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Mitchell College Undergoes Evaluation for Re-Accreditation

Mar 1, 2023 | News

Mitchell College is currently engaged in a re-accreditation process with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), with whom the College has been accredited since 1956. The College was last reviewed in 2013.

NECHE is one of seven accrediting commissions in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis. Accreditation is voluntary and applies to the institution as a whole. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, NECHE accredits approximately 220 institutions in the six-state New England region as well as several American-style institutions overseas.

Mitchell College recently completed an 18-month self-study, “Building Forward for a Kaleidoscope of Learners,” focused on NECHE’s Standards for Accreditation. Faculty and staff from across the College comprised nine Standard Work Groups (SWGs) that were formed across functional areas to emphasize collaboration, maximize access to campus knowledge and optimize effectiveness.

“Mitchell College’s self-study process has been an opportunity for institutional self-reflection with community engagement, communication and transparency,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Elizabeth A. Beaulieu, Ph.D.

The SWGs compiled materials and led institution-wide engagement around Mitchell College’s accomplishments and goals aligning with NECHE’s Standards:
• Mission and Purposes
• Planning and Evaluation
• Organization and Governance
• The Academic Program
• Students
• Teaching, Learning and Scholarship
• Institutional Resources
• Educational Effectiveness
• Integrity, Transparency and Public Disclosure

As part of the re-accreditation process, an evaluation team will visit Mitchell College April 16-19, 2023 to confirm the accuracy of the self-study. Following their visit, the team will make a recommendation for continuing NECHE accreditation status for the College.

Also part of the process, the public is invited to submit comments to NECHE about the College, addressing substantive matters related to its quality. Submit comments to:

Public Comment on Mitchell College
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880
E-mail: info@neche.org

Comments must be received by April 15, 2023.

Academic Honors Recipients Announced for Fall 2022

Feb 28, 2023 | News

Congratulations to the following Mitchell College students named to the Fall 2022 Dean’s List (3.50+ GPA) or Commendable Scholar List (3.0-3.49 GPA).

 

Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

1. Must be a matriculated student.
2. Part-time students are eligible for commendable scholar status for every 12 calculable credits completed.
3. Must have a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.49 for the given semester (Commendable Scholar) or 3.50 and 4.00 for the given semester (Dean’s List).
4. May not have any Incomplete, Satisfactory (S), Unsatisfactory (U), Withdrawal or Failing grades for the given semester.

Dean’s List

Jocelynn Allen | Clinton, CT

Josefina Alvarez | New London, CT

Nicholas Anderson | Madison, CT

David Arbuckle | Gales Ferry, CT

Isabella Avalos | Chino, CA

Sarah Aviles | Griswold, CT

Catherine Ayer | Weston, MA

Cristian Barrales | Bridgeport, CT

Samuel Bellos | Waterford, CT

Jenna Bennett | Shelton, CT

Claire Binfield | Las Vegas, NV

Jenna Blankenship | Virden, IL

Sabrina Bloise | New London, CT

Allison Blum | Garden Grove, CA

Ahmani Browne | Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

Edwin Burnam | New York, NY

Catherine Burnett | Fort Lee, NJ

Erika Byrnes | Wilmington, MA

Aaron Calouro | Westerly, RI

Ryan Camp | Cheshire, CT

Alexander Caramagno | Westfield, NJ

Victoria Carolan | Bernardsville, NJ

Shey Carrion | New London, CT

Andrew Champagne | Pawcatuck, CT

Nolan Clack | Hanson, MA

Jessica Cochran | Waterford, CT

Mya Colon | West Hartford, CT

Kevin Connelly | Scarsdale, NY

Ryan Cooper | Stratford, CT

Tyler Daly | Clinton, CT

Anna Damsky | Lexington, MA

Olivia DeCicco | Haverhill, MA

Robert DelaCruz | Uncasville, CT

Elias Deleon | Cromwell, CT

Olivia DeLoach | Spring Hill, FL

Joseph DeLoria | Ringoes, NJ

Katherine Donahue | Portland, CT

William Dreier | Barrington, RI

Noah Ellis | Londonderry, NH

Sa’Mya Epps | Poughkeepsie, NY

Jacob Faigel | Natick, MA

Matthew Fingal | Port Saint Lucie, FL

Gabriel Fish | Needham Heights, MA

Morgan Frost | Brunswick, ME

Tatyana Gales | Upper Marlboro, MD

Archie Gardner | North Charleston, SC

Jeremy Gibbs | Quaker Hill, CT

Jack Green | Niantic, CT

Sarah Grim | Reisterstown, MD

Nicholas Gyra | Wenham, MA

Abdullah Hadhood | New London, CT

Xavier Haney | Oakdale, CT

John Hayes | New Milford, CT

Robyn Higley | New London, CT

Hailey Hill | Jewett City, CT

Melanie Hintz | Bristol, CT

Daniella Holland | Pearl River, NY

Alyssa Hovey | Tolland, CT

Samuel Jackson | Port Saint Lucie, FL

Noah James | New London, CT

Sevda Kalican | Quaker Hill, CT

Ryan King | Norwich, CT

Sean Kresge | Waterford, CT

Jessica Krupnikoff | Unionville, CT

Grace Kyle | Chevy Chase, MD

Benjamin La Sala | Barrington, RI

Matthew Ladd | Griswold, CT

Angel Ladford | Baltic, CT

Anna Lambert | Lititz, PA

Gemma Landry | Lewiston, ME

Sarah Latch | Hampstead, NH

Justin-Corey Le | Norwich, CT

Julia Lent | Miller Place, NY

Thea Lewis | Hamden, CT

Alessio Liberti | Glen Rock, NJ

Katelyn Lipsky | Plantsville, CT

Allison Loverin | Groton, MA

Kyrsten Lucas | Manchester, MD

Alexis Mangual | Waterford, CT

Michael Marchetti | Waterbury, CT

Anthony Marini | Port Chester, NY

Bridget McHale | Natick, MA

Samantha McKenna | Millbrook, NY

Kayla McKinney | Groton, CT

Ivania Morales | Uncasville, CT

Sarah Morales | Ledyard, CT

Abigail Morris | Groton, CT

Alexander Moubayed | Swansea, MA

Kira Nowell | El Paso, TX

Hannah O’Brien | Riverside, RI

Timothy O’Hayre | Hull, MA

Kilian Okech | Derby, CT

Aliannys Ortiz | Groton, CT

Diamara Pagan | Norwich, CT

Sarah Parker | North Stonington, CT

Jonathan Parra-Tobey | New London, CT

Constantine Pavlou | Closter, NJ

Jennifer Peck | Glastonbury, CT

Hannah Penn | New Fairfield, CT

Robert Perry | Carver, MA

Austin Polak | Ambler, PA

Carly Potts | New London, CT

Thomas Progano | East Hampton, CT

Elisabeth Reid | Bedford, NY

Emily Reynolds | Somers, CT

Collin Rider | Norwich, CT

Cassandra Roman | New London, CT

Breana Rudolph | Glendale, AZ

Aicha Santos | New London, CT

Yasmine Santos | Pawtucket, RI

Tessa Seesock | Jacksonville, FL

Ashley Septelka | Niantic, CT

Thai-ler Sestokas | Danbury, CT

Arrianna Stark | Schenectady, NY

Anazya Taylor | East Lyme, CT

Micheal Thompson | Rio Rancho, NM

Brittney Tougas | Cranston, RI

Mariah Travisano | Putnam, CT

Joshua Tucker | Warwick, RI

Nathanael Votta | Avon, CT

Alexander Walker | New Canaan, CT

Kaylin White | Silver Spring, MD

Rylee Grace Wood | Lloydminster, Canada

Lola Worsdale | Stonington, CT

Jacob Yale | Cheshire, CT

Jacob Yoensky | Groton, CT

Commendable Scholars

Frank Aguanno | Syosset, NY

Julia Alves | Portsmouth, RI

Jakobe Anderson | Franklin Park, NJ

Kyle Anderson | Cromwell, CT

Noslin Antunez | Westbrook, CT

Avery Appiah | Old Saybrook, CT

Amanda Arnold | Groton, CT

Sophie Arseneau | Kankakee, IL

Amal Bahili-Elidrissi | Meriden, CT

Joshua Bar-Nadav | Narberth, PA

Anthony Bautista | Coram, NY

Isaiah Benson | New London, CT

Rajiah Betts-Smith | Windsor, CT

Taylor Bialowas | Jewett City, CT

Joseph Bielinski | Doylestown, PA

Nicholas Bracale | East Haven, CT

Christopher Bradley | Babylon, NY

Paige Broadbent | Binghamton, NY

Philip Burns | West Dennis, MA

Joseph Bynum | Groton, CT

Jade Cain | Danbury, CT

Robert Campbell | Glastonbury, CT

Jadon Canelli | Northford, CT

Marisa D’Agostino | Niantic, CT

Lyliana Daly | Teaneck, NJ

Giuseppe Del Prete | Bronxville, NY

Byron Dunn | Westerly, RI

Nathan Elder | Littleton, CO

Louis Fazio | White Plains, NY

Alicia Fitzgerald | Farmington, CT

Isabel Foley | Framingham, MA

Aidan Fontaine | Mystic, CT

Nicholas Forst | Ellington, CT

Grant Frieser | New London, CT

Angel Galindez | Hamden, CT

Anne Gallagher | Henrico, VA

Crystal Gangi | New Fairfield, CT

Camelia Garcia-Torres | New London, CT

Kenyada Gedeon | Irvington, NJ

Nia Gethers | Norwich, CT

Nicholas Ghirardi | Salem, CT

Aizhane Glenn | New Haven, CT

Keeano Gonzalez | New London, CT

Michael Grey | East Islip, NY

Alexys Hanes | Old Lyme, CT

Elizabeth Hennessy | Norwood, NJ

Valois Hernandez | Norwich, CT

Aidan Jacobson | Branford, CT

Mamadou Kaba | New London, CT

Edward Kaftan | Old Lyme, CT

Liam Kane | Waterford, CT

Anna Kochansky | Bronxville, NY

Emma LaBreck | Rollinsford, NH

Jason Landis | Summit, NJ

Brandon Lee | Stockton, CA

Benjamin Logel | Pawcatuck, CT

Armando Lopez | Maplewood, NJ

Edward Lugo | New London, CT

Logan Maneri | Canterbury, CT

Chelsea Marcano | Bronx, NY

Mckenzie Marshall | Wallingford, CT

Ana Matos Diaz | New London, CT

Antonio Mattucci | Huntington, NY

Daniel Melchreit | Old Lyme, CT

Tevin Merrill | New London, CT

Sara Milkowski | Manasquan, NJ

Keyara Miller | Panama City, FL

Isabel Montenegro | Alexandria, VA

Chloe Morrissey | Hingham, MA

Owen Murphy | Milton, MA

Alexander Nardone | Wellesley Hills, MA

James Nascimento | West Hartford, CT

William O’Toole | East Greenwich, RI

Dontae Pollard | Fort Walton Beach, FL

Maxwell Pomponi | Norwalk, CT

Emily Pratts | New London, CT

Duncan Quinn | Middletown, RI

Julianna Repaci | New Britain, CT

Rachel Ricciuti | East Northport, NY

Liam Robb | Westfield, NJ

Owen Robbins | Salem, CT

Charlotte Rowley | Bedford, NY

Emily Sargent | Westerly, RI

Andee Schaffran | Olympia, WA

Dominique Seignious | Norwich, CT

Kenny Sheehan-Heon | Uncasville, CT

Thomas Simmons | Holtsville, NY

Marcel Smith | New Britain, CT

Chadler Solomon | Los Angeles, CA

Izabela Souza | Medford, MA

Deasia Stevenson | Hartford, CT

Nicholas Strojny | Woonsocket, RI

Luke Sullivan | Shelton, CT

Bishop Taylor | Crestview, FL

Brooke Taylor | Uncasville, CT

Casey Tichy | Easton, CT

Jack Varley | Colonia, NJ

Camren Varney | Manchester, NH

Christian Villacci | Nesconset, NY

Joseph Volkerts | New London, CT

Alexia Watson | Stamford, CT

Brooke Whitmarsh | Portsmouth, RI

Tyelisa Wilson | Ledyard, CT

Bo Yaworski | Brooklyn, CT

Grace Yeung | Belle Mead, NJ

Encouraging Students to Discover Their Purpose

Feb 3, 2023 | Stories

Whether Kevin L. Booker Jr. is teaching first-year seminar, public speaking or yoga, he sees his role in the classroom as one to encourage and help his students see their full potential.

“My love of teaching translates across multiple disciplines,” he says, “and I use a variety of methods and strategies to help my students understand their purpose, vision and where they are going in life. These lessons are critical for students to tap into their greatness, build up their confidence and realize that they can take on anything they wish to accomplish. Along the way, students also learn how to support one another and build each other up, which is a critical skill that benefits our students in any sector or life path they pursue.”

Currently a visiting instructor, Booker is working on his doctorate in educational leadership with a focus on higher education. He says what he loves about Mitchell is the wide range of students who attend the college.

“As President Espy says, ‘We serve a kaleidoscope of learners.’ Our students come to the college with a wide variety of backgrounds. Mitchell’s faculty and staff are caring, compassionate and supportive in meeting each of our student’s needs to ensure they are successful. As a professor, I learn from my students because they bring different skills and expertise into the classroom. The small size of the college allows faculty to interact and build a stronger connection with our students.”

He credits the connections that he formed with his own teachers for inspiring him to teach.

“Throughout my entire educational career, from elementary through my doctorate program, I have had many teachers, professors and peers who have encouraged me to do my best. They have invested in me, were committed to seeing me develop and led by example. The teachers I looked up to the most had incredibly high standards, were deeply compassionate for their students and went above and beyond the classroom. Seeing strong educators that looked like me allowed me to envision myself as an educator and be a leader in the classroom and community as they were.”

Booker’s community leadership includes serving on the board of directors of both the Anti-Defamation League in Connecticut and the ISAAC (Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication) Charter School in New London. He also serves on the Hartford Job Corps Academy outreach board and the School and State Finance Advisory Council. He is a former city councilor for the City of New London and currently serves as commissioner of the New London Parking Authority.

“I will always be a teacher because I truly love to teach,” he says. “You can change a person’s life with education. I know this because it changed mine.”

Mitchell College Strives to be a Movement

Dec 20, 2022 | News

Mitchell College has spent 2022 preparing to meet the new needs of students and the community as it builds forward to ensure student success. With its newly launched five-year strategic plan, “Illuminating Mitchell College’s Future: A Bold Plan for a Kaleidoscope of Learners,” Mitchell College is poised to welcome 2023 with an exciting slate of new programs and initiatives, expanding opportunities for its kaleidoscope of learners while providing holistic supports to help each individual student reach their greatest potential.

This plan will continue to move the college forward, deepening connections and service to the community, serving a greater and more diverse student body through expanded, industry-demand programs and aligning infrastructure with the needs of the students of today and in the future.

“First and foremost, Mitchell College is committed to being a community of belonging for our broad group of learners,” said President Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D. “This is the place where they can come to meet their educational needs, learn other valuable life skills and, through advocacy and support, discover their true potential. Mitchell strives to be a movement in educating a kaleidoscope of learners, not just an institution.”

In 2022, Mitchell College successfully achieved a $1 million match to its record-breaking $3 million gift from earlier in the year and, thanks to help from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), recently received $550,000 in federal funding to support its new Digital Innovation Hub for Educational Excellence (DIHEE).

The DIHEE, preparing to launch in January, will “upskill” the adult regional workforce, offering industry-demand programs via certifications, badges, micro-credentials and advanced credentials in the STEM and mental health fields. Located in the Mitchell College Library, the DIHEE will provide technical and learning support via written and video resources and live sessions, as well as opportunities for peer engagement. The DIHEE aligns with the workforce development goals laid out by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and will meet the needs of the region.

Answering another community need, Mitchell College will introduce in 2023 a post-graduate learning program with multi-level supports for neurodivergent individuals. Skills Training, Advancement and Individual Readiness (STAIR), a 1- to 2-year program, builds on the inclusive nature of the Mitchell College educational experience by offering more recent college graduates additional guidance, tools and support for their next steps of career or graduate school. The program includes two main components:  AIM Basics, focused on independent living, career readiness, social and interpersonal skills and holistic wellness, with the goal of developing self-sufficiency and independence; and Program Hubs, which include a choice of focus on either career preparation or academic exploration and graduate school preparedness.

Programs to support student mental wellness at Mitchell will also be launched in 2023:

  • Thanks to funding from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Mitchell College will offer the BLOSSOM Project, which aims to teach female students, spanning the range of neurodiversity, to set safe boundaries with friends and partners, critical to a healthy environment where all can learn and thrive in safety. The project will include group workshops to educate, train, raise awareness and build self-confidence for students to “blossom” as they develop and strengthen their sense of self-worth. It also includes a “Women’s Empowerment” event, open to the public, that will be both a celebration and a powerful, motivating educational event.
  • Mitchell College is also participating in a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED), designed to help institutions evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety net. After completing a self-assessment, Mitchell will collaborate over four years with JED to implement enhancements.
  • College-age young adults may be more susceptible to problem gambling. Mitchell College, through a grant from the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, and in partnership with local experts, will promote Problem Gambling Awareness through activities that promote healthy and responsible decisions around gambling.  Activities include information sessions from area casinos, gambling addiction experts and those in recovery, and training to help campus staff to recognize signs of gambling-related problems.

Watch for announcements early next year as Mitchell College continues to launch industry-driven programming, including new majors in computer sciences and business management and an exciting master-level partnership with the University of Saint Joseph.

A wave of momentum is building on the beautiful beachfront campus of Mitchell College, where commitment to students and community will continue to deepen and grow in 2023 and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

Helping People Have a Better Tomorrow

Dec 19, 2022 | Stories

For Cristian Medina one of the best aspects of his internship in the physical therapy department of Orthopedic Partners in Niantic was drawing on his knowledge gained from classes like anatomy and physiology at Mitchell College.

“It felt amazing to put my knowledge into practice and be able to ask specific questions to patients based on what I had learned in class. It made the time spent in class worth it, knowing that you really learned something to apply in the real world. You’re not just showing up to class and looking at a professor,” he said.

“It makes you look like you know something, like you’re not just helping out,” he added. “You’re trying to learn and exert your knowledge.”

A health science major and Men’s Soccer and Men’s Lacrosse team member, Cristian spent the fall semester at Orthopedic Partners as a physical therapy assistant — gathering needed equipment, cleaning up exam areas, asking patients questions and participating in patient rehab.

“There were three physical therapists working there, and I was able to pick and choose who to follow throughout the day, based on who had the ‘best’ patient for me to learn from. For instance, I was more interested in an ankle fracture than balance problems, so I could seek out those kinds of patients,” Christian said.

Cristian is wrapping up his studies at Mitchell, graduating mid-year, and plans to pursue a career in the Air Force, with a goal of ultimately attending Officer Training School and taking advantage of an opportunity to participate in its physician assistant training program.

“Medicine is my calling,” he said. “I want to help people have a better tomorrow. I want to be a physician assistant in orthopedics, so I chose to intern with the physical therapy team at Orthopedic Partners. I had a practicum shadowing an orthopedic doctor there a few years back and was able to watch surgery and patient assessments and diagnoses. Working with the physical therapists, I was able to expand my knowledge to better understand both worlds.”

His favorite part of the internship was meeting so many different patients.

“Most injuries can look similar, but the recovery process for each patient is so different depending on the patient.”

Cristian said that many of the Mitchell Abilities that he learned over the years played a big part in his working successfully in his internship, especially analysis, problem solving, communication and diversity.

“I drew a lot on the Mitchell Abilities. Being able to recognize a patient’s injury and figuring out which exercises and rehab programs would work best was something that I had to do regularly. Not every patient can do the same thing and everyone has a different level of pain. I also communicated throughout the day with my supervisor and colleagues to make sure that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. I asked questions to make sure that I was efficient and effective. And having respect and empathy towards people was especially important.”

There were a few challenges in the beginning of the internship.

“The PT team deals a lot with elderly people, which can be difficult. They tend to have a slow manner. But one of the things that I learned from my internship was that patience is needed. Go with the flow. Take your time. You’re going to get there. There is no need to be rushing things or getting frustrated. Trust time and be patient with everybody. That is absolutely a skill that I will take with me through life,” he said.

As he winds down his time at Mitchell College, Cristian said, “I will miss my friends and the Mitchell College campus. The environment is so supportive. People help you and the professors care. It’s easy to talk to them one on one, and the Tutoring Center also gives a lot of help.”

Another perk?

“When you walk to class and see a view of the water, that’s a great feeling. It makes you go through your day with more motivation.”