The Bergen Community College Newsletter | Vol. 8, Issue 5 | December 2021
More than a Participation Trophy
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veryone has a voice at Bergen … and President Eric M. Friedman wants to hear them all. Reflecting the president’s goal to create new opportunities for participation and engagement, Dr. Friedman sponsored three events on “A Day to Participate” in November that encouraged interaction with different members of the College community. First, the All College Forum brought students, faculty and staff together for a discussion on three presidential goals (participatory/shared governance, diversity/equity/inclusion, and the aesthetic environment). Whether students preferred plain or pepperoni, Pizza with the President put Dr. Friedman and students arm-in-arm to discuss their thoughts on the College. Finally, the Advisory Committee invited members of the cabinet, bargaining unit
leaders and student government officers together for a high-level discussion on College affairs. Students, faculty and staff all had a chance to “have a voice”. n
Top 20 Hit: Studying Abroad
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he federal government has recognized Bergen as one of the top colleges in the nation for Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship awardees over the last 20 years, joining fellow honorees such as George Washington University, the University California, Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin. Fifteen Bergen students received the Gilman study abroad scholarship during the last 20 years, enough to place the College in the top 20 for Gilman scholarships among all associate degree granting colleges nationwide. The Gilman program represents a collaborative initiative of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural
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Affairs and the Institute of International Education to make study abroad more accessible and inclusive for U.S. students. The program provides scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. To date, Bergen awardees have earned scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $8,000 and $53,000. Study Abroad Advisor Amparo Codding has worked with all 15 Bergen Gilman scholars, advising students since 2011 who have studied in countries such as Costa Rica, Italy and Japan. Most recently, in 2019, Bergen recipients — and sisters — Erin and Alicia Moran studied in the Czech Republic and Spain, respectively. Grace Romano earned a scholarship to study in Germany in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented her from doing so. As a top 20 institution, Bergen also received 2 0 1 7
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recognition for its support of equity, diversity and accessibility in study abroad for American students. Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe. To learn more about the program, visit www.gilmanscholarship.org. n
Number You Need to Know
85
From digital marketing to property management, the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development offers 85 “micro-credentials” that improve employee skills and help them advance in their careers. Visit Bergen.edu/ce to learn about them all.
M E D A L L I O N
W I N N E R !
Lunch, with a Side of Leadership
I Native Spirit
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eturning to the College after a years-long absence, members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation Turtle Clan led Bergen’s recognition of Native American History month in October. Art installations and events featuring members of the Turtle Clan, including Chief Vincent Mann, highlighted the celebration. n
Teach-In Tackles Afghanistan
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n response to the United States’ recent withdrawal from Afghanistan, the College sponsored a “teach-in” event designed to discuss the impact of the departure. Mariam Atash, a noted scholar on Afghanistan, lectured via Webex, while Bergen Professor Dr. Kil Yi focused his session on the parallels between the U.S.’s withdrawal in Afghanistan and Vietnam. n
n a new on-campus event, the Office of Student Life took the wraps off the monthly “Leadership Lunch,” a gathering conceived by staff member Jared Farra to have students gain insight from faculty and staff leaders. In the first installment, culinary students catered lunch while Professor Gene Calderon supplied the leadership advice.n
Middle States Matters
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very eight years, institutions of higher education such as Bergen participate in a process to reaffirm their commitment to high educational standards through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. This process includes many important milestones, which Bergen will begin working toward now as it strives for a reaffirmation of accreditation in 2025. The College will offer many opportunities for participation, as this remains critical to a successful accreditation process. Recently, professor Dr. Gary Porter, the College’s accreditation liaison officer, hosted two information sessions for faculty and staff that sought to discuss the process — and to ask for their assistance. Dr. Porter asked faculty and staff to consider serving as a chair or co-chair of one of the seven “chapter” subcommittees that reflect Middle States’ Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. As the name suggests, these subcommittees have the responsibility for one chapter of the self-study document that corresponds with Middle States standards. More than four dozen volunteers responded! Also this semester, the College: • Introduced its new “Middle States Matters’ logo, which accompanies this story. The logo creates a unified branding identity that the College community will see on all materials pertaining to the process; • Developed an electronic repository for supporting documents that it will provide to the commission; • Coordinated with various offices — including the president’s — to lay the groundwork for providing additional assessment support for faculty and staff; and • Sent various team members, including Dr. Porter, to a virtual conference sponsored by the commission. n
Be Well, Bergen! Honoring Veterans
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ffering a salute to those who served, the College celebrated Veterans Day by conducting a series of events — including a bagpipe-led procession to the main campus flagpole to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. n
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he new initiative led by Christina Nemec encourages the Bergen community to lace up their sneakers, clear their minds and clean up their diets as part of a comprehensive well-
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
ness plan. Watch for future events, activities and tips to get healthier in 2022! n
Volume 8, Issue 5 | December 2021
Walk this Way at Hero 5K
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xactly 300 participants put their best feet forward at the sixth annual Hero 5K, raising nearly $15,000 for student veterans enrolled at Bergen. The Nov. 7 fundraiser organized by the wellness and exercise science department and veterans committee returned to the main campus after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. For the first time, and as part of the College’s new “Be Well Bergen” health
and wellness initiative, a group of faculty and staff walked the 5K alongside President Eric M. Friedman. Recently reelected Bergen County Board of Commissioners members Steven A. Tanelli and Tracy Silna Zur greeted participants as well. Funds raised benefit the College’s student veterans emergency fund. n
Hands up for Hispanic Heritage
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long with the United States, Bergen recognized Hispanic Heritage Month in October with events, performances and even a flag parade. The opening event saw Bergen County Commissioner Germaine Ortiz share her personal pride for Hispanic culture and keynote speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez, who famously helped spur the 2011 New York Giants to a fourth Super Bowl title with his “all-in” mantra, encourage those in attendance to adopt the same mentality. Bergen maintains an “HSI” designation as a Hispanic-serving Institution. n
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Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Volume 8, Issue 5 | December 2021
Planning Ahead with College Fair
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ith students back on campus, events to support their success have returned as well — including the annual college fair that provides them with an opportunity to learn about
No Capes, Still Heroes
transfer destinations once they have their Bergen degree in hand. Fun fact: Bergen graduates have transferred to every Ivy League institution. n
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s waters rose during the unprecedented flash flooding of Hurricane Ida, five of the College’s bravest risked their own safety to ensure students, faculty and staff could weather the storm. Bergen recognized the efforts of public safety officers Humberto Felice, Dylan Horton, Marie Jardine, Steven Oldano and Juan Rodriguez during a luncheon celebration last month, thanking them for their selflessness and dedication to the College. n
Light, from Darkness
The College welcomed two new members to its cabinet in recent months: Vice President of Facilities Nathaniel Saviet and Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development Meredith Gatzke. … Bergen adjunct Ardis Cavin’s private voice student Sydelle Ross won first prize in the Golden International Classical Voice competition and had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall. … Manager, Workforce and Career Placement Jaime Pardo served as the keynote speaker for the federal government’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group virtual conference, presenting on diversity and inclusion ethics to members of the FBI, DEA and other agencies. … The College recognized former Board of Trustees Chair Gerard L. Carroll, who departed the governing body to serve as a councilman in Hackensack, at its October meeting. … Professor Fariba Hajamadi curated a digital exhibition of students’ photography work on view at sites.google.com/view/digital photostudents.
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embers of Bergen PRIDE and Phi Theta Kappa participated in the Oct. 17 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s “Out of the Darkness” 5K that took place at Saddle River County Park, raising $700 to support the cause. n
Filling Pantry Shelves
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embers of the Student Government Association sponsored the “Bergen Believes in Breakfast” food donation drive that supported the on-campus Center for Food Action/Bergen Cares pantry. The service project collected more than 50 boxes of cereal bars and other breakfast staples, with the students seeking to reverse research that shows more than one-third of community college students battle food insecurity. n
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Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Dancers Twist and Shout
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odern Dance class members Saniyya McCloud, Sara Gloede and Yasmeen Johnson performed at the Oct. 3 “Come Together Ridgewood” festival, which featured the music of the Beatles. n
Volume 8, Issue 5 | December 2021
Studio Bergen Gets Remixed
A Fundraising Success: Traphagen Caps Kindness Acts
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n honor of the firm’s first 50 years, Traphagen CPAs & Wealth Advisors, of Oradell, completed 50 acts of kindness to give back to the community they serve, saving the biggest for last — a $10,000 donation to the Bergen Community College Foundation. Bergen officials, including Board of Trustees Chair Dorothy Blakeslee, and members of the foundation accepted the donation at the firm’s headquarters Nov. 15. “An education is more than just a degree,” founding partner of the firm and Foundation Board Vice Chair Peter Traphagen said at the event. “It’s something you wake up with every day of your life. I’m honored to award this from the partners of Traphagen to Bergen Community College.” The firm’s partners sponsored half of the donation, while Traphagen himself contributed the other half. Traphagen led the acts of kindness initiative and encouraged his fellow partners to select the Bergen foundation as the capstone recipient that would close the campaign. Traphagen has served on the foundation board for more than 20 years. He founded his company in 1970, which has now grown into a full-service accounting and wealth management firm with clients across the globe. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by a community-based board of directors, works closely with the College president and trustees to advance the priorities of the institution’s strategic plan. The organization, currently led by Board Chair Daniel Foley, develops fundraising opportunities to support student scholarships and other College needs. n
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fter 10 years, and multiple National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Medallion awards, Bergen has thrown its digital television news magazine into a blender. The result? Studio Bergen: Remix. At its core, the program still features news, soundbytes and information from the state’s No. 1 college for associate degree graduates on student, faculty and staff success stories. But with viewers’ appetites for content evolving, showrunners have reduced the length of the program from 15 to five minutes, accelerated the pace of stories and added dynamic graphic and sound effect packages that reflect the change in format. The show even features a countdown timer so viewers know exactly how much content remains in the episode. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bergen doubled-down on its digital efforts by enhancing its state-leading social media presence, launching new communication vehicles and debuting a completely reimagined Bergen.edu. Enhancing Bergen’s visibility through new story telling campaigns represents one of President Eric Friedman’s strategic goals. “Bergen has featured a community college sector-leading public relations department for many years,” Executive Director of Public Relations, Community and Cultural Affairs Dr. Larry Hlavenka said. “But you have to evolve in order to remain relevant and keep people engaged.”
Studio Bergen debuted Sept. 30, 2011 with Hlavenka hosting the traditional evening newsstyle program that also featured a sit-down interview segment. The format remained largely the same until midway through season five in 2016 when a reboot shortened the program to 15 minutes and introduced a “top 10” countdown of stories. The College also used the Studio Bergen brand as the vehicle for multiple livestream episodes – including at commencement, the first day of classes and interviews with past presidents. “It takes a leap of faith to tear down an award-winning program and create something new,” Hlavenka said. “But it takes courage and the belief that evolution remains necessary if you want to become better. I’m very proud of the efforts of the Office of Public Relations and the Office of Media Technologies, which coproduce Remix.” Studio Bergen: Remix airs on the College’s official YouTube channel (youtube.com/ BergenCommCollege) and Torch TV, channel 26 of the Verizon FIOS cable television system. New episodes debut October through June at the beginning of each month. n
New Day for PTK
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lpha Epsilon Phi, the College’s world-renowned honor society chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, welcomed nearly 200 new members as part of its first in-person induction ceremony in two years! n
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Volume 8, Issue 5 | December 2021
The Idea of American Identity
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ponsored by the College’s Institute for Multicultural Learning and Phi Theta Kappa, “Our Stories: American Identity and Me” featured storytelling, artwork, dance and food that highlighted the complexities of “identity” in America and what it means to the Korean immigrant community. The event took place at the Korean Community Center in Tenafly, a College partner organization. For several years, Bergen and KCC have developed programs to expand their partnership. n
STEM Continues to Shine
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recent journal article cited Bergen’s STEMatics program as an example of excellence in the field. “Sustaining STEM Student Learning Support and Engagement during COVID-19,” within the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, discussed how Bergen responded and confronted challenges of the transition to an all-online environment while simultaneously tapping into unexpected benefits. Grant funding by the National Science Foundation, the current 3SP STEMATICS program and previously by the STEM GPS Graduate Path for Success program, support research opportunities. n
Winter is Coming Nothing Common About Contest Winner
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aying diversity means “celebrating different cultures through advocacy, education and representation,” Bergen Community College student Amanda Kulesza’s words earned her a copy of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book “Between the World and Me” in a social media contest as part of the College’s “common read” initiative. The College sponsored the contest across its social media channels, asking followers to describe what diversity meant to them. Kulesza won a random drawing comprised of those who submitted eligible entries. “I am very excited to win the book because it offers a lot of great insight on different types of racism,” Kulesza said. “Anyone from any background can benefit from reading the book.” Organizers of the common read have encouraged all Bergen students, faculty and staff to read the book so they can participate in classroom projects across the curricula, oncampus events and community discussions
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about the award-winning piece of literature. Written as a letter to his son, Coates addresses the complexities of race relations in the United States. After earning a bachelor’s degree in literature and a certificate in business essentials from Ramapo College of New Jersey, Kulesza, of River Edge, decided to change career paths and enroll in Bergen’s medical office assistant program in January 2021. She now serves as treasurer in the Student Government Association, secretary of Bergen Pride, a member of the Women’s Advisory Committee and a student worker in multiple College offices. She also volunteers as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and participates with the Bergen County LGBTQ+ Association. She anticipates a 2023 graduation from the College. n
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
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ith an entirely COVID-19-vaccinated or weekly-tested workforce, Bergen opened registration for its winter and spring classes, preparing for its most “normal” collegiate semester in almost two years. Bergen required all faculty and staff to become vaccinated against COVID-19, or submit weekly negative test results, beginning Oct. 18. Coupled with the requirement for students to adhere to the same policy beginning Jan. 4, 2022 and other health and safety best practices, these measures will allow Bergen to offer a schedule featuring the most on-campus classes since the beginning of the pandemic. The College will also continue to offer a robust schedule of online courses and resources. Students enrolled exclusively in online courses do not need to submit proof of vaccination or weekly negative test, though they will not have access to on-campus resources. For more information on the College’s pandemic response, visit Bergen.edu/COVID19. To register for winter or spring classes, visit Bergen.edu. n
Volume 8, Issue 5 | December 2021