March 2021 - NECC News

Board of Trustees Update: March, 2021

March 30, 2021/in Community/by Ernie Greenslade

Ashley Moore, director of career services, shows off Handshake, the college’s new career network. President Glenn provided an update at the March Trustees Meeting.

At a December retreat, the NECC Board of Trustees conducted a self-assessment, focusing on strengths, areas of challenge, and priorities for the future. The self-assessment was facilitated by Kelly Saretsky, dean of institutional research, planning and effectiveness, who reported on the results at the March meeting of the board.

The board’s strengths are strong and dependable leadership, community involvement, a commitment to innovation, and a common focus on “working tirelessly to remove barriers to student success,” reported Saretsky.

The challenges that were uncovered included understanding the college’s financial landscape as well as the college’s operations.

When asked to select a priority area for focus, here’s how trustees responded:

Supporting NECC student success (36%)

Supporting the Equity Imperative (27%)

Support of strategic solutions for long-term sustainability (27%)

Financial knowledge and involvement (9%)

Board professional development (0%)

Lots of News in Health Area

In the fall, the Center for Health Professions, which serves over 1,000 students enrolled in health programs, will move to a new space that is double the size of the current center, according to Scott Lancaster, interim dean of Health Professions, who delivered the educational report at the March meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Located in the El-Hefni Health & Technology Building, the center is moving from a classroom on the first floor to space in the lobby, which formerly housed the Lawrence Career Planning and Advising Center (CPAC), now located in the Dimitry Building.

The new space will allow for guest speakers, confidential advising, and quiet study, said Lancaster.

Lancaster also shared the following news from Health Care Programs:

The Center for Health Professions is taking over responsibility for the PLATO TEAS test, which is a free test review for health students preparing for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), an assessment of a student’s preparedness to enter a health science field. This was previously under Academic Coaching.
The college received approval for an evening Dental Assisting Program, which will start this month with five students. The program will run spring, summer, and fall, and students will graduate in December. The dental assistant lab has been renovated, thanks to a state grant.
The Nursing Program, under the leadership of interim Director of Nursing Kelly Fisher, is finishing up its 8-year reaccreditation by the Accreditation Committee for Education in Nursing. There was a site visit in February and the program received the “best report you can get,” an 8-year reaccreditation without additional reporting.
Students in the medical assisting, medical office assisting, and nursing programs are assisting the Mayor’s Health Task Force in Lawrence with administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Report of Board Committees

Nominating Committee

Trustee Shalimar Quiles reported that the committee is in the process of submitting four nominations to the Governor’s Office to fill two open positions. Boards are asked to submit two nominations for each open position, explained Quiles.

Report of Administration

NECHE Site Visit, April 11-14

President Lane Glenn reminded trustees that the virtual site visit for the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) 10-year accreditation of the college will be April 11-14.

The team’s chair will present an exit report at 10:30 am on Wed. April 14. The report is not a final report, but it will highlight “big strengths and potential challenges,” according to Glenn.

Strategic Plan: Update on New Career Network

In July, Northern Essex became the first community college in MA to adopt Handshake, a career network that is comprised of 500,000 employers, including all of the Fortune 500 companies.

Since then, 1,000 students and alumni and 500 local employers have signed up and three virtual networking events have been held.

Student Career Opportunities is one of the goals of the college’s strategic plan.

Spring Enrollments Down, But Better than State Average

The college projected a 10% enrollment decline but realized only a 7% decrease this semester. Northern Essex is doing better than the state average, which was a 16% decline, said Glenn.

Equity Imperative: Positive Trends

At the December 2020 meeting of the board, President Glenn shared that the college would be boosting its focus on attracting a diverse faculty and staff, one that best reflects the ethnic diversity of student enrollment.

At the March meeting, he shared some positive news on this front.

In the past two years, the college has hired 62 full-time benefited employees, and nearly half of them were people of color, the great majority Latino.

That includes the college’s leadership (director level positions and above).

While progress is being made, Glenn cautioned the board. “This isn’t to suggest that we don’t have a long way to go,” he said.

Lawrence Nursing Grad will Represent NECC at Statewide “29 Who Shine” Event

March 30, 2021/in Alumni/by Ernie Greenslade

Yashana Rivera, a 2021 Nursing Grad, will receive the “29 Who Shine” Award at a virtual ceremony on May 13.

A bi-lingual nursing graduate with a passion for delivering health care in Greater Lawrence has been selected to receive the “29 Who Shine” award which honors Class of 2021 graduates from each of the state’s community colleges and public colleges and universities for their service to the Commonwealth.

Yashana Rivera of Lawrence will graduate from Northern Essex Community College with high honors and an Associate Degree in Nursing in May. Nominated by her Nursing Professor Brienna Woodworth, she will be recognized at a statewide ceremony on May 13, which will be held virtually this year.

In nominating her for this honor, Professor Woodworth shared Rivera’s “drive” and “commitment to giving back to her community.” “Yashana has vocalized her passion and dedication to the city of Lawrence. She wants to address health inequities, especially among people of color.”

Rivera graduated from Notre Dame High School in 2011 and soon started working as a paraprofessional for the Lawrence Public Schools, while enrolled part time at Northern Essex.

She later served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 800 Lawrence K-6 students with social emotional learning opportunities through positive play, a transitional opportunity, linking her public education experience with her interest in health.

In the nursing program since 2019, Rivera works part time as a medical assistant providing rapid COVID testing and has also volunteered with the Movement Family, an organization that helps the homeless by delivering meals and COVID care packages. She recently began administering vaccines in Lawrence as a volunteer.

Her roots in the city of Lawrence go back to her grandparents, Rosa and Luis, who emigrated from Puerto Rico in 1981, and now have a family that includes 19 grand and great-grandchildren.

“Becoming a nurse is a life-long dream,” says Rivera. “There aren’t many Latinx or bilingual nurses, and it’s very important to me to work in my community.”

After passing her nursing boards, Rivera plans to continue her education in an accelerated master’s program with the ultimate goal of becoming a family nurse practitioner serving the Lawrence community.

In her free time, Rivera circuit and weight trains, practices yoga, and hikes. She also loves to travel and has been piraña fishing in the Amazon, climbed Macchu Picchu, and dined aboard a floating house in Lake Titicaca.

Facilitated by the MA Department of Higher Education (DHE), the “29 Who Shine” awards were created 10 years ago to highlight the special role that Massachusetts public college and university students play as engaged citizens and future leaders. The awards and the attention generated by the ceremony serve to remind the legislature, business community and the public of the important contributions that public higher education students make to their communities. The “29 Who Shine” are a visible reminder of the “dividend” that investments in public higher education can yield for the Commonwealth.

The Virtual Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 13 at 2:00 pm and here’s a link.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC ArtSpace Gallery Features Local Painter Through Mid-April

March 29, 2021/in Events/by Ernie Greenslade

Inside & Out, 30″ x 40″ x 1.5″, 2020, oil on wood panel

This month’s exhibit in Northern Essex Community College’s Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace Gallery is a homecoming for Newton, NH painter Kale Baker, who graduated from Northern Essex in 2014, before transferring to Montserrat College of Art, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting.

Titled “Vessels”, the online exhibit includes 11 oil paintings, capturing a wide range of subjects from plants in a greenhouse at the Fuller Gardens in North Hampton, NH to the Merrimack River and the New England Coast. It will be available through April 15, when the NECC Student Show begins.

The online exhibit includes an artist vita and statement, a video interview with the artist, and the exhibit.

As a student, Baker “exhibited an innate understanding of the use and interaction of color”, according to Marc Mannheimer, her former professor and the director of the ArtSpace Gallery. While her work has evolved, becoming less abstract, that talent for color continues, he says.

In an interview that is a part of the exhibit, Baker says that her work can be viewed in a larger context, as part of a statement about climate control and the vulnerability of nature, or more simply. “If people want to see my work as just a potted plant, that fine, too.”

Green Echo, 30″ x 30″ x 1.5″, 2021, oil on wood panel

A 2010 graduate of Newburyport High School, Baker earned her Associate Degree in General Studies: Art & Design from Northern Essex with an almost perfect GPA in 2014 and her bachelor’s from Montserrat in 2017.

Starting at Northern Essex was a “wonderful experience”, she says, which prepared her well for transfer.

Located in the Bentley Library Building on NECC’s Haverhill Campus, the Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace Gallery features exhibits by NECC students, faculty, and artists from around the region and the world. During the pandemic, the gallery has closed and exhibits are being held online.

Northern Essex’s Department of Art & Design offers many courses in fine art and design leading to an Associate Degree in General Studies: Art & Design.

For additional information, contact Marc Mannheimer, gallery coordinator at mmannheimer@necc.mass.edu

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC/Whittier Early College Program Receives State Approval

March 22, 2021/in Community/by Ernie Greenslade

These Whittier Tech students were recognized in the spring of 2019 for participating in the NECC Early College Program.

HAVERHILL – Whittier Tech and Northern Essex Community College are proud to announce that their partnership has been given official designation as a Massachusetts Early College Program, which will allow Whitter students to earn college credits at no cost.

A statewide priority, the Massachusetts Early College Initiative was created in 2018 to give local students, especially first-generation college-goers, access to college completion and career success.

Northern Essex currently has state designated Early College partnerships with Haverhill and Lawrence high schools, and the Whittier designation will take effect in the fall of 2021.

Whittier students have been taking Northern Essex Early College courses since 2018, and there are currently 70 students enrolled in the program. With this new designation from the state and the benefit of free tuition, it’s anticipated that the number of students involved will increase significantly.

Early College courses count toward both a student’s high school graduation requirements and their future college degree. Most students spend the morning at their high school and travel to the college campus by bus for afternoon college-level courses.

While there is no limit to the number of courses a student can take, up to 12 credits—equivalent to one semester—is free.

“We truly value our partnership with Northern Essex Community College,” Whittier Superintendent Maureen Lynch said. “Our students are able to develop important skills that will serve them through life, and able to reduce the cost of a college degree.”

Marcy Yeager, executive director of NECC’s PK12 Partnerships, which administers the Early College program, says, “it’s not double the work; it’s double the credit. We are moving them toward degree completion.”

Since it launched in 2018, the Massachusetts Early College Initiative has seen enormous growth, with 4,200 students from 37 high schools projected to be enrolled by fiscal year 2021. These students will earn an estimated 25,000 college credits and realize savings of $5.4 million dollars in tuition and fees.

Northern Essex’s partnerships have also seen tremendous growth. There were 548 students enrolled in Early College Programs in the fall of 2020, a 37% increase over the fall of 2019 when 398 students were enrolled.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows that high school graduates who participated in Early College programs are enrolling in college at a rate that is 20% higher than their high school peers. Additionally, their FAFSA completion rates are 25% higher than school peers.

The program also benefits underserved communities, with two-thirds of students enrolled in Early College programs identifying as Black or Latino. And because the Early College program also includes “pathways’ that mimic college majors, including business, criminal justice, healthcare, and education, students can experience the rigors and culture of college while also getting a taste of their major.

In addition to its state designated partnerships, Northern Essex also offers its Early College Program to students from 25 other local high schools. These students can earn credits at a 50% discount.

If you are interested in learning more about Early College opportunities at NECC, contact pk12@necc.mass.edu. If you are interested in the Whittier program, contact Tia Gerber, Whittier director of community partnerships at tgerber@whittiertech.org or 978 373-4101, ext. 327.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

College Plans for May 15 Commencement

March 16, 2021/in Events/by Ernie Greenslade

The NECC Knight delivers a celebration package to a 2020 grad.

The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on just about everything, including the way the college celebrates our graduates.

Last year, the traditional ceremony—typically held in May under a 3,000-person tent on the Haverhill Campus quad—was cancelled and replaced with a virtual ceremony and two celebration package pick-ups.

While everyone tried their best, it was clear that what graduates missed most was the opportunity to walk across the stage in their cap and gown and receive their well-earned associate degree or certificate.

With that in mind, the commencement committee put their heads together and came up with a plan for 2021 that features five small in-person, socially distanced graduation ceremonies organized by academic area.

Each ceremony will be held outside on the Haverhill Campus on Saturday, May 15, starting with the first ceremony at 9 am. A student speaker from each of the areas—STEM, Professional Studies, Health, Liberal Arts, and Business-will be selected by the academic centers to speak and President Lane Glenn will present the diplomas.

2020 Business Grad James Batista with a 2020 yard sign.

Because last year’s ceremony was virtual, 2020 graduates have been invited to participate.

All graduates will be seated 6-feet apart and policies regarding guests will be announced closer to the date, when the guidelines regarding outside events become more clear.

HC Media will be livestreaming all of the ceremonies so family and friends can watch from anywhere. Also the college will be handing out yard signs, which were a big hit last year.

The college has a commencement website that includes the latest information. Please visit that for updates.

If you have questions, reach out to the registrar, registrar@necc.mass.edu.

Student Named 2021 Newman Civic Fellow

March 16, 2021/in Students/by Ernie Greenslade

Northern Essex Community College journalism/communications student Andrew Venditti of Haverhill is taking his passion for advocacy to a new level. He’s been selected as this year’s Newman Civic Fellow for his role as a leader on and off campus.

Like many students who start at NECC, his road to get to this point has had a few twists and turns- perhaps none more dramatic than what happened in his Western Civilizations class.

“It was during that class that I woke up on the floor surrounded by curious eyes, and with a pounding headache.”

It turned out, Venditti, a 2017 Whittier Tech grad, had a non-cancerous brain tumor, which required surgery and a significant recovery. While it was a scary and difficult experience, it also increased his awareness about issues of equality and access. “That ties into the classes I’m taking and my civic engagement because it changed my perspective on the way that I view things. As a 20-year-old, you feel invincible. That slapped me in the face. Because I wasn’t invincible and nobody else is…It was humbling and eye opening. If my mom hadn’t had good health insurance I would have just had to be in debt for potentially a long part of my life. And that’s definitely informed the way that I look at the world and what I want to do,” he says.

Venditti wasted no time turning his awareness into action. He is the president of NECC’s Students for a Democratic Society Club and Amnesty International; he is one of the college’s student ambassadors, helping students with online learning; and he has participated in the Massachusetts College Advocacy Day. In his nomination letter for the Newman Civic Fellowship, NECC President Lane Glenn notes that “He (Andrew) is not afraid to start conversations and inspires others to engage in dialogue on challenging subjects, which is vital to create a healthy democracy. Andrew combines intellect with empathy in such a way to be a role model for others.”

The Newman Civic Fellowships are part of the Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Named for Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, the fellowships recognize and support community-committed students who are change makers and public problem-solvers. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership and participate in a year-long program that helps them nurture their assets and passions and develop strategies for social change.

Venditti graduated from Whittier Tech with a concentration in electronics. His original plan was to take classes at NECC to work toward becoming an engineer. But professor and Dean of Liberal Arts Amy Callahan recognized a different set of talents while he was presenting about net neutrality during public speaking class. “She could tell I was enthusiastic about that subject. She went out of her way to take me aside and asked me ‘do you want to do this because I think you’d be a great [journalism] major?’ And that changed the direction of my life.”

Now, Venditti is using his advocacy skills and empathy to tell stories for those who are often unrepresented. You can read some of his work in the student newspaper “The Observer.” He is also the treasurer for the campus improv group and a musician. He plays guitar in his band, Everything in Green, which he founded with a fellow NECC student he met while riding the campus bus after his brain surgery. Venditti is on track to graduate next spring and then he plans to work for City Year in Boston, which supports children in public schools. “I’m hoping to be able to work with people who are like-minded, who want to facilitate change.”

Written by Melissa Bouse.

NECC Announces Plans for Fall

March 16, 2021/in Programs/by Ernie Greenslade

Based on feedback from students and faculty, Northern Essex Community College will expand its course options this fall, offering more opportunities for virtual and on-campus face-time between students and their professors.

In the fall of 2021, students will have four types of courses to choose from: online courses without required online meetings; online courses with required online meetings; hybrid courses, combining in-person socially-distanced classroom meetings with online work; as well as on campus, socially-distanced, face-to-face courses.

In the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, Northern Essex offered 90% of courses online without required online meetings and 10% face-to-face.

“The goal is to give students more options that include scheduled time with their instructors,” said Bill Heineman, college provost. “We found many students liked the flexibility of online learning but wanted the accountability that required meetings could bring.”

The college surveyed students late last fall and faculty and staff in the same time frame to determine how the changes related to COVID-19 were impacting teaching and learning.

When asked what kind of online course they preferred, students responded with a 43% preference for online courses without required online meetings; a 14% preference for online courses with required online meetings; and a 43% preference for a mixture of the two.

Kelly Saretsky, dean of strategic planning and institutional research, said the many comments shared in the survey helped the college understand what students were experiencing.

“Some loved online courses because it was easier to coordinate college, work and personal commitments,” she said. “But what resonated, in both the faculty and staff and student surveys, was the need for more virtual face time with their instructors. Students feel more connected with their instructors when they have the opportunity for face-to-face interaction.”

The college also found some students would benefit from actual face time on campus, said Saretsky, which is why the college will provide hybrid courses in the fall of 2021.

In early April when students begin registering for fall 2021 classes, the class schedule will include an icon showing how the course will be delivered. That will give students the opportunity to choose their preferred modality.

Lane Glenn, Northern Essex president, said the college is committed to bringing back face-to-face courses, and will consider expanding these options as it becomes safe to do so. “We know that many students do better in a traditional classroom, and, if it’s safe and the demand is there, we will be open to expanding these options in the fall.”

Also new this fall, returning students will be able to register themselves, using the one-click navigation tool available through Navigate, the college’s student app. In the past, most students were required to meet with an academic advisor and fill out a paper form to register for courses, a process which could create long lines on the day of registration.

To learn about Northern Essex programs and courses, visit the website, www.necc.mass.edu or contact admissions, admissions@necc.mass.edu.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, more than 5,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

Interested in Working as a Pharmacy Technician?

March 9, 2021/in Headlines, Programs/by Ernie Greenslade

Northern Essex Community College is recruiting students now for a free three-week Certified Pharmacy Technician Training Program, that begins on June 1.

The program includes 60 hours of online instruction, as well as an optional 80-hour externship. Graduates are prepared to take the pharmacy technician certification examination and to work under a registered pharmacist in a hospital, home infusion center, or pharmacy.

Classes are held Monday through Friday from 10 to noon and an additional two hours of self-directed study is required each day.

This program is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant program, which is designed to support long-term unemployed, under-employed and new entrant adult workers who seek to enter/renter the workforce and address workforce shortages.

For more information or to enroll in the program, contact Della Khoury, CPhT, Pharmacy Technician Program director, dkhoury@necc.mass.edu.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, more than 5,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC’s Center for Corporate & Community Education offers noncredit business, professional, career, and personal development courses as well as professional certificates and computer training for individuals and companies looking for cutting-edge skills, by providing the training that is most needed in today’s workforce. For more information email noncredit@necc.mass.edu or call 978-659-1200 or visit us online

NECC Hosts Virtual Open Houses for Prospective Students

March 9, 2021/in Events, Headlines, Press Releases, Programs/by Ernie Greenslade

Northern Essex Community College will host Virtual Open Houses for prospective students on Wed, April 27, 5:30 to 6:45 pm, and Thur, May 27, 5:30 to 6:45 pm.

During the Open House, you will be welcomed by NECC President Lane Glenn; learn about academic programs offered at Northern Essex and their potential career outcomes; hear about the many extracurricular activities from student government to athletics that are available; and listen to a student speaker.

At Northern Essex, students can take their gen ed classes, which easily transfer to other colleges and universities; get started on a certificate or associate degree in a choice of over 60 degree and certificate programs; or begin preparing for a new career in fields like health care, computers, and education.

Registration is required.

For additional information, contact admissions@necc.mass.edu or 978 556-3700.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, more than 5,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC to Hold Information Sessions for Student Athletes

March 9, 2021/in Events, Press Releases, Students/by Ernie Greenslade

Current and future Northern Essex Community College students interested in participating in sports for the fall 2021 or spring 2022 semesters are invited to attend an upcoming athletics virtual information session, and learn more about the college’s 12 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) athletic teams.

The NECC Department of Athletics, in partnership with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment, will host the athletics virtual information sessions on Wed, March 24, 3 to 4 pm, and Wed, April 21, 10 to 11 am.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from Dan Blair, NECC’s athletic director, along with a Northern Essex enrollment counselor, NECC coaches, and student-athletes. Bring your questions.

“This is a great opportunity for students to learn about the sports we offer and what is required of them to join the program as student-athletes,” said Blair.

Advanced registration is required.

For additional information contact Blair at dblair@necc.mass.edu or admissions@necc.mass.edu.

Northern Essex Community College competes as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and sponsors 12 varsity intercollegiate sports including baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s soccer, Esports and men’s and women’s track and field. For more information on Northern Essex Community College Athletics please visit the official website of Northern Essex Athletics (www.neccknights.com).