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Faculty & Staff Newsletter

April 6, 2020

Recognition of Excellence

The land-based component of the 2020 Recognition of Excellence event is canceled, but we are finalizing plans for a virtual celebration and recognition. The 2020 nomination process is still open, and the submission deadline has been extended!

All Mercy College of Ohio students, faculty, and staff are invited to nominate their peers and colleagues for select awards. All nominations will be collected via an online submission form and must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020. For awards information and the nomination forms, please visit the Recognition of Excellence webpage. Please continue to check the Recognition of Excellence webpage, and your Mercy College email account, for additional updates.

Academic Affairs Updates

Submitted by Dr. Trevor Bates

  • Please join me in celebrating our academic affairs colleagues who will be retiring in 2020:
    • Beverly Miller – Academic Coordinator
    • Jeanne Cluff – Nursing Faculty
    • Victor Monroe – English Faculty
  • With the support of a strong Distance Education team, Clinical Staff, and Staff from many others areas of the College, Faculty have made significant efforts in these challenges time to continue delivering the high quality education during the transition to delivering all coursework online using digital mediated technologies. Faculty are exchanging best practices and supporting one-another as we collectively support students as they continue to make progress toward their educational and professional goals.
  • Academic Leadership is continuing work to move forward projects to implement new and strengthened academic programs for examples:
    • RN to MSN – new program – projected fall 2020 start
    • BGSU Dual Degree Program – 1st cohort to begin Spring 2020
    • MPAS – new program – projected summer 2021 start
    • BSN – updated curriculum to begin Spring 2021
    • ABSN – new BSN curriculum option to begin Summer 2021
    • Tiffin University Dual Degree Program – 1st cohort to begin Spring 2021
  • Academic Leadership has collaborated with Enrollment Management to implement a broader pathway to recruit more undergraduate students called the “Fresh Start” procedure. It will students an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness to be successful at Mercy College.
  • The Graduate Studies Committee is exploring options to expand the College’s ability to recruit a wider rage of students to the MSN and MHA programs. We believe their efforts will make a significant difference in the reach of our current online graduate programs.
  • All Faculty Assembly Committees continue their work including but not limited to advancing: faculty governance, academic assessment, academic policies, faculty development, and curriculum.
  • Progress continues on the Undergraduate College Catalog and the Graduate College Catalog as we prepare for the 2020-2021 academic year.
  • Academic Leadership is developing a New Program Proposal Process to enhance campus engagement in future processes.

Please direct any questions or comments about these updates to Dr. Bates at trevor.bates@mercycollege.edu.

Blessings,
Dr. Trevor M. Bates, DHSc, AT, ATC
Vice President of Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty

IT Update

Submitted by Jeff Metzger

We continue to provide assistance and support for technology issues related to the transition to working, teaching, and learning from home. Our team is ready and happy to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Also, we are pleased to announce that all Mercy College students now have free access to the online web-based versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft Office Online allows students to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations using only a web browser on nearly any computer or tablet device. The files are in native Office format (docx, xlsx, pptx) and can be saved to OneDrive or downloaded as Office files. We hope this new, free service will equip students with more tools for making their online work easier.

Enrollment Update

Submitted by Lori Edgeworth

  • The Admission team is working remotely and continues to receive new applications from students (the last three Mondays we have received approximately 15 applications) and process those we presently have for admission and enrollment for both Summer and Fall semesters. The staff is doing the work they do within the Office just from a remote location! All of the Enrollment team are using Google Voice for their phones and reaching out to students on a daily basis! The Main desk number for the College, 419-251-1313, is set up on for text voicemail so when not answered we can respond as quickly as possible to questions and needs of our prospective and current students. Jana Zervos and Amy Mergen receive these messages. When the College is open during the week with an Administrator on-site, the College Front desk is staffed by an Admission Office staff member.
  • The Strategic Enrollment Committee continues to meet on a bi-weekly basis and is moving forward with the development of the Strategic Enrollment Plan for the College.
  • Work continues on the Strategic Plan for the College. The plan will continue to be reviewed and updated and our goal is to share the updates with the College community for your input in August at our planning days. We then hope to present it to the Board of Trustees for their approval at the September Board Meeting.
  • Marketing and Communications is updating the website for the College on a regular basis so that we have the most current information available.
  • Hannah Bohn began her role as the Coordinator of Alumni Relations/Grants on Monday, March 30.
  • Financial Aid – the Financial Aid team is working remotely and processing student aid packages for the Summer and Fall. The Office is staffed at the College on the days the College is open. They too are using Google voice to reach out to students.
  • The Enrollment team hopes that you are all safe and well during this unprecedented time and doing the best you can. We are all in this together and learning a new way to work to achieve our enrollment goals and move the College forward this year! Please let me know if you have any questions or need any individual updates.

Thanks and stay safe!
Lori Z. Edgeworth, MEd.
Vice President of Strategic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness and Enrollment

Updates from Student Affairs

Submitted by Marc Adkins

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April)
Online information regarding sexual assault awareness can be found through the following links. Mercy College Student Success Center Canvas course under Counseling and Wellness, and National Sexual Violence Resource Center. This website includes both general sexual assault information as well as information specific to COVID-19.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one of the unfortunate effects of COVID-19 has been an increase in domestic violence due to victims being isolated with their abusers, as well as abusers using COVID-19 as a means of controlling and manipulating victims. Domestic Violence services are still available at this time. In Toledo, the YWCA crisis line is 1-888-341-7386. In Youngstown, the Sojourner House hotline is 1-330-7474040. Additionally, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day and can provide information on local domestic violence services for all areas of the country. Their number is 1-800-799-7233. As a reminder, Mercy College offers free counseling to all students and is continuing to provide services online or by phone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Request a counseling appointment here.

Accessibility Services
Accessibility Services is working with students remotely on a regular basis, with meetings taking place over the phone or email.
Contact Accessibility Services with any questions regarding accommodations while online, as well as, questions regarding the screen reader program. Contact Christine Miller at 419-251-1784 (phone is forwarded to a remote location) or email Christine.miller@mercycollege.edu)

Testing Services
Testing Center Staff is currently working remotely until further notice with Accuplacer appointments rescheduled for a later date.

Continuing to work with students remotely, and checking phone messages on a regular basis, so that we can contact students/faculty back until testing resumes on campus.

Contact Shelly Clark at 419-251-2106 and leave a message (we are checking twice a day for messages) or email MercyCollege-Testing-Center@mercycollege.edu.

Mercy College Food Pantry
The Mercy College Food Pantry in Toledo has shelf-stable groceries and household items for Mercy College students, faculty, and staff. If you are struggling to put food on your table, please reach out to us at foodpantry@mercycollege.edu. You can place an order for the Mercy College Food Pantry through our online form: www.tinyurl.com/MCfoodpantry. Food pickup will take place on an individually scheduled basis so please indicate on the form a few days/times that will work for you and we will confirm your scheduled food pickup. We are taking extra precautions in the preparing of food orders and will make arrangements with you to provide food curbside or for pickup at the security desk in the Jefferson Lobby. More information can be found at www.mercycollege.edu/foodpantry.

Pastoral Care
Annie Devine is available by phone and Skype for spiritual support. Please reach out to her about scheduling a time to talk if need be. Annie.devine@mercycollege.edu or 419-251-1866 (calls are being forwarded to her cell phone).

Prayer requests will not be emailed out but will be posted here: https://bit.ly/38X8gZ9. If you have a prayer request to share with the college community, please email it to Annie.devine@mercycollege.edu. Given that we are not able to gather together in prayer in person, Annie will be posting a video prayer/reflection/meditation every Friday at noon on the Mercy College Campus Ministry & Service Learning Facebook page and her Instagram account. Facebook Page: fb.me/MercyCollegeCMSL OR Instagram: campusminister_annie

Additional Information
You can now connect to Campus Life resources and support via Canvas! From spirituality resources to information about how to get involved to opportunities to contribute to discussions about how we can best support our virtual community, the Campus Life Canvas “course” is here for you! We are working with colleagues in IT and Distance Education to add all students, faculty, and staff. In the meantime, if you would like to be added as a member, please email Deanna.vatan@mercycollege.edu.

Looking for other ways to support our wider community during this time? There are lots of ways you can still help, even from home! Here’s a list of ideas to get you started: https://bit.ly/39iSS9E

Title IX and Compliance
Campus Climate Survey has been postponed until further notice. For more information, please contact Betsy Cardwell at Elizabeth.cardwell1@mercycollege.edu OR 330-540-0090.

Cordially,
Marc S. Adkins, M.Ed.
Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students

CEO-Gram

Send a message to the Mercy College President using this link.

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