Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) has announced that Assumption College has received a total federal award of $1.8 million towards the planning and construction of a new Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Science and Technology building. This grant of $1.8 million is the largest single award ever received in the history of the College.
Congressman McGovern, Senator John F. Kerry and Senator Edward M. Kennedy were instrumental in securing this money for the purposes of a new science and technology center. Senator Kennedy said, "These funds will help Assumption College achieve its potential as a national leader in science and technology, as the National Science Foundation recommended. My brother would be proud to have this state-of-the-art facility bear his name. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Congressman Jim McGovern to make it a reality."Congressman McGovern said, "This new building, named after Senator Kennedy's oldest brother, will help Assumption become a leader for the advancement of science in the 21st Century. This center will offer a modern classroom with a collaborative, inter-disciplinary work environment for future students at Assumption."
Dr. Thomas R. Plough, president of Assumption College, remarked on the grant, "The new Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Science and Technology building will produce an excellent return on the investment of public funds with better prepared scientists, teachers of science, research on transportation issues related to sustainable environment quality and economic development, and non-science majors who are technologically literate citizens of a democratic society."
This money will assist in the planning of the design and location study for the new building.
Here is the new Living and Learning Center, all six, fully-occupied floors of it, and it's a veritable beehive of activity. In groups of four, the students whose projects were accepted, present to the community one program a month on their topic. For instance, the "History of Worcester" group hosted a Jeopardy game to test what students know about the Worcester area, and the "Food, Finance, and Nutrition" group held a workshop on how to cook a meal in your apartment-a lot of food for not a lot of money. The line's already forming for project proposals for 19992000!
Joseph E. Tancrell was given the Outstanding Faculty Award for 1998
by the Center for Continuing & Prof-essional Education. The award is given annually to one or more faculty members who have taught at least 15 courses at the Center, who have shown outstanding dedication to the students and the College, and who have received generally excellent evaluations from their students. Joe's evaluations have always been outstanding, and one student actually suggested we nominate Joe for "teacher of the year!"
Mr. Tancrell has taught a variety of courses at the Center since 1988, including Introduction to Management, Human Resources Management, Selection Process, and Affirmative Action Planning. He has also developed several new courses for the Center, including Employee Assistance Programs and HRD Training and Organization. Joe was one of the original advisory board members who helped create Assumption's Human Resources Management Certificate Program in 1987, and he continues to serve on the board, helping to keep it current and one of the most popular programs in the Center.Joe Tancrell's exceptional ability to teach adult students stems in part from his own experience as an adult learner. Joe received his BSBA from COPACE at Clark University, completing his degree as an adult with the added responsibilities of a career and family. He earned his M.Ed. from Worcester State College in 1983, and holds the PHR designation from the Human Resources Management Association.
Joe worked at State Mutual, now Allmerica, for more than 30 years, and was second vice president for Education and Instructional Services when he retired. Joe is now executive director of JET Associates, a consulting firm in training and development. He is currently on an allocation panel for the United Way, and serves as president of the Grafton Land Trust. In addition to his teaching at Assumption College, Joe also teaches at Anna Maria College and Quinebaug Community College. Joe lives in Grafton with his wife Connie.
The name Pastoral Activity has replaced Campus Ministry and has succeeded in bringing positive energy to campus life. Our students have been presented with a presence of spiritual development opportunities in abundance. These opportunities have always been there, but, in this age of multimedia and marketing, they are now PRESENT to our community in more venues, such as the Internet (www.assumption.edu/stulife/ii/Pastoral/about.html). Students can easily access information about what pastoral activities are available to them, receive a boost from GodOnline* and learn how and why the clergy are so much a part of who and what Assumption is. Assumption at its best-continuing its mission of reaching out and building a supportive, caring, spiritual community-Pastoral Activity in action
* GodOnline is a perfect example of spiritual globalization! Fr. Barry Bercier, A.A. e-mails the reflections from Jerusalem, where he is studying this year!
Assumption College's varsity athletes and coaches participated in a march to recognize the significance that spirituality plays in athletic competition. This is the first time an event of this kind has been held on any of the Worcester college campuses.
Approximately 300 athletes lined up outside the Plourde Recreation Center. Music, balloons, and inspirational remarks from President Thomas Plough and Fr. David Gallo, A.A., director of Pastoral Activities, kicked off the festivities. The premier men's basketball player in College history, John Grochowalski '75, presided as grand marshall and led dignitaries, coaches, and athletes to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, where reflections and personal testimony from students were shared. A prayer written by students was said in unison. Medals of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, were blessed and presented to each coach and athlete.
The keynote address was given by Fred Borchelt, a 1984 U.S. Olympic Silver Medal winner in rowing. Borchelt is currently a math and science teacher at St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, MA.
Fr. Dennis M. Gallagher, A.A. '69
After close to 25 years at Assumption, Dr. Wayne Rollins retired from the faculty at the end of the fall semester. One of the anchors of the Theology Department, Wayne has helped the Scriptures to come alive for thousands of students over the years. As director of the Ecumenical Summer Institute, he has been responsible for bringing distinguished scholars to the campus for a study week in June. By giving Assumption national visibility in the field of religious education, Wayne's efforts in this regard have represented a signal contribution to the College and to the churches locally and throughout the country.
A man of gentle demeanor and quiet wit, with a touch of slyness, Wayne has been impressed by the collegial spirit he has found among the faculty at Assumption, a spirit which he himself has been instrumental in promoting by engaging his colleagues across the disciplines. He has also found congenial some distinctive Assumptionist traits informing the College, in particular the passion for the Kingdom, the deep appreciation for liberal education, including art and music, and an ecumenical spirit.
It is in the classroom and on behalf of our students that Wayne's legacy will be most enduring. Whatever the course-Introduction to the Bible, Synoptic Gospels, Letters of Paul, Johannine Literature, The Early Church-Wayne effectively called forth from students those questions of ultimate meaning, which are the human questions at the heart of the kind of education for which Assumption stands. With a pedagogy at once personal and inviting to self-reflection, Wayne has been an especially gifted guide to understanding the biblical text. With a doctorate in Biblical Studies from Yale, but also as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Wayne is faithful to the Bible as an expression of the life of the Church, and understands that the Scriptures cannot be interpreted apart from that native context-this means that his courses have always been something more than an academic exercise, for which he has earned the gratitude of so many of his students.
Never one to rest idle, Wayne's life after Assumption promises to be rich. His most recent book, The Bible and the Habits of the Soul: An Historical Introduction to Psychological Biblical Criticism, will be published by Fortress Press next fall. He plans to continue to write, to teach occasionally, and to be active in the community. He and his wife, Donnalou, a music educator, will be traveling to the Far East in late January, where, in Thailand, they will both be teaching. Wayne will also be directing the Assumptionist Provincial Retreat this coming June, offering reflections based on his latest book.
In the name of all those who have gained much from knowing Wayne and working with him-faculty, staff, and students, past and present, religious educators, Church leaders and scholars-we thank God for the gift he has been for us, for his wise guidance and personal encouragement, and for bringing his talents to bear so generously on our common mission. We wish him well in the years that lie ahead.
The past 20 years have been a time of phenomenal growth for Assumption. This year the Emmanuel d'Alzon Library is 10 years old, the Center for Continuing and Professional Education is 20 years old, and the Community Studies Program is 20 years old.
During the library's first few years in the new building, the focus was on improving technical processing of materials. Cataloging and electronic inter-library loan were streamlined with the installation of two new computers in 1989.
The process of automating library services began in 1993. Once the Horizon Library System was selected, work began on converting our old catalog cards to library database records. On Halloween, 1994, the online catalog named SHERLOCK became operational.
In 1996, the library system was enhanced with the periodicals module, allowing library users to determine the availability of individual issues of our magazines and journals. With the subscription to EbscoHost and FirstSearch, full-text articles became available to students and faculty.
In June of 1998, after four years of cataloging, the conversion of the old card catalog was complete-including cataloging for all old and rare materials in the archives. Over the course of these 10 years the staff has grown from 10 to 13, and the collection numbers over 170,000 volumes.
The center shares the mission of Assumption College, and seeks to meet the needs of returning adult students. The center began offering associate and bachelor degrees in business administration (accounting and management majors), and in liberal studies, including the unique Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies for holders of associate degrees. Its first certificate program was in Paralegal Studies in 1979.
One of the hallmarks of the center is its responsiveness to the changing needs of students. Non-credit enrichment programs were added, and the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (W.I.S.E.), celebrating six years of growth with more than 300 members, is a member-directed learning center based at Assumption.
Our credit programs have evolved as well, including certificate programs in Purchasing Management, Computer Science, Human Resources Management, Accounting, Health Care Management, Communications, Gerontology (part of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium), and Conflict Resolution. Continuing Education students may now work towards teacher's certification through the center in cooperation with the Undergraduate College. Accelerated course options and a variety of course formats help meet the varied needs of our students who don't travel the four-year path through college.
With well over 1,000 graduates, we have much to be thankful for.
Begun in 1978 by faculty in Geography, History and Sociology, with a
pilot grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this program's
goal was to involve students and faculty in the study of human communities
using materials from Worcester's past. Designed to be both a teaching and
research enterprise, the Community Studies Program has developed in ways
that its founders could not imagine. "We knew that it would make for
more interesting and challenging learning for our students, and that it
might provide opportunities for our own professional development as well,"
said Dr. Charles W. Estus Sr., director of the program. "And it certainly
has been exciting for our students," he reported, "but we had
no idea that it would shape our scholarly careers as it has!"