More than 150 leaders from business, industry, education, and the community gathered in November 2010 to discuss economic development in Southeastern Massachusetts and make recommendations about the role of higher education. A Summary Report from the Summit is now available here. 

 Other materials available on the CONNECT website include a Powerpoint presentation by Dr. Michael Goodman, Chair of the Public Policy Department at UMass Dartmouth and co-editor of MassBenchmarks, entitled "The Education attainment Gap in Southeastern Massachusetts and its Economic Development implications", the CONNECT Economic Impact Report 2010, and a contact list of Southeastern Massachusetts economic and workforce development agencies.In the coming weeks, the CONNECT presidents and Chancellor will review the report and establish priority action goals based on the recommendations from conference.

CONNECT has selected Ann-Marie Burke, an Assistant Professor teaching Biology and Environmental Science at Massasoit Community College, as Faculty Fellow in Sustainability. Ms. Burke will work with liaisons from all six campuses and the CONNECT staff to advance the sustainability commitments of the colleges and universities, particularly in relation to their missions of teaching, outreach, and  engaged student learning.  Ann-Marie will reach out to the campus faculty and staff to create an inventory of course offerings, non-credit and degree programs related to sustainability at CONNECT schools, and convene meetings of faculty and staff who are passionate about sustainability to discuss sustainability curricula, research and outreach on the CONNECT campuses, and explore potential collaborations. To learn more or to become involved in the initiative, please contact Kathleen Kirby, CONNECT Executive Director, at Kathleen.kirby@connectsemass.org.

A one-day professional development conference welcomed nearly 85 CONNECT library staff to Bridgewater State University on January 4, 2011. Attendees from all six CONNECT campuses attended presentation on topics including "The Regional Student," "Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning," and customer service. Seven focused breakout sessions brought librarians together to discuss potential collaborations in areas such as digital services/systems/technology and archives/special collections.  Feedback from attendees was very positive and the event is expected to yield new levels of shared professional development and collaborative projects.

"Pathways to College Readiness and College Success" will take place April 13, 2011 at the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA. Over 300 faculty, administrators, and policy-makers from both secondary and post-secondary education are expected to gather to discuss the transition from high school to college, the changing environment for public education in Massachusetts and nationally, and how to set more students on the path to success in college.  The day-long event will feature panels introducing new standards for public education in the commonwealth, discussions on developing assessment standards at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels, collegial conversations bridging the high school to higher education gap, and  a showcase of ambitious innovations and experiments in reform. Registration is not yet open, but will be announced in a subsequent CONNECT newsletter.

Community College Graduation Rates:
The Stories Behind the Numbers

Dr. Charles Wall, president of Massasoit Community College and current Chair of CONNECT, recently appeared on WGBH's "The Callie Crossley Show" to explain the role of community colleges in introducing students to higher education and to explore the real stories lying behind reported graduation rates. Click here to hear the interview: To read a companion editorial that was published in the Patriot Ledger, click here.

Bristol Community College Art Gallery - Tenth Anniversary Retrospective

January 27 - February 24, 2011

 Bristol Community College's Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery is celebrating its 10^th anniversary with a group show, "10 From 10: The Director's Cut; 10 Artists From the Gallery's First 10 Years" running through February 24.

 "10 From 10" takes examples from the more than 60 shows that have been offered in the Gallery since its opening in October 2000. The artists in this exhibition are Ronald Wilczek from In the Landscape, Mia Brownell from Holding Pattern, Michael Hansel from Alchemy and Archetype, Joyce Utting Schutter from Three Degrees of Separation, Esme Thompson, Context: Impulse Order Response, Michele Provost, in Forces Of Nature Tales of Remembrance, Stacy Latt Savage from In Body, Lin Lisberger, I Witness, Lloyd Martin from Drawing NOW and 2x2x2, Cristin Searles from Snowblind.

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information and for gallery hours and directions, please call 508-678-2811 ext. 2631 or visit www.bristolcommunitycollege.edu/gallery.