|
You can upload your COVID-19 card or immunization certificate through myNECC at COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Form.
To apply for a reasonable accommodation, complete and submit the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form and email it along with supporting documentation to studentvax@necc.mass.edu.
For more information, visit COVID-19 Vaccination Frequently Asked Questions or email immunizations@necc.mass.edu.
|
All posts by Isa Grullon, Editor-in-chief
Anniversary mosaic project
Are you an NECC student, alum, faculty or staff? Do you have photos of you and your friends and classmates around campus? A snap shot by the beautiful murial in the Dimitry Building or a gorgeous pic of the fall foliage on the Haverhill campus? Photos can be shared on social media by using the hashtag #NECC60. You can also add your photos to the NECC website, search for “photo mosaic”. Photos will be collected now through Jan. 14.
Spam attacks on NECC
NECC IT Services reminds students to be “extra diligent” when reviewing emails. In a recent email they shared that there has been an increase in phishing attacks on the college. Everyone is asked to ignore unexpected emails or those requesting sensitive information. If in doubt reach out to phishing@necc.mass.edu.
Social media sensation
Knight’s basketball player’s hair style has become a viral sensation. Even ESPN’s SportsCenter has shared shots of the player and his do with their 26.37 million Instagram followers, dubbing Matthew D’Amato the “Mullet Mamba” in the process.
The PACE program: A pathway for pioneers
For many first-generation students, the college experience can be a difficult process to navigate. Pathways to Academic & Career Excellence, better known as PACE, is a Student Support Services program funded by a TRiO grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
At NECC, the PACE staff consists of Director Kristen Arnold, Data Specialist Christine Carbone, Academic Adviser Sheila Corsaro, and Transfer Adviser Jessica Rocker.
PACE serves both NECC campuses. The Haverhill office is in the Behrakis Student Center, room SC213 and the Lawrence office is in the Dimitry Building, room L101.
Lyric Iraola, 18, of Lawrence is a childhood development major and a first-generation college student. She heard about PACE from a family member. “They are there to help. I want to continue college after my two years here, so they’re going to help me go to UMass Amherst or Lowell, wherever,” says Iraola.
The pandemic has made it difficult to bring new students into the program over the past year.
“It’s hard to appeal to students when you aren’t in person. They couldn’t see us present on campus. They think it’s like a gimmick sometimes.” says Rocker. “We’re hoping this year is a little bit better,” she adds.
As the event and field trip coordinator, Rocker had to get creative in order to continue providing fun things to keep students engaged.
“Everything went virtual. For me it was really hard because I had to figure out a way to connect with students and still do the same things but do it virtually.”
Some of the virtual events provided by PACE have included a cooking class, paint nights andeven a ghost tour. Rocker thinks they will continue to include virtual events in the rotation of activities moving forward.
Kimberly Garcia, 18, of Lawrence, studies art and design at NECC. She learned about PACE when Rocker contacted her about joining the program.
“I like how they do events, like the art event, we did it through Zoom, it was awesome.” says Garcia. “I feel like they’re helping me be more out there,” she added.
Garcia plans on transferring to a four-year school and ultimately finding an art and design job.
“On our most recent Annual Performance Report 89% of our students persisted, 95% of our students were in good academic standing, 87% of our students graduated with an associate degree or certificate within 8 semesters of entering PACE and 64% of our students earned an associates degree or certificate AND transferred to a four-year college within 8 semesters of joining PACE,” Arnold shared in an email.
PACE also hosts field trips to various colleges and universities in the area including Merrimack College, Salem State University, UMass Lowell and more.
For more information on PACE and to see if you are eligible to join the program call 978-556-3403 or email karnold@necc.mass.edu.
Good bye, farewell and thank you
And just like that, the second (and final) issue of the fall 2021 Observer is here.
My final issue.
The 2021 fall semester has been bittersweet, filled with ups, downs, and everything in between. For myself and many of us, the last two years have been difficult to say the least.
It has, however, allowed us to show ourselves and each other just what we are made of. There is grit among the blood, sweat, and tears. A demonstrated perseverance only seen in those who have everything to gain by pushing forward and too much to lose by falling back.
I want to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone.
If you have ever answered a question I have asked – Thank you.
If you have ever posed for a photograph at my request – Thank you.
If you have ever replied to an email or a text from me — Thank you.
If you have ever picked up a copy of the Observer or visited the website — Thank you.
Professor Rattigan, thank you for being there when I was at one of my lowest points and was not sure I would or could continue. Taking your public speaking class during the winter intersession of 2020 kept me going.
Professor Lyng, thank you for your continued support. You made me feel like I could do anything, even when it was two in the morning and my editing software would not cooperate. Your energy and enthusiasm are undeniably infectious.
Dean Callahan, thank you for pushing the Liberal Arts department to be all that it has become and embracing journalism and communications in such a way that it has made it possible for students like myself to thrive.
Ernie Greenslade, thank you for your support and guidance over the last year and a half. You are an invaluable resource for all whose path you cross. I hope we will continue to cross paths for years to come.
Professor Shafer, thank you for ALL of the things. Thank you for encouraging me to join the Observer back when I didn’t even know what AP Style was. Thank you for continuing to push me forward while still being cautious as to not overwhelm me. Thank you for your understanding and your flexibility. Thank you for being available via email and text, always. Thank you for getting up early and staying up late and always reminding me that we are all still learning.
Professor Yarborough, it’s been a long road. Thank you for sticking by me, pushing and supporting me. I wish to have been able to meet you in person. You are truly one of the most considerate and kindest souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Please know that all you do for your students does not go unnoticed.
PACE family, we have only just met and I’m sorry it took me so long, but I am so glad to have finally met you all. You’ve shown me that it’s okay to ask for help and that it’s all within reach for the taking.
What the future will hold for me next, I cannot predict with certainty, but I know that I am now better prepared for what is to come, more than ever before, thanks in great part to Northern Essex and its community.
I hope to some day be able to give back all that I have received during my time here. At the very least I plan to pay it forward.
This is “good bye” for now but I’ll definitely “see ya later!”
Aaaaaand we’re BACK!
During the coronavirus pandemic, Observer staff had to figure out a new way to deliver the news. Enter WordPress. Was I familiar with WordPress? I had heard of it, but I had never seen or used it. This was fine though, because since students, i.e., the Observer student staff, were not allowed on campus, it meant we did not have access to the servers which would allow us to post to the Observer website.
Mary Jo Shafer, our fearless advisor, took on the task of uploading stories written and/or edited by staff and correspondents. The Observer went on like this until the fall of 2021.
Now that we are able to be back in the newsroom, all four, maybe five of us including our advisor, have all learned to post to our website for ourselves. I was very excited to use WordPress and the magic that is posting instantaneously online. It’s more than just a social media post; it takes more work than a simple tweet. As a writer, a journalist, to see your work and thoughts come to life on paper or in this case, on a screen, is the ultimate reward.
Now here we are. It’s October 26. We are working on a 24-page print edition.
“What is “print”? What is InDesign? I have to use THIS Mac again?”
Here I am on THIS Mac. Working with no end in sight, or so it seems. Everyone else has gone home. It’s just Mary Jo and me.
My first print edition as editor-in-chief. I agreed to a 24-page special addition. I agreed to write an editorial. It feels like I am relearning all the things and adding in some new things too (thanks Shaun!). It is slowly but surely all coming back to me. All coming together.
During the height of the pandemic, because we are still in it, I had doubts, as I am sure many of you did. But being back here, on campus, in the newsroom, it all feels right. It is reassuring to feel at home. I hope that everyone else feels this way when they are here at NECC. I wish I could stay forever- it’s like when I was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts and didn’t want to leave so the troop leaders let me stay an extra year. But for now, I will continue to soak in everything I can, and say yes to every challenge.
In the word of Ms. Frizzle, this is the place to, “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”
I think we can do this again. And we will! The Observer will release another 24-page special edition on December 2. Stay tuned!
A year of celebration
Northern Essex Community College is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It is also the 50th anniversary of the Haverhill Campus and the 30th anniversary of the Dimitry Buidling in Lawrence.
NECC has come a long way from its first years at Greenleaf Elementary School in Bradford which was repurposed to accommodate its first graduating class of 181college students. The 142 men and 39 women, ages 18-19 were taught by five full-time faculty and eight part-time faculty.
Students chose from six associate degrees: Liberal Arts, General Liberal Arts, Business Management, Accounting, Secretarial, and Electronics Technology.
Today NECC consists of a sprawling rural campus in Haverhill as well as an urban campus in Lawrence.
In the fall of 2020, the student body consisted of 4,715 students, of which 69% were studying part-time, 65% were female, 42% were Hispanic, and 30% were over the age of 25.
Students are now taught by 79 full-time faculty and 261 part-time faculty and have over 60 majors to choose from.
Over the last six decades NECC, colloquially known as NECCO, has strived to evolve with its students and the various local communities it serves.
A notable way in which NECC has grown is by being one of the 19 colleges and universities participating in the statewide Massachusetts Early College Initiative. The college has designated programs with Haverhill High School, Lawrence High School, and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and partners with 25 other local high schools.
In the fall of 2020, there were 548 students enrolled in Early College Programs, a 37% increase over the fall of 2019 when 398 students were enrolled.
The college is home to one of the most successful police academies in Massachusetts. Since its inception in January 2015, over 500 recruits have graduated from the academy, serving more than 58 municipal police departments, eight colleges and universities, the Massachusetts Port Authority, and the Somerville Housing Authority.
NECC also provides space for the Essex County Sheriff’s Training Academy for corrections officers and runs the educational programming for Essex County inmates, through a partnership with the sheriff’s department.
The El-Hefni Building in Lawrence houses the 22 health programs at NECC, in which a third of students are enrolled. The health programs include high demand fields such as nursing, respiratory care, sleep technology and more.
The Nursing program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was the first health program offered by the college and started in the fall of 1968.
The college recently purchased three new manikin simulators and replaced the aging dental assistant lab, thanks to a $400,000 state grant.
To better serve its wide range of students, NECC launched an evening option for the dental assisting program in the spring and is working on offering a new series of micro-credentials for current health care workers in areas such as advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, and more.
The new Lupoli Family Culinary Arts Institute occupies two floors in The Heights in downtown Haverhill, a new 10-story luxury building, opened in fall of 2020. With sweeping views of the Merrimack River, the space features classrooms, laboratories, and state-of-the-art kitchens.
The institute is home to the college’s 29-credit Culinary Arts Certificate and 63-credit Associate Degree in Hospitality Management.
Noncredit culinary courses are offered to the community through the Center for Corporate & Community Education.
NECC holds closing the equity gap in higher education as a number one priority.
The college is known for its student services, which support students at every step of their education, with academic and career advising, financial assistance, tutoring, leadership, and more.
With a student population that is 42% Hispanic, NECC continues to make serving students of color a priority, developing best practices for helping these and other populations that are under-represented in higher education to be successful.
In 2001, NECC was the first college in New England to be designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, based on the number of Hispanic students served.
The college’s academic and student affairs areas recently restructured to better serve students. There are now five academic centers, organized by major, where students can meet with faculty and academic and career advisors, access tutoring, register for classes, attend presentations, and meet informally with other students who share similar interests.
NECC now runs the MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Centers in Haverhill and Lawrence, which offer employment and training services for job seekers and employers.
In the fall, in partnership with three Fortune 500 employers, NECC launched new micro credential programs, short-term noncredit programs that will lead to immediate jobs with good salaries.
The first two programs will be in sales and customer service and business analytics, both of which have been identified by employers as areas of great need, where the training can be short term.
Most recently, NECC is collaborating with the YWCA of the North Shore to jointly build a facility on the Haverhill Campus and with Whittier Regional Vocational Technical School to have a permanent home on our Haverhill Campus.
Dean of Liberal Arts Amy Callahan has been with NECC for over 21 years. She has pushed for a revitalization of the Liberal Art department for several years as part of the faculty and now as Dean. She planted the seed to hold an outdoor showing of “tiny beautiful things” at the Haverhill campus.
“Everyone is going to love it!” She recounted telling Director of Public Relations Ernie Greenslade.
Callahan says that NECC has affected her in many ways over the years but that she “has become a much better educator by paying attention to her students.” She hopes to continue expanding the Liberal Arts department by adding various internships and catering to the needs of students and the community.
Greenslade, who is a Lawrence native and has worked at NECC for 33 years says, “The most exciting part of my job is interacting with students. I’m so inspired by students’ stories.”
NECC wants to hear from you. A social media campaign is currently running in celebration of the milestone. Use #NECC60 on social media posts regarding NECC and the anniversary.
A mosaic is also in the works in honor of the anniversary. Photos and messages can be sent to necc-anniversary@necc.mass.edu. All submissions are eligible to be included in all anniversary coverage.
NECC announces new COVID-19 vaccine policy
On Sept. 20, the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts announced that there will be a vaccine requirement for students, faculty and staff starting in January 2022. Students who are not vaccinated will be able to take online courses. Read the full announcement here: https://www.necc.mass.edu/current-students/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/home/COVID_Statement_from_Presidents-092021.pdf
NECC will hold a two free vaccine clinics this in October. The first clinic will be held in the Dimitry Building lobby on the Lawrence campus on Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon. The second clinic will be held in Haverhill on Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon in the D Building lobby.
The Observer is interested in hearing your thoughts about this requirement. Get in touch with us at observer@necc.mass.edu.
For more details and the most up-to-date information on NECC’s COVID-19 response and policies visit: https://www.necc.mass.edu/public-safety/coronavirus-information/
COVID-19 consolation: Vaccine is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel
On Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for emergency use in the United States.
For many, this is a long-awaited relief and for others a cause for further concern.
Jocelyn Avila, 20, of North Andover, says she would like to get the vaccine after seeing how it works for others.
Mirrorajah Metcalfe, 19, of Haverhill is hesitant to receive the vaccine once she becomes eligible. “It feels all too rushed,” she says.
Andrew Venditti, 21, from Haverhill, plans on getting the vaccine eventually and shared that his mom has already received her first dose and the only side effect has been “an itchy arm.”
The federal government is allowing each state to decide how they will distribute the vaccine to residents.
Massachusetts has a three-phase plan, prioritizing health care workers, first responders and public service providers. This plan is expected to allow everyone over the age of 16 that wishes to be vaccinated to receive the shot by the end of June 2021.
At this time, it is not clear as to whether the vaccine will be mandatory at some point in the future, like how the flu vaccine is mandatory for many health care workers, with few exceptions.
Metcalfe feels the vaccine should not be mandatory. “People should have the right to choose and a vaccine should not determine their livelihood.” she says. She feels more people will voluntarily receive the vaccine as time goes on and its safety and efficacy are proven.
Venditti feels that everyone who is able to get the vaccine should and in some cases it should be mandatory. He compared it to drinking and driving laws which are not only for the protection of the individual but also for those that can be injured by a drunk driver. A vaccinated person is not only protecting themselves, but those around him or her as well.
