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APRIL 2022
APRIL 2022
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Colleagues,
It is hard to believe that we are only about a week away from celebrating commencement activities and the close of another academic year. As I look back, I continue to be humbled and enlightened by the resilience and perseverance of staff and faculty and your tireless commitment to our students. This proved to be another difficult year with many challenges. Our commitment to our core values has carried us through and continues to bring us closer together as a community that demonstrates compassion, openness, mutual respect and trust.
There is a lot of work happening in all units throughout the College. You will see some of it reflected in this Newsletter. But I know that this issue of the Newsletter only scratches the surface of the extent of the work that faculty and staff across the College do on a daily basis to advance the mission. For that, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of you. No matter your role at the College, you have a voice and are an integral factor in ensuring the success of our students and of one another.
The Cabinet and I have continued to focus during the past month on advancing the work of the College, alongside all of you; seeking new areas of opportunity to help us face the challenges ahead; and striving to ensure that Elms College is a place where all employees feel seen, heard, and valued. That work will continue throughout the months ahead.
For many of us, Commencement is a favorite time of the year as we celebrate the most visible aspect of your hard work: our students' accomplishments and successes. I hope you will join me in congratulating our 2022 graduates at the various activities scheduled during the next two weeks. Let us see them off knowing we have prepared them to set forth on their next journey,
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA
President
Future ElmsNews submission pieces can be shared with the following department contacts:
Academic Affairs - Deb Methe
Admissions - Jenna Stolarik
Athletics - Sean Milbier
Finance - Katie Longley
HR - Cheryl Smith
Marketing - Megan Eischen
Student Affairs - Liz Newland
Institutional Advancement - Lynn Korza
The deadline for submissions is the third Friday of each month.
STAFF TOWN HALL
For those who were unable to attend the February 18 Staff Town Hall, you may access the recording here. and the agenda here. The next Staff Town Hall is scheduled for Friday, April 29, 9 a.m.-10 a.m., staff and faculty are welcome. Additional details are forthcoming.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN ACTION – SPRING SHOWCASE
The Spring Experiential Learning Showcase will take place today, Friday, April 29, 12:15-2:15 p.m. on the first level of Gaylord Mansion. Tables will showcase community partners, individual student internship or research, classroom projects, and highlight departments. While supplies last, there will be free give-a-ways, a chance to win a gift card (for students), and delicious snacks! Come celebrate the various ways Elms College has Experiential Learning opportunities for all to enjoy and engage with our students as they make the most of opportunities to become career-ready! Questions? Contact Dr. Jennifer L. Granger Sullivan, Associate Director of Experiential Learning, at grangersullivanj@elms.edu.
INFORMATION ON MASK WEARING
Please be aware that the college and the City of Chicopee has seen a small increase in positive COVID cases. In the coming weeks, we will celebrate our students' accomplishments at many wonderful events.
At this time, the college is not mandating masks at the events. However, keeping in mind the slight increase, you are encouraged to assess your individual circumstances and make the best decision for yourself regarding wearing a mask.
We hope the remainder of the spring semester is a positive one and we look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming celebrations.
STUDENT AFFAIRS
COMMENCEMENT VOLUNTEER SIGN UP
The Commencement Committee is busy planning for an in-person Commencement on May 14, 2022, at the MassMutual Center. Once again, volunteer assistance is needed! If you are interested in volunteering at Commencement or an event during commencement week, please fill out the Google form at the following link: Commencement Volunteer Sign Up You will be contacted with more information as we get closer to the event. Thank you in advance!!
UPCOMING COMMENCEMENT WEEK EVENTS
Senior Class Toast: May 9
Graduate Hooding Ceremony May 10
Nursing Pinning Ceremony: May 11
Senior Celebration, Virtual: May 12
Baccalaureate Mass & Blessing of the Hoods: May 13
Commencement: May 14
POST-COMMENCEMENT LUNCH RECEPTION
The President's Office is hosting a lunch reception immediately following Commencement for faculty, staff, volunteers, and trustees at the MassMutual Center. Please stop by meeting rooms 4 & 5, grab some lunch, and celebrate your hard work with one another!
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION TAKE A LOOK: Pride Week 2022 Events
Student Climate Survey: Faculty and Staff – please support the Student Climate Survey!
ATHLETICS
Men’s Volleyball qualified for the postseason, finishing in fourth. They hosted and defeated Regis College in the first round of the conference tournament before falling in the semi-finals. Luis Martinez and Carlos Mercado were both named the GNAC All-Conference 2nd Team.
Baseball, Softball and Women’s Lacrosse are in the final two weeks of their season and are poised to qualify for the conference tournament.
The 2022 Chi Alpha Sigma induction will take place on May 1st with 21 STUDENT-athletes being inducted, followed by our Athletics End of Year Celebration.
The Blazer Athletic Family is celebrating the retirements of two of its longest serving staff members- Cheryl Condon, Head Softball Coach and Mariann Ingraham, Head Athletic Trainer! Congratulations and best wishes to them both!
MENTAL HEALTH
The Mental Health Consultation Group for faculty and staff met for the last time this academic year on Wednesday, April 20. The group will restart in September 2022. Look for more information from Nicole Sacco closer to September.
On Wednesday, May 4, 10 am - 1 pm, Nicole Sacco will host a Mental Health Psychoeducational Table at the Campus Center. Please stop by to say hello!
CAMPUS MINISTRY
On March 16, the campus community celebrated an early St. Joseph's Day with the Sisters of St. Joseph. Approximately 40 SSJs were enthusiastically welcomed to campus with a special Mass in St. Joseph Chapel, followed by lunch in the dining hall. It was wonderful to share in this joyous time together!
In collaboration with Campus Ministry, a group of Muslim students hosted a beautiful Ramadan event on March 28. Designed to educate, honor, and celebrate the holy month of Ramadan (April 1-May 1), the campus community came together to learn about the faith tradition of Islam. The students held a tabling event complete with decorations, lights, Muslim prayer times, posters, and traditional food and drink. Each visitor to the table was invited to play a guessing game, have their name written in Arabic and was gifted with prayer beads. We pray a blessed Ramadan to our Muslim community!
A prayer wall for Ukraine was placed in the dining hall and the campus community was invited to write a message of hope and solidarity for Ukraine. A Prayer Service for Peace took place in St. Joseph Chapel on March 25. Spearheaded by a nursing student with relatives in Ukraine, members of the Student Nursing Association are currently conducting a donation drive for Ukraine that will run through May 6. For more information, contact Katerina Levchyk at levchykk@student.elms.edu.
Campus Ministry hosted two events in the residence halls with RAs. Comfort in Color and Flags of Hope afforded the students a relaxing time to gather together, paint crosses and hearts of love, and design prayer flags for the residence halls.
SSJ Chapter Elections
Approximately 100 Sisters of St. Joseph, Agregees, and Associates gathered in the Mary Dooley Dinning Center and in St. Joseph Chapel April 8-10 for their Chapter of Elections, a sacred time in the life of the Congregation when they elect their leadership team for the next five years.
The new leadership team is:
Sr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sullivan--President
Sr. Patricia (Patty) McDonnell--Vice President
Sr. Denise Granger
Sr. Eileen Sullivan
Many thanks to Campus Ministry, the Physical Plant staff, the Dining Staff, and everyone else who contributed to support the Sisters' Chapter of Elections.
CIRCLES OF TRUST
The next meeting for the Circles of Trust will take place May 17, 2022 at 3:15 pm.
Congratulations to the following employees on their recent title changes:
Deana Nunes EdD. (c), MSN, RN
New Title: Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs (Traditional and Accelerated)
Former Position: Interim Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs (Traditional and Accelerated)
Regina Tillona
New Title: Director of Academic Student Success
Former Position: Director of Tutoring
Welcome to new employees:
Jason Gouin
Department: Graduate Admission
Title: Graduate Admissions Counselor
Nate Jasper
Department: Institutional Marketing
Title: Web Manager
Charlene Jiles
Department: Continuing Education and CE Admissions
Title: Off-Campus/Admissions Counselor for HCC
Lynn Korza
Department: Institutional Advancement
Title: Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving
J Marshall
Department: Academic Affairs
Title: Director of Career Services
Best wishes to departing employees:
Eugene Deykin
Department: Institutional Marketing
Title: Web Manager
Mark Hendricks
Department: Information Technology
Title: Mgr. of Systems & Technical Services
Kimberly Kenney-Rockwal
Department: MBA
Title: Director of the MBA & Graduate Business Program
SUMMER HOURS
Cabinet voted to approve summer hours, effective May 30 through August 5, Monday through Thursday, 8:30am – 4:30pm and Friday, 8:30am – 2:00pm. Regular hours will resume on Monday, August 8, 2022. Click here to view the Summer Hours Policy.
FINANCE UPDATE
Parking Policy
In an effort to address the demand for a parking space on campus, the College is instituting a parking policy starting Fall 2022, which can be found on ElmsConnect.
Risk Assessment Results
Cabinet received and reviewed the updated Risk Assessment results and established a current Top 10 Risks list. Many of you participated in the risk assessment that ranked risks to the College in various categories. The top 10 will be reviewed by the Audit Committee and if they agree that the top 10 make sense, the board will approve them. The next several Audit Committee meetings will be used to report on those risks and what is in place to mitigate them.
IT TIP OF THE MONTH: Receiving College emails through Google Groups
Did you know that there are three ways you can receive College emails sent through google groups? Select the method that best works for you so you don't miss any important news.
The default setting for everyone is to receive an abridged summary, which sends an email including the sender, the subject of the message and a brief summary of the content of the message in one single email per day. You can also receive emails as they are sent or as a Digest. A Digest email will show you the full content of up to 25 messages in a single email per day. To change your settings, click here and follow the instructions:
MARKETING – NEW TOOL TO PROMOTE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT!
The Marketing Department has established a relationship with a new vendor, Merit Pages, that will help us to better promote our students' achievements, such as making the Dean’s List, graduating, receiving an award, etc. For these achievements, Merit Pages sends a news release to the following entities in the student's hometown: community newspapers, state representatives, and high schools. Merit also sends an email to the students and their parents.
On April 7, Marketing sent out the first achievement regarding the students who made the fall 2021 Dean's List and the image shows the results as of April 14. The engagement from students and parents, in addition to the visibility for the entire Elms community, has been incredibly positive and we will build on the early success of this program. As you see more posts like this, please share with your networks and encourage other students to join in.
ELMS IN THE NEWS:
February 2022: Catholic Mirror, the bi-monthly magazine published by the Diocese of Springfield, published the press release announcing the three new members of the college's Board of Trustees. The article is on page 6 of the pdf.
March 22, 2022: WWLP aired a story on the first Annual Healthcare Forum organized by the School of Nursing that helped our graduating nurses learn about employment opportunities in hospitals throughout the Pioneer Valley and CT. A few nursing students were interviewed as well as Kathy Pont, associate professor of nursing, who organized the event.
March 22, 2022: Western Mass News aired a short segment on the first Annual Healthcare Forum organized by the School of Nursing that helped our graduating nurses learn about employment opportunities in hospitals throughout the Pioneer Valley and CT.
March 29, 2022: BostonHerald.com published a story that the Massachusetts Future of Work Commission has completed its work and mentioned that Dr. Dumay was a member of the commission.
March 29, 2022: wwlp.com published a story that Elms College hosted the 3rd Annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture with former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Atty. Mary Ann Glendon, as the guest lecturer.
March 30, 2022: iObserve.org published the press release regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between Elms and Yarmouk University.
March 30, 2022: iObserve.org published an article that Elms College is hosting a poetry reading by 2021 National Book Award winner, Martín Espada.
March 30, 2022: nepm.org interviewed Dr. Dumay for a story that the Massachusetts Future of Work Commission has completed its work. The radio interview aired on March 30 and the link is to the article on NEPM's website.
April 6, 2022: Healthcare News News & Notes blog published the press release announcing Francis Kirley as the commencement speaker, as well as our 2 honorary degree recipients.
April 6, 2022: BusinessWest Daily News blog published the press release announcing Francis Kirley as the commencement speaker, as well as our 2 honorary degree recipients.
April 7, 2022: Wilbraham-Hampden Times published a front-page story on student volunteers at the Hampden Senior Center. The photo on the front page shows the director of the senior center with four nursing students and Elms is mentioned prominently in the article. With faculty supervision, Elms nursing students provide healthcare services to the seniors, such as COVID vaccines, blood pressure screenings, and offering health tips.
April 8, 2022: The Telegraph in Dorsey, Illinois published an article that one of our students made the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester.
April 10, 2022: The Framingham Source in Framingham, MA, published an article that one of our students made the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester.
April 11, 2022: The Republican/Masslive.com published a feature article about how colleges in western MA are helping to increase the number of BIPOC teachers in the Springfield Public School system. The Cynthia Lyons Center for Equity in Urban Education is featured prominently in the article with quotes by Dr. Dumay, Dr. Good, and a paraprofessional student in the CEUE. (Note: the Masslive article is for subscribers only so the article is attached to this email.)
April 11, 2022: The Coast News in San Marcos, CA published an article that one of our students made the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester.
April 11, 2022: The Corsicana Daily Sun in Corsicana, TX, published an article that two of our students made the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester.
April 13, 2022: BusinessWest posted the photo taken after the signing of MOU with Yarmouk University on their website.
April 13, 2022: The Commons in Windham County, VT published an article that two of our students made the Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester.
April 14, 2022: BusinessWest published a story on their website about the current enrollment trends in the region for the fall semester. Jon Scully is quoted throughout the article and he is the first enrollment official mentioned in the article.
https://businesswest.com/blog/application-enrollment-numbers-trending-up-at-area-colleges/
37th ANNUAL NORA HARRINGTON LECTURE
The Nora Harrington Lecture series was established by the Elms College Chemistry Department in 1983 to honor Sister Nora Harrington for her many years of dedicated teaching to the college. On April 20, 2022 Jonathan LaFrenye, Laboratory Manager of Heritage Hemp and Devin Bouthillete, Quality Assurance Manager of Heritage Hemp presented on the topic of: “The Chemistry of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Industry - A glimpse into the process and jobs involved in bringing CBD to market.”
TAKE A LOOK! Elms College Social - April 7, 2022
Thank you to all who attending the April 7 Staff and Faculty Social at the Munich Haus.
We are looking forward to more get-togethers in the future!
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