elmsnews

october 2025

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you to the Faculty Engagement Committee for a fun Faculty and Staff Happy Hour Wednesday afternoon. It was very nice to spend time with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere. And thank you to the Staff Council for coordinating this morning's Town Hall. Thank you to Cabinet members for their presentations. Thank you to everyone who was able to participate. The recording for the Town Hall is available further down in this newsletter. Given that we provided many updates at the Town Hall, I will focus this message on highlighting some of the noteworthy activities of the past month.

October was yet another month filled with campus and celebratory events starting with the President’s Evening of Appreciation on October 4. The annual dinner honors the College's most generous and consistent donors, and this year, we paid specific homage to John Davis for his support for the College through the Davis Foundation for the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE) and the Western Mass Literacy Collaborative (WMLC). I want to once again express my gratitude to Vice President Bernadette Nowakowski, the Institutional Advancement team, and my executive assistant, Bevin Peters, for organizing this much anticipated and joyous event.

The week followed with two significant signing ceremonies. On October 6, the College signed a memorandum of understanding with Beacon ABA Services and the Evergreen Center to allow their employees to pursue master degrees at the College in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. On October 8, the College signed a housing agreement with Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College to allow their students to reside on the Elms campus, expanding the College's existing articulation agreements with both community colleges. The strategic partnership with Beacon ABA Services and the Evergreen Center and the expansion of our partnerships with STCC and HCC are consistent with objectives of the PRISM strategic plan and helping to advance the mission of the College.

We could not have asked for a better day for the return of the Elms College Green & Gold Golf Classic! The morning was a bit chilly, but the sunshine kept us swinging and smiling throughout the day. The tournament, which supports the Athletic Department, was attended by alumni, student-athletes, faculty, staff, trustees, and supporters of the College. Many thanks to Athletics and the Office of Institutional Advancement for collaborating to organize this wonderful day for the supporters of Elms Athletics. You hit a hole-in-one!

On October 15 we welcomed the Sisters of St. Joseph to campus for Mass and lunch to celebrate Founder’s Day. The day provided us with the opportunity to express our deepest appreciation for the Sisters' lifetime of service and their continued support for Elms College, our students, and our mission. Many of our staff and faculty joined the Sisters on October 19 at Sacred Heart Church to celebrate their 375th Anniversary. In honor of the anniversary, the College has committed to performing 375 acts of service for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Remember to sign the banner and book in the entrance of the College Center with your name and number of community service hours for which you participated in to help us reach out goal and say thank you to the Sisters! Many thanks to Campus Ministry for this wonderful initiative.

Fall Open House on October 18 was jointly coordinated by the Admissions team, Academic Affairs, Athletics, and several other campus units. The event welcomed prospective high school juniors, seniors, transfers, and their families to campus. The day was enriched with four athletic games and a tabling event during the lunch session where prospective students could interact with several of the departments on campus. A huge thank you goes to the Enrollment Management and Marketing team for their preparation and keen eye to detail and for providing a warm Blazer welcome to our guests!

As I shared in a previous message to the community, the Board of Trustees meeting took place on October 17. The fall meeting cycle is heavy with several votes of approval from the Board including approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget. As we shared this morning the results for fiscal year 2025 were not as budgeted. Nonetheless, Elms College remains financially healthy. The College established, and the Board approved, a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2026. As I said before, it continues to take everyone's efforts and collaboration to ensure that we achieve our financial goals in Fiscal Year 2026 and beyond.

In an atmosphere that is very difficult for all of higher education, Elms College continues to put our students first and to advance our mission of educating a diverse group of students in a vibrant and supportive learning community. This due to all that you do on a daily basis.

And thus, I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the community that we form: faculty and staff dedicated to working together, to share ideas, to seek continuous improvement so that we can ensure that Elms College continues to send more generations of Blazer graduates into this world!

The next couple of months will surely fly by as we wrap up the end of the fall semester. I look forward to the upcoming social and holiday celebrations where we can connect, reflect, and be thankful for all we do to support our students and one another.

With gratitude,

Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA

President

Scenes from the Green & Gold Golf Classic and the Faculty & Staff Happy House

CLICK HERE to view recording.

(advance to 4 minutes)

FUTURE ELMSNEWS

Submission pieces can be shared with the following department contacts:

Academic Affairs - Deb Methe

Admissions - Michelle Proulx

Athletics - Sean Milbier

Finance - Brett Carroll

HR - Cheryl Smith

Marketing - Patrick Johnson

Student Affairs - Anna Stabile

Institutional Advancement - Lynn Korza

PLEASE NOTE: The next newsletter will be sent out in December before the Christmas break. The deadline to submit materials is Friday, December 12.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

11/1 Harambee
11/3 D'Amour Center Fall Speaker
11/5 Career Fair
11/7 Coffee Chat hosted by VPEMM Molly Miner
11/7 Educators Rising Conference
11/7 MSC Tailgate
11/7 Spray the Mace event
11/12 Study Abroad Fair
11/12 Senior Build-A-Blazer
11/13 Commuter Coffee
11/14 Staff Council meeting
11/19 Pie on the Plaza
11/19 International Dancing
12/1 Holiday Marketplace
12/1 Relationships that Shape Us
12/1 Annual Tree Lighting
12/3 Merry Market
12/4 Opening Reception-Student Art Exhibit
12/4 Winter Wonderland
12/5 Coffee Chat hosted by Andrea Hickson-Martin
12/9 Fall 2025 Practicum Celebration
12/12 Staff Council Meeting
12/12 Faculty/Staff Christmas Party
12/14 Breakfast with Santa

Check the Master Calendar for exact locations of each event.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Elms College Faculty Development Day: Ethical AI in Teaching and Learning

On October 14, Elms College faculty gathered for the annual Faculty Development Day to explore Ethical AI in teaching and learning. Sponsored by Academic Affairs and hosted by the Faculty Development Committee, the event examined how AI is transforming higher education and its alignment with the College’s PRISM Strategic Plan. Faculty presenters discussed the importance of integrating AI into curriculum and classroom practices while addressing the ethical considerations of its use in education. Emmanuel Antwi-Tuah offered a powerful student perspective, emphasizing how AI knowledge and integration in higher education can better prepare students for future success.

Faculty Development Committee: Dr. Daniel Maurice (Chair), Dr. Pam Cote-Hammarlof, Dr. Tyra Good, Dr. Tom Waskiewicz, Aaron Palko, Dr. Tom Cerasulo

Presenting Faculty & Staff / Ad Hoc Planning Committee: Ryan Erickson, Dr. Peter DePergola, Dr. Jasmine Hall, Dr. Beryl Hoffman, Dr. Stephen Walsh, Dr. Ryan Ambuter, and the FAST Ad Hoc Committee, Debbie Gomes

ELMS COLLEGE SIGNS MOU WITH BEACON ABA SERVICES AND EVERGREEN CENTER

Elms College and Beacon ABA and the Evergreen Center, a Worcester County organization providing intensive behavioral services to people with developmental disabilities, entered a partnership that allows employees with Beacon and other affiliated organizations to pursue degrees at Elms for a reduced cost. The official signing ceremony took place on October 6. Under terms of the partnership, employees of Beacon ABA Services and the Evergreen Center Inc., of Milford, MA., are eligible for discounted tuition in master’s programs. Beacon ABA Services is based in Milford but operates field offices across the state, including in Chicopee.

The partnership is a natural fit and mutually beneficial. Elms offers a number of in-person, online, or hybrid undergraduate and graduate programs, including a Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. It is also exploring the creation of a doctoral program in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Beacon ABA Services and its affiliates have, for some time, provided opportunities for their employees to further their education, in particular in the area of Applied Behavior Analysis. Also, several senior staff with Beacon ABA Services have specialized knowledge and certifications within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and are willing to serve as adjunct faculty at Elms.

Andrea Bertheaud named one of BusinessWest's 2025 Healthcare Heroes

Andrea Bertheaud, MSN, RN-BC, Assistant Clinical Professor, was named Healthcare Educator for the 2025 BusinessWest's Healthcare Heroes event celebrated on October 22. Congratulations, Andrea! You can read the article by clicking here.

STUDENT AFFAIRS

Dear Campus Community,

Above you will find the November 2025 Programming Calendar.

November is going to be a busy month here at Elms! We hope you will join us for some fun programming.

Staff and Faulty: If you would like a physical copy of the November calendar for your campus bulletin board or office space, they will be available for pick-up at Laurie Fontaine's window on the first floor of the College Center starting Friday, October 31st - Please kindly take one per office!

Reminder: Important Information for Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) Monthly Calendars

Calendars for the upcoming month will include student-centered events, unless otherwise requested and approved.
In order to build the upcoming monthly calendars, events will be pulled straight from the Elms College master calendar on the third Friday of the current month. If your event is listed on the master calendar in time, you do not need to contact SEAL to have it added to the next monthly calendar, unless the timing of your event is different from what is on the master calendar. (For example, if your event is from 2-3pm, but you booked a space from 1:30-3:30pm to have time for set-up and break-down, please contact SEAL so the correct timing is listed on the monthly calendar.)
If you have an event that you would like added to the next monthly calendar, but it is not on the master calendar, please contact us at studentengagement@elms.edu with your event information by the third Friday of the current month. Please Note: Events happening on campus will not be added to the monthly calendar until the required space has been reserved.
When planning an event, please ensure you check the master calendar (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=mastercalendar%40elms.edu&ctz=America%2FNew_York) in advance to see what is happening on campus, in an effort to avoid overlapped programming as much as possible.
Once an event has been added to the monthly calendar, please note it is still the responsibility of the individual(s) to promote their event and reserve any necessary media for the event.
A message from Marketing: Our team is available to support departments with the creation of promotional materials for their events—posters, e-blasts, programs, cards, and more. Please contact Carol Lucardi for more information.

The deadline for the December monthly calendar is Friday, November 21st.

Best,

The Office of Student Engagement and Leadership

ELMS COLLEGE SIGNS HOUSING AGREEMENT WITH HCC AND STCC

Elms College entered into an agreement with Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College allowing students of the two community colleges to reside in the dormitories at Elms. President Dumay, HCC President Dr. George Timmons and STCC President Dr. John B. Cook made it official with the signing ceremony on October 8 here on the Elms College campus.

HCC and STCC students, under the agreement, are allowed to live in Elms residence halls during the school year in exchange for room and board. They are required to sign up for a campus meal plan, and to pay for an annual campus parking permit if they intend to bring a car on campus.

Participating HCC and STCC students will be eligible to use the campus library and fitness center, participate in some student activities, have access to campus amenities and services, including laundry facilities, WiFi, health services and public safety, at no additional cost.

They are also bound to the codes of student conduct for Elms College and for their home school, and may be removed from campus housing for flagrant violations. They must also remain in good academic standing at their home school.The agreement is in place for one year through June 30, 2026, but may be renewed each year if the three parties agree.

CAMPUS MINISTRY

The Office of Campus Ministry hosted a tabling event for the Feast of St. Francis on Friday, October 3. St. Francis medals, prayer card, and ice cream treats were distributed to community members. The feast commemorates the life of St. Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be “blessed.”

On Saturday, October 4, Campus Ministry coordinated Mass for the President’s Evening of Appreciation. Shout-out to our students who volunteered to read at the event, speak at the dinner afterwards, and engage with our donors throughout the evening. They are wonderful representatives of the student body and make us proud every day!

A collaboration between RA Joni, LXU, and Campus Ministry brought together students in O’Leary on October 7 for a relaxing evening of learning about Day of the Dead, a trivia game, painting of Day of the Dead skulls, and mindful coloring. Food from Bueno Y Sano and the Puerto Rican bakery rounded out the evening with delicious treats!

On Wednesday, October 15, we hosted Founders’ Day with the Sisters of St. Joseph. Always a joyous occasion, it was wonderful to have several members of our local Springfield Congregation join us for Mass and lunch. Elms College Community members love sharing this precious time with our founding congregation!

Sunday, Oct. 19 saw the Women’s Basketball members team up with Campus Ministry and the School of Nursing for a great turn-out at the Rays of Hope walk in Forest Park. Thank you, Blazers, for stepping out in support of those affected by cancer. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Announcing the Promotion of Dominique McDonald to Assistant Director of the CEUE

It is with great pleasure that we announce the promotion of Dominique McDonald to Assistant Director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE).

Dominique began his journey at Elms College in 2019 as a Graduate Admissions Counselor, steadily advancing to Senior Graduate Admissions Counselor. Upon completing his Master's Degree in Education, he brought his talents to the CEUE as the Academic Coordinator to advance our mission of increasing the number and diversity of qualified licensed educators and school leaders through our program pathways, partnerships, and pipelines.

Dominique has a remarkable gift for establishing genuine relationships with colleagues, school and community partners, and most importantly, with our CEUE scholars. His profound commitment to the values of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the work of the CEUE has made him a tremendous asset to Elms College.

Please join us in congratulating Dominique on this well-deserved promotion. We are thrilled to support him in his new leadership role and are confident he will continue to do GOOD things for the Elms Community.

COUNSELING CENTER

Dear Elms Community,

If you have any new, unused items with tags still attached that you do not envision yourself making use of (including gift cards to stores, restaurants, or coffee shops that you know you likely will not visit), consider donating them for merchandise for the December 2025 Merry Markdown Market!

The goal of the Merry Markdown Market is to help relieve some of the financial stress students often feel during the holiday season. Buying gifts for loved ones can be a challenge for college students, but collectively, we can help make holiday shopping more accessible. Donations are used to create a marketplace for students, where all items cost between $1-5.

The 2024 Merry Markdown Marketplace was a huge success thanks to your donations! Almost every single item was sold, and students were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts at affordable prices. By getting started early, we can help make holiday shopping even more accessible for our students next December.

Donations can be brought to the Office of Campus Ministry or the Health/Counseling Center. Questions or concerns? Please contact Nicole Sacco at saccon@elms.edu, or Eileen Kirk at kirke@elms.edu or stop by the Campus Ministry office or the Health/Counseling Center. We appreciate your consideration and support! Thank you.

Peace,

The Counseling Center

The Office of Campus Ministry

Campus Snack Map

Over the next several months the Snack Map will be featuring different 'snack stops' across campus so that you can get to know the faculty/staff at their respective locations. This week we would like to feature the Berchmans Recharge Station (Nursing Department)!

Meet Amy Alaimo, a program assistant in the School of Nursing on the 4th floor of Berchmann's Hall. Amy spends a lot of free time with fiber arts, and lots of little friends jump off her crochet to hide in her office and the recharge station! Stop by the 4th floor of Berchmann's Hall to grab a snack, then visit the sprites and impkins.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Elms College Employment Opportunities as of October 17, 2025

Applications are now being accepted for the positions listed below. Anyone interested in making a formal application should go to the Employment page on the Elms College website for a detailed job description and how to apply: www.elms.edu/employment

Open Positions:

Administrative Assistant to the Western MA Literacy Collaborative

Welcome to new employees:

Francisco Almonte Perdomo – Human Resources

Congratulations in their new posts:

Anna Stabile – Director of Student Engagement and Leadership

Best wishes to departing employees:

Nicole Fregeau – Student Engagement & Leadership

Save the Date: Pie on the Plaza – November 19th – 12:45p.m. to 1:30p.m.

Among the procedures which may be used to select personnel to fill vacant positions are a review of work experiences, qualifications, degrees/licensures/certifications, and employment interviews. This listing pertains to all current staff and faculty job vacancies at the College.

Elms College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment. It is the policy of Elms College to comply with applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity.

OCTOBER IS CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH - EMAIL PHISHING NEWSLETTER

This semester, we have seen a continued increase in phishing attempts against the Elms College email system. One common theme in these attempts is the scammer requesting sensitive information, particularly via links or other data-entry methods. With October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here is a newsletter providing more information on these types of phishing attempts.

Do Not Enter!

Data-entry phishing emails persuade people to reveal sensitive information

Blame autocorrect. Blame your voice assistant. Maybe you blame the lateness of the hour, or “a friend” using your phone. Whatever the cause, chances are good that you’ve accidentally texted private information to the wrong person.

It’s easy to make these simple errors— even when nobody is trying to deceive us. But what about when scammers are working hard to trick you into divulging your secrets? Some phishing attacks try to infect your device with malicious software (malware) to steal information. But data-entry phishing simply asks you to provide the information. All too often, people give scammers exactly what they want.

The good news: Everyone can learn how to recognize and avoid these phishing attacks

How Does Data-Entry Phishing Work?

In data-entry phishing, a scammer will often pose as a trustworthy organization and send you an email that urges you to click a malicious link. Clicking the link will send you to a fraudulent website that requests specific information: account logins, banking details, personally identifiable information (PII), or other proprietary information. Entering the information will send it directly to the scammer, who can use it against you or your organization.

Imagine that you receive a phishing email that appears to come from your bank. It urges you to click a link to log in and resolve an error or problem. Clicking that link would send you to a malicious lookalike page that asks you to provide your login credentials. Entering the information would give the scammer access to your bank account.

Detecting Dangers

Data-entry phishing scams can be difficult to detect. An email with no malicious attachments may be able to slip past email security systems. Also, many phishing sites will redirect you to the legitimate site immediately after harvesting your information. These factors make it harder to notice that anything is wrong, which can put your identity and your employer’s data at risk.

If a scammer obtains your login credentials, they can gain access to your account. They could use the account to access additional valuable data.

What Can I Do

First, be suspicious of any email that asks you to click a link. A credible business should never:

· Ask for sensitive information over email

· Prompt you to click a link to reactivate your account

Clicking a link in any email is risky. Instead, use a search engine to find the legitimate website or use a known web address you’ve previously bookmarked.

If a website is asking you to submit personal information or log in, stop and ask yourself these questions:

· Do I normally have to log in to this website to take this action?

· Is this website asking me to log in multiple times?

· Does this website really need this personal information from me?

· Is the website requesting details it does not normally ask for?

If you suspect you may have revealed information in a phishing scam, remain calm. Immediately report the incident to the Elms College IT Service Desk. If you’ve revealed any banking information, report the potential compromise to your financial institution. Change any passwords you might have revealed to keep scammers from accessing your account. Lastly, monitor the affected account for any signs of identity theft.

TIPS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Help your family and friends stay safe by sharing what you’ve learned about data-entry phishing. You may also be able to learn from their cybersecurity knowledge or experiences.

Look for errors in the website’s appearance – Scammers mimic legitimate websites, brand logos, and language to make convincing data-entry phishing pages. But sometimes they cut corners. Look out for blurry or pixelated images, and odd design or layout variations. The text on a phishing site may also contain spelling or grammar errors, be threatening, or imply urgency.
Protect your login credentials – Never enter your username, password, or other personal information on a website unless you are absolutely certain you’re on a legitimate site.
Pay attention to browser warnings – If you click a link in an email and get a secure certificate warning or a pop-up error message, it could be a phishing site. Don’t panic, but immediately close the website and do not interact with it.

If you have any questions about a suspicious email, please contact the Elms College IT Service Desk at: Elms College Service Desk Portal or 413-265-2390.

Thank you for staying vigilant.

Best regards,

Elms College IT Service Des

ELMS IN THE NEWS:

As of October 17, 2025

Big Tables, The Sunday Republican (Print Only) - three photos and a brief recap of the Longest Table Event from 9/22. Photos and information supplied to The Republican by Elms Marketting.

Elms college Invites Volunteers to join River Cleanup, WWLP TV 22, 9/24/2025, preview of upcoming student river cleanup by students with Division of Natural Sciences, Math and Technology, https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/elms-college-invites-volunteers-to-join-connecticut-river-cleanup/

Western Massachusetts Literacy Collaborative Receives $190,000 Grant, Business West. https://businesswest.com/blog/western-massachusetts-literacy-collaborative-receives-190000-grant/

Elms College volunteers join Connecticut River cleanup, WWLP TV 22, 9/26/2025, coverage and interviews from river cleanup https://youtu.be/ueLyaOEqn9A?feature=shared

Literacy grant interview with laura porter, 9/29/2025 - NEPM https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2025-10-01/in-full-circle-moment-wmass-literacy-collaborative-awarded-grant-it-helped-inspire?_amp=true

Western Mass. People in Business. - Monson Savings promotes alum Andrianos C. dos Santos. The Republican, 9/29/2025 https://www.masslive.com/business/2025/09/people-in-business-sept-29-2025.html

Springfield Museums Elects Board Members, Including New Chair, Business West, 9/27/2029. Kate Kate mentioned in board reorganization at Springfield Museums. She is namedtrustees emeriti. https://businesswest.com/blog/author/businesswests/

Spies in my Blood: interview with Pulitzer Prize winning author Alex Storozynski, guest speaker at Elms College - NEPM, The Fabulous 413 https://www.nepm.org/podcast/the-fabulous-413/2025-09-29/spies-in-my-blood-the-mammals-argentinian-orange-wines

Green&Gold Classic Golf Tournament on Oct. 10 to Benefit Elms Athletics, Business West, 9/30.2029 - preview of upcoming golf tournament. https://businesswest.com/blog/green-gold-classic-golf-tournament-on-oct-10-to-benefit-elms-athletics/

Green & Gold golf turney Oct. 10, Chicopee Register, Page 4 https://view.publitas.com/turley-publications-1/chc092625/page/4-5

Western Mass. Literacy Collaborative awarded $190,000 in state grant money, The Republican, Page C3, print only.

1New Agreement to Allow HCC, STCC Students to Reside on Elms College Campus, Business West, 10/2/2025 (reprint of Elms release) https://businesswest.com/blog/new-agreement-to-allow-hcc-stcc-students-to-reside-on-elms-college-campus/

“How do we reach Gen Z as Engaged Citizens?” National Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, 10/3/2025 Elms senior Jackalope Labbe pens commentary on ways to get more young people to care about voter participation, https://networklobby.org/blog/yall-gen-z-voting/

“Elms Partners with Beacon ABA Services, Evergreen Center” Business West 10/4/2025 https://businesswest.com/blog/elms-college-partners-with-beacon-aba-services-and-evergreen-center/

“Author, Theology Professor Ryan McLaughlin to Speak at Elms College on Oct. 14”, Business West, 10/6/2025 https://businesswest.com/blog/author-theology-professor-ryan-mclaughlin-to-speak-at-elms-college-on-oct-14/

“Agreement allows STCC, HCC students to reside at Elms”, Chicopee Reminder, 10/14/2025 https://thereminder.com/local-news/hampden-county/chicopee/agreement-allows-stcc-hcc-students-to-reside-at-elms/

“Elms College hosts community talk of human dignity”, WWLP TV 22, 10/14/2025 https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/elms-college-hosts-community-talk-on-human-dignity/

“13 things about Miss Universe Ghana 2025 Andromeda Peters”, Conan Daily, 10/11/2025, brief bio on Elms alum Andromeda Peters in advance of Miss Universe pageant. https://conandaily.com/2025/10/11/13-things-about-miss-universe-ghana-2025-andromeda-peters/

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