The NEXUSThe Official Newsletter of the Massachusetts College Personnel Association February 2015

In this Issue Past Presidents... Page 3 My Two Hats... Page 4 Dr. SocialMedia... Page 9 The Circle Book Review... Page 11

Letter from the President Jennifer Forry, Newbury College

Dear MCPA Members,

As 2014 comes to close, I’m truly inspired by the good work being done on our campuses by our colleagues. This edition of the Nexus features our award winners. I urge you to take time to review the award recipients and acknowledge the tremendous contributions they have each made to their home campuses.

I’m pleased to share with you MCPA has formally become an internal chapter of ACPA International. This news was shared with our members at our December Drive In at Fitchburg State University. By officially partnering with ACPA International we will be able to continue to grow our membership in Massachusetts and provide new and exciting resources for our members.

Sincerely,

Jennifer ForryMCPA President

PresidentJennifer ForryNewbury College

President-ElectJohn MayoNewbury College

Past PresidentDawn EadesMCPHS University

Secretary Jessi RobinsonUMASS Boston

TreasurerRyan GreelishBrown University

Membership CoordinatorClara LauNortheastern University

Marketing CoordinatorDanielle RemigioRoger Williams University

Newsletter EditorKristen KearneyStonehill College

Social Media CoordinatorDan NewmanSuffolk University

Website CoordinatorRhian Waterberg Suffolk University

Member at LargeBen LambWilliams College

Member at LargeLoren Glaser Wentworth Institute of Technology

Member at LargeMegan WyettUMASS Amherst

Member at LargeRyan DePesaWentworth Institute of Technology 

Graduate Student Liaison Kris Polk Fitchburg State University 

Graduate Student LiaisonSarah Santiago Roger Williams University 

MCPA Executive Board

Thank you to our past presidents for all of your dedication and support of MCPA over the years!

Charles Fey 1975-1976Robert Sargeant 1976-1977Helen Lavelley 1977-1978Carol Leary 1978-1979Carla Oliveri 1979-1980Nancy Stoll 1980-1981Sheila Murphy 1981-1982Robert Caruso 1982-1983David Ellis 1983-1985Jean Joyce-Brady 1985-1986Tina Bruen 1986-1987Diane Austin 1987-1988Kirk Manning 1988-1990Mona Olds 1990-1991Joe Onofrietti 1991-1992Dennis Malvers 1992-1993Deb Curran 1993-1994Janet Richardson 1994-1995

Glenn Cochran 1995-1996Annie Ciaraldi 1996-1997Jean Ahstrand MacKimmie 1997-1998Ann DiMeloa Grote 1998-1999Alison Keefe 1999-2000Curtus Hoover 2000-2001Lisa Evaneski 2001-2002Jeanne Sevigny 2002-2003J. Allen Ward 2003-2004Matthew Robison 2004-2005Christina Carico 2005-2006Erik Murrisepp 2006-2007Alicia Van Neil 2007-2008Mary Wegmann 2008-2009Shelley Nicholson 2009-2010Will Cribby 2010-2011Sara Jacques 2011-2012Jennifer Casavant Maitino 2012-2013Dawn Eades 2013-2014

I wear two hats in higher education. My first hat is pretty beaten up but still invaluable. That’s my adjunct hat. It’s a hat that I’ve donned for some eight years and over 100 college sections. If that math seems like it’s more the speed of a full-time instructor, you might be right. Several years of part-time teaching included the adjunct shuffle wherein I scooted from college to college (4-5 per semester), stitching together a living. These included community colleges, state universities, private colleges and for-profit colleges. What can I say; I got around. Much of that ceased when I became Coordinator of Instructional Design at North Shore Community College, my second hat. I continue to teach courses because I still love teaching and also find that it aids me greatly in my role as instructional designer.

Connect With UsIn the adjunct hat, if there is one thing I would advocate to any part of the college to do in order for us to better help you is to make a concerted effort to connect with us. The research shows that connecting with someone on campus is a major predictor of completion at a college and that an instructor is one of the most common people a student is likely to connect with. Thus, it’s worth remembering that part-time faculty teach

somewhere between half to two-thirds of college courses nowadays. Fostering a strong relationship with part-time faculty provides additional layers of communication and support for the students.

Adjunct faculty very rarely get the full introduction to the college campus that a full-time faculty member does. Many of us want to know what’s going on and how we can be of help. Guiding students to the right place, knowing who to contact about student issues, or just passing along a flyer from Student Affairs are things we want to do because we care deeply about our students. But many of us are also struggling with wrapping our heads around our chaotic schedules, which can include courses that are just handed to us within days of classes started. It’s hard to even know what there is out there or how it seek it out. If someone hasn’t drawn our attention to it, we are likely to just tell the student to search the college website for answers.

Target UsCommunicating can take many ways and departments have limited resources, but Student Affairs can find ways of being inclusive, which will provide a more robust network of faculty involvement. Email is obviously the easiest way to do this but it does require tact and an understanding of the adjunct faculty. Messages should be clearly targeted to part time faculty and avoid things like invitations to events or meetings during community time without acknowledging that for many, this is a time we’re often bustling to and

Continued on next page.

My Two Hats in Higher Education: Adjunct Faculty & Instructional DesignerLance Eaton

My Two Hats, cont.

from campus. Realizing and vocally recognizing adjuncts have many other demands beyond the college denotes an appreciation of any and all time they commit beyond the classroom. It’s worth noting that adjunct pay is laughable when one compares the amount against the hours actually put into class (somewhere between sweat-shop and minimum wage rates). Openly thanking adjunct faculty when they are going this extra mile is important because in many ways, he or she is doing so at personal cost, increasing time spent, which often doesn’t result in increased pay or recognition from the college.

Some colleges designate mailboxes or even space in departments or across campus for adjunct faculty. These are excellent places to target to meet and connect with adjunct faculty. Some colleges hold events for adjunct faculty such as welcome-back gatherings or even professional development opportunities. These can be important events to participate in to better inform and connect with adjunct faculty. Finally, adjunct faculty need flexibility. 7:00AM or 7:00PM may be the only times they are available to meet outside the classroom. Departments can form strong connections with adjunct faculty when they move beyond the standard college hours of operation.

What Is That Again?In switching to my instructional designer hat, I find that there are many ways an instructional designer can be useful to

Student Affairs and Support at a college. But first, it’s useful to explain what an instructional designer is, as I often need to explain this to people in and outside of academia. An instructional designer is a person who works with faculty to help structure any and all elements of a course for maximum success. Instructional designers are basically Jacks and Janes of all trades when it comes to teaching and learning. The goal is usually to provide rich feedback, new ideas, or different approaches to a faculty member seeking to change something about his or her approach to teaching and learning. That can be revising an assessment or converting a face-to-face course into an online course and everything in-between. In the end, we support faculty by helping them view teaching and learning through different lenses that they might not be aware of such as the latest research in teaching and learning (What does the research say about constructivism and MOOCs?), the recent trends in instructional technology (How would I implement social media in my biology course?), and understanding the populations that are present at the college (Is it possible to do a project with mobile devices given our student population?).

My current position focuses particularly on the use of instructional technology and learning. However, it often boils down to looking at what are the learning goals and outcomes, and determining how I can help faculty achieve them, either by using more advance technologies (mobile devices, Web 2.0, etc) or by finding different means of

Continued on next page.

My Two Hats, cont.

approaching the goal with the different populations in mind.

Let It Be SAID (SA + ID)In many ways, an instructional designer compliments the work of Student Affairs. While Student Affairs works hard at providing support and aid outside the classroom or prepares students for the classroom, the instructional designer attempts to identify the best ways students can be supported in the classroom. Much of my work is thinking about the best ways to deliver content, engage learners, and design assessment that connects the course’s objectives with the content and work required.

It’s a job that’s all about learning, which is why this self-proclaimed nerd loves his job. But thinking about learning also requires to know and understand who our learners are, which is why there is a natural overlap between Student Affairs and Instructional Design. Student Affairs often has a much clearer view of the different populations that make up a college along with a sense of their level of preparedness, needs, expectations, etc. This is vital information for instructional designers as it helps them to guide faculty about which tools to use and what kinds of assessment are useful. Equally useful, instructional designers often have a strong sense of the different types of work and elements that happen within courses across departments and divisions that Student Affair folks would find useful in

advising and helping students find the right matches.

In some ways, my advice is akin to what I said about adjunct faculty. Getting to know instructional designers can open up doors and ideas that Student Affairs folk might not have considered. They are likely to have solid insights into the students’ experiences in the classroom and knowledge about the large trends across colleges and universities as it relates to teaching and learning. Student Affairs folk often know much about the administrative challenges students will face while Instructional Design people know some of the best ways to complete courses with some of the best tools available. Each group also knows where are the most challenging parts of the student’s experience outside and inside the classroom. Working together, they could do wonders for improving student success.

Lance Eaton is Coordinator of Instructional Design and part-time instructor at North Shore Community College. He has accumulated way too many degrees to list here, but fully assures you that he is sufficiently edumacated to write this article. He writes for several publications like Publishers Weekly, AudioFile Magazine, and Library Journal. He also consults individuals and organizations on social media. His musings, reflections, and ramblings can be found at his blog: http://byanyothernerd.blogspot.com or you can find out more about him at http://www.LanceEaton.com. Feel free to harass him on Twitter too: @leaton01

Do you have a new building on campus? A cool feature you want to show off?

As part of our 40th Anniversary celebration, MCPA is looking for institutions (you host, MCPA will plan!) who want to share their campus with other higher education professionals from around the state.

If you are interested in hosting a tour and/or a social event on or near your campus, please contact Noor Ibrahim at nibrahim@endicott.edu.

What is your position at Hult International Business School?I am a Career Services Manager at Hult International Business School – I work with MBAs and Masters of International Business and International Marketing students from over 77 countries across the globe. What do you love about working at Hult?I love working at Hult because I get the opportunity to work with incredible professionals from all over the world and through that process, I learn about different cultures and also about professions that I didn’t even know existed!  Our international students have such inspiring and amazing life stories, and I get to hear them when I help them write their resumes.  I also get great satisfaction from guiding them and watching them overcome their own limiting beliefs as they push past cultural barriers to succeed in the US market.  Lastly, I really enjoy teaching our Professional Career Development class, we learn a lot about the world by having people from most continents in the room. 

What do you do to relax outside of the office?I’m a big fan of nature so I love to be outside, I find being near water very calming.  I enjoy running, dancing, reading about psychology, and trying new recipes with friends. Why did you get involved in student affairs?I got involved in higher education because I love working with graduate students and I’m passionate about helping people find their dream job.  Students are often considering major life and career decisions as graduate school can be a very pivotal year in one’s life.  I really enjoy advising students through that critical time in their life, as they ask questions like, What is important to me in a career? What kind of lifestyle do I want to create for myself?  What impact do I want to have on the world?  I find it very exciting and it has great meaning for me. Who inspired you to pursue this career?The people who have inspired me to chase my dreams and follow my deepest passions are great minds like Marie Forleo, Regena

Member SpotlightRose Keating, Hult International Business School

Thomashauer, Clay Christensen Tony Robbins, Ramit Sethi and Seth Godin.  What is the most valuable lesson you have learned (so far) in your career?I learned that just doing work at your job is not enough.  You also have to talk about it and make sure people know you and results and initiatives you have created.  You can’t expect to get recognized for quietly doing a good job, you also have to be your own advocate.   What advice would you give to undergraduate students looking to pursue a position in Student Affairs?I would recommend that they read a lot about the long and short term trends in the higher education industry – there are major shifts happening right now that are effecting all parts of the education system.  For Student Affairs in particular, I recommend talking to people who currently work in the field to get a really realistic picture of what the job is like day in and day out.   Lastly, I would recommend building a robust network of professionals who work in this field, most jobs in Student Affairs that I see are filled through referrals.  I’ve also seen many people parlay internships in Student Affairs into full time roles, so that is a great entry point to explore. Is there anything else that you would like the MCPA membership to know about you?In my private coaching practice, Rose Keating Career Consulting, I focus on working with smart driven women professionals who are 5-15 years into their career path.  You can find out more at www.rosekeating.com

Dr. SocialMedia or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tweet

Dan Newman, MCPA Social Media Coordinator

A little less than two years ago I got a message from MCPA telling me that I was nominated for the Social Media Coordinator position on the Executive Board. Context: I had created a Twitter account for grad school with about 400 tweets over 3 years and used Facebook as a glorified picture dump. I used social media like any other digital native with the attention span of a 12-year old by getting really into something and then forgetting about it for months. Think: New Years Resolution on a five month cycle- That guy in the gym on January 5th with new shoes. Just a matter of time, bro.

When I had gotten this notification, I was at a point in my career where I thought it was worth a shot but that there was probably somebody far more qualified in the running. I assumed that a few rejections, especially in something that I had- what I thought was- inadequate experience, was needed before success happens. I accepted the nomination, sent in a blurb, and forgot about it.

One month later: “Congratulations to the newly elected board members!”

Getting nominated and elected to something that you think you are underqualified for inspires a strong feeling of the Imposter Syndrome. Every email, comment, and action you take is accompanied by a mind worm telling you that somebody else could do it better. You go to bed thinking that some mysterious expert would have done things you could not even conceive. Second-guessing and

that butterfly feeling of nervousness wakes you in the morning. It’s only a matter of time before everyone discovers that you are incompetent, bro.

I began to read blogs, articles, and guides to social media. I thought that someone out there knows the tricks and tips, so I might as well learn as much as I can before I’m kicked out. I signed up for a daily digest of news because I thought it might help me generate content. I started to use Hootsuite to manage Facebook and Twitter so I could schedule tweets and posts to go out while I was focused on work. I installed the app on my phone and started posting pictures from events. A combination of fear, insecurity, and trust in advice via Google drove most of these decisions.

It only occurred to me after three presentations, several newsletter articles, and about ten events of live-tweeting did I realize that I had become the mysterious expert from my initial fears. I had done it; I had made it. I had opinions that my colleagues outside of MCPA sought out on social media. I had made changes to my sharing strategies based on analytics data. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? What was the turning point?

Continued on next page.

Dan is the Program Coordinator for Online Learning Support at Suffolk University.

@Dan_Bubbles

Dr. SocialMedia, cont.

My sister, who serves in health administration, gave me some sage advice before my first MCPA board meeting that I had not realized was the turning point in my professional development. “If you join a professional organization as a board member, just do your job and you’ll be doing more than most other people.” I found that by just doing my job I was growing my professional skills far beyond what I thought I could do. Perhaps she knew that the vice of Comparison runs in the Newman bloodline, but in hindsight I think she convinced me that the threshold for success is a lot lower than I thought.

My fellow MCPA board members also did their jobs and beyond. The resonance of a team in sync allowed us to accomplish great goals and evolve the organization to where it is today. My professional development was spurred by the crazy idea to present a Webinar on How to Host a Webinar with Rhian the Website Coordinator. I learned about a whole new world of marketing through the branding revamp with Cecilia, my

Marketing partner (and yes, we used to get dinner at Dok Bua in Brookline). I am supremely thankful for experiences like these with MCPA. After each MCPA event, I think that my colleagues at my day job who are not involved in professional organizations truly are missing out. Good call, sis.

As my term as the Social Media Coordinator is ending, I implore you to consider throwing your name into the pot to join MCPA’s Executive Board. Yes, even if you have no experience with LinkedIn or tweeting, you can turn any position into true professional development. Many of the current and former board members got their start on an endorsement from someone else and we love to pay it forward; send an email or a message to anyone and we’ll give you the inside scoop. MCPA also has the often-understated perk of being a regional organization where the competition is lower and the headroom for growth available whereas a national organization could be cutthroat and stifling.

Give it a shot. You’ll never know what you can do until you start #killingthegame.

Do you have thoughts on a hot topic?Have you completed an interesting project in your office?Do you have advice for your colleagues?Have you read a great book recently?

Contribute an article to The Nexus! Submissions can be sent to Newsletter@mymcpa.net

The Circle: A Book Review and Conversation on “Transparency”Danielle Remigio

As Student Affairs professionals we hear and use the word “transparent” a lot. I personally want to be transparent with my RAs as much as possible so they understand my decision making. I want to be transparent in meetings so my opinion is understood and valued. But for our students, transparency looks different. In an age where inner monologues become a student’s next tweet, the desire and sometimes need to share with the general populous has changed how we interact with and address students.

This year, Roger Williams University decided to have the 1st year students read Dave Eggers’ book entitled The Circle. The story follows the life of Mae Holland, a 24 year old new professional trying to find her place in the world when she lands a job at one of the most prestigious companies in the country: The Circle. The Circle, supposedly based upon Google and/or Apple, is an all-encompassing and seemingly thoughtful company that stresses the importance of having work to do and making change but also investing time into social opportunities and connections. She is told she should connect with others, share her thoughts, opinions, activities, etc, on their social media site, and join interest groups to help her meet people. Apartment complexes were built on the company’s campus to give

employees a place to stay or live so the “fun” never stops. Transparency within The Circle was a concept that meant having 24/7 access to someone’s life. See the inner workings, conversations, meals, work tasks, and commentary on someone every day.

As the book progresses, the idea of sharing is both embraced and met with cynicism. Mae has to sift through the thoughts and ideas of those around her to see what she believes and we watch her change as she goes deeper into the company.

The tagline for the book quickly becomes “SECRETS ARE LIES. CARING IS SHARING. PRIVACY IS THEFT”.

Privacy is theft. That was a moving moment for me while reading this. If you are keeping personal information or knowledge to yourself are you taking that information away from someone who may benefit from it?

Do our students share to vent, share to spread information, share to learn in return? That mantra of “privacy is theft”

Continued on next page.

@MISSDANIELLELYN

DANIELLE IS THE COORDINATOR OF

RESIDENCE EDUCATION

AT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY

The Circle: A Book Review, cont. reminded me of how so many students lead open lives where posts are visible to strangers, pictures are taken that could compromise reputations, and cries for help to the general public can be swallowed up in a feed of celebrity pictures, music lyrics, meal pictures tagged with #foodporn, and an endless array of selfies.

What is the purpose? Why are many of our students choosing to be so transparent with their lives when privacy should and could be valued? Next question: What do our students value? Connection. The definition may have changed over the years as our “friends” lists become more virtual and less substantial. But receiving likes, retweets, comments and requests have replaced conversations, homemade gifts, in-person meetings, and hugs. Their lives are showcased perfectly for the world to see while the small percentage they don’t want to show is that vulnerability that real connection can see and accept at face value.

We live in an air brushed society. Edited, timed out, and shown in the best light. Our students want to share the best of themselves; to show the more desirable version of themselves. Now I know I am overgeneralizing. Plenty students showcase raw emotion, vent about issues, or choose to use their platforms to spread a common message. But even if it isn’t always 100% positive, there is still an agenda. A reason for the post. There is still some editing and consideration that in-person conversation and time does not allow for.

So despite the increase in posts and sharing, are we ever really transparent? Should we ever assume that what our students are posting is the 100% truth about them? No. And that is what The Circle does end up showcasing. There are always secrets and parts of ourselves that we want to keep hidden and that is okay. We have to and our students have to find that balance to create authentic connections that showcase our true selves.

If you have not read The Circle I highly recommend it as an avid reader. In my opinion it can be considered the millennial Big Brother from 1984. It could raise further discussions with your staffs, students, or friends. Either way, give it a shot over. It’s worth the read.

Congratulations to our MCPA Award Winners!

(from left to right)

Graduate Student of the Year - Paul BresnahanAccomplished Leader - Sara Sheckells

Pillar of Membership - Anne-Marie KenneyOutstanding Service to MCPA - Jennifer Maitino

New Professional of the Year - Kris PolkAcademic Excellence - Michael Siegal (not shown)

Access and Inclusion - Brendon Soltis (not shown)

And a big “Thank You” to our keynote speaker Dr. Rosanna Reyes (left), conference chairs Benjamin Lamb and Megan Wyett (right), attendees

and presenters! See you next year!

Heading to ACPA this spring? Join us for the MCPA

Celebrate Massachusetts Social.

Building/Room:Embassy Suites Tampa Downtown Convention Center -

Skyway I 

Date/Time:March 6, 2015 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM