QCC e-News The Campus Newsletter of Quinsigamond Community College

Russian Delegates Visit QCC From April 4 - 7, QCC proudly hosted Russian educators from the Russian State University of Tourism and Services (RSUTS) in Sochi, Russia. The relationship began last spring when Kathy Rentsch, Dean of Business and Technology visited RSUTS as a Fulbright scholar. Since Dean Rentsch’s visit last year, QCC and RSUTS have worked to develop a collaborative relationship that will involve student and faculty exchanges in hospitality management in the future. A Road Scholars presentation introducing the Russian team to the QCC Family on April 7, facilitated by a translator, was a fascinating inside look at RSUTS.

Highlights of the visit included:

• A meeting with Business & Technology students and faculty to discuss our system of education, student and faculty perspectives, and our close connection with the business community.

• A meeting with Dan de la Torre, QCC Coordinator of Transfer and Articulation, to examine university transfer processes.

• A cultural tour guided by Linda Nordstrom, Hotel & Restaurant Management student that included a Brown Bag Concert at Mechanics Hall and a docent-led tour of the Worcester Art Museum.

• The presentation of an official welcome certificate from the City of Worcester by city councilor, Kate Toomey, at the Hotel & Restaurant Management (HRM) Program Advisory Committee meeting.

Many “American experiences” including a tour of Old Sturbridge Village, a visit to Harvard University, a lobster dinner hosted by faculty member Pat Hutchinson, a Thanksgiving Dinner catered by Bobby M’s Diner (a collaborative of the QCC HRM program and Worcester Senior Center) and a classic American burger at Wild Willy’s.

April 2011

President Gail Carberry signs “Finish First” agreement with Presidents of Fitchburg and Worcester State Universitites and Mount Wachuseett Community College.

President Carberry Initiates “Finish First” Program - Students Can Now Earn Dual Degrees President Gail Carberry recently completed work developing an important new initiative, the “Finish First” Program, whose goal is to encourage students to complete their college degree programs. Dr. Carberry based the initiative on current salary-based findings, saying, “I saw data that showed that employees with associate’s degrees earned significantly more than those without. As I understand that many of our transfer students work while they earn their bachelor’s degree, I felt that this was an important milestone for them to accomplish.”

Presidents of Fitchburg and Worcester State Universities and Mount Wachusett and Quinsigamond Community Colleges signed a “Finish First” agreement. Students who attend one of the two community colleges and then transfer to one of the state universities will be able to complete their associate’s degree while taking courses towards earning their bachelor’s degrees. Students will benefit by earning an associate’s degree midway through their bachelor’s program at no extra cost (the community colleges will even waive graduation fees), the community colleges will get a more accurate accounting of students who leave before finishing, and the state universities hope the associate’s degree will give students a boost that will help them finish their bachelor’s degree, as well as increased earnings potential.

Campus News Send us your news! We want to hear what’s happening in your department and with your students or staff. Submit information at www.QCC.edu/newsletter.html. Events, awards, success stories... We want to share your news with the entire QCC community.

News and information for the May e-newsletter is due on May 13.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles at QCC! Automotive Tech Program Move Back to Worcester Facilitates New Program Initiative Quinsigamond Community College will relocate its successful Automotive Technology program to Burncoat Senior High School in Worcester for the Fall semester. The move is the first step in a larger vision to create a Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT) which will forward the College’s mission to support economic vitality in the region. The CATT will support the labor demand of the burgeoning train, truck, automobile and plane industry. Students will train for careers in advanced transportation technologies such as green transportation, alternative fuel vehicles, diesel and hydraulic technologies.

QCC has put in motion a plan to meet new technological advancements head-on. Future programs under consideration include training in engineering, repair and maintenance of compressed natural gas vehicles, advanced electric drive vehicles and light aircraft. Long-range plans for the CATT include diesel and hydraulic maintenance, as well as heavy equipment and railway engineering. The new CATT initiative has secured support at the State and Local levels. Congressman James McGovern noted, “This effort will provide training in our community to meet the high technology employment needs for these growing fields. To this end, QCC has entered into a partnership with the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium at West Virginia University to pursue grants funded through a Department of Labor program.

QCC is also positioned to offer graduates additional pathways to further their education in the automotive industry with an articulation agreement with Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Boston, MA. Graduates of QCC’s Automotive Technology Associate in Applied Science Degree will automatically be accepted into Benjamin Franklin’s Automotive Technology Bachelor of Science Degree program.

“Worcester is uniquely positioned as an easily accessible in-land port for all New England States. It is exciting to think that QCC graduates can participate and contribute to the commerce of such a busy and vital location while learning state-of-the-art mechanical and technical skills,” says QCC President, Dr. Gail Carberry.

Community College Connection In an effort to bring more low-income and first-generation students to campus, the University of Massachusetts Amherst has unveiled a new program to encourage community college graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at the state’s flagship school, with tuition discounts, easier access to services and other benefits.

Called the UMass-Amherst Community College Connection, the new initiative will help make public higher education more accessible to students for whom cost can be a significant hurdle.

Community college graduates will benefit from special advising by college deans during their first year at UMass, and they’ll be given priority for on-campus housing, ahead of other transfer students.

For transfer students who have a GPA of least 3.0, tuition - currently $1,714 annually for in-state students - will be waived. Those with GPAs of 3.7 or higher will qualify for additional benefits such as a $500 book scholarship.

The new program, slated to begin this fall, will also offer community college graduates a “priority review” of financial aid packages before those of other transfer students, as well as “transition seminars” for students who will attend the College of Engineering or the Isenberg School of Management

Campus News MA Department of Higher Education Celebrates “29 Who Shine” PTK President, Jeanne Dee, to be Honored at State House CeremonyQCC student, Jeanne Dee has been selected from a group of outstanding Massachusetts public college and university graduates to be honored by the Department of Higher Education at a State House ceremony on May 12, 2011. Honorees are chosen for this award based on their academic achievements and record of student leadership and/or community service. The event will be attended by Education Secretary Paul Reville, members of the Massachusetts legislature, the Presidents of the public colleges and universities and special guests. Ms. Dee will be accompanied to the event by family, PTK Advisor, Bonnie Coleman, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, Steve Sullivan, and QCC President Gail Carberry.

Ms. Dee, who will graduate with high honors at QCC’s May 19 Commencement, completed the Nurse Education program and has already passed the National Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. (She is currently seeking a full-time nursing position in the Worcester-area.) While attending classes at QCC, Ms. Dee worked full time and was heavily involved in PTK activities, serving as both the Vice President from 2009 - 2010 and as the current President. Additionally, she acts as sole caretaker for both a teenaged daughter and her live-in mother. Ms. Dee also serves as President of the Auburn Junior Woman’s Club, Inc., a sub-group of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), the largest group of women volunteers in the world. The GFWC’s mission is to help build, serve and improve the communities and countries in which they live and participation in this organization requires intense committment. Ms. Dee says that “...along with PTK and QCC, it is an important part of my life and my development as a leader.” The entire QCC Family congratulates Ms. Dee on her accomplishments and well-deserved honor!

On March 29, 2011, 34 outstanding QCC women students were honored at the Annual Women Students of Distinction event. Steve Sullivan, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services greeted the gathering and Dr. Gail Carberry presented the student awards. Karen Cox, Coordinator of Counseling, manages the yearly event with assistance from Donna Harvey, Enrollment and Student Services Office. Students are nominated by faculty and staff based on academic standing, accomplishments, character, skills, and in particular their ability to overcome great odds and make a difference in their home or school community. Congratulations to all 2011 Women Students of Distinction!

2011 Women Students of Distinction: Shenna AgyemangKelley ArpinObesebea Aye-AddoAbigail BlissPinamang BoatengLaura BrownTekenya CarpenterDeanna CollinsColleen DePina Yarinette EsquilinMarsela FidaSarah Flynn Kimberly HenwoodKelly LamondAshley Mason Lesa McWalters Sandra Medina-Vazquez

Natalie NapolskiNhu NguyenJennifer O’ConnorDonna PaschalidesAmanda PelrahTerri PiccirilliAmy RackiKrysten RenihanCarolina Ribeiro Barbara RicciErin RinehartCynthia RusakovichMelissa SanchezElizabeth SjogrenTrafficia WarburtonLuz Witt-MesaOlga Yazlovitsky

Women Students of Distinction Honored

Faculty, Staff, & Student Notes

Colleges of Worcester Consortium Honors Management Certificate Recipients On April 13, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium (COWC) honored participants who recently completed the COWC’s Certificate in Management Program - “Tomorrow’s Skills for Today’s Managers,” Series I, at Hogan Center, College of the Holy Cross. QCC’s Nancy Daigle and Cory Zarella received Certificates while Cherie Comeau, alumna of Series I, was Guest Speaker.

Worcester City Councilor Visits Training and Education Center’s Adult Community Learning Center In March, Worcester City Councilor Barbara Haller visited the QCC at City Square location and spoke with approximately 50 students, teachers and staff from the Adult Community Learning Center as the capstone on a City Government unit. GED and Advanced ESL classes recently completed a City Government Unit in which students studied the roles of the mayor, the city council and the city manager. QCC President, Dr. Gail Carberry, welcomed Councilor Haller and spoke about the importance of postsecondary education, while Vice President of Community Engagement, Dale Allen, emphasized QCC’s efforts in collaboration with its partners, to address the educational gaps in the city.Councilor Haller spoke about her role as it relates to the city council, organizing her presentation to mimic a City Council meeting with attendees assigned roles within an official meeting. The Councilor also discussed a current education issue (the under-achievement of Hispanic youth in the city) brought to the table by a TEC student. Participants enjoyed the lesson in democracy, gaining further insight to the process by the role-playing exercise. The event concluded with a question and answer period.

PTK Updates PTK Receives Worcester Community Engagement Award for Sherry’s House Efforts At a March 24 event held at the Worcester Public Library, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium presented QCC’ s Phi Theta Kappa Honor (PTK) Society with a Community Enaggement Award. Given annually, the Community Engagement Awards are presented to individual students and groups of students from Greater Worcester colleges who provided outstanding service to their communities within the past year.PTK members Jeanne Dee, Yuka Sato, Chris Fintzel, Elizabeth Brown, Cynthia Rusakovitch, Khuong Huynh, Khoury McCoy and Deanna Collins were honored for their fundraising efforts on behalf of Sherry’s House, Worcester, MA, holding both a Holiday Card Sale and Food Drive this past year. (Sherry’s House provides no cost lodging for child cancer patients, their families and caregivers, throughout the cancer treatment process. )

Fourth Annual Jimmy Fund Bowl-a-Thon Breaks PTK Record! After expenses, PTK donated an incredible $10,320 to the Jimmy Fund, up 64% from last year - that’s a whopping $3720 increase! GO PTK!

PTK Collects Books for City Reading ProgramPTK will again be assisting the “Worcester: The City that Reads” Book Drive, in its fifth year, to collect books for distribution to Worcester elementary school students for summer reading. Please help PTK with their efforts by donating new or gently used books appropriate for grades K - 8, now until May 15. Drop boxes are located at the HLC (lower level), Surprenant Building main entrance, the QCC Bookstore, and the Athletic Center.

Left to Right: Nancy Daigle, Cherie Comeau and Cory Zarella

City Councilor Haller discusses city government with TEC students

Faculty, Staff, & Student Notes Multicultural Luncheon Celebrated by Practical Nursing ProgramTo culminate the Practical Nursing Program’s Multicultural Health Care Project, both Day and Evening students gathered for lunch on April 13 in the HLC. As an adjunct to the topic, Trends in Nursing, students studied a representative culture of their choice, found in Worcester county, and presented their findings in poster project presentations. Cultures, countries and groups represented at the Luncheon included Refugees, Hmong, Greek, Brazil, East Africa, Muslim, Puerto Rico, and Portugese. To cap off the project and a very difficult semester, students prepared and brought food from each culture studied to share with invited guests, faculty from the program, and administrators.

April is National Poetry Month! In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Communication Skills Center invites faculty, staff and students to submit a favorite poem to be shared on their bulletin board.

What is Your Favorite Poem?

Career Placement Services Hosts a Career Exploration DayOn April 11, 2011 Career Placement Services hosted their semi-annual Career Exploration

Day, featuring an informative workshop and Student/Employer Panel discussion on “Professionalism in the Workplace.” Employers from Accurate Resource Group, Inc., Massachusetts Department of Corrections, HR Edge, Fallon Clinic, and Lawrence Sasso Insurance & Financial Services offered a lively discussion focused on what to do and what not to do from the job search to the interview, the hire and beyond. Students were highly engaged throughout both events and had many questions for our employers regarding workplace etiquette. Career Placement Services thanks faculty and staff who either brought their

students or encouraged them to attend this program. In total, there were approximately 50 participants in attendance, making this event a resounding success.

The Buzz on the Alumni Spelling Bee! Twenty teams from the Worcester area participated in the 13th Annual Alumni Association Spelling Bee on April 7. Two QCC teams placed in the top three, with two student teams, the “Kappa Bees” and “Theta Bees” placing third and fourth respectively. Congratulations to the winning teams:First Place: “Bee Me Up” - Quinsigamond Community CollegeSecond Place: “BEEfuddled” - Fallon Community Health PlanThird Place: “ Kappa Bees” - Quinsigamond Community College

Nursing Program students in colorful, native attire.

Continued...

Athletic Center Program Updates The Athletic Center has posted the following updated schedule for group fitness classes:

MONDAYSCircuit Training: 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. with Janet Lanigan Indoor Cycling: 5:30 p.m. - 6:15p.m. with Stephanie FlemingTUESDAYSYoga (power): 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. with Jennifer Baum andYoga: 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. with Nancy Rubino Indoor Cycling: 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. - 1:40 p.m. with Kimberly McManus WEDNESDAYSCircuit Training: 4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m. with Janet Lanigan Indoor Cycling: 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. with Stephanie FlemingZumba: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. with Wendy Nickel

QCC Children’s School Art Exhibit The QCC Children’s School is currently exhibiting artwork created by pre-school artists who attend the school. Children ages 2.9 to 5 years old created artwork from various mediums and recycled materials, either individually, with another child or as part of a group.

The exhibit runs until May in the Arts Corridor Gallery of the Administration Building. For more information on the exhibit or the Children’s School, contact Nancy Knight at 508.854.4220 or e-mail: nknight@qcc.mass.edu.

New Faculty and Staff On March 30, the Office of Community Engagement welcomed Kathie Manning as new Dean of the Training and Education Center. Prior to accepting this position, Ms. Manning was Director of TEC since 2004, and also led QCC’s corporate training efforts. She has over 20 years of higher education experience and has worked at Bryant University, Bentley University, Northeastern, University, Emmanuel College, and was a teacher in the Boston Public School system. Ms. Manning earned a BA from Northeastern University, Boston, MA and an MA from Emmanuel College, Boston, MA.

On March 28th, Academic Affairs welcomed Richard Frazier into his new role as Counselor – TRIO Student Support Services Program. Mr. Frazier’s experience in higher education includes two years as a TRIO program coordinator and student advisor, as well as three years as an academic advising specialist. Richard earned a BA in Music from Savannah State University, Savanna, Georgia, and an MS in Counseling Studies from Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. His new office location is 005S.

On March 28th, Enrollment Services welcomed Felipe Rivera into his new role as Clerk III - Financial Aid. Mr. Rivera’s experience includes part-time employment in the Financial Aid Office at Quinsigamond Community College for the past 2 years, in addition to 13 years of warehousing and production experience within the private sector. His new office location is 165A.Congratulations to Ms. Manning, Mr. Frazier and Mr. Rivera on their new positions!

THURSDAYSYoga: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. with Nancy RubinoYoga (Iron): 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. with Jennifer Baum Indoor Cycling: 11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m. with Kimberly McManus Circuit Training: 4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m. with Janet Lanigan FRIDAYSCircuit Training: 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. with Janet Lanigan

End Notes...QCC in the news.... Here are just a few links to QCC stories that have appeared in the news recently:PTK’s Bowl-a-thon and Fire Science Program :http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110410/NEWS/104109783

Auto Tech/Center for Advanced Transportation Technology:http://www.telegram.com/article/20110412/NEWS/110419917http://www.telegram.com/article/20110413/NEWS/104139921http://www.wbjournal.com/news48817.html?Type=search

UMASS Transfer Program:http://www.wbjournal.com/news48787.html?Type=search

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Buy your 2011 Official Red Sox Yearbook - but not for player stats - for the “Train your brain at QCC” ad with the fierce-looking Wyvern at bat!

Secretary of Labor Education/Workforce Training Conference:http://www.telegram.com/article/20110405/NEWS/104050355http://www.telegram.com/article/20110404/NEWS/110409906

PTK Award for Sherry’s House work:http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110403/NEWS/104030500

Finish First Program:http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110401/NEWS/110409987

College Fair:http://www.telegram.com/article/20110401/COULTER01/104010376http://www.telegram.com/article/20110407/FLASH/104070585 ...and...

Did you catch President Carberry and Dale Allen, V.P. of Community Engagement discussing the new CATT Initiative with Hank Stoltz on his show, “The Hank Stoltz Experience?” If you missed it, no worries... Institutional Communications has a copy.

The W

yvern mustard be hiding again!