Updates from the President
Making Connections for Success
The concept of student success runs through our strategic plan, Transformative Education, and is the primary focus of the entire college community. Everything we plan, implement and assess is based on positively impacting student success.
Over the last three years, through the innovative and collaborative work of faculty and staff at the college, we have streamlined our enrollment processes, implemented a Success From Day One program, and worked to get students better connected to the college. All of these efforts are based on research, data and best practices for improving student success. We have made tremendous progress, but we still have work to do.
For two years, we piloted a new academic calendar that included faculty involvement in student orientation and advising, as well as professional-development activities during the week before Labor Day weekend. This year, we are piloting a video-based online orientation for new students, along with opportunities for these students to attend FYE and IDS courses during the summer. For more information on the New Student Onboarding process, click here. We believe these new initiatives will help get students connected and prepared for the start of the semester. Once the semester has begun, additional academic and co-curricular programs will further promote student success.
This fall, we will be starting the semester with a full day of professional-development activities for faculty and staff on the day after Labor Day – Tuesday, Sept. 3 – and classes will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The Spring 2020 semester will begin with a full day of professional-development activities on the Tuesday after Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020 – and classes will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Download a copy of the updated Academic Calendar.
During fall and spring semesters there will be the equivalent of two additional Professional Days, but these may be broken up into half-day and asynchronous segments. The Professional Development Advisory Committee, under the leadership of Peter Shea, will work with groups across campus to design engaging, flexible and valuable professional-development opportunities.
We are still searching for the best way to start the semester, taking into account how to have faculty and students ready to go on the first day of class, while also maintaining a robust professional-development agenda at the college. We look forward to a meaningful dialogue about these issues in the coming months and welcome your input on these matters. We recognize that ongoing professional development is a key to meeting the needs of all our faculty and staff, as well as maintaining MCC’s status as the premier community college in the Commonwealth.
All the best,
Jim Mabry
Table Of Contents
- Upcoming Events
- MCC in the News
- Current Grant Initiatives
- AANAPISI Grant
- Academic Affairs
- Arts, Humanities & World Languages
- Dental Hygiene
- Student Affairs
- Office of Student Engagement
- Institutional Advancement
- Adult Learning Center
- College Advancement
- Community Education & Training
- Corporate Education & Training
- Marketing Communications
Upcoming Events
- March 25, 2019 – Mini-mester II Begins
- 4:30 p.m. April 10, 2019 – Lowell Open House
- 5-7 p.m. April 18, 2019 – PTK Induction Ceremony, Bedford Café East
- 4:30 p.m. April 23, 2019 – Bedford Open House
- 8-9:30 a.m. April 25, 2019 – Board of Trustees Meeting, Trustees House, Galvani Room
- May 8, 2019 – “Piano Men: The Music of Elton and Billy”
- May 23, 2019 – Commencement
MCC in the News
- Build Your Own Course (Inside Higher Ed, 2/27/19)
- Scholarships help those planning medial careers (Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 3/8/19)
- Get the lowdown on social media with MCC noncredit certificate program (Lowell Sun, 3/10/19)
- Venture fund fuels dreams of MCC student entrepreneurs (Lowell Sun, 3/11/19)
- Entrepreneur to open MCC’s MILES program (Lowell Sun, 3/12/19)
- Nursing assistants in Lowell program enriched by roots far away (Lowell Sun, 3/16/19)
- MCC News: MCC to honor poet at festival (Bedford Minuteman, 3/20/19)
Current Grant Initiatives
AANAPISI Grant
“Getting Lao’d”
On March 11, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) hosted a screening of the film “Getting Lao’d.” Filmed over 14 years, the documentary follows a new generation of young pioneers as they re-imagine Lao media in a communist country. After 25 years of silence, the private Lao music and film industries are reawakening. The film features many of the country’s most prominent musicians and filmmakers, and is perhaps the most comprehensive examination of the media landscape in Laos. Following the film, faculty, staff, students and community members had a unique opportunity to engage in a conversation with the award-winning filmmaker, Dr. Steve Arounsack, about the rise of modern music and film, as well as the challenges around censorship and the business behind these two industries.
Academic Affairs
Arts, Humanities & World Languages
“The Music Man”
The MCC Theatre Department presents “The Music Man” April 10th- 14th visit http://www.middlesex.mass.edu/performingarts for tickets
Music Department Student Activities
On February 7, Anthony Rolli, MCC guitar student of Raley Beggs, and his band “Northwoods” performed at “The Middle East” music venue as part of a larger concert. They are promoting their new album “Ebb & Flow.”
On February 8 Fatima Al-Muntafik, also a guitar student of Raley Beggs, performed as part of the Boston Classical Guitar Orchestra (BCGO) to open for a concert featuring the trio “The Great Necks” at First Lutheran Church of Boston.
Dual-enrollment student Nathaniel Abreu gave a cello recital on Wednesday, February 27 in the Bedford Concert Hall. He played the “Suite for Solo Cello No. 4 in E Flat Major” by J.S. Bach, “Solo Sonata” by George Crumb, and the first movement of the “Sonata in E Minor for Cello and Piano” and “Romance for Cello and Piano” by Gabriel Fauré. Abreu was assisted by Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta in the last two selections. He has won several concerto competitions, including the New England Conservatory Prep Concerto Competition, the Concord Orchestra Concerto Competition, and most recently the Arlington Philharmonic Concerto Competition. He studies cello at New England Conservatory with Sam Ou.
World of Music Concert Series
March Concert
“Reflections: Art and Music”
A collaboration between the Art and Music departments, this event on March 15 opened with a faculty art exhibit in the new Academic Arts Center in Lowell and concluded with a concert in the Recital Hall. The exhibit featured sculpture, painting, ceramics, stained glass, photography, collage and works on paper by Angela Alés, Bill Bradbury, Jeanne Cronin, Joe Eiler, Meredith Fife-Day, Mary Hart, George Herman, Tamara Krendel, Yary Livan, Roneld Lores, Margaret Rack and Carolyn Stock. The concert included music which reflected the cultures, images and emotions of the artwork. MCC faculty members Orlando Cela, flute, Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta, piano, and Anna Ward, soprano, were joined by David Clark, composer/double bass, and Steve Hunt, piano. Works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Olivier Messiaen, Chinary Ung, Jaime León, Jacques Ibert, David Clark and Beau Kenyon were featured.
Upcoming Concerts in April
“Holes in the Floor Cello Quartet”
This Boston-based ensemble will perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ian Wiese, Jeremy Crosmer, Claude Debussy and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Friday, April 5 at 8:00 pm Concert Hall, Bedford Campus
“Chamber Music for Oboe, Flute, Cello and Piano”
John Ferrillo, Principal Oboe of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Ostling, Associate Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, William Rounds, cello, and Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta, piano, will perform music for various combinations of these instruments. Works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Aaron Copland, Olivier Messiaen, Maurice Ravel and Philippe Gaubert will be featured.
Friday, April 26 at 8:00 pm, Concert Hall, Bedford Campus and
Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 pm Academic Arts Center, Recital Hall, Lowell Campus
For information about the entire series, please visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/worldofmusic/
MCC Visiting Writers Series
On 2/25, the MCC Visiting Writers Series featured poet January Gill O’Neil, a few days after her poem “Hoodie” was published in the New York Times. An audience of over 85 students, faculty, and community members showed up to hear her read from her newest book, “Rewilding,” as well as from her other books of poetry, and answer questions about poetry, her work, her writing process, and creative writing programs at Salem State University, where she is Professor of English.
Dental Hygiene
Dental hygiene students and faculty attended Massachusetts Dental Hygiene Association’s (MDHA) annual lobby day at the Statehouse on February 26. Each student had the opportunity to meet with elected officials to advocate for several pieces of legislation put forth by MDHA. Many focused on advocating for a bill that would establish a mid-level oral health care provider, Dental Therapist. Dental Therapists are dental hygienists with advanced training and certification, who would be able to deliver basic but critically necessary care to underserved populations in Massachusetts.
Student Affairs
Office of Student Engagement
The MCC Hockey Team wrapped up an excellent 2018-2019 season with a 5-4 victory over Mass Maritime. The Owls finished the season strong after an up and down first month. They played one of their strongest schedules in recent years with games against Mass Maritime, WPI, and UNH. While these match-ups were very difficult, MCC was able to defeat all three teams this season!
Coach George Jacobs and Assistant Coach Steve Resca were dedicated to improving the team over the course of the year, leading to hard-fought victories. Special recognition also goes to MCC student and team manager Michael Cadden, as well as the captain and assistant captains Ian Wright, Joe Stackhouse and Ron MacDougall. In addition to their on-ice leadership roles, they promoted the team’s success this season and in growing school spirit around campus.
Institutional Advancement
Adult Learning Center
Congratulations to MCC’s Adult Learning Center Staff and Students
The Middlesex Community College Adult Learning Center (ALC) offers free classes for adults on the Bedford campus and at the McDevitt Middle School in Waltham. The program administration is proud to report that the center recently achieved a student skills gain score of 68.3 percent, exceeding the expected target by 216 percent! These results place the ALC third in the state for students’ Measureable Skills Gains.
The Adult Learning Center is a grant-funded program through Massachusetts Department of Education and is required to meet an annual Measurable Skill Gains Target. This standard includes outcomes in the areas of Educational Functioning Level improvement, High School Equivalency (HSE) credential attainment, and post-econdary education and training enrollment after a student exits the program. Congratulations to both the students and staff at the Adult Learning Center for all of their hard work and commitment to academic success.
College Advancement
MCC Foundation 2019 Scholarship Awards
On March 6, the MCC Foundation awarded 62 scholarships to 49 students, totaling over $65,000 in scholarship awards. More than 200 guests attended the ceremony, including scholarship representatives and donors, guests of scholarship recipients, and MCC faculty and staff. It was an inspiring ceremony that celebrated student success and the generosity of the scholarship donors.
Community Education & Training
C.N.A for Success Graduation
Congratulations to our C.N.A for Success graduates who completed their program on March 14! Community Education, in cooperation with the International Institute of New England, Lowell ABE Center, and D’Youville Life & Wellness Community, offered a 16-week training program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. Our students were trained in essential ESOL, cultural competencies, and MCC’s 100-hour Nurse Assistant program. C.N.A for Success is designed especially for English Language Learners seeking a career in the in-demand healthcare field. The International Institute of New England serves a diversity of clients with a range of educational and professional backgrounds. The faster immigrants learn English, the more quickly they can obtain a good job, advance in their careers, and participate more fully in civic life. A special thank you to our MCC staff: Caitlin Campopiano, Kathy Gehly, Angel Pepin, and dedicated nursing faculty Debra Shaw. Please read more at the Lowell Sun.
MILES Opening Session
Please join us for our MILES opening session on March 27 at 2 pm in Café East. Keynote speaker Bill Cummings, author of “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist.” Bill will also meet with President Mabry and students from MCC’s credit Entrepreneurship Program.
Noncredit Programs
The following noncredit programs began in March: Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia Certification, SHRM HR Essentials, Nurse Assistant/HHA, CompTia A+ Exam Prep, Digital Media Marketing, Management and Leadership Series, Intro to SQL, Art Seminar: The Works of Edgar Degas, Sparking Wines, DIY Holistic Happiness.
Corporate Education & Training
Corporate Education and Training recently delivered, or will be delivering:
• Beginner/Intermediate Microsoft Excel training for Aved Electronics at the Cowan Center.
• Effective Problem Solving at Nova Biomedical in Billerica.
• Collaborating with the Early Childhood Education Department to offer Supervised Field Placement and Guiding Children’s Behavior through the Region 3 Professional Partnership Grant.
• 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.
• Authentic Leadership Presence training for Lowell General Hospital’s Main Campus.
• Customized training for Advanced Level – English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Monogram Gourmet Foods in Wilmington.
• Introduction to Python and Leadership Skill Development trainings at Juniper Networks in Westford.
• Personal Protection/Active Shooter training at CTI in Lowell and Juniper Networks in Westford.
CET also hosted a Workforce Training Fund Program Information Session on Wednesday, March 6th in Trustees House. Kristen Rayne from Commonwealth Corporation provided an overview of grant options and content on the Workforce Training Fund to local employers.
Marketing Communications
NEW Marketing Communications Request Form
We are excited to announce that we have streamlined the Marketing & Social Media request forms. You will now be able to request marketing services, press releases, and social media services all in the same form.
The form has been shortened in length to make it easier to fill out and we have added the ability to upload files with your request (Please note: to upload files you will need a Google account. If you do not already have a google account, you can create one using your college email address).
Additionally, all requests submitted will be sent back a receipt via email. If you have any questions about the new Marketing request form, please email marketing@middlesex.mass.edu for assistance. NEW Marketing Request Form
Please, Tell Us Your Stories
Don’t forget: Marketing Communications is always looking for “good news” to include in news releases and social media. So, don’t be shy: Please let us know when you or your division/department receive an award or grant – or any other good news about students, faculty and staff.
Submit an online Marketing Communications Request Form to request a news release. Include the WWWW info – who, what, when & where – with your Request Form. We will do our best to share your good news with the wider community.
Downloadable Templates
To better support the marketing needs of the college, Marketing Communications has created a series of Microsoft templates that are MCC branded. These templates can be used by anyone in the college community, and enable individuals and departments to create their own communications without having to submit job requests to Marketing Communications. Find the templates on the Marketing Communications page.
Middlesex Connector 