NEWS & EVENTS

Academic Affairs

• Conversations have continued between Dr. Lisa DiBisceglie, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, and members of the New Jersey Institute of Technology administration.  OCC and NJIT should very soon be entering into a Joint Admissions Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding that will include NJIT offering classes on the OCC campus starting in fall 2016.

• Dr. DiBisceglie, Ms. Eileen Schilling, Executive Director of Academic Assessment, and Dr. Henry Jackson, Executive Director of Academic Success, have been meeting with Ocean County Vocational-Technical School representatives to discuss program articulations, Early College, and student participation in the 2016-2017 College Readiness Program.  Discussions will continue on the academic format for the Performing Arts Early College Program as well as a Pilot Academy in collaboration with the MATES Program.

• School of Business and Social Sciences
  • Mr. Jeffrey Lang, College Lecturer II of Addiction Studies, recently spoke at the quarterly meeting of Ocean County’s Local/Professional Advisory Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to promote addiction services education.  This group includes county-wide addiction and mental health treatment providers.
  • Ms. Jane MacDonald, College Lecturer II of Education, is working with Stockton University on a State of New Jersey sponsored pilot program between community colleges and four-year institutions that is designed to develop model teacher education programs.
  • Mr. Jason Ghibesi, Lecturer II of Political Science and History, was interviewed by Ms. Karen Yi, Staff Writer for the Asbury Park Press, and was quoted in a July 17 article entitled, “Republican National Convention 2016: Extra Eyes on Christie, NJ?”  Mr. Ghibesi provided insight on the political process and will continue to offer commentary throughout the convention season.

• College Readiness Program

The College Readiness Now (CRN) Program provided Accuplacer testing to 600 students during the 2015-2016 academic year.  Approximately 270 of those students who participated in the Program have registered to attend OCC in fall 2016.

Dr. Henry Jackson has been working with the Toms River high schools to provide the CRN Program to select students.  He conducted three-day professional development training for nine Toms River teachers who will be delivering the CRN Program.  He also met with the new Lacey Township High School principal about including the CRN Program in the 2016-2017 academic year.

OCC has applied to the New Jersey Council of County Colleges for the College Credit Now Grant.  Funding from the program will provide eligible 11^th and 12^th grade students at Central Regional and Lacey Township high schools with an opportunity to earn college credits while they are still in high school to better prepare them for post-secondary education.  Through the use of benchmarks set by ACT, SAT, PARCC, and/or Accuplacer, OCC and its high school partners will work together to identify high school students who are college ready.  Priority will be given to low-income students.

• School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
  • Associate Professor of Science Duane Grembowicz and Dean of the School of STEM Paul Silberquit attended the June quarterly meeting of the Municipal Utilities Authority Association (MUAA) on June 9.  They presented an update on OCC’s Environmental Science and Engineering programs and courses as well as information on the future NJIT-OCC partnership. At the meeting, the recipients of two MUAA scholarships, OCC graduates, were announced:  Mr. Brett Michelini and Ms. Alina Robinson, both of Toms River.  The students made a presentation to the MUAA on an environmentally-related topic, “The Pine Barrens of Ocean County College.”  Their presentation highlighted endangered and threatened species found on the OCC campus.  Brett and Alina each received a $1000 scholarship; they both plan to further their education in environmental studies at Stockton University.
  • Mr. Scott Farrell, Chemistry Lecturer II, led the OCC Science Club and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Club to participate at the international HOSA competition held in Nashville, Tennessee.  Three OCC students participated in the international competition as a result of their success at the New Jersey State competition that was held in March.
    The opening session’s guest speaker was Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General. One symposium highlighted STEMPremier, which is a STEM-focused online social media platform similar to LinkedIn.  HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs or have interests in pursuing careers in health professions. All three OCC students were recognized for their achievements at the international competition.  Ms. Christina Fichner made the list of top ten performers in Job Seeking Skills.  Mr. Steven Jones competed in biomedical laboratory science, and he made it to the second round.  Ms. Adrienne Merchant recorded over 100 hours of community service and was recognized at internationals for the Barbara James Service Award.

• Library

This summer the Library is working on the following projects to improve the collection and better serve Library users: inventory and weeding, reserves collection maintenance, new informational signage, shelf-reading, periodicals maintenance, showcasing new books/dvds, and reconciling the over-due items and fines.

The Library had an estimated 30,000 circulated items and 22,435 patron assists in FY 2016.  The Library is using a new SirsiDynix Mobile Circ application, allowing the capture of statistics, such as “Use within the Library,” more easily.  These types of statistics help the collection development specialists determine which areas of the collection should be expanded for the benefit of Library users.

• School of Nursing
  • The School of Nursing is collaborating with the Department of Continuing and Professional Education to provide students with experiences simulating situations they will encounter when caring for actual patients.  Utilizing the Simulation Labs, scenarios are being created for nursing and patient care technician students to interact and practice clinical and communication skills.  This strategy provides students with experiences of working together as a team.  Interdisciplinary team collaboration is a major focus within the health care profession to provide safe, effective, and efficient care.  Clinical agencies are required to demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration to maintain accreditation.  These experiences will assist students in the clinical environment and enhance their marketability to obtain positions within health care agencies.
  • A request by the School of Nursing to faculty within the STEM School for the development of virtual reality technology is progressing.  The use of virtual technology as a learning strategy within health care is used for students to experience the patient’s perspective of illness.  Ms. Teresa Walsh, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Ms. Maryann Kaufmann, Nursing Simulation, Skills, and Student Retention Specialist, are working with Dr. Angel Camilo, Science Lecturer II, to develop a virtual reality experience to assist students to develop sensitivity and empathy when caring for patients.
  • The Dean of Nursing presented a program titled, “Preparing for the School of Nursing Accreditation,” on June 25 to nursing Ph.D. students at Kean University.  Included within this presentation was a discussion on writing the self-study report, developing education to guide the faculty in the process of maintaining the on-going systematic plan of evaluation, coordinating the site visit, and participating in follow-up requirements as directed by the accrediting agency.  This presentation was part of a course titled, “Innovative Curriculum,” in which students focus on curriculum development.
  • The School of Nursing staff is in the process of placing 333 nursing students within 9 clinical agencies for the fall 2016 semester.  Placing students within clinical sites includes validation that physical exams and immunization records are current, criminal background checks are clear and updated, orientation to each facility is completed, and access to the facility’s electronic medical record is obtained.  This fall there are 36 clinical groups, each requiring a Clinical Instructor to oversee students in the health care facility to which they are assigned.
  • Faculty have selected the book, “Against Medical Advice,” by  Mr. James Patterson and Mr. Hal Friedman as the summer read for returning nursing students.  This book addresses the struggles of a young boy as he experiences various medical conditions requiring numerous medications that are based on trial and error.  The book discusses the social struggles he encounters and the relationship of the family members as they deal with the illness.  Faculty incorporate the book within their courses throughout the fall semester to stimulate discussions related to nursing standards of practice, ethical decisions, and the caring role of nurses.
  • Ms. Walsh met with Dr. Jane O’Rourke, RN, MSN, DNP, NEA-BC, CENP, newly appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer at Community Medical Center on July 14.  The discussion included placement of students to obtain their clinical experiences as well as the future Health Sciences Building, with the potential to collaborate on health and wellness programs for the community.  Dr. O’Rourke began her position at Community Medical Center on May 2.
  • Ms. Walsh and Dr. DiBisceglie continue to collaborate with Dr. Stephen Kubow, Acting Associate Vice President for Kean Ocean, and Dr. Joan Valas, Executive Director of Nursing for Kean University, to prepare the application for the State Board of Nursing requesting a joint Baccalaureate in Nursing (BSN) degree.  Dr. Valas, RN, PhD, MS, BS, began her position at Kean University on July 1.

• Student Success

Twenty-seven faculty, staff, and community partners participated in a three-day professional development series held for new and experienced First-Year Experience Seminar (FYES 155) instructors.  The sessions included the ways in which the FYES 155 course differs from other courses, best practices for student engagement, and the use of technology to enhance course content.  Given the recent revisions to the course, additional presentations focused on new and revised course components, including the common read program, service learning, financial literacy, advising, leadership, and career decision making.  Presenters included 15 faculty and staff.   Participants from each of the Academic Schools and Student Affairs Division were represented in the group, demonstrating the richness of the FYES instructor pool.

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

• International Partnerships

• The contract among OCC, the Arab Academy for Maritime Science and Transport (AAST), and Kean University has been signed by Kean University.  The pilot cohort of three-way enrolled students is scheduled to begin with the second accelerated 7.5 week term in fall 2016. At the end of July, I will be traveling with Dr. Maysa Hayward, Dean of Academic Outreach, Mr. Hatem Akl, CIO, and Mr. Jeff Harmon, Associate Vice President of e-Learning and Learning Enterprises, to Rabat, Morocco, and Cairo, Egypt for meetings with the International University of Rabat, Ain Shams University, and the Minister of Telecommunications (Egypt).  Side trips to meet with AAST and Ahram Canadian University are also being planned.  Partnership with the International University of Rabat, expansion of operations with IMI, and the proposal of developing a community college system in Egypt, with U.S. State Department funding, are all being investigated.

• Domestic Partnerships On Friday, July 8, Ms. Sabrina Mathues, Director of Off-Campus Programs, Mr. Jeff Harmon, Mr. John Goodwin from EduStrategy and I presented to the Executive Director of Education Strategy at McDonald’s Corporation a new model of education targeting McDonald’s employees.   EduStrategy, a consulting firm retained by OCC, seeks to connect OCC with businesses around the country relative to capitalizing on employer-sponsored tuition-reimbursement programs.  The Mission United/United Way project was the first of these types of agreements to be completed. The McDonald’s presentation promoted OCC’s current online course offerings and concierge-style student support services for e-learners; additionally, through research and development, a new paradigm has been created for online education entitled the Meta-Cognitive Co-Curriculum (MCCC):

The MCCC is a layer of support provided by theoretical “Navigators” (akin to student success coaches but focused less on enrollment properties and more on applying learned knowledge to real-world scenarios through one-on-one interactions) that OCC would offer to McDonald’s employees.  Students would engage in online coursework and, at varying points in the curriculum, would be prompted for one-on-one interactions with their assigned “Navigator” to discuss how they are thinking and reflecting about their learning experience, and more so how they are applying what they are learning to work, life, and community.  This model, steeped in research, differentiates OCC from all other education providers with whom McDonald’s is currently working.  Conversations will hopefully continue with McDonald’s as we vet the synergy between our organizations.

• Domestic e-Learning
  • Mr. Jack Kelnhofer, Dean of e-Learning, recently received a $4000 mini grant to fund the development of a course in Near-East Asian Philosophy.  A course description is currently making its way through College governance.
  • The migration from Pearson Learning Studio to Instructure Canvas is nearing completion.  All courses, of all modalities of learning, will utilize Canvas this fall 2016. Additionally, OCC has secured a “second instance” of Canvas’s LMS for use with all external partners, such as Sussex County Community College, Eastwick College, and international partners, such as IMI.
  • On July 11, OCC’s e-Learning Department, in conjunction with Kiosk (marketing) and Inside Track (ITK) (recruitment), officially launched the new marketing/recruitment campaign for online students. Leads are now currently being generated through web marketing efforts and being processed by ITK for the fall 2016 term.  Additionally, on July 18, ITK officially began the re-recruitment initiative aimed at re-engaging students 24 years and older from the local county population.  More information will be shared via analytics as these funnels stabilize.
  • In June 2016, OCC responded to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from Kaiser Permanente (KP), a healthcare provider based in California.  KP, through its foundation and trust, the Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust, funds KP employees to further their education with specific emphasis on science disciplines.  OCC submitted an RFP aimed at making OCC the preferred provider of all trust-funded KP employees and to serve/enroll students into our existing online science courses.  New student enrollments could range from 60 to 120 students per semester if the bid is successful.

Student Affairs

• Athletics
  • On June 29, the OCC Athletic Department celebrated seven of its finest student-athletes at the 2016 Ocean County College Viking Hall of Fame ceremony/reception.  Founded in 2003, this was the ninth class inducted into the Hall of Fame.  This year’s inductees included:
    • Craig Bessinger, Cross Country/Wrestling, 1974-1975
    • Maggie Chussler McDuffie, Women’s Soccer, 2004-2005
    • Beth Root Ganley, Women’s Soccer, 2004-2005
    • Andrew Hawtin, Men’s Soccer, 2003-2004
    • Jennifer Nelson, Cross Country, 2009
    • Brian Waldron, Men’s Soccer, 2003-2004
    • Kevin Waldron, Men’s Basketball, 2005-2007Ms. Ilene Cohen, Executive Director of Judicial Affairs and Athletics, reported that New Jersey Natural Gas, Causeway Family of Car Dealerships, the OCC Office of Student Life, and John’s Riverside Florist provided sponsorship for this wonderful event.  Our sincere appreciation is expressed for their support of Ocean County College.

• Congratulations are extended to all OCC Viking Student-Athletes, listed below, who earned Academic All-Conference (AC)/All Region (AR) honors for the spring 2016 semester:

• Financial Aid
  • Ms. Eileen Buckle, Financial Aid Director, attended the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conference in Washington, D.C., during the week of July 11.  The conference focused on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), the move to a new FAFSA filing cycle, and the utilization of prior-prior year tax data to complete the FAFSA.  The reauthorization of HEA includes hot button items, such as the reinstatement of year-round Pell grants and full reinstatement of the Ability to Benefit provisions.  It also introduces new loan counseling provisions as well as implements counseling requirements for Pell grant recipients.
  • Attendance was good at the 2016-17 FAFSA Days series and the Opening Pathways to Education Now (OPEN) FAFSA Workshops (March 5 through July 16).  On average, each session was attended by 25 to 30 participants, totaling 231 attendees to date.  Some attendees traveled from Old Bridge, Morganville, and Middletown to participate in these sessions.
  • In preparation for the new FAFSA filing cycle set to begin on October 1, OCC is in the process of creating a Fall FAFSA Workshop schedule that will include two in October, two in November, and one in December.  The goal is to assist high school seniors and their parents in filing their FAFSAs early, which will enable them to receive earlier Financial Aid award packages and to make timely decisions regarding their college commitments.  Earlier workshops will also assist students and parents in meeting new state aid deadline dates established as a result of the new FAFSA filing cycle.
  • Through the use of Recruiter technology, marketing was again directed to both current and prospective students as well as to prospective high school graduates seeking admission to other colleges.  Recruiter software enables better maintenance of workshop statistics and assists in making more informed decisions on future marketing approaches.

• Registration and Records

The transition to the new online processing of transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse has been quite successful.  The net revenue generated from the April 22 inception of the program to July 18 was $14,815.50.  The cost to the student is $8 for paper transcripts and $6 for electronic copies.  Students can place their orders online and receive updates on the status of their requests via email and text.

Finance and Administration

• Ms. Sara Winchester, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration, and Ms. Elise Barocas, Controller, presented an on-campus workshop entitled “Finance for the Non-Financial Manager.”  The workshop is part of the Leadership Academy and the new catalog training programs initiated by Human Resources.  The workshop covers topics such as operating budget funding sources, the budget cycle, the budget and strategic plan, and the legislated procurement environment.  The workshop also provides hands-on instruction in Colleague for budget managers.
• Work on the New Jersey Council of County Colleges Cloud Consortium is continuing.  Most presidents have assigned individuals to the Data Governance Committee, which is essential to the success of this initiative.  Ms. Winchester and Mr. Hatem Akl, CIO, have been working with the Council to select a consultant to guide the system evaluation process.  The consultant will be paid using funds provided by the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority and directed to the Council in support of this sector-wide project.

• Accounting
  • The Commit to Complete Program, which encourages students to complete their college education, finished its third successful year.  In support of this program, a Commit to Complete Tuition Discount Program was established to offer one tuition-free, three-credit summer course to full- and part-time students.  Full-time students are required to complete 30 credits within the preceding academic year, and part-time students are required to complete 24 credits within the past two consecutive academic years.  During the three years since the inception of the Tuition Discount Program, 343 students received $105,879 in tuition refunds. The deadline for this summer’s application is August 15.  Applications can be obtained from the Registration and Records Office.
  • The Immediate Payment Control functionality of the Colleague Student Self-Service module is in the final phases of testing.  This will allow students who have registered through Student Planning to set up their own payment plans.  This service is anticipated to become available to students in late fall or spring.
  • At the June 28 Board meeting, Bowman & Company was awarded a contract to perform the College’s annual audit, and the transition from Clifton Larson Allen is underway.  Preliminary fieldwork will be focused on enrollment and financial aid.

• Human Resources
  • The Office of Human Resources has instituted an exit interview in order to collect information from departing employees on the work environment at Ocean County College.  The interview follows a series of questions in various categories designed to identify areas in which improvement can be made, such as management training and professional growth opportunities.  The information is shared with the President, the appropriate Vice President, and the departing employee’s manager.
  • On June 27, members of the Leadership Academy, Cohort #1, attended a workshop entitled “Effective Written Communications,” facilitated by Ms. Janice Coleman of the Janice Coleman Corporation.
  • While managers are expected to communicate to employees regarding performance throughout the year, the formal appraisal process, which is currently underway, offers an opportunity to summarize and develop goals for the upcoming year.  The schedule for the process is as follows:

• Training and Development
  • On June 23, the Supportive Staff Association held its annual member development day.  Ms. Tracey Donaldson, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, welcomed the group and introduced the workshop topic, Emotional Intelligence.  The workshop was offered by SkillPath.
  • On July 12 and 13, Ocean County College hosted a “Title IX Coordinator/Investigator Overview,” conducted by Ms. Ann Todd of D. Stafford and Associates.  In addition to OCC staff, colleagues from Mercer, Brookdale, and Union county colleges attended the day and a half workshop.  Attendees were updated on trends in Title IX cases.  The Office of Civil Rights strongly recommends annual training such as this for those who serve in Title IX Coordinator or Investigator roles.  The training was arranged via a Joint Purchasing Consortium procurement process led by OCC.

• Continuing Education
  • Customized Training/Workforce Development
    • Two welding program graduates have accepted jobs at the MFG Challenge Member Magna Industries in Lakewood.  In addition, representatives from Holtec International Industries, Camden, visited OCC and interviewed ten candidates, all of whom are being invited to take a welding test.   Those who receive a passing grade will be offered a job, starting at $24/hour, and will proceed to Ohio for two weeks of advanced training.  Those who are not successful have the opportunity to work as laborers at $18/hour and may repeat the test in thirty days.  Holtec has indicated it needs 200 welders by January; it is making its best effort to hire from within New Jersey.
    • NJBIA grant-funded ESL classes are continuing to be offered to McDonald’s franchises across New Jersey.  McDonald’s in Toms River has begun ESL 2 classes and will continue with ESL 3 classes through November.
    • Civil Service testing for police has been scheduled monthly through December.
    • Funding has been received for CHHA/Workforce Development for Home Health Aides.  An information session held on July 20 had over 55 attendees.
    • Pure Water Technologies, Toms River, completed an eight-hour Customer Service course at its location.

• Technology and Specialized Careers
  • An Advanced Placement Summer Institute is scheduled during the week of August 8.  It will provide information about Continuing and Professional Education Programs and the College in general.
  • Through a partnership with Brookdale Community College and the Small Business Development Center, courses for small business development opportunities are being offered.
  • Dr. Rosann Bar, Dean of Business and Social Sciences, and Ms. Pat Fenn, Assistant Vice President of Continuing and Professional Education, Workforce Development, and Community Services, are in discussion with Dr. Rebecca Corbin of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurs to outline an entrepreneurial program at OCC.  Contact is being made with the local Chambers of Commerce and Private Industry Council (PIC) to collaborate on this offering.

• Camps/Youth/Community Programs
  • Kids on Campus is well underway and camps will continue through the third week in August.
  • An Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program scheduled for the fall is being marketed through social media and coordinating associations.

• Senior Programs
  • The next Active Adult Program will be held August 2, 3, and 4, featuring jazz, an all-day writing workshop on creating autobiographies by Ms. Jayanti Tamm, Assistant Professor of English, an offering by Mr. Richard Trimble, Adjunct Faculty Member, on Contentious Elections in the United States, and many more.
  • CPE will also host the Fall Active Adult Program, “Awesome Autumn,” on September 27 and 28.  The program features include “The Elements and Principles of Design,” presented by Ms. Molly Johnson; “Anxious Autumns: The Cuban Missile Crisis: New Findings” and the “1934 Morro Castle Fire” presented by Mr. Trimble; “Falling in Love with Jazz” presented by Mr. David Marowitz; and “Change of Season – Harvesting our Gifts and Talents” presented by Ms. Regina Rosenthal.  The program will be held in the Gateway Building 5^th floor, and it includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
  • The TAACCCT grant-funded NROC/EdReady Remedial Math and English two-year membership, which began on June 20, will be utilized campus-wide by College Readiness, testing, and faculty.  This is an online support program for basic skills development.

• Facilities

The Director of College Safety and Security, Mr. Frank Iannone, has taken steps to update many of the College’s older and outdated processes and systems.  He has revised the Emergency Operations Plan, along with Security’s existing dispatch system.  By the beginning of the fall semester, the Security Department will be able to process student and staff IDs in both the Security Welcome Center and the first floor of the Jon and Judith Larson Student Center.

• Information Technology
  • Student Success Experience

Self-Service in Colleague has been upgraded.  This upgrade provides Financial Aid with the ability to finalize Financial Aid Self-Service to students, provides faculty with the ability to grant overrides and petitions to course sections, as well as other new enhancements for grading, person proxy, banking information, and emergency information/contact.

OIT is working on the implementation of Ellucian Go, the mobile version of the Self-Service functionality, which, hopefully, will be in production by the fall semester.

• New Interfaces and Integration Needs
  • CourseEval is a new solution from Invoke Higher Education (formerly Academic Management Systems) to capture students’ reactions to courses; it is web-based and integrates with Canvas.  The course evaluation process will be streamlined, and Academic Affairs will have more autonomy and flexibility in managing course evaluations.
  • OIT continues to build an interface between OCC’s student system and the Barnes & Noble system.  The Barnes & Noble system will be updated with relevant student financial aid information multiple times a day, and OCC will also receive a daily file from Barnes & Noble of all transactions from the previous day.
  • OIT is working with e-Learning and Admissions to integrate batch data into Recruiter, including contact information on student inquiries that have been worked on by InsideTrack representatives.
  • OCC is participating in the design efforts for the new Ellucian “Cloud Analytics,” a “Software as a Service” reporting and analytics solution.  Recruiter Analytics is the first module to be released by OCC and is scheduled to go into Beta by September 2016.