Dr. Monaco’s August 22, 2024 Report to the Board of Trustees

Proclamation

A recommendation is being presented to the trustees for approval of a proclamation in recognition of the heroism of Mr. Patrick Dispoto, a 1990 Ocean County College graduate who completed the requirements for an associate degree in Civil/Construction, Engineering Technology.

On June 23, 2024, Mr. Dispoto was fatally struck by lightning in Seaside Park. He had just arrived at his car after a day at the beach when he noticed an ominous storm approaching. With lifeguards already off duty, his increasing worry for the safety of others on the beach, including children, was his priority. Unfortunately, this act of kindness to return to the beach resulted in his death.

The proclamation will be presented to Mr. Dispoto’s good friend, Ms. Ruth Fussell, who informed us that Mr. Dispoto was an Ocean County College alum.

Fall 2024 Colloquium

The Fall 2024 Colloquium is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, to celebrate the beginning of the new semester. The theme for the day is “Caring Communities.” This Colloquium is taking a new approach that highlights dedication to community service and mutual collaboration. Traditionally a day of learning and growth, this Colloquium will extend beyond the campus as we offer our time and skills to support various local organizations and projects. Click here for detailed descriptions of available opportunities for employees to serve the community. Volunteering is entirely optional.

The schedule for August 29 is as follows:

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast, Student Center
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Greeting/Instructions, Student Center
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Volunteer hours at various locations
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch, Student Center
2:00 p.m. President’s Address, Grunin Theatre

The trustees are invited to participate in any portion of the day or all of the activities. It should be a fun and meaningful day as we see the positive impact that can be achieved together.

Faculty and Staff Recognition, Honors, and Awards

Christine Healey, Executive Director of Procurement and Compliance, is pleased to announce her recent nomination and election by her peers to serve on the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) District II Mid-Atlantic Region Board of Directors as Vice Programming Chair. The NAEP Mid-Atlantic Region represents the largest gathering of procurement and contracting decision-makers in higher education, encompassing colleges and universities across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Ms. Healey will work closely with regional colleagues in this elected role to design and implement robust and impactful programming for the upcoming District II Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference. Additionally, she will contribute to developing educational and training opportunities for procurement professionals throughout the year.

This appointment is a significant recognition of the trust and support from the District II Mid-Atlantic Region members. It offers a valuable opportunity for leadership and influence within the broader procurement community.

John Wallace, Library College Lecturer II, was recently elected as the 127^th President of the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA). He will serve as Vice President for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and then become President for 2025-2026. Mr. Wallace will become the first community college librarian to hold the position of NJLA President. He previously served on the NJLA Executive Board for four years.

Established in 1890, NJLA is the oldest and largest library organization in New Jersey. The Association serves the library community with its commitment to advocacy, professional development, and networking opportunities for library workers throughout the state.

Faculty and Staff Updates, Presentations, and Publications

The School of STEM welcomes three new personnel this fall.
STEM’s newest College Lecturer II in Mathematics is Ms. Kileen Wilson. Wilson earned two Master of Science degrees, one in mathematics and the other in statistics, from the University of Idaho. She comes to OCC from Snow College in Utah, where she taught various courses in both areas.
STEM’s new Academic Affairs Coordinator is Ms. Nicole Garaffa. Garaffa is an experienced program management and executive support professional with over sixteen years of experience. She has held Citibank, Princeton Medical Center Foundation, and Rutgers University Foundation positions. She recently relocated to Toms River and is excited to be at OCC.
An OCC alumna, Ms. Alyssa Antonelli, is STEM’s new Lab Technician. While at OCC, she was a work-study student in the Science labs. Antonelli is a student at Kean University working toward her bachelor’s degree.

Student Honors and Awards

Taylor Auriano, an OCC Honors-by-Contract student, alongside her instructor, Ms. Pamela Bogdan, Engineering College Lecturer II, will be presenting a paper titled “Advancing Scholarly Pursuits Within Standard Curriculum Through the Ocean County College Honors-by-Contract Program” at the Frontiers in Education Conference sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The paper focuses on providing early access to biomedical engineering and highlights Ms. Auriano’s initial Honors-by-Contract project, “Implantable Myoelectric Prosthesis (IMES).” The conference’s theme is “Embracing the Challenges and Transforming Engineering and Computing Education in a Technology-Enhanced World.” It will be held from October 13 to 16, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

Student Activities

Orientation for new Nursing students was held on campus on August 13, 2024, with 195 students in attendance. During the program, students were introduced to the faculty, the program’s policies and procedures, electronic textbooks, and strategies to enhance learning.
Samantha Glassford, Assistant Dean of Arts and Humanities, and Dr. Mary-Ellen Rada, College Lecturer II in Anatomy, led a group of 13 OCC students and community members on the Ireland travel seminar from August 8 to 17, 2024. The group traveled to Dublin, Sligo, and Galway during the trip. Some highlights included Kilmainham Gaol, the Cliffs of Moher, the Dublinia Viking Museum, Trinity College, and the birthplace of WB Yeats.

Student Support Services and Activities

Orientation for new students is underway. On the OCC main campus, in-person orientation events occur from August 20 to 22, 2024. Orientation allows students to connect from the start of their academic journey at the College. During orientation, students will attend workshops, meet other students, speak with faculty, and learn about the many student support resources available. A parent and family workshop will also be available when the students attend workshops.
The Campus Compass course has been launched for all students to access. In addition to the in-person sessions, the online course is intended to be an online repository providing easy access to an overview of essential information for students on resources, policies, procedures, and more. Compass takes a student approximately an hour to complete and consists of several modules with quizzes at the end of each. Compass is available to new and returning students and can be completed in English or Spanish. Ocean Connect has a link to access Compass with OCC login credentials easily. Students in the Student Success sections this Fall semester will be required to complete Compass as one of their first assignments in the course.

Outreach to Students

On August 6, 2024, the Lacey Cohort 8 College Academy had its orientation on campus with 31 students in attendance. Students learned more about their upcoming courses, received a student ID, and had a light breakfast.
During July, Enrollment Services completed 1,233 transactions in person. This represents an increase of 27% over last year. Students waited less than three minutes, on average, for assistance.
The HUB completed 2,393 outgoing calls in July, while the Success Coaches completed 4,463 outgoing calls in the same period.

Community Outreach

Vice President of Student Affairs Jerry Racioppi, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Sheenah Hartigan, Director of School Relations Tom Gialanella, Dean of Educational Services Meredith Riddle, and Dean of the Manahawkin Campus Brian Schillaci have been engaged in discussions with Pinelands Regional School staff regarding OCC evening course opportunities at Pinelands High School for the upcoming school year.
Assistant Director of Operations and Production Laura Westmoreland reported that its partner BCCT (Brick Community Children’s Theater) had a successful four-show run of The Little Mermaid JR. from August 2 to 4, 2024, at the Grunin Center to a sold-out audience.
Assistant Director of Education and Community Engagement Jaclyn Wood reports that OCC’s CAMP-Community Arts and Music Program–occurred on August 6, 2024, featuring Twinkle Time! Members of the public joined Ocean County campers and adult day program participants for a high-energy bilingual pop-rock performance that started a dance party in the theater. The Wintrode Family Foundation graciously funds the CAMP shows.
Erik Stratton, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator for Camps on Campus, began on June 24, 2024, and continued through August 21, 2024, bringing 403 campers for over 41 camps. The offerings included sports camps, STEM camps, and arts camps. Three OCC alumni worked for the sports summer camps. The College will continue to hire alums and current students interested in working with students or going into teaching/coaching in the future.
Associate Planetarium Director Cara Muscio reports that the Planetarium offered over 44 public shows in August to entertain and teach the Ocean County community. This includes shows for the camps, extended school year groups, and birthday parties.
On July 10, 2024, Ms. Christina Hernandez, Assistant Director of the Veterans and Military Resources Center (VMRC), and Ms. Jessica Richardson, Coordinator of the Center, met with Vice President of Workforce and Professional Education and Grants Administration Joseph Konopka and a representative from the Blue Stars Family to learn about the organization’s Military Spouse Career Accelerator program and how OCC may be able to develop a partnership.
On July 23, 2024, Ms. Christina Hernandez met with Ocean County Health Department representatives and Assemblyman Brian Rumpf. They discussed partnering with the Health Department on future activities and ways to connect OCC student veterans with job opportunities within their departments.
The VMRC partnered with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws for its first summer fundraiser on August 17, 2024. The opportunity allowed the Center to connect with the community and provide information on enrolling at OCC. All proceeds from the ticket sales went to support the Center to prepare for another semester.
Ocean County College signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ambassador Christian Academy (ACA) on August 7, 2024, to offer dual enrollment classes starting Fall 2024.
Fifteen students were registered for their final courses in the Alcohol and Drug Counseling (ALDC) certification program through the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Michael Camillus Project 2024. These students should complete the program by the end of the Fall 2024 term.
Enrollment Services Advisor for Partnerships and Outreach Calleigh Kearns attended Barnegat Night Out on August 13, 2024.
Enrollment Services tabled at Lakewood BlueClaws games several times in the past month. Jim Campbell, FIPSE Grant Manager, attended Medusas de Jersey Shore night on August 15, 2024, and Ms. Haley Abbruzzese, Assistant Director of Recruitment, attended on July 11, 2024.

Professional Development

Grunin Center Executive and Artistic Director Heidi Sheridan attended the Consortium of Eastern Regional Theaters (ConSERT) from August 4 to 6, 2024, for professional development and networking with agents in Shawnee, Pennsylvania.
Orientation for new Clinical Instructors was held on August 15, 2024. Additionally, a meeting was held on campus for all Clinical Instructors on the same day. Information presented during this meeting focused on clinical assignments, simulation, skills lab initiatives, processes for evaluating students, and a discussion of policies and procedures. The faculty also met with Clinical Instructors to discuss plans and schedules for the semester. This semester, 38 Clinical Instructors are working with students to provide education to 36 clinical groups.
Computer Science College Lecturers Ken Michalek and Lu Ajimoko and OCC Grants Executive Director Kayci Clayton traveled to Kansas City for the summer Mentor Connect Workshop in late July. While there, they worked with their assigned mentor on a draft document for an upcoming National Science Foundation grant submission to enhance the availability of badges, credentials, and certifications in varying Computer Science areas. They expect to submit this grant proposal soon.
In preparation for the full implementation of Simple Syllabus in Spring 2025, a training was held on Friday, July 26, 2024. Ten instructors, including adjuncts, College Lecturers, and full-time faculty, attended the training. Neil Mastroianni, Associate Director of Educational Technology, and Ms. Caroline Brittain, Director of Academic Affairs Processes, led the training. The training was recorded and turned into a self-paced course in NeoEd so all faculty could receive training on demand.
Preparations are underway for the Fall 2024 Teaching and Learning Institute, which will take place on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. This year’s theme, “Learning as a Living Environment,” explores how instructors can cultivate an ecosystem of learning experiences for their students.

Grants Administration

The Grants Administration Department is excited to welcome Jennifer Carbone, the new Grants Development Coordinator. Ms. Carbone will provide leadership in pre-award grant development for all institutional grant applications, coordinate internal and external planning teams, and manage the internal pre-award processes.

Workforce and Professional Education

The Workforce Education Department is excited to welcome Casey Pellegrino, the new Workforce and Support Specialist. Casey will provide essential assistance with operational and administrative tasks and be at the forefront of providing outstanding customer service to students, faculty, staff, partners, and community residents.

On August 1, 2024, in collaboration with Student Services, Workforce, and Professional Education, the inaugural online program Alternate Route to Teaching: 50-Hour Preservice to Teaching cohort officially launched. This virtual, hybrid course has ten students and is on track to meet expectations as the College awaits State approval to add Phases I-IV into the program.

Adult Education, Civic, and Workforce Preparation

Summer term began in July and will end in September. It includes five high school diploma subject preparation classes, nine ESL classes, one Civics class, and one Civics, Customer Service, and Sales Training class.
High School Diploma Preparation had 66 interested participants attend the July orientation. The 66 participants who attended orientation enrolled in 86 classes that included math and language arts.
A total of 297 students enrolled in Adult Basic Education/High School Education or ESL/Civics for the July term. There are only 113 enrollments still open to meet the contracted level of service requirement for the remainder of FY 2025.
Fourteen staff members, instructors, and advisors/case managers were provided the Adult Mental Health First Aid training and earned certification through OCC’s Counseling Department.

Work Readiness Assistance Program

On August 8, 2024, an extremely successful Job and Resource Fair was held and hosted by the Ocean County Achievement Center’s Work Readiness Assistance Program in collaboration with Waters and Sims Employment Services. There was a fantastic turnout with an astounding 32 vendors, made possible through a grant received by Waters and Sims from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The vendors provided training, employment, and resource information. There were 257 guests welcomed at the event, including the Work Readiness Assistance Program participants and the Adult Education, Civics, and Workforce Preparation ESL evening classes. The Ocean County Achievement Center’s staff was essential in organizing and coordinating the event.
Currently, 20 certificates have been earned for the Teen Mental Health First Aid training.
Participants in the Work Readiness Program assisted Helping Hands in assembling the pre-made essential bags that will be provided to food pantry guests.

NEWS & EVENTS