in all 3 IDS courses for the spring semester, with each course lasting 5 weeks, meeting twice a week. In addition to the integration of the Freshman Seminar, Leadership and Service-Learning curriculum, students in this cohort are also reading Liz Murray’s “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” the common book for all three courses. Guided reading, reflections, thought-provoking questions and discussions are all part of this three-IDS model.

The first of the three courses is “IDS 101 Freshman Seminar,” in which students are also introduced to the area of service and prepared by getting to know Service-Learning folks and sites. This course started in January and will soon end. “IDS 103 Leadership” is the second course, in which the preparation and theme will continue. Then, “IDS 102 Service-Learning,” is the final course, ending in May. In the “IDS 102 Service-Learning” course, students will complete 22 hours of service. Among the service options is Mill City Grows and the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. The students will also be able to complete some of their 22 hours in the Bedford Campus Food Pantry (awareness, tabling events, etc.), and the Community Garden (primarily preparing the garden).

FYE Faculty, Lorrie DiBona-Jones, Lauren Ellis and Pavithra Giridharan developed the curriculum and coordinated the activities, events and the Service-Learning component in the three courses, which included the Common Book. The story of Liz Murray, who went from homeless to Harvard, has been integrated throughout the three courses, culminating with the 22 hours of service. This new IDS model is an exciting experience for both faculty and the cohort of students who have been attending class on the Bedford campus. During the fall semester 2018, there will also be a section of this new model on the Lowell campus.

The coordination and collaboration of any new pilot and college initiative takes an entire community who believe that our students should have positive and lasting experiences. Therefore, our thanks go out to the many areas of the college that have been supportive in our efforts.

Academic Divisions

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

The MCC Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Community has launched an initiative to create a culture of persistence and student success at the College. Over the past six months, we have presented the concept to senior administration and faculty, formed a launch group composed of eight faculty members and the dean of institutional planning, and hosted a retreat to attract faculty to take on our mission. At a retreat in January, 22 faculty committed to participating in the 100% Course Completion Initiative, a project in which full- and part-time faculty will document explicit efforts to retain 100% of the students in one course without sacrificing academic standards.

Business, Education & Public Service

Business

MCC Sweeps the DECA Regionals!

The Business and Economics Club, representing the DECA chapter of MCC, participated in the Annual Regional DECA competition at Johnson and Wales University, Providence R.I., on February 2, 2018. A team of two students led by Accounting Professor Vikram Sharma participated in Accounting and Marketing competitions. Daniel Iknanian (Accounting) and Stephen Collins (Marketing) won two Gold Medals each, for a total of four Gold Medals. Daniel also won the Rhode Island Accounting Scholarship. He secured the highest score of all tests in all categories! It is important to note that our students were competing against students from four-year institutions.

The DECA chapter of MCC was started in 2013 under the leadership of Dean Judy Hogan. The present DECA advisors are Professor Rob Kaulfuss (Economics), Professor Stacie Hargis (Entrepreneurship) and Professor Vikram Sharma (Accounting). The club would like to thank Dean Judy Hogan, Kirsten Morrow, and Steve Rossi (Office of Student Engagement) for their continued support in all our endeavors.

Fashion Merchandising

Ashli Ree and a group of students attended MAGIC in Las Vegas, which is the largest apparel and accessories trade show in the United States. They also visited Zappos headquarters to learn about company culture. In addition, students spent a day at the Grand Canyon National Park.

Students in the online fashion course had lunch together to meet the instructor and other students. They shared course/transfer information, employment opportunities, and more.

Music

MCC faculty member and flutist Orlando Cela recently released a CD on the Ravello label, titled “Shadow Etchings: New Music for Flute.” The recording features works by contemporary composers Jean-Patrick Besingrand, Lou Bunk, Robert Gross, Dana Kaufman, Stratis Minakakis, Maxwell Dulaney (former MCC faculty member), and Ziteng Ye, written utilizing extended techniques for the flute, for the purposes of helping promote these great works and to encourage daring new works for the flute in general.

The CD review by Naxos states ” ‘SHADOW ETCHINGS’ demonstrates Orlando Cela’s ingenious ability to navigate complexities of postmodernism in chamber music and the avant garde with this rich recording of flute and piccolo treasures for the curious ear… Cela’s flawless delivery leads the way. ‘Shadow Etchings’ is unapologetically unconventional yet simultaneously accessible to even the untrained ear. If you are looking to expand your horizons, this is the place to start.”

A World of Music Concerts

Sunday, March 4 at 3 p.m. MCC faculty member Raley Beggs, guitar, will be joined by Celia Zhang, violin, for a vibrant program of works by Nicolo Paganini, Johann Sebastian Bach, Astor Piazzolla , Domenico Scarlatti and Luigi Legnani.

Friday, March 16 at p.m. This concert will feature seven new works for saxophones, each written to pair with a piece of artwork by MCC faculty member Jan Arabas. The composers include MCC faculty member David Janssen and Anne Guzzo, Forrest Pierce, Timothy Miller, Jack Wilds, Shawna Wolf and Allison McIntosh. The saxophonists are Sean Mix, Bennett Parsons, Morgan Smallwood and Andy Wilds. Most of the art featured is inspired by the natural beauty of Grand Teton National Park, creating an exciting fusion of art, music, and nature.

STEM

13th Annual Women in STEM Luncheon

The annual Women in STEM Luncheon will be held on Wednesday February 28th from 1 to 3 p.m. in the college’s Campus Center, Café East. The Women in STEM Luncheon will feature a panel of women who contribute to the fields and advancement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Michele Stein has organized this year’s event which allows students to learn about their exemplary careers and current research projects, and network with these extraordinary women over lunch as they launch their own STEM careers.

Science

Sally Quast and Iveta Dinbergs will represent Middlesex at the statewide MassTransfer Pathways convening sponsored by the DHE at Fitchburg State University on Feb. 23. The focus of the conference is to align the Chemistry and Biology majors throughout the Mass Higher Ed for easy transfer and efficient scheduling to help achieve graduation. Both Jane Fain from advising and Kate Sweeney will attend the convening as well.

Mathematics

Dora Ottariano, Aisha Arroyo, Tonka Zelenkova and Mike Williamson held practice sessions for students to prepare for the Student Math League competition. On Feb. 20th 35 students took the exam and will compete for the highest score among other community college students here in the Northeast and across the country.

Aisha Arroyo, Robyn McDonough and Linda Dart-Kathios continue to work with the Department of Higher Education on Math Pathways and co-requisite models for math.

Information Technology

Banner 9 Going Live in May

Are You Ready? Banner 9 will be going live in early May. Banner users can log in to the Banner 9 test system at any time to begin testing your processes and becoming comfortable with the new interface and navigation. Look for the “Banner 9 Test: BANLT” link on the MyMCC portal links list to log in.

Banner 9 Drop-In Lab Times

It can be difficult to find time to test Banner 9. Computer Labs in Bedford and Lowell have been reserved so you and your colleagues can have a quiet space and uninterrupted time to practice using Banner 9. Drop in when you can:

Lowell – LC 213A
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Friday, now through April 27, 2018

Bedford – AR LIB3
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Thursday, now through April 26, 2018

Report any issues or problems you discover during your Banner 9 testing to servicedesk@middlesex.mass.edu.

Classroom Emergency App for Technology Now Available

MCC is pleased to offer a Classroom Emergency App for faculty to report technology related classroom issues. The app allows faculty to quickly send an alert to all on-site/on-call technicians that technical help is needed in the classroom. A classroom emergency is defined as a technology problem in the classroom experienced by a faculty member on campus at the start of or during class time which prevents the faculty member from continuing with their class.Some examples might be:

Classroom projector is not working
Classroom computer\monitor is not working
Cables are missing
Classroom network Issue

The Classroom Emergency App should ONLY be used for technology issues in an MCC classroom, not for any other kind of emergency.

The Classroom Emergency App is free and available from the Google Play store and the Apple App store. Additional information including how to use the app is available on our MCC Technology Center website.

Enrollment

Admissions

The Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment is gearing up for a busy spring recruiting season. In addition to our regular visits and college fairs, many of our counselors have taken the initiative to book ‘On-the-Spot-Admissions’ days at some of our local high schools. These days give seniors early access to pre-admission advising for the fall 2018 semester. On-the-Spot-Days were held at the following high schools:

Greater Lawrence Technical High School, Assistant Director Camille Brown
North Reading and Wilmington high schools, Assistant Director Jennifer Migliozzi
Nashoba Valley Regional High School, Assistant Director Jason Reynolds and Director Jeffrey Tejada

In addition to our high school population, we are also focused on expanding access to our community partners. Assistant Director Alison Handy held information sessions at the Woburn YMCA, and together with our partners in the LINKS Program she will be bringing members of the Methuen YMCA to the Lowell campus next week. Assistant Director Jason Reynolds visited the Instrumentation Laboratory Company in Bedford, to speak to staff about educational opportunities. This was in collaboration with MCC Workforce Development, an area with which we often partner. We are always looking to grow our list of community partners and company contacts and welcome insight from the College community.

Lastly, we have just passed the deadline (February 1) for our selective health program applications for the Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs. Qualified applicants work very hard to put together competitive applications for a limited number of seats. If you encounter any students with questions about this process during your advising sessions or in the classroom, please feel free to refer them directly to the Admissions office or email us at admissions@middlesex.mass.edu.

Enrollment Management

Spring 2018 Semester Key Dates

Summer 2018 Registration opened on February 15, 2018.
Go to https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/summer/ for information on MCC’s Summer Sessions.

Fall 2018 Registration will begin on March 26, 2018. Students should be receiving letters on Fall registration beginning the week of March 19.

Drop for Nonattendance Grades Due
• Minimester II April 5

Last Day for students to Withdraw
• Mini-mester I March 2
• Full-Term April 18
• Mini-mester II May 4

Final Grades Due
• Mini-mester I March 21 at 10 a.m.
• Full-Term and Mini-mester II May 23 at 10 a.m.

Spring 2018 Final Exam Schedule

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.

Student Affairs

International & Multicultural Affairs

The Office of International & Multicultural Affairs has developed a new series of dialogues to address current events. Intercultural Dialogues is a series of discussions regarding critical matters that affect members of the campus community. The first Session was held Tuesday, Feb 13, titled “I Am Not Black, You Are Not White.” The students present engaged in a lively discussion on race and what it means to them personally. Our next session is “Focus on Wealth Inequality in America.” Every other Thursday, we will facilitate current topics related to diversity and inclusion. All are welcome to come and participate.

Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA)

On January 19, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement took 17 students on a field trip to New York City. The purpose of the trip was to continue to build upon the strong relationships and connections with new and current students during spring orientation. A highlight of the trip was an opportunity to visit New York University (NYU) and explore their transfer options. NYU’s Center for Multicultural Education and Programs presented a panel of students who shared their experiences and the benefits of being engaged students. Students were also able to tour a residence hall in Union Square, where they learned just how small New York City apartments can be! We closed the day by exploring the Rubin Museum of Art, where students explored Himalayan Asia through art. Exhibits on display included a Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, where students could experience firsthand a traditional household shrine. After a long day, we caught a quick glimpse of the robust diversity and vast career options that a place like New York City can offer.

Student Support Services

Dawn Gross, Coordinator of MCC’s ICE Program, hosted the annual mid-year MAICEI Coordinators Meeting for the Massachusetts’s Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative on January 11.

Program Coordinators from UMass Boston, UMass Amherst, Salem, and Framingham, Westfield and Bridgewater state universities, as well as Mass Bay, Massasoit, Northern Essex, Holyoke, Cape Cod and Bunker Hill community colleges met to discuss statewide updates and look at best practices with Glenn Gabbard, MAICEI Coordinator, Department of Higher Education.

The agenda also included an engaging conversation with Thomas Heir, Silvana and Christopher Pascucci Professor of Practice in Learning Differences, Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Tom served as director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs from 1993 to 1999. As director, he was responsible for federal leadership in implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). MCC continues to be a model for best practices in this movement for inclusive practices to support diverse learners on public higher education campuses. For more information about MAICEI and MCC’s ICE Program, please visit: http://www.mass.edu/strategic/read_maicei.asp and https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/disabilitysupport/iceprogram/default.aspx

Veterans Resource Center

The Veterans Resource Center sponsored a visit from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Treasurer, Veterans’ Bonus Division, on the Bedford and Lowell campuses February 15. The Welcome Home Bonus provides bonus payments to family members of deceased eligible veterans and service members who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Many MCC student veterans took advantage of the campus visit and discovered they were eligible to receive a one-time bonus of up to $1,500. The Veteran Resource Center is eager to sponsor this event each semester.

Institutional Advancement

Marketing Communications

Showcasing Student Stories

Rad Tech Student Saves Baby with (Required) CPR Skills

Before student Ebonie Seriam could be accepted into the Radiologic Technology Program, she had to complete one more class: A four-hour course in CPR. It never occurred to her that one nagging requirement would help her save the life of a baby.

Here’s the full story: http://bit.ly/2ELXqYE

Kathy Gehly, Dean of Allied Health, and Bill Darmody, Rad Tech Department Chairman, tipped us off to this AMAZING story and it attracted lots of interest via our social media channels.

If you have an interesting story about students, faculty or staff in your area, please let Marketing Communications know. We love to share good news about MCC! (Email story ideas to: marketing@middlesex.mass.edu)

MCC Lapel Pins

New to the college? You may have noticed colleagues around the college wearing an MCC pin. You can request a MCC lapel pin from Marketing Communications. (And we now have extra lapel-pin replacement backs, in case you’ve lost yours.) To request pins or replacement backs, please use this form.

Advancement

MCC Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony

The MCC Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony will be held Tuesday, March 6, at 3:30 pm in the Bedford Campus Center. The entire college community is welcome to the event that honors our student recipients and acknowledges the MCC Foundation scholarship donors. This year, 49 scholarships will be presented to 41 students totaling more than $48,000 in award funds. View the list of the 2018 Scholarship Awardees. If you would like to attend the event to congratulate the students, please email Amy Lee at leea@middlesex.mass.edu.

Looking for MCC Employee Alumni

The Alumni Office is looking for MCC employees who are also MCC grads. If you are an employee and an alum, please email Amy Lee, leea@middlesex.mass.edu in the Alumni Office.

2018 Middlesex Fund

The MCC Foundation Middlesex Fund provides funding for student scholarships, academic enrichment, 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

You may choose to direct your donation to a particular area or existing fund, such as a named scholarship for faculty grants. Give online today. Full-time employees may give via payroll direct deposit. The payroll form can be found at this link: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/downloads/payroll18.pdf 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. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Corporate Education and Training

Corporate Education and Training delivered or will be delivering:

Customized training for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Center for Manufacturing Technology in Woburn.
Emotional Intelligence training at E Ink in Billerica.
Instructor Training Session for the Massachusetts Association of Accessing Officers (MAAO) at the East Café in Bedford.
First Aid/CPR and Medication Administration trainings for LifeLinks. The courses are conducted at MCC in order to provide employees exposure to taking classes in a college setting.
Collaborated with the Early Childhood Department to offer “English Composition I” at the Lowell campus through the Region 3 Professional Partnership Grant.
Applying Basic Leadership Skills training at Pace Industries in Billerica.
Accuplacer testing sessions at Raytheon in Andover.
Collaborated with Resource Development to complete and submit a Workforce Training Fund Small Business Direct Access Program Grant that will be focused in training for Non-Technical Professional Skills and Management/Supervisory/
Leadership Skills. The training topics will consist of Effective Business Writing, Workplace Team Building, Time Management, Management and Supervisory Skills, Dealing with Difficult Customers, and Change Management.

Community Education and Training

Summer is here! College for Kids summer 2018 enrollment began February 20. Check out our multiple offerings on both the Bedford and Lowell campuses.

This year, we are welcoming a new programs: “Medical Laboratory Science” with Program Coordinator, Suzanne McHale; “Golf 101,” “Exploring Mono-types and Collages,” “Artwork in the Making,” and “Zip and Zap: Principles of Electricity.” Don’t forget about our ever-popular programs, exploring topics such as veterinary science, aviation, and Legos, and our popular Children’s Theater program, led by Performing Arts Chair Karen Oster. The performance this summer is “Peter Pan Jr.”

A special thank you to Lura Smith and the Lura Smith Foundation, for opening doors for Lowell youth to experience College for Kids. The foundation will provide 6 scholarships this summer for children connected to Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell, the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, and the Greater Lowell Boys and Girls Club.

We were excited to offer our first babysitter-training class, in partnership with the American Red Cross, during February school vacation week. This babysitter training is a new endeavor supporting the expansion of youth programs. Led by R.N. instructor Kathy Regan, 10 children, ages 11-15, learned the skills necessary to safely provide care for children and infants.

Community Education is supporting Massachusetts K-12 educators in a variety of areas now that Middlesex is registered with DESE as a Professional Development Provider. In addition to our online MTEL exam prep classes, a new class on Feb. 21 provided resources on how to navigate the MA teacher state licensure process, titled “SOS – Teacher Licensing in the State of Massachusetts.”

Do you know a Massachusetts K-12 educator who needs to earn PDP’s to keep their license current? CET’s course with Susan Woods, titled “Effective Strategies and Instruction for Students with Disabilities,” began Feb. 5. By completing this course, licensed K-12 educators will earn 15 PDPs towards recertification. More classes will be offered fall 2018 for K-12 educators.

Workforce training programs that began this month include Pharmacy Technician with CVS Pharmacy, MS Excel, CE class for dental hygienists: Safe and Effective Local Anesthesia, SHRM HR Certification Exam Prep, Digital Media Marketing, Business of Photography, and Energy Auditing.

Government & Community Relations

Director of Compliance Alisa Chapman and Rebecca Newell attended a joint meeting of Title IX Coordinator and Student Conduct officers at MBCC. This meeting was to have the groups converse and understand the role all areas play in the investigation of Title IX cases. Alisa Chapman also assisted colleagues at Mass Bay CC with Sexual Harassment & Sexual Violence training and Quinsigamond CC with Bystander Intervention training over the past month.

On Friday, February 9th Alisa Chapman conducted training on “Working with Pregnant and Parenting Students in the Classroom.” Alisa has also conducted Bedford and Lowell sessions of “Title IX: Understanding the College’s Policy Against Sexual Harassment & Sexual Violence.” If deans, department chairs or supervisors would like these trainings to be held during a staff meeting time, please contact Alisa Chapman at chapmana@middlesex.mass.edu

Director of Public Safety Daniel Martin and Bedford Campus Resource Officer Craig Naylor conducted Active Shooter Training that was open to all faculty and staff. This training provided a general presentation of what to do in an active shooter event. As part of the College’s mission to ensure best practices in public safety, these trainings will be held on a monthly basis on alternating campuses, with the next scheduled training to take place in Lowell on Monday, February 26th. These trainings can also be conducted for individual departments/geographical areas by contacting Dan Martin at martind@middlesex.mass.edu

Dan Martin continued to update shuttle transportation services for the College community, making adjustments to shuttle schedules as needed to best serve our students. Dan is working to ensure that all shuttle drivers are properly trained and maintain a high level of customer service.

Lowell Campus Resource Officer Tom Hickey assisted Lowell Police detectives with a possible B&E in the building to the rear of the Blue Taleh restaurant at the end of January. Officer Hickey worked with library staff to identify an individual who was using library computers to access inappropriate material. Officer Hickey checked the individual with the LPD and determined that the individual had a record with the LPD. Officer Hickey issued no-trespass orders for these instances. Bedford Campus Resource Officer Craig Naylor conducted investigations on campus dealing with child neglect and shoplifting from the campus cafeteria. Officer Naylor also attended police training/baton certification.

Alisa Chapman, Dan Martin, Abby Vergados and Officer Naylor attended the #MeToo – Survivors’ Stories panel discussion held on the Bedford Campus. This event allowed attendees to hear a first-person account from a survivor of sexual violence.