Newsletter Archive

Quinsigamond Community College recently held a variety of pinning ceremonies throughout the month of May. Ceremonies were held in the Hebert Auditorium and the Worcester Senior Center.

May QCC pinning ceremonies included:                                       

• Surgical Technology
• Registered Nurse
• Radiologic Technology
• Dental Hygiene
• Respiratory Care

Pinning ceremonies date back to the 1800s and also include a symbolic lighting ceremony to remind students to carry out the ideals of the nursing tradition. All nursing schools have a unique pin that identifies where nurses earned their degree. QCC nursing students wore traditional white nursing uniforms and were presented with a special pin to mark their achievement.

For more information on QCC’s healthcare programs, visit QCC Healthcare.

Recent QCC graduate Stephanie Teixeira has been elected as the Community College Segmental Advisor to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. In her new role, she will represent Massachusetts’s 15 community colleges on the Board of Higher Education in an advisory capacity, and as an ex officio member of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) for the 2018-2019 academic period.

Ms. Teixeira will work in conjunction with the community college segment and the SAC to create a strategic student agenda for Fiscal Year 2019. She will serve as an advocate for students and help shape decisions about state educational policy that directly affect students. In addition, she will bring student views to the attention of the Board of Higher Education and keep students from her segment apprised of Board actions that would impact their education.

Transitioning effectively from college to a career is crucial in the workplace. For some students, the ability to learn those skills in a cooperative education setting will give students a chance to work in their field, gain professional experience and allows them time to make meaningful adjustments to academic and career plans.

Recently, QCC’s Career Services and Credit for Prior Learning Office hosted a Cooperative Education Appreciation Breakfast to recognize the college’s Co-op students and the 48 employers who hosted them.

“The Co-op Program is a fantastic opportunity for the students to get a first-hand look into what it is like in the working atmosphere of their study,” said Wendy Jameson, Volunteer Coordinator at Reliant Medical Group. “It gives a supervisor the opportunity to mentor bright and enthusiastic students along with taking part in the training of their future.”   

Robin Tasca, a recent QCC graduate who earned her Certificate in Hospitality Management, knows firsthand the value of the Co-op program.

“I love the Co-op concept. I find it extremely valuable to gain real life, on-the-job experience,” Ms. Tasca said.

Ms. Tasca did her Co-op at the DCU Center in Worcester, working in the corporate sales office as a sales intern.  She said the program gave her a hands-on understanding of the sales venue selling process within the hospitality industry.

“For me, the program was one of the greatest opportunities given to me. The experience allowed me to network and meet new people,” she said. “Thanks to my internship at the DCU Center I was able to apply, interview and get hired by the brand new AC Hotel in Worcester as the Sales & Catering Coordinator. “

“I believe it (the Co-op program) enhances visibility and reputation through interactions with the community,” Ms. Jameson added. “I enjoy working and placing QCC students and hearing about their continued employment opportunities.”

Most QCC students can elect a cooperative education study option, which can be used as an elective in some academic programs, or a requirement in others. A student can earn up to nine credits in cooperative education toward their degree.  Visit QCC Cooperative Education to learn more about the program requirement.

A boot camp may conjure up visions of military marching but QCC’s Math Boot Camps are a far cry from the militia. These free weeklong (4 or 5 hours a day) math boot camps are held throughout the summer at QCC’s main campus and one week at QCC Southbridge. They are designed to refresh students’ math skills and help prepare them to succeed in math placement testing and college mathematics.

For many students who have taken a QCC math boot camp, the experience was transformative. QCC student Ashley Forhan is one such student.

“I was out of school for a long time and hadn’t done math. I needed a refresher course to get started,” said Ms. Forhan, a Criminal Justice student, whose major required a college algebra course.

Ms. Forhan said she had originally taken the accuplacer test and scored lower than the required college algebra (MAT100), so she signed up for the developmental mathematics class.

“I got in there and had no idea what I was doing. I was overwhelmed,” she said.

A professor told her about the math boot camps and after doing some research, she signed up.

“It was the best five days of my life,” she said, noting that at first she was hesitant about it. “The first day you take the acculplacer test and then the last day you retake the test.”

QCC Associate Professor of Mathematics, Sheiba Mas-Oud, one of the professors who is the driving force behind the math boot camps, was Ms. Forhan’s instructor.

Professor Mas-Oud came to QCC in 2011 from the Bronx, where he had started a similar math boot camp in 2005. He said the program at QCC was comparable to the one he had created and quickly began helping with QCC’s program. When the QCC professor who was in charge of the math boot camp left for California, he took over.

According to Professor Mas-Oud, there are two reasons the program has been so successful. The first is the teaching method and the second is the level of pressure and motivation that is put on the students.

“There’s a lot of difference between a 14-week course and a 20-hour course,” he said. “They (students) have some fears and I try to defuse them.”

During each boot camp session Professor Mas-Oud gives two 45-minute lectures on various topics each day of the week long camp. He uses real examples that students can relate to and appreciate. Oftentimes the examples are funny and silly, but they get the point across. He said his job is not to have students master mathematics, but rather to bring them as much knowledge and understanding in a short period of time. The students work with MyMathLab and MyMathTest. A study plan is created for students on MyMathLab and tests are then created on basic mathematics. The system builds a study plan for each student based on his or her initial accuplacer score. Professor Mas-Oud expects each student to complete at least 80 percent of the study plan in order to retake the accuplacer at the completion of the course.

“Professor Mas-Oud sits down and helps you. He focuses on the most important things… the whole format was just great. Our class was enthusiastic and we had all kinds of laughs thanks to Professor Mas-Oud,” she said. “It really helps to have a professor there to ask questions and discuss things. It made such a big difference.”

At the end of the boot camp Ms. Forhan retook the Accuplacer test and this time tested into college algebra (MAT 1000), saving her not only precious time but money

QCC student Ellen O'Sullivan concurred.

"I walked into Math boot camp the first day picturing a Marine soldier in my face yelling at me. I left four days later having been taught by a wonderful teacher (Sheiba Mas-Oud) who had helped me move up a level (and many in the class several levels) - saving both time and money." Ms. O'Sullivan said.  

“This semester I’m taking biology and my first lab, which involves conversions. I would not have been able to do them without the math boot camp,Those five days are going to follow me forever. I loved it and I tell everyone about it,” Ms. Forhan added.

Professor Mas-Oud said it is these experiences that make him especially proud of the program.

“At the end of the camp, some students are crying and very emotional because they’ve scored well. These are my best moments,” Professor Mas-Oud said. “I’m very passionate about this.”

Ms. O'Sullivan is quick to offer advise for those considering a Math boot camp.

"Do not fear. Math boot camp is worth the effort and is FUN!"

Visit QCC Math Boot Camps to learn more.

Earlier this month four Quinsigamond Community College advanced manufacturing students (James Walden, Chris Bartzak, Lyndon Perkins, John Carmody) completed and passed the rigorous Manufacturing Advancement Center Workforce Innovation Collaborative (MACWIC) Level 3 certification exam. The certification credentialing program is part of MassMEP’s workforce development program. This computer numerical control (CNC) certification is currently only being offered at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), UMass Lowell and QCC.

The stackable certification credentialing is built into QCC’s manufacturing degree program and is extremely beneficial to students when they are applying for jobs.The certification shows that the students have demonstrated their overall competency in the core skill areas of manufacturing. The higher the level of certification, the more advanced skillset.

The four students who passed the Level 3 certification were not given a traditional final exam, but were charged with replicating some model train wheels for a turn-of-the-century train that was part of WPI Mathematical Sciences Professor, Dr. John Goulet’s train collection.

“The trolley was made by the Morton E Converse Company of Winchendon, Mass in the 1895 - 1905 timeframe. At the time, Converse (no relation to the sneakers) was the largest manufacturer of toys in the world,” Dr. Goulet said. “I collect, repair, restore and operate trains from this era.”

According to Dr. Goulet, the type of cast wheels that had been on the train were no longer available and he needed to find viable replacements. QCC Associate Professor Lee Duerden felt his students were up to the task and worked the project into their curriculum. On May 4, the students presented their wheels to Dr. Goulet.

“We are very proud that our students can handle this level of skill,” Associate Professor Duerden said. “This exam was administered over two week to cover Lathe and Mill skills. The parts were taken away for inspection and results were sent to us.”

“The students did a superb job,” said Dr. Goulet. “The brass wheels that QCC made allow this trolley to get back in action.”

Currently QCC has seven certifications embedded in the Manufacturing program that include:

• MACWIC Level 1
• MACWIC Level 2
• MACWIC Level 3
• OSHA 30
• Solidworks CSWA
• Fanuc robotics
• SME Lean Bronze

Visit QCC’s Manufacturing Program to learn more.  

On May 18, at Quinsigamond Community College’s 53rd Commencement, Worcester Police Department Lieutenant Miguel Lopez was honored with the Trustee’s Citizen’s Award. Lieutenant Lopez, a former QCC trustee, was given the award by Board of Trustees Chair Susan Mailman, who noted the exceptional impact he has had on QCC through his dedication to students. Lieutenant Lopez served as a QCC trustee for eight years.

The college also honored four professors who received the title of Professor Emerita at the commencement ceremony. QCC has established a tradition of honoring worthy retiring professors who have the ranking of full professor and who have served many years as a full-time faculty member at QCC by bestowing them with the title, Professor Emerita. The award acknowledges the professors for their excellence in teaching and their dedication to QCC and the community.

QCC’s President Dr. Luis G. Pedraja and Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, Nancy Schoenfeld bestowed the honor of Professor Emerita to retiring Radiologic Technology Professor Linda LeFave.

Other retiring Professors who were also awarded the title, Professor Emerita (in absentia) include:

• Mathematics Professor Eileen Potvin
• Developmental English Professor Priscilla Underwood
• Accounting Professor Carol Murphy

Building relationships within the QCC community and the region is one of the primary focuses of the Community Connections Office. Whether it’s through grant development, public and private partnerships, alumni relations and the QCC Foundation, the office is an integral part of QCC. An important cog in the college’s Community Connections department is June Vo. Ms. Vo joined the college in July 2017 as a Clerk III after a long history with QCC that began more than 17 years ago. She had started taking classes at the college intermittently, with a goal of one day earning a degree. However, according to Ms. Vo, a lack of confidence made her feel that would most likely never happen.

In 2000, Ms. Vo’s life radically changed after a car accident caused her to lose vision in both eyes.  After the life-altering accident, she determined it was time to reevaluate her life and in 2012, decided to go into massage therapy.

“I would always hear people say you don’t have to ‘see’ to feel muscle, so I enrolled in massage school and in six months was licensed by the state,” she said.

While Ms. Vo was pleased to have earned her massage therapy license, she still had aspirations of going back to QCC and earning the degree that had remained elusive to her. In 2014, she decided it was time to face her fears head-on and went back to QCC and two years later earned her associate degree in Business Administration.

She began practicing massage at Elements Massage in Shrewsbury while looking for work in her field and then in 2017, she learned of an opening at QCC.

“I had spent so much time at this college, I thought how awesome would it be to work there,” she said.

Ms. Vo applied and was hired for the Clerk III position, quickly diving in to help in any way she could.

“Since being an employee here, it has opened up opportunities that I didn’t imagine were possible,” she said.

She credits Disability Services with helping her, not only with accommodations in her educational pursuits, but also in her role at the college. She said her colleagues have been instrumental in advising and assisting her, most especially her supervisor Executive Director of Advancement Karen Rucks, who has truly been a “secret” mentor to her.

“I thank her for giving me this opportunity to work for her and QCC and allowing me to create my own opportunities in the workplace,” Ms. Vo said.

One of those opportunities has been to use her massage therapy skills (she renews her license annually) to help raise funds for QCC Foundation scholarships, by offering chair massages during the fall and spring semesters during exam weeks.

“Working with the Foundation has inspired me to work even harder to pay it forward and give back to the community,” she said.

Ms. Vo started off doing chair massages during the Winter Wellness workshops. She recently offered chair massages during the PAWS for a Study Break event this spring and raised over $100, which was all donated to QCC Foundation scholarships. She plans to continue this each semester.  

Today Ms. Vo is back in school at QCC, working on her third year for her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She plans to transfer to Nichols for her final year. Ms. Vo does all this, while also raising a 16-year-old son.

“Although I do not have a disability that can be seen with the naked eye, it is a disability I have struggled with for almost 20 years,” she said. “I wanted to share my story to let more people know about this project and to help inspire our students to keep pushing forward.”

Marvel Comics may have the Avengers, but the Worcester community has Betty Lauer. The soft-spoken powerhouse professor at Quinsigamond Community College, has been introducing robotics and technology education to hundreds of students in the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) and QCC for the last 18 years. The difference she has made in the lives of virtually every student she has encountered is immeasurable.

Professor Lauer’s passion for bringing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and computer science opportunities to underserved students, is legendary. In 2006, she began building an after-school K-12 robotics program in the WPS that has become the largest after-school program in the school system. The program helps students learn about technology, work as a team, and develop leadership skills. Students build robots that they use to compete in local robotics competitions, and in some instances, national and world competitions.  She also hosts a yearly summer camp for middle and lower level high school students, as well as soliciting used computer equipment from area companies to refurbish and give to students who don’t have computers of their own. Ms. Lauer has become one of the Commonwealth’s super heroes, dedicating her life to making technology education accessible to all.

“I’m all about helping underserved students to make it possible for them to obtain careers they might otherwise be shut out of. It’s part of the whole STEM world and once they get hooked, they get hooked,” she said. “It’s part of our responsibility because these are our students of the future.”

One example of success in the WPS K-12 robotics program is the Burncoat Middle School (BMS) K-12 robotics program. The school recently returned from Louisville, Kentucky where the students competed in the Vex Robotics World Championship. According to BMS Coach and Science Department Head, Stephen Rapa, the middle school had been in QCC Robotics competitions since Ms. Lauer introduced the program to the school in 2007. BMS had previously built an affiliation with QCC and Ms. Lauer through a program called Robotics and Project-Base Learning through Engineering Design (2006-2007 school year); however, funding for the program was limited and it only lasted a year.

“Betty had approached BMS a short time later and said she would help us start a VEX Robotics Program.

Through her support, the program grew and we have participated in every event offered by QCC including the Women in Science program,” Mr. Rapa said. “Our QCC sponsored programs are offered to any interested student as an after-school activity, including students who are faced with emotional and/or physical challenges. The robotics and technology programs continue to grow, sparking interest in the sciences and math for our middle school students. The programs that Betty has offered to public and private schools, have given direction to many young students.”

QCC has also played an integral role in the WPS robotics after-school program since its inception, hosting competitions at its main campus each year. Students who are part of the competition become familiar with QCC and many end up attending the college once they have completed high school.

“QCC Robotics programs have had the biggest positive effect on our students. Many have gone on into the engineering, science, and math fields because of their experience with these programs. Many have also attended QCC to continue with robotics and study engineering and computer sciences,” said Mr. Rapa. “The whole experience has given my students new confidence to tackle problem-solving and excitedly work together to find solutions to engineering design problems.”

Ms. Lauer was also able to assist Bristol Community College (BCC) in starting its own Vex robotics program through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

“They do what we do,” she said, noting that the college now regularly hosts Vex Robotics competitions similar to those at QCC.

For the last 16 summer, Ms. Lauer has also hosted a camp that’s offered to middle school and high school freshmen and sophomores. Acknowledging that many parents cannot afford to send their children to summer camp, Ms. Lauer put together the technology-driven camp to meet a need she saw in the community. The camp, which is held on QCC’s main campus, has had anywhere from 20 to over 150 students participate each year, but there are always more students than available spaces.

“We target B and C students, underserved first generation college bound students, and lower income students. We want to impact students and build a new path for them,” she said.

The program runs anywhere between two weeks to a month and fluctuates each year depending on funding, which is primarily done through private donations. Students get a chance to learn about technology first-hand and there is always an off-site visit to a company at some point during camp. Students always take home some type of technology they’ve built and more often than not they build a computer that they can take home at the end of program.

“Summer camps can’t teach students about computers if they don’t have access to them,” she said.

Another program Ms. Lauer is intimately involved with is CyberPatriot, a National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association that engages middle and high school students in learning about careers in cybersecurity and other STEM disciplines.

While all this may sound incredibly difficult for just one person to accomplish, factor in the classes Ms. Lauer teaches at QCC, in addition to raising five children, all of whom have attained academic and career success (professions run the gamut from doctor to lawyer).

Earlier in May, she participated in a road race with her seven-year-old grandson to help raise awareness of substance use disorder and support families who have lost a loved one to addiction.

When asked why she is so passionate about helping others, her answer is that of a typical super hero.

“Everyone can work to change and help their community. Everyone needs to find how they can contribute and make their community better,” she said. “It’s something as a society we should think about more.”

QCC Wyvern Baseball Team ends 2018 Season with Tough Loss in Championship Game

The Wyvern’s Baseball team fought to bring the game to extra innings Northern Essex Community College in a déjà vu National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Region XXI Baseball Championship game on May 14, but was ultimately unsuccessful.  It was QCC’s victory over Massasoit Community College earlier in the week that led the Wyverns to the championship game against Northern Essex at Trinity Stadium, a rematch from last year.

Northern Essex jumped out to an early lead, getting three runs in the first inning and one run in the third, before QCC battled back in the fifth inning and scored four runs.  From that point on each team had their chances to break the tie, however, it came down to the bottom of the tenth inning and a play at the plate that enabled Northern Essex to score the winning run.

“The QCC Wyvern student athletes and coaches did an amazing job! Congratulations to them on a highly competitive season,” said QCC Athletic Director Lisa Gurnick.

UPDATED Athletic Center Building Hours

The Athletic Center will be closed from Saturday, June 2 – Sunday, June 17. The Athletic Center new summer hours will begin on Monday, June 18 – Wednesday, September 5.

NEW HOURS:  Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 7:00 a.m.

As a dual enrollment student from Shrewsbury High School, Cara Freedman came to Quinsigamond Community College looking for a way to fulfill her dream of having a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) career. She had been struggling with mathematics in high school and feared she might never attain her career aspirations. According to Ms. Freedman, she had done well in math during middle school, however, once she hit high school there was a disconnect.

“Math became a problem in high school. I really struggled and didn’t get along with my teacher, which may have been a contributing factor,” she said. “I couldn’t understand why I was learning about angles and formulas that I didn’t feel had any real world application. I felt that school was not truly for learning and I was discouraged about attending college.”

Unsure what to do next, Ms. Freedman turned to a friend of hers who was in a dual enrollment program at QCC. She decided to try and take a few college courses at the college. As a new student, she was required to take the Accuplacer Placement Test before registering for any English and mathematics courses.  She took the test a bit fearful about how she would place. Her score placed her into the pre-calculus class. In Shrewsbury High School she had been placed in a higher level mathematics class.

“I feel like QCC starts you at a good level and doesn’t cram everything together. Needless to say, I found a whole new love for math that had been missing in my life since middle school. I felt I was treated fairly and given all the resources to learn and succeed in each class,” she said. “Going here from high school truly was a breath of fresh air.”

Ms. Freedman said her mathematics professors gave her the support and framework in math that had been missing in high school. At QCC, she said her professors offered her a way to learn the value of mathematics by using real work examples that she could relate to and appreciate. While acknowledging that calculus and trigonometry were her biggest challenges, she credits her QCC professors, most especially Professor Andreana Grimaldo, with helping her to succeed and flourish in math.

“Having teachers that treat you as an equal human was great. They wanted to help me learn,” she said, adding that she also took advantage of Professor Grimaldo’s office hours when she needed extra guidance.

Ms. Freedman completed her senior year at QCC and enrolled in QCC’s engineering associate degree program. She continued to excel in all her courses – courses that emphasized mathematics and sciences. She said she took advantage of the support services QCC offered; frequently utilizing the math lab and interactive online tools.

Today, Ms. Freedman is planning to graduate in May 2018, with the goal of attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) this fall and obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“I actually applied to WPI right out of high school but got waitlisted and didn’t get in,” she said, adding that through QCC’s current transfer articulation agreement with WPI, QCC engineering students with a 3.0 G.P.A. are able to transfer into WPI engineering program as a junior.

“This will save me a lot of money and I am hopeful that I may even receive some scholarships,” she added.

To learn more  about QCC's Mathematics Department or QCC's Dual Enrollment program, visit http://www.qcc.edu . 

On April 12 at the Hebert Auditorium, approximately 65 students took part in the induction ceremony for new members of the college’s Alpha Zeta Theta Chapter of The Phi Theta Kappa Honor (PTK) Society.

A total of 178 new members were eligible to be inducted, said QCC’s Dean of Students,Theresa Vecchio, making this one of PTK's largest classes. Currently QCC’s Alpha Zeta Theta Chapter has 508 active members at QCC, a far cry from the 11 members inducted in the first PTK induction ceremony held 38 years ago.

At the ceremony, outgoing PTK President Maia Shalev handed the reins over to incoming PTK President Jennifer Brevik. Other Alpha Zeta Theta Chapter PTK Officers for 2018-2019 include:

• Daniel Underwood, Executive Vice President of Leadership
• Adam Maarij, Executive Team Leader
• Santana Wright, Vice President of Scholarship
• Nichole Bodinizzo, Fundraising and Volunteer Director
• Emma O’Brien, Recording Secretary
• Maryanne Ouma, Treasurer
• Jamilex Rivas, Treasurer
• Precious Baba, Officer At Large
• Ashley Forhan, Officer At Large
• Mark Hogan, Officer At Large
• Colin Boisvert, Greenhouse Project Manager

QCC’s Alpha Zeta Theta Chapter of PTK was chartered in 1980 and today is considered a five- star chapter. The college’s chapter is ranked number one in New England and is in the top 20 in the world.To be eligible for this distinction, members need to participate in an eight-month research project every year. QCC members participate in numerous community service events each year. The chapter has worked with many local community organizations throughout the year such as:

• Lilly: The Worcester Public Library Bookmobile
• Community Harvest Project
• Veteran's Inc.
• Friendly House of Worcester
• Why Me & Sherry's House
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund
• Worcester Animal Rescue League
• Rally Against Cancer
• Habitat for Humanity
• Central MA Housing Alliance
• Convoy of Hope
• Relay for Life

PTK has also developed a Live & Learn Greenhouse, a project designed to diminish food insecurities on campus.

Membership in PTK is by invitation only and students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and 16 college credits earned at QCC.  To learn more visit PTK.

On Friday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m. Quinsigamond Community College will graduate its 53rd graduating class at the DCU Center in Worcester.This year's graduation speaker is Senator Elizabeth Warren.

This is a heady, sometimes stressful time for students as they prepare for the next steps in their life and QCC works hard to try and alleviate as many stressors as possible for students. While there is no rehearsal for the graduation ceremony itself, there are a few key points graduates should know in advance of the graduation day. 

• Check the Graduation page on the Q to make sure you are listed as a graduate. If your name is not listed, but you believe you are eligible to graduate, please check with the Registrar’s Office, Room 152A or call 508.854.4257.
• Check the spelling of your name and make sure it's listed correctly. If there is an error, report the error as soon as possible to the Registrar’s Office, as this will be the way your name will appear on your diploma.
•  Remember to check your address on the Q and update it as needed under the personal information tab. Make sure to check your Qmail frequently for information from the Registrar with final instructions for graduation.
• Caps & gowns will be distributed in the Registrar’s Office, room 152A. It is highly recommended that you try the gown on BEFORE leaving the Registrar’s Office. If you require a special size cap or gown (very short, very tall, need full-fit gown, etc.), please come in early for the best selection.

        Caps and gowns will be available for pick up on Monday, April 30 – Wednesday, May 2, 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Thursday, May 3, 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. and Friday, May 4, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. After May 5, please call the Registrar’s Office at 508.854.4257 to arrange for pick up.

• Graduation Day - The MAIN EVENT!  Arrive at the DCU Center by 12:00 p.m. Don’t forget your cap and gown!  Allow for ample time to park in one of the various lots near the DCU Center (Remember these lots will charge a parking fee). Graduates should enter in Door 1 or Door 2. Once inside go directly to the Student Robing Area, and look for the other graduates in your academic program. The ceremony begins at 1:00 p.m.
• Congratulations you’re almost there! Visit Commencement 2018 for complete details. 

Students in this semester’s Honors Colloquium, Histories of American Violence, facilitated by Professor Michael Gormley and Dr. Benjamin Wendorf, delivered dynamic poster presentations of their honors research at the Honors Program Showcase, held on April 24. The students then presented their posters on April 27 at the annual Undergraduate Research Conference held at UMass Amherst.

The students are part of the Honors Program at QCC, which offers students alternative learning opportunities to enhance critical thinking skills. The program encourages student involvement and course objectives are similar to those of non-honors courses; however, emphasis is made on individual interpretation and analysis, creative thinking, oral communication, and writing.

QCC students who presented posters included:

• Megan Askew: Violent American Undertakings: A Look at Torment in the ASD Community
• Nathan Hess: Violence Against African Americans
• Rhiannon McIntyre: Civilian Casualties in War, Vietnam to Present: The Descent into Chaos
• Austin O’Leary: The One-Percenters: Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Their American Origins
• Zachary Oliva: The Violent American Blame Game: Scapegoat Theory Explains the Rise of Anti-Muslim Sentiment
• Christopher Rumbaugh: Environmental Racism: Neoliberalism and Flint, MI
• James Strong: Cyber-Bullying: The Darkest Truth that Words can Reveal
• Randi Thayer: The Ultimate Trump Card: How the U.S. Leverages Nuclear Technology
• Sophie Werner: Identity-Based Violence and the Agency of American Prostitutes
• Kaileen Wheeler: American Racial Profiling and the Assumption of Black Criminality

The Honors Program is accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education as a Commonwealth Honors Program. QCC is part of an integrated, collaborative system-wide network of honors programs in Massachusetts public higher education.

To learn more about this program, visit Commonwealth Honors Program.

Earlier this month Quinsigamond Community College’s Transfer Services hosted its 2018 Spring Transfer Fair, something the college has been doing for over a decade. Approximately 150 students had the opportunity to meet and talk with 30 colleges and universities to learn about their transfer options. The college has been introducing different transfer events such as this one each semester to give students a chance to learn about the myriad of transfer options available to them.

These events are designed to help students understand everything they need to know about transferring before they are in their final semester at QCC, alleviating unnecessary last minute headaches and confusion. QCC's Transfer Services staff help students learn about transfer pathways and will put together a transfer plan that works for each individual student.

As a member of the Massachusetts Public Higher Education System, QCC maintains strong ties with all of Massachusetts' public four-year colleges and universities, and offers the MassTransfer program, as well as numerous articulation agreements with private four-year colleges and universities, locally and regionally.

In addition to walk-in transfer sessions there are semester visits by representatives from area colleges and universities; transfer advising and transfer information resources that are available at the Transfer office, and a new spring initiative – Transfer Services Workshops. These workshops feature topics that include the application process, college search, preparing to transfer and transfer agreements.

The workshops are one hour and are held in room 62A.

“We really encourage students to contact us ‘early and often,’” said QCC Transfer Coordinator Daniel de la Torre.

“Even if a student is in his/her first semester here, it’s never too early to start thinking about transferring to a bachelor degree,” added QCC Transfer Counselor Beth Fullerton.

QCC’s next Tranfer Fair will be its Fall Fair, held on Wednesday, October 31 in room 109 A&B in the Harrington Learning Center.

To learn more visit  QCC Transfer