Celebrate Black History Month!
Black History Month, or African American History Month, occurs every February. It pays tribute to and celebrates the achievements of Black Americans and acknowledges the central role of African Americans in United States history.
Black History Month was first conceived as Negro History Week in 1925 by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Like W.E.B. Du Bois before him, Woodson believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. The first celebration was in February 1926, a week that encompassed the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. They were met with an overwhelmingly positive response. By the middle of the 20th century, many U.S. mayors issued proclamations celebrating the week.
The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976 at the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged U.S. Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then every U.S. president has issued African American History Month proclamations.
I welcome and invite the NSCC community to participate in this year's Black History Month celebrations through the numerous and various events happening across the North Shore all month long. Of course, also check out what is happening at NSCC, coordinated by the Office of Student Engagement:
Black history is the history of the U.S.A. and should be supplemental to our continued collective learning and celebration all year long. This past semester, numerous groups and individuals have also been helping our community slowly "move the dial" from performative, aspirational, and towards authentic purpose and action to disrupting and dismantling anti-Blackness and racism. From key data collecting in Institutional Research and the Racial Equity and Justice Institute (REJI), the installment of our new Director of SUCCESS, to the initial meetings for Race/Ethnicity Affinity Employee Groups held, and many many more-- all helping create a sustainable foundation for authentic transformational action ahead.
--Nikki Pelonia, Chief Diversity & Equity Officer
Gary Williams
As the NSCC community continues to process the passing of our friend and former colleague, Gary Williams, we have received his obituary and wanted to share it with all of you, Gary Williams obituary.
There is information in his obituary about a celebration of his life on Saturday, March 12th . March 12th is Gary's birthday, he would have turned 73 this year. For those who may have missed our earlier message about his passing, here is a portion of that message:
"Gary joined NSCC as an Academic Counselor in August of 2001 and after 18 years, retired in August 2019. His larger than life personality, smile and tireless dedication to our students will be missed. Gary was a man who understood the importance of making a connection and how taking time for others made the world a better place. It was not uncommon for a student to walk into NSCC and say that Gary talked to them while they were working at Stop and Shop and he convinced them to come to NSCC.
Gary loved his family dearly and while he will be missed by all who knew him, our thoughts and prayers are with Starr Williams, his wife and partner, who is also a retired NSCC Nursing faculty member, and their daughters and grandchildren.
--Stephen Creamer, Interim VP of Student Affairs
NSCC Foundation $cholarships – 2022 Cycle (2 22 2022)
This year’s Foundation Scholarship cycle will open to students on March 1st. Eligible students (those with 6 earned credits and a GPA of 2.5) will be notified at the beginning of March that the system is open and ready to receive applications. New applicants will be notified once they are accepted and have an NSCC ID and email address.
As in the past, we will need staff reviewers, and training in the new system will be offered before the review cycle starts. More information will follow in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Kathy Faulkner at kfaulkne@northshore.edu
This is the website for the scholarship page https://www.northshore.edu/scholarships/
Celebrate Women's History Month!
Join us for a celebration of Women's History Month. See the information below or visit our Events Website for all the details and to register for each event.
Join us for our Women In Leadership Series. We will host two panel discussions to hear experiences and insights from our very own Women in Leadership at NSCC. The first panel featuring Faculty and Staff will kick off Women's History Month on Wed, March 2 at 12:30pm in LW323 (Lynn Campus). The following week we will hear from NSCC Women in Administration on Wed, March 9 at 11:00am in DS106B (Danvers Campus). Due to COVID precautions, all attendees must check-in at the event. Walk-ins are welcome, but help us make the check-in process easier by registering in advance. RSVP HERE!
In celebration of Women's History Month we invite you to join our local State Representative, Sally Kerans, in a discussion about the Progress of Women in Politics and Society. The event will take place in Danvers DS106B on Wednesday, March 23rd at 11am. Read more about Representative Kerans and register for the event online. Due to COVID precautions, all event attendees must check-in at the event. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can make the check-in process easier by registering in advance.
President's Cabinet Updates
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Title Three – Dean of Student Success John Duff presented an update on the project and introduced Sonja Gamby who is now working on the project on guided pathways. Goals continue to be getting more faculty and staff comfortable with and using it in the classroom. John noted that the annual report is anticipated in several weeks. Work will continue to transform the student experience in terms of student supports, career services.
Covid Update – President Heineman shared that despite various lifting of mask mandates statewide, the 15 MA community college presidents are not ready to do so yet. It was agreed that maintaining the greeters who are verifying student and staff IDs and vaccinations will probably remain through the spring semester.
Trustee & Foundation Boards Potential Collaborations – Bill reported that a small subset of both boards met recently to discuss how the two groups could better integrate efforts for the good of the college. Several potential areas were identified. Cabinet will discuss further to analyze possibilities.
Telework Policy – Interim HR Director Mary Chatigny provided an overview of the state’s telework policy. Discussion ensued as to what NSCC’s stance would be. Something will go into effect July – January and Mary noted that the college will have to follow the guidance contained in the policy, but could augment further if desired. It was agreed that the first six months should be considered a pilot where much can be learned. The goal is to have a vibrant campus as well as work arrangements that are responsive to employee needs.
Campus Climate Survey – CDEO Nikki Pelonia noted that the campus climate survey will be a focus after the strategic planning process. Information and data from both processes will help DEI and social justice priorities emerge. Nikki and DEI Faculty Fellow, Dr. Jennifer Harris, are currently collecting potential vendors and resources to conduct the campus climate survey.
Assessment Open Office Hours
This semester, the Faculty Assessment Fellows will be holding monthly Open Office Hours to provide peer-to-peer assessment support, tips, and resources. Come to discover a new assessment tool, and brainstorm assessment strategies with faculty colleagues from across the college.
Join Assessment Fellows Matt Edinger and Erinn Gilmore for our first session of open office hours!
Drop in for a lunch time Zoom chat from 12:00-1:00 March 1, 2022
Topic - Formative Assessment Discussion and Share!
Formative Assessment: Learning and Teaching Tools, Not Just Measurements
ID: 94707717951
Student Service Awards Nominations
Student Engagement welcomes all faculty and staff to recognize students by nominating them for our special campus-wide awards. Awards are open to club leaders, leaders in the classroom/office, or students that stand out to you in some other way. Please see all the available awards and complete your nominations online. Also, please save the date for the celebration on Tuesday, April 26 at 4:00PM in the Lynn Gym.
--Danny Shapiro, Assistant Coordinator of Student Engagement, dshapiro@northshore.edu
Navigate Weekly Workshops
We are over the first month of the Spring semester! As we continue our Spring operations, you may be trying to find the best ways that Navigate can help keep you organized, launch student initiatives, or get your advisees up to speed on their Academic Plans – OR you just have a random range of questions you want to pellet us with! The next few weeks are geared towards generic topics, but please jump on in any session, at any time, for any reason.
It’s always good to review your Navigate skills. Please review the Blackboard Navigate Training Course for additional resources at any time.
Wednesday, February 23
2:00PM - 2:45PM Calendar Sync, Availability & Appointment Campaigns: Concepts & Ideas
3:00PM - 3:45PM Open Session Time
Wednesday, March 2
2:00PM - 2:45PM Academic Planning & Registration
3:00PM - 3:45PM Open Session Time
Thank you for your interest in Navigate!
--John, Jake, Scott & Michael
Calling all creatives!
We need you to get involved…in the Performing Arts at North Shore!
We are looking for actors, artists, sound editors, tech wizards, and more to join us this Spring Semester (2022) for:
ANIMAL TAILS: A Virtual Storytelling Project
Talented tricksters go toe to toe with terrible troublemakers in this series of tales featuring a menagerie of feathered, finned and four-legged beasties from around the world.
Come join the team responsible for bringing these stories to life this fall!
No experience needed. All interested students, faculty and staff are welcome to participate.
AIR DATE: April / May, as part of NSCC’S Cultural Arts programming.
For more information about how you can become involved in this virtual performing arts event at NSCC contact Matthew Woods at matwoods@northshore.edu.
CTLI Coffee and Conversations Series
Over the spring semester, the CTLI will be hosting a series of informational sessions on a variety of teaching, learning, and assessment topics. The Coffee and Conversations sessions will be held virtually twice a month on Fridays from 9:30am to 10:30am. Please join us with your favorite cup of coffee or tea and we will bring the topics to hopefully spur plenty of conversations.
Our next two sessions take place on Friday, March 4th and Friday, March 11th. On Friday,
March 4th, the topic will be “Exploring Open Educational Resources” to kick off Open
Education Week (https://www.oeglobal.org/
On Friday, March 11th, the topic will be “Curriculum Mapping: A Tool for Better Program
Design”. The session will be facilitated by Luciano Sappia, who will lead us in exploration of Curriculum Mapping practices. “Have you ever
wondered how and where your students are developing the outcomes you have set for
your program? Have you scratched your head thinking about designing a new program
and struggled with deciding how many courses and exactly which courses to offer and
how to sequence them? Curriculum Mapping is a great tool to help streamline the process
by methodically and intentionally thinking about the building blocks needed to deliver
the outcomes we intend for our students to achieve going through our programs. In
this session, we will go over the importance of this practice, the basic methodology
and its application. You will walk away from the session with tools and templates
to get you started in creating your own curriculum map.”
Please use the following Zoom meeting link for all Coffee and Conversations sessions:
https://northshore-edu.zoom.
Future Coffee and Conversations sessions will be held on the following Fridays (listed
below) so please save the dates in your calendar:
- April 1
- April 15
- April 29
- May 6
Topics have been scheduled for a few of these sessions but we would love your feedback
on some topics for the other sessions. Please share any ideas around what you might
like to learn more about at https://forms.gle/
We hope to see you at one of the sessions!
-Andrea Milligan and Kim Stevens
Spring Institutional Professional Day
NSCC's Spring Institutional Professional Day for faculty and staff will be held virtually on Friday, March 25th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The theme for the day will be focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and Universal Design for Learning. We are proud to welcome our keynote, Dr. Thomas Tobin, an internationally recognized scholar, researcher, author and speaker on technology-mediated education. The CTLI Advisory Council is developing the agenda for the breakout sessions. Possible topics include:
-
Teaching practices that promote equity and create an inclusive classroom
-
Student support practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion
-
Incorporating universal design for learning principles into teaching and learning
-
Incorporating universal design for learning principles into student support services
Thank you Dianne McDermott Cerasuolo for creating the attached flier.
More information about Professional Day is available at https://sites.google.com/
--Thank you,
The CTLI Advisory Council
Grand Opening of the Rap Experience Lounge
ATTENTION! Staff, Faculty, and Students:
Come celebrate the opening of the new RAP Student Lounge, and enjoy the live Open Mic! Refreshments will be served!
Join us for the Grand Opening of The Rap Experience lounge on Wednesday, February 23 from 11AM - 2PM. The opening will feature an Open Mic from 11am-12:30pm where all are welcome to share, read, sing, or perform a published or original work that resonates with the theme of Black History Month. The lounge will stay open with snacks and games until 2PM. Stop by anytime to meet the peer coaches and learn about the RAP Experience. Due to COVID precautions, all attendees must check-in at the event. Walk-ins are welcome, but help us make the check-in process easier by registering in advance. RSVP HERE!
20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty-minute snippets.
For the week of February 21 - How Can Disruptive Innovation Impact STEM Education?
Directions for Accessing the Link to the Presentation and Supplemental Materials
Select the URL link below to access the presentation and to print the supplemental materials. (You may also copy and paste the URL into your browser’s address bar.) Supplemental materials are available to view and print now.
https://sites.google.com/a/northshore.edu/mmm/
New presentations go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday.
The series is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation – we would appreciate your input!
--Andrea Milligan, amilligan@northshore.edu
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START YOUR WEEK!!
Kudos Korner
Congratulations to Dr. Sherri Raftery!
Dr. Sherri Raftery has completed her doctorate in higher education leadership (Ed.D)
at Endicott College (Class of 2021) and will officially graduate during the 2022 commencement.
Her dissertation, which will be published this year, was titled “Foster Youth Mentorship
Programs in Higher Education.”
Sherri has been an adjunct instructor at NSCC since 2016 and teaches speech, communication, and other courses.
Welcome to the
Equality & Equity Project
As part of our commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity & Inclusion, the Equality & Equity Project will provide historical and present-day information about the contributions, challenges,
culture, and daily lives of the many vital groups that make up our NSCC community,
and the larger world.
We invite you to visit often, reflect on what you see and read, discuss it with others and, hopefully, expand your knowledge base, appreciation, and understanding of groups beyond your own.
Think about this:
This is an example of white privilege: I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
If you have any questions or comments on NSCC's Equality & Equity Project, please contact us at EqualityEquity@northshore.
Sign up now for the March Mobile Markets!
Free farmers market-style distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables and, at times, non-perishable food items. The March mobile markets will be offered on both the Lynn (03/04) & Danvers Campus (03/10) and 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗦𝗖𝗖 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳. Registration will be required for each monthly market. Sign up here https://tinyurl.com/2p8nkexp