Updates from the President
Wherever I go, I am a constant advocate for our students and Middlesex. I believe deeply in the mission of community colleges and know that at MCC we are working together to change lives every day. In the communities we serve, I am an informal, but intentional, advocate and I never fail to laud the transformational efforts by our dedicated faculty and staff.
As I visit with members of the community, I keep a collection of student stories in my pocket, along with a bevy of facts and figures, and community-college trends. Our students’ stories really tug at people’s hearts, while the facts sink into their brains. I often share how our students have gone on to Columbia and Princeton, or have made it one class or one semester further than they ever thought possible. I promote programs like MassTransfer and the Commonwealth Commitment that start at MCC and lead straight to one of our great public universities, like UMass Lowell.
This year, as Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Council of Presidents, I have engaged in advocacy at the State House. In Boston, we are seeking support for additional funding to support our mission of access and excellence. This year, we have chosen to advocate for a number of budget items that would bring additional funding to the colleges and help us help our students.
One encouraging sign was Gov. Charlie Baker’s inclusion of an additional $7.1 million for the MassGrant program that provides need-based scholarships. We are now working to see that all of this additional funding is allocated for community college students. We are continuing to meet with legislative leaders and other legislators who have filed additional budget amendments. It is always a long process, but we will keep pushing.
Every day, I am fortunate to represent the college in the community, and try to speak every chance I get with honesty and passion about the great work we do at Middlesex. We need to build support for our mission and our students, who deserve nothing but a fair chance to transform their lives through education. Keep up the good work and I will continue to fight the good fight.
All the best.
– Jim Mabry
Upcoming Events
- April 26, 2018 — Board of Trustees Meeting, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m., Lowell Campus – Federal Building Courtroom
- May 2, 2018 — MCC Sports Recognition Night, 5:30 p.m., Bedford Campus Center
- May 4, 2018 — 29 Who Shine Event, 2:00 p.m., State House Great Hall
- May 22, 2018 — Nurses Pinning Ceremony, 4:00 p.m., Lowell Memorial Auditorium
- May 22, 2018 — Evening of Excellence, 6:30 p.m., Lowell Memorial Auditorium
- May 24, 2018 — Trustees Meeting, 8:00 a.m., Cowan Center Room 302
- May 24, 2018 — Commencement Ceremonies, 10:00 a.m., Lowell Memorial Auditorium
MCC in the News
- National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) Welcomes New Board Member – MCC President James Mabry
https://www.pr.com/press-release/751142 (PR.com, 4/19/18) - Do you remember when Barbara Bush visited Lowell? http://www.lowellsun.com/rememberwhen/ci_31813199/do-you-remember-when-barbara-bush-visited-lowell (Lowell Sun, 4/18/18)
- Bedford resident recognized at Connecticut College
http://bedford.wickedlocal.com/news/20180417/bedford-resident-recognized-at-connecticut-college (Bedford Minuteman, 4/17/18) - Venture grant for Middlesex CC
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_31811052/venture-grant-middlesex-cc (Lowell Sun, 4/17/18) - MCC to launch local entrepreneurship program
http://bedford.wickedlocal.com/news/20180413/mcc-to-launch-local-entrepreneurship-program (Bedford Minuteman, 4/13/18) - Register now for fall classes
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_31802637/class-act-benefit-many (Lowell Sun, 4/13/18) - Jeff Bauman lives series of ups and down in 5 years since bombings
https://whdh.com/news/jeff-bauman-lives-series-of-ups-and-downs-in-5-years-since-bombings/ (WHDH Channel 7 news, 4/12/18) - Realizaran segunda version Festival de Poesia La Guagua en Lowell http://elmundoboston.com/realizaran-segunda-version-festival-de-poesia-la-guagua-en-lowell (El mundo Boston, 4/12/18)
Current Grant Initiatives
AANAPISI Grant Update
This month, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) has been celebrating Asian American Heritage Month at MCC. Throughout the month of April, PAASA has been highlighting the diversity of the Asian American population here by asking students to self-identify their ethnicity and taking a picture. Students, faculty, and staff from Cambodia, China, and many other countries proudly had their pictures taken on both campuses.
In addition, we have hosted several events throughout the month, including an Opening Event where students learned about the Japanese Internment. At the end of the month, students volunteered at the local Lowell Khmer New Year Festival in Clemente Park. Thank you to everyone who has participated and we look forward to celebrating next year!
MCC 360 Update
Construction of the test site for EAB Navigate/Campus tools is under way. Training for select staff and faculty will begin in late April and early May. These training sessions will be conducted in the test environment. The MCC EAB team will be making adjustments to the data before we go live. A month-by-month training plan for the wider college community has been prepared. However, it is subject to change until we have a solid production environment for students, faculty and staff. There will be a 10 minute presentation at the May FSA meeting where Bryant Wint, Jillian Freitas-Haley, and Peter Shea will discuss the roll out of EAB Navigate/Campus to the MCC community.
Academic Affairs
Library Services
As you have heard, over the next two months we will be in the process of transitioning to our new library network – HELM. We will join six other libraries that will bring a number of new services to our college focusing on the needs of our campuses and sharing a common catalog.
The founding HELM members are:
• Holyoke Community College
• Massachusetts Bay Community College
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• Middlesex Community College
• North Shore Community College
• Quinsigamond Community College
• Roxbury Community College
As part of this process, we want to remind you that it is important to return all materials borrowed from other libraries by their due dates. Also, be aware that April 20 was the last day to place a hold on materials from the NOBLE libraries, but we can still get the items you are looking for from other libraries. Beginning next week, if you need materials that are not in our collections, please contact a librarian about placing an interlibrary loan request on your behalf.
We plan to go live on our new system in June, when you will once again have the ability to place requests to other HELM libraries, as well as through the Commonwealth Catalog, a statewide library resource. If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to ask a librarian!
Academic Divisions
Arts, Humanities & World Languages
Music Department
MCC faculty member and soprano Anna Ward is currently singing in a production of “Here All Night: The Sound of Beckett” in Dublin, Ireland. The Boston Globe called their recent performance in MA “an eerily beautiful and hypnotic marriage of text, music and song.”
Outreach Program:
On April 4, MCC guitar students of Raley Beggs and voice students of Anna Ward performed a recital for the UMass Lowell organization Lira, a group of retired people interested in the arts. The audience members were very appreciative and requested that we offer these recitals for them every semester.
Upcoming Student Recital:
Monday, May 7, at 12:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Bedford campus. Student instrumentalists and singers will perform, and compositions by music technology students will be featured.
Watch This Space…
… for a future report on the musical component of the La Guagua IDS Weekend! Original compositions by MCC Music faculty inspired by former US Poet Laureate, Robert Pinksy!
Business, Education & Public Service
Fashion Merchandising
Fashion students started the month off with a learning experience at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with Professor Ashli Ree. They worked in small groups to find artwork which best represent the image of various businesses.
DXL, a menswear company with its headquarters in Canton, MA, invited faculty and students to discuss different internship and career opportunities available for the students, and tips on how to prepare for them. Students met professionals from many departments and they shared their own career paths. Students also visited the New England Apparel Club, where they interviewed buyers and exhibitors in a wholesale show.
Fashion students participated in the Multicultural Career Institute, where they presented information on how students should dress for an interview. The students wore interview clothes, explained their choices, and spoke about their personal interview experiences.
Hospitality and Culinary Arts
On April 10th, Kim Morrissey hosted a career panel for Hospitality and Culinary Arts students. Guest speakers included managers from the UML Inn & Conference Center, the Inn at Hastings Park, Stones Hospitality Group, the Verve Hotel, Webber Restaurant Group, AAA Travel, SwissBakers and the Greater Merrimack Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau. Students heard great career advice from the panel, were able to ask questions, and had the chance to network with them to find summer jobs and internships.
Communications
Bedford Police Chief Robert Bongiorno, an MCC graduate, appeared at Rick Pozniak’s “Introduction to Crisis Communications” class in April. He discussed a white paper that Pozniak and his students prepared on the image and reputation crisis impacting policing in America, along with student recommendations on turning around this reputation crisis. Copies of the report are being sent to police chiefs in the region.
Nursing & Allied Health Division
Several programs in the Nursing & Allied Health Division have been the grateful recipients of donated equipment to help enrich the students learning experience:
- The Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program recently received a donated Vascular Ultrasound machine from Beth Israel Hospital. In addition, Park Vascular Systems donated and installed a hard drive in the machine, so it would be operational for students to use. Beth Israel also donated 13 ultrasound transducers that are compatible with the existing ultrasound machines in the lab.
- The Dental Hygiene Program received a Digital Panorex machine for the Dental Hygiene Clinic, donated by a member of their Advisory Board, Dr. J. Steven Tonelli.
- The Dental Laboratory Technology Program is receiving a Roland Dental Milling Machine from Henry Schein.
These donations are greatly appreciated not only for the very useful equipment, but for the support of our programs from our community partners!
Two faculty in the Nursing & Allied Health Division presented at the Teaching, Learning and Student Development Conference at Berkshire Community College on April 6th. Suzanne McHale & Christine Laviolette led the session “Is Competency-Based Learning Right For You” that was well received.
Student Affairs
Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE)
Michael Bertini joined Middlesex as a Learning Specialist supporting ACE Peer Tutors in Accounting, Business & Economics in March. Mike has a bachelors’ degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds an MS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.S. in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University. Mike currently works as a professional tutor at Lexington Tutors, and has taught Financial Economics at Brandeis University. We are very excited Mike has joined the Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE) team! Please join us in welcoming Mike to MCC.
Enrollment
Admissions
The last month has been an extremely busy one in Admissions.
- The Spring Lowell Open House, which has traditionally been held on a Saturday morning, was scheduled for the evening of March 27. This change generated a great deal of additional interest and attendees, and we will more than likely schedule future Lowell Open Houses in the evening.
- The Bedford Spring Open House will be on Tuesday, April 24, with our Admitted Students Reception opening the festivities at 4:00 p.m.. We want to extend our sincere thanks to all of the members of the campus community who volunteer their time and service to make these recruiting events successful. Students (and parents) are always eager to meet the individuals who will play a significant role in their success at Middlesex.
- On Thursday, April 19, we hosted Lawrence High School and the Middlesex Charter School for a Pathway to Success Day, held on the Bedford campus. Once again, with help from several of our students and the campus community, first-generation students were able to experience a day in the life of a Middlesex student. Students participated in campus tours, advising, and financial-aid presentations. They also met with the staffs of the Center for Leadership & Engagement, and the Academic Centers for Enrichment to learn how to develop strategies for success in college. They also had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of a panel comprised of our best “advertisers” — our current students and alumni. And of course there was an ample supply of pizza!
- Jeff Tejada and Jillian Freitas-Haley presented “Recruitment Reimagined – Strategies for Engaging a Diverse Student Population” at the TSLD conference held at Berkshire Community College in early April. Due to the decline of the overall high school population, targeted recruitment strategies specifically designed to meet the needs of non-traditional students have been introduced, most notably the Pathway Day event referred to above. They shared what we are doing at MCC, such as expanding our high school programming and initiatives, engaging students in various settings and via multiple touch points, enhancing the understanding of the student enrollment process, and empowering students to take action.
- We are also doing more onsite programming at the high schools, bringing Middlesex Community College directly to the student. While we have always had high school visits, we are concentrating on holding more On the Spot Admissions Days, conducting college placement testing at the high schools, and scheduling on-site registration at select schools. By building these early connections, students can be successful from day one because we have helped them navigate the enrollment process.
- During this extremely busy month we also participated in numerous high school and community fairs and visits, career fairs, both in the high schools and in career centers, On the Spot admission events, and onsite placement testing.
Enrollment Management
NEW! Multiple Measure Information in Degree Works
Degree Works has been updated to provide additional student information to faculty and staff pertaining to the new course placement options. The following information now appears in Degree Works:
• High School GPA
• High School Graduation Date
• SAT Score – indicates verbal and total student SAT scores, when provided
• English Level – indicates if a student is eligible for college-level English courses
• Math level – indicates if a student is eligible for college-level mathematics courses
• Commonwealth Honors – indicates if a student is eligible for First-Term Honors placement
When looking at maximum placements in Degree Works, please note that if a student has an ENG 999 and RD9 999, he/she is exempt from taking the English Accuplacer tests; if a student has a MAT 999, he/she is exempt from taking the Math Accuplacer tests.
Congratulations
Abbie Takvorian, a long-time member of the Bedford Student Information Center team, will be graduating on May 12th with her Master’s in Science degree in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. An extremely dedicated and hard-working mother of three, Abbie completed the program in two years – often doubling up on courses.
Congratulations to Abbie for this outstanding achievement!
Summer 2018 Registration
Summer sessions are fast approaching. Over 13,000 summer postcards were mailed the week of April 16 to support the promotion of Quick Start and MCC’s four summer sessions.
For detailed information on the last day to add, drop and withdraw for each Summer session, please visit: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/downloads/sumsess2018.pdf
Spring 2018 Student Evaluations
It is time to administer student evaluations for the Spring 2018 semester. Evaluations will be available beginning Monday, April 23. Emails were sent to faculty with the evaluation pick-up locations. All student evaluations should be returned no later than May 18, so results can be processed in June.
Graduation 2018
Graduation applications are still being accepted and reviewed for degree/certificate completion. We encourage students to apply!
Applications can be completed:
• Online ( https://middlenet.middlesex.mass.edu/pls/prod/bwskgrad.p_disp_gradapp
• Paper (https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/studentinformationcenter/downloads/gradapp.pdf
For questions pertaining to the graduation application, students should contact the Enrollment Management Center at 978-656-3393; for questions regarding graduation eligibility, students should contact the Assistant Registrar at 781-280-3625.
Institutional Advancement
Marketing Communications
PARTICIPATE IN MCC’S MEDIA PREFERENCES SURVEY
Middlesex Community College is conducting an online survey to help improve the college’s marketing efforts.
As the community’s college, MCC is always seeking ways to improve our communication efforts. Whether you are coming to Middlesex directly from high school, enhancing your on-the-job skills, or returning to school after many years, we want to know how to serve you better.
Please take this short, 5 minute online survey and tell us about how you use the media and spend your time. To complete the survey, visit: www.middlesex.mass.edu/survey
New Social Media Coordinator/Writer
Marketing Communications is pleased to welcome Ron Campbell, our new Social Media Coordinator/Writer. He will be managing our social media channels, creating copy for clients across campus, and sharing college news with media outlets. Ron previously worked as Communications Manager for the Waring School in Beverly, and as Social Media Coordinator for the MA Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. He holds a BS in Communications & Journalism from Suffolk University. Welcome Ron, we’re happy to have you on our Marketing Communications team!
Student Focus Groups
The Office of Marketing Communications is in the process of conducting a series of Student Engagement Focus Groups. The focus groups are collaborative in nature, with student participants sharing what path brought them to MCC, what they like best about the college, and what their future plans are.
To date, student feedback has been gathered from more than 30 student participants. Three discussion sessions have been held thus far, and another two are scheduled for late April, early May.
This valuable student feedback is will be used to shape MCC’s next college marketing campaign.
Educational Advertising Awards
MCC’s Office of Marketing Communications has won two awards in the 33rd annual Educational Advertising Awards competition.
More than 2,250 entries were received from more than 1,000 colleges, universities and secondary schools from all 50 states and several foreign countries. Agencies representing educational organizations were also eligible.
MCC won Silver and Merit awards in the Publication/External (for PROFILES magazine) and Class Schedules (Spring 2018) categories.
For details: http://educationaladvertisingawards.com/
Community College Daily Article: Six ways to promote pathways to student success
Dean of Marketing Communications Jennifer Aradhya was asked by the American Association of Community Colleges to write an article on “Promoting Pathways to Student Success” after presenting on the topic at an NCMPR (National Council for Marketing & Public Relations) conference last spring.
The article: http://www.ccdaily.com/2018/04/six-ways-promote-pathways-student-success/
Advancement
Special Offer to the MCC Faculty and Staff
MCC Celebrity Forum 2018/20th Anniversary, An Evening with Jamie Lee Curtis
The 20th anniversary Middlesex Community College Celebrity Forum will feature Jamie Lee Curtis, actress, children’s-book author, and philanthropist on Friday, June 8, at 8pm at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. www.middlesex.mass.edu/cf18
SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Offer to MCC Faculty and Staff:
As an MCC faculty or staff member, you have the opportunity to purchase tickets (maximum of 4 tickets) at a discounted price of $20 (a $39 value). A limited number of tickets is available for purchase at this price so please plan to buy them early!
Please contact Barbara Maglio at 978-656-3417 or at magliob@middlesex.mass.edu to make arrangements to purchase your discounted tickets.
• A maximum of 4 tickets may be purchased at the discounted price
• Payment must be made by check only. Check should be made payable to the MCC Foundation.
For all other ticket sales, please go to http://www.middlesex.mass.edu/cf18 or http://www.lowellauditorium.com or call 866-722-8881. Tickets are priced at $29, $39, and $49.
Also available are Celebrity Forum sponsor packages, which begin at $1,000 and include a photo with Jamie Lee Curtis, private reception and dinner, and table seating on the floor of the auditorium. Please call Dennis Malvers, Dean of College Advancement, at 978-656-3027 or email him at malversd@middlesex.mass.edu for more information. Proceeds from Celebrity Forum support scholarships for Middlesex students.
MCC Alumni Association Meat Raffle – Friday, May 11, 7-10 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Join the MCC Alumni Association for a Meat Raffle Fundraiser to support MCC Middlesex Fund for Student Scholarships: Tewksbury Knights of Columbus, 2068 Main Street, Tewksbury
What is a Meat Raffle?
It is like playing BINGO, except prizes are food items (MEAT) and some cash prizes.
Instead of bingo cards, you purchase a trio of playing cards for $1.00 or $2.00 depending on the game; if your 3 cards are called, then you win!
Tickets to the event are free, but please register at: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni/events.aspx
Interested in supporting the Alumni Association Meat Raffle Committee? The Alumni Association is also looking for help with donations for theme baskets to raffle off that evening. Themes to consider: BBQ, MCC, Sports, Movie Night, Lottery Tickets, Pets, Breakfast, Pasta Dinner, Bath/Beauty, Games, Crafts, and Baby. Perhaps your department would consider sponsoring a basket? Placards will be placed beside each basket to identify its sponsor.
For more information, contact Amy Lee at leea@middlesex.mass.edu
MCC Foundation Middlesex Fund
Your gift can be doubled to support student success! The MCC Foundation will match faculty/staff gifts to the Middlesex Fund up to $25,000.
Donations to the Middlesex Fund may be directed to a specific fund such as the faculty/staff grant program or to a named scholarship. By supporting the Middlesex Fund, you are helping our students achieve their goals and dreams. The Middlesex Fund campaign runs until June 30, 2018. Thank you for your support and generosity.
For more information or to donate, go to http://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation
Community Education and Training
The following noncredit open enrollment classes started April 2018: “SHRM Essentials of HR Management,” “Increase Your Website Presence with WordPress,” “Exceptional Customer Service,” “Practical Computers,” “Intro to Floral Design with GivenErwin Florist,” and “Art Exploration Seminars.”
Jim Campanini of the Wine Novice presented two wine tasting classes at Nesmith House in April. Forty participants had a wonderful experience, stepping up their knowledge of Noble red and white Wines, exploring its characteristics and styles, food-wine pairings, the basics of domestic and foreign labels, and price comparisons. More classes with Jim to be offered this fall.
Community Education participated at the Merrimack Valley Chamber Business Expo on April 4.
Corporate Education and Training
Corporate Education and Training delivered or will be delivering:
• Customized training for Beginner Level for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Monogram Gourmet Foods in Wilmington.
• Customized training for Beginner and Intermediate Levels of English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at WNA in Chelmsford.
• First Aid/CPR and Medication Administration Recertification trainings for LifeLinks.
The courses are conducted at MCC in order to provide employees exposure to taking classes in a college setting.
• Leadership Development training sessions for Lowell General Hospital at the Main Campus.
• Conducted a Workforce Training Fund Program Information Session on Tuesday, April 3rd from 8:30am—10:30am in the Federal Building. Kristen Rayne from the Commonwealth Corporation provided an overview of grant options and presented content on the Workforce Training Fund.
• Collaborated with the Early Childhood Education Department to offer Teaching Young Children with Trauma at the Lowell campus through the Region 3 Professional Partnership Grant.
The Advanced Manufacturing Graduation was held April 24 on the Lowell campus. There were 16 students that completed over 400 hours of training that resulted in 7 students receiving a certificate in electronics, and 9 in machining.
Government and Community Relations
Alisa Chapman continues to conduct a variety of Title IX training for faculty and staff on both the Bedford and Lowell campuses. In additions, Alisa has offered multiple sessions of Active Bystander training for faculty and staff, as well as students and participants in the MILES program. If deans, department chairs or supervisors would like any of these trainings during a staff meeting time, please contact Alisa Chapman at chapmana@middlesex.mass.edu
Alisa Chapman attended a training on Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace presented by District Attorney Marion Ryan. This training focused on the important distinction between sexual/discriminatory harassment and sexual assault – and the law surrounding both, strategies for improving response to all forms of sexual misconduct in the workplace and attempts to prevent it, the Complainant/Victim viewpoint and how to manage employee expectations, and the common characteristics, motivations and traits of perpetrators of sexual misconduct.
Abby Vergados continues to process CORI/SORI screenings for clinical placements for students enrolled in summer courses through CET and AHP. Abby also is responsible for processing these checks for instructors and assistants for the upcoming College for Kids session this summer.
Daniel Martin, Patrick Cook and Officer Tom Hickey conducted preliminary site assessment for upcoming Active Shooter Awareness Trainings at Wingate at Belvidere Senior Short-Term Rehab in Lowell and Northeast Independent Living Center in Lawrence. These trainings by the MCC team will help staff at both facilities know how to respond in the event of an active shooter.
Dan Martin has been working to coordinate Summer 2018 shuttle services for students, faculty and staff on campus. Dan continues to update policies and procedures relating to shuttle services on campus to ensure that all drivers are trained and ready to offer the MCC community the best service possible.
Lowell Campus Resource Officer Tom Hickey assisted an MCC staff member with a situation involving suspicious activity near the staff member’s home address. Officer Hickey was able to provide guidance and direction to help ensure the matter was addressed in the timely and correct manner. Officer Hickey also met with several students on campus to offer guidance as to the steps to becoming a police officer, addressing both the physical and educational/training requirements.
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Middlesex Connector 