Dr. Larson’s Report to the OCC Board of Trustees

Dr.+Larson%E2%80%99s+Report+to+the+OCC+Board+of+Trustees

Staff Report
December 19, 2019

TO: Members, OCC Board of Trustees

FROM: Jon H. Larson, Ph.D. President

SUBJECT: Items of Interest for the December 12, 2019, Board Meeting

DATE: December 6, 2019

Academic Affairs

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

  • The Student Nurses Organization held a Blood Drive in collaboration with RWJ/Barnabas Health on November 21, 2019, in the Hovnanian Health Sciences Building. From 47 possible donors, 38 units of blood were collected.
  • Joseph Konopka, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Tracy Walsh, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, met with representatives from RWJ/Barnabas Health Corporate Workforce Development and Human Resources at Community Medical Center on November 6, 2019, to discuss collaborating on programs to expand the credentials of the Center’s current employees. Programs of interest include Phlebotomy, EKG Technician, Patient Care Technician, and Certified Nurse Assistant, as well as a possible Surgical Technician course.  Ongoing discussions with Continuing and Professional Education and Community Medical Center are scheduled for later this month.
  • The School of Nursing and Continuing and Professional Education provided students with simulation experiences similar to real-life practice. Nursing students and students within the Certified Medical Assistant program participated in clinical scenarios to enhance teamwork and inter-professional practice.  This type of collaboration is required to assure the delivery of safe, efficient, and effective patient care within the clinical environment.  The experiences were developed by MaryAnn Kaufmann, MSN, RN, Simulation, Skills, and Student Retention Specialist, and Marybeth Millan, MSN, RN, Skills Lab Coordinator.  Also assisting were Viergina Bazile, MSN, RN, Nursing Lecturer II; Juvyscilla Ferriols, MSN, RN, Nursing Lecturer II; Elizabeth Stevenson, PhD, MSN, RN, Assistant Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences; and Kathryn Caro, BA, RN, Assistant Director of Allied Health Programs.
  • Montclair State University and New Jersey City University have expressed interest in joining Ocean County College to work with nursing colleagues in Egypt. The initial goal will be to identify types of experiences Egyptian nurses find beneficial to their practice for possible implementation within their nursing programs.

School of Business and Social Sciences

  • OCC’s First Annual Seasons of Giving took place on Thursday, November 21, 2019, in the Larson Student Center. College Lecturer II Sean Bip’s Hospitality, Recreation, Tourism, and Management Special Events class and the Hospitality Club worked with College Relations and Student Life to plan this highly successful fundraising event.  More than $700 was raised for Fulfill, the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.  Every dollar raised from the event allowed Fulfill to provide three meals.  Collectively, these efforts provided 2,100 meals to the food insecure in our communities.  The following businesses contributed to Seasons of Giving:  Antoinette’s Boulangerie, Shore Catering, Mueller’s Bakery, Hole in One Bagel-Deli, Canteen, Yellow Cottage Bakery, Rockland Bakery, and Perkins Restaurant.  College Lecturer II in Biology Angel Camillo and the OCC Makers Club created all of the signs and assisted with engraving, while OCC student and Music Club member Owen McCarthy provided classical music on the violin.
  • On December 11, 2019, OCC’s Entrepreneur Club will host a Small Business Meet and Greet and Panel Discussion. At the event, students will have the opportunity to meet local entrepreneurs and to learn their stories and expertise.  The panel will include JD Wilson, Lead U; Mr. Jonathan Petro, Law and Executive Planning attorney; Mr. Gerard Iervolino, Salesforce; Ms. Jodi Grinwald, Zzak G Applaud Our Kids Foundation; and Mr. Nick Jiorle, Last Wave Brewing Company.
  • Margaret Maghan, College Lecturer II in Psychology, has continued outreach efforts with Dottie’s House, a domestic violence transitioning facility in Ocean County. Admissions representatives provided overall support and guidance to several young adult residents at Dottie’s House who will be attending OCC in the upcoming Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters.

Dr. Margaret Maghan is working in collaboration with Institutional Research to create a campus-wide Awareness Campaign regarding OCC’s on-campus Helping Hands Food Pantry.  In addition, Dr. Maghan arranged for student members of OCC’s Psychology Club to complete confidentiality training through the Student Life Office in order to prepare and qualify club members to provide ongoing assistance with the operation of the Helping Hands Food Pantry.

School of Arts and Humanities

  • On November 20, 2019, English and Literature Associate Professor Jayanti Tamm, Associate Professor Joaquin Rolon, Professor Jennifer Dellner, and College Lecturer II Ameer Sohrawardy hosted an inspiring and informative lecture, Global Women Authors: Powerful Visionaries, as a part of Global Education Week.
  • College Lecturer IIs in History Robert Marchie and Stephen Downey led a two-day/one-night tour of Boston on November 22 and 23, 2019. The tour included a walking lecture and exploration of the S.S. Constitution as part of the weekend’s fun and educational activities.
  • College Lecturer II in Dance Catherine Mancuso and the OCC Dance Club will be presenting the 2019 Dance Club Fall Showcase in the Grunin Theatre on December 10, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. This evening showcase is sure to be an entertaining evening.
  • Instructor of Music Karin Gargone, College Lecturer II in Humanities and Fine Arts Brian Gilmore, and the OCC Music Club will be presenting a student recital on December 13, 2019, in the Grunin Center for the Arts, Room A117, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The event provides an opportunity for our student musicians to come together and share their music.
  • At 10:00 a.m. on December 17 and 19, 2019, Catherine Mancuso and the Musical Theatre Workshop class will present Broadway at the Black Box. These performances will highlight the work of this semester’s talented students and will raise funds to benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation, which assists New Jersey families of children with cancer.
  • College Lecturer II in Communications and Theatre Paul Chalakani and the Repertory Theatre Company are presenting a fun musical event, Broadway for the Holidays: A Musical Review, from December 5 through 8, 2019, and December 12 through 15, 2019, in the Black Box Theatre.
  • Faculty and lecturers throughout the School of Arts and Humanities continue to revise and create courses. An Improv course has been developed, and English-as-a-Second Language courses are being reactivated.  Additionally, new Photography and Audio Technology programs are currently being considered.
  • The School held a Major Fair, Opt-In, on November 18 and 19, 2019, to attract new freshman students to Arts and Humanities degree programs.
  • Assistant Dean Veronica Guevara-Lovgren and College Lecturer II in English and Literature Samantha Glassford attended the Center for Analysis of Post-Secondary Readiness Conference in New York City on November 21 and 22, 2019. The conference focused on Reimagining Developmental Education.

School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

  • The OCC Engineering Club’s October Speaker Series included members of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) presenting the Benefits of Joining ASHE and How to Start an ASHE Chapter.
  • The November STEAM event brought together the OCC Engineering Club, the OCC Jazz Band, the MTS, and Jazz 4 Prostate Cancer Awareness™. The evening offered something for everyone – technical talks, sports, good music, and a $252 donation to JAZZ 4 Prostrate Cancer Awareness™.
  • The section of the Student Success Seminar, STSC 150, pertaining to Engineering students requires each student to participate in an on-site visit to gain an understanding of future life as a professional. Several students visited AT&T R&D South, where they saw demonstrations on Cybersecurity, Data Centers, and the Science and Technology Innovation Center, which houses artifacts from the AT&T archives.  Students also stopped by Crawford’s Corners Laboratory to see the microwave antenna that first heard the big bang.
  • College Lecturer II in Mathematics Samuel Pinkava attended the National AMATYC (American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges) Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as part of his Project ACCCESS (Advancing Community College Careers: Education, Scholarship, and Service) fellowship. During the conference, he was invited to speak at next year’s national conference as well as at the New Jersey and Maryland regional conferences.
  • Angel Camilo attended the 2019 International Symposium of Academic Makerspaces at Yale University. Assistant Professor of Science Eric Antonelli, College Lecturer II in Biology John McElroy, and Dr. Camilo are working with Toms River high schools on a research project in hydroponics and have set up a hydroponics station in the Hiering Science Building.  The Makers Club participated in a Gaming Day event and made the signs for the Hospitality Club for the Seasons of Giving 2019 event.  Mr. Antonelli and Dr. Camilo presented QR Codes at the Academic Affairs All-School meeting.
  • Math Club Advisors, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Kaaren Finberg, College Lecturer II in Mathematics Julia Kim, and College Lecturer II in Mathematics Vandana Saini, accompanied students on a day trip to New York City on November 16, 2019, to visit the National Museum of Mathematics near Madison Square Park and Vessels, a new landmark with spiral staircases at Hudson Yards. The trip ended at Times Square, the most famous landmark in New York City. Ten Math Club members, advisors, and guests experienced an educational and fun day.  The Math Club held a Bake Sale on October 29, 2019, raising $111.95 to support the trip.
  • Because of the generosity of the Mathematics Department, eight complete Thanksgiving dinners were delivered to Aloysius Church in Jackson, New Jersey. Professor of Mathematics Maryann Birdsall has organized this OCC donation drive for many years. Professor Birdsall does all the shopping and then delivers the dinners to the church the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
  • The Holistic Health and Wellness Club Advisor, College Lecturer II in Anatomy Mary-Ellen Rada, is conducting a Winter Weather Coat Drive. Donations may be taken to the second floor conference room in the Hiering Science Building.  Students who are in need can pick up coats from the same location.

Finance and Administration

Fiscal Year 2019 Audit Report

The fiscal year 2019 audit report, including Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which required supplementary information and schedule of federal and state awards, will be included on Thursday’s Finance Committee agenda for acceptance.  The Audit Committee will meet with Mr. Robert Nehila, Partner at Bowman & Company, to review the report in detail.  The auditor’s opinion is unqualified, and there are no audit findings this year.  In addition, the findings from last year were corrected to the external auditors’ satisfaction.  Ms. Mary Lancaster, Controller, and Ms. Kathleen Higham, Director of Financial Reporting, are commended for their leadership and expertise throughout the financial statement preparation and audit process.

Office of Information Technology

In order to improve communications, the Office of Information Technology will be rolling out campus-wide use of WebEx.  WebEx is a tool that allows users to host or participate in video conferencing, online meetings, and screen sharing, with up to 1,000 participants allowed in a virtual meeting room.  Meetings can be joined in a number of ways via the WebEx desktop, web, and mobile apps.  Attendees have the flexibility to choose how to connect the audio, which will improve the quality of conference calls.  Toll-free dial-in provides a dedicated number to connect the audio conference.  Voice over IP (VoIP) leverages your computer’s built-in speakers with wideband audio support for outstanding quality.  In addition, the use of WebEx will improve the quality of international communications and reduce the cost.

Alumni and Advancement

The Impact Report was mailed to Foundation donors to cultivate gifts for the end of the tax year.  The Annual Appeal was mailed to Foundation donors in December, and email appeals were distributed to donors and alumni on Giving Tuesday.  Additional supplemental social media and e-communications were scheduled through December.

The Alumni quarterly e-newsletter is scheduled to be available in early January; the newsletter lists upcoming events, programs, and benefits for OCC Alumni.

College Relations

The College Relations graphic design team partnered with Continuing and Professional Education to create a new, consolidated version of the department’s spring and summer catalogs. This one catalog will highlight the most popular continuing education programs as well as the most popular programs from Kids and Teens on Campus.  Producing one catalog instead of three separate catalogs will save the CPE department considerable time and money and allows the department to support the catalog with continuing digital and print promotional campaigns. The new 2020 catalog is available onlines.

The College Relations team has developed flyers, rack cards, and an OCC landing page to raise awareness around and promote participation in the 2020 U.S. Census.  The flyers are designed to inform students of the benefits their participation provides to themselves and their communities, while the rack cards are designed to inform students about the privacy and confidentiality guidelines of the US census.  The cards feature information in both English and Spanish. These pieces are the first part of an ongoing U.S. Census campaign that runs through April 2020 and beyond.

Security

In accordance with New Jersey Public Law 2015, Chapter 220, and College Policy #2332, Reporting of On-Campus Criminal and Fire Events, attached is the monthly statistics report of crimes, fires, and other emergencies on campus for the reporting period November 1 through 25, 2019.

Student Affairs

Throughout the year, Student Life has been involved in the implementation project for the rollout of the OCC App.  The app was purchased in FY2019 through Ready Education.  The major goals of the project have been to centralize information for students; to engage students at all campuses, including online learners; to provide a multi-modality communication tool; and to gather assessment data on campus engagement.  The app officially launched in September for the Fall 2019 semester and, to date, has 4,384 downloads, exceeding the adoption goals established by Student Life for the project.

Ms. Jennifer Fazio, Director of Student Life, and Ms. Alison Noone, Assistant Director of Student Life, will join us at Thursday’s meeting to give an overview of the OCC app and an update on the implementation project.

Advising

  • Advising personnel presented advising and career information to three Pathways to College high schools in November. Advisors spoke with all seniors at Manchester High School, Point Pleasant Borough High School, and Lacey Township High School on various topics, including career assessment, college majors, career exploration, and enrollment at OCC.
  • The Fall 2019 Advising Workshop Series concluded in December. Each of the following six training workshops was offered three times during the semester to all faculty, lecturers, and staff members who advise students:  Student Planning, Transfer, Major Selection, Customer Service in Advising, Advising Philosophy, and Advising Documentation.  Advising staff who participated were Transfer Coordinator Laura Wills and Advisors Kirsten Bollinger, Kashonna Garcon, Jim Campbell, and Lauren Humphrey.
  • Laura Wills provided OCC students with several opportunities to meet with colleges and universities in November. The following colleges were available on campus to answer questions and assist students with meeting their educational goals:  Cabrini University, Rowan University, Georgian Court University, and William Paterson University.

Instant Decision Days with Kean-Ocean and Monmouth University were provided to students completing degrees in Fall 2019.  The institutions also provided pre-transfer advising to OCC students.

Advising continues to host partner institutions several times a semester to assist students with smooth transfers, including Thomas Edison State University and Stockton University.

Admissions

  • The 2019 Fall Open House took place on Saturday, October 26, 2019. The event was a great success with over 428 people in attendance, including nearly 200 prospective students.  Students had the opportunity to tour our beautiful campus and interact with many faculty, lecturers, academic deans, and enrollment/student support services, which included academic staff from all four schools, financial aid, the OCC Foundation, admissions, the HUB, academic advising, career services, and multiple academic support services.  Additionally, Kean-Ocean and Stockton University were present to promote their partnerships with OCC.
  • Admissions partnered with Academic Advising to host the first NJ STARS Info Session on November 12, 2019. There were approximately 40 prospective NJ STARS students in attendance with their family members.  Three additional NJ STARS events are planned this academic year, with the next event on Saturday, January 11, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
  • The College Pathways Program is moving forward full steam. To date, approximately 250 presentations have been made by Admissions and Financial Aid to over 3,000 Ocean County high school seniors, including College 101 presentations, Parent Nights, Financial Literacy and Financial Aid presentations, and multiple FAFSA Workshops and Info Sessions.  The program is currently entering Phase III, Testing and College Readiness.  Admissions and the Center for Academic Success will be visiting the 14 partner high schools over the next two months to deliver the Accuplacer exam to seniors.

Veteran and Military Resource Center

A number of successful events have taken place in the last month, some of which include:

  • November 11, 2019 – The Veteran and Military Resource Center, in partnership with Congressman Andy Kim, hosted the first Veteran Service Town Hall in the Gateway Lecture Hall. In attendance were 79 high school students, 41 veterans, and 87 College students and community members.
  • November 14, 2019 – The Center, in collaboration with OCC Student Life and Kean-Ocean Student Life, hosted Ruck for Reason, an event which focused on mental health awareness of veterans and experiencing the life of service members by walking in “their boots.” Over 100 students, future service members, three recruiting commands, faculty, and administrators participated in this event.  The general feedback from participants is to expand the event next year, possibly in partnership with Veteran 501c Recalibrate and Ocean Mental Health.
  • November 14, 2019 – The 87th Force Support Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst publishes ShowMDL, a military appreciation resource magazine for marketing and advertising. The College is prominently displayed in an article on the first page, Ocean County College – Veteran Focused, Veteran Led, and in an advertisement on page 27, both of which highlight the education and amenities offered at OCC for military and veteran students.  This magazine is widely distributed throughout the base and surrounding towns.  Copies of the magazine will be available for review at the Board meeting.
  • November 21, 2019 – The Center and Vincent Ruiz, Board Executive at Recalibrate, completed a military and veteran interview for Ocean Current broadcast. Their discussion addressed the mental, emotional, and physical rehabilitation resources in Ocean County and the importance of developing partnerships with the local military and veteran community.

Enrollment Services

  • Sheenah Hartigan, Director of Enrollment Services, presented at the Integrating Student Service Professionals national conference in Miami, Florida, on October 29, 2019. The title of her well-attended presentation was How to ‘Speak’ Gen Z: Connecting with Today’s Generation.”
  • On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, Hartigan delivered a national webinar entitled, Training Your Team to Meet the Expectations of Generation Z, in collaboration with Admithub, OCC’s chatbot vendor.
  • The HUB, OCC’s one-stop shop, has recently begun taking in-person check and credit card payments as well as phone payments, which are increasing the HUB’s functionality and streamlining the students’ payment process.

Reggie, OCC’s chatbot, has begun to send text messages to cohorts of students within the advising pilot for Spring 2020.  Although in its infancy stages, the advisors have already seen an increase in appointments due to the new communication modality and targeted messaging.

Southern Education Center

  • On November 18 and 19, 2019, the Southern Education Center welcomed Katie Hueth, Prevention Education Coordinator, from the OCC Counseling Center, as she presented the film, It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health. This short documentary produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention featured the stories of six college students and their experiences with mental health conditions.  Following the film, group discussions on the topics of mental health, wellness, and treatment were facilitated by OCC counselors.
  • Financial Aid Office representatives visited the SEC on November 19 and 20, 2019, providing students with direct access to financial aid counseling. The SEC Student Services Office has remained busy advising students.  Records indicate a 20% increase in walk-in traffic during the opening weeks of the 2020 Spring semester registration period compared to the Spring 2019 registration period.
  • On November 20, 2019, as part of the development of the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, a student focus group was held at the Southern Education Center to gather input from students who attend classes The focus group was organized by Dr. Alexa Beshara-Blauth, Executive Director of Institutional Research, Planning, and Compliance.
  • The SEC students enjoyed snack days as the week of November 20, 2019, drew to a close, which ended with the announcement of four winners of the Guess the Candy Corn Contest. The annual Toy Drive is underway; toys are donated to a local charity.  The SEC students are also signing holiday cards for the annual Operation Christmas Card drive.  These cards are sent to New Jersey veterans’ hospitals.  The SEC Food Pantry was able to assist numerous food-insecure students within our community this holiday season.  The Student Success Seminar classes are also organizing local events to support other charities as December

e-Learning and Learning Enterprises

e-Learning – Academics

  • On November 18, 2019, the first virtual professional development workshop, Online Instructor Evaluation Process, was launched. Instructors learned, step by step, the teaching practices evaluators seek and assess when observing an online course at OCC.  Over 30 online instructors attended the workshop.
  • The e-Learning division recently partnered with the OCC Library to designate a liaison to assist with incorporating library resources in online courses and to support the OER initiative creating online classes with free course materials for students. Currently, e-Learning is working in collaboration with various deans, faculty, and lecturers to create four OER courses.

e-Learning – Operations

  • The Examity Fall 2019 semester pilot program, consisting of 17 online courses, will conclude in December. The e-Learning team will create standardized processes for the students, faculty, and lecturers before the Spring 2020 pilot; there are 64 projected online courses for the Spring pilot.  During the Summer 2020 session, five online courses are scheduled for an Honorlock pilot program.
  • Over 40 online courses are in the process of being finalized, developed, or revised to meet the international and domestic course rollout plan.
  • The Rosetta Stone language master courses have been updated to meet the new standardized platform implemented by the vendor for the upcoming Spring 2020 semester.
  • In the next academic year, 23 textbooks will be reviewed and analyzed. All textbooks will be considered for OER components.

Personnel Highlights

  • e-Learning and Learning Enterprises continues to expand; two College Lecturer IIs, one in Business Administration and one in Biology, have recently been hired. In addition, an Academic Administrator for International Programs, two graduate interns, and a student worker have been selected.  Nine new adjunct instructors are now employed, and five others are recommended for hire.
  • The e-Learning administrators and staff have met professional or educational milestones:
    • Laura Wingler, Instructional Designer, recently earned two certifications, one from Columbia, EdX, Supporting All Students in the College Classroom, and one from the Online Learning Consortium in Web Accessibility. These achievements will assist her in making online courses compliant with ADA regulations.
    • Vivian Lynn, Dean of e-Learning, has been selected by the Instructional Technology Council to be a member of the Marketing and Communication Committee.
    • On October 29, 2019, Eric Daniels, Educational Technologist, presented the Center for Instructional Empowerment at the Academic Affairs All-Schools meeting. He continues to collaborate with the various departments to provide stellar technological trainings for the members of the College community.
    • On November 19, 2019, as part of International Education Week’s Lecture series, College Lecturer II Howaida Wahby-Eraky, gave a lecture on Female Figures Under-Represented or Overlooked in History.
    • In November 2019, Melissa Bova, Instructional Designer, attended virtual trainings sponsored by Online Learning Consortium and Quality Matters.
    • Christine Webster-Hansen, Assistant Dean of e-Learning, has been selected by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for training as a Peer Evaluator; her training will take place on December 9, 2019.
    • On December 17, 2019, Britni Epstein, e-Learning Academic Administrator, Ms. Ashley Shanley, Instructional Design Specialist, and Ms. Laura Wingler will attend the Pennsylvania/Delaware/New Jersey Distance Learning Association (PADLA) 17th Annual Conference at La Salle University.
    • Britni Epstein will join Ms. Melissa Bova as volunteers for the Proactive Advising Initiative in Spring 2020.
  • The following individuals have participated in OCC professional development activities:
    • The Ocean Way: Melissa Bova; Ms. Jennifer Fitzgerald, Executive Assistant, International Programs; Ms. Vivian Lynn; Mr. Couper McLay, e-Learning Part-Time Graduate Intern; Ms. Ashley Shanley; and Ms. Laura Wingler.
    • Workplace Success: Eight Skills You Need to Succeed – Ms. Ashley Shanley and Ms. Laura Wingler.
    • Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Ashley Shanley and Ms. Laura Wingler.
    • Time Supervisor Training: Melissa Bova

 

International e-Learning

Mr. Hatem Akl, Associate Vice President of e-Learning – Operations, Dr. Maysa Hayward, Associate Vice President of e-Learning – Academics, and I had a very productive visit to Egypt from November 14 through 24, 2019.  Some of the highlights of the trip include:

Existing OCC/Kean/Ain Shams Partnership

  • Sunday, November 17, 2019 – Hatem Akl, Dr. Maysa Hayward, and I joined the monthly meeting of the committee managing the Ocean County College/Kean University/ Ain Shams University partnership. Items on the agenda included:
    • Book Fees
    • Internet Services
    • Student Internships
    • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Graduation Ceremony Preparations
    • Introduction of New Program Majors (Human Resources and Marketing)
    • Grants and Scholarships
    • Marketing for New Student Cohorts
  • Tuesday, November 19, 2019 – We met with OCC/KU/ASU students, who represented all four cohorts. After welcoming remarks, the team addressed students’ questions and concerns as well as distributed OCC pins to students.
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2019 – Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University, and I signed the Cohort 4 Operational Plan, which will govern the curriculum and financial aspects of the partnership in relation to the fourth cohort of students.
  • Monday, November 25, and Sunday, December 1, 2019 – Maysa Hayward, Ms. Enjee Auda, OCC Student Services Generalist, and Ms. Rehab Abd Elkhalic, OCC’s Office Coordinator, visited Ain Shams University, met with the students, and talked with them about the challenges they may be facing and the steps they can take to overcome them.
  • November 26, 2019 – Maysa Hayward met with Ms. Dina El Boraie, Vice President at American University in Cairo, regarding opportunities to work with Ain Shams University to apply for a USAID scholarship through the Regional English Language Office (RELO) to offer professional development to Egyptian K-12 educators.

The American Community College Project (Special Programs)

In September 2019, recommendations were received from the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU), Egypt’s higher education accrediting body, to begin offering the American Community College curriculum in the form of Special Programs within the Governmental Universities. Using a 2+1+1 model with an American senior institution similar to the OCC/KU/ASU program, OCC delivers the first two years of the four-year degree, the Egyptian host university teaches the third-year curriculum, and an American affiliate delivers the fourth-year curriculum.  After four years, the student will achieve three degrees:  1) an associate degree from OCC, 2) a baccalaureate degree from the Egyptian host university, and 3) a baccalaureate degree from the American affiliate university.

Before travelling to Egypt, on Friday. November 1, 2019, we met with Dr. Dawood Farahi, President of Kean University, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the Special Programs project in Egypt.  The following week, on Friday, November 8, 2019, Dr. Sue Henderson, President of New Jersey City University, visited OCC to also sign a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the Special Programs project in Egypt.

The plan is to start the Special Programs in Fall 2020 in partnership with four Egyptian host universities, Ain Shams University, Helwan University, Alexandria University, and Beni Suif University.

While in Egypt:

  • Saturday, November 16, 2019 – The Special Programs approach was reaffirmed with Ain Shams University President, Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, and the pilot programs that will begin this initiative were identified.
  • Tuesday, November 19, 2019 – We met with Mohammed Lottayef, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Universities in Egypt, to explain the Special Programs and deliver a draft Umbrella Memorandum of Understanding between OCC and the Supreme Council with a list of 19 Special Programs. Dr. Lottayef expressed his support of the 19 programs and requested a brief history of the three U.S. Affiliate Universities, Kean University, New Jersey City University, and Montclair State University.
  • Saturday, November 23, 2019 – The Special Programs approach was discussed with Essam ElKordi, President of Alexandria University, including the pilot programs selected by Ain Shams University to begin this initiative.  Dr. Essam is eager to start the Special Programs, with at least one program beginning in Spring 2020.  A decision was made to offer a program in Business Administration in partnership with Kean University.  In collaboration with Academic Affairs, the process of mapping the first two years of the Business Administration curriculum between Alexandria University and OCC is underway; work will then begin with Kean University to map the third- and fourth-year curriculum.

Badr University in Cairo

On Saturday, November 16, 2019, we visited Badr University in Cairo and met with the University President, the Provost, and the Deans to explore collaboration opportunities.  We agreed to offer English Language courses to the students at Badr University in Cairo.  Access was provided to ten of OCC’s master courses in Canvas.

On Sunday, November 24, 2019, Dr. Maysa Hayward, Ms. Enjee Auda, and Ms. Rehab Abd Elkhalic trained Badr University Deans and Vice Deans on how to login to the OCC portal and access the Master Courses.

Egypt’s 2019 Entrepreneurship Summit

On Thursday, November 21, 2019, I was a panelist on a plenary session, Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as part of Egypt’s 2019 Entrepreneurship Summit.

On Friday, November 22, 2019, Dr. Maysa Hayward and Mr. Hatem Akl were panelists on a break-out session, The Role of Universities in Supporting Entrepreneurship.

  • In addition to all of the activities described above, our visit to Egypt was filled with many other discussions to advance OCC’s international programs:
  • Joel Bloom, President of New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Simon Nynens, Chief Commercial Officer of New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Ahmed Shalaby, Managing Director of Tatweer Misr
  • Engineer Ahmed Osman, President of International Council for Small Business
  • Ismaeel Abdel Ghafar, President of Arab Academy of Science Technology and Maritime Transport
  • Helen Lafave, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, American Embassy in Cairo
  • Rachel Leslie, Cultural Affairs Officer, American Embassy in Cairo
  • Hesham Fahmy, CEO of American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, Washington, D.C., Office
  • Sylvia Menassa, CEO of American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, Cairo Office
  • Ezzat, former President of Ain Shams University