Hello, GCC!

In the last few days before the semester begins, there is so much great news to share! First, beginning with applications, we have now surpassed our 2019 numbers! It’s been reported that we are receiving 10-15 inquiry calls per day for the MassReconnect program! 

Credit loads are holding steady with our 2020 numbers.

Tuesday, August 22 was truly a day of celebration for the State of Massachusetts. An estimated 16,000 students in the Commonwealth can now benefit from the policy change allowing for students without legal immigration status to qualify for in-state tuition rates and state financial aid at public colleges or universities in the Commonwealth.

Read more, or watch the recording from the event here.

Thursday, August 24 was also an incredibly exciting day as the community college presidents joined the Healy Driscoll Administration, elected officials, civic leaders, students and community members at MassBay Community College for a press conference on MassReconnect. 

As Governor Healy indicated in her speech:

"MassReconnect will be transformative for thousands of students, for our amazing community colleges, and for our economy,” said Healey. "It will bolster the role of community colleges as economic drivers in our state and help us better meet the needs of businesses to find qualified, well-trained workers. We can also make progress in breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty by helping residents complete their higher education credentials so they can attain good jobs and build a career path. Our administration is grateful for the partnership of the Legislature to move forward on this critical program that will make our state more affordable, competitive and equitable."

Massachusetts community colleges and specifically the MassReconnect program were highlighted in a recent issue of Inside Higher Ed entitled Community Colleges Buoyed by Modest Enrollment Growth which can be found here.

Finally, Shannon sent you all a calendar invite for September 5th ‘s Fall Kickoff. She will be sending a follow up email next week with the schedule of events. Please plan on attending in person. 

Thanks to all who made this possible, it was a great way to end the summer.

We celebrated the successful completion of a rigorous six- week (120 contact hours) Para Educator Training Program in the East Building last Thursday for 9 individuals in our community. Most of them have already secured employment for fall within the local public school systems.

Prior to the ceremony, the learners enjoyed a sit down catered luncheon and lively discussion with regional employer partners, including Franklin County Technical School, Greenfield Public Schools and Mohawk Regional Schools. Families and friends and supporters joined after lunch for a celebration ceremony.

The new Paras will continue to connect with their industry mentors monthly for their first six months of employment.

The Greenfield Council on Aging (Greenfield Senior Center) received a digital literacy grant from the Executive Office for Elder Affairs (EOEA) that will benefit older adults who are struggling to navigate technology. As a result, the Department for Community Engagement at GCC will be able to offer workshops, free of charge, to Franklin County residents over the age of 60. These will take place over the next 16 months and the first one is happening in September. Individuals can register here: https://engage.gcc.mass.edu/workshops/computer-basics-for-seniors/ Additionally, the funding will allow for significant expansion of the Cyber Senior Program which supports young people working one on one with older adults. Currently the only site for this program is GCC, but additional sites in Franklin County will be added. We are very excited about this partnership and look forward to helping older adults enhance their digital literacy skills.

The summer has been busy orienting new staff members and helping them prepare for the start of a new academic year. In addition we will be saying goodbye to a staff member as well.

Robert Vigneault our Veterans and Military Services Counselor has accepted a new position at Westfield State University where he continues to work in Veterans Services. Robert is continuing to act as our campus certifying official until we find his successor. The search is in process for that position. In the meantime, please continue to refer students to Robert via email at veterans@gcc.mass.edu. For more information please visit the Military Services & Veterans webpage.

In July we welcomed Cyndi Rebelo as the Special Programs Coordinator for Food Security. She has ably picked up the reins of the Corner Market Food Pantry coordination. Cyndi’s office is located in the Women’s Resource Center suite in C212, but you can often find her in the Corner Market. We would like to give a big shout out to Jan Ross and Natalie Feliciano for their incredible work building the program and securing the wonderful new space in N220 that is bursting with goodness for our students. Be on the lookout for an invitation to a community meal we will be hosting in their honor to acknowledge and celebrate their incredible commitment to this work and service to our community.

Just this month we welcomed Thalia Reynolds, the new Administrative Assistant to Student Affairs. Thalia will also provide some backup to the Enrollment Services group. She comes to us with a variety of service experiences as well as graphic design work. You may recognize her from her most recent work at Greenfield’s Market. Thalia brings with her a great deal of energy and creativity. She studied fine arts at a community college in her home state of Alabama and continued on in art history at University of North Alabama. Her office is located in the Student Activities suite. Make sure to stop by and introduce yourself.

Another new addition this month was Gillian Pirnie, the new Campus Security Officer who joined our Public Safety team. Gillian has worked in service and construction fields and comes to GCC with a passion for learning and service. She has hit the ground running - literally walking campus and getting to know folks across the institution. She has been engaging in important learning such as Mental Health First Aid that will add to her toolbox of skills in supporting our students. If you see Gillian around, please say hi and introduce yourself.

STAY TUNED…We are in the final stages of the search process for the Coordinator of Student Leadership & Engagement and hope to have an update on that hire in the next newsletter.