NEWS & EVENTS

College Academy at Lacey

Ocean County College and Lacey Township High School began a partnership in 2014 as part of the Jump Start Program wherein Lacey juniors and seniors had the opportunity to register for up to 18 OCC credits.  That partnership has evolved into the College Academy at Lacey.  Beginning in fall 2017, Lacey juniors and seniors will be able to earn 64 OCC credits, 30 in the junior year and 34 as seniors.  If a Lacey student takes advantage of this program, the student will be able to walk across the stage at Ocean County College to receive an associate degree even before receiving a Lacey Township High School diploma.

Dr. Henry Jackson, Executive Director of Academic Success, and Mr. Gregory Brandis, Principal of Lacey Township High School, will attend Thursday’s meeting to provide additional information on this exciting program.

Institutional Planning, Effectiveness, and Compliance

Ms. Mary Troy, Assistant Director of Institutional Research, has been working diligently on revamping OCC’s Fact Book.  The project began in fall 2016 and, with the assistance of Mr. Scott Bruinooge, Manager of Graphic Design in College Relations, is now complete.

The document is the first of its kind for the College, relating OCC’s story through data and infographics as well as contextual information for each section.  The 2016-2017 Fact Book provides data for a five-year period, from fall 2012 through fall 2016, and it will be updated each year.

Ms. Troy will share the new Fact Book with you on Thursday.  It is available in print as well as digitally.

Sabbatical Leave Report

A comprehensive study of the Kean Ocean Partnership, now in its tenth year of operation, was approved as a Sabbatical Project for Dr. Maureen Reustle, former Dean of Academic Services.

Dr. Reustle conducted interviews, focus group meetings, class visitations, and distributed individual surveys during the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters, surveying over 220 OCC and Kean Ocean students regarding their experience with and knowledge of the partnership.  In addition, 23 faculty and staff, also representing both Ocean and Kean Ocean, were surveyed regarding the following themes:

• Partnership background
• Evolution of the partnership
• Goals of the partnership
• Impact/benefits of the partnership
• Barriers/perceptions

Overall, the Kean Ocean partnership is operating successfully with strong student/community interest and a strong commitment from OCC and Kean Ocean faculty and administration. Dr. Reustle will attend Thursday’s meeting to share her findings from the sabbatical report, including areas for improvement that would most likely increase interest, understanding, and success of the partnership.

Finance and Administration

• Performing Arts Academy
  Discussions are continuing with the Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS) on the design of the Performing Arts Academy (PAA) building.  The partnership between OCC and the OCVTS, as well as the funding plan for the building, were publically discussed by the Ocean County Freeholders on June 14, 2017, at the County Pre-Board meeting.  The Freeholders expressed appreciation for the private donation from The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation and also praised the cooperative relationship between the College and OCVTS.  The numerous benefits and opportunities that will be available to PAA students were emphasized.  The Asbury Park Press published an article on June 15, 2017, announcing the relocation of the PAA:
  www.app.com/story/news/education/2017/06/15/ocean-co-build-26-7-m-performing-arts-high-school/398927001/
• Ellucian Executive Advisory Council 
  Last year, Ms. Sara Winchester, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration, was selected to join Ellucian’s inaugural Executive Advisory Council.  The goal of the Council is to provide input directly to the Ellucian executive management team regarding the direction and operation of the largest higher education software company in the world. Ms. Winchester attended the annual meeting in Washington, D.C., from June 6 to 8, 2017.  The meeting focused on honing the structures, strategies, and services designed to help manage higher education institutions in an era of incredible change.  Sessions were devoted to topics such as Ellucian in the cloud, analytics, a complete CRM that manages the total student lifecycle, and transforming to an open platform purpose-built for higher education.
• Accounting
  • Budget Checking Implementation
    Two new budget tools will be implemented on July 1, 2017.  These tools are intended to help budget managers track expenditure activity and ensure that they are within the approved annual budget limits.
    • Budget Checking in Colleague will automatically compare expenses to the approved budget.
    • Budget Self-Service via Ocean Connect is replacing WebAdvisor as the method to view fiscal activity.

Two workshops are scheduled to learn more about these tools and how they can help to better manage expenditure activity.  They will be held on Friday, June 23, 2017, and Tuesday, June 27, 2017.

• Audits
  The State of New Jersey visited the College the week of June 12, 2017, conducting an administrative review of OCC’s Displaced Homemakers Program.  The review went well, and we await the results. Perkins auditors reviewed 2016 program expenses on Monday, June 26, 2017. Lastly, the College’s annual financial audit is underway.  Representatives from Bowman & Company were on campus the week of June 19, 2017, performing preliminary test work.
• Human Resources
  • Community Outreach
    On May 16, 2017, Ms. Tracey Donaldson, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, presented “The Diverse and Inclusive Workplace” to Administrative Directors at Community Medical Center, Toms River.
  • Training and Development
    An all-employee workshop on Emotional Intelligence was offered on June 5, 2017, by SkillPath.  The workshop was well attended and well received.  Plans are underway to offer workshops on Managing Change and Managing Multiple Priorities.
• Continuing and Professional Education
  • Customized Training/Workforce Development
    • The third Welding Class partnership with Brookdale Community College and OCVTS began on June 13, 2017.
    • Toms River Weichert Realtor Agents assembled June 13, 2017, for “How to Increase Real Estate Sales.”  This class will most likely be scheduled again in September.
    • Excel classes for businesses are scheduled for July and August.
    • The Gables Restaurant in Beach Haven completed a second employee “Savvy Server Course – How to Wait on Tables.”
    • SS White Dental, began forty hours of ESL training for employees at its site in Lakewood.  This course will end in August and will be followed by ESL 2.
  • Technology and Business Careers
    • This summer, a second class of the Child Development Associate (CDA) program will graduate.  These students will then be eligible to receive the CDA credential from the Council of Professional Recognition, the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education.
    • Advanced Placement Teacher Training is beginning registration for a week-long program in August.  The training is quite popular, and Advanced Placement teachers register from throughout the country.
  • Allied Health
    • CPE spring 2017 Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy students completed successful externships at LabCorp.  This new relationship is providing a vehicle for career placement.
    • CPE Health Care students continue to maintain a 98% passing rate on national credential exams.
  • Camps/Youth/Community Program
    • Marketing efforts for Kids’ Camps were a great success at Ocean Fun Days and the Point Pleasant Summerfest.
    • Fall 2017 program planning is complete and marketing will soon begin.  New courses will focus on adults with disabilities, ASD kids, and preschoolers.  These courses were created in an effort to support OCC’s community outreach mission.
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant
    • As the TAACCCT Grant will conclude in March 2018, work is underway with the consortium to build a sustainability plan for continuing the productive work of the grant.  Members of the consortium met on June 14, 2017, at Middlesex County College.  The College will form a Task Force for planning purposes.
• The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts
  Over the past three years, there has been consistent growth at the Grunin Center.  Gross revenue, including ticket sales and fees, was over $381,600 since July 1, 2016, and over 18,000 people have visited the Center during the 2016-17 season. With the success of Doktor Kaboom last year, the new School N Stage program will be expanded to include Black String (Korean instrumentalists), Las Cafeteras (Mexican American Band), Janet’s Planet, Kuniko (Japanese Storyteller), and Pirate School. These programs will connect Ocean County K-12 students to curriculum-based arts programs.
  • Sponsors
    With a generous $9,250 donation from the Wintrode Family Foundation, we are pleased to announce a new Summer Stage series to bring educational arts entertainment for children during the summer months. Music & Arts has agreed to sponsor the School N Stage program with a $20,000 sponsorship that includes cash, in-kind equipment, and marketing. Over 160 donations have been received from individuals over the past season to support the Grunin Center programs.
  • Campus Outreach
    Over the past season, the Center has been actively involved with the following student and campus groups:  EOF, FYES, Writing Center, MENA (Middle East North African Club), Asian Culture Club, Maker’s Club, Music Club, Global Education Committee, and Phi Beta Lambda.
  • Community Outreach
    Connections have been made with the following community groups:  Georgian Court University, Toms River Library, Ocean County NOW, and Caregivers.
  • Master Classes/Workshops
    Master classes and workshops were offered with The King’s Singers, Urban Bush Women, Koresh Dance, Brigit Poupart, Ethel, and Stephanie Payne, all of whom connected their talents with OCC students and area elementary and secondary students.
  • Upcoming Season
    On June 15, 2017, the 2017-18 program was announced.  The full listing is available at www.grunincenter.org.  Some of the highlights are:  Joan Osborne, Ailey II, Tony Danza, Herman’s Hermits, Arlo Guthrie, Preservation Hall with Blind Boys of Alabama and Irma Thomas, Ana Gasteyer, Steven Page, and Peter Yarrow.
• College Relations
  • Grants
    2017 marks Ocean County College’s second year presenting the Beyond the Classroom lecture series.  This year’s theme is “Stories of Service.”  To help support this initiative, Mr. Mark Wilson, Director of Cultural Affairs, collaborated with Ms. Kayci Clayton, Grants Manager, to secure the following grant funding and donations:
    • $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
    • $10,000 donation from The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation
    • $2,000 donation from the New Jersey Historical Commission
    • $1,250 grant from the Ocean County Tourism Advisory Council
    • $1,000 grant from the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission

The purpose of the Beyond the Classroom series is to engage both OCC students and the community on important topics in a safe environment that explores the human spirit.  OCC’s program will give voice to the stories of active military and veterans in the community.  OCC is working with StoryCorps to record the stories and The Telling Project to create a play.

Ms. Clayton and Mr. Wilson will attend Thursday’s meeting to discuss this important project.

• College Relations, in partnership with OCC’s advertising agency, Success Communications, received the Award of Excellence for the Owe/Oh affordability radio campaign.  The award ceremony was held June 7, 2017, by the NJ Ad Club – Jersey Awards.
• The Township of Toms River is in the throes of celebrating its 250^th Anniversary.  Ms. Jan Kirsten, Executive Director of College Relations, is serving as a member of the Semiquincentennial (250^th) Committee and has participated in many events related to the history of Toms River.  During the much celebrated “Toms River Talks,” Mr. Ralph Bertini, Television Production Director, and his team, consisting of OCC students, assisted the Ocean County Library with recording the oral history of Toms River that will be shared with future generations.  A copy of the recording will be placed in a Time Capsule during the ceremony in December. At Thursday’s meeting, Ms. Kirsten and Mr. Bertini will discuss their participation in the project.  A letter of appreciation for their work is attached.
• 4^th Annual Alumni Blue Claws Picnic
  Please join us for the upcoming event at the Lakewood Blue Claws on Friday, August 4, 2017. This family-friendly evening of baseball and fireworks is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends from the OCC community.  Tickets may be purchased at the Student Life Box Office in the Student Center or by calling 732-255-0348.

• 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 May 25, 2017, through June 21, 2017.
• Student Affairs
  • Advising
    Ms. Anna Regan, Executive Director of Academic Advising, reported that 448 students have attended New Student Orientation as of June 19, 2017, which represents an increase of 61.15% over the 278 students who had participated at this same point in time last summer.
  • Athletics
    A number of OCC athletic teams have been nominated to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for recognition of outstanding team grade point averages during 2016-17.  This honor is presented to the NJCAA team with the highest grade point average in each sport.  The minimum team grade point average for consideration is 3.00.
  • Women’s Team Grade Point Averages
    Cross Country – 3.41 grade point average
    Soccer – 3.34 grade point average
    Volleyball – 3.31 grade point average
    Tennis – 3.20 grade point average
    Softball – 3.08 grade point average
    Basketball – 3.04 grade point average
  • Men’s Team Grade Point Averages
    Golf – 3.07 grade point average
    Cross Country – 3.03 grade point average
    Baseball – 3.01 grade point average
  • Also attached is a list of the 93 student-athletes who have received academic honors for the 2016-17 year.  Congratulations are extended to all of the students for their academic and athletic achievements.
• Counseling
  • The department continued its award of a $200 scholarship to a graduating student who worked on her career, academic, and life goals; this year’s recipient is Ms. Dylann Emery.
  • Information tables were placed in the Student Center to distribute literature on important issues.  The first related to alcohol use, abuse awareness, and prevention activities.  The Ocean County Health Department and Toms River Police provided the Fatal Vision goggles and a simulation mat to demonstrate physical reactions and limitations while impaired or intoxicated. A second table contained information on sexual assault awareness and prevention, featuring the powerful Providence House Silhouettes display and the student-made T-Shirt Clothesline Project. In addition, May is designated Mental Health Awareness Month.  It was commemorated by placing information on tables in the Student Center, including department contact numbers.
  • Dr. Kate Pandolpho, Director of Career, Employment, and Personal Counseling, and Ms. Susan Ebeling-Witte, Career Counselor, participated in professional training on Rapid Response to Trauma, developed and conducted by renowned psychologist and author David D. Burns, M.D.  Dr. Pandolpho became a certified TEAM practitioner.
  • Step-by-Step to Academic Success, the required intervention program for academically at-risk students, featured 63 sessions with 283 students attending during the spring 2017 semester.
  • Dr. Pandolpho continued her position on the New Jersey College Counseling Association’s Executive Board; she was instrumental in developing its Professional Counselor Recognition Award, and she presented the first award at the annual conference.
  • A new series, The Serenity Sessions, was introduced and offered during the spring semester.  The activities are designed to manage stress, calm the mind, and promote wellness.  The program will continue in the fall semester.
  • A Job Fair was held on campus featuring 25 employers; a number of students were interested in their available positions.
  • The department began its transition of career and employment services to advising as of July 1, 2017.  Its new name will be Counseling and Student Development Services.
• Student Support Services (SSS) Program
  • The theme of the program’s year-end celebration was Navigating Your Path to Success.  The Student Support Services Club hosted various fundraising activities, including a vendor fair and a basket raffle on Spring Day, the proceeds of which were used for the year-end celebration.
  • The SSS Program continues to be very effective, with its students achieving great academic success during the 2016-17 year, including:
    • 84% completion rate of credits attempted
    • 92% of students persisted from fall to spring; 7 graduated after fall semester
    • $415,000 was paid in tuition and fees
    • 29 students completed the requirements for an associate degree and graduated in May 2017
    • 3 students completed a certificate program
    • 5 students were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa
    • 79 students were on the President’s Honor List for the academic year
    • 30 students achieved a grade point average of 4.0, 19 in fall 2016 and 11 in spring 2017; 4 students achieved a 4.0  in both fall and spring
  • Displaced Homemakers Program
  • The Displaced Homemakers Program continues to be highly regarded and recognized by the State funders as an exemplary program.  As a result of the outstanding work of Community Services Specialist and Director of the program, Ms. Eileen Burdge, and Ms. Tara Van Hest, Part-Time Community Services Technician, funding was increased to become a fully-funded program.
  • Program clients continue to achieve remarkable success:
    • 27 clients became employed or moved into higher positions during the program year
    • 3 clients completed OCC associate degrees
    • 1 client completed a baccalaureate degree at Kean Ocean
    • 11 clients completed short-term job training with Continuing Education. The program’s 8^th annual celebration of achievement was held in May. Program clients were recognized for their accomplishments.
  • An innovative celebration, “Cookies with an Author,” featured author, program consultant, and adjunct instructor of psychology, Ms. Kathy DiMario, who read her book, “Posha the Rescued Dog,” and gave each attending child a copy of the book, with the younger children receiving a stuffed Posha dog.
  • Fundraising activities included OCC Foundation and OceanFirst Bank CrowdRise, which featured the Displaced Homemakers Program, and local Wendy’s stores donating a portion of its profits.  Proceeds are used for expenses not covered by the grant.  The Program is deeply grateful to all of the contributors for their generosity.

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

• Domestic e-Learning
  The e-Learning team has been making great progress in the development of new partnerships through transfer and articulation agreements.  Current partner institutions include:
  • Penn State World Campus
  • CSU East Bay
  • Temple University
  • Northeastern University
  • Drexel University
  • Arizona State University – Pathway Program
  • William Paterson University
• The e-Learning team is now fully connected with the new Hudson County Community College (HCCC) project which is facilitating HCCC’s entry into online learning through the provisioning of 20 OCC master courses.  The courses are being edited according to HCCC’s learning objectives.  Hudson’s courses will be available in fall 2017.
• The team has completed the development of its Rosetta Stone project with the development of Turkish I and Turkish II.  OCC now offers 27 fully online language courses, making us unique among all educational institutions.
• e-Learning has begun an online instructor mentoring program that will pair new online instructors with seasoned veterans of distance education at OCC.  This mentorship program has been extended to HCCC faculty, some of whom may already be OCC adjuncts.
• International Projects
  • Conversations continue relative to the establishment of OCC’s micro campus in Egypt, in Asyut, and other locations, including center city Cairo.
  • 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 in fall, with close to 200 new students projected for fall 2017 from these partnerships.
  • OCC is also negotiating an agreement with the Arab Academy for Banking and Finance, another project underway but still quite young in terms of negotiations.
  • In the Dominican Republic, OCC is ready to launch its in-country marketing efforts as a recruitment/marketing agreement is developed with CiberParque Santo Domingo.

Academic Affairs

• Meetings continued with representatives from Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health regarding occupancy of the Health and Wellness Center, which will be located in the new Health Sciences Building.  Plans for the Center were discussed, including providing care for students, staff, and faculty with minor medical issues and the potential to serve the community.  Hosting various wellness programs within the Center was also discussed.
• School of Arts and Humanities
  • Course-level assessment data from courses in Spanish, Philosophy, Art History, and Communications is being analyzed, and the Visual Communication Technology program review is now being finalized. The faculty continue to work on several curriculum initiatives, including making the options of Broadcast and Journalism into full programs, creating an English associate degree, and redesigning the Graphic Arts, Design, and Media degree.
  • A cross-campus open house was hosted by the School on June 9, 2017.  Dean Heidi Sheridan, with much help from Administrative Assistants Maria Galindo and Karin Smith, led a tour of various buildings, with the faculty discussing their areas of expertise.  The tour encompassed a number of areas:
    • The Technology Building – Mr. Lee Kobus and Ms. Renate Pustiak, both Humanities and Fine Arts College Lecturer IIs, talked about the technology used in the Electronic Media and Graphic Design courses.
    • The TV studio – Mr. Kobus explained the OCC broadcasting equipment.
    • The Music area – Music Instructor Karin Gargone and Part-Time Applied Music Facilitator Brian Gilmore spoke about the various music activities held in the large music room, the practice rooms, and the piano lab.
    • The Art Studios – Information was shared about the ceramics lab, the three-dimensional design lab, and the painting and drawing studios.
    • The Black Box Theatre – Communications/Theatre College Lecturer II Paul Chalakani showcased video clips of several of the plays held in that space over the years.
    • At the end of the tour, everyone gathered for snacks and more discussion with Academic Administrator Debra Pfaff and Mr. Stephen Downey and Mr. Rob Marchie, both College Lecturer IIs in History.
  • Mr. Marchie was recently awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Scholarship to attend a research seminar entitled Recognizing an Imperfect Past in Savannah, Georgia. Along with 24 other professors from across the country, Mr. Marchie spent two weeks researching and debating the use of monuments, memory, and recognition of race throughout the history of the United States. The seminar was an opportunity to not only develop stronger teaching foundations but also to gain insight on research begun by Mr. Marchie prior to the NEH grant.  In today’s world, historical and social awareness has become more important than ever, and the debate over the relevance of these monuments and recognition of the country’s history is somewhat an undervalued topic.  As a result of the grant, Mr. Marchie gained much for his classes and his scholarship, and he was able to network to bring speakers to campus to discuss these issues.
• School of Business and Social Sciences
  • Instructor of Criminal Justice Steven Gerding is working as the Lead Instructor for the Methods of Instruction course at the Ocean County Police Academy.  This course provides in-service training for mid-career professionals who have been selected as trainers for their respective police agencies or police academies.  The forty-eight hour course is presented twice a year, in January and June, for the certification of new instructors by the New Jersey Police Training Commission.  It is also eligible for the award of college credits.  In this capacity, Dr. Gerding serves as a community liaison and maintains a leadership role for aspiring instructors who are still serving in the law enforcement profession. Dr. Gerding also attended the Course Design Institute recently held through the New Jersey Council of County Colleges at Mercer County Community College.  Accompanying him were Dr. Angel Camilo, Biology College Lecturer II; Mr. Edmond Hong, Computer Studies College Lecturer II; and Ms. Susan O’Connor, Director of Curriculum Management. Through this experience, a draft plan for an OCC Cyber Security Certificate Program was created.
  • Economics Lecturer II Katherine Toy attended the Bloomberg for Education, New York Event, on June 23, 2017, at Bloomberg Headquarters, in anticipation of the creation of an innovative Business Lab here at OCC.  This lab will enable students in economics and finance courses to work in teams on group projects using this high-powered software and to complete the Bloomberg certification program in stock analysis.  The NYC event provided a full series of lectures on such topics as “Maximizing the Utility of Your Bloomberg Lab,” by Laura Cole, Director of the Masters Investment Learning Center, University of Tennessee, and “Exploring International Finance using Real-Time Data from Bloomberg,” presented by Dr. Richard Holowczak, Associate Professor, Baruch College.
  • Ø  Congratulations are extended to Ms. Jennifer Evans, College Lecturer II of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism, and her students on their successful employment in the hospitality industry.  One of our OCC HRTM students is now a Manager at the Toms River Seaport Museum, and three students are employed at the Days Hotel in Toms River.
  • Mr. Jeffrey Lang, Addictions College Lecturer II, will attend the Annual Joint Meeting of the Professional Advisory Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (PACADA) and the Professional Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Board (PAC) on July 11, 2017, at the Ocean County Training Center in Waretown.  The featured speaker will be Mr. Eric Arauz, MLER, of the Trauma Institute of New Jersey.  Topics will include the Neurobiology of Trauma and Practical Applications for Treatment and the Intersection of Trauma and Co-Occurring Disorders.
• School of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • The Nursing faculty and staff attended the New Jersey Council of Associate Degree Nursing Programs Annual Workshop on June 2, 2017, at Forsgate Country Club. The presentation titled, “The Disabled Nursing Student and the Law: What Faculty Need to Know,” focused on laws that promote the education of disabled students who wish to become nurses.  The role of faculty in facilitating the disabled student’s education and transition into nursing practice was examined.
  • Nursing College Lecturer II Bridget Wertz, MSN, RN, attended Guided Pathways Summer Institute: Technology Tools for Program Mapping on June 19, 2017, at Mercer County Community College.  The goal of the program was to assemble colleagues throughout the state to discuss strategies and best practices for utilizing technology as a program mapping tool.  Discussions focused on limitations encountered with technology tools and facilitated engagement of colleagues in problem-solving processes to address identified challenges.
  • Nursing College Lecturer II Erin Vitale MSN, RN, and Ms. Maryann Kaufmann MSN, RN, Skills, Simulation, and Student Retention Specialist attended the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Conference (INACSL) in Washington, D.C., from June 21-24, 2017.  The INACSL conference is the leading forum for nursing faculty to gain knowledge regarding best practices for simulation to enhance the education of students.
• School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
  • Mr. Vijay Ramdeen, College Lecturer II in Chemistry, conducted four in-class activities at Brick Township High School with 79 students in chemistry classes for the STEM Academy.  The activities included making magnetic silly putty, soil testing and garden planning, isolation of DNA from peas, and building an electric motor (using a cup, magnets, paper clips, wire, and battery).
  • An on-campus STEM Day was held on June 6, 2017, for 35 Brick Township High School freshman students.  They learned about wind power efficiency, making an electric piano with an Arduino chip, and making soap with homeopathic fragrance.  Assisting with this activity were Ms. Laurie Bellero, Part-Time Academic Services Technician; Dr. Camilo; Dr. Caterina Gibson, Biology College Lecturer II; Mr. Hong; Ms. Andrea Hrehovcik, Computer Studies Administrative Assistant; Dr. Mary-Ellen Rada, Anatomy College Lecturer II; and Dean Paul Silberquit.
  • On May 26, 2017, OCC’s TechPrep Consortium held the revived Cardboard Canoe Race at the Toms River YMCA.  Students participated in two races: 1) a timed race to complete two pool laps with canoes/boats and paddles made from cardboard that were prepared at their schools; and 2) a race that required all teams to build a canoe/boat from cardboard and cross the pool.  The following teams participated in the competition:

• Assistance with judging and coordinating the competition was provided by Mr. Neil Schiller, Associate Professor of Engineering; Ms. Maryann Birdsall, Professor of Mathematics; Mr. William Birdsall; Dr. Camilo; Mr. Ray Dondaro, Coordinator of Evening and Weekend Services; Ms. Kathleen Hamilton, STEM Administrative Assistant; Mr. Vijay Ramdeen, Chemistry College Lecturer II; and Dean Silberquit.
  • Dean Silberquit and Ms. Lori Trachtenberg, Director of Testing, attended the May meeting of the Ocean County Superintendents at the Brick Township Professional Development Center.  They led a discussion on OCC’s placement testing and testing score requirements for each of the mathematics levels
  • Mr. Scott Farrell, College Lecturer II in Chemistry, chaperoned HOSA club students to attend the HOSA National Competition from June 21 to 24, 2017, in Orlando, Florida.
• Library
  The Library’s weeding project is complete, and work is now shifting to the print collection to create a more intuitive flow through the library stacks.  Signage is being updated in real time so patrons can find what they need during the shift.  A new Listening Station is in place, and the Library’s music and spoken recordings collection is being showcased.  The OCC archives collection has been moved to the Technical Services Suite in Room 200, where patrons will have improved access to materials and will be able to interact with staff as they utilize the archives collection.