Embedded Files
MARCH 2022
MARCH 2022
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Colleagues,
Happy spring! It is the season of promise where everything can begin again, of letting go, and embracing something new. These sentiments echo my current state of mind as the Board of Trustees and the Cabinet have recently received the United for Elms’ Future Working Group report. It is evident that the Working Group put their heart and soul into researching and assembling a report that constructively addresses workforce issues and provides recommendations on how we all, as a community, can improve morale for all Elms College’s employees.
I am deeply appreciative for the time, care, seriousness, and dedication to the mission of the College that the Working Group put into this effort. I am humbled and committed to taking this feedback to heart in order to address the needed changes to make Elms College not only a desirable and equitable place to work for all but also the community that the Sisters of St. Joseph envisioned.
The President's Cabinet has been actively reviewing the report and working on drafting a response plan. We are committed to this effort and so is the Board of Trustees. As previously shared in a message from Board Chair, Paul Stelzer, the Board will provide guidance and feedback, direct the President to execute the agreed-upon implementation and action plan, and establish key performance indicators that can be monitored while continuing to consult with the Working Group along the way.
As we work together to make our community more cohesive and united, I am grateful for the work that all faculty and staff are doing every day to serve our students, support one another, and strengthen our institution. On that note, I want to congratulate the School of Nursing for retaining full approval status for our Nursing program by the Mass Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN) and the Division of Education for retaining full approval for our educator preparation programs by the Mass Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
There are so many great efforts by faculty and staff in all divisions and all units to move the College forward in these challenging times. Thank you to the entire Elms Community for all that you do for the College. I hope you all have a restful weekend!
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA
President
IT'S 50 DAYS UNTIL COMMENCEMENT 2022!!!!
STAFF & FACULTY REGALIA ORDER FORM
Elms College is planning for an in-person Commencement on Saturday May 14, 2022 at the Mass Mutual Center in downtown Springfield, following all state and CDC health and safety guidelines. As in the past, all faculty and staff are invited to attend.
If you plan on attending and need to rent regalia, place your order now through the Regalia Order Form
Office of Academic Affairs. Please complete this form by April 1. This will ensure that we have your regalia in plenty of time.
If you have any questions, contact academicaffairs@elms.edu.
MISSION TRIPS
During the March spring break, a number of students and staff participated in mission trips to El Paso, Texas, and Trenton, New Jersey.
After a two-year hiatus, it was wonderful to be able to travel with students again in an experience of encounter to meet our “dear neighbors” in other parts of the country
El Paso, Texas travelers partnered with The Encuentro Project, an organization dedicated to helping participants learn new perspectives about forced migration, asylum seeking by vulnerable people, and compassion for migrants and refugees, all in the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching principles. The border awareness experience offered by Encuentro encourages advocacy on behalf of the marginalized of society.
During the week, time was spent learning about immigration issues from people working and living in El Paso, meeting with community organizers, hearing from migrants themselves, meeting with border patrol agents, volunteering in shelters, and hiking Mt. Cristo Rey.
Trenton, New Jersey participants partnered with the Center for Faith Justice in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The Center for Faith Justice recognizes that “God calls us, as individuals and communities, to work on behalf of the vulnerable.” Daily work included beautifying a labyrinth and readying a garden plot for children in transitional housing, volunteering in a school dedicated to helping K-12 students find their voice in the arts, and working in an urban organic garden in the city of Philadelphia.
Central to the college’s mission trips is the connection to our mission and core values, and how the trips help all to more fully understand who our “dear neighbors” are, and how we are called to journey together. At the end of each day, groups gathered to process, pray, and reflect on the day’s activities and presentations. The participants of El Paso and Trenton all commented that they returned being transformed by their experience and have a greater understanding of the “dear neighbor.” The opportunity to experience a week in a different locale, reflect on one’s own response to each day, and be in community with Elms College members, brought all to a greater understanding of social justice issues, and the importance of maintaining an open heart and mind when encountering those whose situation is different from one’s own.
ELMS COLLEGE SIGNS MOU WITH YARMOUK UNIVERSITY IN JORDAN
Elms College and Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 23, 2022 allowing qualified students at Yarmouk to complete their master’s degree in biotechnology via Elms College’s online learning platform. Following the signing, the MOU will be effective immediately and classes are planned to start with the fall 2022 semester. The MOU is with Yarmouk University as a whole and includes cooperation in the areas of research, short-term study abroad, seminars, conferences, workshops, and faculty/student exchanges.
HUGS WITH HARPER THE THERAPY DOG
Wanting to ease your stress through puppy love? The Counseling Center partnered up with Dr. Laura Hanratty and welcomed Harper the therapy dog to campus on Wednesday March 2nd 2022. Harper will be back for another visit on April 6th in the Campus Center. All are welcome so please be sure to come over and say hello!
Congratulations to the following employees on their recent title changes:
Alyssa Foss
New Title: Assistant Director Financial Aid
Former Position: Financial Aid Counselor
Stefany Sclipou
New Title: Director of Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions
Former Title: Graduate Counselor
Nancy Davis
New Title: Assistant Dean for Academic Student Success
Former Title: Director of Graduate Education Admissions
Welcome to new employees:
Frederick Major
Department: Public Safety
Job Title: Public Safety Office
Michelle Lancto
Department: Institutional Advancement
Job Title: Director of Advancement Services
FINANCE UPDATE
The creation of a Budget Update Website is in progress, the goal of which is to provide one place for faculty and staff to look to receive the most up-to-date information on the budget.
The following capital projects are being planned for this summer starting right after graduation:
Beautification of the Dooley Parking Lot area - This project takes the current parking lot, which is in very bad shape, and beautifies it so that as students walk from the commuter lot into campus they have a safe and aesthetically pleasing place to walk. This also addresses challenges we have had with trucks accessing the loading dock.
Rose Williams' kitchen and lounge spaces will undergo a renovation. The renovation will include opening up the kitchen to the lounge, new kitchen appliances, flooring paint, and new furniture in the spaces.
Rose Williams Plan
Dooley Parking Lot Renovation
HELPDESK REMINDER
For students and those who support them, there is a Student Resources for Online and Digital Learning section on the ElmsConnect site.
Here, students will find information about the Moodle learning management system, including a brief tour of the site, access to a self-paced Learner Orientation course to familiarize yourself with Moodle, steps for installing the Moodle Open LMS mobile app, as well as several 'how-to' tutorials.
In addition, this section also provides access to Zoom resources, available technology on campus, and links to library and tutoring services.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to email the helpdesk at helpdesk@elms.edu! Helpdesk hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
ATHLETICS
The Athletic Program is having great results in its inaugural year in its new conference, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). The field hockey team, the women's soccer team, the women's volleyball team, the golf team, and the men's and women's cross country teams all participated in the GNAC fall postseason championships. With our field hockey team winning a first-round road playoff game. A total of 67 fall STUDENT-athletes were selected to the GNAC All-Conference Academic Team. The women's basketball team and the men's and women's swimming teams followed by participating in the GNAC winter postseason championships, with our women's basketball team hosting a very exciting first round game (a win!) before a capacity crowd. This momentum is continuing into the spring sport season where all of the teams (baseball, softball, men's volleyball, women's lacrosse) are all off to great starts. We encourage everyone in the Elms Community to come out and support the Blazers this spring. Schedules can be found on the Athletic Department's website: www.ecblazers.com.
STUDENT AFFAIRS
Did you do any Spring cleaning over break? Finding any items that would be a good fit for the Elms Mercantile or Career Closet?
Student Affairs is still accepting donations of gently used men's and women's business clothing for the Career Closet and school supplies and/or personal/household products for the Elms Mercantile.
If you would like a donation, please bring them to the Dean of Students office located in room 110 of the Mary Dooley College Center Monday-Friday from 8:30-4:30.
Thank you all for making these spaces a success!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Accepted Students Day: April 9, 2022
Spring Open House: Saturday, April 30, 2022
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CLIMATE SURVEY
The Elms College Institutional Diversity Committee (IDC) is committed to creating the best possible environment for all individuals within the campus community. An important step in creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive community is to understand staff perspectives and experiences related to their work at Elms.
Therefore, we invite you to participate in the Staff Climate Survey. This voluntary survey is designed to help us gain an understanding by learning about our community's perspectives and experiences related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The data collected will be used to understand the present climate at Elms and to inform current and future decisions about supporting a diverse, inclusive and vibrant campus community. Responses will be anonymously recorded and will only be reported in aggregate form in a manner that does not allow individual responses to be identified.
Please access the survey here or use the following link: https://baseline.campuslabs.com/ec/2021 staff climate survey
SPRING SOCIAL
We are holding an informal “Spring Social” at the Munich Haus on Thursday, April 7th, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the back meeting room.
We will have access to a cash bar and appetizers. There is available parking for Munich Haus patrons on the side of the restaurant as well as street-parking. It may be in everyone’s best interest to carpool from Gaylord parking lot.
If you are interested in attending, please email Caroline Murray directly at murrayc@elms.edu by April 1st so we have a headcount for the restaurant.
Looking forward to coming together as a true family once again!
POLICY UPDATES
Below are four policies that the Cabinet recently reviewed and approved.
Intellectual Property Policy - The Intellectual Property Policy establishes criteria concerning the development, use, ownership, management, and marketing of intellectual property. This policy is not new but has been revised only slightly to include language around course related work, both standalone asynchronous recordings or asynchronous recordings embedded into in-person or synchronous online courses.
Student Death - The Purpose of this policy is to outline the communication flow and steps necessary upon learning of the death of a student. This ensures we have a clear action plan in place and delegated responsibilities.
Progressive Discipline Policy - The Progressive Discipline Policy identifies how disciplinary issues and concerns should be documented and managed. This policy was in the employee handbook. The steps taken were modified to remove suspension without pay as a step in the process, however it remains a corrective action that may be implemented. This policy only applies to staff.
Grievance Policy - In order to ensure that staff members' grievances receive full consideration, this procedure outlines the method of review and appeal for the resolution of such grievances. This is a new policy that only applies to staff.
ELMS IN THE NEWS
February 22, 2022: STCC posted a news story on their website regarding our partnership that allows STCC to complete their degree at Elms. STCC also shared it via MeritPages.
February 24, 2022: BusinessWest Daily Blog posted news that Cheryl Smith is the new HR Director at Elms.
March 3, 2022: BusinessWest Daily Blog published a newsbrief that Michelle Jarvis-Lettman is the new Financial Aid Director and that Stefany Scliopou was promoted to Graduate Admissions Director at Elms.
March 4, 2022: Daily Hampshire Gazette published an article in which Scott Hartblay is mentioned as a contributor to a documentary three years ago called "Who Will Write Our History."
March 4, 2022: Chicopee Register published the press release announcing National Book Award winner, Martín Espada, will read selections of his poetry at Elms College on March 31. The article is on page 2 of the pdf below.
March 4, 2022: Chicopee Register published the press release that Atty. Mary Ann Glendon will be the featured speaker at the 3rd Annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture on Catholic Thought on March 29. The article is on page 4 of the pdf below.
March 10, 2022: theShelbyReport.com, a website for grocery and supermarket news, published a story that Big Y has provided over 100K vaccinations to residents within its service area and that the Elms College School of Nursing has helped administer the vaccines.
March 14, 2022: Masslive.com published a story that Big Y has provided over 100K vaccinations to residents within its service area and that the Elms College School of Nursing has helped administer the vaccines.
March 14, 2022: iObserve.org published the press release that Atty. Mary Ann Glendon will be the featured speaker at the 3rd Annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture on Catholic Thought on March 29.
March 16, 2022: BusinessWest published a news brief on their website that Michelle Jarvis-Lettman is the new director of financial aid and that Stefany Scliopou was promoted to Director of Graduate Admission.
March 16, 2022: MassAppeal on wwlp.com aired a segment in which Réaltín McElhinney, the Irish FLTA Fulbright Scholar and Irish language instructor here at Elms, taught the viewers a few Irish language terms.
REMINDER: THERE'S STILL TIME TO REGISTER!
"Reflections on 'the Hour of the Laity'" Join us on Tuesday, March 29 at 4 p.m. for the third annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture. This year's speaker is Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Emerita, at Harvard University, and a former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. She chaired the U.S. State Department Commission on Unalienable Rights (2019-2020) and has served as a member of the Commission on International Religious Freedom and the U.S. President's Council on Bioethics. Her books include The Forum and the Tower, Traditions in Turmoil, A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, A Nation Under Lawyers, and Rights Talk. The event is free and open to the public with a limited number of in-person seats available. There will also be a virtual option. You may register here.
A campus reading from National Book Award Poet, Martin Espada will take place on Thursday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in Veritas Auditorium to kick off Solidarity/Allyship week. As a poet, essayist, translator, editor, and attorney, Martín Espada has dedicated much of his career to the pursuit of social justice, including fighting for human rights and reclaiming the historical record. His critically acclaimed collections of poetry celebrate—and lament—the working class experience. Whether narrating the struggles of immigrants as they adjust to life in the United States, or chronicling the battles that Latin Americans have waged against their own repressive governments, Espada has given voice to otherness, powerlessness, and poverty into poetry that is at once moving and vivid. Register Here.
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