Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs
Telephone: 603.428.2235
The Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) is responsible for creating and maintaining a dynamic learning environment for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students at New England College. Specific areas of responsibility include designing and implementing academic policy and programs, hiring and evaluating faculty, integrating new learning technologies, and monitoring student academic progress. The Office of the VPAA oversees the undergraduate and graduate divisions, the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, the NEC Gallery, the H. Raymond Danforth Library, the Registrar’s Office, the Pathways Academic Success Center (Academic Advising, ConNECtions, PASS, Tutoring, Disability Services, and Mentoring), and the Centers for Engaged Learning and Civic Engagement. As well, the Office of the VPAA also supports student learning and achievement. Responsibilities include developing and implementing policies related to campus life, promoting co‐curricular programming, and providing student services which enhance the NEC learning environment.
Center for Community Engagement and Leadership
ccel@nec.edu
Co‐Directors:
Wayne Lesperance, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Professor of Political Science
Inez McDermott, Professor of Art History
The Center for Community Engagement and Leadership focuses on promoting and encouraging engaged and experiential learning by providing opportunities and serving as a resource for students, faculty and community members to work together in and out of the classroom.
A major initiative for the CCEL is the work done by the Center for Civic Engagement and Project Pericles (see descriptions below). In addition, the CCEL works closely with the Office of Career and Life Planning, the Office of Student Involvement, the First‐Year program, and the Concord Center, as well as with individual faculty planning study away and service learning trips.
The Center for Civic Engagement
The Center for Civic Engagement focuses on broadening and deepening traditional civic engagement through Town Hall Series which organizes and hosts U.S. presidential candidates, campaign leaders and elected officials, Speaker Series which hosts a variety of high profile speakers as well as election debates, and, to coincide with the presidential primary, College Convention, in which college students from across the country meet for a week and enjoy access to presidential candidates, campaign staff, political experts and media. CiviCorps also provides an opportunity for students to take an active role and organizing and supporting the Center’s civic engagement activities.
Project Pericles
Project Pericles is a national organization committed to civic and social engagement based on knowledge of the principles and history of American democracy. As one of the ten founding Colleges, New England College is proud to be associated with this project and with the founder, Eugene Lang. NEC’s Pericles program has two essential aspects ‐ a theoretical, knowledge‐based aspect, and a civic engagement aspect, in which students become personally involved in civic and socially responsible service.
Community Service
The Offices of Student Involvement and Career & Life Planning offer a variety of volunteer service placements in the local communities. These placements include opportunities in public schools, a private school for challenging teens, after‐school programs, a daycare center, a senior center, a public library, a teen center and an equine therapy center, among others. Volunteering in the community not only helps those in need, but enables NEC student volunteers to acquire additional skills and a sense of confidence. With approval of a sponsoring faculty member, volunteer work can be undertaken for academic credit as an internship. Under Federal Work Study regulations, students with work‐study funds as part of their financial aid package can also be paid for working in the community.
|
