NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) invites the public to a panel discussion, “Immigration in the United States During Trump 2.0,” on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room No. 218. This event is free and open to all.

MCLA Associate Professor of Political Science Dave Cupery will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Williams College Professor of Political Science James Mahon, MCLA Associate Professor of Anthropology Anna Jaysane-Darr, and MCLA Professor of History Ely Janis.

Presented as part of the Boschen Conflict Prevention and Resolution Speaker Series, this panel will explore immigration policies and practices during the second term of President Trump. Panelists will analyze key policy changes, their historical roots, their connection to contemporary U.S. politics, and their impact on immigrants and refugees in the U.S. and beyond.

“The panel provides an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of immigration politics and policies and to examine their broader implications,” Cupery said. “We hope to foster a constructive and informed conversation.”

Following the presentations, attendees will have an opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with the panelists.

NORTH ADAMS — The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) English & Philosophy Department will host author Kelly Link as the spring 2025 visiting writer. Link will present “An Evening with Kelly Link” on Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m. in the Center for Science & Innovation Atrium. This event is free and open to the public.

A MacArthur fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Link is the author of numerous celebrated short-fiction collections, including Stranger Things Happen, Magic for Beginners, Pretty Monsters, Get in Trouble, and White Cat, Black Dog. Her debut novel, The Book of Love, was published last year to critical acclaim.

In addition to her writing, Link is an editor of multiple anthologies, including The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror series, as well as the young adult collections Steampunk! and Monstrous Affections. She is the co-founder of Small Beer Press, co-editor of the occasional zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and owner of Book Moon, an independent bookshop in Easthampton, Mass.

NORTH ADAMS — Ariana Chiapella, a faculty member with the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, will present the fall 2024 Elizabeth and Lawrence Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture at MCLA on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the college’s Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation.

“The Environmental Studies Department is excited to welcome Dr. Chiapella to campus to discuss ‘The Implications of Contaminants for Aquatic and Human Communities,’” said Daniel Shustack, MCLA professor of Environmental Science. “The threats that contaminants pose to our waterways is one of today’s most pressing environmental issues.”

The lecture will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Center for Resourceful Living, a program started by Vadnais.

These events are free and open to the public. Call (413) 662-5224 or email [email protected] for more information. This annual lecture series is named for Professor Lawrence Vadnais and is sponsored by the Vadnais Endowment.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has earned the sixth spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation, after earning the seventh spot for the past three consecutive years.

The college’s continued commitment to affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: fifth for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and second for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country.

MCLA has appeared on U.S. News’ list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 10 consecutive years. The college has also been acknowledged in its list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since the organization adopted this ranking in 2019. This list measures how well institutions graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants, typically awarded to students whose families make less than $50,000, though most Pell Grant money goes to families with income below $20,000.

More than 41% of MCLA undergraduate students receive Pell Grants, and 49% are the first in their families to go to college. Overall, 95% of MCLA students receive some kind of financial aid.

“As we celebrate a decade of MCLA ranking in the Top Ten Public Colleges, I continue to be proud of the incredible faculty and staff who make the college such an exceptional place to learn,” MCLA President James Birge said. “Our success is possible because of their unwavering commitment to our students. I am grateful to be part of an institution that focuses on and sees the value in striving to be a continuous top performer on social mobility.”

Mohan Boodram, chair of the MCLA board of trustees, added that “being ranked as a Top Ten Public College is just one of the many ways MCLA’s dedication to its students is made visible. The positive impact MCLA makes on their lives, as well as on the community at large, is impressive, and I am pleased that the hard work that goes into making the college a high-quality, accessible, and affordable educational option has again been recognized.”

NORTH ADAMS — The MCLA Alumni Assoc. and the MCLA Division of Graduate and Continuing Education will gather at the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) on Friday, Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m. for an evening of professional development and networking. BIC is located at 45 Woodlawn Ave., Pittsfield.

Alumni and guests will hear insights from MCLA education experts on the latest trends, strategies, and innovations. Registration is free and requested by Sept. 16, and includes light bites and a drink ticket.

“We’re starting to combine events with alumni and our current educators in the field,” said Lynette Bond, dean of Graduate and Continuing Education at MCLA. “It’s great for everyone to have a chance to network and talk through challenges and opportunities about what’s happening in the field today.”

MCLA Associate Professor of Education Maggie Clark will present on the current and new programming at the college, while other presenters and educators will talk about developments in the field, including resources for educators working on emergency teaching licenses.

For more information and registration, click here or email [email protected].

NORTH ADAMS — The 27th annual MCLA Athletics Golf Classic will be held Monday, Sept. 23 at Wyndhurst Golf & Club in Lenox. The Golf Classic serves as a major fundraiser for the college’s Athletic Department. Over the years, the Classic has netted $25,000 to $40,000 annually to support MCLA’s student athletes.

“We are so grateful to our sponsors and participants, both those who are dedicated longtime supporters and those who are new this year,” MCLA Assistant Dean for Athletics & Recreation Laura Mooney said. “Their generosity and contributions allow the department to make facility upgrades and to enhance the student-athlete experience through new uniforms, team gear, and specialized equipment purchases. These items directly impact the recruitment, retention, and success of our students and student athletes.”

Each year, MCLA recognizes a deserving individual or business that has impacted MCLA Athletics. This year’s honoree is Jason Dohaney ’04, a financial advisor at MountainOne Investments and chair of the MCLA Foundation. This year’s Golf Classic premier sponsor is MountainOne.

The format for the event is an 18-hole scramble tournament. The entry cost includes greens fees, golf-cart rental, course snacks, a post-golf dinner, branded gifts, and more. Registration takes place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; the tournament starts at 11 a.m., and the awards dinner follows at 5 p.m.

Other leadership-level sponsors of the event include Alton & Westall Real Estate Agency; Adams Community Bank; Gajda, Arnold & McConnell, P.C.; Aramark; Berkshire Health Systems; October Mountain Financial Advisors; Casella Waste Systems; Premiere Transportation; Greylock Federal Credit Union; Adams Plumbing & Heating; Dartmouth Health-Southwestern Vermont Medical Center; Smith Watson & Co.; JH Maxymillian Inc.; Berkshire Bank; 1Berkshire; Interprint; Freight Yard Pub; Becks Printing; Burnham Gold Real Estate; and Tea & Boba Lounge.

MCLA Athletics thanks all sponsors for their continued support. Those interested in signing up for or sponsoring the event may do so at alumni.mcla.edu/pages/golf-classic-information-23. For more information, email [email protected] or call (413) 662-5001.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA will host the annual Constitution and Citizenship Day with a presentation for students and community members on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room 218. The federal holiday was established in 2004 and first celebrated in 2005, recognizing the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787 in Philadelphia.

The presentation, “Understanding the Electoral College: Insights into 2024’s Presidential Election,” will be led by MCLA Associate Professor of Political Science Samantha Pettey. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Pettey will explore the historical origins and current controversies of the Electoral College, including the disparity between the popular vote and electoral outcomes and the influence of swing states. It will also cover best practices for interpreting polling data to help students and attendees critically analyze ‘hot-take’ headlines. A Q&A session addressing these topics and others will follow the presentation. This lecture is designed to empower students of democracy with the knowledge to understand and influence elections.

“Polling can be tricky to interpret responsibly, especially in the context of the Electoral College,” Pettey said. “The lecture will focus on some tips for reading and interpreting electoral news with polls and will allow time for questions about the broader election.”

Pettey has been interested in politics from a young age and has worked in the History and Political Science Department at MCLA since 2016. She teaches a range of courses on American government but is most passionate about teaching and researching Congress, state and local politics, and women in politics. Her current research focuses broadly on female candidates. She is particularly interested in the impact institutional features and demographic characteristics have on state-level candidate emergence and success.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced that Gov. Maura Healey has appointed three new members to its board of trustees: Darlene Rodowicz, Yvonne Spicer, and Buffy Lord (’98), who was voted to represent the MCLA Alumni Assoc. All three trustees begin their terms of service this summer.

“I’m excited to welcome Dr. Spicer, Ms. Rodowicz, and Ms. Lord as our newest MCLA trustees,” MCLA President James Birge said. “They are extremely accomplished professionals who will add a wealth of knowledge to the board, and I am grateful they agreed to join us.”

The three new trustees join a board of volunteers chaired by Mohan Boodram, who has served on the board since 2012 and also served as chair from 2020 to 2022.

“I am pleased to welcome three members who have shown such dedication to the communities they serve,” Boodram said. “I look forward to working with these new outstanding trustees and am honored to serve alongside them on a board that boasts such a diverse range of talent.”

Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems, joined BHS in 1984 and has served on the system’s executive leadership team since 2005. She has played a crucial role in the evolution of BHS through her various leadership positions, including ensuring the financial strength of the organization during her 15 years as chief financial officer.

A longtime educator, Spicer is currently the executive director of Life Science Cares Boston and an adjunct lecturer at UMass Boston. A highly sought-after speaker on the topics of leadership, STEM, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, she was also the first mayor of Framingham, serving from 2018 to 2022.

A practicing attorney with the North Adams-based law firm Donovan O’Connor & Dodig, LLP since 2005, Lord’s main practice area is civil litigation, but her work with the firm encompasses multiple practice areas, including personal injury and workers’ compensation, domestic relations, municipal law, and appellate work.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced it has received its decennial accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

NECHE is a voluntary, peer-based, non-governmental membership association that promotes educational excellence and quality assurance to its more than 200 members, all of which are degree-granting, post-secondary institutions. NECHE, through its membership, has established rigorous standards for accreditation to ensure quality, innovation, and student success across the evolving higher-education landscape. The commission consists of faculty and administrators from affiliated institutions, as well as public members who have no institutional affiliation.

MCLA submitted its 10-year accreditation report (self-study) in October 2023, documenting its work to provide a high-quality, affordable, public liberal-arts education. The content responds directly to the nine standards outlined by the commission for all institutions undergoing reaccreditation.

The self-study was the outcome of two years of careful, thoughtful work, with input from more than 70 members of the campus community. The study covered everything from MCLA’s mission and purpose to its academic program and student profile, to its physical plant and financial strength. In the self-study, MCLA described the ways in which it meets the standards, identifies areas of progress and improvement, and offers plans to continue moving the college forward in the next 10 years.

As part of the accreditation process, a NECHE team visited campus on Nov. 5-8, 2023. The college received a formal accreditation letter in May 2024.

In addition, MCLA continues to ascend in the U.S. News & World Report rankings in alignment with its mission, rising to be the top college for social mobility in the state, second in the country for public institutions, and 22nd nationally for liberal-arts colleges. MCLA ranks seventh on the list of top public liberal-arts colleges.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA invites prospective students to tour the college campus and learn about the admission and financial-aid process during four Saturday preview days in July and August.

Preview days and campus tours are scheduled for July 13 and 27 and Aug. 3 and 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The deadline to apply for the fall 2024 semester is Thursday, Aug. 15, with enrollment beginning on Aug. 22.

Daily campus tours and information sessions from 10:30 a.m. to noon are open for registration through Aug. 17. Tours of the nursing and/or radiologic technology learning spaces are available on select Wednesdays at 1:15 p.m. Anyone interested in touring these spaces should choose a tour on one of these days and check off the appropriate box when prompted. Register for preview days and daily tours at www.mcla.edu/visit.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced the campus will host the 2024 Leadership Conference, the culminating experience for the Leadership Academy 2023 cohort, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 5-7.

Darcy Fernandes, senior associate commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), will open the conference with a keynote presentation on July 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room 218. Additional keynote presentations include MCLA Vice Provost of Equity and Belonging André Lynch on July 6, and Anti-bias Education Consultant Phil Fogelman on July 7.

“Alumni Talks” will be offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Conference sessions will run on July 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., presented by members of the Leadership Academy 2023 cohort on topics ranging from leading inclusive, anti-racist schools to implementing instructional programs that enhance success for all. Sessions are organized according to the four standards established by DESE’s Professional Standards for Administrator Leadership: instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.

The conference will be held in person at Bowman Hall on MCLA’s campus. “Remote access is available for all sessions, and we welcome all educators to join us in person or virtually,” MCLA Leadership Academy Director Marianne Young said. Educators interested in attending the conference can register online by clicking here or by contacting Marianne Young at [email protected].

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will host a virtual graduate information session for its master of business administration (MBA) and master of education (MEd) programs on Wednesday, June 12 at 5 p.m.

Prospective students can meet with faculty and staff to learn about graduate education in MCLA’s innovative programs designed to support the rising workforce needs in the Berkshires and beyond.

The MBA program offers a broad-based, multi-disciplinary education that combines the strengths of MCLA business faculty with those of practicing managers actively involved in day-to-day decision making in the field. It is a part-time, 30-credit program designed for working professionals and in partnership with the Berkshire Innovation Center.

The MEd program offers a thoughtful blend of classroom and fieldwork experiences that prepare students to make a meaningful impact in their school communities. Programs include MEd with initial licensure, MEd with professional teacher licensure, MEd with individualized plan of study non-licensure, and accelerated +1 bachelor’s degree with MEd.

To register for the information session, visit lnk.mcla.edu/gradinfo or contact the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at [email protected] or (413) 662-5575.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will host information sessions for its master of business administration (MBA) and master of education (MEd) graduate programs on Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield. A virtual session will be held on Thursday, May 30 at noon.

Prospective students are invited to meet with faculty, students, and staff to learn more about how to continue their education in two of MCLA’s innovative programs designed to support the rising workforce needs in the Berkshires and beyond.

The MBA program is committed to redefining the educational experience by focusing on real-world applications that drive meaningful change in the region’s businesses and organizations. The program combines liberal-arts principles with modern business studies, equipping students with the critical-thinking skills needed to excel in today’s dynamic business environment. It is a part-time, 30-credit program structured in an accelerated hybrid learning model for working professionals and in partnership with the Berkshire Innovation Center.

The MEd program offers a thoughtful blend of classroom and fieldwork experiences that prepare students to make a meaningful impact in their school communities. Programs include MEd with initial licensure, professional teacher licensure with MEd, MEd with individualized plan of study non-licensure, and accelerated +1 bachelor’s degree with Med.

To register for an information session, click here or call the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at (413) 662-5575.

NORTH ADAMS — Writer and journalist Tamar Sarai will deliver the Hardman Journalist in Residence Lecture on Monday, April 8 at 6 p.m. in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation Atrium at MCLA. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“Tamar Sarai represents a refreshing journalistic practice which our Beacon and Beacon Web News journalism students will find energizing and modern,” MCLA Professor Michael Birch said. “Her writing will offer new topics and focus for their learning, as will her emphasis on the power and value of good writing in the service of exceptional storytelling. This will be an excellent learning opportunity for our students.”

Sarai is a writer and journalist currently based in Philadelphia. She is a features writer at Prism, a nonprofit media outlet that seeks to highlight the perspectives and voices of those directly impacted by some of today’s most pressing issues. Her work focuses on race, culture, and the criminal legal system. Both her writing for Prism and her freelance work often focus on the ways in which Black women and girls are impacted by policing and the prison system. Her work has been featured in outlets including Shadowproof, Capital B, and Essence. Sarai is a graduate of Wellesley College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

MCLA’s Hardman Lecture Series presents in-depth discussions with some of the leading journalists of our time and is made possible through the generosity of the Hardman Family Endowment.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA will host a virtual information session on Thursday, March 14 and an in-person session on Wednesday, March 27 for its graduate programs — master of business administration (MBA) and master of education (MEd) — as well as the Leadership Academy.

Potential students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty and staff to learn more about how to continue education in three of MCLA’s programs that are designed to support rising workforce needs in the Berkshires and beyond.

The MBA program offers a broad-based, multi-disciplinary education that combines the strengths of MCLA business faculty with those of practicing managers actively involved in day-to-day decision making in the field. It is a part-time, 30-credit program designed for working professionals in partnership with the Berkshire Innovation Center.

The MEd program offers a blend of classroom and fieldwork experiences that prepare students to make a meaningful impact in their school communities. Programs include MEd with initial licensure, professional teacher licensure with MEd, MEd with individualized plan of study non-licensure, and accelerated 4+1 bachelor’s degree with MEd.

MCLA Leadership Academy prepares candidates to serve as effective leaders of educational institutions and active citizens in their communities.

The virtual information session on March 14 will begin at 5 p.m. The in-person information session on March 27 will begin at 5 p.m. on the MCLA main campus in North Adams.

To register, visit www.mcla.edu/graduate or call the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at (413) 662-5575.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA Physics Professor Emily Maher, one of 65 scientists in the MINERvA collaboration at Fermi National Accelerator Lab (Fermilab), has published work that has been chosen as one of the “Top 10 Physics Breakthroughs of 2023” in Physics World.

Over a 10-year span, the MINERvA detector recorded the interactions of neutrinos and antineutrinos, the antimatter partners of the neutrino. The physicists working on the MINERvA experiment used the data to make a groundbreaking new measurement, which was published last February in Nature.

“We work to uncover and understand nature’s smallest building blocks,” Maher said. “I am repeatedly amazed at how we use particle accelerators that span miles to shoot invisible particles at multi-story detectors to ‘see’ something as small as a proton. No human has even been able to make this measurement before, and I am delighted that this science is not merely interesting to specialists in my field, but also recognized by the larger world as a real contribution.”

To be featured on the list of physics breakthroughs, research must have been published within the last year, generate significant advances in knowledge or understanding, and show the importance of work for scientific progress and/or development of real-world applications.

The study, led by Tejin Cai at the University of Rochester in the U.S. and Canada’s York University, shows how information about the internal structure of a proton can be gleaned from neutrinos scattering from a plastic target. The team focused on isolating the signal from neutrinos scattered off lone protons within the background of those scattered off protons bound in carbon nuclei. Their innovative approach involved simulating and subtracting the carbon-scattered signal from experimental data. This provides insights into proton structure and enhances the understanding of how neutrinos interact with matter.

Maher has spent more than 20 years studying neutrinos. She began her work at Fermilab in 2000, studying the tau neutrino for her thesis work. This experiment, called DONuT (direct observation of nu tau), made the world’s first direct observation of the tau neutrino. Maher said she enjoys studying neutrinos because “neutrinos continually surprise us and point us to new physics.”

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced it has received the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Suicide Prevention Grant for $306,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Over the next three years, this funding will launch the MCLA Cares Project, an initiative to build campus-wide infrastructure to support student mental health.

The MCLA Cares Project will utilize a multi-pronged approach to address mental-health support deficits across campus. This project will engage a health promotion coordinator, a new position designed to plan and implement the grant’s activities as well as produce additional mental-health and wellness programming. Grant funds will contribute significantly to training the student-facing faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention.

The MCLA Cares Project was developed in accordance with MCLA’s mission to provide an accessible liberal-arts education to students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ students. The health promotion coordinator will collaborate with these groups to identify their specific needs and challenges in order to create responsive programming.

“I am thrilled that MCLA received the GLS suicide prevention grant from SAMHSA,” said Ashleigh Hala, MCLA’s associate dean for Counseling and Holistic Wellness. “This enables us to expand critical programs related to our students’ mental health and emotional well-being, including supporting students at high risk for suicide. Through this grant, we will change culture, creating a more caring, compassionate, and healthy community.”

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA faculty and staff invite the campus and North Adams community to a panel discussion on Thursday, Nov. 30, titled “How to Speak About Peace,” to discuss urgent calls for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine.

The discussion will start at 7 p.m. in Murdock Hall Room 218. Panelists include Associate Professor of Anthropology Mohamad Junaid, Associate Professor of English & Communications Victoria Papa, Assistant Professor of Art History and Museum Studies Eunice Uhm, Associate Professor of Modern Language Mariana Bolivar, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Carter Carter. The discussion will be moderated by Assistant Professor of English & Communications Caren Beilin, interim director of the Mind’s Eye, an initiative featuring interdisciplinary academic programming.

“As an educational institution with scholarly expertise in our community, one thing we can do to try to cope with the unfolding events is to gather for conversation and to contend with current events,” MCLA President James Birge stated in a message to the campus community. “It is notable that this panel includes Jewish, Arab, and Muslim faculty members and those whose research addresses many of these intertwined topics. I encourage our community’s participation in this important conversation.”

This community panel is a follow-up and continuation of the previous panel about the war in Israel and Gaza. This comes after a weekend of violence that took place in Burlington, Vt. involving three Palestinian college students.

“We must continue to talk with one another about peace, to find the words, and indeed the information, to speak and act on this urgent issue,” Beilin said.

NORTH ADAMS — Caleb Gayle will present the 2023 MCLA Hardman Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in MCLA’s Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation Atrium.

Gayle is an award-winning journalist who writes about race and identity and is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine. His book, We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power, was published in 2022. He is a professor of Journalism and Africana Studies at Northeastern University.

Gayle’s writing has been recognized by the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award, the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, the Center for Fiction Emerging Writers Fellowship, a fellowship at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and the New America Fellowship, among others. His writing has been featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Threepenny Review, Guernica, the Atlantic, Harvard Review, Pacific Standard, the New Republic, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Review of Books, the Root, the Daily Beast, and more. His writing has been anthologized as a notable essay in the 2019 Best American Essays.

Gayle completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma as a Truman scholar. He completed his graduate studies at the University of Oxford and has an MBA and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, respectively. In addition to writing, he serves as a visiting scholar at the Arthur Carter Journalism Institute at NYU. He is currently completing his next book, Pushahead: The Story of Edward McCabe and an Epic of American Empire.

This event is free and open to the public. Call (413) 662-5224 for more information or Zoom details.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA invites prospective students to a fall open house on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center.

This event allows those interested in attending the college an opportunity to meet MCLA students, faculty, and staff. The day includes two morning sessions, followed by lunch, a resource fair, and a campus tour.

“Open houses are a great way for prospective students to see the campus for the first time and to learn more about MCLA’s academic programs and vibrant campus life,” said Jana Boyer, MCLA’s director of Admission. “We encourage students to connect with faculty, staff, and students to make sure all of their questions are answered and to discuss the next steps in the enrollment process.”

Those interested in attending can register by clicking here.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA will host information sessions for two graduate programs: Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Education (MEd) — as well as the Leadership Academy on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) in Pittsfield. A virtual session will follow on Tuesday, December 5 at noon.

Potential students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty, students, and staff to learn more about how to continue education in three of MCLA’s innovative programs that are designed to support rising workforce needs in the Berkshires and beyond.

The MBA program offers a broad-based, multidisciplinary education that combines the strengths of MCLA business faculty with those of practicing managers actively involved in day-to-day decision making in the field. It is a part-time, 30 credit program designed for working professionals and in partnership with the BIC.

The MEd Program offers a blend of classroom and fieldwork experiences that prepare students to make a meaningful impact in their school communities. Programs include MEd with initial licensure, professional teacher licensure with MEd, MEd with individualized plan of study non-licensure, and accelerated +1 bachelor’s degree with MEd.

MCLA Leadership Academy prepares candidates to serve as effective leaders of educational institutions and active citizens in their communities. To register for the information session, call the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at (413) 662-5575.

NORTH ADAMS — Supreme Court expert and scholar Amanda Tyler will present the 2023 Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in MCLA’s Church Street Center Auditorium.

Tyler is the Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She is the author of several books, including Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union, with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Tyler has appeared on NPR, CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN, among others, and spoken at venues around the world.

In her lecture, “Supreme Court Round Up,” Tyler will give audiences a behind-the-curtain look at the history and procedures of the nation’s highest court, exploring notable decisions and the quirks and personalities of current and prior courts.

This event is free and open to the public. Call (413) 662-5224 for more information or Zoom details. A student and faculty question-and-answer session will occur prior to the lecture at 4:15 p.m. in the Freel Library.

In 2008, MCLA announced the establishment of the Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture series, making public-policy forums an ongoing part of the college’s long-term speaker offerings, in complement to MCLA’s major in political science and public policy. The series is made possible through the generosity of the Ruth E. Proud Charitable Trust.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA announced that the first of two fall 2023 open-house events will take place this Saturday, Oct. 14, followed by a second open house on Saturday, Nov. 4, both from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center. At these open houses, prospective students will have an opportunity to meet MCLA students, faculty, and staff.

“Open houses are a great way for prospective students to see the campus for the first time and to learn more about MCLA’s academic programs and vibrant campus life,” said Jana Boyer, MCLA’s director of Admission. “We encourage students to connect with faculty, staff, and students to make sure all of their questions are answered and to discuss the next steps in the enrollment process.”

The first open house will be broken up into two morning sessions, followed by lunch, a resource fair, and a campus tour. Click here to register.

NORTH ADAMS — The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Education Department will offer preparation workshops for those considering taking the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29.

The workshops will be held in an online, synchronous format, with two sessions each day. The first session will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and will cover Communication and Literacy, and the second session, held from 1 to 4 p.m., will focus on Foundations of Reading.

Passing the MTEL is a requirement for teacher licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each class will focus on a specific test and will be taught by instructors knowledgeable in both the content/skill area and the test. The workshops are open to the community. Register online at lnk.mcla.edu/mtel.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has earned the #7 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for a third year in a row. U.S. News and World Report also ranked MCLA first for Top Performer on Social Mobility in the state, second in the country, and 22nd for National Liberal Arts Colleges.

MCLA has appeared on U.S. News’ list of Top Ten Public Colleges for nine consecutive years. The college has also been acknowledged in the publication’s list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since the organization adopted this ranking in 2019. This list measures how well institutions graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants, typically awarded to students whose families make less than $50,000, though most Pell Grant money goes to families with income below $20,000.

“Each year that MCLA appears in the Top Ten Public College rankings, I am reminded how incredibly committed our faculty and staff are when it comes to the growth and success of our trailblazers by demonstrating an unwavering dedication to excellence,” President James Birge said. “I am grateful to be part of an institution like MCLA that has made enormous improvements over the last year and its rankings for Top Performer on Social Mobility.”

More than 42% of MCLA undergraduate students receive Pell Grants, and 51% are the first in their families to go to college. Overall, 93% of students receive some kind of financial aid.

“Enrolling at MCLA makes such a difference on student and faculty lives as well as on the community at large,” said Brenda Burdick, chair of the MCLA board of trustees. “I’m truly amazed by the ongoing success of MCLA — an institution that consistently shines as a top-notch provider of high-quality, accessible, and affordable education. Being recognized as a Top Ten Public College affirms this commitment.”

U.S. News ranks colleges based on indicators that reflect a school’s student body, faculty, and financial resources, along with outcome measures that signal how well the institution achieves its mission of educating students.

NORTH ADAMS — The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) awarded Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) $1 million to fund the college’s new bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. The grant will support the first two years of the program by supplementing its curriculum development and funding the cost of a simulation lab coordinator; nursing journals, textbooks, and testing software; and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing fees.

MCLA’s BSN program received approval from the Board of Registration in Nursing in January and approval from the Board of Higher Education in March. The program will launch in the fall of 2024 and graduate its first class in 2027. It is the first BSN program in Berkshire County and the only four-year nursing program in the rural tri-state area of Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

The curriculum will integrate MCLA’s liberal-arts foundation with required courses in the humanities and natural and social sciences to complement theoretical and clinical courses in professional nursing. Nursing faculty will utilize a simulation lab to provide hands-on learning experiences for students in a controlled environment.

The EOHHS Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) and Human Services Workforce Development Grant Program is set to award up to $42.5 million in grant funding for training, recruiting, and retaining initiatives that support HCBS and the human-services workforce in Massachusetts. The program helps fund training organizations that develop healthcare professionals, including direct-care staff, nurses, behavioral-health staff, and community health workers. This mission aligns with MCLA’s goal to address the rural nursing shortage and the critical healthcare needs in Berkshire County through the creation of a BSN program.

NORTH ADAMS — David Batker, president of Batker Consulting and founder of Earth Economics, will give a talk titled “Using Ecological Economics to Drive Policy Change” on Wednesday, April 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the MCLA Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121. This event is free and open to the public as part of MCLA’s Green Living Seminar Series.

Batker is a renowned ecological economist, policy leader, pragmatic project proponent, and acclaimed speaker with 35 years of experience. He has worked to advance policy at U.S. federal agencies and worked in more than 40 countries, 45 U.S. states, and many U.S. cities and countries.

Batker’s history of keynote addresses covers a wide range of institutions, including the International Society for Ecological Economics, the Soil Science Society of America, and the Assoc. of State Floodplain Managers. He has worked to implement hundreds of projects providing jobs and local economic development, ranging from mining and forestry to shipping and disaster resilience. He is a fellow at the University of Vermont the author of dozens of publications, book chapters, and a book.

Every semester, the Green Living Seminar Series centers around a different topic that is timely and relevant to current sustainability issues. The 2023 series is a presentation of the MCLA Environmental Studies Department. Podcasts will be posted online following each presentation at www.mcla.edu/greenliving.

NORTH ADAMS — Jennifer Hashley, the Trisha Perez Kennealy and Michael Kennealy director of New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, will give a talk titled “Economics of Climate-smart Agriculture” today, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the MCLA Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121. This event is free and open to the public as part of MCLA’s Green Living Seminar series.

Hashley is a leader in local food-systems work, focusing on beginning farmer development. Her role at New Entry includes building community partnerships, developing new programs and services, mentoring and supporting project staff, securing sustainable resources for all program operations, writing grants, strategic planning, and overseeing incubator training farm site infrastructure and a multi-year sustainable-agriculture training curriculum in specialty crops and livestock production for limited-resource farmers.

Hashley’s efforts at New Entry have transformed it into a nationally recognized farmer-training program with multiple components: training and technical assistance, marketing, finding land and resources, hands-on learning at training farms, accessing government programs and resources, and conducting training for other incubator farm and community food-security projects across the U.S. Hashley also excels in working side-by-side with farmers in the field, at markets, and in the classroom.

As part of the Agriculture, Food and Environment program at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Hashley is also an Agricultural Science and Policy lab instructor, helping to bridge the gap between graduate students’ classroom learning and practical, farm-based education.

MCLA’s annual Green Living Seminar Series continues through April 19, presenting a series of lectures on the theme of “Capitalism and the Environment.” Every semester, the Green Living Seminar Series centers around a different topic that is timely and relevant to current sustainability issues. Seminars take place on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.

The 2023 series is a presentation of the MCLA Environmental Studies Department. Podcasts will be posted online following each presentation at www.mcla.edu/greenliving.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will launch a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program for the fall 2023 semester. This will be the first BSN program in Berkshire County and the only BSN program within an hour’s drive of the rural tri-state corner of Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. This nursing-education initiative will help address the current and future rural nursing workforce shortages.

MCLA received final approval from the Board of Higher Education this month and received initial approval to launch a BSN in January from the Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN). The next phase of BORN approval is anticipated after MCLA graduates the first nursing cohort in 2027.

MCLA’s BSN degree can be completed over a four-year period. After accepting pre-nursing students this fall, the college will formally accept up to 25 students into the nursing major at the conclusion of their first year of study. Students must complete required pre-nursing courses in math and sciences during that first year for admission into the program. Transfer students may also apply to the nursing program during their first year of study at MCLA and transfer in non-nursing courses for consideration toward graduation. MCLA expects that the first BSN class will graduate in May 2027. At the conclusion of the program, students will be awarded a bachelor of science in nursing degree and be prepared and eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

“Nursing care in rural and remote areas is uniquely complex and diverse, necessitating educational preparation at the baccalaureate level,” said Dr. Elizabeth Fiscella, associate dean of MCLA’s new BSN program. “Rural nurses need to know how to assess situations and manage client care with the resources available. They must be flexible problem-solvers who can prioritize alternatives to match resources, time constraints, and cultural expectations — skills that are especially well-served by MCLA’s strong liberal-arts foundation — while also meeting individual client-care needs, all rooted in evidence-based nursing practice. Increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses to meet the demands of residents living in rural and underserved areas of Northwestern Massachusetts is critical.”

MCLA President James Birge added that “MCLA has received overwhelming positive feedback as we prepare for implementation of a bachelor of science degree in nursing. We recognize the great demand right now for nurses in Berkshire County, and we look forward to helping meet this significant need right here in our community.”

In recognition of the importance of this degree program for the Berkshires, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS), the leading healthcare provider in the county, has agreed to help MCLA fund certain program startup costs.

“Our region is not unique in experiencing healthcare-staffing challenges,” said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of BHS. “However, what is special about the Berkshires is our strong portfolio of programs designed to educate and train nurses. MCLA’s nursing bachelor’s-degree program rounds our region’s offerings, including an associate degree in nursing program (ADN) at Berkshire Community College (BCC), licensed practical nurse (LPN) programs at BCC and McCann Technical School, and a nursing assistant (NA) training program at BHS. We are grateful for this community’s dedication to training the next generation of compassionate, skilled healthcare workers right here in the Berkshires.”

Brenda Cadorette, chief Nursing officer at Berkshire Medical Center (BMC), added that “educational programs like this one at MCLA are critical to helping rebuild the workforce that cares for our community, and we are eager to partner with these bachelor’s-degree students, as we already do with the existing nursing programs, to offer clinical rotations and meaningful learning experiences at BMC.”

Additionally, MCLA announced three new scholarships available to qualified applicants pursuing bachelor of nursing degrees at the college. The Dion Family Scholarship provides $5,000 per year to students pursuing a BSN, the Lisa O’Brien Nursing Scholarship provides $2,500 to $5,000 to students pursuing a BSN, and the Brian and Vikki Fairbank Berkshire Community Scholarship provides up to $5,000 to students who reside in Berkshire County and are pursuing a BSN.

The BSN program will be funded in part through a two-year, $1 million grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The grant will allow for curriculum development that responds to the critical workforce needs within Berkshire County and across the Commonwealth. The funds will help support faculty, a simulation-lab coordinator, the purchase of nursing journals and textbooks, nursing testing software, and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing fees.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal has secured an additional $620,000 appropriation for the MCLA nursing program as part of the federal spending bill passed in December 2022. In its pitch for funding, Neal’s office noted that 13,500 people work in the healthcare field locally, and said the project deserved support in part because of its importance to the region’s economy.

MCLA is now accepting applications for fall 2023. To learn more and apply, visit mcla.edu/nursing.

NORTH ADAMS — Eric Miller, director of Ecological Footprint Initiative at York University in Toronto, will give a talk titled “GDP Is Gross, Well-being Is Better” on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the MCLA Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121. The presenter will attend via Zoom. As part of MCLA’s Green Living Seminar series, this event is free and open to the public.

Miller is director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative, Footprint Data Foundation secretary-treasurer, and course director at York University. He manages multiple projects and partnerships of the initiative, including the production of the National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts. He teaches the footprint-related courses and supports students and project staff. His prior work as a consulting economist has informed governments, industry, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations. His earlier career in public service had him leading the team of economists in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, after he had worked for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and for Environment Canada.

MCLA’s annual Green Living Seminar series continues through April 19, presenting a series of lectures on the theme of “Capitalism and the Environment.” Every semester, the Green Living Seminar series centers around a different topic that is timely and relevant to current sustainability issues. Seminars take place on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.

The 2023 series is a presentation of the MCLA Environmental Studies Department. Podcasts will be posted online following each presentation at www.mcla.edu/greenliving.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA’s Leadership Academy, a postgraduate program for educators seeking administrator licensure, will host a series of information sessions between January and March for prospective students.

Applications will be accepted through April 15, and information sessions are scheduled in person and remotely this winter. The 12-month program starts on July 7 with an on-campus, in-person, 14-day residency followed by online courses and three weekend residencies.

Leadership Academy alumni and administrators will answer questions about the program and application process during virtual sessions today, Jan. 17 at 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m.; and Monday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. An in-person session will also be held today, Jan. 17 at 4:30 p.m. at MCLA Pittsfield, 66 Allen St.; and an on-campus open house at MCLA in North Adams is slated for Saturday, March 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Those interested should visit bit.ly/3PIoADW to register.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA announced that Jean Clarke-Mitchell, assistant professor of Social Work at Lesley University, has been nominated to the MCLA board of trustees. A 2000 alumna of MCLA, she is also in her second term on the college’s foundation board.

Clarke-Mitchell is a licensed clinical social worker who served as the clinical director of the Elizabeth Freeman Center, and an outpatient clinician at the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. With more than 20 years of experience in the clinical field and more than 10 years in academia, she looks forward to participating on the board.

“I am very excited and feel very privileged and honored to be chosen to not only represent my alma mater but also to represent future students. To be on the board is monumental to me,” she said. “I’m feeling there is a lot to be done, and I’m hoping I can make an impact in so many ways. There are so many intersections to me and my experiences, and I want that to be something that I can bring to the table that will make a difference.”

Clarke-Mitchell has an extensive resume in social justice activism and working with community organizations, including the Rights of Passage and Empowerment program as a senior mentor. She serves as a board member on Rockfort Moving Forward, Leadership Councils of Western Massachusetts, the Albany Assoc. for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and the Massachusetts Women of Color Network.

“Having Dr. Jean Clarke-Mitchell on the board of trustees is a tremendous delight,” MCLA President James Birge said. “I’m confident that her experiences and education will expand the dynamics and work of the board.”

Clarke-Mitchell has invested many years in helping, advocating for, and educating others, including trauma and sexual-assault survivors, survivors of intimate-partner violence, and adults struggling with substance use and mental-health disorders.

“Just being a woman of color, I can bring a perspective that is not often considered. When I think of that, I think about how we can retain professors of color and welcome students of color,” she said. “How do we honor those people in our society? How do we manage the funds of the college and what we’re invested in? The perspectives which I bring are not always present.”

Prior to teaching at Lesley, Clarke-Mitchell taught social work and psychology at Westfield State University, Smith College, Cambridge College, and Elms College. She has worked with groups in South Africa, taught students in Ghana, and conducted presentations on healthy relationships and self-care in Jamaica. She continues to affect positive change by teaching social work full-time and continuing to develop effective social-work practitioners.

“When we consider different decisions that have to be made, I can have a voice at the table,” she said. “I have a lot of appreciation and respect for people who felt they should nominate me.”

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA’s Division of Graduate & Continuing Education (DGCE) will host information sessions for those interested in completing a bachelor’s degree or pursuing an MBA. The 30-minute information sessions will be available in person and online in North Adams and Pittsfield.

The community is invited to the Tuesday, Nov. 1 information session at 5 p.m., online only; Tuesday, Nov. 8 at noon at 66 Allen St.in Pittsfield; or Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. at MCLA’s Eldridge Hall, Room 206, in North Adams, with optional remote registration available for the latter two sessions.

MCLA’s degree-completion programs are designed for adult learners seeking accelerated, non-traditional pathways to completing bachelor’s degrees. Each program uses a cohort-style learning format, in which students begin their courses of study in groups with their peers and proceed through the program together.

Each information session will provide participants with an overview of DGCE programs, including the MBA, master of education, degree-completion programs in business administration and interdisciplinary studies, and certificate programs in accounting and cybersecurity.

Completion of a bachelor’s degree includes business administration or a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies. Students in the interdisciplinary program may focus on children, families, society, leadership and business, health and human services, or an individualized plan of study, created with assistance from an advisor.

Program leaders will meet with session participants to provide an overview of DGCE’s curriculum and programs, including program locations, schedules, tuition costs, financial aid, and how to apply, transfer credit, academic support, student services, and career opportunities.

The program offers classes in the evening at MCLA Pittsfield and online one night per week to accommodate students meeting the demands of work, family, and their studies. Community members interested in pursuing a graduate degree or finishing their bachelor’s degree with evening classes at MCLA’s location in Pittsfield are encouraged to attend an information session. Representatives from each program will answer questions related to academics, the application process, education timelines, and more.

Click here for a complete schedule of information sessions and registration links. Learn more about MCLA’s DGCE programming and how to apply at www.mcla.edu.

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will welcome Scott Dikkers, author, comedy writer, and founder of humor newspaper and now website the Onion, on Thursday, Sept. 29, when he will present MCLA’s Hardman Lecture, “Fake News in the Age of Misinformation: The History of the Onion and How the Philosophies and Practices Have Adapted Over Time,” at 7 p.m. in the MCLA Church Street Center’s Eleanor Furst Roberts Auditorium.

This lecture event is free and open to the public. This series presents in-depth discussions with some of the leading journalists of our time and is made possible through the generosity of the Hardman Family Endowment.

With the Onion, Dikkers created a small college humor publication and grew it into one of today’s most recognized comedy platforms at theonion.com. He’ll share his experiences about how being committed to a unique vision — and standing firm in the face of seemingly impossible challenges and threats — can translate into genuine differentiation and robust brand equity for any organization.

As co-founder and longest-serving editor-in-chief of the Onion, Dikkers has written multiple comedy books. His work has won him a Peabody award, the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and dozens of Webby Awards. In addition, he earned the number-43 spot on Time magazine’s list of the Top 50 “Cyber Elite,” alongside such iconic figures as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and George Lucas.

In his latest book, Outrageous Marketing: The Story of The Onion and How to Build a Powerful Brand with No Marketing Budget, and his many speaking engagements, Dikkers details how he staffed the company with quirky individuals who often had unstable family environments similar to his and shared his dark sense of humor.

In the Hardman Lecture, Dikkers will reflect on the freedom and support he gave his writing team that enabled the Onion to break through the noise in a media-saturated landscape, overcome doubters and legal obstacles, and prove time and again that being outrageous leads to the best possible version of a brand. He will also dive into some of the most basic principles that can help transcend an organization’s marketing limitations, get the best work out of the employees, and attract devoted, lifelong customers.

A student and faculty question-and-answer session will be held at 4:15 p.m. in the Freel Library on Sept. 29 prior to the evening lecture.

Upcoming fall lecturers at MCLA will include New York Times bestselling author and the chair of Princeton’s Department of African Studies, Eddie Glaude Jr., who will present the 2022 Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture, “Race & Democracy: America is Always Changing, but America Never Changes” on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Church Street Center’s Eleanor Furst Roberts Auditorium.

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA’s Division of Graduate & Continuing Education (DGCE) announced the 2022-23 schedule of information sessions for those interested in completing a bachelor’s degree or pursuing a master of business administration (MBA) degree. The 30-minute information sessions will be available in-person and online in North Adams and Pittsfield through August 2023.

The community is invited to the Tuesday, Sept. 20 information session at 5 p.m. in North Adams, MCLA Murdock Hall Room 208, or Tuesday, Sept. 27 at noon at 66 Allen St., Pittsfield, with optional remote registration for all sessions.

MCLA’s degree-completion programs are designed for adult learners seeking accelerated, non-traditional pathways to completing bachelor’s degrees. Each program uses a cohort-style learning format in which students begin their courses of study in groups with their peers and proceed through the program together.

Each information session will provide participants with an overview of DGCE programs, including the MBA, master of education (MEd), degree-completion programs (business administration and interdisciplinary studies), and certificate programs (accounting and cybersecurity).

Completion of a bachelor’s degree includes business administration or a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies. Students in the interdisciplinary program may focus on children, families, and society; leadership and business; health and human services; or create an individualized plan of study with assistance from an advisor.

Program leaders will meet with session participants to provide an overview of DGCE’s curriculum and programs, including program locations, schedules, tuition costs, financial aid, and how to apply, transfer credit, academic support, student services, and career opportunities.

The program offers classes in the evening at MCLA Pittsfield and online one night per week to accommodate students meeting the demands of work, family, and their studies. Community members interested in pursuing a graduate degree or finishing their bachelor’s degree with evening classes at MCLA’s location in Pittsfield are encouraged to attend. Representatives from each program will answer questions related to academics, the application process, education timelines, and more.

For a complete schedule of information sessions and registration links, visit tinyurl.com/y8a95tsh. To learn more about MCLA DGCE’s programming and how to apply, visit www.mcla.edu.