Enrollment Reaches Record High at BCC’s New Bedford Campus
As Bristol Community College in New Bedford enters its 8th year, enrollment levels have reached an all-time high for the downtown campus. For the Fall 2008 semester, the New Bedford campus reports that they are now servicing over 1,500 students. Theresa Romanovitch, dean of the New Bedford campus, adds “I am so pleased that we are reaching so many community residents and meeting their educational goals…record enrollment numbers really speak to the need for this campus and all it does to support this area.” Since opening its doors in 2001 with 434 students, the campus has rapidly expanded, now offering program courses both day and evenings, plus a weekend ‘fast track’ program model. The campus also offers a full range of college academic and student support services that help student success and retention.
In order to accommodate its growing population, the New Bedford Campus has added classroom space in existing buildings on Union Street. In addition, the campus houses two computer labs, a library learning commons, a science lab, and a student lounge. BCC New Bedford provides its students with academic advisement, admissions, financial aid, tutoring, transfer counseling, and disability services. The goal is to provide the same enrollment services available at Bristol Community College’s Fall River campus, with the convenience and accessibility for students who reside in New Bedford and the surrounding towns.
The overall vision of the campus remains consistent since its inception—recognizing the needs and diversity of the greater New Bedford community and implementing academic programs to fill those educational needs. Through workforce development, community partnerships, and various grant projects, the campus has successfully established itself as a leading contributor in the revitalization of the greater New Bedford area.
A few of the New Bedford campus’ successful grant projects include the WISE (Working in Successful Environments) Women project, developed by Dean Theresa Romanovitch and coordinated by Elizabeth Wiley. Now entering its second year, the WISE project offers women, currently unemployed and being assisted by the Department for Transitional Assistance (DTA), the opportunity to receive up to 12 college credits and field placement either in General Office Support or Early Childhood Education. The ultimate goal of WISE Women is to inspire these women to pursue economic sustainability through education. Abdeline Torres-Larruiz, a current WISE woman, says “I graduated in 2004 and needed a push, someone that cared enough to help me and encourage me to move forward. Thanks to BCC and Liz Wiley, I get the opportunity to be educated and become successful and give my kids a better life.”
Continuing its partnership with local school districts, BCC New Bedford was named a partner for the JET (Journey into Education and Teaching) project. JET is a federal grant that partners BCC, UMass Dartmouth, and the New Bedford and Fall River Public Schools. This grant is a tuition-free teacher preparation project designed for instructional paraprofessionals who would like to become elementary school teachers in the New Bedford and Fall River school districts. JET grant paraprofessionals obtain their associates degree in Elementary Education from BCC and then, through a joint admissions program, transfer to UMD where they earn their bachelor’s degree and meet the requirements for Elementary Education licensure. In its first BCC cohort, Dean Theresa Romanovitch, with Joanne Gracia, JET grant coordinator, has recruited 25 paraprofessionals from local school districts to participate in its first year.
Answering the area’s demand for ESOL and GED instruction, the campus also offers the Pathway to a Career project. Funded by the Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Organization, this innovative project offers ESOL/ABE/GED classes free of charge to the Greater New Bedford community. The project is unique in that participants can choose to receive GED instruction in Spanish or English and take the GED exam in that same language. The project also incorporates a hybrid self-paced model that combines online learning with face to face instruction. Important to the project is the citizenship development students receive through history instruction and field trips to area historical sites such as Plimoth Plantation, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, and Boston’s Freedom Trail.
Students, staff, and faculty are all enthusiastic with the accomplishments of Bristol Community College’s New Bedford campus. Tiffany Gomes, a BCC New Bedford student adds, “A friend once told me, ‘don’t hope it will happen, make it happen!’ Everyone has the ability to make things happen with opportunity, hard work, and perseverance. Attending BCC has given me as well as others the opportunity to attain a great education and granted us the gateway to a prosperous future.”
Submitted by: Jenna Burns
The Weekly Compass 26 Sept. 2008: 17