March 8, 2012

Table of Contents

Coming Events

Women's Empowerment Day March 15
All are invited to the Women's Empowerment Day Program at the James Kerney Campus, Kerney Hall, on Thursday, March 15, from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. Mercer alumni will speak about their academic journeys and career successes. The event will give students an opportunity to hear success stories firsthand and receive inspiration to help them on their journey to academic success. Students, faculty and staff are cordially invited.

Mentoring Discussion Panel March 15
In celebration of Woman's History Month, the American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) Mercer Chapter will be sponsoring a luncheon a "Mentoring Discussion Panel" on Thursday, March 15, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. in the atrium at the Conference Center. The panel will be composed of women on the MCCC faculty and staff from various areas of the college. They will be sharing their tips for achieving growth, and give reflections on their career paths to an audience of students and fellow staff members. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. followed by the discussion from 12:25 to 1:15 p.m. If you would like to attend the luncheon, please e-mail Amy Immordino at immordia@mccc.edu.

Reminder to Promote MCCC Job Fair March 15!
Please spread the word to students! MCCC will host a Spring Job Fair on Thurs., March 15, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Center, West Windsor Campus. Employers will have the opportunity to share information and discuss career opportunities within their organization, including internships, seasonal, part-time and full-time positions, with students, graduates and community members. Flyer here. For further information call ext. 3397.

MCCC Gallery Hosts Mercer County Artists 2012
The talents of 76 Mercer County artists will be on display at the Gallery at Mercer in the exhibit, "Mercer County Artists 2012," which runs now through April 5. Curator/consultant Jeffrey Wechsler juried this year's exhibition. Most recently, Mr. Wechsler was senior art curator at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University/New Brunswick. He has selected 78 works of art, 18 of which are sculptural, for this year's show. According to MCCC Gallery Director/Curator Tricia Fagan, a record-breaking 175 artists entered 288 works of art for consideration, making this one of the county's most selective shows. See next week's edition for information on the prize winners and opening reception.

Holocaust Center Coming Events
Specifically designed for educators, the Holocaust-Genocide Resource Center at MCCC will host “Echoes and Reflections” with curriculum for teachers of grades 6-12 on March 28, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. A showing of the film “War Horse” with discussion takes place on Wed., April 4, at 4:30 p.m

Event Reminders __This Week's Events on MLink ____ Full College Calendar_____Event Submission Form

Student Restaurant is OPEN Fridays for lunch through May 4, with the exception of March 23. Seating is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in ES111. Pay-at-the-door service only. The cost is $12, which includes appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage. All patrons will be seated on a first-come first-served basis. We ask that group seating be limited to six or fewer. We appreciate your support!

March 17-18: MCCC Horticulture Expo, with 500 students from 28 high schools across the state, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hundreds of entries will be displayed in the skywalk on the second floor of the buildings that surround the MCCC Quad. More here.

March 30: Juvenile and Criminal Justice Conference at MCCC's Conference Center, with speakers, workshops, networking and "Meet the Authors." Details here.

April 2: Be Part of "Spring Into Student Success!" 6 p.m. at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village. More here, or contact Amy Frangione at ext. 3293 or e-mail foundation@mccc.edu.

April 11: “Explore Mercer” Open House, 5:30 p.m. in the Student Center, WWC. Participants are asked to complete the form to confirm your participation by Monday, March 12. Call or e-mail Savita Bambhrolia at ext. 3438 with any questions or concerns.

Tribute to Legendary Basketball Coach Howie Landa: Committee is searching for alumni, retirees, and long-time MCCC faculty and staff who knew Mr. Landa. Fundraising is ongoing to inscribe Landa's name on the gymnasium floor. A ceremony on Sept. 15 will unveil the court in the gym, followed by dinner at the Conference Center. More here, or contact John Simone at ext. 3740.

Exercise and Healthy Living Classes -- FREE to faculty, staff and students:
Yoga classes meet every Wed. at 12 noon in the gym. Evening Yoga meets Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in FA129.
Zumba classes meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 12 noon in FA129.
Questions about fitness classes may be directed to Danielle Garruba at ext. 3412 or garrubad@mccc.edu.


Current News_Current News online

Nominate a Student Commencement Speaker
From Diane Campbell: Please nominate a dynamic student to serve as the Class of 2012 Commencement Speaker. The form is linked here for your use. Submit forms to John Simone in PE105. The deadline is April 6, 2012.

VP Guy Generals Writes for Community College Week
"Many professionals in the community college sector are talking about a new normal. It is a realization that the model that has prevailed for over fifty years – providing prosperity to generations of middle class Americans along the way – will struggle to sustain itself in its current format given the emerging social and economic realities. That narrative has taken on numerous meanings. Sometimes it refers to the budget realities; and, sometimes it refers to the expanded academic role needed to meet the challenges of a growing heterogeneous society. Both are equally important, but the expanded academic role warrants special consideration." Read the full article here.

MCCC Concludes African American History Month
Guest speaker Dr. Glenn Lang, whose career with the New Jersey Department of Education has spanned more than three decades, delivered a stirring address to an audience of students, faculty and staff during a closing ceremony for African American History Month Feb. 29. Dr. Lang is the current acting assistant secretary of New Jersey Higher Education/Office of Academic and Student Programs. He explained that his own ancestors were slaves and ultimately came north for a better life. His grandparents faced the Great Depression head on. "They lost everything, but still enabled future generations of our family to get an education," he said. "We need to be sure of what we hope for and confident of what we can't see. It is our duty as a society to continue to make a better world." More here.

Students Present Honorary Brick to Lucia Brown-Joseph
At the African American History month closing ceremony, MCCC bursar Lucia Brown-Joseph was honored for doing her part to help students achieve success. Students raised funds to honor Brown-Joseph with an engraved brick to be installed on campus, part of the college's "Pave the Way to Excellence" initiative. Brown-Joseph is the advisor to the African American Student Organization and teaches college success seminars. "Being here at Mercer is very rewarding," she said. "If I can change the life of one student, then my job here is well worth it, and many times I leave work with a smile on my face because of that." Brick dedications are open to all who support student success at Mercer. For more information, click here or contact the MCCC Alumni office at ext. 3659.

Youth College Students Learn at Special Event
About 150 Youth College students enjoyed a Black History Month special event on Feb. 25 with salsa, jazz, drum and dance groups. They learned about the African resistance to slavery and how Africans used drum and dance to communicate throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America. More here with photo.

March BatCave Newsletter
Reminder -- If you haven't done so already, check out the online version of the BatCave newsletter. The Batcave has gone green and you can now view the Newsletter at http//teach.mccc.edu/newsletter. Highlights: IPIC Call for Papers; Virtual Instructor Certification 101 for spring or summer; Quality Matters Part 11; Establishing a Good Online Teaching Presence; Webinar on Assessing College-Readiness Assessments March 28.

Rwandan Genocide Survivor Speaks at MCCC
From Co-Director Susan Goldberg: On Feb. 29, the Mercer County Holocaust-Genocide Resource Center welcomed Eugenie Mukeshimana, founder of Genocide Survivors Support Network, to speak about Romeo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil," and her own experiences surviving the Rwandan genocide. Ms. Mukeshimana's experiences leading up to the genocide were eerily similar to those of Germany's Jews in the years leading up to the Holocaust. Despite generations of intermarriage with the Hutu population, Tutsis became defined in stereotypical terms. The stereotyping became so commonplace in Rwanda that when it came time for the killing to begin, the majority of Hutus who had been friends and neighbors for years did nothing to stop the madness. In fact, many participated in the killings, while still more turned their backs to the horror. What is the one lesson Eugenie wants everyone to take away from her autobiography? "Do not be a bystander." We must realize that we are all links in a chain and what is done to one person will inevitably affect us all.

Elizabeth DeGiorgio Presents at National Conference
MCCC Assistant Professor of Education and Psychology Elizabeth DeGiorgio presented a workshop at the annual conference of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP), held March 2-4 in Philadelphia. DeGiorgio’s workshop was entitled “Virtually Enhancing Your Teacher Education Course.” Participants learned about the benefits of virtual learning environments as a supplement to traditional classroom activities, including sharing ideas, documents and multimedia files. The NACCTEP is the premier organization bringing together community college faculty, staff, administrators and partners to exchange knowledge, skills, and ideas focusing on teacher education and early childhood programs. Approximately 200 education professionals attended.

Datatel/Project NASA February Update
All updates here.

Mercer in the News This Week

Community College Week:
POV: Colleges Must Not Lose Sight of General Education Role

CentralJersey.com:
MCCC Gallery Hosts Mercer County Artists 2012

Mercer County Community College to Host Criminal Justice Conference

MCCC Concludes African American History Month with Speaker and Brick Dedication

WWFM The Classical Network Introduces "A Tempo"

Patch.com:
Mercer County Community College to Host Criminal Justice Conference

WWFM The Classical Network Introduces "A Tempo"

Student Science Fair Projects Impress the Experts

Princeton Online:
STATE-WIDE GATHERING OF GENERATIONS OF THE SHOAH

Mercer County Community College to Host Criminal Justice Conference

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre for Timeless Classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” March 23-April 1

Public Invited to MCCC Horticulture Expo March 17-18

Broadway World:
'Mercer County Artists 2012' Opens Tomorrow at MCCC Gallery

News Links and Social Media

How to Submit Your News/Calendar Items
To submit a message for this newsletter or for Broadcast E-mail, click here. Please keep it brief and to the point. For longer stories, please create a web page or include a link to an existing web page. The Marketing staff reserves the right to edit materials submitted for publication based on news value and space constraints.

Events: All events held on our campuses must be listed on the MCCC calendar. Fill out the form here. This form will go to Marketing, Public Information, Facilities, Security. The calendar will help to avoid conflicting events with parking and security issues.

To request internal or external free publicity for your event, please fill out the request form here, or e-mail the Public Information Office giving details and contact information: Saveria Symons, ext. 3736, or Wendy Humphrey, ext. 3729. For major events we request four or five week's notice.

Click here for guidelines on how to request publicity.

Click here for information about the services of the Public Information office.

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