Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/469117
www.wbjournal.com • Worcester Business Journal 77 Framingham State University Quinsigamond Community College Worcester Polytechnic Institute UMass Medical School* MCPHS University** Daniel M. Asquino 1987 - present Philip D. Vairo 1982-1991 Kalyan K. Ghosh 1992-2002 Janelle C. Ashley 2002-2011 Barry M. Maloney 2011 - present Paul F. Weller 1985-1995 Raymond N. Kieft 1996-1999 Helen L. Heineman 1999-2006 Timothy Flanagan 2006-2013 Robert Martin (interim) 2013-2014 F. Javier Cevallos 2014 - present Cliffford Peterson 1980 - 1994 Sandra Kurtinitis 1995-2006 Gail E. Carberry 2006 - present Jon C. Strauss 1985 - 1996 Edward A. Parish 1996 - 2005 Dennis D. Berkey 2004 - 2013 Philip B. Ryan (interim) 2013-2014 Leonard Laster 1987-1990 Aaron Lazare 1990-2007 Michael Collins 2007 - present Charles Monahan 1997 - present Laurie Leshin 2014 - present CENTRAL MASS. 2025: EDUCATION "If you sit still, numbers will decline," Miller said. Adjusting to how students learn Schools like Nichols and Anna Maria that are investing more dollars in online education aren't just strengthening their prospects; they're adjusting to a new reality in which incoming students are native technology users. "The expectation of the traditional student is that they should be able to take a course anywhere, anytime," said Robin Robinson, director of education technology and support at Framingham State University (FSU). Robinson's job is to help professors make sure they design effective online courses that engage students when they're not in a classroom. And that's no small task, Robinson said, estimating that it takes 16 weeks to prepare online curriculum for a 16-week course. Online education primarily caters to working professionals taking graduate- level courses at FSU, as at other schools, but Robinson said online education is now a part of every program to some degree. And she thinks that's a good thing. Robinson said online education requires every student to participate, so they can't hide in the back of a class- room. This helps students learn how to contribute to a discussion, which helps prepare them for the workplace. Many faculty members actually prefer to mix online and traditional courses in what's known as a hybrid model, but Robinson said not to expect in-person instruction to disappear just yet. "I don't see the classroom teacher being replaced by a computer, at least (not) in the next 20 to 50 years," Robinson said. Personalization through technology For younger students, the adoption of technology in the classroom has been a bit slower. So says Bill Rust, an educa- tion analyst at Connecticut-based research and advisory firm Gartner. The level at which public school districts have embraced technology in education is a mixed bag, Rust said, but for those that have, the potential to improve learning is great. Making mobile devices available to all students holds particular promise for personalizing education so students can learn at their own pace, Rust said. IT vendors are recognizing the potential for this opportunity, but they also have to continue to sell to today's school admin- Vincent J. Mara Fitchburg State University 28 Daniel M. Asquino Mt. Wachusett Community College 27 Rev. John E. Brooks College of the Holy Cross 24 Joseph H. Hagan Assumption College 20 Lowell C. Smith Nichols College 18 Charles Monahan MCPHS University 17 Aaron Lazare Univ. of Mass. Medical School 17 Richard P. Traina Clark University 16 Sr. Bernadette Madore Anna Maria College 16 Clifford Peterson Quinsigamond Community College 14 Longest-serving college presidents of last quarter-century istrators, many of whom hold a nostal- gic view of textbook learning. Still, more school districts Rust works with are developing strategic plans for technology use in an effort to make schools reflect the world in which today's students live. "Do you think I would go to look up information in a library anymore? It just doesn't happen," Rust said. n PRESIDENT SCHOOL YEARS Worcester State University Mt. Wachusett Community College