BCC partners with Westfield State to streamline transfer process for future educators
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) and Westfield State University (WSU) have created a partnership designed to encourage and streamline the transfer of qualified students from BCC to WSU. This “transfer articulation agreement” awards academic credit for qualifying courses completed in the Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts program at BCC and applies them toward the requirements for the WSU Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) degree with licensure.
The agreement provides BCC students seeking to transfer to WSU with guidelines for the application process, including information on transferring coursework and credits, whether completed or outstanding.
“Berkshire Community College supports a barrier-free public academic experience,” said Patricia Kay, BCC associate professor of Early Childhood Education and Education Department chair. “Streamlining the process of transferring to WSU can only improve the value of an affordable public education, which cannot be understated.”
The articulation agreement was designed to meet the terms of the statewide MassTransfer Pathways Program in Elementary Education, a collaboration among the Commonwealth’s community colleges, state universities, and the University of Massachusetts.
Under the agreement, WSU guarantees the acceptance of students to its BSE degree program who complete the BCC Liberal Arts Associates Degree program with an overall GPA of 2.80 or higher. These students, who may be admitted to WSU via either the full-time undergraduate day division or the College of Graduate and Continuing Education, will be guaranteed 60 credits in transfer upon completing the associate degree under the terms of the Pathways Program.
For WSU registration information, click here, call 413-579-3040 or email admissions@ westfield.ma.edu. For more information on transferring from BCC to WSU, email Patricia Kay at pkay@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-236-4626.
—A.K.
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William Pitt — Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty wins MUSE awards
STAMFORD, Conn. — William Pitt — Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, which serves Connecticut, Westchester County, New York, and the Berkshires, recently won the Platinum award in the Lifestyle category and Gold in the Social Media category at the MUSE Awards.
The MUSE Awards is a series of international competitions hosted by the International Awards Associate (IAA), catering to professionals from various industries to promote excellence in their respective fields. With over 3,900 entries from all over the world, the competition is one of the leading programs in honoring creative and design excellence.
William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty was recognized for its successful “Beyond the City” video campaign, developed to target New York City residents seeking to relocate to markets represented by the firm. With the New York suburbs experiencing a significant increase in buyers as a response to the pandemic, the company set out to create a campaign aimed at sharing the firm’s local knowledge and market expertise with those new to the area. Organic and paid promotions ran on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, while Google Adwords was used for display retargeting and keyword campaigns.
“Our goal with this campaign is to further capture those potential buyers expressing interest in moving from New York City to the beautiful suburban communities we serve, while supporting our agents as they help their clients find their dream homes beyond the city,” said Ashley Breunich, vice president of marketing with William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s. “We are so thrilled and humbled to be recognized for our efforts by such a prestigious association. The honor goes to our entire staff of creative marketing professionals, a team I’m proud to work with every day.”
—A.K.
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Berkshire Money Management’s Wheeler earns Front-Line Leadership certification
DALTON — Berkshire Money Management’s operations manager, Natalie Wheeler, has completed the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ (A.I.M.) Front-Line Leadership certification series. The rigorous, 30-hour program focuses on business planning and aligning team efforts, supporting and prioritizing team goals through hands-on exercises, improving company culture during a crisis, and conflict resolution. The series also focuses heavily on leading a diverse and inclusive workforce that includes addressing multi-generational differences among employees, methods for inclusion that provide equal opportunities, and reviewing cultural issues that may affect recruitment and retention.
—A.K.
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MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Services adds staff member
PITTSFIELD — Gail Molari, president and CEO of MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Services, announced that Jenipher DiNicola has joined the company in the role of administrative assistant.
DiNicola will provide support to staff for both MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Divisions. She will be responsible for pre-screening and initial communications with new applicants, carrying out tasks to support day-to-day operations, and in-house staff. DiNicola returns to Pittsfield, having previously worked as an HR manager for Premium Waters/Ice River Springs in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
—A.K.
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BFAIR adds fundraising and grants manager
NORTH ADAMS — BFAIR recently added a new position, Fundraising and Grants Manager, to the organization and welcomed Tara Jacobsen into the role.
Jacobsen recently relocated to the Berkshires from Seattle. In both her personal and professional life, Jacobsen works to create systems and relationships based in empathy, accessibility, and fairness. She has been working in fundraising and community engagement for the past eight years.
Volunteering for a local nonprofit in Boston led Jacobsen to realize her passion for working in partnership with others who also want to make a difference in their community. “With her considerable experience in community engagement, it will be a pleasure to introduce Tara to businesses and residents who have so generously contributed to support BFAIR’s mission,” said BFAIR CEO Rich Weisenflue.
Tara can be reached at tjacobsen@bfair.org or 413-464-7232, Ext. 318.
—A.K.
