Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 8, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 5 Worcester State, QCC & MWCC begin to reverse enrollment declines Aer years of declines, enrollment picked up significantly in the fall semes- ter for Worcester State University and both Central Massachusetts community colleges, part of a statewide trend where public college enrollment is rising, largely thanks to community colleges. Worcester State saw the high- est percentage increase of any non-community college in the state, at 6.2% in the fall semester, accord- ing to preliminary data released by the Massachusetts Department of High- er Education on Dec. 12. e preliminary report did not provide exact enrollment figures for the institutions, only percentage increases. e WSU increase comes aer en- rollment hit a 10-year low in fiscal 2023, where the public university had 4,418 in full-time equivalent enrollment, accord- ing to DHE data released in October. For the fall semester, Mount Wachu- sett Community College in Gardner had an increased enrollment of 12.4%. is came aer MWCC hit a 10-year full- time equivalent enrollment low of 1,751 in fiscal 2023. Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester had enrollment increased by 6.5% in the fall semester. QCC, too, hit a 10-year low of full-time equivalent enrollment of 3,794 in fiscal 2023. e other two Central Massachusetts state universities saw their enrollment drop further in the fall semester. Fitch- burg State University had enrollment drop 1% in the fall, aer the university in fiscal 2023 was at a 10-year low of 4,883. Framingham State University had enrollment decrease 5.2% in the fall semester, aer being a 10-year low of 3,621 in fiscal 2023. roughout Massachusetts, enroll- ment at public colleges and universities ticked up in the fall 2023 semester. Statewide, this is the first uptick in en- rollment in almost a decade of declining undergraduate participation at state colleges, according to the DHE report. e enrollment growth comes largely from community college enrollment, which was up 8%, more than 5,000 students, for the fall semester compared to 2022 figures. ere are nearly 153,000 students enrolled at public colleges across the state. Amazon opens same- day delivery site in Westborough As consumers scramble to complete their holiday shopping, Amazon has opened a same-day delivery facility in Westborough. is new location joins the compa- ny's Bridgewater location as the second same-day location in Massachusetts, according to a press release issued by the Seattle-based company on Dec. 20. e company expects 200 individuals to be employed at the facility, with that num- ber potentially expanding if warranted by customer demand. Located at 64 Otis St., Amazon says the new 200,000-square-foot facility will allow orders to be fulfilled more than an hour faster than its traditional fulfill- ment centers, with customers being given the option of selecting a delivery time window working best for them. e company is working to double the number of same-day delivery sites in the coming years, according to the release. Product selection varies by location and is based on consumer trends and seasonal demand. Amazon's Westborough presence has expanded since 2022. In addition to the 64 Otis St. location, the company has constructed a robotics research and development center at 50 Otis St., seeking to speed up delivery times with the use of robotic fulfillment technol- ogy. e company bought two other Westborough locations and a property in Graon in November 2022. UMass Memorial Medical Center to reinstate caregiver mask mandate UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester is reinstating its caregiver mask mandate for at least one month amid increasing rates of respiratory illness across Massachusetts. e medical center is the main hospital of the UMass Memorial Health system, the largest healthcare provider in Central Massachusetts. e center has 818 beds and 7,575 employees spread across three campuses: University, Me- morial, and Hahnemann. Effective Jan. 2, all caregivers will be required to wear masks during all pa- tient encounters, as well as in common areas, including hallways and cafete- rias, according to a statement from Dr. Andrew Karson, president of UMass Memorial Medical Group. Patients will not be required to mask, though it will be strongly encouraged. Visitors may be asked to wear a mask at the discretion of UMMC employees. Ryan Forsythe, WSU vice president of enrollment Don't fire Shannon O'Brien The Massachusetts regulatory agency Cannabis Control Commission has been embroiled in turmoil since Shannon O'Brien was suspended as its chair in September by State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. O'Brien has been fighting the suspension in court, although in late December a judge gave Goldberg the go-ahead to hold a hearing to potentially terminate O'Brien. The original suspension of O'Brien was related to allegations of racial insensitivity and her manner of announcing the resignation of former Executive Director Shawn Collins. When polled online, nearly two-thirds of WBJ readers said none of the accusations against O'Brien warrant her termination. Should Shannon O'Brien be terminated as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission? Brought to you by: 2.4%, 2.9%, 3.0%, 3.2% Local unemployment rates for the Framingham, Worcester, Leominster-Gardner, and Athol areas in November, all slight increases from October but lower than the same time a year before Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics $1.2 million Amount raised during Milford Regional Medical Center's Mélange Gala, a record for the annual fundraiser Source: Milford Regional Medical Center Sales price for the property at 110 Worcester Road in Sterling, purchased by the twin brothers Brandon and Michael Fusaro, who run Twins Lawn Service Source: Worcester District Registry of Deeds 27 Nashua St. New Leominster headquarters for Shirley manufacturer All-Star Sports, which focuses on equipment for catchers and umpires, after a corporation registered to its owner bought the site for $5 million Source: The Stubblebine Company/CORFAC International Yes, the evidence warrants her being removed from the position. Yes, the CCC needs new leadership, and soon. 15% 7% No, none of the accusations rise to the level of termination. 66% It's too early to determine at this stage of the investigation. 12% $675,000 W

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