Friday, July 20, 2007

 

MWCC OPENS HONORS PROGRAM TO INCOMING STUDENTS

By Kimberly B. Caisse

MWCC is opening its newly reaccredited Commonwealth Honors Program to incoming students for the first time in the program’s seven-year history. Honors Program Coordinator Sheila Murphy is working with the Admissions Office to recruit incoming students with exemplary high-school records.

To be considered, freshmen applicants must have a combined (critical reading, mathematics, and writing) SAT Reasoning Test score of above 1650, or a combined (critical reading and mathematics) SAT Reasoning Test score of above 1100; a high-school GPA of 3.3 or higher; and/or a high-school class rank in the top 15 percent. (An incoming students’ class rank is determined after six or seven completed semesters of high school.) They must also interview with Murphy.

“There are many wonderful things about Honors,” said Murphy, a professor of psychology and human services at MWCC. “They include working one-on-one with professors to complete Honors component contracts and challenging, rewarding courses like ‘How Cancer Works,’ ‘Emerging Issues in Justice’ and ‘Business Ethics in Journalism.’”

Students who enter MWCC’s Honors Program, which recently became the state’s first community college honors program reaccredited by the Board of Higher Education, must complete Honors courses in addition to the work they are doing for their degree program. They need to maintain a minimum cumulative QPA of 3.3 to remain in good standing in the Honors Program. If students complete all required Honors work with a B or better, they will graduate as a Commonwealth Scholar, and are automatically accepted into Commonwealth Honors Programs at Massachusetts public colleges and universities.

In August and January, eligible current students who have completed at least 12 credits at MWCC and have a minimum of a 3.3 QPA are notified about applying to the Honors Program. These students must submit two recommendations from faculty members and interview with Murphy to be considered.

To learn more about MWCC’s Honors Program, contact Murphy at (978) 630-9331 or smurphy@mwcc.mass.edu, or visit www.mwcc.edu/honors.

MWCC TO OFFER FAMILY-CENTRIC LEARNING IN FALL

By Kimberly B. Caisse

MWCC’s Family Focus courses will offer parents and children the opportunity to learn something new at the same time and in a single location.

“These new courses are designed to provide relevant lessons to both parents and children in a hassle-free, affordable way,” said Missi Sargent, MWCC’s director of noncredit programs. “We chose to run this program on Saturdays to fit into the busy schedules of today’s families.”

Family Focus begins Saturdays Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 9 a.m. to noon with Calligraphy and Journal to Self for parents, and Cooking for Fun, The Healthy Kids Club, Kids in the Kitchen, Scrapbooking for Kids, Online Video Game Making and Bookmaking for children.

“After 10 years of teaching this workshop locally, I can vouch for its ability to provide a holistic path to self-improvement and personal growth,” said Journal to Self instructor Kay Richard. “The potential of the journal as an adjunct for life management is beyond our scope of measurement. I'm very excited to have been chosen for inclusion in the new Family Focus program.”

The sessions that run Saturdays Oct. 13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3, also from 9 a.m. to noon, will include Lego Vehicles for 8- to 11-year-olds and Lego Engineering for 5- to 7-year-olds. In Lego Vehicles, students will build 13 different vehicles and a final project. Projects include adjustable cranes, a Bobcat, a flipper car, inch-worm cars, the scissor car and a submarine. Lego Engineering teaches students about levers, wheels, axles, structures, forces and simple machines.

Also on Saturdays Oct. 13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3, teens between the ages of 12 and 15 can learn how to beat test stress in Overcoming Test Anxiety and how to Stay Healthy & Safe.

One of the classes for parents offered in this session is Investments 101. “Whether you are interested in strategies designed to help you enhance your long-term investment returns, reducing your income taxes or income strategies, you should plan to attend this informative class,” said Christina Gunther, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Leominster who will be the course instructor.

Courses cost only $150 for one parent and child registration. Each registration must specify the parent topic and child topic, and must be in the same session. For the full list of MWCC’s Family Focus classes and registration information, contact Director on Noncredit Programs Missi Sargent at (978) 630-9273 or lll@mwcc.mass.edu.

More MWCC News:

• Theatre at the Mount will present “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” based on the book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by Dick Scanlan, Friday, Aug. 10, Saturday, Aug. 11, Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. and Sundays Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. Audiences will jump into the madcap merriment of the Jazz Age when women were bobbing their hair, raising their hemlines and raising eyebrows. Frisky flappers, romantic trysts, speakeasies, tap dancing and flashy fun abound in this tale of a Midwestern girl determined to take the Big Apple by storm. Tickets for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” are on sale at the Theatre at the Mount box office Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., or call (978) 632-2403. Tickets can also be purchased online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu. Tickets are $20 for evening performances and $15 for matinees, with discounts available for children, Mount students and groups.
• Do you have an idea for a new business or nonprofit organization? Do you want to start it in North Central Massachusetts? If you answered yes to these questions, now is your chance to turn that idea into a business plan for cash and other prizes. It’s all part of MWCC’s 2007 Business Plan Competition. You’ll be among the group of innovators seeking to win up to $14,000 in cash prizes, as well as over $14,000 of in-kind services, to help you start or expand a business or nonprofit in the region. Applications and final business plans are due Tuesday, Sept. 18. Semi-finalists, finalists and the grand-prize winner will be announced in November. Learn all the competition details and get an application at http://erc.mwcc.edu or call Lisa Derby Oden at (978) 840-3221 ext. 163.
• MWCC’s Bridge to Success workshops will run Monday, Aug. 13 through Thursday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Gardner campus. Bridge to Success is a free summer orientation and college preparation program for non-traditional students, ages 24 and older, who are returning to college or just beginning their pursuit of higher education. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with non-traditional students who have already spent a year or more at MWCC. Other topics covered during the Bridge program are time management and organizational tools; learning styles; study skill; exploring career options; and an introduction to the library, catalog, and college web services. The program is offered by the Visions Program, a federal TRIO/Student Support Services grant. For more information about the Bridge to Success program, contact Director Gaurav Khanna at (978) 630-9297.
• MWCC, in association with the Broadcasting and Telecommunications program and Phi Theta Kappa, is pleased to once again offer 2007 Commencement DVDs. This professional quality, edited DVD of MWCC’s 2007 graduation day ceremony will be available for a limited time at a cost of $15 each. This low cost includes the cost of shipping and handling. Fifty percent of the profits from the DVD sales will go to MWCC’s Phi Delta Chapter of the PTK Honor Society. PTK students will donate the other 50 percent of the profits directly to the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center. To place an order in advance, contact Sheila Murphy, PTK advisor, at smurphy@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC’s Student Life Office will hold the third annual Leadership Camp for incoming students on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Leadership Camp is limited to the first 30 students who return their registration form along with the $10 registration fee. The deadline for registration is Monday, July 30. The goal of this two-day camp is to offer new students an opportunity to get the most out of their college experience, develop leadership skills and learn the benefits of being involved in their college community. Research shows that the more students are actively engaged in college co-curricular activities the more likely they are to reach their academic goals. To learn more, contact Assistant Dean of Student Life Greg Clement at (978) 630-9547 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.
• The Clinical Laboratory Science program offers an associate’s degree curriculum and integrates general education courses with science and hospital rotations. Students enrolled in this program will learn how to use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation and computers to analyze blood and other body specimens. The generation of accurate results of laboratory tests allows physicians to detect, diagnose and treat disease. An information session will take place Wednesdays August 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Volney Howe Conference Room or the OBS Conference Room at Heywood Hospital. The sessions will include a tour of the clinical laboratory. Prospective students interested in attending the information session are asked to call the admissions office at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu.
• The Leo & Theresa LaChance Library will be open regular hours over the summer, but there will be no public access to the Mezzanine and lower levels through Friday, Aug. 31 due to the library renovation. Access to the book collection will be extremely limited, so patrons should call ahead if they need something in particular. Staff may be able to access parts of the collection at various times, but they cannot guarantee that they will be able to retrieve specific titles at specific times. The main level will provide public access computers and printing. The rooms on the lower level will not be available during this time. The renovation project is funded through the college's capital campaign, which raised nearly $4 million. If you have any questions, please call Assistant Dean of Library and Information Services Linda Oldach at (978) 630-9126.
• Register now for the second annual Bob Wilson Memorial Scholarship 5k Run/Walk at Fitchburg State College Elliot Field Track, organized by is wife and MWCC Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems. The 5K will take place Sunday, Oct. 28. The Walk will begin at 12:15 p.m.; the Run at 1 p.m. Race Day Registration will start at 10:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit scholarships, through Fitchburg State College and Fitchburg Access Television, to communications and broadcast students attending MWCC and Fitchburg State. Last year, 180 people registered to walk or run and we earned $4,800 for scholarships. Registration forms are available at www.bobwilsonfund.com. For more information, contact Wilson at t_wilson@verizon.net or (978) 630-9225.