Here’s a recent press release from Assabet that details their expanding partnership with Quinsigamond Community College.
At a recent breakfast celebrating the partnership between Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School and Quinsigamond Community College, Superintendent /Director Mary Jo Nawrocki announced that things are slowly falling into place for her plan for an eventual Associate’s Degree program at the school.
“A few years ago at a Chamber of Commerce event, Jack Cutone (Chairman of the Board at the time) and Suzanne Morreale-Leeber, (President and CEO of the Chamber), asked me what I would like from the Chamber. I said I’d like Assabet Valley to be able to offer a year 13 and 14, getting our students a head start on a 4 year degree. As it turned out, they both wanted a college presence in the city again, so an idea was born to make a connection with QCC. Today we celebrate that there is now an HVAC-R program for adults, using our facility and equipment, and a grant for a photovoltaic program that our students will be able to take,” she announced.
Carlos Davis, a former engineer who had been hired as a paraprofessional at Assabet this year, is also now the QCC
site coordinator for the connection. Gail Carberry, President of QCC, echoed Nawrocki’s sentiment, saying that the college had done a survey and decided that they were ready to expand their service area, and, the opportunity to connect with Assabet came at a perfect time. “I have been so incredibly impressed with Assabet Valley. Their programs and curriculum are all top shelf,” she exclaimed.Going forward, Assabet will be offering a three credit QCC Study Skills Course for free to up to 20 seniors, which will be transferrable to most colleges. Currently there are three adult QCC programs being offered at Assabet: English as a Second Language, Photovoltaic Systems, and HVAC-R. “I’ve always envisioned a campus in the Marlborough area that would facilitate going K-12, then years 13 and 14 at the community college level, and then on to the 4 year degree and even Masters level,” added Cutone.
Carberry reminded the audience that the affordability of the community college is the real bonus in this economy as a
springboard to the baccalaureate degree. “I think everyone in this room will agree that the more education, the better quality of life. We are happy to be a part of this new venture at Assabet Valley.”
