2015–2017 CATALOG This publication provides information concerning the programs at Nichols College and does not constitute a contract with the student. The policies and procedures contained in the 2015-2017 Nichols College Catalog will remain in effect until June 30, 2017. Nichols College reserves the right to change at any time the rules governing admission, tuition, fees, courses, the granting of degrees, or any other regulations affecting the campus community. Such changes are to take effect whenever College officials deem necessary. NICHOLS COLLEGE Center Road P.O. Box 5000 Dudley, Massachusetts 01571-5000 Catalog of Nichols College July 2015 Volume XLVII President’s Message Dear Student, Within a supportive community, Nichols College transforms today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business and professional education. This mission guides all of our efforts and ensures that our students benefit from a range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities that give them a distinct advantage in the workplace. Our faculty, many of whom are former business leaders, executives and owners, bring a unique perspective to the classroom and continually work to develop teaching methods that promote a meaningful educational experience. Programs such as the Professional Development Seminar, a four-year series of one-credit courses designed to enhance the professional and personal development of students beyond academics, 1 have become the cornerstone of a Nichols education. Nichols is steadily defining leadership education for the next generation of students. Every day, we dedicate ourselves to their professional development and they amaze us with their capacity to discover their own leadership potential. The Nichols experience unfolds in a welcoming environment where students are encouraged to learn and grow under the guidance of mentoring faculty and staff committed to student success. We place an importance on educating the whole student by fostering an appreciation of the arts and sciences, emphasizing the integration of technology in the classroom, and promoting student involvement in Division III athletics and an array of club and co-curricular activities. The College boasts nearly 14,000 alumni and countless success stories of our graduates putting their Nichols degrees to productive use. On average, more than 90 percent of our graduates secure jobs or are in a graduate program within six months of graduation. Employers report that our students are well prepared for the world of work and effectively present themselves. We are also especially proud of the fact that four in ten Nichols alumni become a president, CEO or business owner. Our outcomes represent our programming well. The building blocks to a practical business education are detailed in this Catalog. We look forward to getting you started and to helping you grow and succeed at Nichols College so that one day you may put your Nichols degree to work. Sincerely, Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D. Mission and Goals Within a supportive community, Nichols College transforms today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business and professional education. To support its mission, Nichols College • Offers an experiential business curriculum with a strong liberal arts foundation, as well as diverse co-curricular opportunities. • Integrates into the student experience, programs and activities that cultivate and enhance professional skills and readiness. • Develops the communication and critical thinking abilities, the ethical and cultural perspectives, and the necessary teamwork skills that are required of leaders in a global economy. Nichols College Educational Goals and Outcomes Nichols College is a teaching institution whose primary mission centers on the intellectual, personal, and professional development of each student. The educational goals of the College are to prepare 2 students for careers in business, public service, and the professions, by means of improving their skills and competencies, and to actively engage within our community and the global society. All students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the fundamental principles of their major fields of study. In particular, students majoring in business administration should possess an understanding of the key business functions of accounting, finance, economics, information systems, management, and marketing and an awareness of the interaction of these concepts in the practice of business and their relationship to government and public policy. Students majoring in the liberal arts will demonstrate similar understanding of the basic concepts pertaining to their areas of concentration, allowing for a solid foundation that could lead to graduate studies. Through the general education curriculum, all students will also develop an awareness of the arts, sciences, as well as professional skills, and their importance in the complete development of the well-educated citizen. Each educational goal is supported by learning outcomes that clarify what the Nichols student will accomplish as evidence of success. These outcomes have been identified by business leaders as vital for the success of their employees. The College will engage in a continuous process of assessing student learning outcomes as they relate to related educational goals. Assessment results will allow us to improve our curriculum and pedagogy on an ongoing basis. I. Communication Effectively express and accurately comprehend concepts and facts using a range of appropriate and current communication methods. II. Critical Thinking and Quantitative Analysis Utilize qualitative and quantitative problem-solving skills to analyze and interpret information. III. Ethics and Personal Accountability Recognize and assess questions of right and wrong and demonstrate a willingness to act responsibly in personal and professional life. IV. Civic and Social Engagement Articulate an understanding and appreciation of cultural and human differences, acknowledging the interconnectedness of a global society and one’s social and civic responsibility to the community, the nation and the world. V. Leadership and Teamwork Work effectively and collaboratively in a group, assume leadership when appropriate, and support leadership in others. General Information Degree Options 3 Nichols offers two undergraduate degrees – the Bachelor of Science in Business administration and the Bachelor of arts. Students may work in a number of concentration areas within the undergraduate degree programs: Business Administration (BSBA) With concentrations in: Accounting Business Communication Criminal Justice Management Economics Finance Hospitality Management Human Resource Management International Business Management Marketing Sport Management Students seeking a broader business perspective may select a program in general Business. Liberal Arts (BA) With majors in: Economics English History Mathematics Psychology Educator Preparation* English History Mathematics *The Educator Preparation Program will be discontinued effective June 30, 2017. Memberships American College Health association (ACHA) Association of Governing Boards (AGB) 4 Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA) International assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) The College Board The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) The Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) Historical Highlights 1815 Nichols academy was founded by amasa Nichols, a wealthy Dudley industrialist. Early benefactors of the academy included Samuel Slater, “the father of cotton manufacture in the United States,” who owned mills in the adjoining town of Webster; and Hezekiah Conant, another leading textile manufacturer. Nichols academy closed in 1909. 1931 Nichols Junior College of Business administration was founded by James lawson Conrad. the first junior college exclusively for men in the East, the college also became the first junior college in Massachusetts to receive the authority to grant an associate’s degree in business administration. Nichols was closed during the latter part of World War II. 1946 Nichols Junior College was reopened under James Conrad. 1958 Nichols was granted the authority to become a four-year college and to confer the degree of Bachelor of Business administration. 1965 Nichols earned accreditation by the New England association of Schools and Colleges. 1970 the Board of trustees voted to admit women to Nichols for the first time since the academy days. 1971 the College was granted authority by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Higher 5 Education to grant the degrees of Bachelor of arts, Bachelor of Science in Business administration, and Bachelor of Science in Public administration. 1974 Nichols was given authority to grant the degree of Master of Business administration. 1980 Nichols established the Institute for american Values (renamed the Robert C. Fischer Policy and Cultural Institute in 1999) as a division of the College, providing a forum for the free exchange of ideas. 1998 Dr. Debra M. townsley was named Nichols College’s sixth and first female, president. Nichols established