Dr. Larson's Report to the OCC Board of Trustees

O:               Members, OCC Board of Trustees

FROM:         Jon H. Larson, Ph.D.

                        President

SUBJECT:     Items of Interest for the April 27, 2017, Board Meeting

DATE:            April 25, 2017

Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa recently launched a new program, REACH Rewards, designed to recognize and reward Phi Theta Kappa chapters that excel in the area of membership development.  Its purpose is to attract as many students as possible to receive the benefits of PTK membership, which include scholarships, increased opportunities for engagement with peers and faculty, and, ultimately, higher rates of completion among members.

Ocean County College’s Tau Iota Chapter was recently informed that it has been named a 2017 REACH Chapter; it will be receiving special recognition in the form of 26 PTK graduation stoles that can be distributed to chapter officers or members to be worn during graduation as a celebration of college completion.

This recognition is but one of the many accolades the Tau Iota Chapter receives.  The students do so well because of the very strong leadership provided by Chapter advisors:  Dr. William Rickert, Professor of Mathematics; Dr. Jennifer Dellner, Professor of English and Literature; Ms. Carolyn Showalter, Assistant Professor of Mathematics; Mrs. Lois Rickert; and Mr. David Rickert.

Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, asked that we recognize two of our advisors, Dr. Rickert and Dr. Dellner, for service rendered, forty years and five years, respectively, and to present them with PTK pins.  PTK expressed its sincere appreciation for the service and time they have given to further the ideals of PTK.  We are proud of our PTK advisors and congratulate them.

Study Abroad Program

Participants in the 2017 Study Abroad trip, World of the Maya, visited the Yucatan from March 18 to 26, 2017.  The group, led by Mr. Robert Marchie, College Lecturer II of History, and Ms. Jennifer Evans, College Lecturer II of Business Studies, spent nine days in Mexico engaging with the ecology, culture, and history of the Mayan people.  Sixteen students joined the pair through four hotels, eight archeological sites, and several excursions.  The trip included sites at Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum and Coba.  The group visited a nature reserve, ate with a Mayan family, took part in a blessing with Mayan shaman, and snorkeled in the second largest reef in the world.  The students will complete ten-page research papers and work towards three credits that will transfer to their next institutions. 

This study abroad trip, which started under the leadership of Anthropologist Christine Kitchin, had run for fifteen years before Mr. Marchie took over for the retired professor.  The course was a complete success and looks to carry on the tradition for many years to come. 

Mr. Marchie and Ms. Evans will share some of the highlights of their trip with you at the Board meeting.  Two student participants, Connor Wagner and Andrea Cucinotta, will join them.

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

Domestic e-Learning

• At last month’s Board meeting, Mr. Jeff Harmon, Associate Vice President of  e-Learning and Learning Enterprises, shared with you Drop Out Detective, an at-risk student identification and intervention tool and how it is working online at OCC.  A pilot project is now underway to test this software with EOF, Athletics, and Jump Start students through collaboration between e-Learning and Student Affairs.
•  At Thursday’s Board meeting, Dean of e-Learning Jack Kelnhofer and Mr. Harmon will present on the sister companion to Drop Out Detective, called Instructor Insight.  Instructor Insight is a software solution that provides metrics on the engagement and performance of instructors in their courses.  Mr. Kelnhofer and Mr. Harmon will demonstrate the ways in which this teacher effectiveness monitoring technology is being utilized at OCC.  They will also discuss the newly minted e-Learning online instructor mentoring program that will pair up new online instructors with seasoned veterans of distance education at OCC.
• OCC’s partnership with the Ben Hudnal Memorial Trust (Kaiser Permanente’s educational foundation) had yielded 8 students through February 2017; however, a spike in enrollments is now occurring.  As of April 11, 2017, the project has yielded 136 credits for the upcoming Summer and Fall 2017.  BHMT is paying 100% of the cost of attendance for these students, including all books, lab kits, tuition, and fees.
• A new partnership contract between OCC and Hudson County Community College (HCCC) was formally established following the recent approval by HCCC’s Board of Trustees.  OCC’s e-Learning team will facilitate HCCC’s entry into online learning through the provisioning and revision of 20 of OCC’s master courses to meet HCCC’s learning objectives.  OCC will provide the necessary support to allow HCCC to be offering its online program this Fall 2017.
• The e-Learning recruitment projects, facilitated by Inside Track and Kiosk Marketing, continue to see strong growth:
  • For Spring, distance learning total credits are up 16.78% (17,058) and up 41.30% out of county (3,483).
  • Summer distance learning total credits, collectively, are up 10.57% (3,383) and up 97.84% out of county (1,193).
  • The Summer 7.5 Week Accelerated Terms have drawn the most registrations, as students migrate from the five- and ten-week summer terms. 
•  On March 15, 2017, Dean Kelnhofer and Academic Administrator Britni Mastria presented “Evaluator Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Online Faculty Assessment” at a local NJEDge Conference.
• On March 31, 2017, Mr. Harmon and Mr. Kelnhofer presented at Camden County College’s technology conference on the topics of at-risk student identification, online faculty monitoring, and how to make master course content available for face-to-face faculty use.

• Mr. Harmon has been selected as the keynote speaker for Union County College’s Assessment Day in May, speaking on assessment methodology in online instruction.
• The e-Learning team continues to optimize the marketing efforts for online programs, including the redesign of the landing pages and request for information buttons on our website.  The new image, below, has been revamped to be more attractive to our target population, which tends to be non-traditional students.  It can be found at www.online.ocean.edu.

International Projects

• In the Middle East, Ain Shams University Cohort 1 is now in its second semester, and Cohort 2 will begin this Fall.  Cohort 1 from both the Arab Academy for Maritime Science and Transport and Ahram Canadian University will also begin this Fall.
• OCC has begun negotiating an agreement with the Arab Academy for Banking and Finance in Egypt.
•  There has been a great deal of activity by OCC staff during April pertaining to launching OCC-Asyut/OCC-Cairo in Egypt at the request of the Ministry of Telecom.  These sites would be physical, on the ground, additional locations at which OCC would offer classes.
• OCC’s e-Learning team, with support from members of the OCC community, is currently curriculum mapping for the launch of two dual-degree programs with Dominican Republic institutions.
• In China, marketing has begun to recruit post-high school students into OCC’s online degree programs. 
• OCC is exploring the possibility of offering the hybrid language training project in the United Kingdom; this program is now in its third year of operation in Cairo with partner IMI.  This new opportunity would be under the title of a partner company, Cell Tek, which is owned and operated by one of IMI’s sister companies, Ecco Outsourcing.

Student Affairs

Advising

•  Ms. Pamela Donohue, Assistant Director of Academic Advising, coordinated with the Records and Registration Office, the School of Nursing, and Kean Ocean to execute two successful pre-nursing information sessions, with over 100 people in attendance.  Students were able to gain information on Nursing Program pre-requisites and admission, what to expect from the Nursing curriculum, and how to pursue the BSN through Kean Ocean.
• Three additional Instant Decision Days were hosted this Spring.  Ms. Laura Wills, Coordinator of Transfer Services, organized and executed these events:
  • Montclair University:  14 students participated and all were accepted.
  • Stockton University (at the SEC):  14 students participated and all were accepted.
  • Monmouth University:  17 students participated and all were accepted.
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University canceled due to inclement weather.  However, the registered students were contacted and accepted the next business day.
• The Advising Office, in collaboration with Student Life and the NJ STARS Club, hosted the first annual Spring Transfer Fair, with 21 New Jersey colleges and universities attending.  The fair was a success, with most institutions indicating they would like to participate again next year. 
• Fall 2017 New Student Orientations are underway.  Currently, 184 students are registered to attend through June 14, with another 50 expected from Manchester High School and the OCVTS Law and Public Safety class.  The schedule will grow more robust as summer approaches; by late June, Orientations will be offered twice a day, four days a week.

Educational Opportunity Fund/Center for Access and Equality (EOF/C4AE)

Each year the Educational Opportunity Fund Board of Directors and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education invite campus programs to identify graduating EOF students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement during their college careers.  The Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, April 7, 2017, at Georgian Court University.  Those honored were:

• Distinguished Scholar Award – Presented to any student who has a cumulative grade point average of 4.0: 
•   Kimberly Cacciato                      4.0 GPA
•   Kassandra Wainwright              4.0 GPA

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award - Presented to any EOF graduating student who has a cumulative grade point average range from 3.5 to 3.99:

• Christine Downing                      3.538 GPA
• Esther Gartenhaus                      3.947 GPA

Academic Achievement Award - Presented to any EOF graduating student who has a cumulative grade point average range from 3.2 to 3.4:

• Casey Astalos                               3.473 GPA
• Angela Bird                                 3.214 GPA
• Ginaliz Castillo                            3.351 GPA
• Leo Fasolo                                    3.474 GPA
• Kierra Johnson                            3.469 GPA
• Corey Lopez                                3.387 GPA
• Christy Morales                           3.283 GPA

Outstanding Achievement Award – Presented to one EOF student who best exemplifies the spirit and intent of the EOF program:  Charlen Nguyen

EOF Graduate Achievement Award Spotlight – One nominee is spotlighted:  Charlen Nguyen

Charlen has taken advantage of all that she hoped for when she left her native Vietnam.  English is her second language, and Charlen has succeeded in improving both her written and verbal skills.  

Charlen is a helper and generous of heart.  A participant in the Leadership Conference, Charlen organized her peers in site cleanup.  Her perpetually cheery demeanor and indomitable spirit will bring her future success.

Charlen will earn an associate degree in business administration.  Her dream is to open a Vietnamese sandwich truck.  The Bánh mì, or Vietnamese sandwich, in true cultural fusion was borne out of French colonialism, the tradition of the baguette, and Asian flavor.  Charlen will return to Vietnam for several months of training in the art of Bánh mì and pastry making and then start her business upon her return.

Ms. Laura Rickards, Director of EOF/C4AE, will attend the Board meeting with two of the award recipients, Kimberly Cacciato and Christy Morales.

Displaced Homemakers Program

The Displaced Homemakers Program has enjoyed a very successful year, with 103 women participating in the program as of March 31, 2017:

• There are 23 clients currently enrolled as college students: 16 at OCC, 4 at Kean Ocean, 2 at Stockton University, and 1 at Rutgers. 
• Two clients have been inducted into Phi Theta Kappa.
• The program anticipates four graduates this year, three from OCC with associate degrees and one from Kean Ocean with a bachelor’s degree.
• Eleven clients are currently enrolled in Continuing and Professional Education certification classes:  four in Bookkeeping and Office Manager, four in QuickBooks, one in Medical Assistant, one in Pharmacy Technician, and one in Home Health Aide.
• Ten clients have become employed during this funding year.

During this past year, the program established an Advisory Committee, hosted its Third Annual Pizza with Santa Party, facilitated two 24-Hour Job Readiness Programs (Be Passionate About YOUR Future), and held four eight-hour training sessions. 

In recognition of Displaced Homemakers Month in May, the program will host Cookies with an Author on May 2, 2017, and the Eighth Annual Celebration of Achievement on May 3, 2017.  Additionally, the program will have a fundraiser in partnership with Wendy’s at five local restaurants. 

Dr. Kate Pandolpho, Director of Career, Employment, and Personal Counseling, Ms. Eileen Burdge, Community Services Specialist, and Ms. Tara Van Hest, Part-Time Community Services Technician, will provide you with additional information at the Board meeting.  Following their presentation, the Board is requested to adopt a resolution to proclaim May 2017 as Displaced Homemakers Awareness Month at Ocean County College.

Student Support Services Program

The Student Support Services Program Club members hosted an Easter Egg Extravaganza on Thursday, April 13, 2017, for 40 OCC staff and students’ children and grandchildren between 2 to 9 years old. 

Children decorated bags for their eggs and candy, searched for filled plastic eggs, and visited a candy bar.  The Easter Bunny was also in attendance for photographs.  All who attended had a great time and are hoping to see this as an annual event.  

Veterans Affairs

 For the fourth year in a row, Ocean County College has been named to the 2017 Military Friendly schools list.  This designation showcases the top 20% of colleges, universities, and trade schools in the country that embraces America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students, ensuring their success on campus.  Military service members, veterans, and student spouses and children can go to the website and not only select Military Friendly schools but also search employers, franchises, and cities that offer the most opportunities for the military.

Ms. Yessica Garcia-Guzman, Acting Director of Financial Aid, will attend Thursday’s meeting to share with you the plaque received by the College.

Academic Affairs

School of Arts and Humanities

• Efforts continue on identifying new pathways for students in the School’s curricula.  The Performing Arts Program faculty are planning for the introduction of the Performing Arts Academy in 2019 as well as for several articulation agreements with other institutions. 
• Dr. Mary Ellen Carr, Professor of English and Literature, organized a speaking event with author Penny Coleman on April 4, 2017, for her Women and Literature students.
• On April 11, 2017, the OCC Music Club, guided by Professor of Music Karin Gargone, hosted a master class with Classical Guitarist Alice Artzt.  Also, the OCC Jazz Band, under the leadership of Adjunct Assistant Professor David Marowitz, performed on April 19, 2017, in downtown Toms River. 
• The American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program held its annual Rock and Roll fundraiser show at Toms River High School on April 8, 2017, led by Assistant Professor Kathy Basilotto and College Lecturer II Saundra Piscatelli.
• Dr. Sandra Brown, Professor of English and Literature, and Ms. Jayanti Tamm, Assistant Professor of English and Literature, organized the Poetry Festival on April 20, 2017, featuring the poet Mihaela Moscaliuc and a student open mic.
• On April 7, 2017, the Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education held an event called “Armenians: Rupture, Continuity, and Triumph,” which featured Assistant Professor of Sociology Kristin Marzullo.  Dr. Ali Botein-Furrevig, Associate Professor of English and Literature and Director of the Center, coordinated this event and many others for Holocaust Remembrance Week, which runs from April 24 through 28, 2017. 
• Lecturer II of English and Literature Madison Peschock led a roundtable for English adjunct faculty on April 4, 2017, which featured presentations by Ms. Samantha Glassford and Mr. Michael Shampine, Adjunct Faculty Members in Academic Skills and English and Literature, respectively.
• Led by Dr. David Bordelon, Associate Professor of English and Literature, the OCC Community Book Club held its third meeting focusing on a Mexican Literature text called Sudden Death, written by Alvaro Enrique.

Library

Members of the Library staff are planning summer projects, including shifting the book collection to create a more intuitive path through the call number ranges in the stacks.  In order to plan for this project, the Library is using Rutgers University Libraries’ Space Management Database, developed by Coordinator Robert Krack and The RUL Collection Management Group.  Rutgers encourages libraries to use its Space Management Database tool to map collections, model collection shifts, and perform predictive collection analysis.

A team, led by Mr. James Marshall, College Lecturer II/Librarian, set up the database for OCC’s collection and is using the program to analyze the current placement of the physical collection.  Using this tool, Mr. Marshall has mapped out the most efficient plan for shifting the books in the collection.  Space needs change over time as collections are developed and curated to support the College’s courses and programs.  This database helps to pinpoint open stack space requirements, allowing for expansion and contraction of subject areas as well as increasing flexibility with space utilization in the Library.

School of Business and Social Sciences

• Ocean County College received 2^nd Place Honors in its first New Jersey Community College Completion Challenge (NJC4) Case Competition held on April 7, 2017, at the Newark Campus of Rutgers University.  Six high caliber OCC Business students were selected to compete as a team against nine other statewide community colleges.  These students included:  Maegan Eager, Ruben Gomez, Shalini Raj, Stephanie Errickson, Emily Morris, and Matthew Yoanidis. 
  Their task was to analyze a mock company and provide short- and long-term strategies to achieve stability, growth, and profitability. They were judged on the quality of their SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, financial analysis and business plan, business rationale and strategic consistency, and the quality of their presentations to the judges.  Social Science Professor Lynn Kenneally, Business Studies College Lecturer II Christopher Bottomley, and Business Studies Associate Professor Henry Schwartz led this initiative and accompanied the students to the competition. 
  Coordinated by the Center for Student Success, NJC4 is a statewide completion and transfer campaign consisting of a series of campus-based completion events designed and implemented by Phi Theta Kappa student leaders, all taking place within a designated week.

• The Ocean County College Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda had the honor of competing in the State Conference on Sunday, April 9, 2017.  The competition included teams from Rutgers New Brunswick, Rutgers Newark, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey.  Although Ocean County College was the only community college in the competition, the team placed in every category in which it participated.

OCC’s winners included: 

• Accounting Principles: Michael Fleming (3^rd Place) and Skyler Nardini (4^th Place)
• Marketing Concepts: Ashley Frankman (1^st Place) and Amanda Desombre (2^nd Place)
• Financial Services:  Avi Kotler (1^st Place)
• Business Executive Interview:  Gaberiel Belyayev (1^st Place)
• Help Desk Services:  Skyler Nardini (1^st Place)
• Human Resource Management:  Amanda Desombre (2^nd Place)
• Integrated Marketing Campaign:  Ashley Frankman, Nicolas Diaz, and Nicole Olszewski (Placed 1^st as a group for the third year in a row)
• Job Interview:  Nicole Olszewski (1^st Place)
• Macroeconomics:  Brooke Jackson (5^th Place) and Avi Kotler (3^rd Place)
• Microeconomics:  Michael Fleming (3^rd Place)
• Statistical Analysis:  Crystal Pierce (3^rd Place)
• Public Speaking:  Brooke Jackson (1^st Place)
• Sales Presentation:  Gaberiel Belyayev (2^nd Place)

Business Studies Associate Professor Kathy Dillon was also recognized as an outstanding advisor.  In addition, Gaberiel Belyayev was elected State Membership Director, and Avi Kotler was voted State Vice President.  This marks the 29^th consecutive year that the OCC Chapter has qualified for the National Conference.  OCC’s top winners will be competing later this year in Anaheim, California.

• Political Science College Lecturer II Jennifer Barnes organized a number of guest speakers for her classes.  On March 30, 2017, Mr. Joe Quartullo of the United States Census Bureau explained the significance of census data, while Congressman Tom MacArthur met with students on March 31, 2017, to discuss the election and the new Congress.  On April 13, 2017, polygraph expert Mark Smith spoke about the admissibility and reliability of polygraph evidence.  Major John Cayangyang of the U.S. Army (Ft. Dix) led a discussion on national defense and the military on April 28, 2017.  In addition, Ms. Barnes arranged a tour of the New Jersey Statehouse, General Assembly, and State Senate for her State and Local Government students on April 7, 2017, and toured the Ocean County Crime Scene Investigation Unit on April 27 and 28, 2017, with Criminal Justice majors. 
• Along with Addictions College Lecturer II Jeffrey Lang, Ms. Barnes is busy organizing a Substance Abuse Summit that will be held on May 9, 2017.  Speakers include Congressman MacArthur, Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, Prosecutor Joe Coronato, Ocean County Police Chiefs and Superior Officers, former substance users, and families of children who succumbed to substance abuse.  This event follows a highly successfully educational initiative spearheaded by Mr. Lang.  On March 24, 2017, an audience of 200 students, faculty, professionals, and community members engaged in a six-hour education session on “Integrated Treatment Strategies for Individuals Who have Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders.”  On April 29, 2017, Mr. Lang will accompany 40 students to the New Jersey Prevention Network Statewide Conference in Atlantic City.  This event includes a full day of sessions by nationally-recognized educators and excellent employment networking opportunities.
• Mr. Kevin Bales, the world’s leading expert on slavery and author of The Slave Next Door, Ending Slavery, and Disposable People, a required reading for all Global Issues students at OCC, hosted a virtual/Skype lecture/discussion on April 25, 2017.  The event was facilitated by Mr. Jason Ghibesi, College Lecturer II of Political Science and History, and sponsored by the Global Education Committee.  OCC also hosted a celebration of Italian Heritage from April 10 through 29, 2017, also sponsored by the Global Education Committee in conjunction with the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission.  Lectures, films, and performances were scheduled throughout April and focused on Italian culture, art, music, and a host of diverse topics. 
• Mr. Jason Ghibesi led 43 students and community members to the United Nations on April 4, 2017, with Professor Lynn Kenneally participating as a chaperone.  The trip included a guided tour of the United Nations' main divisions, including the General Assembly and Security Council.  Following the visit to the United Nations, the group attended the production of A Bronx Tale on Broadway. 
• Mr. Ghibesi also led a group of 16 student scholarship recipients to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, D.C., from March 20-22, 2017.  The trip was sponsored by the Student Life Office in conjunction with the Global Education Committee.  Accompanying the group were Sociology College Lecturer II Chad Sexton and Mr. Karl Kleiner, Retired Professor of Business Studies.  While at the USIP, students attended a series of lectures, including "The Importance of Peace Building,” presented by Mr. Jeffrey W. Helsing, Associate Vice President of the USIP Academy for International Conflict Management; "Civil Resistance and Non-Violent Movements,” presented by Mr. Daryn Cambridge, Senior Program Officer for the USIP; and "Peacebuilding and Security: Police Reform and Countering Violent Extremism,” presented by Ms. Jessalyn Walker, Program Specialist.  The students toured the National Mall and had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Air and Space Museum, Lincoln Memorial, and American History Museum.  
• Nutrition Associate Professor Kathleen Malachowski and a group of students from her class attended the Nutrition, Endocrinology, and Food Science (NEFS) Graduate Student Conference at Rutgers Cook Campus Center on April 18, 2017.  Keynote speakers were Dr. Kevin Osteen, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, who spoke on "Building a Compartmentalized, Microfluidic Model of the Human Endometrium for the Study of Endometriosis-Related Reproductive Failure," and Dr. Sharon Donavan, Ph.D., R.D., University of Illinois, who presented on "Applying Systems Biology to Host—Microbe Interactions in Early Life."
• Instructor of Criminal Justice Steven Gerding attended the Northeast Regional Security Education Symposium, “Investing in America’s Security: Cybersecurity Issues,” hosted by the Professional Security Studies Department at New Jersey City University on March 10, 2017.

 School of Nursing and Health Sciences

• OCC Nursing IV students and faculty attended the New Jersey National League for Nursing Convention in Atlantic City on March 30, 2017.  Seventy-five students had the opportunity to network with their peers and meet with potential employers. Educational sessions were provided throughout the day related to preparing the student for professional practice.
• Forty-five students from Toms River East High School, who are interested in nursing or the health care field, visited the OCC campus and toured the Health Sciences Building on March 30, 2017.  Information was provided on becoming a registered nurse, and the use of equipment used in the clinical setting was demonstrated.  The students also visited the labs in the William T. Hiering Science Building.
• Ms. Tamila Purpuro, Nursing College Lecturer II, presented “The Effects of the Syrian Crisis on Refugees” at a PTK Lecture Series on April 5, 2017.
• The Student Nurse Organization (SNO) sponsored a blood drive on April 4, 2017, collecting 38 pints of blood.
• On April 17, 2017, SNO, in collaboration with Student Life, sponsored a presentation by former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand.  Mr. LeGrand suffered a serious neurological injury on the field in 2010.  Since his injury, Mr. LeGrand works with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, speaking nationally on neurological diseases and injuries as well as his experiences in living with his paralysis.  Student nurses have a connection with Mr. LeGrand as his book, “Believe,” which details his life-changing experience, was a School of Nursing required summer read in 2015.  

School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

• Dr. Mary Ellen Rada, Science College Lecturer II, presented a lecture on Italian Scientists during Italian Heritage Week.  Her lecture included many unknown facts regarding Italian scientists’ research and inventions; many led to positive changes in the medical field, but the scientists were not given credit for their work.
• Dr. Caterina Gibson, Science College Lecturer II, had a student from her fall 2016 General Biology class selected to participate in a summer internship at NASA to conduct research on space weather and weather forecasting.
• As noted last month, Mr. Scott Farrell, Science College Lecturer II, chaperoned students to the HOSA New Jersey State Leadership Conference competition on March 18 and 19, 2017, at Union County Vo-Tech School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Over 1,000 students attended from across the state.  Participating schools included Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Ocean County Vo-Tech School.  Competitors must have achieved a minimum of 70% of the total score in order to place for the national competition.  All five OCC students placed in the competition:
  • Christina Fichner competed in Job Seeking Skills and received first place.
  • Steven Jones competed in Extemporaneous Writing and also received first place; he was also the only student in his event to qualify for a medal.
  • Shemesh Friedman competed in Clinical Nursing, received first place, and again was the only student in her event to score high enough to qualify for a medal.
  • Juliet Tafaro competed in Medical Assisting and received second place.

All five OCC students advanced to compete at the International Leadership Conference, which will be held from June 21-24, 2017, in Orlando, Florida.  They will compete against students from all across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

• On March 21 and 22, 2017, the Makers Club and the Music Club worked to make a digital piano using the stairs in the Student Center for the Teen Arts Festival.  Students could play the piano by walking up and down the stairs. The Makers Club also gave a hands-on presentation on how to create 3D scans, and they were able to create 3D scans of themselves. The scanned images could be transmitted to a 3D printer or converted to characters for 3D animations.
• The South Jersey Junior Science Symposium competition, poster sessions, banquet, and awards were conducted on March 30 and 31, 2017.  Students competed for awards and scholarships donated by military organization and contractors.  Over 170 students from high schools across New Jersey attended to observe the top 10 research paper finalists as they presented their work.  Prior to the evening banquet, six research paper runner-ups participated in a table top poster competition.  
  The top five presentation winners advance to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium competition that will be held April 26 to 30, 2017, in San Diego, California.  The top two winners will participate in presentation competitions in the category of their research, and the remaining three winners will participate in table top poster competitions. 

Finance and Administration

•  Ms. Sara Winchester, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration, participated in a panel discussion on Friday, March 24, 2017, at the New Jersey Ace Women’s Network meeting held at Brookdale Community College.  The ACE Women’s Network is a national system of networks within each state with the goal of advancing and supporting women in higher education.  The panel was entitled “Developing the Skills to Build Your Legacy” and was facilitated by Dr. Kathleen Waldron, President of William Paterson University.
  Ms. Winchester also was a member of the Middle States evaluation team for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, a small technical community college located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The visit took place March 19 to 22, 2017.  Staff participation in Middle States evaluations keeps OCC abreast of accreditation issues and enhances the reputation of Ocean County College.
• New Jersey Network for School Success
  A meeting was held on March 29, 2017, at Jackson Liberty High School at which a demonstration of the New Jersey Network for School Success was provided to New Jersey community college presidents and Ocean County superintendents.  This project is being initiated by OCC in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Education.  The New Jersey Network for School Success will support student success across the K-12 education continuum through a deep collaboration between New Jersey community colleges and secondary schools and will enhance the college and career readiness and success of all New Jersey students.  Another meeting is scheduled with superintendents on Thursday, May 11, 2017, in the Gateway Building.
•   Human Resources
  • The second cohort of the OCC Leadership Academy recently participated in a workshop entitled “Executive Business Communications,” developed and delivered by an OCC adjunct faculty member, Ms. Patricia Kunzman.  The cohort also continued to meet and discuss the implementation of its special project utilizing the Leadership Challenge Workbook as a guide.  The project will be presented to the President’s Leadership Team in May 2017.
• Human Resources is planning the implementation of Talent Management, a module within the PeopleAdmin suite.  This module will simplify the process of appraising performance and enable tracking of training and development completed as well as project future training needs.  HR and IT are meeting with PeopleAdmin representatives in an ongoing effort to implement the new system.
• On April 4 and 6, 2017, the President’s Leadership Team  participated in the rollout of The Ocean Way, a comprehensive service training program designed to align all employees with the standard of service OCC aims to deliver.  Training will be conducted in phases until all faculty and staff have participated.  Over time, supporting initiatives will be implemented, such as “on-the-spot” recognition awards and revamped performance appraisal tools that include delivering excellent service as a primary responsibility of all employees.
• The Office of Disability Services and the Office of Human Resources have worked together to identify and purchase training which will raise awareness for all faculty and staff regarding the obligations of the College, and individuals, within the Americans with Disabilities Act legislation.  The training will be delivered in an online format, through Workplace Answers, along with existing mandatory training. 

Continuing Education

Customized Training/Workforce Development

• On April 5, 2017, Ms. Pat Fenn, Assistant Vice President of Continuing and Professional Education and Workforce Development, and Mr. Michael Forcella, Manager of Business Engagement, attended a graduation ceremony for the 20 welders who were trained in the second program funded by the Ready-to-Work Consortium Grant.  The first program yielded job placement for 90% of the unemployed participants.  Efforts are underway to identify job opportunities for the graduates of the second group.  This summer, the welding program will be offered at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School and at OCC.
• Technology and Business Careers
  • OCC is involved in the New Pathways program for Teacher Certification.  The introduction courses are being taught on campus by Dr. Carol D’Zio, Coordinator of the Alternate Route Program. 
  • Continuing Education and the Small Business Development Center will sponsor a Foodie Entrepreneur Program in the Gateway Building on May 1, 2017. Foodiepreneur: The Business of Food will give current and potential food entrepreneurs candid insight from experts into one of the largest industries in our area.  The goal is to facilitate a dialog about topics that are important to entrepreneurs in the food industry.
• Allied Health
  • OCC Veterinary Assistant students who successfully complete the training program are now being connected to a Veterinary Regional Manager for employment placement.
  • Extern opportunities continue to expand.  Phlebotomy and Medical Assistant students will begin externships at Lab Corps this Spring.
•   Camps/Youth/Community Programs 
  • A YouTube video commercial is now live online for OCC’s Kids’ Camps.  It can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ImI3ItlUg. In addition, Comcast interviews at the TV Studio are promoting the camps.