About Us
The Northeast Regional Consortium (NERC) is a collaborative effort among key staff from Northern Essex Community College, North Shore Community College, Middlesex Community College, Mount Wachusett Community College, and Salem State University.
Our vision is excellent, globally-aware, and inclusive online educations and learning environments. Our mission is to develop and share resources with our member organizations and the broader community.
Members
Melba Acevedo (Chair), Director of the Center for Instructional Technology & Online Education, Northern Essex Community College
Jennifer Baker, Instructional Designer, North Shore Community College
Eliza Bobek, Director of the Center for Teaching Innovation, Salem State University
DJ Chase, Digital Accessibility Specialist, Northern Essex Community College
Kim Colangelo, Director of Learning Design and Technology, Mount Wachusett Community College
Daniela Loghin, Instructional Designer, Middlesex Community College
Roxanne McCorry, Director of the Academic Technology and Distance Learning, Middlesex Community College
Jim McGrath, Ph.D; Instructional Designer; Salem State University
Andrea Milligan, Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, North Shore Community College
Gail Rankin, Executive Director, Deputy CIO, Salem State University
Charter
The Northeast Regional Consortium strives to support faculty in the design and development of high-quality teaching and learning virtual environments that fully engage all students, as well as create professional development opportunities for faculty to reflect on and incorporate high-impact teaching practices. To this aim, we seek to promote a standard of excellence in online education and stimulate engagement in inclusive and equitable virtual environments while encouraging global awareness and cultural diversity.
The Northeast Regional Consortium will explore and make recommendations to the Partnership presidents regarding the potential for:
Developing a shared vision for high-quality course design and delivery.
Creating a common instructional design framework for the design of high-quality courses that encompass the shared vision.
Establishing shared professional development program(s) and an online resource offering researched-supported teaching and learning practices.
Partnering (leveraging) with other institutions, including MCO, to enrich professional growth opportunities and leverage existing resources.
Reviewing areas of cost savings and shared services such as:
Explore shared technical support services for faculty and students.
Conduct an analysis of software procured for the delivery of high-quality and engaging online learning courses and programs.
Consult on the acquisition of shared software to determine cost-savings and accessibility
Utilization of shared instructional design expertise to increase and broaden faculty access to resources that support high-quality teaching and learning.
Identify additional staff resources that provide efficiency in supporting collaborative initiatives.
In order to measure and monitor the effectiveness of changes to the existing structures and operations, the Northeast Regional Consortium will also recommend specific, measurable outcomes for the pilot project. Examples suggested by the initial consultants’ report include:
Enhanced faculty teaching experience
Enhanced student learning experience
Improved and increased inter-faculty collaboration
Optimized spending and cost avoidance