MAY 21, 2020
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
BC, Pine Manor College Announce Agreement BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
University Health Services nurses Melissa DeNucci and Yolanda Hobin with medical record and technology assistant Margaret Bligh. photo courtesy of university health services
Vigilance and Readiness Coronavirus crisis shines a light on the vital role of University Health Services, on the front lines of Boston College’s response BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
If there’s one department at Boston College that has the deepest, most up-close insight into the coronavirus pandemic, it’s University Health Services. UHS had its eye on the virus well before COVID-19 began attracting media and public attention, increasing its vigilance and readiness as the outbreak began to proliferate. And UHS was at the forefront of the University’s battle against the disease when it came to campus. Although an unprecedented event in many respects, the coronavirus crisis has shined a light on the special challenges of being a health care provider in a major university setting. For BC’s University Health Services personnel, the first months of 2020 tested not only their collective professional skills, but also their ability to adapt to fast-changing circumstances, collaborate with other BC offices and departments, and deliver different levels of care as necessary in an atmosphere of considerable anxiety about the threat of COVID-19. The period of March 16, when UHS
began testing for coronavirus, through April 22 offers a snapshot of the department’s activity. During this time, the department recorded 151 patient COVIDrelated contacts—by phone, telehealth sessions, or in-person visits—61 of which resulted in “unique” COVID-19 visits and evaluations. UHS administered 31 coronavirus tests on students living on or off campus; 17 of these were positive. Such numbers barely hint at the dayin/week-out assortment of tasks and procedures that have made up the UHS effort against the coronavirus, even while continuing to meet students’ other healthrelated needs. “I think Health Services has performed exceptionally well,” said UHS Director Thomas Nary, MD, in a recent interview. “We’ve gone by all the guidelines for health care workers as we’ve provided care to students who’ve needed it, and there have only been a few instances where someone had to miss a shift. Everybody showed up and did their jobs.” Continued on page 4
Pine Manor College and Boston College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will integrate the two institutions in a common mission to serve underrepresented, first-generation, low-income students. Under the agreement, Brookline-based Pine Manor College, a private, four-year liberal arts college renowned for serving underrepresented populations, will join forces with Boston College, a Jesuit, Catholic university with longstanding success in educating immigrant and first-generation students, in an educational partnership of mutual benefit that will accelerate and expand Pine Manor College’s mission. The agreement will establish the Pine
Manor Institute for Student Success, endowed with $50 million from Boston College, which will fund outreach and academic support programs for underserved, low-income students at Boston College. It will be guided by the legacy and ideals of Pine Manor College, whose motto “Educating with Purpose” aligns with Boston College’s motto “Ever to Excel.” Key offices at Boston College engaged in supporting low-income students, including Learning to Learn and the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, will be placed under the umbrella of the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success. The institute will also link students to such BC campus programs as Options through Education, the Monserrat Coalition, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Appalachia Volunteers, and 4Boston. Continued on page 3
Survey Results Indicate Faculty/Staff Satisfaction BY THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Boston College employees overwhelmingly feel fulfilled at BC, consider themselves valued members of the University community, endorse its mission, visions, and core values, and describe the University as a family-friendly place to work, according to the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey administered to all full-time BC employees in 2019. The survey, the second such assessment performed by Boston College, yielded a 51 percent response rate involving 1,679 faculty and staff. The sample was representative of a variety of demographics, including age, gender, years of service, and areas of employment. Administered online and in paper, the survey explored employee attitudes and opinions regarding BC’s work environment and community
characteristics as well as employees’ general satisfaction and perceived opportunities for professional development. Among the survey findings: •86 percent of University community members feel valued. •93 percent like working at the UniverContinued on page 7
INSIDE 3 Springsteen to speak at First Year Convocation. 5 BC launches Human-Centered Engineering program. 11 Retiring, 25-year employees.
NOTICE This is the final edition of Boston College Chronicle for the 2019-20 academic year. Chronicle will publish its annual summer edition in July. Be sure to follow BC News for updates on Boston College’s plans for the 2020-21 academic year and other University news.