Week of February 17, 2014

Communitas 1

Science is about discovery and break-ing new ground for future generations, which is why the STEM Center has taken the next step in state-of-the-art teaching tools.

Beginning this semester, students in the General Physics classes are loaned iPads to be used in the classroom, as their textbooks and their lab tool.

“They are using them for their text-book, note taking, and all the lessons and teaching materials are provided through the iBook platform,” says Assis-tant Professor Shahida Dar, Ph.D. “The materials provided are interactive, with the syllabus featuring embedded mov-ies and interactive diagrams. The lab write-ups show how to perform the labs. these too include diagrams, movies, and PowerPoint presentations embedded into one document.”

The STEM Center purchased 40 iPads through a Perkins Grant with 31 students

iPads aid discovery in Physics

using them this semester. Dar designed the curriculum so students can upload materials to MVCC’s iPad or their own iPad while using apps, which are free on iTunes. There are other apps students can purchase for a few dollars as study aids, and these remain in the students’ personal iTunes accounts at the conclu-sion of the semester.

“Some of the students took right to us-ing the iPads in the classroom while oth-ers were uncomfortable for a few weeks until they became accustomed to the technology,” said Dr. Dar, who created an open forum on Blackboard for the more tech-savvy students to help the rest of the class. “Instead of referring them to Youtube to watch a video, everything is right in front of them. It is easier for them to visualize.”

Dar has found the communication within the classroom is much better this semester as the open forum has enabled students to give feedback or submit questions anonymously during class. Fifteen minutes into each class, Dar visits the open forum to respond to the

students.“They can leave comments such as the

lesson is too fast, or they don’t under-stand what was being taught that day and ask for an expanded explanation. Because this is anonymous, I have found they are more open,” said Dar.

An added benefit for the students is having lab notes placed on Blackboard for review prior to each lab session. Us-ing the iBook software, Dar has created lab notes where students take a quick quiz before they can move onto the next section. This is to ensure their under-standing of the materials.

All lab reports are submitted electroni-cally and Dar grades papers on her iPad using a stylus, inserting comments on the paper. If students have questions about their work, they are able to contact her through their iPad. All of the lessons can also be viewed on an iMac or MacBook.

“My goal is to have my students to walk into the classroom with only their iPad and a calculator. No bulky book bags,”

added Dar, who points out the textbooks are cheaper as electronic versions.

At the conclusion of each semester, all the information is erased and the iPads reset to factory settings. Dar is work-ing with the Seyed Akhavi, Dean of the STEM Center, on purchasing apps that can be kept in the College’s iTunes ac-count and be installed each semester for the next group of students.

MVCC will host the second annual NanoDays, “the biggest event for the smallest science,” on Friday and Satur-day, March 28 and 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Utica Campus. Saturday’s events are open to the public, Friday’s events are designed for area schools.

NanoDays is part of a nationwide festival of educational programs organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), and brought to the Mohawk Valley by MVCC’s STEM Center.

MVCC to host NanoDays

Frank Perrelli, Managing Director at Bank of New York Mel-lon, kicked off MVCC’s new Cyber-Lecture Series last Thursday with a discussion of the cyber challenges to the global financial industry. More than 90 students and faculty attended the event.

Perrelli discussed the cyber challenges in the international financial domain and the types of cyber security teams that are working on the challenges to ensure our country’s systems are safe. He also discussed the types of skills and abilities students need to develop to join cybersecurity teams in the financial in-dustry, and the need to work effectively in cross-cultural teams and to move seamlessly across borders to service client needs.

MVCC’s next Cyber-lecture is scheduled for March 27th. It will feature Mr. Rick Gloo of Assured Information Systems, who will discuss innovative approaches to cybersecurity research.

The MVCC Admissions Office teamed up with the Crimi-nal Justice faculty to host a Criminal Justice Day, where high school students were provided an opportunity to learn all the career options with this degree.

The event attracted more than 100 high school age students and featured six Criminal Justice graduates who are now in the law enforcement field. These included a New York State Trooper, Oneida County Sheriff’s investigator, Utica Police De-partment officers, and small city chief of police.

The students asked about the training that went into the in-vestigation of arson and what is learned in the different cours-es. The event included a tour of the Utica Campus, a lunch as well as the opportunity to ask questions of professionals.

Careers in the criminal justice discipline include Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, and Law Enforcement.

There are a lot of things faculty, staff and students take for granted when they come to the MVCC campuses and it is those behind-the-scene activities that keep the College function-ing. One of the individuals who helps keeps the College functioning was recently recognized for his 20 years of service.

David Guido was honored for his 20 years of making sure the lights turn on when the switch is thrown or that the facilities are in top condition.

As a Building Maintenance Mechanic on the day shift, Guido is responsible for the mainte-nance, preventive maintenance and repairs of the plumbing, electrical, and lawn maintenance. During CNY’s snowiest of winters, he helps with snow removal and almost anything that needs to be done.

“Dave is always helpful and willing to do most anything that is asked of him,” said Mike McHar-ris, Director of Facilities and Operations. “Dave is very handy-not much that he can’t do or fix.”

2 Communitas

Honoring Employees for Years of Service

Perrelli kicks off Cyber-Lecture Series

Students learn about crminal justice from professionals in the field

Communitas 3

Health & Wellness Tips11 Ways to Increase Your Discipline1. Make a Personal Commitment That You Will

Become a Disciplined Person — if you really want to achieve your goals, then you must make the commitment that you will become more disciplined.

2. Focus On Your Goal — to help you become more disciplined, review your goals every morning before you start your day. Pick a quiet place where you can concen-trate and visualize. Put yourself in a state of mind where you have achieved your goal and imagine the feeling you will have. If possible find pictures or images of your goals to help you better visualize what your life will be like when you have achieved them.

3. First Do What You Don’t Want To Do — as you plan your day, make sure you block out time to first do the things that require the most discipline. Whether it’s pros-pecting, exercising, or cleaning up your home, do it first. I have learned over the last 29 years that the best time to do the things I don’t want to do is first thing in the morning. If you will commit to doing the things that are the hardest for you to do first, not only will you do them with greater consistency, but also you feel great the rest of the day.

4. Get Your Rest — one of the keys to employing discipline with consistency is maintaining a high level of energy. When I’m tired, it is VERY hard for me to be disci-plined. How about you?

5. Eat Right — when you eat right, you will feel better and have more energy. Start your day with a breakfast high in protein and low in simple carbs. For lunch, avoid eating the foods that make you tired so you can keep your energy high throughout the day.

6. Don’t Drink too much — I know firsthand that if you drink too much alcohol at night, it is very difficult to have any discipline the next day. Use your discipline to drink in moderation so you can use your discipline the next day to achieve your goals.

7. Start Doing the Little Things — one of the best ways to become more disciplined is by doing the little things you know you should do like making your bed, keeping your car cleaned, taking the garbage out and picking up after yourself.

8. Make the Decision in Advance — if you make the decision to exercise every morning at 6:00 AM, then don’t allow yourself to question your decision every morning. If you are going to take on that important project in the morning, then don’t second-guess your decision in the morning. The decision is made, now follow through with it!

9. Make It A Routine — Set up a routine for doing the things you don’t want to do. As an example if you are in sales, set up a routine to prospect for new business every morning from 9:00-11:00. When you make things part of your daily routine, it’s much easier to employ the discipline to get them accomplished.

10. Consume Energy Drinks — I have found drinking coffee and other energy drinks increases my ability to be more disciplined, especially those double shot iced latte’s in the afternoon.

11. Reward Yourself — when you do the things that re-quire discipline, recognize and reward yourself when you are done. If you just finished a big project, take yourself out to your favorite restaurant.

Michael Henningsen, MVCC’s Coordinator of Transfer Servic-es, and Kaylynn Iglesias, Transfer Coordinator from SUNY-IT, were selected to present at the 12th Annual National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students conference held in Atlanta, GA from Feb 5-7.

They presented on the tools and strategies they have imple-mented to build and strengthen the relationships between the two colleges.

“It was a great honor to be selected to present at this confer-ence,” said Henningsen. “To have the ability to share informa-tion that we implemented here at MVCC and receive such posi-tive feedback from transfer colleagues from around the country was a great experience.”

The National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) was founded in 2002 by Dr. Bonita Jacons in re-sponse to a lack of professional development opportunities and research literature focused specifically on higher education transfer students.

Henningsen joins forces to present at conference

Please join us for these upcoming events organized by the MVCC International Initiatives Committee:

Monday, March 3, @ 4 p.m. IT 225Unspoken Films: “Genesee Lights” & “Utica is…”These films focus on the Utica refugee community.

Wednesday, April 23, 2 p.m. IT 225International Café & ConversationMs. Ngo Thi Kim Hoa, Visiting Professor, Kien Giang Commu-

nity College, Vietnam

Wednesday, April 30: 12-1:45, IT 1st and 2nd Floor LobbiesInternational Festival: Interactive displays & performances

Wednesday, April 30: 2 p.m. TheaterInternational Lecture with Noah Haiduc-Dale onMuslim-Christian relations in Israel

Wednesday, April 30: 7 p.m. TheaterInternational Concert, Inca SonPeruvian Music and Dance

These events are DGV designated.Direct any questions to Carolyn West Pace, IIC Chair.

MVCC International Events

With plans moving forward on the Rome Campus elements of MVCC’s master plan, it was announced that JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C. has been selected to design the construc-tion and renovation project.

The firm’s first task will be to move the new Rome Campus from the general, conceptual drawing board to specific archi-

tectural drawings, schedules, and bid specifications; these will be considered when the County plans next year’s capital

budget.The renovation of the Rome Campus is one of the most significant milestones in the 20-year MVCC

Master Plan that was approved by County Leg-islators and Trustees in 2012. The plan calls for creation of more than 34,000 square feet of new space in Rome, mainly classrooms and student technology and support services; and removal of the 30,000 square foot, 82-year-old Academic

Building. The legislature approved funding for the Rome

design phase in the current year’s capital budget. Construction is set to begin in 2015, pending fund-

ing availability.

Communitas4

While being the younger sister of one of MVCC’s most notorious distance runners, Stephanie Boucher is quickly making a name for herself during her fresh-man year.

Boucher, whose older sister Savannah Boucher is a nine-time national champion for the Hawks, is just warming up her career by setting a school record in the 600-meter run at the Hamilton College Invitational this past weekend. This performance earned her the honor of MVCC Athlete of the Week for the week ending February 16.

At the indoor track and field event, she won this race in a time of 1:38.15. She has already qualified to compete at the NJCAA Indoor Track Nationals in the 600-meter, 800-meter and 1,000-meter races.

Last week at the Brockport Golden Eagle Invitational, Boucher placed second against a field of four-year college runners. Boucher is a Liberal Arts major and graduate of New Hartford High School.

Athlete of the Week

Boucher

When it comes to identifying teachers who go that extra mile for their students, Melissa Copperwheat’s name is always in the mix. It is due to her many years of dedicated service that she was presented the Heart of the Hawk Award during this month’s College Senate meeting.

Prior to being an Assistant Professor of Nursing, Cop-perwheat worked in acute care at a local hospital where she demonstrated her commitment for optimal outcomes. Her drive directly impacted the quality of life for her patients.

She masterfully transferred her talents to academia where her focus is now centered on achieving optimal student out-comes. Nationally certified in Oncology Nursing, Copperwheat brings to the College her experiential knowledge as an expert nurse clinician and is a consistent role model of professional behavior, holding students accountable for learning.

She values a variety of teaching pedagogies and brings to her classroom stimulating, creative, and interactive teaching methodologies. During her career at MVCC, she has worked to learn nontraditional methods of teaching to keep her students motivated and eager to succeed. Cooperwheat’s dedication came with rewards as she was appointed as nursing coordina-tor in her second year at the College.

She rose to the challenge to assume responsibility for conducting the bi-annual Adjunct Boot Camp for nursing faculty, proven to be instrumental in maintaining uniformity and consistency throughout the nursing program. She has been proactive in increasing her visibility on campus as evidenced by her active membership on a number of college wide committees.

Copperwheat is a lifelong learner as evidenced by her perfect atten-dance at New Faculty Institute (NFI) and scholarship through the Oncol-ogy Nurses Association. Her leader-ship skills, insight and determination for “what is right” is appreciated by her colleagues.

Copperwheat’s hard work ethic makes herHeart of the Hawk

54 percent of first-time, full-time, matriculated Fall-

2013 students were female?

Did You Know?

Firm chosen for Rome Campus capital project