In Online Courses and Services, MCC Offers Community for Students

Middlesex Community College aims to help students build connections, find their paths and reach their goals. Due to the pandemic, the college has transitioned about 95 percent of courses to run online for the Fall 2020 semester. An award-winning leader of online education for over 20 years, MCC knows how to offer a community to students even when they are off-campus.

“All members of the Student Engagement and Student Affairs teams have been working hard to reimagine what engagement looks like in this new virtual environment,” said Steve Rossi, MCC’s Director of Student Engagement. “From learning new technology, to pivoting existing programs in new directions, to working alongside faculty in new and exciting ways – we understand that engaging students in and out of the classroom is paramount to their overall success and leads to greater retention of students persisting to graduation.”

Since the Spring 2020 semester, MCC transitioned coursework and student services to remote, virtual and limited contact systems. The college was creative in maintaining a community-feel at Middlesex, especially as the need for connection grew in these uncertain times. Student services continued to meet online, while student clubs and organizations offered online events for students to remain part of the community.

“We have had so many online connections and have offered hundreds of hours of online services,” said Ann Buskey, MCC’s Director of TRIO Student Success Program. “We have had great success reaching students virtually – helping them to complete financial aid applications, register, make transfer plans and more!”

Malayah Montgomery, from Bedford, is a Graphic Design student expected to graduate in Spring 2021. As an Orientation Leader (OL) for MCC, she stays in constant contact with the college and her fellow students. Montgomery also works in the Multicultural Center where they hold online meetings and participate in interactive activities.

“As an OL, my experience has been great,” she said. “I have been able to become more familiar with using an online format to do everything. It has really taught me to be flexible and learn more about using technology to do things. I also feel like I am connecting with way more students this time around because we are required to make calls and do trainings on Zoom.”

When Montgomery’s classes transitioned to Zoom in the Spring 2020 semester, her professors helped ease the adjustment, making necessary accommodations and checking in on students. Her professors created a safe environment that made students feel comfortable.

“My professors made it feel more like an actual classroom and as if we were more connected by giving us these warm-ups before classes,” she said. “We would play games that would get us to talk more about how we’ve been doing, what we have been doing, or little things that would just make everybody laugh. It got us all to talk more and ultimately learn more about each other! I feel it was great because I learned more about my fellow classmates than I would have in-person because of this!”

Montgomery is happy about the shift to online courses in the Fall semester. She plans to continue taking her regular classes as well as to participate in Student Government Club and hopes to keep working at the Multicultural Center.

“It’s important for me to keep going,” she said. “With online courses, we are given more flexibility which is a better environment for me because I am majoring in graphic design. I feel I have a better grasp on taking my time with assignments and really focusing on the quality of my work. I feel I have more freedom and time to create.”

As an OL, Michelle Shipka is helping prepare first year students for MCC.

“I had to adapt as a student employee,” she said. “I did try to provide all the help and guidance I could. My role certainly changed. As first year experience courses go forward, I’ve learned how to play icebreakers and facilitate a sense of community online.”

Shipka is also a Graphic Design student from Bedford. Expected to graduate after the Fall semester, she wants to continue with her classes because she is close to finishing.

Transitioning to online courses in the Spring was an adjustment for her both as a student and a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader for an English course. She found it helped to stay in contact with her classmates to see how they were doing.

“There were many emails exchanged every day,” she said. “I made a point to regularly check in with students, and also made frequent posts on the MCC app to try to reach more students – most of whom I have no contact with, but seemed like they could use cheering up.”

Although Daniella Dankwa found the transition to online learning challenging, her connection to online services at the college helped her finish. In her classes, professors stayed in contact with frequent emails, Blackboard updates and web conferencing. She also took advantage of the MCC mobile app to maintain her connection to MCC.

Dankwa is from Ghana and now lives in Lowell. She was named MCC’s Student Trustee for the 2020-2021 academic year. For the Fall semester, she also plans to continue on her path with online courses.

“I think this is the best time to take advantage of education,” she said. “Even though we can’t be physically in class, there is web conferencing, online meetings and other ways we can always use to ask questions and keep in touch. There are a lot of support services and resources – they help assist and guide students to be successful.”

MCC’s Office of Admissions is offering Virtual Drop-In Student Services 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. New and current students can meet with staff from Admissions, Enrollment, Placement Testing, Financial Aid, Student Accounts and Advising. These events help students develop and maintain a relationship with the college as they adjust to online courses and resources.

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/admissions/virtual.aspx for more information.

This Fall, MCC’s courses will feature flexible formats, including two accelerated eight-week Mini-mesters, hybrid and online options. The college offers personalized financial aid counseling, payment plans and a supportive community to help keep students on track with their goals.

MCC is offering incentives to help students financially continue their education. One incentive gives students who were laid-off due to COVID-19 50 percent off their first class. The college is also giving 50 percent off to new students to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary. Qualifying students must register by September 10.

See www.middlesex.mass.edu/save for participation rules.

The college has created a Fall 2020 Registration website with questions, tips and tools students may need to get ready for the upcoming semester. For more information and to have important questions answered, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/fall2020.aspx

To learn more about the classes and opportunities MCC offers – and to register for Fall classes – visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!