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AUGUST 2023
AUGUST 2023
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Colleagues,
It is hard to imagine that we are only a few weeks away from students returning to campus. Student athletes will be moving in on August 18 and, in just a month, the new academic year will be underway! I hope that you have taken -or plan to take- some much-deserved time away from the office to recharge before the fall semester begins in earnest.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at today’s Employee Social and Video Premier! I want to give a special shout out to the College’s marketing department who have all worked tirelessly on the soon-to-be publicly launched video campaign.
While summer should provide everyone with some down-time, it has still proven to be a very active couple of months:
Student Affairs hosted two very successful Blazer Day events, welcoming new students and their families to the College. Thank you to all who volunteered and participated in providing these students with a great experience as they embark on their college career journey.
The campus has been quite lively with the Summer Reading Clinics and the Learn and Earn Reading Corps program. For those unaware, the Learn and Earn Summer Corp is an initiative led by Elms College in collaboration with AIC, BayPath, and Westfield State University. Education students from all four institutions received training at Elms College to become reading interventionists at elementary and secondary sites in the Springfield Public School system to implement their training during the summer school sessions. The program’s end of summer celebration took place this past Wednesday where students presented testimonials about their experience. Thank you to the School of Arts Sciences and Professional Programs, particularly the Education Divsion and the CEUE for their leadership of this great initiative.
We will welcome two executive-level employees this month. Dr. Julie Beck, our new Dean of the School of Nursing, begins her post this week, and Lukman Arsalan, our new Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing will start on August 14. Let us do what Elms does best in welcoming them to the community as they make the transition into their new roles. I want to again thank the members of both search committees who helped to recruit Dr. Beck and Mr. Arsalan to Elms College.
The President’s Cabinet and the Deans met for the annual summer Cabinet Retreat on July 19. It was an insightful and productive day that included self-assessment, goal setting for FY24, and framing for our next strategic planning exercise.
Let me take this opportunity to update you of two important changes in the portfolio of Cabinet members.
Since January, with the vacancy in the position of Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, Athletics has reported directly to Dr. Andrew Coston, VP of Student Affairs on an interim basis. I am pleased to report that Andrew has accepted to continue to oversee Athletics on a permanent basis. Going forward, the Athletic Director will revert to reporting to the VP of Student Affairs.
During the last academic year, Dr. Jennifer Shoaff served as Interim Chief Diversity Officer, while maintaining her role of Director of Diversity and Inclusion. I am also pleased to report that Jennifer has accepted to serve as the College's Chief Diversity Officer on a full-time basis, reporting directly to me and serving as a member of the President Cabinet. Jennifer will continue to oversee the Institutional Diversity Committee and to work closely with all areas of the College, especially the Faculty Director of Diversity, Student Affairs, and Human Resources to achieve the College's DEIJ objectives.
I hope you all enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer. I look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks and to welcoming our students back to campus later this month!
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 - Jenna Stolarik
Athletics - Sean Milbier
Finance - Katie Longley
HR - Cheryl Smith
Marketing - Megan Eischen
Student Affairs - Teresa Winters
Institutional Advancement - Lynn Korza
The deadline for submissions is the third Friday of each month.
UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS
August 9 Board of Trustees Retreat
August 16 DNP Summer Scholarship Day
August 25 Coffee Q & A
August 26 RN/BSN Pinning
August 30 Alumni Summer Social
Check the Master Calendar for exact locations of each event.
ATHLETICS
You can find all athletic team schedules at ecblazers.com and stay informed by following our athletic department Instagram @elmsblazers
CENTER FOR ETHICS, REILIGION, AND CULTURE
Charity in Truth: A Journal of Ethics, Religion, and Culture has just published its inaugural issue. Charity in Truth is the official peer-reviewed journal of the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture at Elms College, and Dr. Peter DePergola, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture, is its founding Editor-in-Chief. You can access Issue 1, Number 1, at your convenience HERE.
MARKETING
Congratulations to Dr. Michael McGravey, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies (ITPS), on his new book, Navigating Postmodern Theology: Insights from Jean-Luc Marion and Gianni Vattimo's Philosophy (Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2023), published July 15, 2023!
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Reunion Weekend
On June 2-4, we welcomed over 180 alumni from the classes ending in ‘3s and ‘8s back home for Alumni Reunion! It was a great weekend full of reuniting, reconnecting, and going down memory lane. Friday night we traveled to the Boathouse and had a delicious dinner, then took a river cruise on the Lady Bea in South Hadley.
Dr. Dumay kicked off Saturday with a State of the College address. Following his presentation, the Class of 1973 joined the ranks of the Golden Blazers during the induction ceremony and received the traditional Blazer scarf. During the Presidential luncheon, Sr. Jane Morrissey ‘62 received the 2023 Sr. Margaret James McGrath Distinguished Alumni Award. The afternoon was busy with campus tours, a smoothie station, paint and sip with Janet Scanlon ‘88, and mission trip highlights with Eileen Kirk ‘80. After dinner, the Class of 1998 was the first to be inducted in the Silver Celebration Pinning Ceremony. Everyone danced the night away during Blazer Bash.
Reunion weekend was concluded with a delicious brunch on Sunday. It was a great time had by all and we already can’t wait for reunion next year!
Please visit our Facebook page for more photos.
The 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Sr. Jane Morrissey, SSJ ‘62!
Shortly after graduating from Elms College in 1962, Sr. Jane answered the call to join the Sisters of St. Joseph. Since then, her life has been spent in service as a teacher, a writer and author, and a tireless, hands-on advocate for people in need, be they on the other side of the world or in our community. The sum of her works exemplifies the founding mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph: working to unite neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God. Sr. Jane’s list of accomplishments is long and notable. She earned her Master’s Degree in English and then her doctorate in Old and Middle English Languages and Literature, from the University of Massachusetts. She taught and inspired generations of students at Cathedral High School, and then here at Elms College. Sr. Jane is a past president of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and co-chair of the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph. She was the chair of Pax Christi Massachusetts from 1994-1997, named the Massachusetts Pax Christi Peacemaker in 1994, and more recently named an Ambassador for Peace for Pax Christi USA.
To care for people in the poorest neighborhoods and parishes, Sr. Jane traveled to Colombia, Guatemala, and Bolivia. She also cared for the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed in parts of India and Africa, and in Nepal. She helped to found The Gray House in Springfield’s North End as a neighborhood center, food pantry, and safe space. She also co-founded Homework House in Holyoke, offering free tutoring in an affirming environment to children in that city. Recently, Sr. Jane has published a memoir, “Finding Jane in the Box,” that speaks to her deep faith, devotion to those in need, and her commitment to peace, justice, and nonviolence.
This excerpt is taken from the Presidential Citation presentation to Sr. Jane at Reunion on June 3, 2023.
Red Sox Game
The Red Sox Bus Trip was a SOLD-OUT success! The night was nothing short of amazing and we couldn't have asked for a better turnout.
Summer Events!
Save the Date! Our Sweet Summer Social is August 30th from 4 – 7 pm. All faculty and staff are invited!
Alumni Cape Cod Trip
On August 1, the Office of Institutional Advancement/ Alumni Engagement traveled to Cape Cod for the annual ‘Escape to the Cape’ luncheon event. About 40 alumni gathered together for a wonderful day at the Popponesset Inn in Mashpee. Alumni from the classes of 1954 to 2021, enjoyed lively conversation, dined on a delicious full-course meal, received updates from President Dumay, and entered a drawing to win some fun raffle baskets. We even had a few current and previous faculty/ staff members and current students join us! It was a beautiful day.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Elms College Employment Opportunities as of July 24, 2023
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
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.
TIAA LIVE WEBINARS FOR AUGUSTRegister HERE.
Welcome to new employees:
Lukman Arsalan – Vice President of Enrollment Management & Marketing (8/14/23)
Dr. Julie Beck – Dean of School of Nursing (8/1/23)
Jonathan Cohn – Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach (8/1/23)
Katelynn Leclerc – Head Field Hockey Coach (6/12/23)
Best wishes to departing employees:
Tyler Hesselton – Admissions Counselor (8/4/23)
Liam Liang – IT Helpdesk Technician (6/30/23)
Bethany Ondrick – Faculty (6/16/23)
Jennifer Rivers – Associate Professor of Psychology & Chair of the Social Sciences Division. (8/3/23)
Corrin Schulze – Faculty (5/31/23)
Michael Theulen – Director of Athletics (8/4/23)
ELMS IN THE NEWS:
May 20, 2023: Western Mass News aired a story that Elms College held its 92nd Commencement Ceremony and graduated 443 students.
May 20, 2023: WWLP.com aired a story that Elms College held its 92nd Commencement Ceremony and graduated 443 students.
May 21, 2023: iObserve.org published a story that Elms College held its 92nd Commencement Ceremony and graduated 443 students.
May 26, 2023: Chicopee Register published a front-page story that Elms College held its 92nd Commencement Ceremony and graduated 443 students. Kimberly Quinonez, a social work graduate, was quoted in the article.
May 29, 2023: BusinessWest published a brief article that U.S. Congressman Richard Neal came to Elms College to announce the $1 million in federal funding that he secured for the college's Cynthia Lyons Center for Equity in Urban Education and social work programs.
June 3, 2023: Real to Reel, the weekly TV program produced by the Diocese of Springfield, aired a segment on Elms College's 92nd Commencement. La June Montgomery Tabron, the commencement speaker and president of the WK Kellogg Foundation, and Kimberly Quinonez, a social work graduate, were interviewed in the segment.
June 1, 2023: The Catholic Mirror, the quarterly magazine published by the Diocese of Springfield, highlighted Fr. Mark Stelzer on the 40th anniversary of his ordination. His biography appears on page 8.
June 1, 2023: The Catholic Mirror published the story that Elms College received its largest single donation in its history. The $1.5 million donation from Michele and Donald D'Amour will fund the Haiti Nursing Continuing Education program and create the D'Amour Center for Faculty Teaching Excellence. The story appears on page 10.
June 6, 2023: Daily Hampshire Gazette published an article on the Valley Blue Sox, a local baseball team in the New England College Baseball League. Two Elms College baseball assistant coaches are leading the team. Pedro Santiago is the head coach of the Blue Sox, and Phil Guidrey is an assistant coach. Both are quoted throughout the article.
June 8, 2023: BusinessWest Daily blog published an article about how the recruitment of nurses remains critical to the field and how education plays an important part in preparing future nurses to work in the field. Teresa Kuta Reske is quoted throughout the article and her photo is leading the article.
June 9, 2023: Healthcare News published an article on Ashley Girouard, a recent nursing graduate, as part of the magazine's "Salute to Nurses" issue. She is quoted throughout the article and is grateful for the experience she received in the Elms School of Nursing.
June 9, 2023: BusinessWest blog published an article on Ashley Girouard, a recent nursing graduate, as part of the magazine's "Salute to Nurses" issue. She is quoted throughout the article and is grateful for the experience she received in the Elms School of Nursing.
June 9, 2023: Healthcare News published an article about how the recruitment of nurses remains critical to the field and how education plays an important part in preparing future nurses to work in the field. Teresa Kuta Reske is quoted throughout the article and her photo is leading the article.
June 11, 2023: Masslive.com published an editorial column endorsed by the 11 schools and universities in western MA that are a member of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in MA. The article focused on the economic impact that each college has contributed to the region. Elms is mentioned by graduating its first cohort of the Cynthia Lyons Center for Equity in Urban Education.
June 12, 2023: BusinessWest published an article in the digital and print issues about how the recruitment of nurses remains critical to the field and how education plays an important part in preparing future nurses to work in the field. Teresa Kuta Reske is quoted throughout the article and her photo is leading the article.
June 12, 2023: BusinessWest published an article in the digital and print issues on Ashley Girouard, a recent nursing graduate, as part of the magazine's "Salute to Nurses" issue. She is quoted throughout the article and is grateful for the experience she received in the Elms School of Nursing.
June 13, 2023: Boston Globe published a report by the National Council on Teacher Quality that a majority of Massachusetts colleges and universities fail to prepare teachers to properly educate young students on reading skills. Elms College is mentioned in the article that we strongly disagree with the report's findings. Some MA colleges and universities didn't take part in the NCTQ report at all. [Note: you may encounter a subscription window to view the article.]
June 14, 2023: Mass.gov published a press release that Elms College President Harry Dumay has been named to the Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education. The council was created by Governor Healey's administration in advance of the Supreme Court's pending decision on a case involving affirmative action.
June 16, 2023: wwlp.com published an article that Elms College received funding from the City of Springfield to support summer enrichment and social-emotional learning opportunities for Springfield children.
June 16, 2023: BusinessWest Daily blog published an article that Elms College received funding from the City of Springfield to support summer enrichment and social-emotional learning opportunities for Springfield children.
June 16, 2023: HealthcareNews News and Notes blog published an article that Elms College received funding from the City of Springfield to support summer enrichment and social-emotional learning opportunities for Springfield children.
June 16, 2023: City of Springfield published an article that Elms College received funding from the City of Springfield to support summer enrichment and social-emotional learning opportunities for Springfield children.
June 20, 2023: Public News Service published an article on the economic impact of AICUM member colleges and universities. Elms College is mentioned in the article regarding our efforts to increase the diversity of teachers in Western MA.
June 26, 2023: TheBerkshireEdge.com published a feature article on nursing major Madison Quinn ’23. She graduated in May and a nonprofit she started when she was 13 - Strong Little Souls - was honored by the Patriots Foundation and the Kraft family in June.
June 27, 2023: westernmassnews.com aired a story that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was the keynote speaker at Elms College's 6th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast. Both Dr. Dumay and the Lt. Gov. were quoted.
June 27, 2023: wwlp.com aired a story that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was the keynote speaker at Elms College's 6th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast.
June 29, 2023: CBSNews.com in Boston published an article on their website regarding Gov. Healey's statement in response to the recent Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action. Dozens of MA college presidents, including Dr. Dumay, signed on to support the Governor's statement.
June 30, 2023: iObserve.org, the website of the Springfield Diocese, published a story that includes the statement from Dr. Dumay and Elms College about the recent Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action.
July 5, 2023: The Reminder published an article that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was the keynote speaker at Elms College's 6th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast. The article summarizes her remarks and includes a quote from Dr. Dumay. Note: this article was on the front page of this Chicopee Herald.
July 5, 2023: BusinessWest published a photo from Elms College's 6th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast showin Dr. Dumay with Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll.
July 6, 2023: The Gazette in Janesville, WI published a news brief that an Elms student from Genoa City, WI, made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 7, 2023: Chicopee Register published an article on the front page that Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was the keynote speaker at Elms College's 6th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast. The article summarizes her remarks and includes a quote from Dr. Dumay.
July 7, 2023: Chicopee Register published the statement on page 3 from Dr. Dumay and Elms College about the recent Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action.
July 10, 2023: India Education Diary published an article that Annie Jowett will be the Fulbright FLTA this upcoming academic year and teach the Irish language.
July 10, 2023: Patch.com published a news brief that two Elms students from Windsor, CT made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 11, 2023: Patch.com published a news brief that an Elms student from West Suffield, CT made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 11, 2023: The Rutland Herald published a news brief that an Elms student from Rutland, VT made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 11, 2023: Patch.com published a news brief that two Elms students from the Granby, CT area made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 11, 2023: The Reminder published an article on their website regarding Gov. Healey's statement in response to the recent Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action. Dozens of MA college presidents, including Dr. Dumay, signed on to support the Governor's statement, and Dr. Dumay is quoted in the article.
July 12, 2023: Patch.com published a news brief that six Elms students from Enfield, CT made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 13, 2023: The Millbury Sutton Chronicle published a news brief that an Elms student from Millbury, MA made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 14, 2023: CentralMaine.com published a news brief that an Elms student from Skowhegan, ME made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 14, 2023: Chicopee Register published an article that listed the students from Chicopee who made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
July 17, 2023: The Hopkinton Independent published a news brief that an Elms student from the Hopkinton, MA area made the spring 2023 Dean's List.
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