Updates from College Leadership
With the academic year underway, the new Strategic Planning cycle is in full swing. During July the Steering Committee convened in partnership with the Cabinet for a two day retreat and orientation for the new planning cycle. Halye Sugarman, J.D. Paralegal Department Chair and Susan Anderson, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness will co-chair the Steering Committee that will convene bi-weekly throughout the Fall.
During the Fall semester the Steering Committee will lead the college in a consideration and review of the current Mission, Vision, and Values while also re-visiting our Strategic Directions and how they align with other critical indicators such as the Department of Higher Education’s performance measurement system and the Equity Framework. Goal Teams for each of the Strategic Directions will be formed by early November to begin the work of identifying goals for each Direction.
A Discovery Day on September 26 will launch the discovery phase in support of the Fall planning activities. The discovery phase is intended to provide critical internal and environmental data to inform the major Strategic Directions and their associated goals.
Table Of Contents
- Featured Video
- MCC Convocation 2019
- Featured News Story
- MCC Veterans Resource Center a vital program
- Upcoming Events
- Awards, Presentations & Publications
- Music Department
- Employee News
- Civic & Service-Learning and Career Development
- eTutoring
- Marketing Communications
- Office of Mutlicultural & International Affairs
- Student Development
- Community Submissions
- AANAPISI Grant
- New Students Attend August FYE at MCC
Featured Video
MCC Convocation 2019
Featured News Story
MCC Veterans Resource Center a vital program
The Middlesex Community College Veterans Resource Center is dedicated to helping veterans achieve their educational and career goals.
Military service members who are beginning a college career — or returning to complete an academic program — can choose from a variety of degree and certificate programs offered on campus and online. [Read More]
Upcoming Events
- October 3, 2019 – FSA, Lowell Cowan Center Lower Café, 2:30 p.m.
- October 7, 2019 – Dual Enrollment Information Session
- October 10, 2019 – MILES Opening Session
- October 10, 2019 – Open Forum, Lowell Cowan Center Lower Café, 2 p.m.
- October 24, 2019 – Board of Trustee Meeting, Bedford Campus Center Café East, 8 a.m.
- October 28, 2019 – Mini-mester II Begins
- October 29, 2019 – Health Careers and Biotechnology Open House
- November 5, 2019 – Business, Public Service and STEM Open House
- November 13, 2019 – Humanities, Social Science and Education Open House
- November 16, 2019 – Arts & Crafts Fair
Awards, Presentations & Publications
Music Department
The Middlesex Music Department is proud to announce that student Anthony Rolli has been accepted to Berklee College of Music. Congratulations to Anthony!
Employee News
Civic & Service-Learning and Career Development
The Offices of Civic & Service-Learning and Career Development are pleased to welcome Jessica Feiner as the part-time Program Specialist for Experiential Learning. See the full introduction HERE.
eTutoring
In an effort to provide improved online tutoring services for students, MCC has become a coordinating institution in the Northeast eTutoring Consortium.
The Northeast eTutoring Consortium is a group of colleges and universities committed to providing high-quality online tutoring for both online and face-to-face students, the Northeast eTutoring Consortium offers immediate access to online tutoring across many subject areas – including an Online Writing Lab.
Nancy Thompson joins us as the Coordinator of the Northeast eTutoring Consortium. Nancy has worked with eTutoring for 20 years. She began as a tutor, having been trained by another online tutoring service, and quickly moved into the role of master tutor, providing support and training for tutors and quality review. On February 1, she assumed the role of coordinator of eTutoring while it was housed at Charter Oak State College. She brings many years of experience as a professor of English and humanities. Nancy received an M.A. at the University at Albany and an M.F.A. at Goddard College, and she has special interest in the intersections of religion, history, and society.
Marketing Communications
Marketing Communications welcomes two new employees to their department, Caroline Eaton and Caitlin Buckley. Caroline is the new Administrative Assistant who comes to us from UMass Lowell. Caitlin is the new Staff Writer, previously at the Greater Boston YMCA. Both are excited to join the MCC team!
Office of Mutlicultural & International Affairs
The Office of International & Multicultural Affairs has been selected again as a site for a Merrimack College fellow as part of the Higher Education Fellowship Program. Kofi Boateng will be working as the Coordinator of Multicultural Student Retention in the Multicultural Centers on the Lowell and Bedford campuses. In this position, Kofi will play a leadership role in the development and implementation of campus initiatives that work to support and retain our students who are from diverse backgrounds. An MCC alumnus, Kofi is originally from Ghana and graduated from UMass Boston with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Currently, Kofi is pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education at Merrimack College. Previously, he worked as a social worker in the North Shore for 5 years as well as lived and studied abroad in Spain. In his leisure time, Kofi plays and coaches soccer.
Student Development
The Student Development team is pleased to welcome Sothy Gaipo who has recently transitioned to a full-time coordinator role with the STEM Starter Academy. See the full introduction HERE.
Community Submissions
AANAPISI Grant
On August 22, 2019 the Program for Asian American Student Advancement (PAASA) hosted a special orientation for new Asian American students to build a foundational connection to the program and the Asian American Connections Center. The program assists students in transitioning to Middlesex Community College by providing the opportunity to meet and build connections with faculty, staff and current MCC students connected to PAASA, an introduction to the wide range of college resources MCC has to offer, and a karaoke party to celebrate their entrance to the college. Thirty one upcoming students participated in the one-day special orientation that was offered in addition to our campuses’ new student onboarding process. The orientation also engaged fourteen current student volunteers who are actively connected to PAASA. The volunteers participated the entire day to further build strong student-to-student connections by leading a scavenger hunt, participating on a student panel and leading activities during the games and karaoke portion of the event.
New Students Attend August FYE at MCC
The First-Year Experience (FYE) at Middlesex Community College took place August 12-27 with over 700 new students who attended the Smart Start session with a 91% course completion.
Students who attended completed the new online orientation, were enrolled in the FYE/IDS 101 course, and participated in the Financial Wellness and Resources and Services workshops. The college community also met our new students as they worked in teams while on their MCC Scavenger Hunt to find those places and offices on campus important to their success.
Transitions are not always easy, but the hope is that our new students feel a sense of belonging and connection to each other and the college community.
One student’s reflection after attending the FYE/IDS 101 course:
“I would love to let you know that my first year experience was amazing. We were given assignments by our instructor and learned a lot of lessons in her class such as, knowing the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic after reading, I Missed the Marathon. Then, we got signed up to do an engagement activity and I did the Fitness Trail with two orientation students and a few other members of the MCC community. After our final day of meeting, the teacher assigned us a project that is based off of our personal, academic and professional goals and I got all A’s in that class… I feel like all first year experience students at MCC either in Lowell and Bedford should know that MCC does provide you so much dedication and education… I know that right now it’s taking me a while to get used to my schedule, but I now know where I am exactly going and what my assignments need to be and that I can always talk to my professors if I need help with anything.”
Middlesex Connector 