mymcc Community

Chartering New Digs for LMACS and MCC

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:02:00 GMT

Good news on the real estate front arrived this week for both the Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School and MCC!

MassDevelopment has issued $2.61 million in tax-exempt and taxable bonds on behalf of LMACS, which plans to use proceeds from the bonds to purchase the five-story 54,000 square-foot Pollard Exchange Building at 67 Middle St., where the school has been a tenant for over 10 years.

The financing package also includes a $660,000 MassDevelopment mortgage guarantee, allowing the school to minimize its equity contribution. The project is expected to create five new jobs. The bonds were purchased by the Enterprise Bank and Trust Company in Lowell.

LMACS transitioned from a high school dropout recovery program to a charter high school that serves 150 students, ages 16 to 21. LMACS serves students who have either left their district high school before graduation or who face significant risk of dropping out of school.

"The staff at Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School work to ensure that these at-risk students are successful academically, emotionally, and socially," said MassDevelopment President and CEO Robert L. Culver. "The school's mission takes all these factors into account, helping these students achieve success where they might have known only failure. We're pleased the Agency's ability to issue these bonds can help Lowell Middlesex Academy purchase its building in downtown Lowell."

Dr. Margaret McDevitt, LMAC's chief administrator, said "We are very excited about this purchase. The additional space will alow us to increase our offerings to our students and our commitment to serving our population of at risk students in a facility we can call home." The added space will afford the school the chance to expand its offerings in traditional subjects as well as in the arts.

The building that Lowell Middlesex Academy is purchasing also houses Allegiance Hospice Care and in the near future, Middlesex Community College. The school's curriculum is designed for students enrolling with little high school credit and ongoing hurdles to regular school attendance. Lowell Middlesex Academy also sets high standards for these students, including progress toward "10 Ethical Values" and the ability to make informed college and career choices upon graduating. Though most students are from Lowell, the school also enrolls teens from Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lawrence, Methuen, Rowley, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford.

Speaking on behalf of MCC, Executive Vice-President Jay Linnehan said the partnership with LMACS and the acquisition of the downtown property is a "win-win" for both institutions. Linnehan said the Middle Street property will complement the college's existing health and science programs that are located across the street in MCC's Middle Street buildings."

"With the burgeoning enrollments the college has been seeing from semester to semester, this space will provide us with new options for our growing population of students, and we're excited to work with LMACS to help use that terrific building to an even great potential," said Linnehan.

MassDevelopment, the state's finance and development authority, works with businesses, financial institutions and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2009 MassDevelopment financed or managed 229 projects statewide representing the investment of nearly $1.2 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are supporting the creation of 1,488 new housing units and 8,232 jobs; 3,362 permanent and 4,870 construction-related.

Congrats to LMACS, and thanks to MassDevelopment!

We're Honor Roll!

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:44:00 GMT

Unlike the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics or New England Patriots, MCC is able to compile back-to-back championships, as the college was yesterday again named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll!

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. On campuses across the country, thousands of students joined their faculty to develop innovative programs and projects to meet local needs using the skills gained in their classrooms. Business students served as consultants to budget-strapped nonprofits and businesses, law students volunteered at legal clinics, and dozens of others organized anti-hunger campaigns.

MCC President Carole Cowan, in announcing the honor on campus yesterday, thanked folks like Clea Andreadis and Sheri Denk for all the work they have done in service learning, especially with the Seasons of Service program running throughout this year.

"This is a great validation of the work that our people that have been doing in concert with our community partners, and it recognizes so much of the critical interaction that we do with our partner organizations to help make a difference in the day-to-day lives of the people who really need our help," said Cowan.

“Congratulations to the awardees and students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, the Corporation's CEO. “Our nation's students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”

The Corporation's Learn and Serve America program, in particular, is a catalyst for service-learning programs nationwide that connect community service with academic curriculum. Through these programs, in class and in extracurricular activities, college students serve others in their communities while strengthening their academic and civic skills. In addition, service-learning fosters partnerships between colleges and their communities that improve communities and helps meet immediate community needs.

The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

Putting In the Overtime

MCC Blog Admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:47:00 GMT

We know the remake of Clash of the Titans doesn't hit theaters until this weekend, but folks at the University's rec center got a preview of it last night as community college and university basketball juggernauts squared off for their annual roundball duel.

This year's annual MCC/UML basketball face-off had all the drama, excitement and thrills of the Winter Olympics, without the ice dancing and Scott Hamilton's annoying screeches!

And for the first time in the vaunted history of the fabled rivalry, the winter classic went into overtime!

Despite going up eight points right out of the gate, the MCC Middle-Agers fell victim to some VERY young legs on the UML side, and ended up dropping to a 12-point deficit at half-time. But a rested second half squad roared back and with less than a minute to go in regulation, knotted the game up at 36 each, all without the benefit of oxygen tanks! Key free-throws, some surprise three-pointers, and some tenacious defense combined for MCC's ferocious comeback.

Alas, the gas wasn't to last, as the two-minute overtime took its toll on both teams. The difference, in the end, came down to one basket, and MCC fell to the Unversity, 41-38. Truly, a heartbreaker.

Kudos once again to fitness facilitator Jonathan Crockett for pulling together another crackerjack team! Training is already underway for next year's rematch.

Happy Spring Semester

Buskeya — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:57:00 GMT

Good Friday afternoon to everyone,

I hope the start of your spring semester is going well. We saw many of you in the office this week and we are thrilled to be reconnecting with each of you.

As you may have noticed, Mayda and Joanne were out of the office this week attending a training. I am sure you will all take a moment to welcome them back next week. We all missed them!

On deck for the week is a fantastic training that Shelli will be offering called, "True Colors." It is being held on Wednesday, February 10th at 2pm and will help you to get a better understanding of your personality and those around you. Sign up in the office for this fun and informative workshop.

Be sure to check back here as we will be posting some important announcements.

Skill of the week: Time Management: As the semester picks up, time management will be more and more crucial. Schedule a time to meet with either Shelli, Joanne, or Ann to learn about some useful tools to help you manage your time.

Help for Haiti

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Worldwide, support is pouring in to help those devastated by the earthquake this week in Haiti.

Closer to home, here on campus, our Student Affairs folks have mobilized to help Haitian students, even though we're currently on semester break.

Rebecca Newell has created a support group not only for MCC students who hail from Haiti, but for faculty and staff and community members as well. The first meeting took place today in the Student Affairs Office, and more are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Newell has been working the social networking websites as well as using her network of campus contacts to try to bring the students together. Newell created a link on Facebook, at www.facebook.com The group is called Middlesex Community College Support for Haiti.

MCC President Carole Cowan, on the Facebook page, said "to our MCC community at large - our hearts and prayers are with you during this time of immeasurable tragedy. We know how dramatically this has affected our staff, faculty and students, not only those who have ties to Haiti, but those who have been touched by the devastation. I am proud that our Student Affairs division has taken the initiative to bring many of you together and I hope that in dialogue with one another, you will be able to find some support and assistance that will prove valuable to you as this story unfolds."

Anyone looking for information about American family members in Haiti should call the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747.

Meanwhile, many folks have inquired as to whether or not any specific charity movements have launched on campus. There seems to be a significant number of international groups that are ready to assist, so here's the links to many of them. Folks are welcome to post any others they're aware of as well. In the meantime, our prayers remain with all of the survivors, the rescuers, and those who lost a loved one in the tragedy.

Action Against Hunger - 877-777-1420 - www.actionagainsthunger.orgwww.actionagainsthunger.org

American Red Cross - 800-733-2767 - www.redcross.org, or text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10

American Jewish World Service - 212-792-2900, 800-889-7146 - www.ajws.org/haitiearthquake

AmeriCares - 800-486-HELP - www.americares.org

Beyond Borders - 610-277-5045 - www.beyondborders.net

CARE - 800-521-CARE - www.care.org

Catholic Relief Services - 888-277-7575 - www.crs.org

Childcare Worldwide - 800-553-2328 - www.childcareworldwide.org

Direct Relief International - 805-964-4767 - www.directrelief.org

Doctors Without Borders - 888-392-0392 - www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Episcopal Relief and Development - 800-334-7626 ext. 5129 - www.er-d.org

Feed My Starving Children - 763-404-7416, 763-504-2919 - www.fmsc.org

Friends of the World Food Program - 202-530-1694 - www.friendsofwfp.org

Grassroots International - 617-524-1400 - www.grassrootsinternational.org

Haitian Health Foundation - 860-886-HELP - www.haitianhealthfoundation.org

Hope for Haiti - 239-434-7183 - www.hopeforhaiti.com

International Medical Corps - 800-481-4462 - www.imcworldwide.org

International Relief Teams - 619-284-7979 - www.irteams.org

International Rescue Committee -- 877-733-8433 -- www.theirc.org

Medical Teams International - 800-959-4325 - www.medicalteams.org

Meds and Food for Kids - 314-420-1634 - www.mfkhaiti.org

Mercy Corps - 888-256-1900 - www.mercycorps.org

Operation USA - 800-678-7255 - www.opusa.org

Oxfam America -800-776-9326 - www.oxfamamerica.org

Partners in Health - 617-432-5298 - act.pih.org/earthquake

Samaritan’s Purse - 800-528-1980 - www.samaritanspurse.org

Save the Children - 800-728-3843 - www.savethechildren.org

St. Boniface Haiti Foundation - 781-963-7243 -www.haitihealth.org

UNICEF - 800-486-4233 - www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake

World Concern - 800-755-5022 - www.worldconcern.org/haiti-earthquake

World Vision - 888-511-6548 - www.worldvision.org

Yele Haiti - 212-352-0552 - yele.org, or text YELE to 501501 to donate $5

A Rialto Check

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:24:00 GMT

MCC Administration Alum Niki Tsongas came back to her professional alma mater today, this time bearing a check for nearly $200,000 to launch a study and design of the Boston and Maine Railroad Depot, better known around Lowell as the Rialto building.

Photo: From left, Lowell City Mayor James Milinazzo, Lowell City Manager Bernie Lynch, State Representative Kevin Murphy, MCC President Carole Cowan, and State Representative David Nangle accept the Rialto funding check from Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.

Congresswoman Tsongas, who had previously served as a dean at the college, was able to secure $194,800 for MCC to conduct a study and design plan for the property through Economic Development Initiative funding included in the FY10 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, as well as his replacement, Paul Kirk, and Senator John Kerry also helped move the funding through the federal appropriations process.

The building, at 240 Central St., Lowell, has been vacant since 1987. It was saved from demolition in 1989 by the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission. The Lowell National Historic Park was responsible for the property and invested more than $2 million into renovating its exterior. MCC acquired the building in exactly the same procedure by which it acquired the Federal Building in Kearney Square. The college filed an application and received approval to acquire the buildnig through the General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Education through the public benefit process. Currently, MCC is in line for a $45 million expansion through a state capital bond bill, which is currently pending. Within that bill is an earmark for $11 million for performing arts programs in Lowell. When the funding is secure, MCC is looking to locate the college's dance and performing arts programs in the Rialto, along with other Humanities programs.

Several members of the Humanities faculty, as well as some of the college's art students, attended Friday's check ceremony, along with business neighbors, State Representatives Kevin Murphy and David Nangle, members of the Lowell City Council, and other MCC administrators.

President Cowan, speaking to a crowd at Friday's event, said she was hopeful that the study and design will open the doors to several new opportunities for the property. Specifically, the building had been deemed ineligible to receive any stimulus funding, because the study and design had not been performed as of yet.

'This money serves as a launchpad for so much for this college," said Cowan. "We literally have run out of space on our city campus, and are constantly looking for ways to expand our footprint. The Rialto building will allow us to expand our arts program, and bring us into a Hamilton Canal neighborhood that is on the move. We are excited to be part of that JAM Plan growth, and hope that the college can serve as a welcoming ambassador to visitors entering that part of the downtown."

An Offer You Can't Refuse

MCC Blog Admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:07:00 GMT

Join us MCC folks for a killer of a good time at the Mobfather, a murder mystery dinner party slated to benefit the MCC Foundation, which helps provide scholarships to Middlesex students.

The interactive whodunit takes place on Saturday, February 6, at 7 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 270 Concord Road, Billerica. Tickets are $45 per person for dinner and a show. The meal consists of a salad, chicken parmesan, eggplant rollotini, and a canoli. There's also a cash bar and discounted room packages if you're interested in staying at the Marriott. To make a reservation, call 978-671-2103, or visit www.mysterycafe.com

Guests to the event are being invited to Scarplace Mansion to attend a surprise 40th birthday party for the Mobfather, leader of Boston's mafia. But it's the guests who are surprised when gunshots are fired, the doors are blocked, and there's no way out until the family honor has been restored and the killer captured!

Enjoy an interactive murder mystery up close and personal with your favorite Hollywood mobsters, including Marlin Brand "O", Mucho DeNiro, Tony Fontana, and a cast of other undesirables. Figure out whodunnit while enjoying a delicious meal and great live music. The Mystery Cafe's talented actors add comedy and intrigue to make the night one to remember.

Proceeds from the event will help benefit the MCC Foundation, which helps support educational and charitable efforts of MCC.

And to help get folks in the mood, here's a quick trivia quiz, testing your knowledge of famous mobster roles. First one to answer the most right gets a bonus canoli. (And try to answer using your own grey matter, not the internet's!)

1) What is the name of the woman Michael Corleone marries in Sicily? (Her driving skills need some work, though.)

2) Name all of Vito Corleone's children.

3) Who is Vito Corleone's consiglieri?

4) What is the name of the horse who gets ahead in Godfather movie lore by sharing a bed with his owner?

5) Upon its release, what did the movie Scarface set the record for?

6) In Goodfellas, what was Henry's first job?

7) According to Jimmy in Goodfellas, what are the two most important things in life?

8) On the HBO series the Sopranos, while visiting colleges with his daughter in Maine, Tony Soprano kills a man in the witness protection program. How does he do it?

9) What was the FBI's code name for Tony and Carmela Soprano's home?

10) What is the name of the mob character voiced by Joe Mantegna on the Simpsons?

If you don't even bother trying to answer these questions, walk softly. You could share the same fate as Luca Brasi.

Back to Back Business Blue Ribbons!

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:29:00 GMT

The Red Sox might not be able to pull off two consecutive championships, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for the MCC Business and Economics Club, who - FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW - walked away national champions at the Federal Reserve Bank's Fed Challenge Competition!

Each team had 20 minutes to make oral presentations that analyzed current economic conditions, provided a short-term forecast, and explained time issues and risks that should get special attention in current monetary policy. The team made several recommendations to the Fed throughout their presentation.

In the competition's first round, MCC bested Gateway Community College from Connecticut and North Shore Community College from here in Massachusetts. In the final round, MCC came out on top of competitors Queensboro Community College from New York and Prince George Community College out of Baltimore, Md.

Here's a look at MCC's winning line-up:

Venisha Powell, 19 of Billerica was the lead-off hitter, presenting an unemployment summary and an analysis of small businesses during the credit crunch.

Justin Durso, 19, of Chelmsford, was up next to give an overview of inflations and dangers with the national debt the housing crisis.

Aaron Naisbitt, 29, of Carlisle, batted third to give historical perspective on deregulation and a global analysis of the banking industry.

Ray Tannheimer, 21, of Lowell batted cleanup to summorve lending, liquidity, credit, and solvency problems in the economy.

Robert Searle, 21, of Maynard wrapped things up with a summary of interest rates, commodity bubbles and excessive speculation in the marketplace.

As always, credit goes to the MCC faculty - Rob Kaulfuss, Robert Awkward, and Jon Femia who coached the team to victory once again!

And you can take that one to the bank!

Using Safe Assign With Blackboard

curlln — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:53:00 GMT

If you use Safe Assign through Blackboard to check for plagarism there is one step you need to take before allowing you students to submit material. Synchronize your course with Safe Assign; since Safe Assign is going out to a database to look for information you need to tell it exactly who is in your class. To do this you will need to go into the Control Panel of your course and locate Safe Assign in the Course Tools section. Once you go into the Safe Assign area you will see a link that says "Synchronize This Course"; once you click the link it should only take a couple of seconds for the process to happen.

If you do not take this simple step students will NOT be able to submit their materials to any assignment you create using the Safe Assign Too. This step must be taken every single semester.

Poultry in Motion

MCC Blog Admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:18:00 GMT

MCC's first Bring Your Turkey to Work Day was apparently a huge success, as staff, administrators and students on Monday collected 76 turkeys to be donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank!

Staffers were thankful there was no fowl play in action as they piled the frozen birds into the backs of their cars over four hours yesterday for delivery to the food bank. And it wasn't just college folks contributing to the cause, either! One gentleman who heard about the dropoff brought his frozen bird in on the back of his hog - his motorcycle, that is! Special props to Scott Plath, owner of Cobblestones in Lowell and Moonstones in Chelmsford and adjunct MCC faculty member in the college's hospitality management program who donated TWO DOZEN BIRDS to the cause!

Folks - thanks to your efforts, 76 families throughout Greater Lowell will have a bird on their dinner table this Thanksgiving! Great job!

Making their (Pillow)Case for Fighting Cancer

MCC Blog Admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:40:00 GMT

A group of Middlesex staffers on the Bedford campus are sewing pillowcases for young cancer patients. As part of ConKerr Cancer’s A Case for Smiles program (www.ConKerrCancer.org), the group gathered after work recently in the Bedford Campus Center’s Café East and sewed 50 colorful pillowcases for children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment at Dana Farber, Massachusetts General, Boston Children’s and Emerson hospitals. More Middlesex volunteers will wash, iron and package each pillowcase.

The ConKerr Pillowcase Project was organized by Maureen Hudson, MCC’s Purchasing Coordinator, and all the fabric was donated by avid quilter Susan Fitzpatrick, Facilities Management Administrative Assistant. Others volunteering in the project include Ashley Patuto, Judy Murphy, Phyllis Worth, Diane Coakley, Charlotte Cardullo, Leslie Turcotte, Chris Lindsey, Ann Dawson, Diane Casey, Idania Coa Cepeda, Betty DiGangi, Scott Cahill, Millie Rosado, Jackson Chege and Judy Wong.

If all goes well, the ConKerr Pillowcase Project will be opened up to the entire college community this spring, as part of the MCC’s Seasons of Service initiative.

Veterans Day Honors for an MCC Vet

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:34:00 GMT

Veterans Day 2009 brought military honors to an MCC student this week in the form of a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered five years ago in Iraq.

Stephen Kinney, a sergeant with the New Hampshire Army National guard, on Wednesday received his Purple Heart, delivered by 5th District Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.

Kinney, a resident of Chelmsford, served his country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Five years ago tomorrow (November 14), he was conducting a combat patrol on the road between Balad and Mushadiyah when he was wounded by an IED (improvised explosive device). Because other soldiers around him were more seriously injured, Kinney did not seek immediate medical attention, instead continuing to fight in combat operations in Fallujah. Eventually, his injuries became debilitating and the Army rated him service-connected disabled.

Surrounded by his family and friends, and with MCC's Veteran Services Coordinator Richard Repucci in attendance, Kinney was awarded his Purple Heart medal from Congresswoman Tsongas at the American Legion Hall in North Chelmsford.

Kinney, who has been treated for post traumatic stress disorder in addition to his physical injuries recently retired from his job as a shop steward with the U.S. Post Office.

He's now enrolled in art and computer classes at MCC. Huge thanks to Stephen Kinney and all of the veterans who have served our country in the Armed Services!

Take Your Turkey To Work (Or School) Day!

MCC Blog Admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:02:00 GMT

For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.

- Benjamin Franklin, who felt the turkey should be the country's national bird, not the American Eagle.

MCC will have even more turkeys than normal roaming its campus environs in the coming days, though mostly of the frozen variety.

Staff and administrators at the college have organized Bring Your Turkey to Work Day to benefit the Merrimack Valley Food bank, which has seen a startling dearth of turkey donations for this year's Thanksgiving cycle. Earlier this month, the food bank had not seen any turkeys donated yet, a cause of serious concern for the organization, which seeks to feed needy families during the holiday season. The Merrimack Valley Food bank distributes an average of 2 million pounds of food annually through a network of 100 emergency feeding agencies, including shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries in 25 communities. This translates to 1,538,461 meals!

A team of MCC folks, led by Business Dean Judy Hogan, has taken the cause to heart as part of the college's Seasons of Service, which looks to engage students, faculty and staff in worthwhile causes in their communities. Throughout this semester students and staffers have already donated hundreds of hours of their time to help in numerous food drives.

Anyone who in interested in helping a needy family during this season is being urged to bring a frozen turkey to one of two drop-off spots being created to collect the birds.

The dropoffs will take place on Monday, November 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that same day in the front parking lot of MCC's city campus, or in the Visitor's parking lot, near the Enrollment Center on the college's Bedford campus.

Since the word was circulated around campus last week, more than two dozen turkeys have already been committed to the cause, so keep them birds rolling! The turkeys can be of any size, since the food bank serves families of all size as well. On behalf of MCC, thanks for helping those in need!

IT Brings the Brains to Defend Its Trivia Title

MCC Blog Admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:50:00 GMT

As if it wasn't bad enough that folks 'round these parts had to watch the New York Yankees win the World Series, along comes another win that's hard to swallow - the folks in Information Technologies, the Tech-Know Geeks, this weekend claimed victory for the second time at MCC's version of the fall classic, Trivia Night.

Despite a personnel shake-up, after hiding in the shadows for seven rounds, the Tech-Know Geeks - adorned literally, with bullseyes on their backs - surged ahead in the eighth round to take first, and held the berth to claim their second victory in a row. There'll be no working with them now.

Oh yeah, the night came complete with great food, sports memorabilia, music, and the occasional dance from the Village People as well.

Once again, the night was a rousing success, thanks in great part to the super team spirit exhibited by this semester's participants. All of the funds raised from the night go directly to MCC's Annual Fund, which is used to support initiatives across the college spectrum. Special shoutouts to the teams comprised of students from student government and a passel of MCC Alumni! Congrats to the folks in the Advancement office who brought our alum back into the fold for the event!

And if the folks on the Help Desk don't process your request right away, it's probably because they're having a ticker tape parade or something down in IT.....

We'll see everyone in the spring for another round! In the meantime, enjoy some of these pics from the night.

Charter Toppers!

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:39:00 GMT

Students and faculty from the Middlesex Lowell Academy Charter School came to MCC's Lowell campus to attend a concert presented by the MCC Music Department Outreach Program. The Music Outreach Program, now in its fifth year, has presented concerts and workshops in collaboration with Lowell High School’s music department, and has now expanded these valuable musical experiences to include the students from the Charter School.

The concert program, which took place in the Federal Building Assembly Room, featured Elizabeth Ostling, flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta, MCC faculty member, on piano.

Ostling and Peralta performed works by 20^th century composers, including French composer Phillipe Gaubert, Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera and American composer Jennifer Higdon. Higdon’s piece, “Autumn Reflections” painted a musical picture of the varied moods of autumn. Students were invited to describe how the composer created moods of melancholy and brilliance and also learned about poly-rhythms and poly-tonality used by the composer.

Students were also invited to ask questions about the music and about the careers of the two accomplished professional musicians. Special props to Johannah Segarich, coordinator of MCC's music outreach program!

Holaday In!

MCC Blog Admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:50:00 GMT

Congrats go out to Donna Holaday, one of our own at MCC, who was successful last night in her bid to be the Mayor of Newburyport!

Holaday, a councilor-at-large in Newburyport, was elected the city's newest mayor with a 2,704-2,257 victory (a 55% to 45% margin) over City Council President James Shanley. She'll assume the office in January.

Holaday, who has been with MCC since 1998, is the director of grant development and management here at MCC and has been one of our go-to grant gurus for years. Apparently she did not take her hometown campaign for granted.

A Window Into Art at the Rialto

MCC Blog Admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:33:00 GMT

Five Middlesex Community College art students are displaying artwork in the windows of Lowell’s historic Rialto Building. Created as part of the annual Lowell Arts Festival, the paintings, collages and elaborate cut-paper pieces will be on view throughout the month.

Students with artwork on display are Eastman Garcia of Lawrence, Kosta Gregory and Danny Phoun of Lowell, Patrick Munroe of Littleton, and Pai-Fang Lin of Lexington. Lin’s young daughter, Yi Yi, also filled one window with origami paper birds and flowers.

The Rialto Building, located at 240 Central St. in downtown Lowell, is slated to be renovated by the college and will house a performance and community space, as well as dance and theater classrooms.

Built in 1876 as the Boston & Maine Railroad Depot, the two-story brick High Victorian gothic structure housed a number of businesses over the years, including serving as the Rialto Theatre lobby from 1921 until the 1960s. Considered a Lowell landmark, it was saved from demolition by the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission in 1989. The exterior of the building was renovated by Lowell National Historical Park, which transferred ownership to Middlesex in 2008. The college is in the process of acquiring funding for interior renovations.

MCC Art Professor Margaret Rack had the idea to display student work in the Rialto Building’s windows after Arts Festival organizers suggested local schools and colleges create artwork for storefronts in downtown Lowell. "It occurred to me that the Rialto Building would be a nice fit for Middlesex, since the windows are grand and could be filled entirely for a bold statement showcasing our students' work,” said Rack. “It’s also fitting because that is MCC’s future arts building."

Over the summer, Rack and Margaret Swan, Chair of MCC’s Art Department, invited Middlesex students to participate in the site-specific project. “We recommended they consider the past and future use of the building as a possible theme for their designs,” said Swan. “As it turned out, their artwork is a mixture of site-specific work, as well as recent work completed during the spring 2009 semester.”

For more information about the Rialto Windows Project, contact Margaret Swan, Chair of MCC’s Art Department, as swanm@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3803.

A closeup of Pai-Fang Lin's work.

MS Word vs Blackboard

curlln — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:16:00 GMT

Quite often when people are working on materials for their Blackboard course sites the documents that they want use already exist as Micrsoft Word documents so the tendency is to copy and paste from that document into the Blackboard text editor. When you do that Word makes its own HTML and the result when the document goes into Blackboard does not always look the way that it did when you created it. You may find things misaligned, unformated, no margins and in general looking very disorganized. This does not happen 100% of the time but it occurs quite frequently.

Now I would never suggest walking away from using Word to do the documents for your course, I would however suggest that once you have finished and saved it as a Word document (.doc or docx) that you also save the document in a format that will be more digestible for Blackboard. When you select Save As in the File Menu (2003) or from the Office Button (2007) you will get a pop up window that will ask you what location you want to save to and the bottom most drop down will allow you to save the document in a different file format. I would reommend plain text (.txt) this will allow for a smooth transition into Blackboard and you can then make any formatting changes with the aid of the tools provided in the text editor.

When Uploaded Files are Corrupt

curlln — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:04:00 GMT

I have previously written about the issue of files being zipped when they make the transiton into Blackboard. I have now become aware of other reason that things may become zipped when they are attached. This comes from the "Behind the Blackboard" knowledge base and I thought it was something that you shoud be aware of. They have also provided some alternative suggestions.

When files uploaded by students are corrupted
Issue
There are instances where Instructors are downloading student assignment submissions which are corrupted. In some instances this corruption has occurred unintentionally through a glitch in the process, however in other instances students have deliberately uploaded corrupted files in order to gain extensions on their submissions.

Symptoms
Problems that the instructor may encounter are:

Downloading a zip file that cannot be opened
Downloading a Word document or PDF submission that is unreadable
SafeAssign cannot process the corrupted document

Cause
The nature of a corrupted file is that it cannot be opened or read by the intended program. Hence there is no straightforward way to determine whether the corruption occurred unintentionally through some glitch in the normal course of business (for example the students computer could have inadvertently corrupted the file while saving, or there may have been internet connection issues when uploading the file) or whether the student has uploaded a file which is deliberately corrupted.

There are companies that are now selling to students pre-corrupted files. One such website that has been brought to our attention is http://www.corrupted-files.com/Home.html . This website offers students corrupted Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other files that they can send to their Instructors in order to buy more time to finish the assignment. By the time that the Instructor has noticed that they cannot open the file, the student can then send "another copy" of the assignment - now completed with the extra time that they have had to complete it.

Analysis
There is no easy way to determine whether a file was deliberately corrupted. A teacher will need to base their decision on the student's own integrity. There are measures that can reduce the chance of innocent users submitting corrupted files and other methods that can help reduce the risk of such cheating. If you have methods that you or your institution employ please feel free to leave a comment below and we will add these to the list.

Workaround
One way to reduce the risk of inadvertent corruption is to have the student submit their assignments in two formats. For example in both Word and as a plain text file or HTML file. Plain text and HTML files are far less likely to be corrupted and can always be opened, even if parts of the file are missing. More importantly, the odds of both files being simultaneously corrupted without the student noticing are very low.

Even a deliberately corrupted file can still be viewed in a hex-editor (such as UltraEdit), and any actual text can be extracted from it with a number of data recovery tools. Therefore it IS typically possible (although very technical and not for the faint of heart) to prove that a given file was NOT actually an attempt at homework X but rather some generic document. Advising students of this early on and threatening them with disciplinary action if they are found cheating are the most successful prevention methods.

Nancy

Video in Your Course Website, NOT IMPOSSIBLE

curlln — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:33:00 GMT

Video in your course website no longer needs to be time consuming and difficult to manage. There are many sites out there these days that have materials that will work in your course and they are easy to include in your site. Let's start with some of the sources for online video:

YouTube is probably the prime source. I know what you are thinking, "dancing hamsters and Susan Boyle" but YouTube has come a long way. There is an Education Chanel on YouTube that includes material from Stanford and Dartmouth to Cambridge University.
Ted - Ideas Worth Spreading has materials on topics from technology and science to arts and culture. The speakers include; Isabel Allende, Robert Ballard, Jeff Bezos, Bono, Richard Branson, Gordon Brown, Bill Clinton, and Peter Gabriel just to mentions a few.
HULU has a great deal of commercial broadcast video but if you make a concerted effort you may find useful materials.
Odeo sharing both video and audio content
Academic Earth video courses from a wide variety of colleges and universities.
There is also a wide variety of current materials available from places like CNN

OK so now you have found just the right video clip that makes just the point you want and you are wondering how to get it into your course site. What you need to look for is the something that says, "Embed" or "Embed This". What you will see there is a long string of code that you should select and copy.

In Blackboard all you need do is create an item. You will not paste the code into the editor as you see it when you start an item you will want to have it in HTML mode and you get this by clicking the icon with the facing angle brackets <> (in your editing window you will see this phrase, "You are in HTML Source mode. Use the [<>] button to switch back to normal mode.")paste the code there and then as always click submit.

Two things you need to be aware of one is the video itself may slow down the page as it loads into Blackboard and you need to make sure that the video itself is still posted on the site where you accessed it.

Nancy

The New Blog in Town

curlln — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:12:00 GMT

You may be used to coming here for suggestions regarding the use of Blackboard in your courses online or other wise. However there's a new blog on the block that may help to support your teaching in different way. Peter Shea Pedogogical Instructional Designer for the Title III project has started "Middlelearn" with the purpose is to advertise learning tools, articles, and research that instructors & staff can use. Go and see what he has to offer:

http://middlelearn.blogspot.com/

Brazilian Delegates Meet at MCC

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:59:00 GMT

This week, more than three dozens members of a delegation from Brazil visited MCC's Bedford campus to meet with MCC administrators to hear more about the college's international, business, and leadership programs.

The visit was facilitated by the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, and was part of a two-day whirlwind tour through many of Massachusetts' institutions of higher education. The MCC stopover spent a lot of time focusing on MCC's business training programs and partnerships. MCC President Carole Cowan brought about a dozen members of her administrative team to answers questions from the delegation, which consisted of professors, program directors, and administrators from universities and colleges in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The group makes annual trips to places of higher education. Besides MCC, the group visited Boston College and was then off to the University of Southern California.

Middlesex Community College President Carole A. Cowan addressing visiting Brazilian delegates.

Revenge of the Trivia Night!

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Back by popular demand, it's MCC's Trivia Night!

The event was a huge hit when it was held in the spring, and it looks as though many of the same teams will be returning this time around. Everyone is looking to topple last spring's winners, the Tech-Know Geeks out of our Information Technology Department, seen here basking in their victorious, but fleeting glory:

MCC Fall Trivia Night is going to be held on Friday, November 6, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Bedford Campus Cafeteria. The entry fee is $40 per team, payable ot the door prior to the start of the event. Proceeds from the event will support the MCC Foundation's Annual Fund. Gather a team of 4 to 8 players, or register as a solo free agent. The event is open all all MCC faculty, staff, students and alumni as well as the local community.

Teams are encouraged to dress creatively to distract their opponents and to bring cleverly themed tables decorations, soft drinks, and culinary treats. Take a look at last spring's winner for most festive table and costumes:

The winning team gets bragging rights and a trophy that goes on display in MCC's trophy case. There will also be a sports memorabilia silent auction just in time for holiday shopping, and a 50/50 raffle.

To register, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/trivianightregistration or contact Jonathan Crockett at 781-280-3785.

And to help folks get in the spirit of things and get revved up for the event, here's a smattering of questions for you to take a run at. First person who posts the most right answers wins. And remember - NO USING THE INTERNET OR RESOURCES OTHER THAN YOUR OWN BRAIN TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS!

1) What Stanley Kubrick movie was hyped "In Vietnam the wind doesn't blow, it sucks"?

2) What is the name of Doc Brown's very clever dog in Back to the Future?

3) What other man, besides Paul Revere, was originally sent out to warn patriots that the British were coming on April 18, 1775?

4) Who was known as "Moses" of the Underground Railroad?

5) What is a male cat if a female cat is a queen?

6) What animal has been dubbed nature's skyscraper?

7) Which country owns the Canary Islands?

8) What nationality is the Muppet Show's chef?

9) What was Cinderella's real name?

10) Who had the ring immediately before Bilbo took it in the Hobbit?

11) Who beat Bobby Riggs in tennis' famous Battle of the Sexes?

12) What winter Olympic event combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting?

Good luck and we'll see you on the 6th!

Happy Trails!

MCC Blog Admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:07:00 GMT

Under a bright blue sky and with a wind roaring into the open meadow, more than 75 MCC administrators, faculty and students gathered with their community partners on Thursday to officially open the MCC Fitness Trail!

Located behind the Trustees Building on the Bedford campus, the trail has been waiting for decades to be unearthed, something that occurred over the past year, with some help from the MCC Day of Service.

The trail consists of two loops - one of them is a 3/4 mile loop that encircles a small frog pond, located behind the North Academic Building. The other is a 1.25 mile loop that winds out to Orchard Road, runs across the meadow, behind the Farmhouse, and comes out across from the Cataldo Administration Building.

The trail was supported by an MCC Foundation grant through the Annual Fund, and is another terrific project out of the Student Activities Division. It's really been Athletic Guru Jonathan Crockett's baby since its inception, but a number of other MCC personnel have stepped in to help make the trail a reality, in particular the Facilities staff who helped clear the trail and also install the 10 fitness stations throughout the trail.

For a structured workout, the 10 station Fit Trail combines a series of scientifically designed exercises which when combined with walking or jogging can provide a well-balanced physical fitness routine for the entire body.

As most folks know, the 200+ acre MCC Bedford campus was once home to a Marist Seminary, which opened in the fall of 1926, offering educational programs and training for the Catholic priesthood. One priest had a particular interest in the woods and the nearby pond and took it upon himself to cultivate those areas. The priest, a teacher of Greek and Latin, dredged the pond and landscaped the woods.

“When the roots of academia first found footing on this piece of land, a nature-loving priest discovered a remarkable woods. It was a woods that offered spiritual retreat, recreation, and tranquility for the boys and Fathers of the Marist Seminary,” Crockett said during the open ceremony. “The Marist Community has long since disappeared, replaced by the MCC that we know today. And for years, these trails have been all but lost and forgotten quietly and secretly enjoying the passing of seasons. Until today.”

While the trails have been there for decades, most MCC folks, not to mention the college's neighbors in Bedford and Billerica had rarely ventured out onto the trails. As of yesterday, even MCC President Carole Cowan, who has been at the college for more than 30 years, hadn't explored the trails.

Everything changed when the ribbon was cut to officially open the trails and dozens of people started their woodland exploration treks.

Crockett said he hopes the trails will also serve as a recreational resource for hikers, runners, skiiers, snowshoers, and anyone interest in bird or wildlife watching.

Crockett said the network of trails is “not simply a path through the woods, it’s a rich and complex part of the history of this land. It’s a connection, literally and symbolically, to Bedford, Billerica, and many towns and cities beyond.”

Just as significantly, the MCC series of trails is now expected to link with the Bay Circuit Trail, a series of over 200 miles of trails that stretches across the state of Massachusetts, from Duxbury to Plum Island.

Art Smith, chair of the Bedford Trails Committee joined the MCC team at the event.

“This place on this planet is filled with memories for me,” said Smith, who grew up in Bedford. He recalled the genesis of the tract of wooded land. “Out in these woods was a strange and somewhat forbidding place called the Marist Seminary. That it became MCC has lifted the veil and produced one of the more outstanding assets

of our community.”

The MCC Foundation has created a program to help maintain and sustain the trails. Anyone interested in helping to support the Fitness Trail Preservation Fund can call the MCC Foundation at 781-280-3522.

Quick! Get Rid of Your Drugs!

MCC Blog Admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:17:00 GMT

Now that we've caught your attention, folks need to know about an important upcoming community event in the city of Lowell.

Thursday, October 15th is Unwanted Medication Disposal Day at the Lowell Health Department, an important community health initiative that MCC is helping to partner. It's time to clean out your medicine cabinets and drawers of all of your old, unused prescription drugs. The end goal here is to help keep potentially dangerous medicines from getting into the hands of curious youngsters.

The drop-off is available to anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Lowell, and that includes our MCC population.

The disposal is free and safe, with no questions asked. Additionally, the Health Department's method of disposal avoids flushing old medicines, which could prove harmful to our rivers. The event will be held at the Lowell Health Department at 341 Pine St., Lowell on Thursday, October 15th from 8 a.m. to noon. For more info, contact Maria Ruggiero at the Lowell Health Department, 978-970-4010.