January 2024 Welcome to 2024! Do you have a new faculty or staff member? Make sure they are signed up to receive the biweekly COF Faculty and Staff newsletter. They can learn about the social events, professional development, and other opportunitiesand maybe even some discounted event tickets!
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As we welcome the new year, we are excited to bring you the first edition of our monthly recap newsletter, highlighting the enriching events and achievements of the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) consortium over the previous month. This recap aims to keep you in the loop about the vibrant activities and opportunities within our consortium.
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26TH ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION
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Our community came together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
faculty and
during our 26th Annual MLK Breakfast
staff
attendees
Celebration on Tuesday, January 30th. Hosted by Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), 125 faculty and staff participated in this thought-provoking, celebratory, and inspiring community event. Attendees were welcomed to the event by Kevin Dolan, MCPHS Chief Human Resource Officer, and Clara Reynolds, MCPHS Chief Inclusion Officer. Rick Lessard, President of MCPHS, delivered a wonderful introduction to the event’s programming. An annual tradition, COF Executive Director Claire Ramsbottom shared remarks about the history of this inspiring event and called upon the audience to continue working towards big goals and ideals. Attendees were treated to performances by the COF Jazz Band and COF Chorus.
The event featured two guests, each lending their expertise and reflections on the impact of MLK’s legacy on their work. Dr. Valerie L. Ward, Senior Vice President and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, delivered the informative keynote address. Emmanuel alumna Eileen Milien shared about her work as Project Director at We Got Us, a Boston-based student-led grassroots organization working to increase access to equitable healthcare.
MLK INCLUSIVE SERVICE AWARD: CONGRATULATIONS, DR. ELLA HOWARD! We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ella Howard for being awarded the 2024 MLK Inclusive Service Award. This recognition celebrates Ella's outstanding efforts in promoting inclusivity within our COF community. Her dedication aligns perfectly with our commitment to justice and equity. Special thank you to MCPHS Black Student Union President Thenicha Bruny for announcing this years’ winner!
STUDENT PERFORMANCES The event also highlighted performances from the COF Center for Performing Arts. Guests were welcomed by members of the COF Jazz Band directed by Jason Whiting. COF music students Esther Oh, MCPHS (Piano) and Malia Nguien, Emmanuel (Flute) performed a moving rendition of Largo from the New World Symphony by Dvorak. Conducted by Dan Ryan, members of the COF Chorus performed "Ngothando" written by Mbuso Ndlovu. Performed in English and its original Zulu, the powerful piece conveys the message that the key to overcoming the obstacles between us lies
HISTORY COF
solely in the embrace of love. Its beauty and approachability make it a poignant creation, particularly resonant in the context of current times
The MLK Breakfast is a COF tradition started in 1999. The host campus rotates each year. 2025's will be hosted by Emmanuel. Each year there is a give-away item to inspire continues reflection on Dr. King’s message.
and upon reflection on King’s work.
This year’s giveaway was bookmarks with different quotes from Dr. King.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY DR. VALERIE WARD: HEALTH EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE Dr. Valerie Ward, our esteemed keynote speaker, delivered a thought-provoking address focused on pediatric and community health-equity as well as inclusive excellence in leadership. Her insights resonated with our community, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to fostering a supportive environment for all, and the important role collaborative efforts play in strengthening institutional approaches to equity and inclusion.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION ADDRESS BY EILEEN MILIEN: BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Eileen Milien's address underscored the significance of strategic partnerships. As a community, we explored ways to collaborate efficiently and maximize the impact of our collective resources. Eileen's insights have inspired us to continue forging connections that strengthen the fabric of COF.
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE ACROSS INSTITUTIONS The MLK Breakfast Celebration served as a platform for recognizing the excellence of individuals within our consortium. Faculty and staff from all five institutions came together, showcasing the diversity of talent that makes COF a dynamic and inclusive community. Attendees were gifted bookmarks displaying inspirational quotes by MLK Jr. as take-home tokens.
Special thanks to the MLK Celebration Planning Committee! Scott Lerner, Emmanuel Fillette Lovaincy, Emmanuel Brenda Bailey, MassArt Sarah Jeon, MCPHS Kathleen Riche, MCPHS Stephen Kerr, MCPHS Clara Reynolds, MCPHS LaTanya Maxwell, Simmons Cynthia Perry, Simmons Elizabeth Caronna, Simmons Lindsey Baumgardner, Wentworth Brenda Huggins, COF Sarah Biggers, COF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT The Emergency Management Program is committed to coordinating each of our campus’s individual emergency management programs and helping develop them through collaborative mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery plans.
Functional Exercise 2024
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participants
The functional exercise is part of an ongoing commitment to enhance preparedness and response capabilities across the Colleges of the Fenway's institutions. A simulated emergency occurred, and the Incident Management Teams (IMTs) practiced their response. The exercise allowed the IMTs to test and improve their response strategies in a controlled environment. The primary objective of the functional exercise was to access and improve the readiness and effectiveness of the IMTs in response to a simulated emergency scenario. The exercise aimed to evaluate the ability of IMTs to collaborate within their respective institutions and across the COF.
Learn more about COF
CONTRACT CORNER COF's Collaborative Business Services Department facilitates joint contracts to enhance student services and save money. The COF promotes this collaboration between colleges in order to improve efficiency, decrease costs, and upgrade services.
RAVE ALERTS The joint purchasing agreement between the Colleges of the Fenway and Rave Wireless (Rave Mobile Safety) Alert Services has been successfully renewed for an additional three years, extending the partnership through January 2027. This agreement allows all five member campuses of the Colleges of the Fenway to continue benefiting from Rave's comprehensive mobile alert and communication capabilities.
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Sign up for COF
Stay informed and connected with the latest updates and emergency notifications provided by Rave Wireless. by signing up for alerts through the Colleges of the Fenway website.
STAFF FEATURE COF welcomed a new Latin and ballroom instructor during the fall semester. Selina Nieves (she/her) is a ballroom dance instructor with a passion for Latin and Rhythm dances. She has been instructing since 2017, but she feels like she has been dancing via her Puerto Rican family roots for years. You can easily catch her out dancing in the local Salsa or Bachata social dance scene! Selina holds a B.A. in Psychological Science from Central Connecticut State University. She is currently in her final year of graduate school at Lesley University
Learn more about COF
pursuing Dance Movement Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Check out Selina‘s work at the COF dance performances this spring!
Open to all staff & faculty
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Registration for the spring 2024 program offerings began in January. Based on student interest and available space, we are offering some past favorites and new choices. For its second year, pickleball is back with courts taped out at Simmons. We also have intramural basketball with two different leagues- competitive and recreational. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, we were unable to offer volleyball this semester. We hope to offer spring volleyball again next year. On the Performing Arts side, we are offering more dance U R O I Y N FO R classes than ever! This FO includes more jazz classes, which have filled up minutes into registration Basics: a combination of ping opening for the past pong, tennis, and badminton few semesters. COF “The Kitchen”: the area closest to Music ensembles and the net is the kitchen. players can COF Theater continue to not volley in this area have more students registering this semester. America’s fastest growing sport! Students are engaging with COF at higher levels than ever.
A big shout out to our campus partners that make our programs possible: Tell White (Emmanuel), Erica Shuling (Simmons), and Mike Williams (Wentworth).
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playing pickleball
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students in theater
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waitlisted for COF programs
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students in music
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students in dance
242 playing basketball
On January 25, Wentworth hosted this year’s COF Casino Night in Watson auditorium. As the first COF student event of the semester, it was a great evening of entertainment and camaraderie. With students from all five institutions, attendees enjoyed variety of classic casino games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette, as well as some more creative alternatives like Uno and CPU game betting. Students exchange their chips in for raffle tickets for many prizes including a Nintendo Switch, AirPods, Lego sets, swag bags, and Squishmallows!
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IN THE WORKS Consortium-Wide Training & Development Assessment 2023 – 2024 The Colleges of the Fenway central office is currently conducting a consortium-wide assessment of training and development programs.
Current Training Responses by Institution Wentworth
Conducted by Director of Professional Development and Academic Programs Sarah Biggers, this survey aims to inventory both current training and development programs and offerings, as well as gaps and needs for further training at each institution across all functional areas. When analyzed together, the COF Inc. team, in collaboration with the COF Coordinating Council, can identify opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared areas of need across campuses. The survey results will be used both as benchmarking of the current state and as groundwork for proposals to better organize and facilitate T&D efforts throughout COF.
Current Top Training Need Responses System Tech Skills Training Leadership Trainings 10% 10%
Manager Trainings 23.3%
Inclusive Work Practices 16.7%
Inclusive Teaching Practices 16.7%
Supporting Students 23.3%
5 Emmanuel
5
MassArt
MCPHS
21
15
Simmons 10
Project Goals Create an inventory of current training & development taking place at all five institutions, across all functional areas Identify gaps in offerings and opportunities across the consortium Collaborate to better facilitate training & development across COF
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Featuring: Artist Ekua Holmes
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coffee hour
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Wednesday, March 13 al 11:00am - 12:00pm EST, Virtu
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Raising Children in a Social Media Era
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Our February coffee hour will feature a very special presentation from member Ekua Holmes. Please join us to hear from Ms. Holmes, and engage in conversation about inspiration, expression, and hope.
Friday, February 16th 9:30 - 10:30am
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TO REGISTER: http://tinyurl.com/cofneherc
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Night at Fenway
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THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024 GAME STARTS AT 7:10PM COF PREGAME CEREMONY AND NATIONAL ANTHEM BY COF CHORUS TON
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COF STAFF Phone Number
617.521.3955
CLAIRE RAMSBOTTOM Executive Director
LAVINIA PAUL
Office Manager/Special Projects Coordinator
JESSIE WILLIAMS
Director, Programs, Student Events, and Communications
Email Address
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cofadmin@colleges-fenway.org
Director, Sports and Recreation
BRENDA HUGGINS
COF Center for Performing Arts
SARAH BIGGERS
Director, Academic Programs and Professional Development
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Director, Operations and Collaborative Services
SANDY OCCIL
Assistant Director, Collaborative Business Services
ALEXANDRA KOCH
Director, Emergency Management
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Director, Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center
KHADIJA MBOUP
Assistant Director, Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center
Website
www.colleges-fenway.org