FY18 Annual Report

2017-2018

ANNUAL REPORT SIX COLLEGES: ONE COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR

Transitions always have an impact – some foreseen and welcomed and others are surprises that bring new challenges and perspectives. After 21 years, Colleges of the Fenway was sad to have Wheelock College leave the consortium. As institutions of higher education, we are acutely aware of the challenges facing our sector; as neighbors who have worked together for over two decades, we always want the best possible outcome for each other. The faculty and staff of Wheelock College were strong partners in so many COF initiatives that we will sorely miss the unique input they provided, particularly as an institution focused on families and children, a mission they carried into their approach to their work on all fronts. From being part of the founding of the Center for Sustainability and the Environment and the Global Education Opportunities (GEO)Center, hosting the Muddy River Symposium for 12 years, and having two CFOs who served as COF treasurer during their tenure – we will miss the many wonderful colleagues who have moved to new ventures. Though, we are excited to note that several of them found opportunities within other COF institutions.

Transitions also provide an opportunity to re-evaluate and reflect and as this annual report shows, the collaboration between the institutions is strong. Student programs engaged over 11,700 participants and the dance project took 17 student dancers and 6 faculty to the American College Dance Association New England Regional Conference. We launched a new shared Information Security Officer between MassArt and Wentworth Institute of Technology, the third such shared risk management position managed through COF.

COF students are gaining recognition for their film-making skills through Campus Movie Fest, now in its 4th year with COF; we had our first team make it all the way to the Cannes Film Festival. Seven faculty teams worked on joint academic proposals funded through a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation. The Cross-Registration Vision Task Force produced their report noting “By working together and capitalizing on the rich array of educational offerings, cross-registration serves as a tool to facilitate joint academic programs including the intentional development of majors, minors, certificates, individualized majors, specialty programs, and new academic ventures.” This has led to three implementation goals: Align the Academic Calendar, Improve the Cross- Registration Process, and Review the Course Grids.

More higher education institutions across the country are looking at ways to collaborate and Colleges of the Fenway continues to be recognized as a leader in this work. I am continually impressed by the commitment and quality of the work of the COF staff. Much of what we do I would call “working in the middle”, connecting people across campuses, delivering joint programs, and facilitating groups. Our goal is to bring a high quality of service and build shared vision and relationships while also maintaining sensitivity to the uniqueness of each individual member. In the face of significant transition, we continue to have conversations about the long-term vision for COF and the many new opportunities before us. As you read the summary of our work this past year, I hope you will take a minute to jot down your thoughts on what else we could be doing together and send me a note – you never know where the next idea might lead.

Claire Ramsbottom Executive Director 2017-2018 NOTEWORTHY

CENTRAL OFFICE MOVE The COF Central Office moved to 200 Riverway in July 2017, creating a larger, more visible presence. In addition, the Office of Performing Arts and the Intramurals and Recreational Sports moved to Wheelock College. A special open house, welcoming our members and partners, was held in late August.

WHEELOCK COLLEGE FAREWELL Wheelock College, a member of Colleges of the Fenway since its inception in 1996, merged with Boston University on June 1, 2018. COF hosted a farewell reception for our Wheelock College friends and colleagues to recognize their significant contributions and 22 years of collaborative work.

DAVIS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION GRANT The COF awarded nearly $100,000 in Davis Educational Foundation Grant funds to faculty teams focused on "Designing and Implementing Innovative Shared Academic Programming."

INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER MassArt and Wentworth Institute of Technology hired a shared Information Security Officer, a position responsible for establishing and maintaining information security management programs which meet business requirements, compliance and regulatory requirements.

COF IN BRAZIL Claire Ramsbottom, COF Executive Director, and Neal Abraham, Executive Director of Five Colleges Inc.,were invited to present at the National Forum on Higher Education conference as guests of SEMESP. SEMESP is an association of private colleges in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

ONBOARDING, TRAININGS, & ORIENTATIONS COF staff onboarded 40 employees at the member institutions and participated in 42 open houses, accepted student days, panels, trainings, and orientations. COF STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS COF STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

ADITI LAKHTAKIA Massachusetts College of Art and Design Jewelry and Metals, Class of 2018 Like many new COF students, Aditi Lakhtakia first learned about Colleges of the Fenway during her Freshmen Orientation at MassArt. However, Lakhtakia, who is from Hyderabad, India, said it wasn’t until she walked from her residence hall, through some of the COF campuses that she had a sense of the close proximity of the COF community.

Later in her first year at MassArt, Lakhtakia decided to support a friend who was performing with the COF Dance Project. Lakhtakia, who had “always danced and been a part of dance competitions,” experienced something different when watching the performance. “I had never seen a dance show [like that] where people were just having fun on stage,” Lakhtakia recalled, “I loved it.”

After sitting in the audience that semester, Lakhtakia immediately joined the Bollywood class the next semester during her sophomore year. “It was such an inclusive, amazing community where we all understood each other’s passion for dance and hence understood each other.” She especially appreciated the enthusiasm the teachers and other dancers had for Bollywood and, in general, the commitment to diversifying the styles of dance the COF Dance Project offers. “Hearing their constant appreciation for Bollywood and all the dancers' love for our piece made me feel like I was sharing a little bit of home with them,” she noted.

The following semester, Lakhtakia became a student choreographer for the Bollywood group and continued choreographing the next five semesters. “Being a choreographer for the Bollywood Dance Team was one of the first initiatives I took towards being a student leader at MassArt. It involved me in my community and made me want to enhance every students' experience at MassArt by showing them our best kept secrets!”

Joining the Dance Project also helped Lakhtakia expand her own dance experiences, as she “had never performed Hip Hop or even danced Contemporary style before joining the COF Dance Project.” Lakhtakia believes that “any involvement in a COF event shows you that despite being from different schools and backgrounds, everyone can have an appreciation for each other's different experiences.”

"Don’t be afraid to open your eyes to the possibilities,” she advises, “because they really can enrich your time as a student!”

COF STUDENT IMPACT

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Over 2,900 students attended the Block Party at Emmanuel College & After Party at Simmons College Over 50 Programming Board members attended the National Association of Campus Activities conference 50 students attended COF Thanksgiving Lunch at MCPHS University 603 students attended two COF Destress events at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Over 100 students attended inaugural COF Student Leadership Conference at MCPHS University Over 70 students attended a private COF showing of "Justice League" at Regal Fenway Cinema Over 175 Res Life staff attended a joint COF training Hosted 4th Annual Campus Movies Fest for 42 student film-making teams. Over 154 students attended the finale; The winning film from MassArt advanced to national competition and the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Over 300 students attended Spring Carnival at Simmons Hosted inaugural COF Nights at Simmons and Wentworth Hosted student welcome receptions: International, Commuter, Multicultural, Veterans, and LGBTQ+

INTRAMURALS & RECREATIONAL SPORTS 3,255 program participants Employed 20 student staff members as referees All employees completed 8+ hours of concussion and sports/leadership training Over 120 participants ran the 12th Annual Turkey Trot 100 students participated in COF Bowling Night @ Kings 65 students participated in a new Boda Borg event Over 600 summer participants played softball and soccer

PERFORMING ARTS 401 program participants 2,726 audience attendees for ensemble shows 10th Anniversary of COF Jazz Band included performance by Lindy Hop ensemble, The Riff Hosted Fall 2017 A Cappella Festival with COF Chorus and groups from Emmanuel, Simmons, and Wheelock COF STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

KYLE GRIFFITHS Emmanuel College History, Class of 2020

Kyle Griffiths, a member of Emmanuel College’s class of 2020, has been playing the trumpet and a few other brass instruments since he was in the 4th grade. During January of his sophomore year at Emmanuel College, Griffiths, who is originally from Pepperell, MA, was looking for a way to get more involved with his college community. “I saw several posters and emails encouraging students to come try out for the COF Jazz Band,” shared Griffiths, “so I took advantage of the opportunity, and have not regretted it since!”

Now in its 11th year, the COF Jazz Band is a full, 17-part big band including trumpets, trombones, saxes, piano, bass, drums, and guitar. Open to all COF students, faculty and staff, its mission is to rehearse and perform jazz, Latin, pop and fusion big band music, and to educate audience and performers alike in the musical styles and historical context of the music.

Since joining the group almost two years ago, Jazz Band practice has come to be one of the most positive student experiences Griffiths has had during his college years. He sees the COF Jazz Band as the highlight of his busy weeks, because it helps him destress and gives him something to work on besides studying. As he explains, “there is something really great about coming together with others who appreciate music and just jamming out for a few hours."

In addition, Griffiths credits the COF Jazz Band with helping him learn new skills and strengthen personal relationships. “I learned how to be a better team player from Jazz Band,” said Griffiths, “because we are definitely not a single unit. We need one another to be a band.”

Griffiths shared that he has made some good friends over the years in the COF Jazz Band. A person he really admires is the COF Director of Performing Arts, Ray Fahrner and notes, “You can tell through his dedication and passion to music that Ray really loves what he does."

Griffiths suggests anyone that has interest in the COF Jazz Band should give it a try. “We are always looking for new musicians, of any skillset, it’s a great time!

COF ADMISSIONS RECRUITMENT

The purpose of the COF Admissions Committee is to plan and evaluate joint initiatives in domestic and international recruitment and shared marketing to ultimately support enrollments across the COF member institutions.

Hosted joint reception at the Isabella .Hosted luncheon for independent Stewart Gardner Museum for over counselors in Philadelphia, PA. 100 NACAC school and independent counselors representing 20 different states Over 150 high school students participated and 3 countries. in COF organized campus tours.

Hosted joint reception in Edinburgh, Developed and distributed joint Scotland for the CIS Forum. Attendees COF welcome letter for accepted students. represented 19 different countries. Delivered COF presentation at the Created new student-centered COF NEACAC/NYACAC joint conference. Admissions video to aid in recruitment.

"Thank you for the fantastic afternoon yesterday. The luncheon gave us ample time to chat and reconnect with old friends from the colleges." -- Independent Counselor Philadelphia Luncheon COF CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The mission of the Center for Sustainability and the Environment is to engage and support faculty and students in all aspects of sustainability and environmental issues by providing resources and activities focused on education, scholarship, and service to the community.

Anna Aguilera, Assistant Professor of 12th Annual Muddy River Symposium was Biology at Simmons, named new held at Wheelock College. Over 120 Director for 2017-2019 participants in attendance.

Co-sponsored national screening of 5th Annual Earth Day held at Simmons the film “An Inconvenient Sequel,” with College for 250 students, faculty, and staff. Simmons Library. Over 50 students, 7 local vendors participated. faculty, and staff in attendance. Hosted screening of “The Age of 24 student mini grant proposals Consequences” film at MassArt for 80 received; 7 teams were awarded participants. funding. 15 COF students participated in the Environmental Forum class had 47 Muddy River Cleanup, organized by students in Spring 2018. Wheelock College. COF STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

DANIEL CARNAZZA Wentworth Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2018

In Fall 2017, Carnazza and four classmates had an idea, and were in search of critical seed funding for the next steps. Shortly thereafter, they heard about the Center for Sustainability a nd Environment’s mini grant funding program. In its third year, the program provided $500 in funding to students in support of research, projects or initiatives that promote sustainability. Winning projects would aim to offer opportunities for the COF community to learn more about how to live and create sustainably, while supporting student led initiatives.

By the December deadline, the Center for Sustainability had received over 24 student proposals, including one from Carnazza’s team of student entrepreneurs. As one of seven selected projects, Carnazza received the funding and used it to build a proof of concept alloy heat engine. In April 2018, the team, along with the other mini grant winners, presented the prototype at the 12th Annual COF Muddy River Symposium for 100+ attendees.

The mini grant funding and opportunity to present in front of a large audience propelled the team towards the next entpreneurial step. Carnazza shares, “The prototype we built with this small grant allowed us to present the idea to a larger audience at Wentworth’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center where we received $8,000 for further development.”

Like true entrepreneurs, the team transitioned their experience into establishing a company. Ridgway, their start-up research company, is focused on working with U.S. and international power companies to reduce costs and carbon emissions. Ridgway is developing innovative thermal recovery engines, with a vision that is conscious of its environmental footprint and choses to utilize the technologies of today to secure a better tomorrow. With recent advancements in thermoelectric power generation, Ridgway Technologies is discovering engineering solutions that enable communities to live sustainably. Ultimately, by continuing to research and scale their effort, the company’s goal is to implement their engines to recover wasted heat from the power generation processes.

Carnazza and classmastes prove that collaboration, a good idea, a little funding, and support can go a long way!

COF ACADEMIC & GLOBAL IMPACT

CROSS-REGISTRATION The hallmark of the consortium, cross-registration enables students to take courses that may not be offered at their home institution, in addition to the chance to access unique academic minors. More than 2,000 cross- registration courses are available, and hundreds of COF students cross-register each year. 654 students cross-registered in 2017-2018 COF created a fillable PDF form for greater efficiency Presidents approved recommendations from COF Cross-Registration Task Force to begin automating the process, realigning the academic calendar, and reviewing the scheduling grid in 2018-2019 Top Subject Areas of Interest: Languages, Biology, Psychology, Mathematics,and Chemistry

“Everyone should cross-register at least once! It’s an amazing experience and gets you out of your school’s bubble."

GLOBAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES CENTER Founded in 2005, the Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center provides shared resources to faculty, staff, and students from across the colleges who are committed to study abroad, cross-registration, and globalization. Helped to bring 36 J-1 Exchange Visitors to COF 817 students traveled abroad Tracked 52 students who traveled domestically Tracked 56 faculty international travelers 43 different countries represented by Education Abroad or J-1 Exchange Visitors 1,780 new profiles created in TerraDotta online portal 743 students utilized pre-departure orientation resources 42 SHOWA College Connection participants 318 students used tax resources offered Created Study Abroad Safety Management Subcommittee Piloted F-1 recordkeeping in Terradotta database Rolled out faculty/staff travel registration portal Piloted new in-person delivery of Study Abroad Pre-Departure Orientations COF SHARED SERVICES

The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Department is committed to aiding in the protection of human health, safety, and the environment in a manner that enhances the quality of education, research, and/or public service on the Colleges of the Fenway campuses. The Director of EH&S is a shared position that provides support and guidance for Emmanuel College, Simmons College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Conducted fire and life safety inspections of all academic and residential buildings for Emmanuel College, Simmons College, and Students, faculty, staff completed online or Wentworth Institute of Technology. in-person training Completed Updated all Developed laboratory gap analysis for EH & S evacuation plan Wentworth's new policies and for Emmanuel Center for programs College's new Engineering, on Simmons residence hall Innovation, and College website Science building

The Emergency Preparedness Department takes a leadership role in creating and implementing standard operating procedures and protocols in emergency management in terms of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The Director works cooperatively and in collaboration with incident response teams on each COF campus as the lead responsible for emergency preparedness.

Conducted 6 emergency tabletop exercises Conducted 6 emergency preparedness related trainings for over 300 participants Coordinated Emergency Action Plan for COF Block Party and After Party Integrated RAVE Opt-In Text into all RAVE systems (allowing alerts for visitors and contractors) Acquired new Higher Education Active Threat Training Video from the Boston Consortium Assisted in development of institution-specific severe weather/snow storm procedures Conducted Stop the Bleed Training Assisted GEO Center in developing Study Abroad Safety Workgroup to focus on emergency management plan for faculty lead international programs COF STAFF SPOTLIGHT

JOAN MARTINEZ CUERVA Simmons University Director of Facilities and Auxiliary Services

Joan Martinez Cuerva, a staff member at Simmons University since December 2010 and member of the COF Business Services Committee, knows first-hand the value of the consortium. The committee’s purpose is to oversee the Fenway Card vendor relationship and to work with the COF Senior Director of Operations and Collaborative Services to engage in other business services contracts, explore other areas of common needs operationally, and propose opportunities for collaboration.

As a member of the committee for the last several years, Martinez Cuerva shares, “It is a great way to exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of my peers at the other institutions. Also, the committee can pursue initiatives benefiting all of the colleges and universities that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish individually.” He notes, “We all face similar challenges with our operations and vendors. There is a wide range of services that we provide and it's always helpful to share our knowledge and experience in order to learn from each other.”

One of the most significant joint initiatives is The Fenway Card program. Issued to all members of our communiy, The Fenway Card provides access to essential campus services and is a safe and convenient way to make cashless purchases at all five institutions and more than 70 local businesses and restaurants. Martinez Cuerva notes that although “the program was already in place when I started serving on the committee, we’ve worked to improve the card over the course of the past few years, adding more services, offerings and savings to our students.” In 2017-2018, COF students, faculty, and staff spent $2.3 million dollars in the community on The Fenway Card, a small percentage of which is returned to the institutions.

Martinez Cuerva also serves as the Simmons University campus supervisor for the COF Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), a shared position with Emmanuel College and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Amongst other responsibilities, the Director develops and implements all required EH&S programs in order to ensure compliance with regulations local, state, and federal regulations. Martinez Cuerva confirms, “the EH&S position provides Simmons University with the high-level of expertise required for this particular field of work that would be very difficult to achieve by someone not familiar with the institutions' operations, in a cost-effective way.”

COF FACULTY & STAFF CONNECTIONS

20TH ANNUAL MLK BREAKFAST The 20th Annual MLK Breakfast for faculty and staff was held on January 19, 2018. Wentworth Institute of Technology hosted more than 150 people for a morning of community building. Donna Maria Blancero, Associate Dean at Bentley University, delivered the keynote, which included a strong personal narrative and thoughts on the current national dialogue. Guest poet, Enzo Silon Surin, also joined the occasion to share his poetry, reflecting on both personal experiences and community action.

17TH ANNUAL TEACHING & LEARNING CONFERENCE Over 100 participants attended the Fall 2017 Teaching and Learning Conference. The one-day conference featured Dr. Linda B. Nilson, director emerita of the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation (OTEI) at Clemson University and author of Teaching at Its Best: A Research- Based Resource for College Instructors. Dr. Nilson delivered two workshops, one focused on Self-Regulated Learning and the other on Ensuring and Assessing the Learning in Authentic Experiential Learning.

3rd ANNUAL INSTITUTE ON COLLEGE FINANCIALS In May, as part of this year's Department Chair Training, COF hosted the 3rd Institute on College Financials. Led by the Chief Financial Officers and Chief Academic Officers, 21 department chairs participated in the afternoon program, which provided a big picture view of the economics of higher education and economic challenges facing small colleges.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR TRAINING The COF Department Chair Training program is an academic leadership program initiated by the Chief Academic Officers to recognize and cultivate excellence among high-performing leaders. This year's series, facilitated by Breakthrough Collaboration, aimed to prepare 21 current or new Academic Department Chairs to meet the current and future needs of their institutions. Five department chairs from Lesley University also participated in this year's program.

COF FACULTY & STAFF CONNECTIONS

FACULTY & STAFF OF COLOR RECEPTION In conjunction with the ProArts Consortium and PSG, COF sponsored the 2nd Annual Faculty and Staff of Color reception at Massachusetts College of Art and Design on November 14th. Over 50 participants attended the reception to meet and network with consortial colleagues.

LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT PROGRAM The COF Leadership Management Program is a professional development program sponsored by the Colleges of the Fenway and open to MASCO. The program was initiated to recognize and cultivate excellence among staff and faculty throughout the COF. The program also provides each participant with the invaluable opportunity to meet and learn with colleagues across the consortium. The cohort, comprised of 30 staff members completed six half-day sessions and participated in morning talks with senior leaders.

FACULTY DIALOGUE GROUP 2017-2018 marked the third academic year of the COF Faculty Dialogue Group. With support from the Chief Academic Officers, over 50 faculty and staff met for four dinners throughout the year to discuss important topics such as: Discussing Race in the Classroom, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity, and Intercultural Competence and the Classroom.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT The Training and Development program is a professional development opportunity offered to meet the needs of faculty and staff. In 2017-2018, 286 faculty and staff participated in workshops such as "Above the Line Thinking," "Managing Multiple Priorities," and "Embracing Stress." Fifteen participants completed the Certificate Program, attending 4 sessions during the year. The program is coordinated by the COF Human Resources Committee and open to staff from MASCO and Fenway Libraries Online.

COF COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

In consultation with the COF Marketing Committee, the colleges provided joint sponsorship of the following events in 2017-2018. By supporting community organizations, joint sponsorships allow the COF to strengthen our connections to the local area.

OPENING OUR DOORS With continued support from COF, The Fenway Alliance hosted its 15th Annual Opening Our Doors event on October 9th. Opening Our Doors is a day in which the Fenway Cultural District opens its doors so the public can experience the gems of this culturally rich and artistically unique Fenway neighborhood.

WE ARE BOSTON GALA More than 1,000 of Boston's most prominent leaders, corporate partners, supporters, philanthropists, and appointed and elected officials joined together on November 20th to support 12 years of Boston's diversity, immigrant heritage and contributions. Three staff members from Emmanuel, MassArt, and Simmons attended on behalf of the COF.

AICUM ANNUAL DINNER Established in 1967 by college and university presidents, AICUM is the leading voice on public policy issues affecting independent higher education in Massachusetts. AICUM works closely with its member institutions to strengthen higher education, to advocate for need-based financial aid for Massachusetts students, and to address state and federal legislative and regulatory issues.

ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM COURSE Environmental Forum is a two-credit course offered to students in the Colleges of the Fenway. Weekly lectures about contemporary sustainability and justice issues, given by local, regional, and national experts, inform and offer students the opportunity to engage on a range of topics related to sustainability and the environment. During Spring 2018, over 45 students completed service projects at eight partner sites including: ReVision Urban Farm, Toxics Action Center, and 826 Boston.

Most Popular Courses: American Sign Language I & II, Art for Children, Intro to Statistics, World Religions, Environmental Forum, American Politics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Beginning Arabic I & II, and Beginning Spanish