Updates from the President
The Season of Celebration is upon us! April’s Honors Poster Conference – one of my favorite events of the year – once again left me speechless. As usual, the Commonwealth Honors Program students’ posters were exceptional, a testament to the dedication of the faculty who teach them. I especially enjoyed learning more about “Transracial Adoption” from Sarah Greeley and “Mexican Politics” from Juan Breton.
On May 3, I attended the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 29 Who Shine event when Bridget Byrne – along with 28 other outstanding graduates from the state’s public colleges and universities – was honored in a State House ceremony. Byrne was selected as MCC’s honoree based on her academic achievement and her record of student leadership.
As Commencement approaches, we have an amazing line-up of upcoming graduation events. From Spring Fling and the TRIO Graduation Celebration, to the Health Programs Pinning Ceremony, and Evening of Excellence, this truly is a time for celebration.
But what I’m really looking forward to is the pleasure of congratulating students as they walk across the Lowell Memorial Auditorium stage on graduation day. Every year, as I shake each graduate’s hand, I’m reminded that one of the things that makes this college so special is the diversity of our student body – and the way we respect and support each other.
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
- Hospitality and Culinary Arts
- Pathways Center
- Student Affairs
- Admissions
- Career Development Center
- Enrollment Management
- Veterans Resource Center
- Institutional Advancement
- College Advancement
- Community Education & Training
- Corporate Education & Training
- Homeland Security
- Marketing Communications
Upcoming Events
- May 7, 2019 – Retirement Gathering, 2 p.m., Meeting House, Concord Road, Billerica
- May 8, 2019 – “Piano Men: The Music of Elton and Billy”
- May 10, 2019 – MCC Student Art Show/Award Ceremony, 5 pm, Lowell Telecommunications
- May 21, 2019 – Pinning Ceremony & Evening of Excellence, 4 pm, Lowell Memorial Auditorium
- May 23, 2019 – Trustee Meeting, 8 a.m., Cowan Center Room 302, Lowell
- May 23, 2019 – Commencement
- May 28, 2019 – QuickStart Summer Session Begins
- July 8 to August 15, 2019 – College for Kids
- June 11, 2019 – Board of Trustee meeting, 8 a.m., Federal Building 3rd Floor Courtroom, Lowell
MCC in the News
- MCC launches financial wellness program (Bedford Minuteman, 4/10/19)
- MCC News: Middlesex to continue concert series (Bedford Minuteman, 4/17/19)
- MCC awards foundation scholarships (Bedford Minuteman, 4/25/19)
- MCC World of Music concert on April 26 – John Ferrillo, Elizabeth Ostling, William Rounds and Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta (Bedford Citizen, 4/19/19)
- MCC film screening, panel talk tonight (Lowell Sun, 4/30/19)
Current Grant Initiatives
AANAPISI Grant
Anti-Human Trafficking Movement
On March 28, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) hosted a presentation on a 10-year human trafficking research project to better understand the rehabilitation process, aftercare and society re-integration experience of over 100 male and female survivors of sex trafficking in Cambodia.
The presentation was presented by two visiting researchers from Cambodia, Vanntheary Lim and Channtha Nhanh as part of the Chab Dai’s Butterfly Re-integration Longitudinal Research project. The Chab Dai organization has been building partners and competency within the anti-trafficking movement since 2005.
Founded in Cambodia, Chab Dai – which means “joining hands” in Khmer – is an organization committed to working with diverse stakeholders to abolish all forms of abuse and exploitation. The presentation illuminated the issue’s complexity, fueled by social inequality, culture, history, gender inequality, poverty, and economic disempowerment. Faculty, staff, students and community members had an opportunity to engage in conversation about our shared responsibility to combat human trafficking through our consumer power, education and prevention strategies that will help end all forms of abuse and exploitation.
Asian Students in Alliance – Field Trip to Harvard University
On March 30, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) and Program Specialist Linda Thiem, led a field trip for MCC’s Asian Students in Alliance (A.S.I.A) to a conference at Harvard University Twelve members of the alliance attended the Let’s Talk! Conference– a free event organized by Harvard’s Asian/Asian American graduate student volunteers. This year’s conference theme focused on promoting the success and well-being of Asian Pacific Islander (API) students.
Our MCC students delved into dialogues that celebrated their identities and unpacked many of the cultural challenges that may affect their educational success. The keynote speaker, Dr. Liza Talusan facilitated an opportunity for our students to meet the other attendees, which included API high school students who came with their parents and teachers, other undergraduate students from institutions throughout the country, and the Harvard community. MCC’s students commented in their surveys after the trip:
“It was the first conference I’ve been to and the experience was great. I was surprised to see that people came from all over the country just to attend this conference.”
“It was great being on the Harvard campus. Everyone in my group in the breakout sessions were open, supportive and willing to listen to my experiences as an Asian American student.”
“It was a powerful conference. I feel that I became a mentally stronger person than I used to be. Thanks for the opportunity letting me be a part of it.”
“I never thought that talking about my own experience is also a way to practice advocacy. I also learned that no matter what situation I’m facing, I have the privilege of safely voicing my thoughts.”
The field trip proved to be a successful event that helped to enhance the experiences of MCC’s API students.
Academic Affairs
Arts, Humanities & World Languages
Music Department
Music for Classical Guitars and Violin — MCC faculty member Raley Beggs, guitar, will join guitarist Adam Levin and violinist William Knuth (as Duo Sonidos) to perform an evening of colorful music from Spain, Latin America and the United States. Works by Leo Brouwer, Eduardo Morales-Caso, Lucas Foss, Joaquín Rodrigo, Manuel Ponce and George Gershwin will be featured.
Friday, May 10 at 8 pm
Concert Hall, Bedford Campus
Upcoming Concerts with MCC Students — Student Singers and Instrumentalists
Monday, May 6 at 12:30 pm
Concert Hall, Bedford Campus
Spotlight Concert featuring three students
Thursday, May 9 at 11:30
Recital Hall, Donahue Family Academic Arts Center, Lowell Campus
Hospitality and Culinary Arts
The annual Hospitality & Culinary Arts Career Panel Breakfast was hosted by Kim Morrissey on April 9th. Managers in these industries spoke to students about their educational & career paths. They offered career advice, answered questions & shared job & internship opportunities with our students.
Pathways Center
Medical Laboratory Technology Students Visit the American Red Cross
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Starter Academy Grant sponsored a field trip for Medical Laboratory Technology students and Assistant Professor Christine Laviolette, to visit the American Red Cross in Dedham, on April 19.
The field trip provided students learning opportunities about how a blood bank operates, how to see, firsthand, component preparation and specialty compatibility testing, as well as other processes in action. Laviolette believes that having MLT students visit the American Red Cross provides a great extension to their on-campus learning.
For more information about the event or the summer programs, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/pathwayscenter/ or contact Audrey Frater, Director of the Pathways Center, at fratera@middlesex.mass.edu.
Student Affairs
Admissions
April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring lots of recruiting events! The Admissions Office has been out on the road for the past few months visiting with high school students and community groups, as well as welcoming many visitors to both our campuses. Below you find a breakdown of where we’ve been recently!
The five ‘On the Spot’ events are held at high schools, where students can submit an application, get their admission package and get next step information directly from Admissions staff.
The 25 college fairs are mostly held at local high schools and some community organizations, and are a great opportunity to meet with students just beginning the college search, or to check in with students who are anticipating starting with us this fall. These 20 other events include everything from specialized campus tours, high school visits, college and career panels, presenting to community groups and many more diverse ways we connect with prospective students.
Additionally, we welcomed 65 students from Lowell High School and for the first time Waltham High School at our biannual Pathways to Success Day in Bedford on April 3rd. Thank you to our colleagues in ACE, Advising, Financial Aid and the Office of Student Engagement for making this signature event a great place for students to learn more about all the opportunities available at Middlesex!
We also held two Open Houses – in Lowell on April 10th and in Bedford on April 23rd – and between both events we were able to service 170 prospective students and their families! Our Open Houses are a great way for students to explore academic pathways and meet with our varied student service areas. Thank you to all who volunteered your time during these events to meet and speak with prospective students and their families!
Career Development Center
The Career Development Center sponsored an Etiquette Dinner for a select group of MCC students, preparing them for professional conduct during a meal interview. The students are now equipped with knowledge on how to deal with challenges that may arise in this setting.
Enrollment Management
Multiple Measures
New multiple measures have been added for Fall 2019 placement. Currently, students graduating within the past three years are eligible to use the following measures for course placement:
English
- If students have an overall unweighted high school GPA of 2.7 (83%) or higher within the last three years then they are eligible to go directly into ENG 101.
- Any student who has a verbal SAT score (critical reading and writing) of 500 or higher in the last three years (2016-2019) is exempt from taking the English Accuplacer test and is eligible for ENG 101.
- Students who have graduated from high school within the last three years (2016-2019) with an overall unweighted high school GPA of 3.2 or higher or a verbal SAT score (critical reading and writing) of 600 or a combined SAT score of 1150 will be qualified as eligible for Honors ENG 101 and entry into the Commonwealth Honors Program. These students are exempt from taking the English Accuplacer test.
Math
- If students have an overall unweighted high school GPA of 2.7 (83%) or higher within the last three years then they are eligible to go directly into college level Math. The one exception is MAT 290 – Calculus.
- Students who score a 600 on the SAT Math section will be eligible for MAT290 – Calculus regardless of HS GPA. Student will be exempt from taking the Math sections of the Accuplacer test.
- Students who have graduated from high school within the last three years (2016-2019) with an overall unweighted high school GPA of 2.7 or higher and completion of Algebra 2 with a grade of B+ or better will be eligible for MAT 196 – Accelerated Precalculus & Trigonometry for Engineering and Science.
- Students who have graduated from high school within the last three years (2016-2019) with an overall unweighted high school GPA of 2.7 or higher and completion of Trigonometry and Precalculus or equivalent with a grade of B or better will be eligible for MAT290-Calculus.
Summer 2019 Registration
Summer Quickstart and Sessions I and II will be starting on May 28. Marketing Communications is actively promoting the Summer Sessions and over 22,000 summer postcards were mailed in March and April to support enrollment.
For a quick overview of classes being offered go to https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/downloads/summsec2019.pdf
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/sumsess2019.pdf
Spring 2019 Final Exam Schedule
The detailed final exam schedule with courses, times and room locations can be found at: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/finalexams/downloads/finexam19.pdf
Spring 2019 Student Evaluations
It is time to administer full-semester student evaluations for the Spring 2019 semester. Evaluations will be available beginning Monday, April 22. Emails were sent to faculty with the evaluation pick-up locations and information was posted on NewsCaster. All student evaluations should be returned no later than May 17, so results can be processed in June.
Graduation 2019
Graduation applications are still being accepted and reviewed for degree/certificate completion. We encourage students to apply!
Students can now apply by selecting “Apply for graduation” on their MyMcc portal. Please encourage all commencement attendees to submit their applications by 9 am on May 7th if they want their names in the Commencement Program.
For information on the graduation ceremony and application, you can visit:https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/graduation/
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.
Fall 2019
Registration for returning students for Fall 2019 started on April 8. New students were able to begin registering on April 16. Letters were mailed to all students who were enrolled in the Spring 2019 semester with information on registration and advising. E-mails and texts were sent out as reminders throughout April.
Veterans Resource Center
On April 9th, the Veterans Resource Center hosted “Photo Voice: Beyond the Shadow of a Label.” Narrative photography addressed stigma of veterans with mental illness, and healing. Anne Craman, a nurse specializing in equine therapy, developed the exhibit with sponsorship from the Bedford VAMC.
On April 9th, Heroes Among Us featured former U.S. Naval Radioman, Timothy Quinn. He shared how his military and educational experiences supported his future career decisions, including becoming a firefighter. Thank you to Marie Ryder, Catherine McGorty, and their Nursing student volunteers!
Institutional Advancement
College Advancement
Middlesex Fund
There is still time to support the MCC Foundation Middlesex Fund!
Donations to the Middlesex Fund support:
- Scholarships
- Classroom and lab equipment
- International study opportunities
- Entrepreneurship programs
- Student leadership programs
- Technology for academic programs
- Fitness and wellness facilities
- Lecture and film series
- Service-learning opportunities
- Faculty and staff initiatives
Online donations may be made at: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/donations.aspx
Full-time faculty and staff may make their gift via payroll direct deposit. Information on payroll deposit can be found at: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/employgiving.aspx
For more information on the Middlesex Fund, please go to: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/mfund.aspx or contact Amy Lee at leea@middlesex.mass.edu.
Thank you for your support and for making a difference in the lives of our students.
Community Education & Training
On April 4, MCC welcomed Bill O’Hearn, Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Chief of the Consumer Advocacy & Response Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. His public open forum highlighted ways to protect consumer identity. Topics included: the dark web, robocalls and protecting your credit. The Massachusetts Consumer Advocacy & Response Division receives and reviews complaints, advocates on behalf of Massachusetts consumers, and implements settlements entered into by the Attorney General’s Office in various areas relating to the Office’s consumer protection efforts. In addition to his work related to robocalls and telemarketing, Bill’s recent work includes enforcement of the state’s Consumer Protection Act, and Home Improvement Contractor Act. This event was coordinated by Community Education and Training and The MCC Law Center.
On March 27 MCC Community Education and Training welcomed keynote speaker, Bill Cummings author of “Starting Small and Making it Big” to our MILES opening session. Prior to the MILES session, Cummings met with MCC Business and Entrepreneurship students and MCC faculty/staff to discuss how he started in business, and offer words of advice and encouragement.
In 1964, he spent $4,000 to purchase his first real business, a hundred-year-old manufacturer of fruit-juice-beverage bases, which he quickly expanded by providing refrigerated dispensers and drinks to several hundred colleges and universities. With the million-dollar proceeds from the sale of that business in 1970, he founded a suburban-Boston commercial real estate firm. Cummings Properties quickly grew from one small building to a portfolio of more than 100 modern buildings today. Cummings and his wife, Joyce, were the first Massachusetts couple to join the Giving Pledge, an international philanthropic organization founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet.
The following Community Ed programs began in April: Intro to Floral Design, MILES daily class sessions (April 1 – May 8), Social Media Marketing, Creating Marketing Materials.
Corporate Education & Training
Corporate Education and Training delivered or will be delivering:
- Blueprint Reading training at Aved Electronics in North Billerica.
- Accuplacer testing sessions at Raytheon in Andover.
- Culture of Inclusion: Call of Action All Staff Professional day for CTI at Tewksbury High School.
- Medication Administration Recertification training for LifeLinks. This course is conducted at MCC in order to provide employees exposure to taking classes in a college setting.
- Leadership Development Series training sessions including Your Leadership Style MBTI, Effective Communication, Leading in Challenging Situations, and Engaging Employees, for Lowell General Hospital at the Main Campus.
- Managing Difficult People and Introduction to Diversity and Inclusion trainings at Nova Biomedical in Billerica
- Introduction to Leadership and Introduction to Human Behavior in the Workplace trainings at Nova Biomedical in Waltham.
- Collaborating with the Early Childhood Department to offer a Health, Safety, and Nutrition in Early Childhood through the Region 3 Professional Partnership Grant.
- Microsoft Excel Strategies training at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Lexington.
- C++ Programming course at Juniper Networks in Westford.
- HAZMAT Awareness training at Sterling Corporation in Chelmsford.
Homeland Security
MCC Homeland Security Program Hosts Eastern Mass. Medical Reserve Corps
On Saturday, April 6, the MCC Program on Homeland Security again hosted the Medical Reserve Corps’ (MRC) Annual Training Day on the Bedford campus. Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the MRC is a nation-wide coalition of physicians, nurses, behavioral health experts, paramedics and others who volunteer their services in times of disaster or widespread medical event.
This is the 6th year the training has taken place in partnership with MCC’s Homeland Security Program. From one local unit and 70 attendees, the event has now grown to 5 eastern Massachusetts units and 170 professionals gathering at MCC. The keynote address was delivered by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, followed by presentations on the MRC’s sustained response to last September’s Greater Lawrence natural gas disaster. Afternoon breakout sessions covered such topics as traumatic brain injury, advances in cardiac care, the regional opioid epidemic, a skills workshop on Narcan administration, emergency treatment of pediatric patients, and advanced nursing skills.
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 