AIC AGAIN EARNS MILITARY-FRIENDLY DISTINCTION

THE COLLEGE HAS AGAIN earned the Military Friendly® School distinction based on the organization’s evaluation of public data sources and responses to its proprietary survey. Of the more than 1,200 institutions assessed, 747 earn the designation. “American International College is proud to be recognized as an institution that assists men and women who serve our country,” says AIC President Vince Maniaci. “The College appreciates the value of the many educational and leadership experiences that occur in the armed forces, and the excellent foundation that military service provides. In turn, we give transfer credits for students’ time in the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, helping active duty service members and veterans get a head start on earning their degrees.”

2021 COMMENCEMENT OFFERS IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CELEBRATIONS

THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS has created a series of smaller, in-person Commencement ceremonies to recognize all graduating students, both undergraduate and graduate, which will take place between Thursday, May 6, 2021, and Saturday, May 8, 2021. Due to distancing requirements and space limitations, guests will not be permitted. However, each ceremony will be livestreamed, and graduates will have the opportunity to walk the stage in recognition of their achievement.

“There is no question that this has been a challenging year,” wrote President Maniaci, in a letter to graduating students announcing the hybridized Commencement format. “Your ability to overcome obstacles and your perseverance with your studies should be a great source of pride for you, your faculty, and your families. On behalf of the deans, faculty, and administration, I commend your dedication and extend heartfelt congratulations leading up to your graduation from AIC.”

A virtual Commencement will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2021, a week later than originally scheduled, to allow students to return home to celebrate with family.

PROF. BARLOW SECURES SIZEABLE GRANT FOR OT TRAINING PROGRAM

KATE BARLOW, OTD, MS, OTR/L, received a grant from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), a network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and their communities. Awarded in August 2020, the $94,000 grant supports a collaborative project between AIC, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Bunker Hill Community College, the Healthy Chelsea Initiative, and other area partners to provide training for early childhood development professionals.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES OFFERS TELEHEALTH CLINICS

THE RAPID SHIFT to virtual instruction disproportionately affected those in health sciences majors, which require students to spend months in a clinical setting to gain hands-on experience. To address this unique challenge, AIC’s School of Health Sciences faculty have run telehealth clinics to allow students to maintain their clinical hours. Karen Rousseau, RN, PhD, dean of the School of Health Sciences, believes the new format also prepares students for the future of healthcare.

“We are going to see more telehealth in health care,” she told Health Care News, “so education needs to address this on a broader scope going forward.”

“We are all health care providers,” she added, “so we learn how to protect our patients and ourselves, even when we are confronting a communicable disease.”

TESTING CENTER AND CONTACT TRACING KEEP VIRUS AT BAY ON CAMPUS

PER STATE MANDATES, students returning to campus for the Spring 2021 semester were tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and remained in a modified quarantine in their assigned living space until they received a negative test result.

The College established the AIC Testing Center in the Magna Hall parking lot and the Supportive Learning Services building, where students and employees underwent mandatory regular surveillance testing throughout the semester. Students and employees in the testing program were given a testing frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.) and a day of the week to be tested.

The AIC Contact Tracing Team was proactive in first alerting those who tested positive to determine if they had been in close contact with anyone at risk of contracting the virus. Any close contacts were swiftly notified and required to quarantine immediately. The College designated quarantine housing for on-campus resident students to prevent a potential spread and monitor any symptoms that might develop.

MODEL CONGRESS MAINTAINS LONGEST-RUNNING STATUS WITH VIRTUAL SESSION

AIC CONVENED its eighty-first annual Model Congress on April 15, 2021. Due to the pandemic, the traditional weekend-long conference was replaced by a free-to-attend Zoom emergency session. To simulate a Congressional emergency session, participants did not know the topic of the legislation until minutes before the session began. In the interest of having fun while upholding this cherished annual tradition, no awards were presented this year.

Founded in 1940, AIC’s is the longest continuously running Model Congress of its kind in the nation, and one of the College’s oldest campus traditions. With support from faculty and staff, AIC student leaders have kept the program thriving and secured its place as an educational opportunity for high school students throughout the Northeast for eight decades.