December 2022

Somehow we have once again reached the final month of the calendar year and more importantly, the final days of the fall semester. This can prompt a range of emotions as students make ready for presentations or exams, a brief respite between semesters, and for some of their final moments and memories as Dean College students. Congratulations to our December graduates! We are so proud of your accomplishments.

The campus has been buzzing with a number of terrific events including Thanksgiving Dinner, Veterans Day Ceremony, and Holiday Tree Lighting. Just around the corner is our much anticipated Winter Fest to celebrate the completion of classes and Late-Night Breakfast during exam week. These gatherings represent important opportunities to connect, relax and learn more with one another, and simply enjoy each other's company. The holiday season is also a time to focus on philanthropic efforts and giving back to our local Franklin community. The College has engaged in several community service projects including a food drive for the Franklin Food Pantry, town holiday decorating, the Giving Tree, and a Stuff a Cruiser event (pictures below).

Dean College is pleased to announce Adam Keyes as the new Vice President for Student Success & Campus Life. Reporting to President Kenneth Elmore, Keyes will be responsible for student success programs, campus life, and community engagement to support student learning and growth.

Keyes joins Dean from Clark University, where he most recently served as director of strategic initiatives. At Clark, Keyes progressed from the director of residential life & housing to senior associate dean of students and deputy Title IX coordinator. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Keyes also took on the role of director of COVID testing and operations, establishing and running Clark's testing center and operations. He held residential life positions at Endicott College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University before arriving at Clark in 2014. He holds a bachelor's degree from Fitchburg State College and a master's degree from the University of New Haven. Read the full article here.

Dean College is pleased to announce Paul Vaccaro as the new Vice President for Enrollment Services. Reporting to President Kenneth Elmore, Vaccaro will oversee areas related to admissions, enrollment operations, admissions marketing, and admissions information systems to achieve enrollment goals.

With over 25 years of experience in enrollment management, Vaccaro returns to Dean as vice president for enrollment services. He previously served as assistant vice president of enrollment services and dean of admissions at Dean College from 2004 to 2009, before moving on to vice president roles at Regis College and Newbury College. Most recently, Vaccaro was the associate vice president for enrollment at Anna Maria College. Vaccaro is also a past recipient of the prestigious New England College Board Distinguished Service Award for leadership, innovation, and advocacy in higher education. He is an alumnus of Suffolk University, where he earned both a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA. Read the full article here.

•      Winter intersession courses through the School of Continuing Studies are scheduled to start on Monday, December 26th. Click on the graphic below for more information.

Winter course registration forms submitted by students after December 22nd must be sent to advising@dean.edu. This email will be periodically monitored on Friday, December 23rd, Monday, December 26th, and Tuesday, December 27th. The last day to add a winter intersession course is Tuesday, December 27th.

Is your student thinking about completing a winter intersession internship? If so, they should be working on their paperwork! The DCA 300 class will start December 19th, and all paperwork must be submitted and approved prior to that date. Questions? Reach out to Thea Cerio: tcerio@dean.edu

The residence halls will close at 6:30pm on Thursday, December 15th for Winter Break. Students are required to depart two hours after the completion of their last exam. Any exceptions to this policy will be determined by the Office of Residence Life located in Chapman House.  

Resident directors will have a meeting during the last week of classes to prepare students for departing at the end of the semester. Lastly, please know that if your student has a space in their room, they need to have it clear and ready for a new student to move in as we often see students transfer into Dean for the spring.

Reminder: Residence halls re-open for the spring semester on Tuesday, January 17th, and classes will begin on Wednesday, January 18th. Students will receive more information regarding the move-in process over winter break. 

Office of Residence Life: 508.541.1838

Dean College’s Study Away Program includes three options to meet a variety of interests and needs: (1) Dean College courses that include a short, 7-10-day trip abroad or in the U.S., (2) study away experiential programs in the United States, including The National Outdoor Leadership School, The Washington Center or the Disney College Program, and (3) study abroad for a semester or a year through Assumption University in Rome, Bard College Berlin, DanceAbroad Argentina, Regent’s University London, Semester at Sea, or in many other countries throughout the world through one of our affiliated partners: AIFS, API, Arcadia University, and SIT. 

Students generally study away anytime between 2^nd semester of their sophomore year through to 1^st semester of their senior year and need to have a 3.000 cumulative GPA. Students first complete the internal pre-approval application, and then they complete the external study away application. The internal application deadline to study away for summer 2023 or fall 2023 is Wednesday, February 15^th. Interested students should plan to attend the upcoming information session about the program, on Wednesday, January 25^th at 5pm in the Golder Room (2^nd floor, Rooney Student Center).  

For more information, students can speak with their Success and Career Advisor and with Melissa Read (mread@dean.edu), Director of the Study Away Program.  

During the first week of December, the Spring 2023 bill will be available on the Student Account Portal. An email communication will be sent once the bills are published. The Spring bill due date is January 4, 2023.

Academic Coaching, a specialized one-on-one, fee-based service for students is also available through the Learning Center. Currently, students may register for the Spring Semester under Essential Links on Today@Dean. Families may also email learning@dean.edu to register their student and/or gain more information about setting up weekly meetings with an Academic Coach who can help students with note-taking, time management, organization, study strategies, test preparation, and writing.

For additional information about our services, please contact the Morton Family Learning Center at 508-541-1768 or email us at learning@dean.edu.

Join us to witness the amazing talents of our students on the stage! Visit the Dean College Box Office on the front of the Dean College website.

With the holiday season approaching quickly, now is a great time to get new Dean College apparel and gifts for yourself and your favorite Bulldog. Won't be able to visit campus in the next few weeks? No problem! Shop all year long at deancollegeshop.com. Let's Go Bulldogs!

On November 12th, Project Green, Student Advocates for Campus Mental Health, hosted the 5^th annual Project Green Showcase (photo of participants above). The showcase was created to share stories and experiences related to mental health. The pieces validate the struggle and pain, and most of all, provide HOPE for anyone who has been impacted by mental health. The showcase provides a safe place for students to share their stories and inspire others with their strength and bravery.

When seeking information about Dean College calendar dates, please use the Official Academic Calendar that is listed on the Dean College website under the heading Academics. Please do not use Google or other internet search engines for the calendar as it is likely to produce outdated and incorrect information.