Spring 2013 and Professional Day

We are on our way to Spring 2013 semester and I am ready to get started.  Intersession is a bit quiet for me.  Hearing and seeing students at every corner is now a way of life here at the College.

            Our Professional Day promises to be stimulating and inspirational.  It is Wednesday, January 23 and will be held in the Multi-purpose Room.  Judy Snayd has planned the program and enlisted Professor Gail Lowney Alofsin as presenter.  Judy determined this all-college gathering was how she would choose to allocate the monetary portion of her Educational Excellence Award, received last year.  My thanks and appreciation to Judy.  As the agenda shows, a continental breakfast will be available at 8:30 AM.  At lunch we will celebrate the launching of the College’s 50^th anniversary.  Thames was established in 1963.  Two Emeritus Awards will be given.

            At the end of the planned program, George Rezendes and I will roll out the Strategic Plan in summary form.  You will be invited to first read it on line or hard copy.  Later members of the Steering Committee will invite college community members to meet with them and help shape the next steps.  You will want to stay for another dessert . . .

            I look forward to seeing everyone next Wednesday.

                                                                        Grace

Happy New Year!

Reflections

               On Thursday we enjoyed the Holiday Social.  More participants were there.  From all indications, bringing a children’s book was a hit.  The ugly vest-making sparked some persons’ creativity.  The music and food seemed the right mix.
               I want to thank the planning committee: Vickie Baker, Sheila Skahan, David Allard, Betty Baillargeon, Arnie DeLaRosa, Jacqueline Sironen, Heidi Zenie, Rhonda Spaziani, Carol Lee and Amy Rezendes.  Also a big thank you to Tine and everyone in Food Service.  Jan’s dessert disappeared quickly.

               Friday afternoon’s event in Newtown changed the holidays to times of sadness and fear and a sense of helplessness.  Many of us think about our own young children and grandchildren.  Many sought ways to cope by going to gatherings with others.  Our wonderful Sheila Skahan gives us the quiet message of vigil and reflection by placing small shoes outside her office door.  I hope we each find our reconciliation and peace during this time and yet welcome the symbol of another birth on Christmas morning.
               Here at the College our Threat assessment team will meet 12/17 or 12/18 to review our procedures.  When such events happen the first step is to check our readiness as a point of good practices.  

               As we  close this fall semester and look to time away, I hope everyone will enjoy time with families and friends.  Be well.  Be safe.

Three Rivers Cares Fund

To the College Community

For those of you who are new to the College, let me take this opportunity to tell you about the program instituted here at the College to recognize significant life cycle events such as births, deaths, weddings and serious illness.

• Three Rivers Cares Fund is an account at the College that is managed by the President’s Office and Purchasing to disburse funds for acknowledgment of life cycle events.

• Full-time employees are asked to make a voluntary contribution, usually once a year, in order to maintain a sufficient balance in the account to respond to these types of events. If the account balance becomes severely depleted it may be necessary to request a second contribution. Again, I emphasize that this is strictly voluntary and no one other than the person collecting the money will know who has or has not contributed.

• Responses may range from flowers or plants – sent in the event of births to the employee or spouse of the employee, or for a serious illness or extended hospitalization. A gourmet basket is sent when the event is a wedding. In the event of a death of a spouse, child, or parent, there are three possibilities. One option is a plant or flowers, the second is a donation to the designated charity and the third is a donation, when there is no designated charity, to the Three Rivers College Foundation.

• A concern is whether the staff member wishes the event to be made public. If that is the case, the staff member or person reporting the event, should contact the respective Dean who will take responsibility for notifying the President’s Office. The President’s Office will send a notice to the college community and initiate the appropriate response. The response from the college community is not dependent in any way on whether the individual has contributed to the fund.

Contributions may be delivered to the President’s office (Room C209). Checks should be made payable to Three Rivers Community College. Thank you for your contribution and for helping to enhance our sense of community.

Middle College, Professional Day, Accreditation, New Members, Convocation

College Community Members,


Perhaps this is the perfect time to share summer experiences: “What did you do on your summer vacation” query. There are many of us who found our time was spent preparing in one way or another for the fall semester beginning. Thanks to all who served on search committees over the summer. Thanks to those who adjusted schedules to meet student registration times/needs. Thanks to those who spent longer Saturday hours in order to polish floors, thoroughly clean classrooms. Thanks for being part of this ever-evolving learning community.

For the Middle College to suddenly be possible was very exciting and somewhat daunting. The funding for the Three Rivers Middle College was released by the State Department of Education with the new fiscal year – July 1, 2012. We have been scrambling ever since to recruit 30 high school juniors who are interested in completing their high school credits, receiving their diploma and acquiring college credits. Middle College students will arrive on August 29th for first day of classes. Their home area will be in the E wing, second floor in the general area of the former library. – Much more to come on Professional Day.

Regarding Professional Day, it will come after the first day of classes this year. The “Save the Dates” notice was sent earlier because the need to re-schedule this day so as to keep it within the academic contractual period. In doing so it made sense to combine Convocation and Professional Day. The schedule for that day will be listed again at the end of this letter.

We are making the program for Professional Day an in-house review of events, activities and information. The fall semester will see the beginning of the Middle College; the 10-year NEASC accreditation visit; Early Childhood Education accreditation visit; a new strategic planning process; the budget as we know it; the end of Title III; and, introductions of new faculty and staff. There will be other announcements at that time also.

In order to begin the process of introducing new college community members, their names are included here with a full introduction on the 31st.

• BETTY BAILLARGEON, DIR. INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

• MICHAEL BERGWELL, FACULTY, MATHEMATICS

• KENNETH BRIGGS, ASSOC. DIR. FINANCIAL AID

• SCOTT CAROLAN, REGISTRATION ASSISTANT

• ELLEN CLINESMITH, ALLIED HEALTH COORDINATOR

• KELSEY DANIELS, VISTA VOLUNTEER

• JACQUELINE PHILLIPS, DIR. OF STUDENT SERVICES

• DAVID RUTHERFORD, FACULTY, ESLO

Other persons who will be with us on full-time basis or who will have new or different appointments will be acknowledged that day.

I look forward to our new semester. I look forward to seeing everyone back together again.

SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012

11:15 AM Robing for Convocation in B127 and processional

11:30 AM Convocation in the Multipurpose Room

12:15 PM Lunch in Café

1:00 PM Professional day program in the Multipurpose Room



Grace

Design of the College’s New Auditorium

Dear College Community,

Exciting news…..this morning, I met with the Project Manager regarding the design of the College’s new auditorium! In the next two weeks, we will reconfirm the scope of the project which we hope will include a 500 seat auditorium, play box theater, and at least three classrooms.

We may also consider a design feature which will enable the auditorium to be sub-divided into smaller rooms for additional classroom space or smaller meeting areas during times the larger auditorium is not in use. Once the scope is firmly set, a request for quotation will be issued and a short list of design firms will be established…..all before the end of the calendar year, we hope.

Stay tuned for more information as this terrific project unfolds.


Grace

Post-Thanksgiving Greeting

From casual conversations, there were many good meals and gatherings over the past week. I think the time away was probably important before finishing the semester.

As I send this my first blog, I thought perhaps there may be items of interest to many in our college community. Let me try this item:

On Friday, December 4, 2009, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, will be here on campus with Senator Dodd. They will discuss community college's patnership in bringing higher education to more students and students meeting the workforce needs. LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION VIA EMAIL LATER TODAY OR WEDNESDAY MORNING.

Let's be in touch. Grace