Academic Affairs

School of Arts and Humanities

• From July 15 to 24, 2022, the OCC Repertory Theatre Company, with direction by College Lecturer II Paul Chalakani and choreography by Associate Professor of Humanities Elizabeth Brierley, presented Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Grunin Center.
• On July 16, 2022, the Ocean County College Sign Language Society hosted a picnic at Ocean County Park. The event was attended by many members of the Deaf community.  Additionally, the Sign Language Society recently received a generous donation from the Ocean Deaf Club, which has welcomed OCC students to its events since the inception of the Interpreter Training Program in 2002.
• Adjunct Professor of English Irene Hartmann was featured on YouTube in Literary Gladiators, reviewing John Sandford’s Ocean Prey and the novels in the Prey series.
• Assistant Professor of Humanities Gary Shaffer’s one-act comedy, The Holy Grill, was presented as part of the 2022 10-Minute Play Festival from July 21 to 24, 2022, at Studio Players in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Philosophy College Lecturer II Mark Westmoreland’s proposal to the OCC Foundation for “Philosophy and Social Justice: The Philadelphia Experience” has been approved.  This event will involve a student/faculty immersive experience (2:1 student: faculty ratio) including visits to three museums and a guided walking tour of Independence National Park, with multiple opportunities to discuss philosophy and social justice on site.

School of Business and Social Sciences

• Katherine Toy, College Lecturer II in Economics, began piloting a program in anticipation of the new lab for data analytics and supply chain, which is provided by the Bond Grant. Seven of her economics students from the Spring semester and Summer sessions have completed the Tableau e-Learning foundational course, Data Literacy for All, as an extra project.  Tableau is a software program specializing in data visualization and will be available for student use when the lab is completed.

Library

The Library renovation project is in progress, and Library faculty and staff are preparing the collection and space.  Weeding of the print collection has begun in order to clear and repurpose space on the first and second floors of the Library.  The first floor will become a multipurpose learning commons area with opportunities for group study and experiential learning for individuals and groups.  The second floor will continue to be a quiet floor and will be redesigned to promote multipurpose use of study rooms and study pods.  The project aims to provide seamless access within the Library to resources in any format and to expand multipurpose use of group spaces, such as the tower rooms and the Library classroom.

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

• College Lecturers have selected the book, The Pull of the Stars, by Emma Donoghue as the summer read for nursing students. This book focuses on the pandemic of 1918 due to the Great Flu (influenza) and the challenges nurses faced in caring for impoverished patients who were quarantined in an understaffed maternity ward with minimal supplies.  Contents of this book will be incorporated throughout the curriculum as students discuss nursing practice, professionalism, ethics, patient care, teamwork, as well as diversity and inclusion within the healthcare system.
• Nursing students will return to campus the week of August 27, 2022, for competency validation practice sessions. All returning students are required to demonstrate competency in skills prior to entering clinical agencies the first week of the semester.
• One OCC student graduated in May from the joint Occupational Therapy Assistant Program with Rutgers University.

• The medical residency program at Community Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, continues to utilize the simulation center in the H. Hovnanian Health Sciences Building for a second year, beginning July 13, 2022.  Medical residents who have graduated from various medical programs complete simulation experiences and lectures in the building monthly under the direction of attending physicians.

• The RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group’s Health and Wellness Center, located in Suite 103 of the H. Hovnanian Health Sciences Building, has re-opened. Primary care services are available to OCC students and staff, as well as the public, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Walk-ins are welcome and most major insurances are accepted.  The Health and Wellness Center, affiliated with Community Medical Center, is staffed by certified Nurse Practitioner Jaime Costagliola.  To schedule an appointment or for additional information, the Health and Wellness Center can be reached at 732-797-9850.

School of STEM

• College Lecturer II in Engineering Pam Bogdan announced the first student to earn an industry certificate as a result of OCC’s new Engineering and Industrial/Technical Studies industry certification program, which is funded by the Perkins grant.  On June 18, 2022, students took the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) LEAN Bronze Certification test.  Lean Six Sigma (or Six Sigma) is an internationally recognized methodology for continuous improvement. Any professional seeking globally recognized certification status with career potential across multiple industries should consider Lean Six Sigma Certification.  A recent graduate, Nicholas DeMartino, achieved the LEAN Bronze Certification.  He will be attending the mechanical engineering program at Rowan University in the Fall semester.  Other industry certifications offered as part of this program include AutoCAD Certified User, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Professional – 1994 Technologist level.

• The feedback from the New Jersey City University Community College showcase presentation, Enabling Jobs and Other Experiential Learning Through Industry Partnerships, noted the “excellent engineering program at OCC and their partnerships.” The presenters were Ms. Pamela Bogdan, OCC Program Chair of Engineering and Industrial/Technical Studies; Mr. Max Schippe, an engineer with UNEX Manufacturing; and Mr. Rick Varenick, Workforce Development/HR with UNEX Manufacturing.

• STEM Engineering sent acceptance notices to students to participate in its inaugural year of the OCC School of STEM K-12 projects and research experience.   The experience is a summer-long program where K-12 students do a project and/or research resulting in a poster and paper format that could be submitted to a conference, such as the IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference and possibly the Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium.  Currently, OCC has accepted students that will be in 3^rd through 12^th grades in Fall 2022.  Examples of proposals include:  extracting DNA from bugs/insects in the hope of finding new antibiotics; designing and building an app to encourage people to go back to the gym; making a model roller coaster; and the application of golf dimples in the design of an air foil.

• The OCC Engineering Club held its annual leadership summit.  Each year, this event has the leadership team review the club constitution and propose any updates, and define and review its vision, common values, mission, and programs for the upcoming year.  Some new activities to be highlighted include a scholarship program and a mentoring program, both of which align with the 2022-23 club vision statement, “To increase participation in extracurricular activities and increase and/or maintain program enrollment levels.”

• College Lecturer II in Computer Studies, Ken Michalek, announced that OCC has been awarded a $40,000 grant for the AI Incubator Network from the American Association of Community Colleges funded by Intel and Dell. The grant funds will be used to design and build an AI Incubator lab to help students learn and master skills in artificial intelligence.  OCC is one of 15 colleges selected to receive the grant, and it is the only New Jersey college to be selected.

Finance and Administration

There was good news for community colleges in the State budget for fiscal year 2023.  A briefing on the FY 2023 Appropriations Act for Higher Education was held on July 8, 2022, and provided the following details on the budget:

• A $10 million increase in State operating aid for community colleges – This increase in operating aid is the first such increase in thirteen years and will support the community college commitment to (1) expand access to higher education, (2) address equity gaps, (3) increase the educational opportunities of adults, and (4) expand student success. The State investment in community colleges, which will total $144 million in FY 2023, provides essential and foundational support for New Jersey’s 18 community colleges and supports the colleges’ efforts to offer high-quality, affordable education.

• Full funding for the Community College Opportunity Grant Program – The Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) program, enshrined in State law this past year, is currently assisting thousands of individuals in households with less than $85,000, on a declining scale, of adjusted gross income to attend community college tuition-free. The State budget will ensure that New Jerseyans, of all ages, have the opportunity to earn a postsecondary credential or degree.  The CCOG program, when connected to the newly-funded Garden State Guarantee Program, will provide community college students the opportunity to earn associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees tuition-free.

• Significant investments in workforce alignment and development – The budget includes investments that will help to create a more dynamic and responsive education and workforce preparation ecosystem and will serve to leverage and strengthen other state and federal investments from which all New Jersey residents will benefit. The budget includes a $3 million investment in the basic skills of existing workers through the flexible and highly successful Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Training program.  The State budget also includes an investment of $8.5 million for community colleges, the business community, high schools, four-year colleges and universities, and other partners to work together to meet employers’ workforce needs by designing industry-valued credentials connected to degree programs that provide educational and career pathways for New Jersey students and workers so they may achieve a livable wage and have economic mobility.

Accounting

In June, OCC received $426,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The funding was provided through a grant for additional COVID relief and was applied toward the cost of operating the on-campus student and staff testing facility.  Much appreciation is extended to Ms. Mary Lancaster, Controller, for successfully navigating the difficult application process on behalf of OCC.

College Relations

Alumni

• The Annual OCC Picnic at the Lakewood BlueClaws on Friday, August 5, 2022, is sold out. Nearly 100 members of the OCC community will gather together for a buffet picnic and baseball game.

• All OCC alumni and Foundation constituents, as well as members of the community, are invited to participate in the Annual SUP the River Paddle Board Race, co-hosted by the OCC Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Toms River, on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at the Toms River Yacht Club. All proceeds will support the Foundation and Kiwanis Club.

The Web

• Social Media Coordinator Sara Nusbaum collaborated with the OCC Foundation to create a multifaceted social media campaign for the 2022 Scholarship Celebration.  The campaign utilized animation to celebrate the outstanding achievements of this year’s honorees, Ms. Alison Noone, Dr. Rosann Bar, Ms. Patricia Gianotti, and The Wintrode Family Foundation.  The five posts included in the campaign garnered 1,612 views, 230 likes, 29 comments, and 11 shares.  During this campaign, the College’s LinkedIn account acquired 682 new followers, and the College’s engagement rate on the account increased by 4.5%.
• The web team continues to utilize the automated website optimization system, SiteImprove, which integrates into the existing content management system to identify opportunities for improvement in ADA compliance, quality assurance, and search engine optimization.  Through the diligent work of Mr. Eric Gonnella, Website Coordinator, the team has increased the College’s website Quality Assurance score to 97.3 points, exceeding the industry standard of 76.5, and has increased the Digital Quality Index, an indicator of overall performance, to 85.4 points, exceeding the industry standard of 80.3.

OCC Foundation

2022 Scholarship Celebration

The Foundation’s 2022 Scholarship Celebration raised over $200,000 for OCC students.  Additionally, the Foundation was pleased to announce the official launch of its multi-year $25 million Legacy Campaign.  For more information on the Legacy Campaign and the many ways to participate in this effort, contact Mr. Kenneth Malagiere, Foundation Executive Director, at kmalagiere@ocean.edu.

Fall Term Scholarship Applications

All students are encouraged to apply for Foundation support for the coming Fall 2022 term.  The application period will remain open through August, 19, 2022. Applications are available at go.ocean.edu/scholarships.

Foundation Nominating Committee

The Foundation Nominating Committee will meet this summer, as is tradition, to review the standing of current Board members and to entertain recommendations from community members to join the Board.  Recommendations should be forwarded to the Foundation Office at Foundation@ocean.edu for consideration by Board Chair David Paulus and Nominating Committee Chair Michael York.

2022-23 Blauvelt Speaker Series

Award-winning actor and musician Ice-T will be on campus at the Grunin Center on September 20, 2022, followed by best-selling author Juno Diaz on October 24, 2022.  Olympic Gold Medalist and professional athlete Mia Hamm is scheduled for March 8, 2023, and Presidential historian Michael Beschloss will be at OCC on April 25, 2023.  Series sponsorships are now available.  For additional information, please contact Ms. Sherri Bray, Associate Director of Advancement and Donor Engagement, at sbray@ocean.edu.  As always, free student tickets are available to all Blauvelt Series events.

21^St Annual Golf Classic

Registration is now open for the Foundation’s Annual Golf Outing in support of the students of OCC.  Tee-off will be at the award-winning Championship Pine Barrens Golf Club on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

• Under the direction of Assistant Director of Education and Community Engagement, Ms. Jaclyn Wood, three of the Center’s Community Arts and Music Programs (CAMP) were scheduled this month. The first, on June 30, 2022, featured Jeff Boyer’s Bubble Bonanza; the second, on July 8, 2022, featured Doktor Kaboom–Look Out Science is Coming; and the third, on July 27, 2022, will feature Twinkle.  All three shows attracted youth and adult groups from around Ocean County.

• Camps on Campus, led by Mr. Erik Stratton, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, began on July 5, 2022, and will continue through August 26, 2022. The offerings include sports camps, STEM camps, and arts camps.

• Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales Jessica Zawerczuk reported that Grunin Center subscriptions and tickets went on sale in July for the 2022-23 season of events. The first performer in September is Ice-T, which is part of the Blauvelt Speaker Series, an Ocean County College Foundation collaboration.

The Robert J. Novins Planetarium

• Under the leadership of Associate Director Cara Muscio, the Planetarium has added summer afternoon public shows to accommodate families on summer break, such as The Stars from My Backyard, The Little Star that Could, and Secret of the Cardboard Rocket.

• The Planetarium held a 4^th of July Laser Spirit show and continued the very popular Grateful Dead Laser Show.

Regional camps returned to the Planetarium this year, with 42 scheduled summer shows.  Also, in July, the Planetarium celebrated the release of the Webb Telescope’s first images with special shows and activities, as well as the return of the Astronomical World of Harry Potter special event with two sold-out shows.

Human Resources

On July 1, 2022, the Office of Human Resources rolled-out a new applicant tracking system as the first module release of the new workforce management platform, NEOED.  To kick it off, the implementation team, composed of Director of Human Resources Operations Cara Dubitsky, Director of Talent and Organizational Development Jackie D’Amore, Talent Acquisition Coordinator Christina Matuszewski, and  Talent and Organizational Development Coordinator Alyssa Tipton, has conducted over 25 virtual trainings for more than 100 participants.  The full suite, which also includes an enhanced performance management tool, a learning management system with a full training catalog, and fillable, electronic forms, will continue to be introduced over the next several months.  The new platform provides an improved experience for applicants and new hires and streamlines the multitude of tasks involved in workforce management, allowing Human Resources representatives, managers, and employees to focus on value-added steps in a wide variety of processes.

Office of Information Technology

In order to better support the expansion of HyFlex courses this Fall, IT has maximized its bandwidth to the full 2GB available to the College through NJEdge, OCC’s network service provider.  The additional bandwidth will avoid internet service slowing down on campus during peak usage hours.

Security

• In accordance with New Jersey Public Law 2015, Chapter 220, and College Policy #2332, Reporting of On-Campus Criminal and Fire Events, attached is the monthly statistics report of crimes, fires, and other emergencies on campus for the reporting period of June 25, 2022, through July 22, 2022.

NJ STARS

NJ STARS Coordinator Jennifer Kipp reports that as of Friday, July 15, 2022, there are 174 STARS students enrolled for Fall, with the potential of another 113 STARS students.

New Student Schedule Review

The Advising Office is continuing to create schedules for new students registered for Express Enrollment events.  Advisors use the information provided by the students and follow up as needed.   At the Express Enrollment events, advisors meet with all students and assist them with adjusting their schedules, if needed.

Four virtual New Student Information Sessions have been hosted by Advising this summer, with an additional four sessions planned during August and September.

Pre-Nursing Information Sessions

The Advising Office is hosting two Pre-Nursing Information Sessions this summer.  Traditionally, these sessions were held in the Fall and Spring semesters; however, a decision was made to offer two sessions in summer to provide this important information to incoming pre-nursing students.  The next session is scheduled for July 28, 2022.

Counseling Center

• Programs are being planned for suicide prevention, domestic violence awareness and prevention, substance use and alcohol use, stress management, anxiety reduction, grief, and healthy relationships.

• The Counseling Center has an updated web page, which includes an online appointment scheduler for students, an easy-to-navigate option to schedule appointments.

• Kate Pandolpho, Director of Counseling and Student Development, was reappointed by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners to the Ocean County Mental Health Board; she currently serves as Secretary.

• Representatives from St. Francis Counseling Center and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) updated the Counseling Center staff on sexual violence and assault services and processes.

• Student Intervention Specialists Kelly Petrolis and Darra Stack offered several sessions of “Level Up Your Social Game” during the summer months.

• Kate Pandolpho, working with Ms. Jamie Prioli, Assistant Director of Student Disability Services, will present an information session to the faculty through the Faculty Development and Innovation Center. More sessions are planned each month on a variety of topics.

• Kelly Petrolis reports the outcomes from the Spring 2022 Restore Your Score (RYS) academic intervention program. Currently, 60% of the engaged RYS students from Spring 2022 are enrolled for Fall 2022 compared to 24% of the non-engaged students.  This represents an increase of 36% in retention.

Of the engaged RYS students from Spring 2022, 55% had a higher cumulative GPA at the end of the semester as compared to 29% of the non-engaged students, a 26% difference in improved cumulative GPA.

Ten students fully participated in RYS and achieved GPA requirements for RYS scholarship stipends:

• 8 students achieved +2.0 cumulative GPAs and returned to good academic standing
• 2 students achieved +2.0 semester GPAs

• Katie Hueth and Ms. Kelly Petrolis completed the instructor certification for Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR), which now can be offered to the campus community on a regular basis, meeting the requirements of several State laws on suicide prevention. Changes in laws are being monitored to ensure compliance.

• The Counseling staff attended the annual Association for Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE) Conference, as well as the New Jersey Prevention Network (NJPN) Conference. Members of the staff are participating in the New Jersey Council of County Colleges monthly update meetings and training.

• The Displaced Homemakers Program ended the year serving 112 clients. Two clients graduated, one transferred to Stockton University, and one client completed the OCC Nursing Program. One client is currently enrolled in the Nursing Program, and two are taking Workforce and Professional Education courses.  Five clients obtained full-time employment.  The program continues offering services in person and remotely.

• Since July 1, 2021, the CARE Team handled 921 CARE reports. This is 105 more reports than in the same time frame in 2021; there were a total of 816 reports from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.  The CARE Team thanks the campus community for its diligence in reporting concerning behaviors among students who are experiencing challenges that impact their academic success.

The HUB

• In June, the HUB continued to serve students virtually for Express Enrollment services via email and by phone, as well as in-person. The most popular day for students to apply was Wednesday, and the most popular day for students to inquire about enrollment was Thursday.

• The HUB assisted 445 students through in-person transactions in June, with an average service duration of 3.33 minutes and an average wait time of 4.09 minutes. The HUB continues to see excellent student service ratings (4.3 stars) on the post-service survey that is sent via text to all students.

• The HUB represented Ocean County College at the Lakewood Blueclaws game on July 7, 2022. The team members were able to meet and greet game attendees, give away some Ocean swag, and see a great game.

• Express Enrollment Day took place on July 12, 2022, at which 30 students were able to come to campus and take a tour, register for the Fall, and meet with Academic Advising to learn more about using Student Planning.

• Jim Campbell, Coordinator of Enrollment and Outreach Services, represented OCC at the Yellow Ribbon event for the 177^th Airwing on June 25, 2022, at Harrah’s Resort and Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There were an estimated 200 attendees, and the goal was to provide service members returning from Afghanistan and their families support resources for their return to civilian life.  OCC was one of two education providers present to discuss their educational benefits.

• The Success team made over 2,500 retention calls in June 2022, about half of which were related to low course grade point averages in the summer.

• The HUB team called almost 3,000 potential students in June 2022. Over 2,000 of the calls were related to student applications and assisting new, incoming students through the on-boarding process.  The HUB team has been working on Stop-Out calls (students who previously attended but stopped for some reason and did not graduate) as well as those who were awarded financial aid but have not yet enrolled.

Southern Education Center

• Sincere appreciation is expressed to Mr. Jim Hauenstein, former Southern Education Center Director, who recently retired, for his commitment and professionalism during his four years working with Ocean County College. He was an integral part of the team, who connected with so many stakeholders to benefit students at the SEC.  The new SEC Director, Mr. Brian Schillaci, had the opportunity to work with Mr. Hauenstein during the first few weeks of July to learn about OCC policies and procedures and SEC processes.

• SEC Academic Advisor Jenna McAteer and Mr. Brian Schillaci took part in the July 12, 2022, Express Enrollment event on the main campus. They spoke with the group during the Student Planning workshop to address residents in Southern Ocean County about courses and services available at the SEC.

• The SEC Student Affairs staff continues to advise students through the handling of the advisingoffice@ocean.edu email inbox as well as with virtual appointments, walk-in visits, and incoming phone inquiries.

• As the Summer Second Five-Week Session proceeds, the SEC Canvas Announcement shell continues to be an effective message board for students attending classes at the SEC. The summer’s Canvas Announcements informed students of the hours and services of the SEC Advising team, the opportunity to take Fall 2022 business-related courses, and the construction project taking place in the parking lot.  Although students are enjoying summer, the analytics indicate a total of 1,500+ collective views for these messages.

• The Workforce and Professional Education Program is continuing to use the SEC as an additional location for Adult Basic Education, specifically the English as a Second Language program and High School Equivalency test prep. Evening classes will be offered again this Fall semester.  Gina Opauski, Director of Community and Workforce Development, and her team visited the SEC to discuss the set up and scheduling for the Fall course offerings.

• The SEC staff continues to review enrollment trends and previous course offerings at the SEC to finalize the Spring 2023 semester proposed course offerings and master schedule.  Hauenstein and Mr. Schillaci met with academic administrators in all course areas to discuss student opportunities in creating the new schedule.  They also visited with representatives from Pinelands Regional, Barnegat, and Southern Regional High Schools to discuss opportunities for students in the coming academic year.

Student Life

College Lecturer II in Science Scott Farrell reported HOSA-Future Health Professionals attended the International Leadership Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.  HOSA-Future Health Professionals Club is for students who are interested in working in healthcare, whether it be laboratory science, nursing, physical therapy, medical assisting, or any of the numerous fields available to students.

• This year’s conference opened with Dr. Mike, best known for his YouTube videos, giving a talk to the 10,600 students in attendance.  OCC students then had time to interact with others who attended the conference from across the country and around the world.
• Students also attended the expo and workshops, where they explored and learned more about the future careers available to them.  Each student competed in one of the more than 50 events that HOSA offered.  OCC students competed against students from other postsecondary/ collegiate schools ranging from community colleges to four-year colleges and universities.
• Ocean County College students placed in their individual events.  Christa Rodriguez won third place in medical spelling, and Danielle D’Allassandro won second place in medical reading.  Christa will be going to Towson University in the Fall to continue on for a degree in nursing.  Danielle will continue at OCC next year.  Her plan is to perform social work at a hospital.
• Special thanks are sent to the HOSA Advisors, Scott Farrell and Taylor Dulemba, for travelling with the students and for their many efforts on behalf of the students.

Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) will be known as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA Collegiate) as it moves into the future.  The group recently travelled to the National Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois.  The following students competed in this year’s business categories:

• Ashley De La Rosa-Hanlon: Accounting Principles and Job Interview
• Ashley won 5^th place nationwide for job interview

• Kyle Fisher: Microeconomics

Ashley and Kyle proudly represented Ocean County College and the Business Department. Special thanks to the club’s advisors, College Lecturers Sean Bips and Ibrahim Moustafa, for their hard work, for their support of these students, and for travelling with them to Chicago.

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

Innovative Technology

Simple Syllabus Launch

The e-Learning Department has launched the Simple Syllabus pilot for the 2022 Accelerated 4 Summer term.  The pilot will streamline access to syllabus content for more than 880 unique e-Learning students in 57 Accelerated 4 sections.  Simple Syllabus engagement reports indicate that 41% of all Accelerated 4 syllabi were viewed before the term started on July 15, 2022.  In addition, the students could access due dates, course materials, and faculty expectations on any web or mobile device through the LMS integration in Canvas.  Access to Simple Syllabus will increase the connectivity of the e-Learning students to their course requirements and, ultimately, their chances of success in achieving course learning outcomes.

Now that the Simple Syllabus pilot has launched, e-Learning will continue working towards a full Fall 2022 semester implementation for all online courses.

Watermark Student Course Evaluation

The Student Course Evaluation, via Watermark, will assist the e-Learning Department with collecting data to evaluate the student online course experience.  This data will provide the evidence to explore possible professional development opportunities, strategic planning for course design, and, most importantly, review the student comments about their online experience, both inside and outside the Canvas learning management system.  In the 2022 Accelerated 3 term, 59 sections were offered and 1,112 students received the course evaluation survey. The response rate was 53.06%, which is a 3% increase from the 2022 Spring evaluation.

The 2022 Summer Ten-Week Session Student Course Evaluation launched on July 22, 2022, and will conclude on August 3, 2022.  The survey is expected to be deployed to more than 900 students enrolled in the 51 Summer Ten-Week e-Learning sections.

Honorlock Third-Party Proctoring

On July 15, 2022, the Honorlock Third-Party integration was launched into e-Learning courses for the 2022 Accelerated 4 term.  Sixty-seven students will be proctored in the term using publisher content.  The e-Learning team members, faculty, and lecturers worked collaboratively to provide this resource for online courses.  The Accelerated 4 term courses are Integrated Office Software, College Algebra, Introduction to Nutrition, and Engineering Dynamics.  With the exception of McGraw Hill online courses, in Fall 2022, all third-party online courses will be integrated to meet the proposed accreditation standards and e-Learning best practices for online courses.

Professional Development

e-Learning Adjunct Roundtable Summer Retreat

The e-Learning Professional Development Series, facilitated by Dr. Meredith Riddle, Assistant Dean of e-Learning, continues to provide guidance and collaborative opportunities for e-Learning faculty.  In June, Part 1 of the “Adjunct Summer Retreat” was offered.  Part 2, “Building a Community in e-Learning,” occurred on July 21, 2022, and focused on the student perspective.  Attendees of Part 1 brainstormed methods to engage students in e-Learning discussions, and faculty presented best practices in increasing class participation and in streamlining instructor policies across online courses.  Attendance at the Retreat continues to demonstrate e-Learning faculty dedication to delivering excellence to the e-Learning student in virtual classrooms.

e-Learning Department Personnel

The e-Learning Department will welcome Ms. Janice Salerno, College Lecturer II in Business Administration, in August 2022.  Also, several adjuncts in the disciplines of anthropology, art history, social work, and supply chain were approved in June.

International Programs

• In preparation for an August visit to Egypt, the International Programs team has worked on agreements, presentations, and training materials for upcoming cohorts at Ain Shams University and Badr University.

• Maysa Hayward, Associate Vice President of International Programs, and Ms. Eileen Schilling, Senior Liaison to the President for Institutional Initiatives, met with representatives from the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) to start course mapping for a potential partnership with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Egypt.

• Hayward and Ms. Maureen Conlon, Associate Director of Web Services, are currently working on the preparation for the 2023 Morocco Study Abroad trip. The previous Morocco Study Abroad trip, scheduled in 2020, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Lauren Remenyi, College Lecturer II in ESL and Applied Linguistics, and Ms. Michelle Youngs, Assistant Director of Student Life, met to discuss the procedures for launching a new Conversation Club between domestic and international students. Ms. Remenyi worked with Assistant Dean Meredith Riddle and Dr. Howaida Wahby-Eraky, Assistant Dean of International Programs, to set the plan for inviting the students and forming the club.

• The International Programs team is exploring opportunities to expand early admission beyond Egypt. Maysa Hayward and Mr. Thomas Gialanella, Executive Director of School Relations, met with Dr. Mark DeMareo, Chief Operating Officer of two international schools in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this month to initiate early admission discussions in the Arabian Gulf area.