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NEWS & EVENTS

February 23, 2017

Dr. Larson’s February 2017 Report to the Board of Trustees

Dr. Jon Larson

TO: Members, OCC Board of Trustees

FROM: Jon H. Larson, Ph.D.President

SUBJECT: Items of Interest for the February 23, 2017, Board Meeting

DATE: February 18, 2017

Academic Affairs

  • School of Arts and Humanities
    • The School of Arts and Humanities recently submitted a Title II grant applicationfor its theatre program; Mr. Paul Chalakani, Lecturer II in Communications/Theatre, Mr. Richard Carr, Lecturer II in English/Literature, and Ms. Kayci Clayton, Manager of Grants, assisted in the grant preparation.
    • The Accelerated Learning Program in the English Department, led by EnglishCollege Lecturer II Peter Waldman, had a 99 percent student retention rate in the Fall 2016 semester.
    • Ms. Karin Gargone, Instructor of Humanities, held a student recital featuring accomplished student pianist, Diana McEntee, in the Grunin Center.
    • Dr. Jennifer Dellner, Professor of English, will deliver a paper on “Interdisciplinary General Education” at the upcoming 2017 General Education and Assessment Conference sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Phoenix, Arizona.
    • The Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education presented its first film, Some Mother’s Son, as part of this Spring 2017 semester’s film series,the theme of which is Religious Conflicts across the Globe.  These activities are under the leadership of Dr. Ali Botein-Furrevig.
  • School of Business and Social Sciences
    • The Governmental Affairs Institute, led by College Lecturer II in Political Science Jennifer Barnes, has invited Congressman Tom MacArthur to present a lectureon campus entitled, “Government and Politics: What You Need to Know,” on March 31, 2017.
    • Ms. Barnes and Mr. Jason Ghibesi, also a College Lecturer II in Political Science, will be accompanying 16 students to Washington, D.C., from March 20 to 22, 2017, to visit the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).  While in Washington, students will attend seminars led by international experts.  The goal of USIP is to foster research, education, and training in the peaceful resolution of international conflict.
    • Professor of Social Sciences Lynn Kenneally has planned a trip to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia this March in conjunction with Women’s History Month, which will focus on women in the armed forces.
    • College Lecturer II in Addictions Jeffrey Lang will be hosting the 2nd Annual Addictions Spring Conference for students, community members, educators, licensed counselors, social workers, drug counselors, and Ocean County Human Service personnel on March 24, 2017.  This six-hour workshop will be led by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), a nationally recognized addictions training group.  Geared toward treatment providers, the training will define “co-occurring disorders,” describe useful screening and assessment instruments, and give participants tools to effectively treat co-occurring disorders.  The reciprocal impacts of substance abuse and mental health symptoms as well as barriers that interfere with progress and integrated treatment will be discussed.
  • School of Nursing and Health Sciences
    • OCC’s School of Nursing was ranked as one of the top ten Registered Nurse (RN) programs in New Jersey by RegisteredNursing.org.  The School of Nursingwas ranked 6 of 40 programs among associate, baccalaureate, and entry-level master of science nursing programs.  Schools were ranked by analyzing current and historical National Council Licensure Exam Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN®) pass rates.  OCC’s 2016 NCLEX-RN® pass rates are above the national averagefor all associate degree nursing programs.  This ranking also considered thenumber of students who took the exam; OCC was fourth in New Jersey during 2016, with 145 students.

The following comments were included within the report:

Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey, offers nursing students a variety of experiences designed to spark and enrich their drive for lifelong professional development.  OCC nursing graduates are a welcome part of the healthcare team.

  • Pre-Nursing Information Sessions will be held on March 8 and 30, 2017, in the Technology Building Lecture Hall for students who intend to enter the Nursing Program.
  • College Lecturer II of Nursing Tamila Purpuro, MSN, RN, presented a readingfrom “The Help,” written by Kathryn Stockett, on February 2, 2017, at the College’s Black History Month program.
  • The Toms River High School East Science Club will be visiting the School of Nursing on March 21, 2017.  Students will tour the Health Sciences Building, witness a simulation experience, explore the various Skills Labs, and receive information on preparing to become a Registered Nurse.
  • School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
    • On January 20, 2017, OCC hosted Neptune High School’s IEEE Mini Engineering Academy.  Approximately 100 students from 25 Monmouth and Ocean Countyhigh schools participated in a session on alternate energy with an emphasis on wind power. Dr. Angel Camilo, College Lecturer II in Science, and Mr. Edmond Hong, College Lecturer II in Computer Science, led the students in a windmill activity.  Students constructed 90 tabletop windmills and conducted tests to determine how various propellers and the number of propeller blades influence efficiency.
    • The Environmental Club and Maker’s Club have started construction of an aquaponics project.  The students are making freestanding planters that will grow flowers and vegetables without soil.
    • The Maker’s Club had a joint meeting with the Music Club to demonstrate a Makey Makey card that can be used to make music through everyday objects.  The students plan to turn the staircase in the Student Center into a digital pianofor ‘Teens Week’ activities.  Each stair tread will be a key on the piano so the staircase will play as you walk on it.
    • Phi Theta Kappa and the OCC Chess Club are sponsoring a major chess eventon Saturday, March 4, 2017.  At 10 a.m., the Chess Room in the Library will be officially dedicated. The Chess Room houses an extensive collection of chess books, many of which were donated by Mr. Steve Doyle, who will attend the dedication.  Mr. Fabiano Caruana, who is the number one chess player in the United States, second in the world, and has achieved the third highest rating in chess history, will give a chess lecture in the Student Center and will also play a thirty-five board simultaneous match.  Many OCC students will participate in this event along with members of the Toms River Chess Club.
    • On February 4, 2017, OCC hosted the annual Math Counts Middle School Mathematics Competition, which is sponsored by the Ocean County Society of Professional Engineers.  Eight middle schools participated in the event: Toms River Intermediate School, William Allen Middle School, Carl Goetz Middle School, Crista McAuliffe Middle School, Turkish Cultural Center, Palmyra Middle School, North Burlington Middle School, and Moorestown Middle School.  Mathematics Department members who volunteered to help with grading testswere Ms. Krista Camilo, Instructor; Ms. Shirley Grone, Assistant Professor; Ms. Vicki McMillian, Professor; Ms. Carolyn Showalter, Assistant Professor; and Mr. Yuan Xu, Professor.  This event has been held at OCC for more than twenty-five years.
    • Sixty-nine students submitted research papers by the January 5, 2017, deadlinefor the South Jersey Junior Science Symposium (SJJSS).  The papers were distributed to and rated by SJJSS reviewers from Joint Base Lakehurst-Dix-McGuire, Naval Weapons Station Earle, Picatinny Arsenal, and OCC STEM.  STEM College Lecturer II volunteers were Dr. Angel Camilo, Dr. John McElroy, Mr. Scott Farrell, Dr. Caterina Gibson, Dr. Mary Ellen Rada, and Mr. Vijay Ramdeenand Dean Paul Silberquit.  The SJJSS finalists were selected on February 3, 2017.

A list is attached of the top ten student research papers selected to participate in the 2017 SJJSS presentation competition and the next six students who have been selected to participate in the poster session competition.

On February 10, 2017, all 16 finalists attended an orientation session, which included a workshop on preparing a research paper presentation.  In addition, each student was interviewed by Assistant Professor Gary Schaffer’s journalism students.  Information from the interviews will be used for the 2017 SJJSS program brochure and future marketing materials.

  • Library
    • As noted previously, the Library is preparing for the Grand Opening of the Chess Book Collection on March 4, 2017.  The collection donor has approximately 50 new titles to add, and the Chess Team is excited to be receiving and adding the titles to the collection.
    • The OCC Military History Institute will soon have a formal presence in the Library. Former History Professor Rick Trimble developed the Institute and built a collection of books and artifacts during his tenure.  In 2015, he donated his book collection to the Library to start the Military History Collection, and he will be working with Library staff to redevelop the Institute to honor veterans and to benefit the OCC community.
    • The LGBT CUE space is now fully furnished, and the Library is looking forward to hosting a Grand Opening for the collection, in concert with EOF and the Center for Access and Equality.  Students are excited about the new space, and the new furniture was occupied within seconds of being set up.  Library staff are creatingspecial collections and seating areas to promote discovery and exploration.
  • Center for Student Success
    • The Center for Student Success is participating in the Student Success Course Redesign Institute directed by Ms. Christine Harrington, Executive Director of the New Jersey Center for Student Success.
    • Peer tutors are available for Math, Writing, Accounting, Economics, ASL, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, and Biology.  Additional peer tutors are in the process of being placed.
    • Academic coaching is available for all students through the Center for Student Success.  Students can contact the Center to schedule appointment.
    • Peer mentors are available to assist students with information about academic support services, campus resources, and clubs.
    • Disability Services will be hosting an event in April for Autism Awareness month.  Dr. Samantha Herrick, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling and Community Counseling at Rutgers University, and Mr. Bret Vaks, Executive Director of Autism Family Services of New Jersey, will be presenting.
    • Two current students with disabilities have been awarded the Devon Bond Scholarship, which is designed to support students with documented disabilities.
    • The Disability Awareness, Access, and Design Committee welcomed Ms. Kristina Quay from the New Jersey State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to discuss its services.  DVR also hosted a table with Disability Services in the Student Center to reach out to students with disabilities.
    • Disability Services will host an Open House in the Center for Student Success on February 14, 2017, to present information and provide consultation.
    • The Mathematics Center, Perkins Supplemental Instruction, and Peer Assisted Learning programs are now housed in Bartlett Hall.  Perkins Supplemental Instruction supports American Sign Language, and Peer Assisted Learningsupports Accounting and Philosophy.
    • The first Tutoring Summit will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, for tutorsfrom all areas on campus to participate in additional professional development.  Also in process is the creation of Canvas communities to provide faculty and students with additional resources and services.
    • On October 21, 2016, Ms. Veronica Guevara-Lovgren, Director of Academic Support Services, represented the College as a panelist at the Fall 2016 meetingof the New Jersey Association of New Student Advocates (NJANSA), the themeof which was “First-Year Experience Seminars: Models that Work.”  Ms. Guevara-Lovgren was one of a panel of experts from two- and four-year institutionsdiscussing various First-Year Seminar models.

On January 12, 2017, Ms. Guevara-Lovgren and Ms. Sara Revello, Part-Time Writing Skills Tutor, were presenters at Monmouth University’s “Supplemental Instruction Writing Coach Training.”  They were invited to present because OCC’s Writing Center staff successfully revised the Supplemental Instruction model to support English 091 students and the English Accelerated Learning Program.

  • Ms. Gina Zippo-Mazur, Coordinator of Disability Services, and Dr. Maureen Reustle, recently retired Dean of Academic Services, will present a “Strategies to Promote College Success for Students with Disabilities” webinar on March 28, 2017.  The webinar is sponsored by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges’ Center for Student Success.
  • Italian-American Heritage Celebration

Ms. Erica Carboy, College Lecturer II in English, and Dr. Marilyn Kralik, College Lecturer II in Humanities/Fine Arts, are coordinating plans for an Italian-American Heritage Celebration.  The events to date are listed on an attachment to my report.

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

Last month, I reported that Mr. Jeff Harmon, Associate Vice President of e-Learning and Learning Enterprises, traveled to the Dominican Republic on a partnership/outreach mission.  Mr. Salim Hussein, Director of International Partnerships; Ms. Yessika Garcia-Guzman, Assistant Director of Financial Aid; and Ms. Jennifer Evans, College Lecturer II in Marketing, joined him.  They explored the viability for partnerships and on-the-ground operational capacity of CiberPark in Santo Domingo as well as partnership opportunities with the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development.

On Thursday, Mr. Hussein, Ms. Garcia-Guzman, and Ms. Evans will provide a brief presentation about their very successful trip and the future plans for this geographic area.

A second presentation will be made by Dean of e-Learning Jack Kelnhofer, who will discuss OCC’s enrollment growth in online foreign language courses.

  • Domestic e-Learning
    • OCC’s e-Learning team recently launched Dropout Detective and Instructor Insight, a software module housed within OCC’s LMS, Canvas.  These tools focus on at-risk student identification and instructor efficacy.  Mr. Harmon will present these innovative tools at the March 23, 2017, Board meeting.
    • OCC’s partnership with the Ben Hudnal Memorial Trust (Kaiser Permanente’s educational foundation) has yielded eight students.  BHMT is paying 100% of the cost of attendance, including all books, lab kits, fees, and tuition for these students.
    • e-Learning recruitment projects, facilitated by Inside Track, have yielded 1,069 credits from out-of-county students, including approximately 610 credits during this Spring 2017 term.
    • OCC is finalizing a 3+1 agreement with Thomas Edison State University.  This new program will allow students to spend three years at OCC and to then transfer to TESU to complete their bachelor’s degrees, providing tremendous savings to the students.  When the agreement is finalized, OCC will develop a marketing campaign, which will be shared with the Board of Trustees.
    • On February 12, 2017, OCC learned it has been approved by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which is recognized by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) as New Jersey’s Portal Entry.  This approval grants OCC reciprocity to operate distance education in all 50 states, which will save significant human and fiscal resources as OCC will no longer need to comply individually with each state’s requirements for distance education authorization.  Attached is the letter received from Eric Taylor, Esq., Director of the Office of Licensure in the Office of the Secretary.
  • International Projects
    • From February 7 to 10, 2017, OCC hosted Egypt’s Ain Shams University President, Dr. Abd El-Wahab Mohamed Ezzat; School of Business Dean, Dr. Amr El Atraby; and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, Dr. Sayed El-Sayed Elkouly.  Dr. Maysa Hayward, Dean of Instructional Outreach, Mr. Hatem Akl, CIO, Mr. Harmon, and I traveled with our visitors to Thomas Edison State University to meet with President George Pruitt and to Kean University to visit with President Dawood Farahi.  Both of these meetings were very positive and focused on OCC’s broadening international footprint.  Additionally, we visitedwith Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks in Trenton.
    • On February 15, 2017, Dr. Hayward, Mr. Harmon, and I were in Washington, D.C., for visits with Congressman Tom MacArthur and with Egypt and Dominican Republic State Department officials to further discuss OCC’s Middle Eastern and now Latin endeavors.
    • In the Middle East, Ain Shams University Cohort 1 is now in its second semester, and Cohort 2 will begin this Fall 2017 semester.  Also starting in the Fall semesterwill be Cohort 1 from both the Arab Academy for Maritime Science and Transport and Ahram Canadian University.
    • OCC hopes to host the Dominican Republic Minister of Higher Education, Alejandrina German, on our campus in the Spring as well as to begin operationsfor dual-degree programs with ITLA, ITSC, Universidad Catolica, and IGlobal.
    • Marketing has begun in China to recruit post-high school students into OCC’s online degree programs.
    • The hybrid language training project is now in its third year of operation in Cairo, Egypt, with partner IMI.  OCC is now exploring the possibility of offeringthe project in the United Kingdom.  This new project would be under the title of a partner company called Cell Tek, which is owned and operated by one of IMI’s sister companies, Ecco Outsourcing.
    • OCC has initiated negotiations for an agreement with the Arab Academy for Banking and Finance in Egypt.

Finance and Administration

  • Accounting/Purchasing

In partnership with Ellucian, a Business Discovery process of the College’s purchasing and accounts payable functions was conducted.  The process began with three days of consulting in December, and a report detailing the issues and related recommendations was recently received.  A number of process improvements will be implemented as a result of this project, including automating budget checking for requisitions, improving the tracking of blanket purchase orders, and improving the requisition approval workflow.  All Purchasing and Accounts Payable staff participated and were encouraged to voice their opinionsand make suggestions.  As a result, all involved found the process rewarding and educational.

  • Human Resources
    • The recipients of the Annual President’s Awards for Excellence will be further acknowledged at an Awards Luncheon with the President and his Leadership Team on February 28, 2017, in the Larson Student Center.
    • The Office of Human Resources is moving towards the implementation of Performance Management, a module within the PeopleAdmin suite, which will simplify the process of appraising performance and enable collection of training and development needs for future training courses.  HR and IT are meeting with PeopleAdmin representatives in an ongoing effort to implement the new systemin time to align with this year’s performance appraisal process.
    • Employees have the opportunity to participate in a variety of learning topics.  The curriculum for February includes classes in Outlook and email Etiquette; Canvas – General and Gradebook; Emerging Trends in Performance Management and Compensation; Clarifying Performance Expectations; Getting Along in the Workplace; Finance for the Non-Financial Manager; and Intro to Power Point.
    • In January, Ms. Debora Humphreys, Employee Benefits Supervisor, participated in a two-day update seminar on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)conducted by National Seminars.  The seminar focused on compliance and updates to regulations.
  • Continuing Education
    • Two students were funded by the Ready-To-Work Grant for Allied Health certification programs, a new category of programs now offered through the grant.
    • Customized Training and Allied Health have been networking with Prestige Medical Solutions in Ocean County.  Prestige Medical Solutions is opening amedical training school and plans to partner with OCC to offer various new courses.
    • The Small Business Development Center has moved into its office on the OCC campus and has begun making appointments with business owners and new entrepreneurs.  The Center will be coordinating with CPE to develop new relationships with these clients.
    • CPE is developing an internship program for its IT Systems Administrator Program.
    • CPE Allied Health programs continue to have strong Spring enrollment in Phlebotomy, Medical I Office, Day and Evening Medical Assistant, and Veterinary Assistant.  The CPE Health Care students continue to excel on national certifications exams with a 98 percent passing rate.
    • Ms. Kerry Holzschuh, Camp and Youth Coordinator, attended the Macaroni Kids Day Event at Cedar Grove Elementary School in Toms River.  She spoke with over 60 parents about CPE’s upcoming Summer Camp Program andPlanetarium Kids events.  Summer Camp vendors also attended to promote their camps and perform for the kids.  The visit was a great success.
  • The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts
    • At Thursday’s Board meeting, Mr. Mark Wilson, Director of Cultural Affairs, will summarize the success of the 2016-17 season at the Grunin Center.  Several shows, Patti LuPone, Arlo Guthrie, two Home Free shows, Nutcracker, and John Pizzerilli and Ramsey Lewis, were nearly sold out.
    • Over 12,700 patrons purchased tickets for this current season, representing $350,000 in gross tickets sales and ticketing fees.
    • Approximately 130 individuals donated to the Center this current fiscal year, and over $5,000 in grant funds were awarded from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundationto present global music.
    • The Grunin Center secured a new corporate sponsorship of $20,000 in cash, equipment, and marketing from Music & Arts.  This new sponsorship will provide faculty and students with access to free workshops and clinics.  Music & Arts has graciously donated $1,000 towards the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival.
    • A new show has been added for this upcoming season.  As a result of the success of the Center’s family programming, Little Mermaid is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017.  Not surprisingly, an initial rush resulted in 80 tickets sold.
    • On June 2, 2017, native New Jerseyan and American Idol finalist JAX will perform her top hits.  She will also be speaking with students at the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival.

Highlights

  • Nearly 600 students from Southern Regional, Lakewood, Central Regional, Brick Memorial, and Seaside Heights enjoyed a wonderful mini concert and lecturewith the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Star Band.  The students and teachers were dancing in the aisles to the uplifting music.
  • A children’s show from Disney Junior, Choo Choo Soul, was one of the Center’s most successful in a long time; over 500 children and adults attended the performances.

Upcoming

  • StoryFaces is a unique combination of disciplines, where audience volunteersare brought on stage for face painting to illustrate traditional folktales and original stories. The amazing face painting captivates students of all ages while they learn about world cultures and listen to wonderful stories ranging from the comic adventure of Tiddalik, the Giant Frog, to the heroic tale of Punia and the King of the Sharks.
  • Fred Barton’s “American Showstoppers” concerts, with his 14-piece orchestraand today’s great Broadway performers, are devoted to the great songs of the Golden Age of Broadway – and there is no greater subject for this series than the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.  “Cabaret” and “Chicago” are the two most famous landmark Kander and Ebb shows, with the revival of the latter now the longest-running American musical in history.  Fred Barton’s “American Showstoppers: An Evening of Kander and Ebb” will feature two dozen songs, from the well-known, brassy smash hits, to the haunting ballads, to their most creative special material songs.
  • Rhythm in the Night, The Irish Dance Spectacular, is an epic journey derived from a tale of good versus evil with a storyline that will capture the imaginationof everyone in the family.  The battle scenes transcend the struggle of dark versus light as lightning fast rhythms and a thunderous world-class dance troupe display Irish dance like never before seen.
  • OCC Foundation
    • The Ocean County College Foundation, Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, and major sponsor Investors Bank are partnering to present Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles, a benefit concert to support the students of Ocean County College on Saturday, March 18, 2017.  In addition to supportingthe mission of the OCC Foundation, a portion of the proceeds will also benefitthe OCC Repertory Theatre Company.
    • The Ocean County College Foundation’s 2017 Scholarship Celebration is being held on Friday, June 16, 2017, in the Health and Human Performance Center.  This year, the Foundation is recognizing Mr. and Mrs. Dan D’Onofrio and The D’Onofrio Foundation with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.  The evening host is Mr. Kenneth J. Malagiere.
  • Office of Information Technology

In partnership with Ellucian, an IT strategic planning process is underway.  The Information Technology Strategic Planning (ITSP) Core Committee met with Mr. Tim Coley, Ellucian Planning Consultant, on February 13 and 15, 2017, to kick off the process.  The goals of the ITSP are as follows:

  • Define and establish a technology mission statement that articulates OCC’svalues.
  • Develop a future state vision for how technology can support the institution’s vision, mission, and goals for student success, innovative partnerships, andorganizational and professional effectiveness.
  • Analyze the environment by gathering stakeholder feedback, performing a landscape analysis, and developing planning assumptions.
  • Develop IT strategic goals and objectives aligned with OCC’s strategic direction.
  • Communicate the plan to the campus community and begin its implementation.
  • Provide an annual process to review and adjust the plan.

The ITSP and various subcommittees will continue to develop IT policy and procedure over the upcoming months.

  • Planetarium

In 2008 when the Planetarium was being renovated, ownership of the Minolta Series II B Projector, which was installed in 1974 when the Planetarium opened, was transferred to the Planetarium Projector and Space Museum in Big Bear Lake, California.  The museum restored the projector and it was on display.

The museum rented the projector to Universal Studios for a March 15, 2010, episodeof the Fox TV series, “House.”  It is also featured in the full-length theatrical movie, “LaLa Land,” which stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.  The projector is now on itsway from Big Bear to the Oscars to be used in a production number at this year’s Academy Awards Show.

Photos of this projector and its restoration process may be found on the Museum website at http://www.planetariummuseum.org/.

Museum

Minolta Series II B Projector

  • 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 January 19, 2017, through February 15, 2017.

Student Affairs

  • Academic Advising
    • The Advising Office reached out to 30 first-time, full-time students who registered late for the Spring 2017 semester to ask how they were doing.  These students are often academically at risk, and they miss the benefits of freshman orientation.  Of the 30 students contacted, 17 students received a voicemail and/or email, 12 students spoke with an advisor, and 1 student had dropped classes.
    • The Advising Office completed a successful Spring New Student Orientation program.  In total, 179 students attended, compared with 161 in 2016.
    • On Friday, February 10, 2017, the NJ STARS Club participated in “Solve the Room.”  Fifteen current students and seven NJ STARS alumni interacted in this team-building experience.  This event was part of an on-going effort to create mentoring relationships between current and former OCC NJ STARS students.
  • Admissions
    • Admissions continues its visits to the county’s high schools and its on-campus programming for prospective students.  Recruiters are also spending time with guidance counselors and teachers to assist them with the Embedded/Jumpstart application process.
    • Admissions is coordinating another NJ STARS Information Session to be held on March 28, 2017.  The first session brought 34 NJ STARS-eligible students to campus.
    • In coordination with Student Life, the Spring Open House will take place on March 4, 2017.  The event will feature games, food, an Academic Fair, and campus tours.
  • Athletics
    • Tennis player Emily Steinberg was honored as the OCC Female Athlete of the Year at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration on January 29, 2017, at Seton Hall University.  Sponsored by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, the theme of this year’s celebration was “Expanding Opportunity.”  Emily and other 2017 recipients were honored with over 850 athletic administrators, coaches, athletes, parents and supporters in attendance.

Emily was a standout, first-team All-Region XIX award-winning tennis player for the Vikings, who won the Region XIX Singles Championship in her freshman season and led the team to a fifth place finish in the NJCAA Division III National Tennis Tournament this past October in her sophomore season.

  • Women’s basketball player Courtney Hagaman set an OCC single game scoring record on January 19, 2017, with 48 points against Nassau Community College.  As team co-captain, Courtney has consistently been a high scorer throughout the season.

Ms. Ilene Cohen, Executive Director of Judicial Affairs and Athletics, has invited both Emily and Courtney to the Board meeting on Thursday for recognition.

  • Career, Employment, and Counseling Services
    • Dr. Kate Pandolpho, Director of Career, Employment, and Counseling Services, serves on the Executive Board of the New Jersey College Counselors’ Association and is co-chairing the first annual Professional Counseling Recognition Award Committee.
    • In collaboration with the Student Life Office and the Ocean County Interagency Children’s Council, the office is hosting the Ocean County Community and Social Service Organizations Information Day on Thursday, February 23, 2017.  The goals of the event are to inform students about internships and jobs with agencies and to provide information about Ocean County resources and services.  Approximately 25 agencies are participating with a focus on social issues, including children’s, youth, and adult services, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness.
    • Dr. Pandolpho has been working on the upcoming Career Conference: Engaging Students in Career Explorationwhich will be hosted by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges’ Center for Student Success.
    • During January and February, 27 Step-by-Step sessions were conducted for 213 academically at-risk students who were in academic sanction status from the Fall 2016 semester.  These intervention sessions are offered to assist studentsget back on track to academic success.
    • The Displaced Homemakers Program completed Find Your Passion, the 24 hour job readiness program.  Participants learn about social media, job search techniques, interviewing and resume writing skills, and how to make good first impressions.
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