Spring 2016

Turning the Spotlight on College and Career

Readiness
The Association of Proprietary
Colleges (APC) represents
New Yorks degree-granting
proprietary colleges one
of the states four sectors of
higher education.
Like all state colleges, New
Yorks degree-granting
proprietary colleges are

governed by the states Board

of Regents. APC member
colleges provide students
with valuable educational
opportunities and are focused
not only on preparing
students for their career,
they are helping high school
students get ready for college.

Bryant & Stratton is Giving

High School Seniors a
Jump Start
High school students can
be very apprehensive about
managing a college workload.
Thanks to Bryant & Stratton
Colleges JumpStart program,
students are getting to
experience a college classroom
firsthand while they are still
in high school.
Through a partnership with
Bryant & Stratton College,
Lancaster High School seniors
can fulfil their English 12
requirement and experience
a typical college composition
classroom. Students who have
elected to participate meet
with two Bryant & Stratton

Approximately
40 percent of high
school seniors in
New York are prepared
for college-level work.
About twice as many
students go to college.
Source New York State Education
Department Aspirational Performance
Measure (APM), a calculation that
indicates college readiness.

faculty members weekly for

40 minute sessions.
Working in partnership with
the Lancaster English 12
instructors, students receive
instruction in the writing and
research processes, as well
as exposure to higher-order
thinking strategies expected
universally at two- and fouryear colleges and universities.
After successfully completing
the course, students earn
three college credit hours, at
no cost.
Opting to take the Bryant
& Stratton course for college
[cont. on next page]
1

Bryant & Stratton Colleges JumpStart

Program brings college level courses
to high schools, enabling students
to receive college credit before they
graduate from high school - at no cost
to the student.
Lancaster High School Senior, Carly
Chomen (pictured), says the class
has been a terrific experience and is
helping her prepare for college in the
fall.

credit was an easy decision,

said Lancaster High School
senior, Carly Chomen. We
are expected to perform at
a college level, and while
that is very intimidating, our
professors are always there
for support. According to
Chomen, students compose a
series of essays throughout the
year that are used to support
a final college-level research
assignment. The essays
are evaluated by Bryant
& Stratton faculty using
guidelines typical in freshmen
composition courses. At the
end of the year, each student
is required to present to his or
her research findings to the
class.

To make sure we will be

prepared, our Bryant &
Stratton professors spent a
great deal of time explaining
what goes into a good
presentation. They even took
extra time to present to us,
which has been a tremendous
help.
Bryant & Stratton College
Instructor of English and
Communications, Allison
Flesher, said the colleges
partnership with Lancaster
Central High School began
in 2011 as a way to better
prepare high school students
for college.

Lancaster was looking to

partner with a college to
improve college readiness,
said Flesher. And Bryant &
Stratton was ready and able to
assist.
Over the past several years,
while college readiness
continues to be a focus, the
curriculum has been modified,
enabling qualified students
to receive three college credit
hours. Jumpstart classes
are available in all Bryant &
Stratton College geographic
areas (Western New York,
Rochester, Syracuse and
Albany).

Meet The Professor

Todd Melquist
Instructor at Jamestown
Business College
Education: SUNY Fredonia
Bachelor of Business
Administration (B.B.A.),
State University of New
York College at Buffalo NYS
Certification
Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania Master of
Education (M.Ed.)

Q. How did you come to

Jamestown Business College
(JBC)?
A. I grew up in the area
and attended Jamestown
High School. I have always
considered Jamestown home.
After I graduated from SUNY
Fredonia I landed a job in
marketing and advertising. I
enjoyed the position but felt
something was missing. My
wife always said that I would
make a great teacher, so I
decided to go back to school
and give it a try. She was right,
naturally. I love to teach. I
really enjoy helping students
move forward in their careers
by providing beneficial lessons
that go beyond the classroom.
My first position was a
Jamestown High School

teaching business, which

included designing lesson
plans to foster career
development. JBC hosted a
career day at the college for
area high school students and
I brought a group to meet the
JBC representatives. From that
day on, my connection with
JBC faculty and staff grew.
Q. How did your work in the
Jamestown Public School
system help prepare you for
your current position with
JBC?
A. Working with, and
understanding, the students
really helped prepare me.
Most Jamestown students
have jobs. In fact, many work
full-time to help their families
make ends meet. Knowing this
allows me to understand what
[cont. on next page]

motivates them. I often ask

myself, What can I provide,
what can I teach these
students that will ensure
their success, and ultimately
help their families and our
community?
Q. What is your favorite class
to teach and why?
A.I have two: Integrated
Marketing Communications,
because students have the
opportunity to develop their
own marketing plans and
advertising campaigns. They
can create an advertising
plan to rebrand an
existing business or for the
entrepreneurs in the group,
they can craft a business plan
for an enterprise they would
like to open one day.
The second is a business
management course. At
JBC, each faulty member
makes a point to meet with
local business managers and
owners. We ask employers
what their current needs are,
what industry changes they
are observing, and what skills
and traits they would like
their employees to have. And
many times they are looking
for leadership.
They would like to see
employees who are go-getters,
those who want to step up and
lead. This is what I address in
my management course. How
do you problem-solve to get
the job done?

Q. How have the rapid

advances in technology,
including social media such
as Twitter, Facebook and
Snapchat, influenced the
classroom?
A. While in-class, student
use of technology can be a
challenge, Ive embraced it. I
realize that students rely on
their phones and/or tablets
for many things today and
separating them is difficult at
times. I have tried to integrate
technology and create positive
use. I like our classroom
discussions to be as interactive
as possible.
For instance, there are
several interactive platforms
that truly engage students
and increase participation.
Platforms such as the poll
everywhere app,
nearpod.com, socrative, and
plickers enable me to engage
and assess students as learning
happens. Through the use of
real-time questioning, result
aggregation and visualization,
these applications provide
instant insight into levels
of understanding so I make
better use of class time.
In the past, when I polled my
classroom by a show of hands,
only a couple of students
would raise their hands.
Now, with the use of these
innovated new apps, I receive
100 percent participation. And
thats what Im looking for.
We also use these platforms

when creating our own polls

for market research.
Q. Tell me about JBCs new
career readiness program.
How is it different from other
initiatives?
A. Employers need employees
who are resourceful,
employees who come to work
on time, and who are able to
meet deadlines. As a result,
JBC recently introduced a
new career readiness program,
making the college and the
student more accountable.
Each student is assigned a
success coach who assists
students not only with
academic skills learned in the
class, but with the personal
and professional skills needed
to become a well-rounded
and productive employee.
Success coaches also help
students prepare for worst-case
scenarios, such as, what do
you do if your car breaks down
on the way to work? They
encourage students to stop and
[cont. on next page]

think, how can I accomplish

this task? These are some
of the things that will make
them good employees.
Q. When you are not at JBC,
where can you be found?
A. Home with family or on the
tee-ball field.

Q. Which three people

(famous or otherwise) would
you most likely invite to
be a guest speaker in your
classroom?
A. Steve Jobs, various local
business leaders, and (former
Disney CEO) Michael Eisner.

Connect With APC

www.facebook.com/
APCColleges

Two truths and a lie:

- Is a scratch golfer.
- Was a local radio
sportscaster.
- Zip-lined in the Amazon
rainforest.
Two books on the nightstand:
The Coming China Wars and
Inquisitors Key
www.twitter.com/
APCColleges

Paving the Way for the Successful College

Educational Journey
For high school students
interested in exploring careers
in business, fashion, interior
and graphic design, criminal
justice or legal studies,
Berkeley College offers a
Summer Workshop Series.
The two-day workshops are
open to high school juniors
and seniors and include a
combination of site visits and
hands-on classroom projects
under the guidance of a
Berkeley College professor.
The summer workshops
bring careers to life for
students and encourages them
to think about career paths
and the area of study they
would like to pursue after
high school, said Gretchen
Orsini, Berkeley College
Associate Vice President,
High School and Community
Outreach.

Site visits connect

students with business
professionals bring
careers to life
Students enrolled in the
fashion workshop learn
about the many exciting and
creative fields of the fashion
industry. Former site visits
have included trips to Ralph
Lauren, Anne Klein, Steve
Madden, and Tommy Hilfiger
showrooms in New York City.
Business leadership workshop
site visits have included
behind-the-scenes tours of
Tiffanys Distribution Center
in New Jersey, Google and the
New York Stock Exchange in
Manhattan. Criminal Justice
workshop students met
with judges, prosecutors and
attorneys.

These workshops include

visits to courthouses and
correction facilities. Students
interested in law enforcement
may have the opportunity to
participate in a SWAT team
drill.
A trip to an advertising agency
in Manhattan last year offered
students in the graphic design
workshop an opportunity to
speak with graphic designers,
typographers and visual
marketers, while interior
design students learned
about the architecture inside
[cont. on next page]

Lambert Castle and Ballantine

House museums.
The site visits are an
important component of
the workshops. They help
students to understand how
the skills they will learn in
the classroom are being used
every day in the workplace,
Orsini said.

Jumpstart offers
incoming students the
extra help they may
need
Some students need help in
preparation for the higher
level of work they encounter
in college. For these students,
Berkeley College developed
the Jumpstart program to

address a students specific

needs. The Jumpstart program
gives students the opportunity
to take optional remedial
courses at no cost before
they begin their studies at
Berkeley College. The program
is offered to high school and
adult students and is held
throughout the year.

The College of Westchesters Summer

Exploration Academy Offers College Credit to
Incoming High School Juniors and Seniors
For high school students
entering their junior or
senior year, The College of
Westchester (CW) offers four
college courses during the
summer months, allowing
students to get a head start on
their college education.

Healthcare Law and

Ethics introducing
students to a variety of
ethical matters that a
healthcare professional
may encounter during the
course of his or her careers;
and

Students can choose from a

variety of courses, such as:

Computer Forensics,
using scientific software
to examine digital media,
past and current computer
operating systems and
computer hardware for
evidence of a crime.

Oral Communications,
which covers the
organization of thoughts,
voice control and requires
as series of presentations;
Principles of Marketing,
examining the process,
organization and buyer
behavior, as well as
product marketing and
management, distribution,
promotion, and pricing;

Today a college education is

more important than ever,
said Mary Beth Del Balzo,
president of The College of
Westchester. Yet all too often
high school students become
overwhelmed by the idea of
taking a college-level course.
Our Summer Exploration

Academy allows students

to take a college course in
a supportive environment.
This builds their confidence
and encourages students to
continue their education. It
also enables students to see
where their interests lie.

Learn more about

this program at:
www.cw.edu/
summer-collegehs-students

LIM College Named to Phi Theta Kappas

Transfer Honor Roll
Recognized as one of the nations top colleges and universities supporting
community college transfer students
LIM College has been selected
by Phi Theta Kappa as
one of 40 top colleges and
universities nationwide
that are creating dynamic
pathways to support students
transferring from community
colleges.
Phi Theta Kappa is the oldest,
largest and most prestigious
honor society recognizing
students pursuing two-year
degrees.
It is made up of more than
three million members and
nearly 1,300 chapters in nine
nations. Phi Theta Kappas
inaugural Excellence in
Community College Transfer

Honor Roll identifies the

top four-year colleges
and universities offering
exemplary programs,
initiatives and benefits for
community college transfers.
Institutions named to the
list were judged based on
engagement, collaboration,
impact and achievements
related to the transfer of
community college students.
Partnerships, support
systems, admissions
outreach, scholarships/
financial aid, student
engagement opportunities and
institutional priorities also
were considered.

One of the ways LIM provides

unique support for transfer
students is through an event
called The Real Transfers
of LIM. Held each semester,
it brings together incoming,
current and alumni transfer
students to network and share
personal experiences, with an
emphasis on career-building
opportunities.
We are honored to be named
to Phi Theta Kappas first
Transfer Honor Roll, said LIM
College President Elizabeth S.
Marcuse. Transfer students
make up a sizable portion of
the student body. Our goal
is to make their transition
to our community seamless,
and to provide these students
with the most supportive
environment possible for
pursuing an education in the
business of fashion.

Connect
With APC
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APCColleges
Left : Lauren Fisher, Connor deGuehery, Celestine Diehl, John Lynch,
Mandisa Samuel and Jessie Rix.

LIM College Showcases

Student Talent

First Time
Competitors,
The College of
Westchester
Enactus Team
Receives
Award
The College of Westchester
(CW) Enactus team
participated for the first time
and was awarded Rookie
of the Year at the Enactus
United National Exposition
regional competitions in
Washington, D.C.
Enactus is an international
organization that connects
student, academic and
business leaders to create and
implement entrepreneurial
projects around the globe.

Above: Students attend LIM Colleges annual student-produced fashion

show. This years show, held at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on
April 15, was the culmination of several months of work by many LIM
College students. Fashion publicist, TV personality, and New York Times
Best-Selling Author Kelly Cutrone served as the celebrity guest host.

Located in Manhattan
the nations fashion and
business capital LIM
College provides students
with vast opportunities for
hands-on experience and
professional development.

Alumni have gone on to excel

at top companies, including
The Jones Group, Saks Fifth
Avenue, Barneys New York,
Harpers Bazaar, and Chanel.

The experience helps students

develop the kind of talent and
perspective that are essential
to leadership in an ever-more
complicated and challenging
world.
Jimmy Hernandez, CW
Enactus team member, said,
Competing in the 2016
Regional Competition was
a great experience, and the
start of a new beginning for
The College of Westchester
Enactus team.
[cont. on next page]

CW student projects were

evaluated by business leaders
serving as judges who ranked
them on how successful
they were at using business
concepts to improve the
quality of life and standard of
living of those in need.
Right: Congratulations to the
College of Westchester (CW)
Enactus team!

LIM College Expands Summer Fashion Lab to

Middle School Students
Fashion Lab Lets Students Explore Fashion in New York City
With young people becoming
interested in fashion even
before they enter high school,
LIM College has expanded its
Summer Fashion Lab. The
new Middle School Fashion
Lab is a fun, interactive
one-week summer program
for students ages 11 to 13.
Participants will learn about
key fashion business areas
such as merchandising,
buying, and styling through a
series of industry workshops
and field trips.
LIM College faculty and
industry professionals
teach the classes, providing
students with a glimpse into
the fashion world. Current
undergraduate students serve
as mentors and chaperones,
making for a rewarding and
memorable experience.

Our Summer Fashion Lab

has a long tradition of giving
high school and visiting
college students the exciting
opportunity to study fashion
in New York City and learn
firsthand about the many
exciting career paths the
fashion business has to offer,
said LIM College President
Elizabeth S. Marcuse. Today
more young people are
becoming interested in the
fashion business, so weve
added a workshop for middle
school students so they
too can learn directly from
industry professionals and get
a jump start on defining their
career interests within the
fashion industry.
LIM Colleges traditional
Summer Fashion Lab is a
comprehensive program that
offers high school and college
8

students the opportunity to

study fashion at the college
level, experience New York
City, and test drive a college
exclusively devoted to the
business of fashion. Students
have a variety of credit and
non-credit courses to choose
from, such as Pop Cultures
Influence on Fashion, Career
Development & Personal
Branding, and Fashion Blogger
Boot Camp. Last year, nearly
400 students from across
the U.S. and several other
countries attended Summer
Fashion Lab.

Empowering and Supporting Students to

Ensure Success
APC member colleges
create opportunities to help
educationally disadvantaged
and minority students,
thrive and graduate. This

includes offering small

class sizes, which provides
a more attentive learning
environment; internship
programs, which energize

students by putting them

in real work settings; and
remedial programs, which
help students acclimate to the
pace and demands of college
study.

Building Competence, Confidence and Character

Monroe Colleges AIMHigh
Empowerment Institute
(AIMHigh EI) provides
young men, many who
come from disenfranchised
neighborhoods, the academic
and social resources to
become successful in life.
Monroe College created the
AIMHigh EI in the fall of 2014
to counter troubling national
statistics regarding the weak
enrollment and even weaker
program completion rates for
urban young men of color.
Through AIMHigh EI, select
students acquire the skills,
confidence and perspective

to effectively transform their

lives through education.
Inductees participate in
twice-weekly mentoring
sessions where they receive
guidance on academics, job
skills, personal conduct and
character, and are counseled
on how best to manage
personal challenges. They
visit local schools to inspire
others and engage in myriad
community outreach and
volunteering projects to
learn accountability and
responsibility. A full 90
percent of AIMHigh EI
students were still actively
enrolled one year later a

From left: Monroe College students and AIMHigh EI participants pause

for a photo of the colleges Male Empowerment, Tying into Manhood
Event. More than 300 high school students from local high schools
attended.

retention rate that is nearly

double the national trend.
Twelve percent of them made
the deans or presidents list.
Monroe College is a national
leader in educating urban and
international students, and
through this transformative
program we have shown
that we can change the
trajectory of at-risk students
lives and make a meaningful
impact on their futures,
said Dr. Cecil Wright, dean
of admissions and founder
of Male Empowerment
at Monroe College. As
educators and members of the
community, we view it as our
responsibility to help young
men find the competence,
confidence and character they
need to truly thrive and lead
meaningful, productive lives.
Monroe College has
approximately 7,000 students
and 1,100 faculty and staff
members, with campuses in
the Bronx and New Rochelle.
It also has an extension site in
Queens. View a video about
the AIMHigh EI program.

Male Empowerment: Tying

into Manhood
Recently, more than 300
high school students from
local high schools gathered
at Monroe Colleges Bronx
campus for the colleges
Seventh Annual Male
Empowerment Event.
This years theme is Tying
into Manhood, inspiring
young men to show their
commitment to success,
inside and out. Students
were matched with working
professionals to discuss
important subjects such as
developing good character,
the value of education and
community service, and
relationships and fatherhood.

In 2010, Monroe College

launched Male Empowerment
to address the growing dropout rate among Latino and
African American students.
Since the first event, more
than 2,000 young men
have attended the Male
Empowerment seminars, and
more than 300 mentors have
volunteered at the events.
The events success paved
the way for establishment of
the AIMHigh Empowerment
Institute in 2014.

College
Readiness
Academy
To help make sure incoming
students are prepared to
handle to rigors of college,
Monroe College offers a
free, non-credit program
to high school seniors who
demonstrate the potential to
become successful Monroe
College students. The
intensive two-week program
helps these students enhance
their writing and research
skills and understand what
will be expected of them in
college.

Above: Monroe College Mentor, Harold S. Reed Jr., shows a mentee how to tie his necktie.

10

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Association of Proprietary

Colleges, we invite you to join us as we celebrate and recognize more
than 25 years of service and commitment of our President,

Stephen J. Jerome
A reception and dinner will be held in his honor on
Tuesday, June 21, 6 p.m.
The Otesaga Hotel, 60 Lake Street
Cooperstown, New York
Please RSVP to Donna Stelling-Gurnett at
518-437-1867 or [email protected] by June 15

The history of proprietary

colleges in New York is rooted in
tradition and quality education,
which extends back to the
middle 1800s, far earlier than
the creation of the Association
of Proprietary Colleges (APC).
Stephen Jerome has played an
integral role in the growth of the
association since its inception,
and has long been a valued
mentor and trusted leader for the
Board of Directors and members
of the APC.
In 1978, Monroe College
President Stephen Jerome joined
with the presidents of Albany
Business College, Rochester
Business Institute, Utica School
of Commerce and the Wood
School to petition the New York

Board of Regents to establish the

New York Association of Private
Degree-Granting Institutions.
In 1985, the associations name
was changed to the Association
of Proprietary Colleges to better
reflect its standing as equal
partners with the other sectors
of higher education in New
York state, including public and
independent non-profit colleges.
Stephen joined Monroe College
in 1966 as an instructor and,
following successive leadership
positions, became its president
in 1978. Monroe, among the
leading higher education
institutions in the country for
graduating minority students,
offers certificate, associate,
bachelors, and masters degree

11

programs from its campuses in

the Bronx, New Rochelle, and the
Caribbean nation of St. Lucia, as
well as online. Monroe College is
accredited by the New York State
Board of Regents and the Middle
States Association of Colleges and
Schools.
Serving as president of APC since
1991, Stephen is a true champion
for APC members and the
students they serve. For many
years, he has provided testimony
at both the state and federal
level advocating for programs
that support the best interests
of APC students, and promote
equality for the proprietary
sector and stronger recognition
of the positive outcomes of APC
members.

Leadership Launch at Jamestown Business

College
Jamestown Business Colleges
Leadership Launch is a fiveweek leadership training
program for high school
seniors in Chautauqua,
Cattaraugus and Warren
counties.
As part of the program,
students participate in a

series of leadership activities

that include discussions with
local leaders and interactive
sessions on the topics of
communication, initiative and
leadership traits.
Students are nominated by
their high school teachers and
guidance counselors.

Weve been helping students

succeed for more than 90 years.
apc-colleges.org

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facebook.com/apccolleges

Association of Proprietary Colleges

121 State Street, Albany, NY 12207