NEWS & EVENTS

49^th Annual Commencement Week Activities

Please join us for some or all of the annual commencement activities scheduled for next week:

• Tuesday, May 24 – Nursing Pinning Ceremony at 7:00 p.m. in the Theatre of the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts.  It is expected that 125 students will be pinned.
• Wednesday, May 25 – OCC Awards Ceremony at 7:00 p.m. in the Theatre of the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts.
• Thursday, May 26 – OCC’s 49^th Commencement at 6:00 p.m. on the College campus.  We are delighted to have as our guest speaker this year United States Congressman Thomas MacArthur.A reception will be held for the platform party from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Administration Building.  At 5:00 p.m., the platform party will robe for the ceremony. Members of the College community will be invited to a reception prior to Commencement from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Black Box Atrium in the Grunin Center for the Arts. This year, in the event of rain, Commencement will move to Friday, May 27, at 10:00 a.m. on the College campus. At 3:00 p.m. prior to Commencement, a ceremony honoring our veterans will take place at the Veterans Memorial on the campus mall.   The guest speaker will be Colonel Martin F. Klein, Deputy Commander, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

We look forward to another exciting and successful week for our students this year.

Academic Affairs

• School of Arts and Humanities
  • The Communications faculty hosted a successful Speech Competition, sponsored by Pearson, on May 5, at which students presented persuasive speeches on topics of their own choosing.  This competition has been held for the past several years, with faculty nominating students to participate. The winners were:
    • • 1^st place – Marc Ellsworth
      • 2^nd place – Jessica Siedler
      • 3^rd  place – Christina Vincent
    • Finalist – Kathryn Latona
    • Finalist – Nicholas Leight
    • Finalist – Matthew Schoenberger

• The OCC Jazz Band, under the direction of Adjunct Assistant Professor David Marowitz, performed at the Strand Theatre in Lakewood on May 4 to a large crowd.
• To celebrate National Poetry Week in April, Dr. Heidi Sheridan, Assistant Professor of English and Literature, hosted the 15^th Annual Poetry Festival.  Mr. Gerald Stern, the author of 16 books of poetry, read from his work and discussed poetry and life with students.  The event was held in the Black Box, which was filled to capacity.
• The student publication, Seascape, had its launch party on April 26.  Seascape is the annual literary and art magazine produced by the OCC Seascape Literary Magazine Club.  Founded in 1965, the publication is produced by student editors and is composed of student, alumni, and faculty work.  Professor Heidi Sheridan serves as the advisor for Seascape.  Copies will be distributed to you at Monday’s meeting and can also be found throughout the campus.
• The Fine Arts Department hosted a display of student work on May 6 in the Grunin Center for the Arts.  Mr. Wesley Holman, a student enrolled in Modernism and the Arts, taught by Dr. Sandra Brown, Professor of English, won the Honors by Contract award for his project completed in fall 2015.  His work combined a study of painting with mathematical principles. The Honors by Contract Program allows high achieving students the opportunity to work individually with faculty members/lecturers on directed higher-level educational activities that are related to course objectives while being enrolled in a regular course.  The student completes the regular course assignments in addition to faculty-directed, higher-level academic assignments.

• Dr. Jayanti Tamm’s new play, “Black Friday,” was selected to be staged by the Luna Stage Theatre Company in West Orange, New Jersey, for its New Play Festival.  The play opened on May 9.  Dr. Tamm is an Assistant Professor of English and Literature.

• School of Business and Social Sciences
  • Ocean County College received confirmation from the Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, that the OCC Addictions Counseling Program has received national accreditation from the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC).  This recognition was due, in large part, because of the efforts of Mr. Jeffrey Lang, College Lecturer II in Addictions/Counseling, who was instrumental in completing the required self-study document and application for this accreditation.
  • The national business honor society, Alpha Beta Gamma, joined with Lambda Epsilon Chi, the national honor society founded by the American Association for Paralegal Education, for the annual Initiation Ceremony on May 6.  Approximately 80 students received membership in Alpha Beta Gamma, and one student was inducted into Lambda Epsilon Chi.

Alpha Beta Gamma was founded in 1970 to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year business and professional college students.  Mr. Henry Schwartz, Associate Professor of Business Studies, and Ms. Katherine Toy, Lecturer II of Business, advise this group of students.  Professor of Business Studies Edward Kissling and Mr. Torris Anderson, Jr., Associate Professor/Reference Services Librarian, provide the leadership to the students in Lambda Epsilon Chi, which was established to recognize academic excellence in paralegal studies.

• Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Ms. Denise VanSant-Smith, MSN, RN, Nursing Lecturer II, presented a poster titled, “The Psychosocial and Physiological Effects of Teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to Adolescents with Type I Diabetes,” at the Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference, which was held from April 13 – 15, 2016, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Ms. VanSant-Smith’s presentation was part of her dissertation for completion of a Ph.D. from Duquesne University School of Nursing; she received a $500 scholarship from Duquesne University to support the presentation of her work.
  • Nurses from Community Medical Center Obstetrics and Labor and Delivery Departments collaborated with OCC to utilize equipment within the Simulation Labs for completion of State-mandated competencies in high risk delivery procedures.  Sixty nurses from Community Medical Center were able to practice these required skills during spring 2016.
  • Ms. Maryann Kaufmann, MSN, RN, Nursing Simulation, Skills, and Student Retention Specialist, was inducted into the Kean University Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society on May 1.  Ms. Kaufmann is a Ph.D. student at Kean University.  This program is held on the Kean Ocean campus.
  • Ms. Tracy Walsh, MSN, RN-BC, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, was inducted into the Kean University Chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society on May 3.  Ms. Walsh is a Ph.D. student at Kean University on the Kean Ocean campus.

• School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
  • Assistant Professor of Science Eric Antonelli and Dr. Angel Camilo, College Lecturer II of Biology, received one of two first place awards for their research and presentation on “The Use of Cell Phone Digital Media with QR Codes in Science Labs” at the 17^th Annual NJEDge.Net Faculty Showcase at Stevens Institute of Technology on March 23.  They first presented their research, which was followed by a poster session.  Dr. Edmond Hong, College Lecturer II in Computer Studies, provided invaluable technical support and research for this project, which is already being utilized here at the College for our students and for training adjunct faculty. Both Professor Antonelli and Dr. Camilo have been invited to participate at the national NJEDge Annual Conference from November 16 – 18.  The theme of the conference is the Junction of Technology and Teaching.  The conference will take place in Princeton; Professor Antonelli and Dr. Camilo will receive free passes and hotel lodging to attend.

• Two Phi Theta Kappa students, Steven M. Jones and Shivani Patel, have been conducting research with Professor Antonelli and Dr. Camilo.  On Saturday, April 30, they presented a paper titled, “Substrate Colonization Preferences by Fungi,” at the 61^st Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Academy of Science hosted by Kean University.  The paper was accepted and published on that date.  We are all very proud of the hard work and dedication these students demonstrated and appreciate the mentorship from Professor Antonelli and Dr. Camilo The New Jersey Academy of Science is a private, non-profit, scientific and educational organization of scientists and others interested in science, the purpose of which is to stimulate science education and research throughout New Jersey.

• Dr. Caterina Gibson, College Lecturer II of Science, and 44 students in her General Biology classes participated in an ecology/beautification project this spring.  The project combined lessons learned in the classroom about various plant species and their life cycles with the actual planting of flowers at the entrances of the Hiering Science Building and the Technology Building.  Not only did the students gain knowledge through this project, but the campus community will continue to enjoy their project.
• Ms. Cassandra Camacho, an Honors by Contract student working with Dr. Mary Ellen Rada, College Lecturer II of Science, presented a PowerPoint lecture on the Zika virus and the biological and sociological aspects surrounding the virus, how to control the mosquito populations, and the connection to human development and pregnancy.

• The Spring Tech Prep High School Competition was held on the OCC campus on May 11.  Replacing the traditional Cardboard Canoe competition was a unique Robotics Challenge that allowed high school teams to be creative with performing any task of their choice. With 79 students attending the event, 63 participated from 6 area schools:
  • Brick Township High School (3 teams) – Ping Pong Ball Launcher, Rubik’s Cube Solver Robot, and Egg Stair Climber Carrier and Egg Cracker Robots
  • Brick Memorial High School (spectators)
  • Manchester Township High School (3 teams) – Remote Control Camera Dolly, Robotic Car, Electronic Piano
  • Manchester Middle School (1 team) – Robotic Forklift
  • Lacey Township High School (2 teams) – Ping Pong Ball Launcher, Motion-Following Bubble Shooter
  • Ocean County Vocational-Technical School (1 team) – Robotic Dog

The winners of the competition were:

• 1^st Place:  Ocean County Vocational-Technical School, Robotic Dog
• 2^nd Place:  Lacey Township High School, Motion-Following Bubble Shooter
• Tied for 3^rd Place:  Lacey Township High School, Ping Pong Ball Launcher, and Brick Township High School, Egg Climber Carrier and Egg Cracker Robots

Each student from the winning teams received OCC tuition vouchers that varied in amounts: $500 for 1^st Place, $250 for 2^nd Place, and $125 for 3^rd Place.

Finance and Administration

• From April 17 – 20, Ms. Sara Winchester, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration, attended the Ellucian Live conference in Denver, Colorado.  The conference was dedicated to the future development of the Ellucian ERP system. Ms. Winchester was able to learn a great deal about the Colleague Cloud initiative from Ellucian’s perspective.  She, along with Mr. Chuck Keeler and Ms. Chrissy Coley, Ellucian General Manager and Principal Strategic Consultant, Managed Services, respectively, presented a session entitled, “Building Business Partnerships to Enhance Student Success.”
• On April 22, Ms. Winchester presented a session entitled, “New Jersey Community College Cloud Consortium,” at the Best Practices Conference.  The session covered the following topics:
  • What is Colleague in the Cloud and Why Should We Want to Go There?
  • Financial Implications
  • Consortium Procurement of Colleague
  • Governance of Colleague in the Cloud
  • Next Steps

  The session was well received by faculty and staff from various New Jersey community colleges.

  The Best Practices Conference is sponsored by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges.  This year it was held at Middlesex County College.

• Accounting
• The Cashier’s Office is offering a discount to students who register early for fall 2016 semester courses.   Students can secure a schedule with a minimal deposit of $100 for full-time students and $50 for a part-time students and pay only half of the Payment Plan Fee.  The normal cost of the Payment Plan is $50 for full-time students and $30 for part-time students.  In effect, for as little as $125 for full-time or $65 for part-time, students can register early and have no additional payment until July. This offer is one of many efforts designed to combat declining enrollment and encourage early registration.  It ends June 30; the first payment on the Payment Plan is not due until July 12.

• Purchasing
• OCC has been selected to coordinate new procurements for the New Jersey Community College Joint Purchasing Consortium.  Staff time devoted to this effort will be charged to the Consortium.  This month, the OCC Purchasing Office coordinated the procurement of state-wide Title IX training for all New Jersey community colleges.  This effort will result in cost-effective live training sessions at three strategically located colleges to allow participation by all New Jersey community colleges.

• College Relations

An update on activity follows:

• UB/Tech Harman Innovation Awards, $25,000; the application was submitted and not funded
• University of Washington, Curriculum Development Grant, $4,000; the application was submitted
• State of New Jersey, Department of Education, Math and Science Partnership Grant, $377,358; the application was submitted and not funded
• Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, $5,000; the application was submitted
• Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, $5,700; the application was submitted and pre-approved for funding

• Facilities

Throughout the year, MEL Safety Institute (MSI) holds safety training classes on campus for Ocean County College employees and other municipalities in the County.  The MEL Institute trains over 30,000 employees each year in a broad range of safety topics required by the Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health Act (PEOSHA).

This week, the MEL Institute conducted Office Safety training, which reviewed the main hazards that are faced in an office environment, such as electrical hazards; workstation ergonomics; slips, trips, and falls; and emergencies and hazard communication.  Employees are more aware of safety hazards and concerns, enabling them to be more proactive for their own well-being as well as for the safety of their co-workers and the College community.

• Human Resources
  • A workshop on Emotional Intelligence was conducted for members of the Leadership Academy on April 21.  Mr. Earl Haddad of Skillpath presented a full day of training, focusing on understanding how our emotions contribute to performance and professional success.  Future workshops on this topic are being planned and will be offered to all College employees.
  • In compliance with various state and federal laws, Ocean County College has implemented an online interactive Title IX training program for all employees.  The Preventing Discrimination and Sexual Violence: Title IX, Violence Against Women Act, and Clery Act training program provides employees with the knowledge and necessary tools to enable them to appropriately act should they encounter or observe sexually violent or harassing behaviors in the workplace or be notified as a “responsible employee” that a Title IX violation may have occurred. All employees were notified of the training via email on April 27.  The training is mandatory, but, more importantly, it allows each of us to do his or her part in maintaining a safe and respectful campus culture.

• Ms. Tracey Donaldson, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, presented “Lead like a GRRL” at the Ocean County College Women’s Leadership Conference held on April 27.On April 29, Ms. Donaldson, as OCC’s Title IX Coordinator, joined Ms. Ilene Cohen, Executive Director of Judicial Affairs and Athletics, and Dr. Kate Pandolpho, Director of Career and Counseling Services, in presenting “Sexual Assault and Title IX:  What Counselors Need to Know” to the New Jersey Community College Counselors’ Association at its annual Spring Mini-Conference, which was held in the Gateway Building. Ms. Donaldson also attended the College University Personnel Association’s Eastern Regional Conference on May 2 and 3, in Boston, Massachusetts.

• On April 28, Ocean County College hosted a “Bring Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day.”  By all accounts, the day was a success as the children enjoyed yoga, a scavenger hunt/campus tour, a forensics crime lab experience, a show at the Novins Planetarium, participating in broadcast/camera work in the TV Studio, and lunch in the Larson Student Center. Special appreciation is expressed to the members of the planning team, who worked tirelessly to make this event a positive experience for employees and their children:
  • Ms. Amanda Boyle, Part-Time Planetarium Retail Business Operations Manager
  • Ms. Cindy Fallon, Human Resources Staffing and Recruiting Technology Specialist
  • Ms. Kerry Holzschuh, Camp and Youth Coordinator
  • Ms. Linda Pagnotta, Human Resources Technician

Additionally, the following individuals are acknowledged for their ideas, time, donations, and assistance, without which the day would not have been such a rich and fun experience for the children:

• Mr. Mark Wilson, Director of Cultural Affairs
• Ms. Donna Rosinski-Kauz, Director of Library Services
• Mr. James Marshall, College Lecturer II, Librarian
• Ms. Catherine Pontoriero, Assistant Professor/Librarian Reference Services
• Dr. Roseann Bar, Dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences
• Mr. Joseph Kirchhofer, Associate Professor of Social Sciences
• Mr. Ralph Bertini, Television Production Director
• Ms. Jan Kirsten, Executive Director of College Relations
• Mr. Scott Bruinooge, Manager of Graphic Design
• Ms. Karen Papakonstantinou, Controller
• Ms. Allison Noone, Assistant Director of Student Life
• Mr. Kevin Molnar, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Computer Studies
• Ms. Laura Giacobbe, Assistant Bookstore Manager
• Mr. Bob Salvatore, Planetarium Presenter

• On May 6, members of the Leadership Academy presented a project proposal to the President’s Leadership Team.  Researching and proposing a project related in some way to the Strategic Plan (Charting Our New Course) was an assignment for the first Leadership Academy cohort.  The 2016 cohort presented “The Ocean Way,” a program that would serve to codify, communicate, and implement a focused approach to OCC’s student/customer service.  It is expected that the program will be absorbed into the Student Success Experience initiative and supported by the Office of Human Resources.
• Open enrollment periods are underway for Dental and Section 125 programs through the end of May.  Details are being provided online and through a series of informational sessions.

• The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts
  • In partnership with Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, the College was fortunate to have Switchback give a successful workshop for middle school and OCC students on Irish music and history.
  • On May 7, The Bronx Wanderers performance was another sold out event.  A new dinner sponsorship was formed with Toms River restaurant Il Giardinello for this event.
  • Upcoming Events
    • On June 1, 2, and 3, Ocean County College and the Grunin Center for the Arts will host the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival.  An estimated 5,000 students will be visiting the College for their art to be adjudicated and to participate in workshops throughout the day.
    • On June 3, Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin-Vega, the original Roger and Mimi in Broadway’s “Rent,” will be giving a master class at 3:00 p.m. and a performance at 8:00 p.m.  Anyone who has fallen in love with the hit songs from “Rent” should purchase tickets now.

• Information Technology
  • During April, the Office of Information Technology offered 36 distinct workshops to introduce faculty to the new Learning Management System, Canvas.  During May, OIT is continuing the Canvas training efforts, including special topic workshops.  On May 16, 17, and 18, Canvas trainers will be on campus to provide additional training to faculty.  A self-paced online training course has also been developed that can be used as a supplemental learning resource.
  • OCC is a Beta site for Ellucian “Cloud Analytics,” a Software as a Service (SaaS)-based solution. Ellucian is currently working on the first module of this Analytics solution, “Recruiter Analytics,” and it is expected that this module will be completed by the fall semester.  Resources from various departments will need to be assigned to participate in the evaluation and testing of this Analytics solution.
  • Many activities and tasks for Colleague enhancement have been completed during the past four weeks:
  • Implementation of the National Student Clearing House eTranscripts solution, which provides faster service for our students, saves printing supplies, and reduces the need to manually process transcript requests.
  • The reimplementation of the ACCUPLACER scores import process to increase efficiency in the Testing Center and expedite processing of new students.
  • In Student Planning, students are now able to view their unofficial transcripts.
  • OIT worked with the OCC Foundation to automate the upload of students’ records into Academic Works.
  • OIT is working with Facilities and College Relations to redesign the facilities request form and define a new workflow to improve the event scheduling approval process.
  • Ocean is participating in the Beta testing of the new Ellucian Time Entry and Approval self-service solution.

• Continuing Education
  • Customized Training/Workforce Development
    • Mr. Michael Forcella, Manager of Business Engagement, coordinated a College Fair at Lakehurst Naval Air on May 4, with Ms. Lisa Kasper, Director of Admissions, and Dr. Roseann Bar, Dean of Business and Social Sciences, in attendance.  This initiative is a result of Mr. Forcella’s networking at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst at all levels, with special emphasis on educational functions.
    • Customized Training continues to work with McDonald’s Corporate in servicing its franchises with ESL training through the New Jersey Business and Industry Association/Coalition 19 Grant.  Ocean County College was featured in an Asbury Park Press article that highlighted a recent graduation ceremony of workers who completed the training.
• Workshops continue to be offered to unemployed workers through the Ready-To-Work grant and Coalition 19.  The welding course will be finishing in June; additional courses will be offered in the future to meet the needs of the unemployed.

• Technology and Specialized Careers
  • Several new technology and business classes and certificates are being offered for the fall semester, including classes in Microsoft 360, Office Accounting Specialist, and an Online Sharing class focused on using Dropbox and MS360 to send/share documents with personal email accounts.
  • CPE’s online survey to evaluate courses launched this spring semester. This evaluation will increase the efficiency and viability of course offerings in the future.
  • CPE will begin using electronic signature contracts for instructors for the fall semester.  Doing so will reduce costs associated with mailing, supplies, and administrative hours used for paper contracts.
  • Targeted marketing campaigns through social media, online advertising, and postcard and email blasts are being utilized to increase enrollment by educating Ocean County businesses about the variety of CPE offerings that are available to them.

• Camps/Youth/Community Programs
  • A Kids on Campus training program has been created on protocols and procedures for all staff, instructors, and counselors. Mr. Frank Iannone, Director of College Safety and Security, provided input to ensure consistency with College policy.
  • Kids on Campus programs will be marketed at two upcoming events, Family Fun Day on May 21 and the Point Pleasant Summerfest on June 4.

• Allied Health
  • A commercial for the Veterinary Assistant certificate program has been completed and has aired on Facebook and YouTube.

• CPE Health Care students continue to obtain employment after fast-track training.  Two of the current Veterinary Assistant students already have a promise of employment upon course completion in June.
• The spring Medical Office Specialist, Medical Assistant, and Phlebotomy programs will graduate 45 students in May, and several students already have a promise of employment.  These programs are showing strong summer enrollment.

• New Jersey Labor and Workforce Development Collaboration
  • All community colleges have been tapped to deliver training on the new Career Connections initiative beginning in June.  OCC will be responsible for training the One-Stop Centers, public libraries, and all organizations that service job seekers and receive State funds.  The New Jersey Council of County Colleges Consortium has arranged for OCC to receive compensation for the sessions.
  • Civil Service testing for police officers will be held at New Jersey community colleges from October through December on Saturdays.  Colleges will be compensated for room rent and proctor expenses.

• OCC Foundation
  • The Ocean County College Foundation’s 2016 Scholarship Celebration is being held on Saturday, June 11, at 6 p.m. in the Jon and Judith Larson Student Center.  This year, the Foundation is recognizing Investors Bank and Mr. Richard Spengler, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer, with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.  The event co-hosts are Mr. Kenneth J. Malagiere and Ms. Victoria Magliacane.  All proceeds from the Celebration will benefit the Foundation’s mission to support the growth and development of the College through scholarships, endowments, and capital and special projects.  Gourmet food will be served, music will be provided, and a silent auction will take place.
  • The Ocean County College Foundation’s 100 Women Campaign recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.  The 100 Women Campaign’s mission is to bring together dynamic, innovative, and accomplished Ocean County women who will support each other’s life and career goals, share their insights and experiences, and encourage  education through Ocean County College.  Since its inception, over 100 women from Ocean County committed their time, talent, and resources to helping OCC students, over $65,000 in scholarship support was pledged, and over 50 students took part in the mentoring program.
  • The Ocean County College Foundation recently launched the application cycle for fall 2016 scholarships, with a deadline of July 8.  The Foundation awards a variety of scholarships; in the 2015-16 academic year, over $500,000 in assistance was awarded. Scholarships are available for recent high school graduates, new students, current students and returning students.

• e-Learning and Learning Enterprises
  • International Partnerships
  • Dr. Maysa Hayward, Dean of Instructional Outreach, and Mr. Jack Kelnhofer, Dean of e-Learning, recently returned from Cairo, Egypt, following contracted training with Ahram Canadian University (ACU).  Training was completed for 15 faculty, who will serve as in-class (on the-ground) facilitators for OCC’s and ACU’s upcoming Master’s Bridge Program this fall.  This program will serve to supplement Egyptian students with necessary ESL, developmental, and general American higher education nuances as they pursue graduate degrees in the domestic United States. In addition, e-Learning and Learning Enterprises is putting the final touches on the dual-degree program with the Arab Academy for Maritime Science and Transport (AAST), which intends to launch this fall. Two major presentations are being prepared for a multi-country project spanning from Morocco to Cairo, which includes seeking U.S. State Department funding.  This project aims to build upon the needs for efficient educational infrastructures in the Middle East.

• Domestic e-Learning
• The reimplementation of OCC’s online marketing and recruitment campaign is underway.  Coming off the Pearson contract, in which all services were centrally clustered, the new model calls upon the talents of marketers and recruitment agents separately through OCC’s contract with Inside Track (ITK).  The new campaign, which will leverage all of OCC’s recent innovations, including the accelerated 7.5-week terms to market a 16-month associate degree, begins in July.  Efforts are currently underway to streamline the recruitment process, building upon lessons learned from working with Pearson.  These efforts coincide with the campus-wide migration, including faculty, staff, and student training on Canvas. Additionally, the new ITK recruitment effort includes both retention services with a design thinking test to empirically prove efficacy of efforts as well as a new marketing and recruitment campaign for all students who are 24 years or older. Lastly, OCC Online will capitalize on the 7.5-week term innovation and forgo the fall 10-week Quick Term in lieu of two sequential 7.5 week terms.  A 15-week term will also be used for online courses.

• Domestic Partnerships
• e-Learning is currently exploring many domestic partnerships, including expansion services to Eastwick College and Sussex County Community College as well as securing new entities.  OCC recently completed its negotiations with Mission United/United Way.  OCC is now set to receive veterans from all over the world into its online degree programs through a dedicated pathway utilizing OCC’s Veterans Affairs Office and cross-listing each other on OCC and Mission United websites.Mr. Jeff Harmon, Associate Vice President of e-Learning and Learning Enterprises, has been invited to present at a large scale meeting of all K-12 educators in New Jersey (CSI meeting) to review and discuss the ways in which OCC can support the K-12 communities in the area of foreign language instruction.

• Colorado State University Globale
• -Learning has just developed a major articulation agreement with Colorado State University’s Global Campus.  This articulation maps 13 of OCC’s degree programs to online programs at Colorado State University (attached)

• Grants
• The UISFL grant, under the direction of Dr. Maysa Hayward, is now in year two.  The grant subsidizes the study abroad trip to Morocco; this year, 24 students and 2 faculty members will participate.  Additionally, through utilization of grant funds, OCC will be a Lanyard Sponsor at the Middle East Studies Association conference this November in Boston, Massachusetts.  OCC will proudly display its outreach accomplishments and new projects in the hopes of additional networking.

Student Affairs

• Registration and Records
• As noted above, the Registration and Records Office is very pleased to now be offering a new eTranscripts ordering service through the National Student Clearinghouse. Current and former students will now have access to 24/7 online transcript ordering and fulfillment, with the option to order pdf or electronic transcripts and receive order status updates via e-mail and text messaging.  To order a transcript, students can visit go.ocean.edu/transcript and follow the provided instructions.

• Advising Office
  • The Advising Office hosted the first 2016 Parent Orientation on April 26.  Turnout was excellent for April, with over 30 parents attending.  Representatives from several offices spoke at the program:  Academic Affairs; the Center for Student Success; the Career, Employment, and Counseling Services Office; Academic Advising/NJ STARS; and Financial Aid.

• Veterans Advising
• The Advising Office assisted the Veterans Services Office with preparation for an April 29 Veterans Compliance Survey.    Assistant Director of Academic Advising Pamela Donohue and Academic Advisor Jennifer Kipp conducted detailed degree audits on 26 student academic records, as requested by the Veterans Administration for review during its on-site visit.

• Transfer Services
• The following colleges visited OCC in April: the University of the Sciences, Pfeiffer University, Valley Forge University, Centenary College, and Wilmington University. St John’s University, with whom OCC has an articulation agreement for scholarships and credits, was on campus for an instant decision day.  The representative interviewed three students and accepted all of them for fall 2016. Fairleigh Dickinson University Scholars meetings were also successful in helping OCC students transfer to FDU.  The representative met with six students in various stages of their OCC studies.  The representative also reported that two former OCC students are ready to graduate from the FDU program, and one will be joining FDU for a joint master’s degree. The Advising Office hosted Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The event was very successful, with the representative meeting with 15 students.  The representative was able to review transcripts and advise OCC students on conducting a successful transfer. Ms. Laura Wills, Coordinator of Transfer Services, continues to stay current on transfer information.  Ms. Wills is a member of the Transfer Advisory Boards for Rider University and Rutgers University, where she attended meetings this month to learn about changes as well as new innovative programs for transfer students.  In addition, she attended the state transfer meeting at Montclair State University for the New Jersey Transfer Coordinators Association to network and discuss transfer issues.

• Athletics
• The Ocean County College Athletics Department is extremely pleased to announce that, for the first time since the program began in 1977, the Viking Softball Team has won the Region XIX Championship and will be traveling to Rochester, Minnesota, to compete for the NJCAA National Championship.  National tournament play began on Thursday, May 19.

• Financial Aid

• The Financial Aid Office is in its eighth year of running its Opening Pathways to Education Now (O.P.E.N.) FAFSA Workshop Series.  The program is an initiative that seeks to increase awareness of the affordability and access to postsecondary education.  These sessions are designed to assist parents and students in completing the FAFSA application and to discuss the basic concepts of financial aid, including cost of attendance, estimated family contribution, and the differences between grants and loans.  Building on the State’s College Goal Sunday/FAFSA Days initiative, OCC has opened its doors to almost 2,000 participants (students/parents/guardians) since the program was initiated in 2009. Through April 16, workshop participants totaled 176 over 7 sessions.  The O.P.E.N. program is marketed to the State, County high schools, County libraries, and numerous other community partners.  Additional sessions for the remainder of the year are scheduled in June, July, October, and November.

Attachment: Colorado State University – Global Campus