Category: All News

Quinebaug Valley Community College has earned the designation of Gold status as a 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School.  Gold status is the highest designation given to any of the community colleges in the state of Connecticut. Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with around 750 schools earning the designation of which 162 selected for the “Gold” award status for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs.

Tracey Ferguson, QVCC Veteran Services Certifying Official, “QVCC is proud to be designated a Military Friendly School. Offering exemplary educational opportunities to our military members, both active duty and veteran, is just one small way that we thank our service members and their families for the tremendous sacrifices that they have made for our country.”

Military Friendly® is owned and operated by VIQTORY, a veteran-owned business. Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs ®, Military Spouse, and Military Friendly ® brands.

The QVCC English Department and the QVCC Cultural Programming Committee present a poetry reading by the Connecticut Student Poets of 2021. The event takes place on WebEx from 7:00pm to 8:30pm on Thursday March 11, 2021.

Every year since 1970, the Connecticut Poetry Circuit has, through a selection committee of accomplished poets, chosen a small group of student poets from Connecticut’s colleges and universities to go on a reading tour of campuses across the state in the spring semester. This year, the members of the Selection Committee, Randall Horton, Clare Rossini, Kate Rushin, Vivian Shipley, and John Stanizzi, selected five student poets: Marielena Cartagena (Manchester Community College), Gabrielle Colangelo (Yale University), Joelle Gray (Quinnipiac University), Mia Yanosy (University of Connecticut), and QVCC’s own Phillip Michel.

“We were not at all surprised that Phil was selected for this prestigious distinction. His poems are sophisticated, well-crafted, and highly engaging,” said QVCC Professor of English Jon Andersen. “We’re honored to be able to host this talented group. The Connecticut Student Poets tour has been one of the highlights of the poetry scene in this state for over fifty years.”

For more information or a link to attend the event, please send an email with your full name and how you heard about the event by March 10 to Jon Andersen at jandersen@qvcc.edu. (Responses to late requests cannot be guaranteed.)

Quinebaug Valley Community College has announced its partnership with United Services, Inc. to provide up to 20 Human Services majors with paid internships for the Spring and Fall 2021 semesters. Funding for each of the $1,000 internships is made possible by a generous grant to United Services, Inc., by the Jeffrey P. Ossen Foundation.

“United Services is excited to work with QVCC and grateful to the Ossen Foundation for supporting this educational and experiential partnership,” said United Services President/CEO Diane Manning. “Work in the human services field is both hard and rewarding and we are excited to help students learn that first-hand as we deliver behavioral health and wellness programs to our community.”

United Services is the local mental health authority for 21 towns in northeastern Connecticut, delivering more than 30 behavioral health, wellness, and family service programs.

Interim QVCC CEO Rose Ellis notes that “the experiential learning that students will gain through the program’s internships provides them with both vital career preparation and a marketable advantage when applying for jobs. Financial support for these internships makes it possible for students with limited financial means to engage in such experiential learning opportunities without the burden of simultaneously taking on additional employment to support themselves through the semester.”

The internship requires that students successfully complete 120 hours of field work along with all course obligations. The Spring course starts on February 22, 2021.

Students who are Human Service or TAP: Social Work Studies majors, have met the Field Work I course prerequisites, and are interested in participating in this opportunity should contact June Dunn, Associate Dean of Student Outreach & Enhanced Learning, jdunn@qvcc.edu, for more information.

Students can receive up to $650 dollars of support toward their success

The Quinebaug Valley Community College Advanced Manufacturing Center has received a $15,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation.  Since 2016, the program has received $75,000 to support student success in advanced manufacturing.

233 students have received support from the grants and are able to use the funds to support themselves inside or outside of the classroom.  There are a variety of incentives for students in the program to earn funds: enrolling full-time for semester one and two of the Advanced Manufacturing Machine Technology Certificate; making the Dean’s List (also available for students enrolled in the Mechatronics Automation Technician Certificate); and for graduating with a grade point average of 3.8 or higher.

The QVCC Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center has been preparing program graduates for immediate entry into the workforce since 2012.  The 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art center has placed graduates at Connecticut and neighboring state manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and defense industries.

For additional information about enrolling in the program and for assistance with funding, contact Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center Assistant Director, Jodi Clark, jclark1@qvcc.edu or 860.932.4128.

Released: January 25, 2021

Quinebaug Valley Community College is pleased to announce the names of 175 students named to the Fall 2020 Dean’s List.

Ashford
Nikki Burnett, Ashlyn Chebro, Diana Cone, Erin Lannon, Daniel Xavier

Brooklyn
Aidan Anderson, Aya Ashour, Hailey Barrows, Laura Bates, Stephanie Bellows, Eric Borkiewicz, Susan Burkart, Hannah Cloutier, Cathleen Dunlop, Caroline Hamill, Erica Lisee, Taylor Nicholson, Jesse Paprota, Madison Rattray, Natalia Reali, Itzel Rojas, Corissa Sharrow, Adam Shinkiewicz, Emma Turner

Canterbury
Bernardo Barron, Julia Christensen, Emmalee Fritzsche, Elenore Jolley, Amanda LaFramboise, Matthew Moffitt

Central Village
Haylie Bergeron

Chaplin
Brenden Coutier, Malwina Mieloch, Hanna Scanlon

Clinton
Andrew Emack

Columbia
Caitlyn Acerbo-Meehl, Michael Kivlin, Summer Polanco, Kelly Spooner

Danielson
Angela Dean, Dylan Everson, Kerri Fulton, Renee Gates, Sharon George, Tiffany Hicks, Tamarin Kelley, Candice Koolhaas, Michaela Marshall, Ethan Miler, Danilo Palenzuela, Elizabeth Patton, Christina Petty, Alisha Simonds, Brianna St John, Grace Terwilliger

Dayville
Reid Dumas, Nicholas Hindle, Hannah Kipp, Christopher Perry, Jarrica Rainville, Brandon Steen, Tayler Tracy, Bonita Woodward

Eastford
Angel DeJesus, Zoe Marshall

Groton
Paul Neville

Hampton
Miles Lindell, India Arriola

Jewett City
Sarah Armstrong, Maryam Arshad, Emily Brown, Heather Emerich

Lebanon
Taran Vonkirschner

Ledyard
Kaytlyn Betters

Lisbon
Rohankumar Patel, Mackenzie Smith

Manchester
Devon Long

Mansfield Center
Braden Lemire, Marisol Prather, Ruth Soderberg

Moosup
Bonnie Chambers, Taylor Denning, Michael Guilmette, Raymond LaRose, Tavy Lim, Nicole Mahon, Angel Stewart, Tara Tetreault

New London
Julian Botero Castro

North Grosvenordale
Lacey Allard, Rebecca Giles, Ashley Klein, Lukas Skaradowski, Gianna Stoico, Gabriel Waldron

North Haven
Sumeyra Yavuz

Norwich
Michel Hernandez Quintero

Oneco
Jesse Gunn

Pawcatuck
William Pisani

Plainfield
Tyler Ahearn, Alyssa Aubin, Michael Banning, Taylor Gageby, Sierra Mercier, Kevin Murphy, Alexis Price, Joshua Sandage, Alexis Sangillo, Sean Sweeney, Madison Tatro, Cameron Verrette, Patricia Wilson

Pomfret
Dawn Libby

Pomfret Center
Shelby Pendleton, Angela Short, Jacob Trudeau

Preston
Katherine Paschalides

Putnam
Jared Brong, Kevin Champagne, Taylor Copeland, Selena Cordero, Samantha Delp, Jaden Garcia, Carissa Gaugh, Ismail Kiani, Jordyn Poole, Jeffrey Reed Jr., Heather Souza, Noah Tomkins, Evan Zach

Rogers
Ryan Rickey

Sterling
Colby Bodo, Anna Carpentier, Vincent Valenti

Storrs Mansfield
Dalia Vega

Thompson
Paige Audet, Maya Blair, Roxanne Booth, Regina Cross, Caroline Gagnon, Kaitlyn Morton, Daniel O’Brien, Kaileigh Somers, Mary Walsh

Voluntown
Jamie Palazzi

Wauregan
Amanda LaRochelle

Willimantic
Cristal Alvarez, Chiricahua Cochise, Carolina Feliz, Arely Garcia, Dakota Ibarrondo, Doralis Lozano-Santiago, Maximiliano Navarro Romero, Yarixa Rodriguez

Willington
Danielle Eldredge, Aidan McGennis

Windham
Deborah Philips, Charles Steiner

Woodstock
Danette Busby, Antonia Carminati, Haley Farley, Marshal Gohn, Joseph Gottlieb, Christopher Harris, Lillian Mandeville, Zachary Mowry, Jolisa Peabody, Tristan Raszka

Woodstock Valley
Tarryn Desrosiers

Dudley, MA
Jillian Gibbs

Philadelphia, PA
Jordan Keith

Chepachet, RI
Rowan Coleman

Foster, RI
Felicia Galipeau

North Providence, RI
Jacob Kaufman

Per the direction of the State Department of Health, QVCC’s on-ground and hybrid courses will not be permitted to meet on campus until February 5. All classes, including on-ground and hybrid courses, will begin remotely.  All LRON/ONLN/OCLR courses will not impacted by this change.

It is recommended that you reach out to your instructor if you have questions using your official college Email.

Updated January 25, 2021

Quinebaug Valley Community College is very excited to welcome Sarah Wolfburg back to campus. On Monday, December 14, she joined the QVCC Foundation as the Director of Alumni Relations.

Raised locally in Plainfield, Connecticut, Sarah graduated from QVCC in 2002 and went on to earn both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. After returning to Connecticut, Sarah began working for Villager Newspapers. In 2015, Sarah became the first Executive Director for Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW), a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of youth wellness, offering scholarship opportunities to children in the region to access sports, fitness, and nutrition.

“Sarah exemplifies what we hope for in all our graduates: a person who has gone on to pursue her dreams while never forgetting where she started. Sarah’s learning curve will not be steep as over the past few years, in addition to her career and family responsibilities, she has made time to volunteer at QVCC Foundation events and served as an inaugural member of the Alumni Association Advisory Committee. I know our alumni and our students will benefit from having Sarah join our team,” said Monique Wolanin, Director of Institutional Advancement.

In addition to her professional roles, Sarah has served on the executive boards of both the Quinebaug Valley Regional Rotaract Club and the Putnam Business Association, including serving as chairperson of the First Fridays Committee. She resides in Brooklyn, Connecticut with her husband, Josh, and their son, William. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, painting, and traveling.

Sarah is eager to make connections with QVCC faculty, staff, students and alumni, sharing “I am thrilled to be taking on the Director of Alumni Relations role with the QVCC Foundation. As a proud alumna, I am excited to engage with past, current, and future QVCC students. I believe in the power and importance of education and it is an honor to have the opportunity to support the students of QVCC.” Sarah can be reached by email at swolfburg@qvcc.edu or by phone at (860) 932-4133.

Dr. Ashley Bissonnette, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a 2007 graduate of Quinebaug Valley Community College and is now a professor of public health, teaching at QVCC and Eastern Connecticut State University with a focus on Indigenous health and healing.

Dr. Bissonnette worked for over a decade at the Mashantucket Pequot Musuem and Research Center uncovering patterns of historical trauma and health disparities, nutrition and food sovereignty, and indigenous medicine.

Dr. Bissonnette is currently working on a volume with Florida University as editor and contributing author entitled, Beyond the Battlefield Historical Memory, Archaeology, and the Social Experience of War and Conflict – a book that explores the disruption of cultural lifeways by way of war and genocide and how these events have manifested in the health of indigenous peoples today (e.g., historical trauma, drug abuse, diabetes, and violence).

Connecticut Public’s film screening of “Blood Sugar Rising” takes a deep look into diabetes and includes Native perspectives about the experience and treatment of this devastating disease. To help spread awareness about diabetes, Ashley has been working with community partners and students to educate about diabetes and promote this special film screening, which is accessible via Facebook Watch. For questions and comments, please reach out to Ashley at ABissonnette@qvcc.edu.

Get to know Quinebaug Valley Community College! Learn about the great things happening at QVCC with our upcoming virtual information sessions. These virtual information sessions are designed to give prospective students a chance to learn more about the admissions process, financial aid, scholarships, specific programs of study, and transfer information. Q&A discussions are included in each session.

All virtual information sessions will be held at 5:30pm via Webex. Register for any of the following virtual information sessions at www.QVCC.edu/info-session:

ADMISSIONS
Wednesday, December 2 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, December 16 @ 5:30pm

ADMISSIONS & FINANCIAL AID
Wednesday, December 9 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday, January 6 @ 5:30pm

ADMISSIONS & ALUMNI
Hear from guest speakers Jenna Haines ’17, Devon Harris ’17, Celicia Boyden Hardy ’12.
Wednesday, January 20 @ 5:30pm

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE)
Learn about the ECE degree program and speak with Program Coordinator, Cindy Shirshac.
Thursday, December 17 @ 5:30pm

COMPUTER SCIENCE, COMPUTER NETWORKING & CYBERSECURITY
Learn about Computer Networking, IT Support Services, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science Studies from Program Coordinator, Chris Parden.
Tuesday, January 12 @ 5:30pm

HEALTHCARE
Learn about QVCC’s Healthcare Associate Degree and certificate programs, including Medical Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technician, Phlebotomy, and Pre-Nursing, as well as our Continuing Education and Workforce Development credit-free programs, i.e. CNA and Pharmacy Tech.
Wednesday, January 13 @ 5:30pm

Questions? Contact Sarah Hendrick, Associate Director of Admissions (shendrick@qvcc.edu).
Not a QVCC student yet? Apply for free at www.QVCC.edu/apply!

The Spring 2021 semester will begin on January 22; however, Quinebaug Valley Community College will offer a variety of accelerated late start courses, beginning in February and March in addition to the traditional 15-week full semester format.

These late start courses are taken in an accelerated format, allowing students to earn necessary credits in a condensed time frame. Courses will begin the weeks of February 22 and March 22 and end the week of May 17.

The Spring 2021 late start courses include Advanced Medical Coding, Medical Records Management, Entrepreneurship, Health & Wellness Promotion, Intro to Mass Communication, Intro to Philosophy, Investing in Health Careers, Literature & Composition, Principles of Managerial Accounting, and Recent Discoveries in Science I.

To see the complete list of late start offerings:

• Visit my.commnet.edu
• Select: Search for Course Offerings
• Select Term: Spring Term 2021
• Select College: Quinebaug Valley CC
• Select (O)pen or (C)Closed: Click Open
• Select Course Level: Check Credit
• Click Get Courses and look for any course title starting with “LS:”

Register online at QVCC.edu/register or book a Virtual Advising Session at QVCC.edu/advising. Not a QVCC student? Apply for free as a new or transfer student! Visit QVCC.edu/apply-now.