New England Board of Higher Education » Shoshana Akins

NEBHE Convo on Excellence Awards, #NEBHEawards

NEBHE Admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:34:20 +0000

The New England Board of Higher Education held its 9th annual New England Higher Education Excellence Awards Dinner on Friday, March 11, at the Long Wharf Marriott in Boston. But the conversation continued beyond the dinner, thanks to a variety of social media.

To track our social media coverage, check out the links below:

NEBHE’s Twitter page.
NEBHE's staff: Check out Christine's, Shoshana's and Matt's Twitters for their live coverage during the event.
#NEBHEawards hashtag (real-time conversation before, during and after the awards).
NEBHE’s FlickR account—has been updated with photos from the event. See if you spot yourself!

Even some award winners got involved in our social media conversation! Check out what Dennis Littky had to say shortly after receiving his Excellence Award:

Are you not quite sure what a "live feed" of the events means? Check out the photo of the #NEBHEawards Twitter time line below:

The Excellence Awards was a huge success. In fact, people are still talking about it:

And the conversation continues! Tell us your thoughts on Twitter using the #NEBHEawards hashtag.

Comings and Goings: They’d Rather Be in Philadelphia?

NEBHE Admin — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:15:38 +0000

Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies associate director Paul E. Harrington moved to Philadelphia-based Drexel University. Harrington has been a frequent contributor to NEJHE and to NEBHE events

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Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., will also leave leave Boston for Philly, departing as dean of Boston College's Lynch School of Education to become the 27th president of Saint Joseph's University, starting May 18.

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Jamshed Bharucha, provost and senior vice president of Tufts University, was elected the 12th president of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, effective July 1, succeeding George Campell Jr.

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Bryant University hired Robert Shea as the college's director of faculty development. Shea previously served as director of the Office of Student Learning, Outcomes Assessment and Accreditation and assistant director of the Instructional Development Program at the University of Rhode Island.

LGBTQ College Presidents Organize to be Heard

Shoshana Akins — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:23:53 +0000

In August 2010, nine openly gay college leaders met to form a first-of-its-kind collegiate organization, the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education. Among their ranks were three officials from New England: Ralph Hexter, past Hampshire College president and among the first openly gay presidents; Katherine Ragsdale, president of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge; and Theo Kalikow, president of the University of Maine Farmington. The group's intention was to create a proper caucus for non-heternormative officials in the realm of higher education and bring issues concerning this population to a larger audience.

Four months later, the group put out an introductory video on YouTube in which the presidents expound on their purpose and hopes for the future of the LGBTQ community in higher education. Now including 25 openly gay college presidents in the U.S., the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education will make its official debut with a panel presentation at the March 2011 meeting of the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C.

Rhodes Scholars Abound in New England

Shoshana Akins — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:52:19 +0000

Ten of the 32 new Rhodes Scholars are from New England or studied in the region.

They are: Mark Jia and Nicholas DiBerardino, both of Princeton University; Laura Nelson of the University of Virginia; Zachary Frankel, Daniel Lage and Baltazar Zavala of Harvard; Alice Baumgartner and William Zeng of Yale; Gabrielle Emanuel of Dartmouth; and Jennifer Lai of MIT.

MassBay CC Gets its Largest-Ever Grant; New Program Aims to Boost Haiti Partnership

Shoshana Akins — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:40:26 +0000

MassBay Community College was awarded a five-year, $2 million grant under the U.S. Department of Education's Strengthening Institutions Program, which aims to help campuses serve lower-income students by enhancing academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.

The Wellesley, Mass. college also won approval of a three-year Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant from the Education Department for a collaborative with the University of Massachusetts Boston to help develop teacher education and study abroad between Massachusetts and Haiti.

The Haitian-American president of MassBay, Carole M. Berotte Joseph, recently traveled to Haiti for a meeting of the Haitian Higher Education Consortium. Watch NEJHE for more on the consortium's work.

UConn Economics Professor to Speak at Eastern

Shoshana Akins — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:58:25 +0000

Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) will host a lecture by University of Connecticut economics professor Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 11 a.m., in the J. Eugene Smith Library.

The lecture is part of the David T. Chase Free Enterprise Institute's Distinguished Lecture Series and is open to the public.

Carstensen has completed more than 100 studies during his tenure with CCEA and authored and edited numerous books and articles on economic, political and business development around the world.

All Aboard at Gateway: CC to Lay Track with Associate Degree in Railroad Engineering Technology

NEBHE Admin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:17:18 +0000

Gateway Community College (GCC) looks to go full speed ahead this spring with a new associate degree in railroad engineering technology (RET), the first of its kind offered by an institution of higher education in the Northeast.

Metro-North Commuter Railroad approached GCC more than a year ago to find ways to enhance the education of current Metro-North employees who are eligible for tuition assistance and to head off the impact of an oncoming wave of retirements.

On Oct. 20, Connecticut's Board of Governors for Higher Education approved the two-year RET license degree with concentrations in electromechanical or signaling and communications specialties

Backers say the addition will not only increase student opportunities but also bolster the economy of the New Haven area, which has been historically dependent on railroad systems.

As Leaves Change, So Do College Officials

Shoshana Akins — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:35:00 +0000

College of the Atlantic President David F. Hales announced he will retire at the end of the academic year. During his tenure, the college became a carbon-neutral institution, expanded its faculty and diversified its academic programs. A search for a new president is underway for the 2011-12 academic year.

Suffolk University President David Sargent, whose high pay captured regional and national headlines, announced his immediate retirement after a special board meeting held Oct. 20.

Former Massachusetts state representative, champion of the state's Education Reform Act, and lead sponsor for its Gay Rights Bill, Mark Roosevelt will become president of Antioch College of Ohio.

Roger Williams University has not yet found a permanent president after the sudden resignation of its eighth president Roy Nirschel. An interim president has been named but the university is still looking for applicants.

Harvard University announced its newest vice president for capital planning and project management, Mark R. Johnson. Harvard says Johnson, with more than 20 years of experience in construction and architectural design, will be able to "balance the nature of academia with the practicalities of planning and budgets."

Boston University Provost David Campbell will be replaced by the University of Southern California's Jean Morrison at the end of the semester. Morrison, who is currently USC's executive vice provost for academic affairs and graduate programs, will succeed Campbell as BU's chief academic officer, overseeing educational and budget policies for the university's 14 schools and colleges.

The Connecticut State University System has experienced a slew of managerial rearrangements since the departure of Southern Connecticut State University President Cheryl J. Norton, the state attorney general's recent assertion of the board's misguided delegation of responsibility in this matter, and last month's surprise announcement by the chancellor of system Chancellor David Carter that he will retire next September.

The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that questions have been raised about whether the state system needs a major overhaul. (As former Quinebaug Valley Community College President Robert Miller wrote in NEJHE in Summer 1991 when the journal was called Connection: "The slogan that Connecticut seems to have embraced over the years as it contemplates the future of its higher education system is: 'If in doubt, reorganize.'"

Mismatch in the Marketplace: NEPPC Forum to Address Supply and Demand in Labor Force

Shoshana Akins — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:51:06 +0000

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston will host a free forum, titled "Mismatch in the Labor Market? Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Skilled Labor in New England," on Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Alicia Sasser Modestino, senior economist at the FRBB's New England Public Policy Center will describe the misalignment between the number of workers employed and the mix of skills needed in the region

Joining Modestino, Henry Holzer, professor of public policy at Georgetown University and former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Labor, will focus on the problems of low-wage workers in this environment.

Registration ends Nov. 19, and space is limited.

Tierney, Oates to Speak at Biz Group Event at Northeastern University Focused on Jobs for Youth

NEBHE Admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:35:23 +0000

The New England Council (NEC) will sponsor remarks by U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) and U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates on strengthening connections between business and postsecondary education for young adults in New England. The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 21, at 8 a.m., at Northeastern University.

The remarks by Tierney and Oates will be followed by an audience discussion moderated by Paul Harrington, associate director of Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies.