UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008 - (Page 21)

technology. Each program is backed by an advisory board that monitors the curriculum to ensure relevance to industry needs based on short- and long-term trends. “It was deliberate that two of our new programs were in the health field,” says Taylor, “When I arrived we had one: medical technology. We then added opticianry and pharmacy. We will continue to develop partnerships with the health care industry to determine their needs now and two, four, eight years out—what kind of programs BFIT can establish to address their needs and to create meaningful and well paying careers for our students.” In June of this year, the school signed an articulation agreement with Wentworth Institute of Technology that allows BFIT graduates in electronics engineering or mechanical engineering to transfer credits and pursue bachelor’s degrees. BFIT has similar programs with Northeastern University and Boston Architectural College, and Taylor is in talks with other area colleges to establish additional partnerships. He is also reaching out to area high schools with an innovative advancedplacement program. BFIT’s Early Access to College offers students from sixteen Boston public high schools the opportunity to take college courses, receiving dual credit for high school and college. The idea may invite comparison with the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® but it takes the concept a step further—the students take courses on campus in a college environment. “We want them to realize they can take college-level work and begin to understand the resources that a college can provide them,” says Taylor. “We specifically seek from the high schools what I call the ‘forgotten middle’ student. We don’t seek the top-tier student, because they’re going to be taken care of by the system itself. I’m looking for the student who’s kind of unclear about whether or not he’s able to go to college, either economically or educationally.” Taylor knows from personal experience what it’s like to overcome obstacles to education. The youngest of eight children born to hard-working Irish immigrants in South Boston, he was the first in his family to graduate from college. His father, who apprenticed as a blacksmith, worked in the Charlestown Navy Yard, eventually rising to the level of quarterman of the forge shop; he died when Taylor was eleven. Taylor’s mother took various jobs, working in downtown restaurants and other businesses while raising the family. There was not a lot of money for tuition in the household, but, encouraged by his parish priest, Taylor went to Boston State College and graduated in 1973. “Boston State College provided an affordable way to get a college degree, clearly—and a very good one,” says Taylor, “I was very pleased and look back at that fondly, in terms of some very dedicated people who provided me a great education.” In addition to introducing the Early Access students to the college They realize they can take college-level work and they begin to understand the resources that a college can provide them environment, Taylor makes a point of educating them about financial aid and scholarships to further reinforce the idea that college is an attainable goal. Student retention and graduation has been a major theme of Taylor’s presidency, and he’s established a number of programs designed to help ensure that students have every chance to graduate. He estimates that about forty percent of incoming students come to the school with significant academic need, so students are given a placement test and developmental classes to prepare them for college-level work. The idea of remedial classes in freshman year is not unique, but BFIT provides them free of cost to students who complete their degrees. “Students in today’s academic world typically have access to financial aid for eight semesters, and if that is extended, a significant portion of the financial burden falls directly on the student,” says Taylor, “It’s our intention that when they leave here, they’ve used four semesters of financial aid only. If it takes them five semesters to earn their associate’s degree, we pick up the difference. This enables the student to pursue a bachelor’s degree with financial aid eligibility.” Other measures Taylor has implemented to increase graduation rates include a unique “surround sound” —miChAel tAYlor advisory system that serves as an early warning system for academic trouble. If a student is having trouble in a subject, fails a test, or misses class, for example, the instructor contacts the student’s advisor, who talks with the student to plan a course of action that may include tutoring or other solutions. Taylor advises four or five students each semester himself. Taylor has also changed the testing system at the college to provide early feedback to students. “We don’t just do midterms and all of a sudden a student finds out ‘Oh my god I’m not going to pass this course,’ we do early testing to be able to identify the needs of the student so the advisory system can work even more effectively,” says Taylor. Thanks to these systems, BFIT’s graduation rate, which is currently twice the national average for two-year colleges, is rising. Taylor says the need for BFIT today is critical. “When we opened in 1908,” he says, “a guy like my father could get a well-paying job with a high-school education or a GED, as he did—he became a blacksmith. You could even get a job with good wages, with an eighth-grade education. Today 60 percent of all the new jobs created in Boston require at least an associate’s degree. Therefore, in my view, BFIT is far more important now than the day we opened.” Dave Ekrem is a freelance writer specializing in education and healthcare. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and three children. umass boston n

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008

UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008 Contents U News Values and Vision, Bricks and Mortar An Inauguration to Remember An Expedition to Iceland An American Original Reciprocal Dedication About Alumni Alumni Calendar A Report on Private Giving Generous Friends

UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008

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