By David Fedo
This past Spring Curry College has gone “international” in a big way! Gail Arch, Director of the MBA program, took 12 students on an adventurous nine- day trip to Berlin and Prague, where they studied the “Economics, Politics and Culture in the New Europe.” Tracy Wang, Associate Professor of Mathematics and a native of Beijing, facilitated an exciting two-week trip for Curry undergraduates to the People’s Republic of China.

The China trip included remarkable stays in Beijing, a huge city in transition (and the site of the coming 2008 Olympic Summer Games); Xi’an, where the famous terra cotta warriors were miraculously uncovered in the early 1980’s; and Shanghai, the futuristic city known for its towering skyscrapers, sophisticated citizenry, and great shopping.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Dr. Caldwell, who is the Chairperson of Curry’s Nursing Division. “Meeting Chinese nursing students and their faculty at the Friendship Hospital in Beijing was a truly moving experience. The similarities of the concerns of the nursing students from both sides of the world were brought to light during the day we spent at the hospital and nursing school.”

The Politics and History students discovered that learning history and politics by observing them close at hand gave a reality to the experience that would otherwise not have been possible.

Thanks are due both to Dr. Arch and to Dr. Wang for bringing these magnificent opportunities to Curry students, to the local hosts for their generosity, and to the Curry faculty. (You can read more about the trip to China in the next Curry Magazine.)

They are here and the campus is buzzing once again. For a fifth summer in a row, Cambridge College has taken over the Curry campus for their National Institute for Teaching Excellence (NITE) program. Approximately 500 students are living on campus and will remain through July 28 with a smaller group staying until August 4.

Just who are these people? Well, the Cambridge College NITE program brings educators from across the country and abroad to the Curry campus for an intensive residential summer institute. Students earn a range of degrees: BA in multidisciplinary Studies, M.Ed, or a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership. Students take one intensive course per week, choosing from over 250 courses offered. The academic programs continue after the students leave our campus, with learning groups at regional sites and/or online.

Thank you to everyone for making their stay a pleasant one!

Despite a rather drizzly day, the staff had a great Retreat on June 2. The program opened with a very interesting keynote presentation by speaker Tracy Knofla on “Understanding Today’s College Students”. Tracy’s program included fun discussion and sharing of each generation’s perspectives, and helped us all relate a little better to the “Millennial Generation” now here at Curry. We also visited open houses graciously hosted by 10 of our departments (including some academic departments), and even had a lecture on the faculty perspective on this “Net Generation” thanks to Professor Diane Webber. The Staff/Faculty BBQ followed (indoors), with plenty of food and prizes. A good day was had by all.

A faculty member sums it up in one sentence, “From his first day on the job, he has transformed what had been a burden into a delight.” Anyone who makes so many other’s jobs easier certainly deserves this recognition!

A Supply/Copy Room Specialist for the past four years, John has helped many faculty and staff members in a jam and as another faculty member wrote, “all with a smile and a calmness that makes you feel as if the job is fun.”

He says the part he likes most about his job is interacting daily with Curry faculty and staff. “It is a great place to work, like a family”. In fact, he met his wife at Curry. In October of last year, Tina Maxwell of the Fine Arts Department and John were married.

When he is away from Curry, John enjoys fishing and also volunteers for his local Emergency Management Department.

Curry College is pleased to announce that we are continuing our partnership with John Hancock Life Insurance Company to offer Long Term Care Insurance to all benefits eligible employees. Long Term care insurance can help protect your assets and your family from the high cost of long term care services. Long Term Care Insurance covers you when you need skilled, intermediate, and/or custodial care at home or in an adult day care center, assisted living facility or nursing home, and much more.

A discounted rate is being offered to Curry College employees who enroll between July 1 and August 31.