New Certificate Programs

Effective Fall 2006, the College is offering three new certificate programs: Retail Sales, through the Business Division; Human and Social Service, through the Social Sciences Division; and Geographic Information Systems, through the Division of Engineering Technologies and Computer Sciences.

The Retail Sales program offers preparation for employment as retail salespersons in service-oriented retail companies. The Human and Social Service Certificate program is an added option to an already existing A.A.S program with the same name, but it is specifically designed for individuals who have already completed training with the Division of Youth and Family Services or a related program approved by the Social Sciences Division. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program is designed to prepare students or retrain workers as geospatial information technicians. The program addresses the increasing need for GIS technicians nationwide with the rapid development of GIS technology in homeland security, law enforcement, and economic development.

Kudos for the Radiography Program

100% Passing Rate in Radiography

For the second consecutive year, all of ECC’s 2005 Radiography students passed the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist Registry exam on their first attempt. In 2004, ECC was one of 10 of the 17 Radiography programs in New Jersey that achieved a 100% pass rate on the licensure exam. In 2005, ECC was one of only eight programs in NJ to earn this recognition. Of these eight programs, ECC’s program is the second largest in the state and graduated the second highest number of students. The mean score of the 26 ECC graduates was 86.7 compared to the national mean score of 84.8 and the NJ mean score of 85.9. All of the 2005 graduates have gained employment, with starting salaries averaging $44,000.

Radiography students Excel at State Forum

Radiography student Peter Mose placed third in the final round of the Emma Wolfe Memorial Student Competition at the New Jersey Society of Radiologic Technologists’ (NJSRT) Annual Meeting in Atlantic City. Over 150 radiography students from 17 New Jersey programs participated in the competition. ECC’s Gerardo Ramirez made it to the semi-final round. Peter Mose finished third with a cash award of $150.

Web Registration

Web registration will run from now to May 5 for Summer I classes, to July 11 for Summer II classes, and to September 8 for Fall 2006 classes. Current students are urged to take advantage of early web registration to avoid long lines and other delays. Students are also urged to “be wise-be-advised” in selecting their courses.

If you need help with registration, contact your counselor or get help at the student computer labs. Detailed help is also available at the ECC website under Course Registration. Additionally, you may call the Enrollment Services Express Center at (973) 877-3100.

Tuition Rates to Go Up

The ECC Board of Trustees approved at its March 23 meeting the administration’s request for a tuition and fee increase. Tuition rates will increase by $1.50 per credit to $81 per credit while selected fees will also increase to ensure that the College’s instructional and academic support services will be able to meet student needs. The increases were made necessary by continued level funding to ECC from the County and a projected 10% decrease in aid from the State. ECC trustees and administrators are aware of the additional burden this places on students, and attempted to limit increases as much as possible to make certain that ECC remains affordable for current and prospective students. For further details, click here.

Social Science Week Highlights

The organizing theme of this year's Social Science Week was Surviving Katrina: Life After the Storm. The idea was to examine from a social science perspective the gulf coast devastation and the political storm that emerged. “By examining this problem, we want to provide a roadmap to problem resolution, proactive community planning and development, and to rebuilding lives and communities after such tragedies,” explained Dr. Akil Khalfani, ECC's Sociology Coordinator. The events were co-sponsored by ATIRA Corp. and St. Philip's Academy in Newark.

On March 27th, Professor Yanda Essex, who is a New Orleans resident and Katrina evacuee, gave a riveting presentation entitled Retracing and Surviving Katrina: Evacuees Reflect and Speak-up, and detailed the impact of Katrina on her and her family. The following day featured an informative discussion, Planning Ahead in the Northeast: Surviving a Regional Natural Catastrophe. The panel included Mayor Robert L. Bowser of East Orange, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs of Plainfield, Chief Donald M. Huber and Assistant Chief Gary Shumlich of the Irvington Fire Department, and Deputy Coordinator Julius Coltre of the Office of Emergency Management for Essex County.

The week-long series ended March 30 with a discussion on the impact of race, ethnicity, class, and neighbor on health outcomes. Guest speakers were Dr. Denise Fyffe of the Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities at UMDNJ, and Sandra Echeverria, a Health Policy Fellow from Columbia University.

Addiction Treatment In-Service Training Conference

Counselors and addiction specialists from sixteen agencies in the county attended the Training Conference hosted by the college on the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Agency administrators who presented agency recognition awards to their employees included ECC student Mark Brown, newly promoted to Coordinator of Outpatient Addiction Services at East Orange General Hospital, and ECC Alumnus Roy Hargrove (Class of 1992), CEO of New Directions Behavioral Health.

ECC faculty who served as panelists included Dr. Peter Myers, Dr. Charles Reid, and Professor Victor Stolberg. Terry Elman, Educational Coordinator of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, delivered an address on internet gambling, and Dr. Susan Adubato of UMDNJ presented on behavioral outcomes of fetal alcohol disorder. The consortium PACADA (the Essex County Professional Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse) is co-chaired by ECC’s Dr. Myers and Sue Garfinkel of COPE Center in Montclair. The College has organized this annual event for the past twenty-one years.

Social Work Day Activities Set

The college’s annual Social Work Day will continue the theme of recent campus programs in coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and preparing for other potential disasters.

ECC’s Human and Social Services Program and Social Work Student Association will present Social Service Agencies Empowering Survivors of Traumatic Events on April 10. The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the 4th Level Multi-Purpose Area. A variety of information on such social service topics as temporary housing, substance abuse programs, rental assistance, advocacy organizations, and summer programs for children will also be available. For additional information, contact Social Sciences Professor Arzelia Said at 973-877-3541.

Author on Racial Tolerance Captivates Audience

Tim Wise, author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, addressed a full house of ECC students and staff, community members, and teens from Newark’s Central High school, on March 29 in the Burch Theater. Wise, a courageous critic of white privilege, spoke about racial disparity as it relates to housing, employment, economic growth, crime, and disaster relief.

The program was a joint effort of the Office of Student Life & Activities, Legal Assistance Studies program, and the Criminal Justice Program. Wise was introduced by WRKS-FM (KISS-FM) Open Line Co-Host Bob Pickett. The program was moderated by Professor Patrice Davis. A book signing and reception followed in the Clara Dasher Student Center.

Cooperative Education Update

Disaster Preparedness Workshop

The Office of Cooperative Education in collaboration with the American Red Cross sponsored an emergency preparedness workshop for the community on March 14 entitled Together We Prepare. It was offered to assist individuals, families and businesses in developing a plan to effectively manage emergency situations. Nearly one hundred participants attended the workshop which was held in honor of American Red Cross Month.

New Courses

The Business Division, in cooperation with the Office of Cooperative Education, will be offering two one-credit career enrichment courses. Career Development Seminar I – Major to Career will be offered in Fall 2006. It focuses on developing a systematic approach to understanding career paths associated with various majors, goal setting, and implementing career action plans. Career Development Seminar II – Succeeding in the Workplace - will be offered in Spring 2007. It is designed to develop skills that are necessary for successful functioning in the workplace.

ECC Faculty Member Receives EOF Champion Award

ECC Professor of Mathematics, Jonathan S. Weissman was recognized as an “EOF Champion” on March 27 at the Atlantic City Convention Center at an awards ceremony of the New Jersey EOF Professional Association. The award was an acknowledgment of his contributions to the cause of ECC’s EOF program and students over the years.

Women’s History Month Highlights

Our WISE Women’s Center sponsored yet another successful Women’s History Month luncheon on March 30. The keynote speaker was Diane Johnson, State Coordinator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She is responsible for the Newark HUD Field Office’s extensive housing and community development portfolio, one of the largest nationally. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Builders of Communities and Dreams.”

Other guest speakers throughout the month of March included: former ECC trustee Jeannine LaRue (March 7), who is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Jon S. Corzine, and Trish Morris Yamba (March 21), Executive Director of the Newark Day Center. The electrifying one-woman show La Bruja (March 30) was yet another special event in celebration of women’s history. The spellbouding performance of this multi-talented singer/dancer/actress captured an engaged crowd in two performances in the Burch Theater. This native of the Bronx took the audience on a journey of sights and sounds from the urban streets of New York to the isle of Puerto Rico, blending characters, poetry, original hip hop, rap, and Caribbean music into the mix.

High Schoolers Shine in Consumer Bowl

The college hosted the northern regional competition for the New Jersey High School Consumer Bowl 2006 on March 29. Students from six high schools participated in the contest which posed consumer-based questions developed by the state Division of Consumer Affairs.

Local participating high schools included Newark’s West Side High and Nutley High. The competition was won by North Warren Regional High School.

Writing Contest

Nearly 70 local high school students representing eight area high schools participated in the College’s 5th annual Writing Contest and Conference on March 17. The students submitted writings in poetry, and descriptive, expository, and narrative/creative essays. The top three winners in each category, as judged by ECC faculty, were honored during an awards luncheon. The director of this year’s event was ECC Humanities Professor Carol Kushner. The program has grown over the past few years and many of the students are expected to enroll at ECC after they graduate from high school.

Women’s Track Team Second at Nationals

Paced by six first place finishers, the Lady Wolverines track team won second place at the National Junior College Athletic Association indoor track and field championships on March 3 and 4 at Kansas State University. ECC scored 133 points to narrowly lose to Barton (Kansas) Community College. Coach Michael Smart was heralded as the National Coach of the Year following the meet.

Sophomore Rockell Mitchell won both the long jump and the 400-meter run. Classmate Lorain McKenzie was the champion in both the 800-meter and 1000-meter runs. Bianca Strachan won the 600-meter run, and the distance medley team of Strachan, McKenzie, Deandra Laing, and Celie Whyte also won. McKenzie also came in second in the mile run, and Trish Bartholomew was second in the 600-meter run and third in the 400 meters. For more on the high finishers, click here.

A Field to Call Home

The college’s soccer teams will at long last have a true home field advantage, thanks to an agreement with Essex County whereby Wolverine home games will be played at the refurbished West Side Park in Newark. The county grant-funded project means both the men’s and women’s soccer and track teams no longer have to travel throughout the county for “home” games.

“This is fantastic news for our student-athletes,” said President A. Zachary Yamba after recently visiting the park off 17th Street in the city’s Central Ward. Dean of Students Susan Mulligan said the long-awaited field will be ready for games this coming fall.

Upcoming ECC Events

For more information, call (973) 877-3208 or (973) 877-6637 for main campus events and (973) 403-2538 for West Essex Campus events.

Contact Information

This newsletter is prepared by the Office of Publications and Production in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations. Comments and suggestions are most welcome. Please address them to Dr. Lekha Keister at lkeister@essex.edu.