The Bergen Community College Newsletter | Vol. 8, Issue 3
A College for All Bergen Community College represents an open access institution dedicated to serving its communities.
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. These represent pillars of a community college — the most egalitarian institutions of learning in higher education. “The Great American Experiment” lives on at Bergen, a melting pot of cultures, ideas and people of all races, gender identities, abilities and socioeconomic status. We celebrate these differences as part of this special edition devoted to equity, diversity and inclusion — an area highlighted as one of President Eric M. Friedman’s initial goals in office. (To see all of the president’s goals, visit page 3).
Showing PRIDE Bergen will become one of the only community colleges in the country to offer a course in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer studies this fall. College officials, students, faculty, staff and members of the LGBTQ community celebrated the launch of the course with a ceremonial flag raising as part of Bergen’s annual Pride Month celebration June 1. The three-credit sociology course, “Introduction to LGBTQ Cultures,” will provide a framework for students to explore a variety of perspectives of voices and experiences of LGBTQ people in the U.S. Topics include exploring the 1970s gay liberation and lesbian feminism, the 1980s AIDS epidemic, the rise of “queer” theory in the 1990s, popular fiction and memoirs in the 2000s and the emergence of current transgender and intersex issues, research and theory. Professor Lori Talarico will teach the course online beginning Sept. 1. Students can register by searching for SOC-106-001 at my.bergen.edu. The class requires no prerequisites. “Offering ‘Introduction to LGBTQ Cultures’
m
2 0 1 5 ,
2 0 1 6 ,
adds another dimension to Bergen’s ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion,” Talarico said. “While many people may have heard about some events in LGBTQ history, such as the Stonewall Riots or the assassination of Harvey Milk in San Francisco, many significant events and issues have been underrepresented in the curriculum. It is time for all
2 0 1 7
N C M P R
LGBTQ students and their allies to have access to an academically rigorous and inclusive in-depth look through this course.” The American Association of Community Colleges highlighted Bergen’s work as part of a recent story on PRIDE Month. Visit aacc21stcenturycenter.org/article/showingpride. n
M E D A L L I O N
W I N N E R !
A College for All Equity Through Affordability
B
Book Puts Everyone on Same Page
A
s part of an expanded initiative sponsored by the Equity Council, students, faculty and staff throughout the College will participate in a “common read” during the fall semester as a way to encourage conversations about racial inequity and social justice. The common read engages members of the College community across disciplines who will read the same book, in this case Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me.” This will create synergy and a continuum of learning throughout students’ coursework at the College. The letter-style book on being Black in the U.S. debuted in 2015 and recently became adapted for an HBO television special. A series of special worksops will complement the common read. n
Coming Soon! The President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion President Eric M. Friedman will launch this new group in the fall. Watch the Bergen Daily for opportunities to volunteer and serve.
2
ergen will offer enhanced tuition assistance programs this fall that make New Jersey’s No. 1 college for associate degree graduates more affordable — and even tuition-free. Students become eligible for many of the programs, including the state’s Community College Opportunity grant, which offers a tuitionfree Bergen experience to students in households earning $65,000 or less, by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Bergen will also offer students assistance through federal emergency aid that will include paying off tuition balances, while the Bergen Community College Foundation will sponsor $5,000 in tuition relief for students who receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The College has also frozen tuition rates since 2019. Most programs require students to file a FAFSA, which unlocks federal and state grants, work-study and loans. Bergen then uses the FAFSA data to determine eligibility for federal and state programs. The foundation’s $5,000 initiative - Bergen VIP (Vaccine Incentive Program) — will encour-
age students to not only register at the College, but become vaccinated. Similar incentive programs in New York, West Virginia and Ohio have proven effective at increasing vaccination rates and lowering community risk to COVID-19. Under Bergen VIP, the foundation will offer five $1,000 awards for use at the institution by vaccinated students. Students who provide proof of registration and vaccination through a secure web portal will be entered into a scholarship lottery that will take place Aug. 27 via live YouTube stream for four of the $1,000 awards. n
Commissioner Talks Hunger
B
ergen County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Tracy Zur (far right) visited the main campus quad to discuss how the College can enhance its support of students fighting food insecurity — a critical area when discussing equity — and a priority for her as a government leader. Data indicate anywhere from 20- to 66-percent of community college students identify as food insecure. To combat these issues, Bergen has devel-
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
oped initiatives that target the often-hidden challenges students encounter in an attempt to keep as many students enrolled as possible. Among them, Bergen partnered with the Center for Food Action to open a pantry for students battling hunger in 2014 and signed the “Presidents’ Commitment to Food and Nutrition Security” pledge initiated by Auburn University and “PUSH” (Presidents United to Solve Hunger). n
Volume 8, Issue 3
Goal-Tending
W
hen President Eric M. Friedman arrived at Bergen on Jan. 1, he embarked on a listening tour with students, faculty, staff, trustees and the community that would ultimately help shape his priorities as president. Recently, he unveiled the goals that will serve as focus areas for the institution over the next year.
“With a new academic year comes an opportunity for renewal, an opportunity to revisit and reset our goals for the future, and my first opportunity as president to lead this strategic work,” he said. “While I will be responsible and accountable to ensuring that we make progress in each of these areas, it’s incredibly important that each member of the College community think about how he or she can make a difference within the framework that these goals represent as well.” n
In July, Bergen secured major funding from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge. The College will use the funds to develop new “on-ramps to college” that will help first-time students succeed.
Presidential Goals 2021-22
Coming Back from COVID
• Lead and support continuous improvement in the college-wide focus on student success, degree completion, college transfer and gainful employment. Focus on identifying the most at-risk student populations in order to close achievement gaps.
A
• Lead and support progress in achieving strategic enrollment management goals. Launch an Enrollment Management Committee to draft a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan. • Lead and support efforts to clarify the systems and processes of participatory and shared governance, encouraging college-wide input into decision-making. Emphasize student engagement. • Improve visibility of the College’s online offerings. Promote continuous improvement, and growth, in the portfolio of fully online courses and programs. • Develop an Academic Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for data-informed decisions around resource allocation, program development, staffing, and a variety of student success initiatives. • Lead and support efforts to position the College as a recognized hub-site for postCOVID economic recovery while leveraging the strengths of partners to achieve our goals. • Lead and support efforts to establish a vision and path forward for the College’s offsite locations. Assess and evaluate current articulation agreements, programming at the sites, and partnerships. • Lead and support efforts to establish a vision and path forward for BCC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. Convene an advisory committee to chart the path forward in order to best leverage the strengths of BCC’s excellent, existing DEI initiatives. • Lead and support the development and implementation of initiatives related to increasing the College’s visibility and improving outreach and storytelling to our communities. • Lead renewed emphasis on improvements in the aesthetic and built environment; evaluate current spaces for their effectiveness in realizing their intended purpose. • Lead and support continuous improvement in transparent budgeting processes and the formalization of clear linkages between financial allocations and the College’s strategic goals.
3
We Got It! $562,492.42
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
fter more than a year Get Vaccinated. of operating via a mostly remote instructional and professional environment, the College fully reopened its campus facilities, resources and offices on July 6. Remain Healthy. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bergen moved all of its classes and professional operations into a remote environment in March 2020 before reintegrating some on-campus staff and Stay Home When Sick. classes thereafter. The College’s on-campus protocols such as requiring face masks, the installation of MERV-13 air filters, providing COVID-19 awareness training for students, faculty and staff and limiting on-campus access helped maintain a secure environment that prevented any cases of community spread occurring among those who took classes or worked on campus. The College has revised its reopening protocols in light of rising vaccination rates and new guidance from health officials. Among the revisions, Bergen will recommend the use of face masks by unvaccinated individuals, require vaccination for student-athletes and remove capacity limits. Bergen officials also plan to aggressively promote vaccination, practicing good hygiene and remaining home when ill. n
Volume 8, Issue 3
How Volvo’s Garden Grows
I
t’s a green light for an organic garden at Volvo Car USA. Culinary program students, faculty and staff continue to hit the accelerator on new initiatives at the corporate partner’s headquarters, engaging with the College’s horticulture students and faculty on developing a garden that will provide organic greens for the company’s employee cafe. Bergen students, faculty and staff have operated “Alex’s Cafe” at Volvo’s Mahwah headquarters since the beginning of this year. Longtime Professor Dr. Steve Fischer and student Mia Ortiz worked with culinary Professor Rhonda Drakeford to develop the garden initiative. n
Stars On- and Off-Field
S
eventeen student-athletes earned postseason honors for their academic and on-thefield accomplishments. Among the honorees, pitcher Joseph Miceli notched second-team all-Region XIX and second-team all-conference recognition while also garnering academic all-conference and academic all-region awards for maintaining a 3.25 GPA or higher during the spring semester. Teammate and infielder Michael Casaleggio joined Miceli on the all-region and all-conference second-teams. Student-athletes who also received academic all-conference and academic all-region honors for GPAs above 3.25 are: • Chris Amparo (Baseball); • Anthony Bertollo (Track & Field); • Michael Cardone (Baseball); • Josh Cohen (Baseball); • Juan De la Hoz (Baseball); • Joseph Dutan (Track & Field); • Chase Geisler (Baseball); • Ian Heffley (Baseball); • Pablo Herrera (E-Sports); • Zach Kasperowicz (Baseball); • Sebastian Lidwin (E-Sports); • Johnny Medina (Baseball); and • Isabella Romano (E-Sports).
developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the on-field considerations, studentathletes entered a secure “bubble” governed by pandemic-related best practices for health and safety. The protocols prevented the College from experiencing any cases of community spread of COVID-19 among its on-campus students, faculty, staff and visitors. n
Amanda Karpinski, an alumna and current aide to Bergen County Board of Commissioners member Mary Amoroso, has won a term to serve as vice chair of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Board of Directors. … The first-ever “Make Music Englewood” community event featured student and faculty musicians “Divinity & the BCC Crew” and the “Absent-Minded Professors” (Andy Krikun and Dan Sheehan). … The College’s nursing program successfully earned reaccreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education In Nursing Board of Commissioners, a governing body. … Alumna Raen See served as the student speaker for the Dean College’s 155th commencement ceremony. … Staff member Joli Nelson of the Office of Student Life & Conduct earned a scholarship to attend the 21st annual New Jersey Prevention Network Addition Conference. … Dean of Mathematics, Science and Technology Dr. Emily Vandalovsky and faculty member Vincent Terrone participated in a roundtable discussion at the Enterprise Computing Community Conference at Marist College on the College’s work in addressing the demand for IBM Z Mainframe skills in the workplace.
Come back to Bergen this fall! Fall 1: Sept. 1 - Dec. 20 Fall 2: Sept. 22 - Dec. 18 Flex 1: Sept. 1 - Oct. 23 Fall 2: Oct. 25 - Dec. 20 Register at Bergen.edu
Baseball players Anthony Marchetto and Garrett Salameno achieved all-conference honors by earning GPAs higher than 3.0. To participate in intercollegiate competition during the spring semester, student-athletes followed a comprehensive set of protocols
4
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Volume 8, Issue 3
A College for All FACULTY FOCUS Dr. Kil Yi
F Books from the BCDI
F
or more than 20 years, Bergen has hosted the Paramus Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) on its campus. The nonprofit affiliate of the National Black Child Development Institute, seeks to achieve “positive outcomes for vulnerable children who suffer from the dual legacies of poverty and racial discrimination.” Retired Bergen faculty Dallas Gray and Dr. Ursula Parrish-Daniels led the establishment of the affiliate in 2000. Recently, retired Professor Celeste Finney, who also remained instrumental in the affiliate’s establishment, and local affiliate President Michelle Brown-Grant visited the College’s Child Development Center to donate books for the children to take home. The preschool has provided early childhood education opportunities for approximately 1,100 two- through six-year-olds since its inception in 1982. n
or more than 30 years on a volunteer basis, Professor Dr. Kil Yi has sought to provide Bergen County’s Korean-Americans — many of whom emigrated to the United States during the last 50 years — with lifelong learning opportunities that help them understand their own history, American history and topics such as racism. Most recently, and through an initiative developed through the College’s Institute of Multicultural Learning led by fellow professor Dr. Mina Ahn, Dr. Yi has lectured at the Korean Community Center, a nonprofit organization located in Tenafly. For two years, the College has partnered with the center to offer the community outreach learning program, providing local Korean residents with a comfortable environment with college-level classes in
their native language. According to the federal government, Bergen County contains — by percentage of the overall population — each of the top 10 municipalities in the United States for Korean-Americans. The College enrolls 357 students with Korean citizenship — the highest number of students from any country other than the United States. n
Turning Out for Turning Point Of its total student body, Bergen enrolls at least 25 percent Hispanic students, making it an official “Hispanic Serving Institution” as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. The designation makes the College eligible for grants and other federal programs.
5
B
ergen’s committment to inclusion includes its support of community members with disabilites. Office of Specialized Services staff sponsored a “drive-by” celebration for members of the Turning Point program graduating from the College in May. The two-year postsecondary experience for young adults with intellectual disability interested in academic, vocational and social enrichment provides the
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
opportunity for participants to graduate with professional industry recognized credentials as well as a certificate of achievement through the College. The Garden State Pathways to Independence for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Project, also known as the Turning Point program, began through a 2010 U.S. Department of Education grant. n
Volume 8, Issue 3
Pioneering a New Scholarship Celebrating Student Scholars
I
n one of the first events to take place in the newly renovated main campus quad, the College recognized a diverse group of student scholars from different corners of the insti-
tution. Those recognized include Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship finalists, Phi Theta Kappa scholarship recipients and Beacon Conference panelists. n
A
s part of an agreement recently signed between Bergen and William Paterson University, graduates can earn a $500 scholarship to the four-year institution! For more information, visit bergen.edu/transfer. n
One-Stop Pops Cork
I
t’s a “go” for the “one-stop.” With the full reopening of Bergen’s campus facilities, the completely reimagined one-stop student service center made its debut to students, faculty and staff on July 6. The realization of the onestop’s reimagination comes after years of discussions by Bergen officials who recognized the institution had to offer a better student service experience. With this in mind, the College created a space that would improve student satisfaction by enhancing communication, removing administrative barriers and streamlining the process for admission, registration
Middle States Matters and supportive services. The reimagined space features a welcome desk for students initiating their entry into one-stop, a dedicated office for students to meet with representatives from four-year colleges and a relocated photo ID station for new students. n
More STEM Success
P
resident Eric M. Friedman visited the STEM Student Research Center to congratulate STEMatics Grant Program Director Luis De Abreu and members of the electric vehicle conversion project team who became finalists in the American Association of Community College and National Science Foundation Community College Innovation Challenge. Only 11 community colleges in the nation become finalists. The students — Shantanu Chand, Steven Korvin, Jay Desai — and faculty mentor Profes-
6
A
s Bergen begins preparing for its next selfstudy evaluation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2024-25, the College has taken steps to lay the groundwork for the evaluation of its educational programs by its accrediting body. Among the activities already underway, President Eric. M. Friedman and Vice President of Academic Affairs Brock Fisher will travel to Middle States’ headquarters in Philadelphia to meet with agency officials. Watch for additional updates in future issues of Inside Bergen Community College - including its new “Middle States Matters” branding! n
sor Robert Roller developed modular kits to convert combustion-based pickup trucks into fully electric vehicles. The team originally converted a retired pickup truck from the College's on-campus fleet. n
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Volume 8, Issue 3