Getting Their Feet Wet and Hands Dirty for Science HCC Robotics

Transcription

Holyoke Community College
Summer 2012
Volume 3 • Issue 2
Your Community Resource for Education, Training, and Enrichment
TM
Getting Their Feet
Wet and Hands Dirty
for Science
HCC Robotics
Program
From Simple Building Blocks to
Intelligent Software
The College Benefit
A Degree Pays Off in Surprising Ways
303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
ECRWSS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
NON PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
Academic
Marketing service
www.hcc.edu
Welcome from the President
In this issue of Career Focus, you’ll meet some of the students who enrolled in Professor Steven Winters’ Earth Science class in Fall
2011. Most were non-science majors seeking to fulfill a lab requirement. What they experienced is what happens when students discover
something new and unexpected; when new interests are ignited and new worlds unfold.
Students in Professor Joe Stahl’s Robotics classes tap into that same excitement. When the first Robotics class was developed in 2007, it
was intended to attract engineering students. However, the class has been hugely popular with liberal arts students, who quickly discover
that building robots is fun. Today, eight sessions of Robotics I and two sessions of Robotics II are offered—and the classes have among
the lowest dropout rates at HCC.
Both Robotics and Earth Science include community collaboration through HCC’s Service Learning program. Robotics students teach what
they learn to children through the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club, and Earth Science students share their research with community groups
such as the Connecticut River Watershed Council, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the Trustees of Reservations. Partnerships
with community organizations enrich the learning experience for HCC students while meeting the needs of the community. Many HCC
students go on to intern or work with these organizations as a direct result of their Service Learning experience.
At HCC, you’ll find a place where collaboration—with students, faculty and community organizations—fosters meaningful relationships and
deeper understanding of subject matter. It’s a place where the thrill of discovery is truly alive. Come to HCC, and you might discover your
inner scientist, engineer or artist. You’ll definitely gain experiences and skills that you’ll use no matter what your major or intended career.
Just ask the students in Steven Winters’ Earth Science class.
Sincerely,
William F. Messner
President, Holyoke Community College
Guide to HCC’s Course Schedule Publications
The Registration Booklet is the source for credit course information. It is
available online @ www.hcc.edu (PDF) and on campus. Call the Welcome
Center (413) 552-2000 to request a copy. Courses fill quickly and sections
are added continuously, so for the most up-to-date information about course
availability, instructor names, and course descriptions visit www.hcc.edu and
click on “MyHCC”.
CareerFocus magazine provides articles and information about career and
educational paths, along with information about HCC’s academic programs and
education and training for business, organizations and individuals. It is mailed
to many households in HCC’s service delivery area each
semester and is available online @ www.hcc.edu (PDF).
HCC’s Business and Community Services Bulletin
provides information about professional development and
personal enrichment courses and programs for adults
and children. Expand your knowledge. Learn new skills.
Improve your life. Meet new friends! The bulletin is
available online (PDF). Print copies are available by
calling (413) 552-2500 or (413) 552-2320.
Did You Know?
• More than 12,800 credit and noncredit
students attended Holyoke Community
College last year.
• Mandatory tuition and fees at HCC are
lowest among all 29 Massachusetts
public colleges and universities.
• Financial assistance is available to
students who need help meeting
educational costs. About 50 percent of
HCC students receive financial aid.
• HCC’s average class size is 22.
• HCC provides comprehensive support
services to help students succeed.
• HCC has more than 30 transfer
agreements with public and private
four-year colleges and universities in
Western Massachusetts and beyond.
Graduates have transferred to Amherst
College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke
College, Cornell University, University
of Massachusetts, Westfield State
University, Johnson and Wales University,
Elms College, American International
College, Springfield College, Western New
England College and many more.
• Members of HCC’s 2011 graduating class:
Range in age from 18 to 74.
Include 1,104 graduates who were
awarded 1,148 associate degrees and
certificates.
Include residents of 67 Massachusetts
towns, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
New York, and states and territories as
far away as South Carolina. Countries
of citizenship for International
graduates include Dominican Republic,
Lithuania, Peru, Poland, Sri Lanka and
Vietnam.
Contact Us!
Academic Affairs: (413) 552-2770 For help changing your major or
switching your advisor.
Admissions: (413) 552-2321 email: admissions@hcc.edu
Advising Center: (413) 552-2722 email: advisingcenter@hcc.edu
For assistance with academic advising.
David M. Bartley Center for Athletics and
Recreation: (413) 552-2161
Bookstore: (413) 552-2521 Buy and sell back class books.
Career Center: (413) 552-2597 or
2322 Help searching and applying for jobs.
Co-operative Education: (413) 552-2322
Center for Academic Support: (413) 552-2584 Problems with math or
writing? Can’t figure out English Lit? This is
the place to call.
Center for Business & Professional
Development: (413) 552-2122 Training
for business and industry, professional
development, and more.
Community Services: (413) 552-2324 Fun and informative non-credit courses and
workshops and Adult Basic Education.
Office for Students with Disabilities &
Deaf Services: (413) 552-2417
osd@hcc.edu Provide accommodations to
assure access to college programs
and services.
Online Learning Advising: (413) 552-2236 dladvising@hcc.edu
Financial Aid: (413) 552-2150 Online Technical Help: (413) 552-2124 Student loans, grants, and other resources to dlhelp@hcc.edu Online help for: WebCT,
help finance your education.
MyHCC (Self-service), Student email.
Kittredge Center for Business and
Workforce Development: (413) 552-2500 kittredgecenter@hcc.edu
Placement Testing & Assessment: (413) 552-2055 For placement testing
and photo IDs.
Student Records/Registrar: (413) 552-2319
Transfer Affairs: (413) 552-2498 Want to take everything you’ve learned at
HCC and transfer to a four-year college?
Transcript Request Information Line:
(413) 552-2142 For recorded instructions on
requesting an official HCC transcript.
Library: (413) 552-2733 More books,
Student Account Services:
microfilms, periodicals, and online resources (413) 552-2101 Questions about your bill?
than you could read in a lifetime!
Call or stop by Frost 201.
Weather Hotline: (413) 552-2900,
ext. 1418 Call this number during winter
storms to find out if the college is open.
New Directions: (413) 552-2346 Pre-admission counseling & services for
adult women returning to school.
Welcome Center: (413) 552-2000 Here’s
where to get started!
Student Affairs: (413) 552-2100 Great resource for campus activities,
or any questions about student life.
General Information: (413) 538-7000
Publisher:.......................Holyoke Community College’s Marketing
and Communications department
Editors:....................................William Murphy and JoAnne Rome
Contributors/Editorial Support:.................................... Chris Yurko
William Murphy and JoAnne Rome
Photography:...................................Jack Scanlon and Chris Yurko
Holyoke Community College President
William F. Messner
Holyoke Community College Board of Trustees
John J. Driscoll, Chair
Helen Caulton-Harris, Vice Chair
Joseph Wright, Secretary, Alumni Representative
James F. Carey
John J. Ferriter
Robert Gilbert
Jorge Gomez
James Lavelle
David Morin
Natalia Muñoz
Julie Pokela
Holyoke Community College maintains and promotes a policy
of non discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, color,
gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information,
maternity leave, and national origin in its educational programs,
activities, or employment policies, as required by Federal and State
anti-discrimination laws. In addition, the college maintains and
promotes a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of gender
identity/expression.
CareerFocus is published three times a year by Holyoke
Community College, 303 Homestead Avenue, Holyoke, MA 01040
in partnership with Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
48106.
All rights reserved. No part of the material printed may be reproduced
or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
retrieval system without the permission of the publisher.
© 2012 Holyoke Community College
CareerFocus
Questions about HCC’s programs and services described in
this publication should be directed to the Welcome Center
(413) 552-2000 or by emailing admissions@hcc.edu. Comments
and questions about the publication itself can be directed to HCC’s
Marketing and Communications department (413) 552-2182;
email: jrome@hcc.edu.
Contents
Features
3
Resource Spotlight:
HCC Library
4
Facts and Finds
Faculty Profile
5 Dave Champoux
6
Getting Their Feet Wet
and Hands Dirty for Science
8
HCC Robotics Program
From Simple Building Blocks to
Intelligent Software
10
Degree or Certificate?
Which path is right for you?
Student Profile
Student Profile
13
What am I Going to Make Out of My Life?
12 Domingo Diaz Jr.
12 Carmen Figueroa
14
The Kittredge Center for
Business and Workforce Development
1 5
The College Benefit
16
Resource Guide
Find More
Online
Download a free
QR Reader for
your smartphone and
scan this code for
more information about
I
(413) 552-2000 Holyoke Community College I www.hcc.edu
CareerFocus I Summer 2012
I1
Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center
Comprehensive community resources in downtown Holyoke
Located on the upper floors of the new Holyoke Transportation Center, the
Picknelly Adult and Family Education Center (PAFEC) was established by
members of the Juntos Collaborative, Holyoke Public Schools, and Holyoke
Community College to provide Holyoke residents with free and low cost adult
basic education and related services in an easily accessible location.
Open from 8 am to 10 pm, the PAFEC offers GED preparation and testing, Adult
Basic Education (ABE) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
classes, tutoring and mentoring, career counseling, workforce development
classes, transition to college programs, and credit college classes taught by HCC
instructors. The newly opened Gill Technology Center offers free and low cost
basic computer and software classes in English and Spanish, a career readiness
certificate pilot program, Basic Essentials Skill Training for the Workplace
(BEST) program, and free open lab sessions for the general public.
PAFEC’s meeting space and video conferencing facilities are also available for
area businesses and non-profits.
• Wheelchair accessible
• WiFi available throughout the building
• PVTA buses to Transportation Center throughout day
• Parking on street and in garage
• Mountain Joe Cafe on first floor
206 Maple Street • (413) 552-2990 • pafec@hcc.edu
Interested in a Career in Clean Energy or Sustainability?
Concern for the health of the environment is driving a global demand for clean energy and sustainable practices.
HCC offers both certificates and associate degrees for those interested in this field.
CERTIFICATES
Solar Energy Certificate
Wind Energy Certificate
Coming Fall 2012: Geothermal Energy Certificate
Certificates provide graduates with the skills they need for immediate entry
into the workforce. Each certificate requires an internship of 225 hours in the
field and completion of 15 credits in required courses.
ASSOCIATE DEGREES
Sustainability Studies Degree Option
Sustainable Agriculture Degree Option
Associate degree options are designed for those who want to understand
and address the environmental, political, social, economic and ethical issues
related to sustainability and the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
For information, contact Kate Maiolatesi at kmaiolatesi@hcc.edu, or (413)552-2462.
2
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus www.hcc.edu I Holyoke Community College
I (413) 552-2000
Resource Spotlight:
HCC Library
By Janice Beetle Godleski
Kathleen McDonough can count
on one hand the things that have
remained the same at HCC’s library
in the almost 20 years since she
started as a part-time reference
librarian.
There are still 267 seats for students,
for instance, and every weekday, all
day, those seats are almost always
full.
“The reality is that students here
really depend on the library as a
place to go,” explains McDonough,
now interim dean of Library Services
and Academic Support. “Our students
have very busy lives. They have
families. They have jobs. They’re
commuting, too. So they don’t have a
dorm to come to. This is where they
come when they need to have some
down time.”
The college is committed to the
library for these reasons, and
McDonough says that shows in the
fact that library staffing levels have
remained consistent over the years;
there are currently eight part-time
and nine full-time employees at the
library. And even though the state
eliminated the annual line item for
new resource materials ten years
ago—about $95,000—the college
helps to close the gap.
“The administration understands
that learning takes place in different
areas of campus,” McDonough says.
“Not just in the classroom, but in the
laboratory–and in the library.”
I
What has
changed at
HCC, and
in libraries
across the
globe, is the technology and, hence,
access to materials. Back in the
‘90s, the college had a brand new
partnership with other libraries in
the state to share resources, but
finding out whether a participating
library had a particular book in stock
was a tedious project for library staff.
Now, that same partnership is
strengthened and connects HCC to
150 libraries in central and western
Massachusetts, and the Internet
connects students to an almost
endless supply of electronic materials
through collaborations to which the
college subscribes.
Whether they are on campus or
at home with their families, HCC
students can log on to the college’s
computer network, navigate onto the
library page and have immediate
access to records for 68,000 print
books, 75 printed periodicals and
journals and 6,200 audio-visual
items, as well as 27,000 eBooks, 7,000
streaming films and roughly 32,000
electronic journals.
In a given month, the library’s web
page has roughly 7,500 visitors,
presumably seeking materials, but
this hasn’t eliminated a need for
librarians; it has changed the focus
of their work, though, from helping
students find materials to helping
them determine which ones are valid
resources.
“All of these
advantages and
efficiencies almost
make it hard for users to decide what
they actually want,” McDonough
explains. “The possibilities are
endless. They might be able to find
5,000 journal articles, but they only
need one or two.”
“Google’s great,” she adds, “but it’s
not where you necessarily go for your
college research paper.”
McDonough says one key focus for
library staff is helping students
to gain what she and HCC
administrators call “information
literacy” – an understanding of
how information is created, how to
evaluate it and incorporate it.
The magazine Psychology Today
might be a fun magazine to read, she
explains, but it’s not scholarly and
not the magazine students should be
using to research a project for their
psychology class. Instead, staff would
steer them toward a publication
like The Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology.
“We give them tools to distinguish
between different kinds of materials.
They can’t transfer to a four-year
school without that knowledge,” she
says. “They’d be eaten alive.”
library uses the course offerings
at the college to determine what
materials to purchase and make
available electronically and on what
topics and disciplines. “Our mission
is to support the academic program.
We always have to be thinking about
what we spend our money on and
make sure it aligns with what the
college is offering,” she says.
This means much of the materials
available support liberal arts–
humanities, fine arts and social
sciences, for instance–as so many
students transfer to four-year schools,
but there are also more than ample
materials on areas of study such as
culinary arts, hospitality and tourism
and veterinary technology. “Because
our course offerings are so extensive,
there’s not much we’re not covering,”
McDonough said.
Also available to students is a good
deal of material on career planning.
“Students here are always focused,”
she says. “They want the information
on how they progress to the next
step.”
Speaking of different kinds of
materials, McDonough says the
I3
We’re Number 12!
We’re Number 12!
A
N
It used
to be
that the
U.S. had bragging rights to the
best-educated workforce in the
world, but no more. Since the
1980s the country has fallen to
12th place in the percentage of
the population with a college
education.
D
Today just 40.4 percent of
Americans age 25- to 34-yearsold have an associate’s degree or
higher.
The most educated country
in the world is our northern
Student
Debt
Continues
to Rise
The cost of
a college
education has
been rising
faster than
inflation for
decades, but some colleges are
better bargains than others–so
would-be students should shop
carefully. A college education
doesn’t have to include loads of
student loan debt.
According to a November 2010
survey by the Pew Research
Center, college students are
taking on more debt than ever
and private, for-profit colleges,
which tend to charge more than
publicly supported community
colleges and universities, are
Is Retirement
a Thing of
the Past?
The remaining top five
are Korea, The Russian
Federation, Japan and New
Zealand. But also ahead of
the U.S. are Ireland, Norway,
Israel, France, Belgium and
Australia.
Source: “College Graduation
Rates: Behind the Numbers,”
American Council on Education
one of the reasons for the
increase.
The average loan for a
bachelor’s degree was more
than $23,000 in 2008, compared
with $17,000 in 1996.
Students who attend for-profit
colleges are more likely than
other students to borrow, and
they typically borrow larger
amounts.
At private colleges (for-profit
and non-profit) about 25%
of certificate and associate’s
degree students borrowed
more than $20,000. Only 5%
of comparable public college
students borrowed that much.
24% of 2008 bachelor’s degree
graduates at for-profit schools
borrowed more than $40,000,
compared with 5% of graduates
at public institutions and 14%
at private not-for-profit schools.
Source: “The Rise of College
Student Borrowing”
pewsocialtrends.org
In 2008, 60% of all graduates
borrowed for their education,
compared with 52% in 1996.
As the first wave of America’s
77 million baby boomers
reaches the official retirement
age of 65, it remains to be
seen if they’ll kick back or
keep working.
In a recent Marist poll,
71 percent of younger
Americans thought that
boomers should stay on
the job until well into
their 70s.
The closer they get to
retirement age, the fewer
boomers expect to take
advantage of it. Just 15
percent of employed boomers
turning 65 this year say they
expect to retire by age 65,
while 27 percent say they
plan to retire between age
66 and 69, and 29 percent
say they won’t leave the
workplace until age 70 or
older.
Although more boomers
on the job means fewer job
openings for younger workers,
older workers are concerned
that they won’t have enough
income to retire comfortably
and younger workers are
concerned that retiring
boomers could strain the
Social Security and Medicare
systems.
But back when today’s
65-year-olds were a mere 60
years old, 66 percent of them
thought they’d be retired by
now.
Surprisingly, even younger
workers think it’s a good idea
for boomers to keep working.
4
neighbor
Canada, where
55.8 percent of 25to 34-year olds have
an associate’s degree
or higher.
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus Sources:
“Most Want Boomers to Keep
Working in Golden Years,”
marketwatch.com
“Boomers Take the Retire Out
of Retirement,” npr.org
Is It a
Recovery
Yet?
The good
news about
employment is
growing: Job
offers are up,
unemployment is
down and maybe,
just maybe,
the economy
has turned
a corner.
However, the
optimism is
measured and
no one is predicting boom times
around the corner.
Some of the trends that point to
a recovery are:
•52 percent of Americans
are optimistic that the
economy will improve this
year while just 25 percent
believe it will get worse and 21
percent believe it will stay the
same.
Source: “Looking at 2011
Economy, Optimists Double
Pessimists,” gallup.com
•Job creation is up across
the country. The beleaguered
Midwest, where unemployment
reached double digits, now
leads the rest of the nation in
percentage of jobs created with
32 percent of Midwestern
employers reporting that
they are hiring.
Source: “Midwest Leads
December U.S. Job Creation;
East and West Trail,”
gallup.com
•Indeed Inc. and the Wall Street
Journal reported that the
number of U.S. job postings
on the Internet rose to 4.7
million in December 2010
up from 2.7 million just a year
earlier.
Source: “Job Offers Rising as
Economy Warms Up,”
online.wsj.com
• USA Today and Moody’s
Analytics predicts an overall
1.9 percent increase in jobs
nationwide for 2011.
Source: “Jobs Rebound Will be
Slow,” usatoday.com
www.hcc.edu I Holyoke Community College
I (413) 552-2000
Faculty Profile: Dave Champoux
D
ave Champoux’s daughter
Katie is only 2, but in his
imagination, she’s had some
grown-up escapades, like
running off on a plastic
motorcycle with the undesirable
toddler she met at the children’s
library. She was even arrested for
breaking into Walmart, grabbing all
the turkey-rice carrot puree on the
shelves and binging on it until she
vomited.
“The police found her passed out
behind Pete’s Tire Barn, little
empty jars strewn all around. So
embarrassing,” Champoux writes
in his mirthful short story, “No
Other Baby Can Do This,” a fictional
account of his musings on his
daughter’s future.
A professor of English and a
creative writing advisor at HCC,
Champoux is accustomed to turning
life into fiction, and he actively–and
successfully–submits his work to
publications around the Valley and
beyond. His piece on his precocious
toddler, for instance, took first
prize last fall in the Hampshire
Life short fiction contest sponsored
by the Daily Hampshire Gazette
in Northampton. That marked the
second time Champoux won that
particular contest.
A writer with humor and a great
sense of what readers want,
Champoux has had success with
both short fiction and his first
novel. He’s published in upstreet,
an annual literary anthology based
in the Berkshires, and he also used
Amazon.com’s self-publishing arm
to put out a book-length piece,
“Ghost of a Boy,” several years ago.
This book, about a young woman
grieving the death of a teenager she
never met, placed 50th out of 5,000
entries in a contest Amazon oversaw.
Publisher’s Weekly called the work,
“. . . a well-thought out storyline . . .
executed very well.”
Champoux’s now working on a
second novel, a murder mystery
called, “Gunnar Floss Killed Mary
McCaslin,” and he says this time
he’ll try to find an agent to place the
book with a publisher. “I came very
close with a few agents on the first
one,” he says.
&
Affordable 20 Month Bachelor’s Programs
Now Offered on the HCC Campus
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in 20 months without leaving the HCC campus
Enroll in accelerated programs in:
Accounting and Information Systems
Business Management
Psychology
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Financial Aid is available!
Achievable • Accessible • Accelerated • Affordable
For more information, contact:
Jane McCarry at 413-265-2490 or mccarryj@elms.edu
I
Champoux has been teaching at
HCC for 15 years. In addition
to teaching creative writing, he
teaches writing for theater and
straight composition classes.
The advisor for Pulp City, HCC’s
literary magazine, Champoux
blogs about writing and posts
prompts for students to get the
ideas flowing.
Champoux has a bachelor’s
degree in English from McGill
University in Montreal, Canada,
and a master’s in fine arts from
Emerson College in Boston. While
he’s prolific, he’s also modest. He
didn’t tell his students that he won
the Hampshire Life fiction contest–
twice now. He talks instead about
their successes.
And he puts his energy into getting
his ideas and inspirations down on
paper. After he finishes his Gunnar
Floss book, he says he’ll put it aside
for a while and start something new
before going through the Gunnar
manuscript again with fresh eyes
and energy.
“For me,” Champoux says, “writing
is not about always looking for
inspiration. It’s about living life
just like anyone else does–but then
also sitting down on a regular basis,
settling in and just trying to figure
out what’s going on in my mind
and what my mind has done with
the experiences I’ve had.
“Then I just work with all of that to
see what I can make of it.”
To order “Ghost of a Boy,” visit
Amazon.com; to read blogs on
HCC’s Pulp City, visit
www.pulpcity.wordpress.com
Expand Your Knowledge!
Learn new skills. Improve your life and your career.
Meet new friends!
Business & Community Services
Non-credit Courses
For professional growth and personal enrichment
Short-term, affordable classes offered each semester:
• Computers & Technology
• Professional Development
K-12 educators
Real estate professionals
Human resources staff
Managers
Healthcare workers
• Personal Enrichment
Arts & Crafts
Languages
Outdoors & Leisure
Legal
Food & Drink
Money & Investment
Programs for youth and those age 60
and over, too!
Check out the latest Spring 2012 Business & Community Services Education
Bulletin. Available online @ www.hcc.edu or by calling (413) 552-2500 or 2320.
It’s easy to view courses and register with convenient walk-in, fax-in, phone-in,
and mail-in options.
New! Online registration now available @ www.hcc.edu/ces
I5
Getting Their Feet Wet
and Hands Dirty for Science
By Chris Yurko
T
annery Brook begins in a
beaver pond just north of
HCC. This slight stream flows
past the Campus Center and
under a bridge in front of the
Kittredge Building, continues south,
through Ashley Reservoir, past Fire
Station Number 6 and the Holyoke
Maintenance garage, veering around
the Holyoke Mall and through
property owned by the Sisters of
Saint Joseph the Provider, finally
entering the Connecticut River at an
urban farm called Nuestras Raices.
Along the way, and through the
centuries, Tannery Brook has been
subjected to the many insults of being
a predominately urban stream.
“The brook has been diverted,
culverted, piped underground,
turned, moved, cemented and rip
rapped,” observed Lillian Coleman,
a student in Prof. Steven Winters’
Earth Science class, which spent the
entire Fall 2011 semester assessing
the hydrologic health of Tannery
Brook.
As a group, and working in teams,
Prof. Winters’ students examined
Tannery Brook from its headwaters
to its mouth, analyzing the dynamics
of the watershed, the impact of
urbanization and the feasibility of
a establishing a greenway along its
banks.
6
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus “We studied Tannery Brook past,
present and future,” said Winters.
The project was conducted through
HCC’s Service Learning Program,
which seeks to engage students in
community-based projects to deepen
their understanding of the course
curriculum. Throughout the semester,
the class made multiple field trips
to nine sites along the 2.5-mile-long
brook, making visual observations,
taking measurements and analyzing
water samples. They also conducted
historical research on the brook and
used existing data from the Pioneer
Valley Planning Commission to
inform their conclusions.
“The project was very hands-on,
which is the best way to learn,
especially in science,” said student
Dario Serra, whose group studied the
impact of urbanization on Tannery
Brook. “Urbanization is never really
a good thing. If everyone can get
together and contribute, it can only
improve the overall health and wellbeing of Tannery Brook.”
Serra and the other students
presented their findings at two miniconferences last December whose
guests included representatives
from the community partners in
the project—the Connecticut River
Watershed Council, the Pioneer
Valley Planning Commission, the
Sisters and Saint Joseph the Provider
and the Trustees of Reservations. “I
I (413) 552-2000
think the great thing about this is
that the students started out just
taking an environmental science class
and in the process became student
researchers,” said Lisa Mahon,
coordinator of Service Learning
Programs.
Students reported that Tannery
Brook was originally called Riley’s
Brook, after one of the first settlers
in Holyoke. In the 1800s, the brook
was sold to a man named Humeston,
a tanner, and its water used in the
tanning process. Thus, the stream
became known as Tannery Brook. The
brook drains 1,400 acres of land and
over the centuries its watershed has
been intensively urbanized.
Presenters made suggestions on how
to reduce the effects of urbanization
on Tannery Brook, such as inspecting
septic systems, using organic road
salts and pesticides, fixing leaks,
reducing litter, and using permeable
pavement during construction.
“HCC does plan to change the tennis
courts into additional parking,” said
Tiranose Vyce, “and we think it
would be a good opportunity to use
permeable pavement.”
David Morin’s group proposed
establishing a greenway along
portions of the brook. The group’s
plan included tearing up parking
lot S and the tennis courts and
replacing them with grass, pathways,
small trees, benches, a sundial,
I
picnic tables, a fountain and student
gardens. The loss in parking would be
made by building a campus parking
garage on lot R.
me they can now see themselves as
scientists. They had never considered
themselves as even liking science
before or considered it as a career.”
“I think it would be a great benefit
to the students to have a field area
where they can kick back, study and
listen to music,” said Morin, who also
sits on the Student Senate. “It’s not
necessarily something that would
happen, but it could happen.” Also, working with community
partners such as the Connecticut
River Watershed Council presents
networking opportunities for
students when they start looking
jobs. Often, Mahon said, students end
up working at the agency where they
did their Service Learning Project.
For instance, several students have
wound up working at the Holyoke
Boys and Girls Club after a Service
Learning Project there through Prof.
Joe Stahl’s robotics classes. (See story
on robotics at HCC on page 8.)
Typically, Mahon said, Prof. Winters’
Earth Science course is taken by
non-science majors fulfilling a lab
requirement. Usually, lab work is
confined to campus. But the Service
Learning component adds an element
that can lead students down career
paths they had not previously
considered and also helps them
build skills that will serve them
well in any job: working out in the
field, gathering and analyzing data,
working in teams, deciding the best
way to present their findings, and
presenting their research before a
large group of people, including the
community partner agencies.
“Overall, students tapped into
skills they did not know they had,”
Mahon said. “One student told me he
could never see himself doing public
speaking before but now feels more
confident about it. Another student
said he realized he loved to work
outside and loved nature and wants
to do something that would allow him
to work outside. And quite a few told
Some of the students had the
opportunity to meet the conservation
director for the City of Holyoke when
they were at City Hall gathering
data on Tannery Brook. He has since
contacted Prof. Winters and together
they have applied for a grant from
the Environmental Protection Agency
to continue research on Tannery
Brook. The hope is to hire HCC
students as interns to continue the
work they started and involve the
greater Holyoke community in the
effort.
I7
HCC Robotics
Program
From Simple Building Blocks
to Intelligent Software
M
att Freeman and
Myeongok Moon are
paired on a team in Joe
Stahl’s Robotics I class.
Together, they’ve built
a four-wheeled device using Lego
parts that range from a child’s simple
building blocks to intelligent software
and robotic components.
Having built the device is only half
the battle, though. This popular class
also requires that students program
their robots to complete tasks.
Freeman and Moon’s robot must now
travel along a two-foot square taped
on the floor in Stahl’s classroom –
without veering off course in either
direction or crossing over the tape.
So far, it has
failed about
five times,
and their
classmates
are having
similar
struggles with
their own devices.
Everyone is stewing
and mulling over what
changes they need to make.
Stahl moves around, watching,
handing out hints.
“Don’t change a lot of things at one
time,” he tells them. “Just change one
thing at a time.”
A former engineer at Spaulding and
an assistant professor of engineering
at HCC, Stahl
is well suited to
teach this class.
He understands
the mathematical
problems students
are going to bump up
against, and he knows
that working through
them offers a good education.
“We guarantee students that this
class will be the most fun of those
they take at HCC,” Stahl says.
“And we also say it will be the most
interesting.”
Students, like those in the room on
this day, are skeptical about whether
they’d call this “fun,” but Stahl says
by the end of the course, they all
agree.
The numbers back him up.
Ileana Vasu, a professor of
mathematics at HCC and the chair
of the Engineering department, says
the Robotics classes have a very low
dropout rate, and she says demand
for the program has rapidly increased
over the years. HCC began offering
one Robotics I class early on in the
new millennium, and by 2007, five
sessions were being offered and filled.
Now, the college offers eight sessions
of Robotics I for a total of nearly
160 students, and it has created and
offers two sessions of Robotics II as
well, which roughly 40 students take
part in.
“It certainly creates interest,” Vasu
says.
8
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus “They think it’s the
greatest thing going,”
Stahl adds. “We see
some really exciting
projects coming out of the
Robotics program. People
amaze themselves that they
can actually create something.”
At first glance, the Robotics room
looks more like a pre-school
classroom. Along one wall, Legos
of varying colors and sizes are
sorted in clear bins. There are gears
and wheels and yellow blocks for
the bodies of the cars and other
inventions that students create.
Nearby are dozens of computer
stations that help identify that this is
indeed a college classroom; students
use special software and hardware
developed by Lego to program the
devices they’ve created. The Lego
RCX device, also known as the
“brick,” serves as the brain for each
robot, mounted on top and holding
the knowledge that makes it move
through its particular paces.
In Freeman and Moon’s case, the
paces take their robot through the
completion of the square. They look
pensive as their robot ambles along
on its four Lego wheels and takes its
first few right-hand turns, staying on
track.
But then the device veers hard to the
right on the third turn and meanders
over the taped line. Freeman scoops
it up, and together, he and Moon
head back to the computer station
to adjust their programming; they
tell the robot to go straight for an
additional second on that second
straightaway in hopes that it will
I (413) 552-2000
then not be so close to the taped line
on the third length.
Around this pair, another half
dozen teams are also experiencing
frustration and defeat as they try to
make their robots pass the same test.
Only one team has completed project
one; its members are now working
on the second project, which is to
create a robot that can travel around
a sphere.
By 11:45 a.m., tension in the class
has peaked. Team members wait in
line to try their robots on the square.
“Exacerbating,” one student
says.
Stahl is amused. He came on board
as an adjunct instructor for the
math department at HCC in 2005
and moved into engineering in 2007,
when he started to teach the Robotics
class.
“We guarantee students that this class will be
the most fun of those they take at HCC. And we
also say it will be the most interesting.”
Joe Stahl
Some students who take Robotics I
also get some intensive learning in
the education arena; that’s because
Stahl takes students in one of his
classrooms to the Holyoke Boys and
Girls Club four times a semester for
service learning.
Stahl’s students teach the youngsters
how to build their own robots, and at
the end of the session, they have a
drag race with the robots the children
make.
“It’s really a hoot,” Stahl says. “It’s
worked out really well.”
It works out well in Stahl’s classroom,
too. While many of the students are
still stumped, they have a drive to
achieve, and they each have an idea
on how to try to fix their robots’
various problems They troubleshoot,
swap in different tires and gears to
rule out equipment issues, and they
go back to their computer programs,
time and again, making subtle
tweaks.
Within their teams, and as a
classroom, they can be heard
collaborating and making suggestions
to one another. They offer each other
encouragement.
By noon, Freeman and Moon and a
handful of other teams have earned
their five points and moved on to
project two. They feel good.
“This is a huge trial-and-error thing,”
Freeman says. “It took two days to
figure it out.”
“It was a lot of learning for me to
figure out the controls and [issues
of] direction, power and timing,”
adds Moon. “We had to use our
imaginations.”
Stahl says Robotics I was originally
created by three professors, including
Bob Greeney and Ed Budd, who team
taught the class. It was intended
then that the class would attract and
benefit engineering students at HCC,
many of whom go on to four-year
engineering schools, but, instead,
the class attracts many liberal arts
students who take it to satisfy a lab
science requirement.
Six professors, both adjunct and fulltime professors, teach the various
sessions offered.
Vasu says Robotics I is great for
students who don’t have strong
math skills; those who do can jump
right into Robotics II, which offers
more intensive learning on the
programming side. The latter also
appeals more to engineering majors
more inclined to carry that learning
toward a career.
I
I9
Which path
path is
Which
is
Degree?
Degree?
Can be completed in as little time as two years full time, or part
time at a pace that is best for you. It is challenging to complete
most degree programs in two years, and some students opt to
take slightly longer, especially if they have work or family
responsibilities. Degrees prepare you for a career or transfer to
a four-year college or university. They require completion of at
least 60 credits, usually combining a specific list of major-related courses with a flexible choice of electives.
Degrees
ARTS AND SCIENCE (AA)
Options in:
American Studies H017
Biotechnology X012
Chemistry N012
CMTA Integrated Studies H043
Theater H011
Communications H012
Creative Writing H015
Electronic Media H035
Elementary Education M029
Honors H075
Liberal Arts and Science H010
Natural Resources Studies Transfer X021
Nutrition Transfer M071
Pre-Food Science Technology X015
Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental X052
Psychology H060
Sociology H070
Sustainability Studies Communication H084
ARTS AND SCIENCE (AS)
Options in:
Biology X060
Deaf Studies H080
Forensic Science Technician X072
Forensic Science Transfer X071
Mathematics N013
Physics N014
Physics Mass Transfer N016
Pre-Chiropractic X051
Pre-Forestry and Environmental Science
(SUNY) X040
Pre-Medical Technology X081
Pre-Health Option M067
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL
STUDIES B041 (AS)
ACCOUNTING B016 (AS)
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (AS)
Banking* B029
Business Administration Career B026
Business Administration Mass Transfer B023
Business Administration General Transfer B034
Entrepreneurship B033
Human Resource Management B011
International Business B095
Paralegal Transfer B045
COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS (AS)
Options in:
Computer Information Security & Assurance N063
Management Information Systems N053
Microcomputer User Support N057
Programming N056
CRIMINAL JUSTICE (S080) (AS)
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (AS)
Options in:
Early Childhood Career M026
Early Childhood Transfer M027
ENGINEERING STUDIES (AS)
Options in:
Engineering N079
Engineering Science N082
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (AS)
Options in:
Environmental Science Field Technician M036
Environmental Science Transfer M031
HEALTH, FITNESS AND NUTRITION M115 (AS)
HOSPITALITY AND CULINARY ARTS (AS)
Options in:
Foodservice Management B052
Hospitality Management Career B056
Hospitality Management Transfer B051
LIBERAL STUDIES (AS)
Options in:
Applied Technology C002
General Integrated Studies C001
General Integrated Studies
-Elementary Education
(Westfield State College) C004
University Without Walls C008
MARKETING MANAGEMENT (AS)
Options in:
Retail Management Career B081
Marketing Management General Transfer B037
MUSIC H025 (AA)
NURSING M066 (AS)
RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY M096 (AS)
SPORT MANAGEMENT B096 (AS)
VETERINARY & ANIMAL SCIENCE (AS)
Options in:
Pre-Veterinary and Animal Science X031
Veterinary Technician X036
VISUAL ART (AS)
Options in:
Graphics H042
Photography H041
Visual Art H031
HUMAN SERVICES (H049) (AS)
*This major has required off-campus courses offered by
CFT. Students must be working in the banking field.
Key
10
Selective Program: Special Admissions Process
Financial aid prorated
Special Admissions Process
May be completed entirely online
Evening Only
80% of courses may be completed online
Not currently eligible for financial aid
50% of courses may be completed online
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus Check out schedules for information sessions and open
houses on the web at www.hcc.edu
I (413) 552-2000
right for
right
foryou?
you?
Certificate?
Certificate?
HCC offers a range of certificates both credit and non-credit,
as well as professional training programs. Can be completed in
as few as two semesters full time, or part time at a pace that is
best for you. They often require the completion of nine or more
related courses and are designed to provide expertise in a particular field so you can launch a new career, strengthen current
skills, or pursue an interest.
Credit certificate programs
Accounting Systems B017
Addiction Studies H024
Administrative Information Systems N040
Administrative Professional Studies B042
Coaching M105
Computer Information Security & Assurance Management N064
Computer Information Security & Assurance Technical Specialist
N065
Computer Networking N062
Culinary Arts B111
Day Care Administration M025
Deaf Studies H081
Developmental Disabilities Direct Support S013
Electronic Media H036
Entrepreneurship B094
Firefighter Fitness Trainer M106
Forensic Science X073
Graphic Design H034
Group Exercise Leader M102
Non-credit
Certificate programs
Health and Fitness Management M101
Health and Fitness Specialist M100
Hospitality Management B053
Human Resource Management B010
Human Services H019
Law Enforcement S082
Medical Assistant M010
Medical Coding M049
Music Performance H027
Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor M103
Practical Nursing M064
Professional Customer Service B085
Retail Management B084
Solar Energy H088
Strength and Conditioning Specialist M107
Supervision & Leadership in the Helping Professions H020
Wind Energy H089
American Management Association University
Program Certificate in Management
Project Management Certificate Program
Nursing Assistant Certification Training Program
Career Readiness Certificate
Training programs
• Pharmacy Technician
• Medical Office Worker
• Direct Support Associate
• Office Skills/Customer Service
ESL
rs, HCC
English speake
For non-native
nguage
as a Second La
offers English
, call
ils
s. For deta
(ESL) course
53.
(413) 552-25
l, llame
ión en Españo
ac
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Pa
2553.
al (413) 552-
Academic Support Helps You Succeed!
Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS)
Donahue Building, 2nd Floor, (413) 552-2584
Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Fri 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (unless noted otherwise)
Comprehensive learning support: Math, Writing,
Tutoring Centers, and Learning Lab
• Free walk-in tutoring
• Study groups and workshops
• Handouts and instructional software
• Internet access & word processing
• Learning coaches
Math Center (DON 246) Open until 3 on Fri.
Drop-in for tutoring or math prep help for all HCC math
or math-related courses. Professional and peer tutors,
assistance through videos, computer software/tutorials,
workshops, and other resources to help you master math.
I
Online Tutoring (www.etutoring.org)
Available to all HCC students. Live one-on-one tutoring seven
days a week in math, accounting, statistics, and life sciences.
Submit subject-specific questions or your draft paper to an
e-Tutor for suggestions and receive a response in 24 to 48 hours.
Writing Center (DON 238)
Drop-in assistance with your writing needs for all HCC courses’
writing assignments, not just English. Professional and peer
tutors help you brainstorm to get started, polish up your first
draft, review grammar, and help with research paper format.
Tutoring Center (DON 244)
Drop-in tutoring and tutoring by appointment in most
subjects offered at HCC—from Accounting to Zoology. If we
язык
как второй
ьную
Aнглийский
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лучить дополн
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Вы можете по
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, or
информацию
34
22
255
)
и (413
(413) 552-2553
u
akova@hcc.ed
email obashm
don’t have a tutor for a particular class, fill out a Tutor Match
Form and we will find one for you.
METS (Mathematics, Engineering, Technology,
and Science) mentoring program
Academic and personal support for women and students
from under-represented groups who are pursuing majors in
math, engineering, technology, and science.
ALANA Men in Motion Program
Academic support and mentoring for empowerment and
academic success for HCC’s self-identified African American,
Latino, Asian American, Native American and multiracial men.
I 11
Student Profile: Domingo Diaz Jr.
Cooking Up a New Career
I
’ve always loved to cook,” says
Domingo “Dino” Diaz Jr. Now,
with a newly obtained certificate
from HCC in Culinary Arts,
Diaz hopes to do get a job doing
just that.
“I would love to cook in a kitchen,”
says Diaz. “I did not do this to wash
dishes. I will wash dishes if I’m told
to, but I expect the basic skills I’ve
developed here will put me in the
door to be trained under a chef and
work closely with food.”
Cooking would be a second career
for Diaz. The 48-year-old Springfield
resident came to HCC in September
2011 thanks to a grant for displaced
professionals through the Workforce
Investment Act. He was laid off
from his job as a photo processing
specialist at The Republican
newspaper in early 2009.
“I really struggled after I got laid
off,” says Diaz. “No doors were open
for me. I couldn’t get anyone to
help me as far as developing a new
career.”
By Chris Yurko
Getting into the Culinary Arts
program at HCC was a dream come
true for Diaz. “I really enjoyed my
classes—the lectures, especially the
lab work,” said Diaz. “I like being
in the kitchen, being on the line,
cooking, but we have to learn all
facets of the culinary field.”
One of the highlights was being part
of a small group that volunteered to
cook for renowned chef Michael Ty,
president of the American Culinary
Federation, during a campus visit
last October. “It was one of my best
days,” recalls Diaz, ”cause I got to do
a lot of hands-on stuff, whereas, a lot
of the time, with so many students,
you have to take turns being a
server or back-server, prepping
or doing dishes. I don’t mind any
responsibility in the kitchen. I’ll do
it all to learn it all.”
Diaz not only relished his experience
as a Culinary Arts student at HCC,
he thrived, making the Dean’s List
during his first semester with a 3.67
GPA. “That, to me, is impressive
because no one in my family has
ever gone to college—I’m the first
one. I’m very proud of myself.”
Diaz started his professional
life after graduating from the
Springfield High School of
Commerce and getting a certificate
from the Connecticut School of
Broadcasting in Farmington,
Conn. Finding broadcasting
jobs scarce, he worked as a
DJ for a while, then turned to
photography, a lifelong passion.
He worked at a photo studio and
took desktop publishing classes,
becoming proficient in Adobe
Photoshop, which led to his job at
The Republican.
As if the demands of a six-course,
16-credit schedule weren’t enough,
Diaz also taught night classes at the
college in digital color photography
while he was an HCC student.
All in all, Diaz says the Culinary
Arts program was a great
opportunity for him and he was
pleased with the educational
experience. “It’s definitely
academically challenging,”
he says. “It’s not at all what people
see on TV. It’s not ‘Top Chef.’ Some
experiences are like ‘Hell’s Kitchen’
because you have to listen when
you’re spoken to.”
Working as a cook does have some
things in common with his previous
career working at a newspaper,
because you have to prepare and
deliver a product on deadline. “When
someone orders a steak, they don’t
want to hear excuses,” he says.
“They want their food, and they
want it hot.”
Student Profile: Carmen Figueroa
Turning a Negative into a Positive
graduating from high school,” says
Figueroa, now 20 and living in
Chicopee, “so I wanted to go the
extra mile to prove to myself that I
had the brains to actually do it.”
A
t 17, Carmen Figueroa
was asked to withdraw
from Holyoke High School
because she was absent
too many times. She was
prepared to get her GED when an
advisor suggested she try HCC’s
Gateway to College program
instead.
Gateway offers a second chance
to high school students at risk for
dropping out, enabling them to
work for their high school diplomas
while also earning college credits.
“I always thought of myself as
12
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus She did do it and received her
diploma at Holyoke High’s
graduation ceremony in June 2011.
“At first, I didn’t want to go cause
of my pride after being kicked out,”
she recalls, “but I’m only the second
one in my whole entire family to
graduate from high school. That’s
a mark in my life so I had to go
through with it.”
If all goes according to her plan, she
will be the first person in her family
to graduate from college. She’s
already well on her way.
Through Gateway, Figueroa earned
24 credits toward an associate
degree. She’s now a full-time student
at HCC majoring in criminal justice
and took home straight A’s and a 4.0
GPA during her first semester. She’s
on a transfer track with plans to get
By Chris Yurko
her bachelor’s from Westfield State
University after graduating from
HCC, majoring in criminal justice
with a possible minor in sociology.
Her interest in criminal justice
stems from her upbringing in
Holyoke, she says. She went into
foster care at the age of 10 while
her mother sought help for drug
addiction and later spent time in
jail. She’s been living on her own,
with roommates, since 17. “I grew
up in that whole environment of
negativity and crimes and stuff like
that,” she says. “I’d like to be part of
helping people, helping the innocent
people who get hurt.”
Ultimately, she is thinking about
a career in probation or parole. “I
think you can help out that way
on a much deeper level,” she says.
“It’s kind of like being a mentor as
well as pushing the legal aspect of
it. I never had a mentor. It’s always
been me and my self-motivation and
taking all of my family’s mistakes
and flipping it. so I feel like
everyone needs a mentor because
it’s very hard to push yourself to
do something when you feel like no
one’s there and no one cares.”
She’s already working in the field as
a security guard with Metro One at
the Home Depot distribution center
in Westfield. But that’s not her only
job. She is also a work-study student
in HCC’s Gateway to College office
where she does everything from
filing to mentoring the program’s
current crop of high school students,
who often come to her for advice or
questions about homework.
“A lot of the students there have
similar backgrounds to mine, how
we grew up and how we were
raised,” says Figueroa. “I see that
they take that negativity and they
flip it into something positive. I
can see that they learn from their
family’s mistakes and are just trying
to do better. It’s awesome, and I
definitely see me.”
I (413) 552-2000
Understanding Career Choice in
a Changing Environment
By Iraida Delgado
I
n our knowledge society, career
concerns are wedded to the
broader matter of how to live a
life shaped by a global economy
and supported by information
technology. New approaches are
required to meet the needs of the
many peripheral workers whose
employment is contingent, free-lance,
temporary, external, part-time, and
casual.
What am I going to make of my
life? As workers negotiate the
major transitions occasioned by
changes in health, employment, and
intimate relationships, this lifedesign question stimulates ethical
considerations concerning the
principles that provide life bearings
and enable us to identify what makes
a life worthwhile (Taylor, 1989). As
Parker (2007) observed:
Behind any autobiographical act
is a self for whom certain things
matter and are given priorities
over others. Some of these things
are not only objects of desire or
interest, but command the writer’s
admiration or respect. These are
the key “goods” the writer lives
by, shaping her acts of ethical
deliberation and choice. Such
goods may include ideals of selfrealization, social justice, equality
of respect, or care for certain
others… Such goods also inevitably
shape the stories she tells when
she projects her future or construes
her past or present. In short,
these goods are at the heart of life
narrative, necessary constituent of
it (p.1).
I
Building on more than four
decades of career development
theories, the emphasis on human
flexibility, adaptability, and lifelong learning are at the center
of career counseling methods.
Methods of career counseling take a
dynamic approach that encourages
individuals’ imaginative thinking
and the exploration of possible selves
(Oyserman, Bybee, & Terry, 2006).
The new paradigm for counseling
must produce specific knowledge
and skills to analyze and cope
with ecological contexts, complex
dynamics, non-linear causalities,
multiple subjective realities and
dynamical modeling. Savickas’
research and work on life designing
and career construction identified
five shifts in thinking as necessary
conditions to develop and build a new
paradigm:
1. From traits and states
to context
Professional identities should be
seen as changing patterns derived
from client stories rather than as
static, abstract, and oversimplified
profiles of client test scores.
Professional identity is shaped by
self-organization of the multiple
experiences of daily life- adaptability.
2. From prescription to process
Today, clients seek help in coping
with rapidly changing requirements
for their own employability,
enhancing their social competencies,
facing psychological traps, and
managing complex constraints within
their personal, professional, social,
and family eco-systems. The focus
is upon strategies for survival and
the dynamics of coping, rather than
subjective realities through
analysis of their narratives offers
the advantage of keeping close to
their own language and not only
understanding their actual situation
but also its roots.
5. From describing to modeling
Any dependence upon simple
descriptive statistics will result in
limited success because counseling
addresses multiple subjective
realities. Therefore, efficient career
counseling has to be adapted
individually.
Kittredge Center for Business and
Workforce Development Business
Account Representative Iraida
Delgado.
adding information or content. The
discussion is about “how to do” not
“what to do.”
3. From linear causality to
non-linear dynamics
In a simple interaction of problem
solving, premises and definitions
change continually and often in nonlinear ways. Multiple, changing,
and complex decisional chains,
complicated by mutually dependent
and thus non-linear causalities,
become the rule. Interactive
strategies for problem solving are
needed to formulate sustainable and
satisfying solutions.
4. From scientific facts to
narrative realities
Recent work by Savickas (2005)
shows that understanding client’s
own construction of their multiple
Mark L. Savickas’ paradigm for
career construction provides a
framework that is structured to be
life-long, holistic, contextual, and
preventive, particularly recognizing
that an individual’s knowledge and
identity are the product of social
interaction and that meaning is coconstructed through discourse
References:
• Oyserman, D., Bybee, D., & Terry,
K. (2006). Possible selves and
academic outcomes: How and
when possible selves impel action.
Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 91, 188-204.
• Parker, D. (2007). The self in moral
space. Life narrative and the good.
Ithaca, NY: Cornell University
Press.
• Savickas, M. L. (2005). The
theory and practice of career
construction. In S. D. Brown & R.
W. Lent (Eds.), Career development
and counseling: Putting theory
and research to work (pp. 42-70).
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
I 13
Contact Us:
Main number: (413) 552-2500
Email: kittredgecenter@hcc.edu
Hours: Mon-Th 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.;
Friday 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Online Course Registration
www.hcc.edu/bcs
Kittredge Center for Business
& Workforce Development
Main number: (413) 552-2500
Email: kittredgecenter@hcc.edu
• Training for state, municipal,
education and healthcare
• Grant application assistance
and partnerships
• Management, supervisory and
leadership training
• Healthcare Training Institute
• High stakes testing
(licensure, professional, and ACT WorkKeys)
(413) 552-2112
• Jump Start certificate program
(413) 552-2042 or 2496
• Training & Workforce Options:
custom training services Ksullivan@
trainingandworkforceoptions.com, 552-2339
The Kittredge Center for
Business and Workforce
Development
Education & Training You Can Use!
Expert training and services that are practical,
affordable, and get results for individuals and
small, medium, and large companies and
organizations.
Employee Training
For individuals
For businesses interested in marketing goods and
services internationally, the Mass Export Center offers
training and assistance in the areas of marketing, legal
issues, compliance and export logistics.
No matter where you are in your education or career,
the Kittredge Center has the resources to help you
move ahead.
The Career Center is the place to go to identify new
career opportunities, re-tool your resume and organize
your job search.
Professional development is the key to advancement.
The center offers courses for those in food service and
hospitality, law enforcement, real estate, healthcare,
K-12 education, management, sales, human resources,
customer service, as well as continuing education
courses for certified public accountants and real estate
agents and brokers.
For Businesses
Whether you are an established business looking
for cost-effective employee training options or grant
application assistance, or an entrepreneur ready to
create a marketing plan for your first start-up, the
center offers programs, courses and consulting to meet
your business needs.
We can help you streamline business processes, define
short- and long-term goals, develop strategic plans,
establish benchmarks and implement best practices for
your business.
14
I Summer 2012 I CareerFocus Our workforce training experts provide small classes
and hands-on professional employee training.
Massachusetts Export Center
For Public & Nonprofit Organizations
For government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit
agencies and organizations, the center’s Public &
Not-for-Profit Professional Development Institute
offers grant application assistance and professional
development training and services for managers,
supervisors and front-line staff.
Testing and Test Preparation
For individuals, business and industry, organizations and
government agencies
Testing is essential for licensure and certification in
many fields, and can help you evaluate or determine the
skills you need to succeed.
Need to prepare for the GED, SAT or LSAT? Prep
courses include comprehensive review, practice tests,
and test-taking tips and techniques.
Community Services
Main numbers: (413) 552-2320 or 2324
Email: alingham@hcc.edu or
kwhite@hcc.edu
24-hour/day course registration:
(413) 538-5815s
• ABE (Adult Basic Education)
• Computer and technology training
• ESOL (English for Speakers of
Other Languages)
• Personal and professional enrichment
courses
• Professional development for K-12
educators
• Testing and test preparation
GED (413) 552-2292;
email:teccles@hcc.edu
CLEP
Test prep courses
(GED, SAT, LSAT, etc.)
Career Center
(413) 552-2597; rpowers@hcc.edu
Cooperative Education
(413) 552-2322 or 2342; apicard@hcc.edu
Gateway to College
(413) 552-2370; vostrowski@hcc.edu
Kittredge Center Conference Services
and Space Rental
(413) 552-2088; capatterson@hcc.edu
Mass Export Center
(413) 552-2316; www.mass.gov/export
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
For assistance, call the main number
(413) 552-2500.
I (413) 552-2000
The College Benefit
By Laura L. Crawford
W
hat if there was a
single magic formula
that resulted in lower
unemployment, higher
job satisfaction, improved
financial security, a better marriage,
a healthier life, higher rates of
volunteering and voting, smarter
children and more happiness for
anyone who wanted it?
Would you believe that there is and
it’s called a college education?
Most people already know that
a college education will lead to a
lifetime of higher earnings and less
unemployment, but there is strong
evidence that earning a college
degree does even more than that.
The skills, habits and attitudes that
students acquire in college produce
lifelong positive results.
“College’s effects are both direct
and indirect,” says Dr. Earnest T.
Pascarella, Codirector of the Center
for Research on Undergraduate
Education at the University of Iowa
and the coauthor of the book How
College Affects Students.
Pascarella has compiled over 5,000
studies on college education covering
three decades. “One important direct
benefit of a college education is
that students learn how to access
information, and they also learn how
to make better decisions with that
information,” he says.
But the indirect benefits are less easy
to pin down he adds, “College not only
affects who you interact with, who
you marry, and where you work, but
what you do in your time off, how you
raise your children and what you can
afford to buy.”
Consider the impact of a college
education on health for example:
College students who take a health
education course will learn about
healthier habits and develop better
research skills to evaluate health
information for the rest of their lives–
that’s a direct benefit.
The indirect health benefits of a
college education might include a
better job with employer-provided
health insurance, more money
for healthy habits such as a gym
membership or simply the positive
influence of more college-educated,
health-conscious friends and
coworkers.
A report by the College Board,
Education Pays 2010, sums up the
“College not only affects who you interact with,
who you marry, and where you work, but what you
do in your time off, how you raise your children
and what you can afford to buy.”
What Will College Get You?
Statistics capture some of the benefits college graduates enjoy
positive results of a college degree,
this way, “A growing body of evidence
points to the direct impact of higher
education not only on specific jobrelated skills, but also on the attitude
and behavior patterns of students.”
And, in general, the benefits
increase with more education.
Looking at income, overall health
and general satisfaction with life,
the statistics show that high school
dropouts struggle the most. High
school graduates do a little better,
and people with some college or an
associate’s degree enjoy even more
success.
But people with a bachelor’s degree
see an even bigger income, health
and happiness boost, while at the top
of the list are those with advanced
and professional degrees.
So perhaps there is nothing magic
about it–choosing higher education
simply means choosing to become
your best self.
P ersonal
S ocial
Workers who feel that their work is
important and provides a sense of
accomplishment
•High school graduates: 56%
Voting Rates
•Some college or associate’s degree: 56%
•Bachelor’s degree or higher: 80%
•Some college or associate’s degree: 69%
F inancial
H ealth
Median earnings
Employer-Provided Health Insurance
•High school graduates: $33,800
•High-school graduates: 50%
Source: Education Pays 2010
•Associate’s degree: $42,000
Volunteering
•Bachelor’s degree: $55,700
Happiness Index
Life Expectancy
Unemployment
•Age 75 – Life expectancy today of a
25-year-old with 12 years of education
A higher number indicates a greater level
of reported happiness.
(volunteered median of 48 hours/year)
•High school graduates: 9.7%
•Bachelor’s degree: 5.2%
•Age 82 - Life expectancy today of a
25-year-old with at least some college
education
Source: 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Source: 2008 Harvard Medical School Study
•Associate’s degree: 6.8%
I
•High school or less: 31
•Some college or associate’s degree: 30% (volunteered median of 50 hours/year)
•Some college: 35
(volunteered a median of 54 hours/year)
•College graduate: 34
•Post graduate: 36
Source: Harris Interactive Poll Annual
Happiness Index 2010
I 15
Your Community Resource
Resources
Career Center
The HCC Career Center can help you find the right answers to your career questions. We’re your
central source for information on careers, education and training programs, job search planning
and employment opportunities and we’d like to help you! For information, visit the HCC Career
Center, room 322, Kittredge Center, call (413) 552-2597 or email: rpowers@hcc.edu
Gateway to College
Are you or is someone you know a high school dropout or struggling in school? Holyoke
Community College’s Gateway to College program can help. If you’re age 16-20 you can earn a
high school diploma and college credits toward an associate’s degree or certificate. For more
information and upcoming info sessions call (413) 552-2370 or email: vostrowski@hcc.edu
Interns and Internships
InternHere.com is a free, easy-to-use website that connects students with local employers in
Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. For information, visit the HCC Career Center in the
Kittredge Center, room 322; contact Richard Powers (413) 552-2361; rpowers@hcc.mass.edu
Massachusetts Export Center
Training & assistance on international marketing, legal issues, compliance, export logistics and
more. Call (413) 552-2316; www.mass.gov/export
Meeting & Conference Services
HCC offers competitively-priced space rental and conference services for your corporate
meeting, conference, retreat, training seminar or workshop.
• Partial-day, evening, full-day, and multi-day options.
• Designed for workforce education/training, professional development, and corporate
activities
• Conference rooms, tiered amphitheatre, computer labs, and training rooms with flexible
set-up options
• Staffing, space, technology, food service
• Local, state, and nationally-recognized trainers and facilitators
• Conveniently located near Interstate 91 and the Mass Turnpike. Free parking. Special room
rates available at nearby hotels
Call (413) 552-2088 or email: capatterson@ hcc.edu for a free quote and availability.
HCC High Stakes Testing & Computer-Based Learning Center
The center works with testing and computer-based training providers to give business &
industry, government organizations, and individuals access to unmatched testing and training
experiences. Services include competency-based training in more than 3,000 topics; anytime,
anywhere, “high stakes” licensure & certification testing for trade/professional exams, and
occupational analyses.
High Stakes Testing
ACT Certification and licensure testing for many organizations including:
• National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
• Boston University online courses
• COMPASS–Skills testing for schools
• Foreign Service Officer Test
ACT WorkKeys Internet-based & paper/pencil assessments of job-related skills
ACT PCTA WorkKeys Proficiency Certificate for teacher assistants
CASTLE Worldwide Internet-based and paper/pencil certification and licensure testing
CLEP (College-Level Examination Program®) 34 examinations that allow you to receive
college credit for what you already know
DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) 37 exams that provide your college with evidence
of prior learning
ISO Quality Testing Career-related licensure and certification examinations in medical,
nursing, IT, and other professional fields.
Kryterion Customized test delivery solutions for distance education organizations, IT
certifications, healthcare certifications, professional & trade associations
Microsoft IC3 & Microsoft Office Specialist International Exams (MOS)
Pearson VUE Computer-based testing solutions for information technology, academics,
government and other professions
TOEFL iBT Test of English as a foreign language
Computer-Based Education and Training
ACT Center 3,000 computer-based and distance learning self study courses
Flexstudy.com Online courses by the American Management Association
ONLC Online, Microsoft authorized, instructor-led, hands-on IT training
Plato Basic skills instruction and CPT, SAT and MCAS test prep
For NEWFDA Members
ed2go Online, instructor-led courses
Gatlin Education Services Online programs in healthcare, business, construction technology, web design, technical & IT certifications, and video game development
For information visit www.hcc.edu/community-and-business, email eherbertdancik@hcc.edu
or call (413) 552-2112.
for Education, Training & Enrichment
Training
The American Management Association University Program
AMA University Program classes at HCC offer a structured approach to mastering the key skills
that every manager—whether a seasoned pro or a newly promoted one—needs to succeed.
Complete any five of 12 courses at HCC and receive the internationally-recognized AMA Management Certificate $325 per course, $1,625 for the certificate. Discounts available to employees of
organizations that belong to the HCC Corporate College Program. For information or to enroll,
call (413) 552-2086.
Business & Professional Development Training
As an authorized training provider, we offer high-quality, cost-effective contract training to meet
your specific needs. Contact us for a free, no obligation training consultation.
Professional development training, programs, and courses for:
• K-12 Educators
• Career Development Facilitators
• Certified Public Accountants
• Law Enforcement Officers
• Project Managers
• Food Service and Hospitality Industry Workers
• Massachusetts Real Estate Professionals Continuing Education
• Public and Not-for-Profit Organizations and Employees
• and more!
For details, visit www.hcc.edu and www.hcc.edu/community-and-business or call (413) 5522500; or email kittredgecenter@hcc.edu
Career Development Facilitator (CDF) Training
Hands-on, interactive training follows National Career Development Association curriculum.
Suitable for experienced practitioners and those new to the field. For information, visit
www.ncda.org For upcoming dates, cost and registration information, contact Richard Powers
(413) 552-2361; rpowers@hcc.edu
Civil Rights & Diversity Training (by contract)
Meets state requirements for human service agencies and other interested organizations.
For information call (413) 552-2122.
Computer & Technology Training for Individuals & Organizations
Hands-on learning. Small classes. Rewarding results. Affordably priced. Course and registration
information available online at www.hcc.edu/bcs or Community Services, (413) 552-2320 or 2324.
Consulting & Customized Training Services
Business strategy and performance, alignment, leadership and teambuilding, sales and customer
service, information security and assurance and more. For a free consultation contact:
Iraida Delgado, (413) 552-2742; idelgado@hcc.edu
Cooperative Education
Current students gain jobs, experience, credits. Workplaces gain enthusiastic student workers.
For information, contact Janet Rivera, Cooperative Education, Kittredge Center, room 319,
(413) 552-2322; jrivera@hcc.edu or Experiential Education Coordinator Andrea Picard
(413) 552-2342; apicard@hcc.edu
Jump Start Certificate Program
FREE education and training for TAFDC (Transitional Aid for Families with Dependent
Children) recipients. Maximum 16-week, noncredit, full-time program provides free, short-term
education and job skills training. To qualify, you must be receiving TAFDC; have a high school
diploma or GED; score appropriately on math, reading, and writing assessments; be committed
to completing the program, getting a job, and entering full-time employment after graduation.
Department of Transitional Assistance will pay for childcare and transportation during training.
For information and to apply call (413) 552-2042 or (413) 552-2496.
Language Services
For businesses and individuals seeking to improve workplace language skills.
Command Spanish - Real Spanish for Real People (by contract only for six or more employees). The quickest, easiest way for non-Spanish speakers to learn enough Spanish to get their jobs
done. Designed for 27 different professions so you learn just what is relevant to your workplace.
Accent Modification (on-campus course for individuals or group training by contract). Ideal
training for white-collar, foreign-born workers with a good command of English who seek assistance in reducing their accents. Training can signifiantly reduce foreign accents in just 30 hours.
For details, visit: www.hcc.edu/community-and-business, click ”language training” or contact
Robert Griffin (413) 552-2086; rgriffin@hcc.edu
Leadership through Culinary Teambuilding
Foster a spirit of trust, creativity, enthusiasm, and team cooperation while building practical
interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Engage in fun, lighthearted cooking activities that challenge you to come together as a successful, highly-functioning team. Workshops are customized
to meet your goals. Contact Iraida Delgado (413) 552-2742; idelgado@hcc.edu
Personal Enrichment Courses
Learn new skills. Improve your life. Meet new friends. See ad on page 5. Course information and
registration available online at www.hcc.edu/bcs or contact Community Servicecs at
(413) 552-2320 or 2324.
Professional Development for K-12 Educators
Earn PDPs in accredited self-paced VESI interactive courses packed with practical applications
for the classroom. CD or online format and undergraduate and graduate level courses available.
For courses and info, visit www.virtualeduc.com/holyoke or call Community Services
(413) 552-2320 or 2324.
Professional Development Programs from EANE
Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE) provides assistance and training, drives key HR
initiatives, and helps companies grow and save time and money. Course and registration
information available online @ www.hcc.edu or call (413) 552-2320.
Project Management Evening Certificate
Convenient. Self-paced. No commute. Classes available on many
topics. View HCC courses and register: www.ed2go.com/holyoke
For information, call Arvard Lingham (413) 552-2320;
alingham@hcc.edu
This 13-week, hands-on certificate program aligns with the Project Management Institute’s Guide
to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Great refresher course for current
project managers and for new project managers who want to learn project management concepts
and practices quickly. Learn to plan and execute successful projects using project management
concepts and processes; prepare for Project Management Professional certification test; and
earn 39 PDUs—four more than the required 35 hours required for the PMP designation. Course
materials include templates for a project charter, scope statement, and quality management plan,
and exams, quizzes, and 100-question practice PMP certification exam. For start dates, cost and
registration information, call (413) 552-2086 or visit www.hcc.edu/community-and-business
Gatlin Education Services
Public & Not-for-Profit Professional Development Institute
ed2go Online Courses
Online career training programs in many fields. To view all HCC
courses and register: www.gatlineducation.com/holyoke
For information, contact Arvard Lingham (413) 552-2320; alingham@hcc.edu
HCC’s Corporate College Program
The same comprehensive education and training services through live training
or online learning that Fortune 500 companies provide to their employees. Fees
start at $40 a year and are based on size of business or organization. Provides
discounts on other HCC courses and workforce development grant application
assistance. For costs and more information, call (413) 552-2111.
Training and services for those working in government, education, healthcare, and not-for-profit
organizations. For personnel and managers, supervisors and front-line staff in state and municipal government, schools and other agencies.
• Customized professional development days
• Computer software training
• 39-hour Project Management Certificate program
• Professional development training
• AMA Management Certificate Program
For details, visit www.hcc.edu/community-and-business, click “professional development” or
contact Keith Hensley (413) 552-2506; email: khensley@hcc.edu
Register now for
summer classes!
Summer credit classes start
June 4 & July 9
Noncredit classes begin
throughout the semester
Enrolling is easy!
Course schedules:
Credit Courses
Visit www.hcc.edu for Fall 2012 Registration Booklet
(includes Intersession) PDF. Or click “MyHCC” for
the most up-to-date info about class availability
(courses fill and new sections open continuously),
instructor names and course descriptions. Pick up a
print copy on campus.
Questions?
Call the Welcome Center (413) 552-2000.
Non-credit Professional Development,
Personal Enrichment and
Training for Business and Industry
HCC’s Business and Community Services Bulletin,
which includes non-credit personal enrichment and
professional development course information, will
be available in late December, online (PDF) and in
print. Classes start throughout the semester. (413)
552-2500 or (413) 552-2320 or login to our online
course shopping cart at www.hcc.edu/ces
Continuing students:
Visit www.hcc.edu
New students:
Visit www.hcc.edu to
apply or contact the Office of Admissions
and Transfer Affairs (413) 552-2321;
email: admissions@hcc.edu
Questions? Call the Welcome Center (413) 552-2000
Home for the summer? Take a course.
Many students who attend colleges and universities throughout the country and are home for summer,
find taking a summer class or two at HCC is the perfect place to pick up some college credits and
save money, too.
A variety of HCC courses—from psychology to mathematics to biology—transfer easily to most universities
and colleges across the country.
You can complete a summer course in four to seven weeks! You’ll find plenty of
options for day, evening, and online courses in this Bulletin.
Why not go back to college this fall with a few more academic credits on your
transcript?
First, talk to your college’s registrar, to make sure the HCC course meets its
requirements. Once you’ve completed an approved HCC course, request a transcript
from HCC to transfer credit back to your home institution.
The HCC classes listed here meet the requirements of most colleges and
universities. But your college may accept plenty of others if you check with them
first.
www.facebook.com/HolyokeCommunity College
Questions? Call (413) 552-2000 or email admissions@hcc.mass.edu.
HCC
summercourses
HCChas
hasdesignated
designated the
the following summer
courses
as transferable
to most institutions:
as transferable
to most institutions:
BIO
ART103
131
ECN
BIO 101
103
ECN 102
ECN 101
HIS 112
ECN 102
POL 110
HIS 110
112
PSY
POL110
110
SOC
MTH
PSY142
110
ENG
SOC101
110
Biology
Introduction
to Today
Art History
I
BiologyEconomics
Today
Economics II
Economics I
History of the US II
Economics II
U.S. National Government
HistoryIntroduction
of the US II to Psychology
U.S. National
Government
Introduction
to Sociology
Statistics
Introduction
to Psychology
Introduction
to Language
Introduction
to Sociology
and Literature
MTH 142 Statistics
ENG 102
Language and Literature II
ENG 101 Introduction to Language and Literature
HIS 111
History of the U.S. I
ENG 102 Language and Literature II
HIS 111 History of the U.S. I
Holyoke Community College, 303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke MA 01040
www.hcc.edu

Getting Their Feet Wet and Hands Dirty for Science HCC Robotics

Transcription

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