Fall 2018 - Issue III

 IN THIS ISSUE: Academic and Careers Path Day, Cultural Initiatives, divisional updates.

Dear faculty,

Rosemary

Welcome to our third Faculty Newsletter! I hope you have found these communications informative and helpful. We will be publishing one more before the end of the fall semester. If you have any information you would like me to include, please send suggestions to Associate Vice President Melissa Fama, [email protected]

I wish you all the best as the semester concludes and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences NEWS:

JosephDr. Joseph Amante, director of the CCRI choirs and Professor of Performing Arts, was named music director for the Roger Williams University Chorus beginning this semester. Members of the CCRI Chorus and RWU Chorus combined to perform at the World Diabetes Day event on November 3rd. We look forward to additional inter-college collaborations in the future.

rehabJoseph Batiano was selected by The Rhode Island School Counselor Association (RISCA) as the Rhode Island School Counselor of the Year. Mr. Batiano teaches American Sign Language part time at CCRI and is a school counselor at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf.

New Experimental Course: The American Presidency

Associate Professor Dennis Najarian is introducing an experimental course titled The American Presidency. The course description reads:

This course will examine the history of the American Presidency of the 20th century. Emphasis will be on the transformation of the institution. Topics will include but are not limited to the formulation of policy and law, domestic and foreign policy, interaction with Congress, Supreme Court, Federal administration, and the media.

CCRI's The Receptionist selected to appear at KCACTF Regional Festival

Student actors

“The Receptionist,” an office comedy with a dark side and timely message, is in the running for national honors. CCRI students were selected to restage their play in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1 competition, besting shows performed all over New England and New York.

They were one of five performances (out of 60 entered) selected to perform at the black box theatre of Cape Cod Community College (the host school of the festival), on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm for a chance to go on to the KCACTF National Festival.

Before they leave, they will stage two special encore performances of “The Receptionist” at CCRI’s Flanagan Campus on Jan. 26 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Admission costs $10 and will help fund the students’ trip to the festival.

Business, Science, Technology and Math NEWS:

A new classroom will be available for the spring semester at the Flanagan campus. Room 1550 will be equipped with computers and technology to support accounting and math emporium classes.

JoanneProfessors Joanne Orabone and Carol Rowey from the business department, along with twelve students, participated in the National DECA Engage Conference and Competition in New York on November 8 to 10. Students were able to choose tracks in Management, Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, or Entrepreneurship. In addition to attending conference sessions and visiting business sites, students competed in their chosen disciplines in team simulations. Jorge Orellana’s team placed in the entrepreneurship track.

I am excited to announce that Professor David Vito from the Biology department has agreed to be the Grand Marshall for the 2019 commencement ceremony. Thank you, Professor Vito!

The college has been granted continued funding from the United States Department of Labor and Training to support the Fast Track to Manufacturing program.

Health and Rehabilitative Sciences NEWS:

Simlab CCRI's Clinical Simulation Program on the Flanagan Campus was granted Provisional Accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).

This is the first step in the full accreditation process. Professor Lori Martone Roberts DNP, RN, and Faculty Liaison for Simulation, invited the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs to review CCRI's Clinical Simulation Lab on the Flanagan Campus.

The SSH Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs accredited its first healthcare simulation program in 2010. There are now over 100 SSH Accredited Programs from 10 countries.

rehabCCRI’s nursing graduates who took the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) have the highest pass rate in the state for the third quarter, July 1 through Sept. 30. The third-quarter pass rate for CCRI nursing graduates was 95 percent. These graduates are the first to complete the college’s new nursing curriculum, which was implemented in fall 2016.

Learning Resources NEWS:

JillianThe Library welcomes new faculty member/Assistant Professor Jillian Lang as the Access Services/ Systems Librarian at the Warwick campus. Jillian has an MLIS from URI and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Johnson & Wales University. Jillian brings a strong public services background and experience with library technology and is a welcome addition to the department.

Instructional Technology and Online Learning

Meet Mish McIntyre, Instructional Designer

MishMish is an accomplished instructional designer from UMass Boston. She has experience working with faculty one-on-one, providing professional development workshops, and supporting initiatives within and between departments. Prior to UMass Boston, she was at Suffolk University for several years supporting faculty implementing technology and best practices. She has a Master’s of Education and an MFA. Most importantly, she has a real passion for instructional design and helping faculty. She will be a great addition to our team.

Mish is located in KN 4212 and can be reached by phone (825-1404) and email ([email protected]). She can help faculty plan online courses, implement active learning and other effective teaching practices in any course, and more.

Instructional Technology and Online Learning (cont.)

CIT Updates

CIT LOGOOn November 2, the Center for Instruction & Technology team (MaryAdele Combe, Kyle Jackson, and Gene Grande), Director of Instructional Technology and Online Learning (Karen Bellnier), and new Instructional Designer (Mish McIntyre) hosted CIT Updates LIVE!, a demonstration of technology and discussion of how they can support faculty in areas of common challenges, such as:

This fast-paced introduction included a look at Respondus Monitor, MEDIALecture, Blackboard’s Collaborate, Ally, Audio Feedback, and Attendance tools. Future trainings for each tool can be found on the CIT Events page.

Reach out to Karen and Mish at [email protected] or stop by their offices to discuss how you might tackle any of the above challenges in your courses – online, on-campus, or hybrid- through course design.

Culture Initiatives

culture initiativeThe CCRI Culture Initiative is an employee-driven effort to define and strengthen a positive culture at the college. Throughout 2018, staff and faculty have been gathering to discuss the attitudes and behaviors that will contribute to an institutional culture that promotes transparency, collaboration, respect, and accountability (Goal three of the college’s strategic plan). Faculty are encouraged to share their feedback on this initiative by attending one of two upcoming faculty focus group sessions:

Tuesday, December 4, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm in Flanagan 1145

Friday, December 7 at 1:30 PM in room 3076, Knight Campus

RSVP at this link and contact Lizzie Pollock, Project Director, Office of Institutional Equity, with any questions. Learn more at ccri.edu/culture

Ways to Make the End of the Semester More Enjoyable

It is hard to believe that the end of the fall semester is nearly upon us. I have included a link that describes 5 Ways to Make End-of-Semester Grading More Enjoyable

Please remember to take advantage of open office hours and I always welcome invitations to visit your classrooms!

Do you have any suggestions for future newsletter topics? Please fill out and send them below.

Last Updated: 2/27/23