{"id":29175,"date":"2016-09-13T13:54:28","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T17:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2016\/09\/13\/fall-semester-kicks-off-with-convocation\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T20:00:52","slug":"fall-semester-kicks-off-with-convocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2016\/09\/13\/fall-semester-kicks-off-with-convocation\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Semester Kicks Off with Convocation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dozens<\/a>

Dozens of faculty and staff filled the Hartleb Technology Center last week during Fall Convocation.<\/p><\/div>\n

Growing Grads and Bucking Trends was the theme of the Fall 2016 convocation attended by hundreds of Northern Essex Community College faculty and staff on Tuesday, September 6, in the Hartleb Technology Center.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, NECC President Lane Glenn shared a personal story of his brother\u2019s recent graduation from an MBA program before turning the tables on attendees to participate in an ice breaker and share a personal graduation story with someone sitting near them. A few employees volunteered to tell their tale including Brianne\u00a0McDonough, Guided Pathways to Success in STEM Program manager, who recalled that she and her mom graduated from Bridgewater State University on the same day.<\/p>\n

Following the ice breaker, President Glenn went on to share the dais with a number of staff and faculty who updated their colleagues on recent NECC events not the least of which was the declining enrollment and what NECC is doing to boost numbers now and in the future.<\/p>\n

Here are a few of the highlights:<\/p>\n

\"thee<\/a>

There\u00a0will be many new faces on campus this semester as well as familiar faces assuming new or additional roles.<\/p><\/div>\n

New Hires<\/strong><\/p>\n

A number of new faculty and staff were introduced and welcomed to the college community. They included, Ada Greenberg<\/strong>, CBE learning coach; Amanda Fregeau<\/strong>, academic advisor; Maria Hernandez,<\/strong> academic advisor; Solanyi Munoz<\/strong>, special programs coordinator\/dislocated worker; Denise Torrey<\/strong>, technical assistant II; Thomas Ortiz<\/strong>, admissions and academic counselor; Erin Colstad<\/strong>, part-time laboratory technician II; Jacqueline Dick<\/strong>, program coordinator of the Associate of Science Degree in Public Health; Jean Dyer<\/strong>, Ph.D., interim director of nursing education; Danial Guzman<\/strong>, patient simulation center coordinator; Scott Lancaster<\/strong>, program coordinator of the Emergency Medical Services program; Lance Hidy<\/strong>, accessible media specialist; Rachel Oleaga<\/strong>, instructional librarian, Lawrence campus; Kim Monteforte<\/strong>, library assistant Lawrence campus; Merrimack College Fellows \u2013 Joanna DePena<\/strong>, community support and referral, student success and Katie Mara<\/strong>, academic innovations coordinator; Alicia Blain<\/strong>, administrative assistant, Quarrybrook; Karen Hruska<\/strong>, associate director for mental health counseling; Maria Medina<\/strong>, college and career navigator TAACCCT Grant; Michael McCarthy<\/strong>, vice president of administration and finance; Michael Pierce,<\/strong> director of administrative services; Steve DiLeo<\/strong>, maintainer; Shawn Donnelly<\/strong>, maintainer; Joyce Brody<\/strong>, staff associate; Pamela Medina<\/strong>, staff assistant; Chris Severance<\/strong>, administrative assistant; and Dr. Kelly Saretsky<\/strong>, dean of institutional research, planning, and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

OER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"President<\/a>

President Lane Glenn addresses the staff and faculty.<\/p><\/div>\n

Faculty members Jody Carson and Sue Tashjian gave a quick overview of Northern Essex\u2019s use of Open Educational Resources (OER). To date, 35 NECC faculty members have employed OER in their classes, resulting in $650,000 textbook savings. Now, Carson and Tashjian, who are coordinators of the statewide OER program titled Massachusetts Community Colleges Go Open, put out a call for proposals to encourage other faculty to become involved. They invited NECC faculty to apply for the first round of grant funding to help them incorporate OER in their classes.<\/p>\n

Interested faculty can apply now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spurk Renovations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before introducing Michael Pierce, director of administrative services, President Glenn joked that while Boston had the \u201cBig Dig\u201d, Northern Essex has the \u201cSpurk Renovation\u201d, which he said is a \u201cHerculean\u201d undertaking.<\/p>\n

Pierce supported his comments showing slides of a now vacant Spurk classroom building. He said that some 500 student desks, 200 filing cabinets, thousands of chairs and hundreds of boxes were moved off the property are currently stored in sheds, storage containers, in Haverhill, Riverwalk and Lawrence campuses.<\/p>\n

The year-long renovation will be worth the bother, he said, since it is creating a \u201cmore comfortable learning and teaching environment\u201d.<\/p>\n

Additional information on renovations can be found here.<\/p>\n

Civic Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dawna Perez, dean of student success, speaking on behalf of Janel D\u2019Agata-Lynch, NECC\u2019s civic engagement and service learning coordinator, said that since the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education voted two years ago to include \u201ccivic learning and engagement as an expected learning outcome in public higher education\u201d NECC has been actively working with its faculty to incorporate these components into their curricula.<\/p>\n

The idea, said Perez, is to create \u201cgood citizens\u201d.\u00a0 She encouraged faculty to reach out to D\u2019Agata-Lynch if they believed their course meets the criteria for service learning designation.<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a>

Steve Russell informed the attendees of the up coming Teach-In.<\/p><\/div>\n

Teach-In<\/strong><\/p>\n

History Professor Steve Russell, advisor to the NECC Contemporary Affairs Club, spoke regarding NECC\u2019s involvement in the 2016 Election Teach-In, which is a statewide effort to educate students on the importance of the election and why their vote matters. A total of 10 NECC faculty members have already committed, but Russell said there is always room for more.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of civic learning is actually voting,\u201d he said. \u201cGetting students engaged and rationally understand what\u2019s going on with this P residential election is important.\u201d He quoted Thomas Jefferson who wrote, \u201cIf a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.\u201d Russell says the 2016 Election Teach-In \u201cputs teeth in it\u201d.<\/p>\n

Among other activities, students will be invited to participate in weekly Collegial Conversations, mock presidential debates, and voter registrations. To participate or for more information contact D\u2019Agata-Lynch at jdagatalynch@necc.mass.edu<\/p>\n

Study Abroad<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Professors<\/a>

Professors Lizzie Casanave, Elle Yarborough, and Barbara Stachniewicz discussed the study abroad opportunities.<\/p><\/div>\n

Professors Lizzie Casanave, Elle Yarborough, and Barbara Stachniewicz gave a brief presentation\u00a0promoting NECC\u2019s long term and short term study abroad programs. Students who participate in study abroad programs \u201cexperience the viewpoints and cultures of other countries\u2026they share this with their peers and inspire others to travel\u2026they realize education is not a process that happens in a classroom, but an experience to be lived,\u201d said Casanave in a voice over during a short video featuring NECC students on study abroad trips.<\/p>\n

Two trips will be offered this year \u2013 England and Belize. For more information contact studyabroad@necc.mass.edu or call Casanave at 617-281-3331.<\/p>\n

Stachniewicz introduced the Global Scholars Program, which is a transcript designation program that recognizes a student\u2019s work as a \u201cglobal citizen\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in a globalized world and NECC is making choices to face this head on by supporting you as a globalized student,\u201d according to a brochure introducing the program. \u201cThis program recognizes all the work students are already doing while connecting them with others who are growing as global scholars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enrollment and Retention<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Glenn reported that community colleges historically experience enrollment decreases when the economy is improving.\u00a0 That trend, combined with fewer students of high school graduation age (particularly in the Northeast), competition from other colleges, and changes in the ESL developmental education curriculum, has contributed to a drop in enrollment at NECC.<\/p>\n

Even though numbers are down, Glenn noted that all is not bleak:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The average enrollment at Massachusetts community colleges between 2004-2015 is 92,216<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Current enrollment is 92,707 (slightly above average)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The average enrollment at Massachusetts community colleges between 2004-2015 accounted for 50.6* of all public higher education enrollment<\/p>\n

Bill Heineman, dean of student and academic affairs, Michael McCarthy, vice president of administration and finance, Noemi Custodia Lora, executive director of the Lawrence campus and community relations, and Ron Taber, vice president of marketing and communications, and Tina Favara, dean of enrollment services and interim dean of student life, all spoke on what their areas are doing to improve enrollments and student retentions as well as budget shortfalls.<\/p>\n

Heineman said that \u201cmicro-gains\u201d have been noticed in course completion in math sections where students used supplemental instructors.<\/p>\n

McCarthy noted that human resources have played a role in keeping costs down. Jobs have been merged and there have been delays filling job vacancies. Other measures include one-time savings through rebates and grants and IT contracts have been renegotiated as have rates from various vendors.<\/p>\n

Custodia Lora stated that through high school partnerships like Early College NECC is increasing access to higher education to high school students, She cited an increase of 60 Lawrence students in 2008 compared to 260 Lawrence students in 2015 who were enrolled in college classes.<\/p>\n

International students are another group Northern Essex is cultivating by making a number of changes including: giving credit for valid foreign credits; offering the Accuplacer test in the Dominican Republic; secure scholarships from the Dominican Republic Ministry of Education; develop study abroad programs.<\/p>\n

Taber spoke of the \u201clost customer\u201d and the importance of using analytics to refine tactics and improve \u201creturn on investment\u201d.<\/p>\n

Turning more applicants into enrollees is the number one goal, according to Favara. Enrollment will work to increase the number of Hispanic males who are over 25; increase the traditional high school student; strengthen Communiversity and four-year transfer programs; and expand international recruitment.<\/p>\n

While mentoring, tutoring, SI, Early Alert, and First Year Seminar are all successful tools NECC has employed in the retention process, Heineman said perhaps it\u2019s time to make these offerings more formal and less random.<\/p>\n

Burns spoke on creating a \u201cculture of leadership\u201d for student success that involves becoming a \u201cstudent-ready college\u201d through learning together, continually improving, and developing leadership at all levels.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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