Embedded Files
september 2025
september 2025
Dear Colleagues,
What a busy start of the academic year! The month of September went by within a blink of an eye!
The many successful and exciting events that have taken place since the beginning of this academic year included Student Move-In Day, Orientation, Elms Night, and Elms Essentials. I would like to thank the many faculty, staff, and volunteers who worked together to create such a welcoming experience for our new and returning students. The Blessing of the Athletes and dedication of the new athletic scoreboard, generously donated by Westfield Bank, brought many faculty, staff, and students together on the first day of classes. A new sense of energy has been felt during the first weeks of the academic year.
As many of you know, the College also hosted the second performance of the play "Dear Neighbor', written by Sr. Jane Morrissey on September 14. This year marks the 375th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The play provided a glimpse into the ministry of the Sisters through the lives and stories of five Sisters as narrated by five actresses, including Professor Jasmine Hall. I would like once again to thank Director of Campus Ministry, Eileen Kirk, for coordinating the performance and to all faculty and staff who attended.
The Longest Table Event, coordinated by co-Director of Freshman Seminar Dr. Jennifer Granger Sullivan, offered a space for our First Year Seminar students to engage in civil discourse on September 15, promoting a shared goal of learning, understanding, and making informed decisions. The College welcomed the international students and Fulbright Teaching Assistant, Michaela Burke on September 16. Many thanks go to Assistant Dean of Academic Student Success, Nancy Davis, for coordinating the wonderful welcome reception.
And if there is one event that commences the year, it’s Opening Academic Convocation. The spirit and atmosphere of Veritas Auditorium was filled with a sense of joy and pride as we welcomed our newest students and celebrated our seniors in their final year as undergraduates. Guest speaker, Dr. Leslie Dorrough Smith, gave a captivating address as she spoke on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person. As I had mentioned in my remarks, in a time where there seems to be more opportunities for thinking of others who are different from ourselves as strangers not neighbors, or enemies and not friends, it is important to be reminded of our founding values here at Elms College. The call for respect of the inherent worth and value of each person is without distinction, as instilled in the mission of the College by the Sisters of St. Joseph. I would like to thank Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Joyce Hampton, and Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences and Professional Programs, Dr. Damien Murray, for coordinating this uplifting annual ceremony.
Key administrative activities have not slowed down from the summer. The Enrollment Management and Marketing team has already shifted their attention to recruiting for spring and fall 2026. Yesterday was Dr. Molly Miner's first of day as the College’s new Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing. I hope that you will join me in giving Dr. Miner a warm Blazer welcome as she gets acclimated to Elms College and begins to lead this very strategic area for our campus.
The Finance team is working with the auditors to close Fiscal Year 2025. The preliminary results for FY25 are reflecting a very challenging year, marked by lower enrollment and on-campus residency. The FY25 preliminary results reinforce the fact that the measures that were taken at the beginning of the summer to reduce expenses in order to achieve a balanced FY26 budget were absolutely needed. More information about the FY25 results and the FY26 budget will be coming in the coming weeks.
As you can see, the fall semester has been quite busy and there seems to be no slowing down in sight! I look forward to sharing many more updates at the fall Town Hall scheduled for October 31, as the College continues to navigate through the ongoing multiple challenges in the environment. Together, we will continue to advance our common mission through these difficult times.
I would like to close out this message with some great news! The 2026 Best Colleges Rankings from the U.S. News Report were released last week. Elms College jumped up 19 places to number 55 on the list of Best Regional Universities (North), rose 6 slots to number 15 in the Top Performers on Social Mobility, and rose 3 places to number 63 in Best Value Schools. These rating are a reflection of the great work that each of you contributes to the College and our students, day after day.
I continue to be grateful for all your dedication to the mission and the support you give our students and to one another.
With gratitude,
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA
President
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
The deadline for submissions is the third Friday of each month.
UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS
10/1 Innovation Challenge
10/4 President's Evening of Appreciation
10/4 Harambee
10/6 Latino Ministry
10/8 Innovation Challenge-Pitch Madness
10/9 Poetry Reading
10/10 Staff Council
10/13 Latino Ministry
10/15 Fresh Check Day
10/17 Board of Trustees
10/18 Fall Open House
10/20 Latino Ministry Pot Luck
10/22 Innovation Challenge
10/24 Innovation Challenge
10/31 Town Hall
10/31 Harambee
Check the Master Calendar for exact locations of each event.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
The First Year Seminar hosted “The Longest Table” this past Monday through which all FY students were able to “Connect. Create Community. Eat + Have Fun.” The event fostered a space for meaningful and courageous dialogue, encouraging the exchange of ideas, responsible engagement, relationship-building, and storytelling. It promoted respectful conversations across diverse viewpoints, with the shared goal of learning, understanding, and making informed decisions.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
CAMPUS MINISTRY
From August 23-29, twenty Elms College students and leaders participated in the FYE-First Year Encounter Program. With a theme of "Community and Solidarity in the spirit of Dorothy Day," first year students and leaders spent the week meeting the "dear neighbor" in the local community, and creating spaces of welcome and hospitality in partner agencies. We were blessed to partner with Homework House, Gray House, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Nordica St. Community Garden, and Harmony House.
The students spent time organizing donations, serving food, gardening, light landscaping, visiting guests at the sites, and preparing classrooms. Students also participated in evening activities, including bowling at Shaker Bowl, a campus scavenger hunt, and a boat ride on the Connecticut River. At the conclusion of each day, the student group participated in nightly reflection. Campus Ministry and the local service sites are very grateful and proud of the hard work our FYE students did in our community, and the opportunity to help them acclimate to a new academic year at Elms!
On Monday, August 25, Campus Ministry participated in Leadership Training with the RA staff and the First Year Encounter Leaders. Student leaders learned about the history and legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph through a Legacy Walk on campus, followed by a light reception in the FDR, where the students were reminded that they are like Mother Fontbonne, the “Good Source” of our campus community!
On August 31, Fr. Mark and Campus Ministry hosted a Welcome Mass for new students and their families. Dr. Dumay offered a special welcome to students, family members, and guests.
As part of Elms Essentials on Tuesday, September 2, Campus Ministry distributed St. Joseph medals to each First Year Student as a reminder to be “reflective, creative, and principled learners.”
Elms Night also took place on September 2, and was followed by an ice cream social on the quad, sponsored by Campus Ministry.
The annual Blessing of the Athletes, and Dedication of the Scoreboard donated by Westfield Bank, and Distribution of Blazer Medals on September 3 saw over 200 student athletes in attendance on the soccer field to receive a special Blazer medal, along with prayers for a safe and healthy year with their respective athletic teams.
On Sunday, September 14, Campus Ministry helped to coordinate the repeat performance of “Dear Neighbor,” a staged reading authored by Sr. Jane Morrissey, with participating Elms members of Jasmine Hall, Isamar Perez, Malina Woodbury, and Olivia Leblanc, along with technical assistance of Cindy Skrodzki, Jose Sanchez, and Steve Walsh.
On Friday, September 19, we celebrated International Day of Peace with a tabling event for the campus community that included Peace Pops, peace doves, stickers, and the opportunity to sign the Peace Pledge with a commitment to seeking peace in all that we do.
Also on Friday, September 19, Campus Ministry coordinated Community Service for the Women’s Basketball Team with Nordica St. Community Garden in Springfield. Our Women Blazers learned about sustainable gardening practices, and helped clear some of the land for future planting. A huge shout-out to Coach Denisha Parks and her team for showing up and showing grit and strength in helping our neighbors!
STAFF COUNCIL
The next Town Hall is scheduled for:
Friday, October 31, 2025,
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Library Theater.
A zoom option will also be made available.
Charting the Course: Educational Leadership (M.Ed.) Kickoff
Principal/Assistant Principal MA Licensure PK-8 and 5-12
Through a collaborative effort between the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE) and the Division of Education, we launched the newly developed Principal Leadership Program in Fall 2025 as a pathway to earn a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and obtain Principal/Assistant Principal licensure in Massachusetts (PreK–8 or 5–12).
On Thursday, September 18th, 2025, Dr. Dumay and Dr. Hampton provided opening remarks to the inaugural cohort while sharing the mission and vision of the program, as well as its grounding in equity and culturally responsive school leadership principles.
Dr. Bryan Wilkins serves as the Program Director for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Program, as well as an Assistant Professor of Education. He has a joint appointment with the CEUE and the Education Division.
A special thank you to Dr. Elizabeth (Betty) Hukowicz, Dean of Student Success and Professor of Education, for leading this joint effort for final approval through the Massachusetts Education Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
For more information about Elms College's Principal Leadership Program and/or to spread the GOOD news, please email: plp@elms.edu or visit the website: Click Here
COUNSELING CENTER
For those of you who like to plan ahead and encourage their students to attend, please mark your calendars for Wednesday October 15th (rain date October 22nd) for our 6th annual Fresh Check Day event! More details to come.
Event information:
Wednesday October 15th from 8-2 in the Keating Quadrangle (rain date October 22nd).
THIS IS A GENERAL SIGN UP SHEET. If you already agreed to volunteer at a specific booth please report directly to your booth leader to coordinate your volunteer time slot. This is a general volunteer sheet for the greater campus community.
Interested in making a donation?
This event is always much more fun when we're able to raffle off goodies.
If you or your department are interested in making a donation to be raffled off at the end of the event please reach out to me directly. Think of things that college students could really use (laundry basket full of laundry supplies, gift basket with 'back to school essentials', gas cards, grocery cards, etc.). Not only do students get excited about the raffle items, they genuinely appreciate them. Each raffle prize will be clearly marked with the department that made the donation (unless otherwise specified) which showcases your support for mental health.
Question Persuade Refer
Faculty and Staff have the opportunity to become Question Persuade Refer (QPR) certified!
The Question Persuade Refer (QPR) training is an online, evidenced based training for non-clinicians (IE- faculty, staff, coaches, and student leaders) that aims to promote a degree of competence in talking to and providing basic support to students who may be struggling with their mental health and/or suicidal ideation. Upon completion of the training, participants are able to recognize the warning signs, clues, and suicidal communications of people in trouble, and gain skills to act vigorously to prevent a possible tragedy.
The training consists of a forty-five-minute video with a 10-minute quiz. At the conclusion of the training participants receive 1 CEU credit, a booklet of mental health resources, and a certificate of completion that is valid for one year. The deadline to register for and/or complete this training is October 1st 2025.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me at saccon@elms.edu
How to respond to mental health issues flowchart
Faculty and staff, you can access and find a flow chart titled, "How to respond to mental health issues" by clicking here. This document outlines general considerations along with helpful numbers to keep handy.
You can also access the "Guidelines for talking with a student in mental health distress"
Campus Snack Map
The Counseling Center has once again partnered up with a number of offices across campus to offer the centralized "Student Snack Map" to support students on the go for the 2025-26 academic year.
How this works:
The participating offices or "snack stops" are available to you during the hours indicated on the map.
PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE don't forget to scan the QR code at the snack stops prior to taking a snack!!!! The information collected allows each office to budget appropriately and is an opportunity for you to leave feedback and suggestions. It is entirely anonymous.
Take only what you need for that moment so this initiative can be available to everyone all year long. You have all been very wonderful with this request and we really appreciate it.
If you have any questions about this initiative please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly here at saccon@elms.edu. Otherwise we hope you continue to enjoy this initiative!
HUMAN RESOURCES
Elms College Employment Opportunities as of September 19, 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 Coordinator – CEUE
Human Resources Generalist PT
Lifeguard PT
Welcome to new employees:
Melanie Emery – Assistant Athletic Trainer
Delima Fournier – Public Safety Officer
Reilly Griffin – Admissions Counselor, Graduate
Emily Jackson – Asst Professor -CSD
Nathan Laplante – Public Safety Officer
Molly Miner – Vice President Enrollment Management & Marketing
Sarah Romain – Asst Professor of Nursing
Brian Wilkins – Asst Professor of Principal Leadership
Brianna Zemrock – Annual Fund Specialist
Best wishes to departing employees:
Tracey O’Banner – Public Safety
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.
ELMS IN THE NEWS:
As of Sept. 18
“Back to School: Elms College kicks off new school year with move-in day,” WWLP, TV-22, Springfield, 8/31/2025.
“People on the Move” Western Mass Business Journal, 8/27/2025 - separate blurbs mention Daryl Johnson ‘10, being joining Pullman & Comley, LLC of Springfield, as a real estate and business practices attorney, and Betty Hukowicz being named one of 9 recipients of the 2025 Age of Excellence: Celebrating Sucess over 60” awards given by Glenmeadow Inc. https://businesswest.com/blog/people-on-the-move-328/
Digital only - Blession of the Athletes - Masslive - Sept.8, photo gallery of Blessing of Athletes ceremony https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2025/09/elms-college-hosts-blessing-of-the-athletes-photos.html
Andrea Bertheaud of the School of Nursing celebrated as a recipient of the Healthcare for Heroes award 2025, Business West - 9/11/2025 https://businesswest.com/blog/andrea-bertheaud/
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BusinessWest unveils its Healthcare Heroes for 2025. (Includes mention of Andrea Bertheaud), WWLP TV 22, https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/businesswest-unveils-healthcare-heroes-class-of-2025/
Springfield College joins Efforts to Train Teachers, Empower Young Readers, Business West, mentions of Elms and the Western Mass. Literacy Collaborative https://businesswest.com/blog/springfield-college-joins-efforts-to-train-teachers-empower-young-readers/
Elms Alum Cecil Avant named asst. BB coach for Florida Tech, HoodDirt.com https://hoopdirt.com/avant-named-mens-basketball-assistant-coach-and-director-of-player-development-at-florida-tech/
Print only - Blessing of the Athletes - The Republican Sept. 4 - Front page photo showing Rob Southall and student Madison Topor during the Sept. 3 Blessing of the Athletes ceremony and score board dedication.
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