The Bergen Community College Newsletter

Fall 2014

When it comes to tutoring, we’re No. 1. This summer, theNational College Learning Center Association (NCLCA) named

Bergen’s Cerullo Learning Assistance Center the best two-yearcollege tutoring resource in the nation, becoming the first NewJersey institution — four- or two-year — to earn the Frank L.Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award. Past honorees includeClemson University, Texas A&M and Dutchess Community College.

During a recent visit to the facility, Bergen President B. KayeWalter, Ph.D. congratulated Managing Director of Learning As-sistance Khairia Fazal, who accepted the award at the NCLCA’s29th annual conference in Albuquerque, N.M.

“Our vision for students is success in everything they do,”President Walter said. “Having the best tutoring services availableallows them a greater opportunity to do so. We are very fortunateto have a staff that works with students on a one-on-one basis sothey can succeed at the highest level.”

The Cerullo Center hosted more than 40,000 subject-specificand individualized tutoring visits in 240 courses last year. Approx-imately 7,000 students relied on a team of 150 professional andpeer tutors employed by the Cerullo Center to assist them via no-cost one-on-one, walk-in and in-class tutoring. The Cerullo Cen-ter also offers workshops, conversation groups and supplementalinstruction as part of its multi-faceted approach. It counts a

math/science walk-in center, writing center and English lan-guage resource center among its resources.

A donation from Bergen County residents Henry and EdithCerullo led to a rededication of the student resource in 2003. �

Tutoring Center Tops Among Peers

According to data compiled by Community College Week, Bergen now ranks as

New Jersey’s top associate degree grantinginstitution.

On the strength of a 13 percent year-over-year increase in graduates, Bergen leapfroggedlast year’s New Jersey No. 1 — MonmouthCounty’s Brookdale Community College — toclaim the top spot. Bergen awarded degreesto 2,222 students in the class of 2013, placingit 29th among all two-year colleges in theU.S. Bergen and Brookdale (43rd) are theonly New Jersey colleges to appear in thepublication’s annual “Top 100 Associate DegreeProducers” list for total graduates.

Community College Week also ranks insti-tutions based on subsets including ethnicity

and degree type. Bergen appeared:• 13th in liberal arts and science,general studies and humanitiesdegrees granted by two year colleges— its highest ranking on any of thepublication’s lists;

• 32nd among two-year collegesgranting associate degrees to Hispanicstudents;

• 33rd among two-year collegesgranting associate degrees to AsianAmerican students;

• 37th among two-year collegesgranting associate degrees to minoritystudents.

Community College Week’s 2015 list willrelease next summer. �

A Degree Above

Volume 2, Issue 1

2 I n s i d e Be rgen • The Be rgen Commun i t y Co l le ge News le t t e r | Fa l l 2 0 14

Curtain Up!Big stage talents… in Bergen County.Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre

The Brubeck BrothersFriday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.

To Kill A MockingbirdWednesday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.

Palisades VirtuosiFriday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Bergen SinfoniaFriday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.

Doktor KaboomThursday, Jan. 15, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Freedom BoundFriday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Tickets.bergen.edu or (201) 447-7428 fortickets.

BergenStagesStudents share their talents and begin their paths to stardom.

Brighton Beach MemoirsOct. 24, 25, 30, 31 and Nov. 1

CompanyDec. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13

Tickets.bergen.edu or (201) 447-7428 fortickets.

EventsArt Exhibition — Pets, Beasts & Dinner:Relations Between Human and AnimalCreaturesOpen Through Thursday, Oct. 30Gallery Bergen, West Hall, Main Campus

Open House — Bergen Community College at the MeadowlandsWednesday, Nov. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst, N.J.

Foundation — Medallion Awards DinnerFriday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m.The Rockleigh, Rockleigh, N.J.

Open House — Main CampusWednesday, Dec. 3, 5-7 p.m.400 Paramus Road, Paramus, N.J.

CampusCalendar

Fall Winter Spring Register at • October 29 - • January 2 - • January 20 - May 12 my.bergen.edu.• December 18 • January 16 • January 20 - March 9

Our Golden BoyYou know, with Derek Jeter retiring, the New York Yan-kees could use a shortstop … Bergen Bulldogs slick-fielding second-year infielder

James Donohue earned a 2014 NJCAA ABCA/RawlingsGold Glove Award for stellar defensive play, becomingthe first Bulldog in school history to earn the award.Donohue notched 43 putouts, 64 assists and six doubleplays, making only one error. Unlike some defensive spe-cialists, Donohue also starred at the plate, hitting .355

and tying for the team lead in runs scored (21). Donohue’s postseason honorsincluded spots on the all-region and -conference second teams. �

Farming with the First LadyHow does Bergen’s garden grow? With the help of Eric Fuchs-Stengel, the

latest “New Jersey Heroes” inductee. The organization, led by first ladyMary Pat Christie, visited Bergen’s main campus this summer to recognizeFuchs-Stengel’s work with the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization(MEVO), a sustainability collaborative he founded.

Across Bergen County, Fuchs-Stengel and a cast of volunteers lead recyclingand sustainable farming initiatives, which included the establishment of avegetable garden and beehive colony at the College.

(From left) Bergen President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., Bergen County ExecutiveKathleen Donovan, volunteer Ryan Martens, Mrs. Christie and Fuchs-Stengeldiscussed the origins of MEVO and even plucked beets at the July 29 event.Mrs. Christie chairs NJ Heroes, a private, non-partisan, non-profit organizationfounded in 2010 to celebrate the contributions of unsung community leaders. �

A Schedule for All Seasons

I n s i d e Be rgen • The Be rgen Commun i t y Co l le ge News le t t e r | Fa l l 2 0 14 3

1. Slated to open in 2016, workcontinues on the three-storyHealth Professions IntegratedTeaching Center at maincampus.

2.Board of Trustees TreasurerDorothy Blakeslee and AlumniTrustee Victoria Tahhan joined acadre of Bergen Bulldogs for theJune Quest 5K for Autism andFun Run at Ridgewood DuckPond.

3. Textbook summer weather — 90degrees and sunny —nonetheless ushered in the firstday of fall classes at maincampus.

4. President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D.and continuing educationinstructor Adua Celentanoattended a gala eventcelebrating Madagascar hostedby the country’s permanent U.N.representative ZinaAndrianarivelo-Razafy.

5. Six high school students claimedfirst-place honors in the 38thannual Bergen County HighSchool Writing Contestsponsored by the Englishdepartment.

6. Professors Dan Sheehan, AndyKrikun and Sony Twari tradedgrade books for guitars at theAug. 10 Summer Music Fest.

7. Don’t call it window dressing —Hackensack’s Philip Ciarco Jr.Learning Center rolled out a newwelcome mat (of sorts) forstudents this fall.

8. Thanks to Bergen CommunityCollege at the Meadowlandsstaff member John Cartier, thesouthern Bergen location nowhas a community garden withbasil, peppers and flowers.

9. Vice President of Student AffairsNaydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus,Ph.D. accepted a $14,000donation from SouthpoleFoundation representatives NaYoung Lee and James Yoo.

10. Dean of Arts, Humanities andWellness Amparo Codding(center) served as the “madrinanacional” for the 45th annualColumbian Cultural WeekIndependence Day Festival atOverpeck County Park thissummer.

11. President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D.spoke among a who’s who ofstate and county female leadersat the Women’s Institute “FromGirl to Leader: CelebratingWomen’s Equality Day” event.

12. Professor Win Win Kyi led agroup of Phi Theta Kappa andJudith K. Winn School ofHonors students on a trip toYale University to completeservice projects and meet U.S.U.N. Ambassador Sichan Siv.

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Seamless STEMTranfersWith an agreement inked in mid-June by

Ramapo College of New Jersey Provostand Vice President for Academic Affairs BethE. Barnett, Ed.D. and Bergen Vice Presidentof Academic Affairs William Mullaney, Ph.D.,the institutions streamlined the transferprocess for STEM (science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics) majors. Theagreement covers Bergen’s A.S. in naturalscience and mathematics programs andnine B.S. and B.A. programs at Ramapo suchas biochemistry, computer science and envi-ronmental science. The agreement essen-tially permits Bergen graduates utilizing theprogram to enter Ramapo as juniors. �

400 Paramus RoadParamus, New Jersey 07652

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDPARAMUS, NJPERMIT NO. 57

Continuing EducationConsidering a new career? Looking to learn a language?Does your team need training? Visit Bergen.edu/ continuinged to begin the path to lifelong learning.

InsideBergen is a publication of the Office of Public Relations. Send feedback to lhlavenka@bergen.edu.

Lori TalaricoAs Professor Lori Talarico will tell you, IST-123 rocks. As

a former drummer, she would know.For three years, Talarico has led IST-123, a pilot course

designed to assist students in acclimating to the rigors and responsibilities asso-ciated with higher education. The three-credit class provides instruction on study,time management and note taking skills and the availability of resources (such astutoring and technology). Enrollment has grown steadily each year — more than2,000 students enrolled in 91 different sections this semester. More than 50 facultyfrom disciplines ranging from biology to business teach the course.

“We try and give the students the foundation that will help them be successfulin any course at this college,” she explained. “This course is about growing up andhelping students become the person they want to be.”

Talarico took a circuitous path to her role as program coordinator. After enrollingat Bergen as a young adult, she left to pursue a career in music. Leading the all-female group “All That Glitters,” Talarico helped set the stage for girl groups likeJoan Jett’s “The Runaways.”

After rocking the Boston music scene, Talarico returned to Bergen as a secretary,graduated and continued to Columbia University and Teachers College at ColumbiaUniversity, where she earned a B.A. and M.A.

For the third time, Talarico once again returned to Bergen — this time to teach.Working as a lecturer in the English Basic Skills program, Talarico would eventuallyhelp shape IST-123. That led to her gig — music pun — as program coordinator.

Although IST-123 technically remains a pilot program, it may find soon a per-manent home among Bergen’s course offerings.

“Students who are taking this at the same time as developmental courses aregetting better grades,” she said. �

Faculty Focus