In addition, the course has a component of international health, which addresses how public health needs are met in countries where resources are scarce, focusing heavily on community involvement to solve problems. Several guest speakers have been invited to share their expertise in fields such as proposal writing for funding community health projects; Liberation Theology and its impact on health in developing countries; homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health; and community services for underserved urban communities.

October 5: Joel Montague, Founder and President Emeritus of Partners for Development, whose mission is to work with “vulnerable and underserved populations in developing countries.” Mr. Montague has spent his career working in developing countries, most recently in Cambodia and Tajikistan in maternal/child health programs. During his talk on International Health: Proposals and Funding Guidelines, Mr. Montague shared his expertise in developing public health-related proposals for funding and stressed the importance of involving local people in needs assessment, program design, and project implementation.
www.pfd.org

October 26: Edward Cardoza, Director of Development for Partners in Health, Boston, came to talk about Liberation Theology and its Impact on the Work on PIH in Haiti. During his presentation, Mr. Cardoza talked about the current health and economic situation of Haiti and gave the students a clear picture of how PIH meets its mission to bring modern medical care to those most in need. Mr. Cardoza described Liberation Theology as a call observe, judge, and act. He added that it is not enough to do charity work, but that “it is fundamental to us, as a people, to pay attention to the poor, the oppressed, and to those most in need.” The mission of PIH is “both medical and moral, and is based on solidarity, rather than charity alone”. The founder of PIH is Dr. Paul Farmer, whose work in Haiti, Peru, and Siberia is chronicled in the current best seller, Mountains beyond Mountains.
www.pih.org

November 7: Gail Hall, Administrative Coordinator at New England Research Institutes (NERI), Watertown, MA, will come to speak about Homelessness, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health. NERI does public health research “to creatively investigate many disciplines with the goal of understanding diseases, associated behaviors, and the effectiveness of treatment options.” Ms. Hall consults regularly with managerial and decision-making people from a variety of projects, which include Substance Abuse Cost, Access, and Treatment and National Technical Assistance for Chronic Homelessness. Ms. Hall has also consulted for the Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services. She was recently honored with an award from the Public Voice Project of City Mission Society for notable achievements in educating the public in criminal justice reform.
www.neriscience.org

November 21: Rev. June Cooper, Executive Director of City Mission Society, Boston will talk about Reaching Out to Underserved, Urban Communities. The mission of CMS is “to strive to unite churches, other religious communities, organizations and disadvantaged and privileged individuals in Metropolitan Boston in the struggle for justice and peace for all people.” Founded in 1816, CMS is the second oldest multi-service agency in the country. Prior to her call to the ministry, Rev. Cooper most recently served as president of Cooper and Associates, a Boston-based firm that specializes in organizational development and planning for health and human service organizations and governmental agencies. June has also worked for the Boston Public Health Commission, the Medical Foundation, Digital Equipment Corporation, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She has held academic appointments at Boston College School of Social Work, Boston University School of Social Work, and Andover Newton Theological School.
www.cmsboston.org

On Monday, November 14, 2005, a total of nineteen individuals, both students and staff gathered together to model fashion from countries all over the world. The models represented countries such as: Cuba, Japan, Jamaica, Nepal, Kenya, Ghana, Korea, India and China. Undergraduate students as well as students participating in the Pine Manor English Language Institute, served as models. Each person was given the option to model a second outfit, showcasing their favorite modern outfit.

Some models, although American-born, were excited about modeling fashion representing a culture different from what they knew of. The event was held in the Pine Manor College Dining facility during dinner time. Audience members were lively and had a fantastic time cheering on the models. Some students volunteered to work as behind the scenes helpers, as many of the outfits took careful handling and extra time just to be properly worn. For an added touch, there was an international concert projected onto a screen for audience members to view while waiting for the show to begin. Huge thanks go to the students and staff that were so generous to loan clothing coming from their very own personal closets to make the show a success. The fashion show was a special event and a great reminder, helping the community to take a first look at the differing, complex and rich heritages that reside right here on the Pine Manor campus

The convocation address was delivered by the winner of the Gibson Teaching Award, Robert Shea, Associate Professor of Sociology and Assistant Dean of the First Year Experience, who asked “What does this ritual tell us about the PMC community? Why have we elected not to stretch out into a large auditorium but to cram ourselves into this beautiful space? We are a community that values intimacy. We value relationships and we value contact. We value not only sharing the same space, but also interacting with each other in meaningful ways. To sit close together and listen to each other, knowing that we all have much to teach and much to learn from each other.

“I believe,” Shea continued, “that we recognize and celebrate the fact that learning is not a one-way street in which knowledge is imparted from expert to novice, but that occurs in an environment where people become aware of each other as whole beings and recognize that each member of the community brings expertise from which all others can benefit.

“As we begin this year together, I urge all of us to engage each other more, listen more attentively to each other, and to be open to all the lessons that we can learn from one another,” he said. “Scan the room, and look a little closer. We’re a diverse lot and we come here from different places, with different backgrounds, and different experiences. We are, for the third year in a row, the most diverse college in the country, according to U.S. News.”

“It is not enough for us to have the potential to interact with others,” Shea emphasized. “If we do not seize the opportunity to do we have squandered something that is incredibly rare in our society. And while other institutions might marvel at our ranking and want to know how we achieved it, we are moving beyond this discussion and openly embracing the exciting possibilities of living and working in a diverse community.”

“In many ways we are a work in progress; an experiment,” Shea said. “And I, for one, am very grateful to be a part of it. My wish for us all for this year is that we both cherish the opportunity we have been given and challenge ourselves to teach and learn from each other in some unprecedented ways.”

“Finally, Shea concluded, “we, as a community, are committed to reflecting on the processes by which we grow and change. We recognize that the processes by which an outcome is achieved are at least as important, usually more so, than the outcome itself. Being able to note who we are and how we are changing is an important skill, and one which each of us can further cultivate. I encourage all of us to work on honing that skill this year.”

Professor Shea was followed by Zalikah Lewis, this year’s Student Government Association President who said, “As SGA President I look forward to leaving a legacy and a mark at PMC when I graduate next spring. I also look forward to leaving a group of confident and determined leaders who will create their own remarkable legacy. To do this they will need to acknowledge and accept challenges when confronted with them. All of us need to overtake and overcome our fears and go forward. Speak up if you’re uncomfortable, speak up if you’re unhappy, and speak up whenever you feel like. Let your voice be heard and your actions be seen. Taking action is a powerful thing.

“First Years,” Lewis pointed out, “this may seem like a new place but this is now your home, so get comfy and challenge all the obstacles in your way to your own legacy. Sophomores, you are now seasoned with a year under your belt and three more to attack like a lion in the jungle. Juniors, you’re almost out the door. But you still have some unfinished business and two years to do it. Seniors the Class of 2006, before you know it you’ll be out the door.

“Look out for the First Years, who may be shy,” she said. “Help the sophomores who are looking for the right fit. Encourage the juniors who feel like two years is still way too long. Essentially, what I’m saying is look out for one another. Build a cohesive unit; bring strength and power to the PMC community. Lastly, challenge the people who try to silence your voice and discourage your powerful efforts and energy.”

For the Fall 2004 semester, upon which this ranking is based, PMC students identified themselves according to the following racial/ethnic classifications:

"Pine Manor College is delighted to be acknowledged for our ability to make a high-quality, liberal arts education available to students of all economic and social backgrounds," said Gloria Nemerowicz, President of Pine Manor College. "The educational value of a diverse learning environment is very significant. Because of their interactions with people from a variety of backgrounds, our students are preparing for lives of inclusive leadership and social responsibility."

2006 U.S. News & World Report Rankings for Campus Diversity: BA LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

Dr. Susan Bear, Biology Program, brings a strong teaching and research background in microbiology and immunology. With degrees from Connecticut College and Tufts University, Dr. Bear has recently been Assistant Professor of Biology at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, and Senior Research Associate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Jefferson Medical College, also in Philadelphia.

Dr. Michele Cromwell, Social and Political Systems, has a doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University. In addition to her work as an assistant professor, Dr. Cromwell will serve as a Associate for Multi-Curriculum Development in the Center for ilsr.

Dr. Le Ngu, Psychology Program, has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utah, with postdoctoral training at the Center for Neurointegrative Services, under the auspices of Harvard Medical School, and the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology at Boston University’s Boston Medical Center.

Bruce Romano joins the mathematics faculty full-time after teaching part-time at PMC for several years. He will be completing his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics this fall at Brandeis University.

Inclusiveness vs. Exclusiveness

When Pine Manor transitioned from an elite private college to a model for diversity enrollment, not all alumni were celebrating—initially

Pine Manor graduates exemplify qualities that have characterized the spirit of the school since its inception in 1910.

By Eleanor Lee Yates

Founded in 1910, Pine Manor College is located on 60 verdant acres in the affluent suburb of Chestnut Hill outside of Boston. In the not-so-recent past, the private women's college provided a liberal arts education to the well-bred daughters of Massachusetts' wealthy class. Many young debutantes furthered their education en route to marrying well and taking their places in high society.

Today Pine Manor College has been reinvented. During the past decade, while maintaining its all-female enrollment, administrators have taken the college in a new direction. The college is racially and culturally diverse, with students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. In fact, US News & World Report's 2005 edition of "American's Best Colleges" ranked Pine Manor College No. 1 in the nation for campus diversity among liberal arts colleges for the second consecutive year. In addition, the magazine ranked them among the Top 10 liberal arts colleges in the country for the percentage of international students. Twenty-two countries are represented at the college.

Easier Said Than Done

Scientific exploration is a significant part of Pine Manor's curriculum of study. In a relatively short time, 10 years, president Gloria Nemerowicz and her administrative team have literally changed the face of Pine Manor The college had a small percentage of Black students in 1993, but the most recent student enrollment statistics (from fall 2003) shows that Black women make up 30 percent of the student body.

Pine Manor's makeover began in 1996 with the arrival of Nemerowicz, who had been the executive director of the Women's Leadership Institute at Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. Envisioning a new direction for the elite college, Nemerowicz had seen the value of diversity throughout her years in academia and decided to take a gamble on trying to attract a more racially and culturally diverse student body The steadily declining enrollment at the college, down to 265 students in 1996. helped facilitate the decision Today enrollment is more than 500, with 32 full-time faculty plus adjunct faculty. Approximately 13 percent of Pine Manor's faculty are of color.

Achieving a diverse student body is often easier said than done, and Pine Manor took the drastic measure of cutting its tuition costs by 34 percent six years ago to make the college more affordable to more students. And although the $26,000-a-year price tag is still out of reach for most of its students, U.S. News' survey reports that the college's graduating seniors have 70 percent less debt than most college students attending private liberal arts colleges. Approximately 85 percent of students receive some kind of aid, Nemerowicz says.

Pine Manor College seniors celebrate on graduation day. "We hold our breath all the time," Nemerowicz says about the effect of lowering tuition. "We don't have a big endowment. Tuition and board pays for less than half the expenses. We are still a struggling institution constantly trying to serve the needs of the underserved."

There are generous contributors, such as the Brown Foundation's $3 million challenge gift. But luring gifts and donations is extremely competitive now for private colleges.

The changes at Pine Manor angered some alumni, many of whom threatened to discontinue their financial support of their alma mater. And some alumni did walk away from the college, Nemerowicz recalls. But others, including those from years past, made the effort to come to campus to meet the students. It took a while, but there is strong backing by many older alumni today, Nemerowicz says.
'The alumni say they are so proud of the college," she adds. "We are not ashamed that this was a college for a privileged White class.That is an historical fact. We would be ashamed if this was a contemporary fact.”

Spreading the Word

Students say they feel a strong sense of camaraderie on campus. Along with cutting its tuition costs, Pine Manor had to work hard at actively recruiting a diverse student body. The college partners with a number of agencies, including Boston and other public school systems, as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs and the YMCA. The students perform many of their service-learning projects such as tutoring, literacy projects and other volunteer programs with the schools and at these agencies. The students gain experience from their projects, while promoting Pine Manor In fact, many of these students are now at Pine Manor because of these partnerships, Nemerowicz says.

"They are the best ambassadors for us," she adds. Students also spread the word about Pine Manor in their hometowns. And the president never turns down an opportunity to speak about the college.

Susan Webber, vice president for institutional advancement at Pine Manor, says she has the "fascinating challenge" of identifying who will make a good Pine Manor student.

"They have to appreciate the environment and a commitment to public service," she says.

According to Webber, the college's top marketing points are its small classes and individual attention, its affordability, its emphasis on preparing women for leadership roles and service learning and its diversity.

The college reaches out early to build relationships with future students, such as hosting an annual leadership conference for middle-school girls on campus that focuses on racial understanding.

"Our mission and vision are so strong that we reach out to students others may not take a chance on," says Bill Nichols, director of admissions.

Nichols recognizes that it's one thing to recruit students and another thing entirely to retain them. So the college's counseling center provides counselors, faculty advisors and others to provide individual support to help students blossom, Nichols says.

One student who has done just that is recent graduate Yasmine Noza, 21, who first learned about Pine Manor at a college fair near her Silver Spring, Md., home. The honor student was impressed by the Pine Manor students who called to share their experiences with her. Noza's family's budget was tight, so Pine Manor offered to pay her expenses for a visit.

"The campus was gorgeous, with a historical feel," Noza recalls. "The administration building is a mansion. The college has a close-knit community with small classes." An attractive financial aid package ultimately sealed the deal.

Noza, a biology major, found it easy to get to know classmates and professors. Having attended a high school with a diverse student body, the transition to Pine Manor was relatively easy.

Though her chemistry classes were a challenge, Noza says the students helped each other through, raising the class average to one of its highest.

Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Noza appreciated being at a college with a diverse student body. Students talked in depth about prejudice and racism.

"We had students who came from the (same) countries (as those) who hijacked the planes. They explained the culture and what is was like to be a woman in Arab countries,” she says. “I felt I was in a safe environment to talk."

Noza, who currently has a fellowship in nanotechnology at Penn State University and plans to attend medical school next year, also plans on being an enthusiastic alumnus for Pine Manor.

"There is definitely camaraderie there. I also feel the desire to give back,” she says. And she gives a lot of credit to Nemerowicz.

"The first time I met her, a group of students was moving along in the hall and she smiled and asked how we liked it. I thought she was another staff member," Noza says. Later Nemerowicz invited the entire dormitory over for a catered lunch. "The whole dorm signed up. It was really nice. Dr. Nemerowicz wanted to know about our experience, and how they could improve."

And Noza sees no lines of delineation between alumnae of yesterday and today.

"At a panel, I talked to some of the women who graduated some years ago," she recalls. "Though the college is a different place and times have changed, the spirit of Pine Manor binds us all."

Comparatively Speaking

How does Pine Manor stack up in terms of its diverse student body compared to some other women's colleges in Massachusetts?

Pine Manor College Student Enrollment (Fall 2003)

White: 30%
Black: 30%
International: 11%
Hispanic: 10%
Cape Verdean: 7%
Other: 7%
Asian American: 4%
American Indian: 1%
Total student enrollment: 500
Tuition: $13,612
Simmons College, Boston White: 78%
Asian American: 7%
Black: 7%
American Indian: 3%
Hispanic: 3%
Bi-raclal/other: 2%
Total student enrollment: 1,823
Tuition: $24,490
Smith College, Northampton White: 54%
Race/Ethnlclty Unknown: 17%
Asian American: 10%
Nonresident Alien: 7%
Black: 6%
Hispanic: 6%
American Indian: 1%
Total student enrollment: 2,692
Tuition: $30,520
Wellesley College, Wellesley White: 48%
Asian American: 25%
International: 7%
Other: 7%
Black: 6%
Undeclared: 6%
Hispanic: 5%
American Indian: 0.4%
Total student enrollment: 2,400
Tuition: $29,176
SOURCE: COMPILED BY BLACK ISSUES

Article published courtesy of Black Issues in Higher Education, now known as Diverse – Issues In Higher Education. www.diverseeducation.com

As part of the ceremony, honorees designated their award presenter; President Nemerowicz chose Donnaree Wynter ’05, who received the PMC President’s Cup Award in recognition of her personal and community accomplishments in furthering the understanding of inclusive leadership and social responsibility. Wynter also joined the PMC Admissions staff in August.

In accepting the award, President Nemerowicz said, “I am humbled and honored to receive this award and thrilled that Pine Manor College is being recognized in the community as a catalyst for change in the lives of women.”

Attending the ceremony were a number of PMC faculty and staff, two students, and Trustee Nadia Chamblin ’94. At the conclusion of the presentations PMC junior Rosandra Ortiz, a double major in History and English, said, “It made me proud to see Gloria onstage with such a great company of women. It was rewarding watching her get the accolades she deserved from her peers. The event and the award itself are a reflection of all the hard work she has done for the school.”

Marti Wilson-Taylor, YWCA President & CEO and PMC Trustee, stated that “The honor of election to the Academy of Women Achievers is given to celebrate the achievements of Boston-area women who have risen to extraordinary heights in their chosen field. We look to honor women, who, having been empowered themselves, are empowering others,” she said. “Our Academy of Women Achievers class of 2005 is a dynamic and dedicated group of women who have demonstrated leadership, made significant contributions to their organizations and communities, and have become role models for other women.”

“Our honorees,” Wilson continued, “are committed to the mission of the YWCA to empower women and eliminate racism, and they are working to build a future for all women in Boston.”

In addition to President Nemerowicz, the 2005 Academy of Women Achievers included Nancy Altobello, managing partner AABS New England, Ernst & Young; Dr. Alice Chiang, president and CEO, Teratech Corp; Dr. Roberta Herman, senior VP and chief medical officer, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care; Swanee Hunt, director of the Women’s Public Policy Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government; Denise Kaigler, corporate VP of global communications and talent relations, Reebok International Ltd.; Susan Lewis Solomont, senior fellow, The Philanthropic Initiative Inc.; Stephanie Sonnabend, president and CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corp.; Meg Vaillancourt, SVP of corporate relations, Boston Red Sox; and Kellye Walker, senior VP, general counsel, BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Biology Professor Elizabeth Gardner said, “These donations will allow us to create a new type of science lab on campus. We will be able to use it for both science lecture courses and for experimental work as need dictates. It is an innovative way to provide the space to meet rigorous academic demands while conserving precious resources by renovating an existing classroom for multiple uses.”

The new approach was stimulated by the unprecedented growth in the sciences at PMC, particularly biology. Almost all science courses have run at full capacity for the past few years, and most have had waiting lists. Two collaborations have been established—with the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College and the Marine Studies Consortium—and new initiatives have also been launched in the area of biomedical sciences.

In order to maximize use of existing classroom space, PMC developed a new type of design able to accommodate a variety of teaching demands. It uses laboratory desk pods instead of traditional benches so that students can work cooperatively on experiments and communicate with others during lab time, as well as take notes or view presentations during lectures. Computer-driven media equipment that will allow for presentations from mobile technology has been carefully sited so that each student can see materials presented during labs or lectures from any place in the room.

Initially the flexible laboratory will be used only as a “dry” lab (one in which hazardous materials are not used, although water and other liquids will be). However, the lab will have the infrastructure to allow its use to be expanded in the future. The lab will accommodate 20 students in groups of four at five pods. Ten microscopes will be available for student use, and the lab is completely wheelchair accessible.

Pine Manor College celebrated the graduation of 97 students at its 93rd commencement ceremony outdoors on its Chestnut Hill campus on Sunday, May 15, 2005, before a gathering of more than a thousand family members, friends of the College, and alumnae. Honorary doctorate degrees were conferred on television and documentary producer Callie Crossley ; education scholar Maconda Brown O'Connor '50 ; the chair of S&P Syndicate Public Company Ltd. of Bangkok and noted restaurateur Patara Raiva Sila-On '61 ; and the founding chair of the Lillian Vernon Corporation, Lillian Vernon.

In her remarks to the graduating seniors, Pine Manor College President Gloria Nemerowicz described the occasion as a celebration of PMC's learning community of women and the completion of a task done well. "Within a week of your coming to Pine Manor College the horrible tragedy of September 11 unfolded and suddenly everything changed. We all came to realize how precious human life is and how interdependent we all are. In the weeks and months that followed, we realized how vital our mission of tolerance and inclusivity is, and the compelling need for compassion for others."

Honorary degree recipient Callie Crossley reminded the graduates that humility is an essential element of character and that those at PMC who provided nurturing and mentoring gave the best gift of all by opening the doors of possibility . "You are truly unique as graduates of a women's college," she concluded. "You have found your own voice, you have been given an opportunity to develop both vision and values and now you need to make your mark on the world."

Lillian Vernon spoke of the opportunity for women in the business and financial sectors and called upon the graduates to "promise to never give up. Always strive to reach your dreams. Always move forward. Always be focused."

Degrees were awarded in Biology; Business Administration; Child Care Programs; Communication; English; History and Culture; Individualized Music; Liberal Studies; Psychology; Social and Political Systems; Visual Arts, and Visual Arts/Psychology.

Come to learn. Come to act. Come together.

Featuring Keynote Speaker: Julia Cameron, Internationally Recognized Workshop Leader and Author of the million-plus seller The Artist’s Way.

The work of building engaged campuses revolves around creative tensions: thinking and acting, campus and community, service and advocacy, bottom up and top down, cognitive and affective, and many others. These tensions call for creative solutions and inspire innovation in our work.

For the first time ever, the Northeast Regional Campus Compacts have joined forces with the Educators for Community Engagement, combining their annual meetings to create a unique national gathering, unlike any other conference you will attend all year. This partnership brings together two of the oldest service-learning organizations in the country, to explore the future of campus and community engagement.

The Northeast Campus Compact’s have become invaluable resources for strengthening and expanding the engaged campus. They provide proven models and tested resources for more than 300 campuses across 7 states and their annual conference has come to be the premier service-learning event in the northeast. The Educators for Community Engagement has spent ten years exploring models of teaching and learning that value diverse voices and involve all members of the service-learning community. Drawing on the personal stories and experiences of its members, the Educators for Community Engagement using learning circles to probe cutting edge questions about our role as teachers, students, and community partners.

This year’s combined conference, Creative Tensions in Building the Engaged Campus, will provide participants with new tools, training, and the opportunity to work together. The two organizations have worked closely to develop a new kind of conference. Set on a college campus, with on-site housing available, this conference will seek to build community between participants, offer new resources to the field, and energize our work. With valuable workshops and collaborative problem solving sessions, this promises to be a one of a kind event.

“The feedback (from the Leadership Workshop) resounded with enthusiasm. Our students commented: ‘I loved the group interactions,’ and ‘I thought it was helpful to talk about issues we could actually solve in our school.’ Many thanks for Pine Manor College’s support of this fine program.”
—Director of Student Activities in a Connecticut high school

Activities focus on helping participants create a positive change in their school in a way that includes all voices —especially those possibly neglected in the past. The workshops focus on one or two issues, chosen by the high school students from the following: working more effectively in teams; increasing self-confidence; becoming a more inclusive community; conflict resolution; speaking up for ourselves as young women; and better understanding diversity.

During each workshop, the students are taken through an “action planning” process to help create positive changes in their schools. Plans arising out of this year’s workshops have included the creation of a community service club; a letter-writing campaign to the State Board of Education regarding serious facilities problems; revitalization of a student council to better communicate students’ views to school administrators; development of a “peer mediation team” to address an increasing number of student-to-student conflicts; and creation of a “girls’ group” to meet weekly to deal with issues unique to young women in their school environment.

To date, the Center has received 24 requests for workshops and has facilitated workshops in 16 schools, with more scheduled. Designed for groups of 15 to 20, recent workshops have accommodated from 6 to 45 students. Center staff have traveled to schools from rural Maine to New York City. In most cases, a PMC student co-facilitates the workshops with the Center’s Director of Youth and Student Programs. Jasmine Haynes ’05, Jo Madaglia ’05, and Donnaree Wynter ’05 co-facilitated workshops this year.

The new program will enhance accessibility and opportunity:

• High school students have increasing demands on their time—jobs, family obligations, sports, college preparatory work, community service. Bringing leadership programs to them benefits more students.
• The cost of a full weekend-long or week-long program can be prohibitive for many students. The new workshop program will provide all participants with the opportunity to experience our leadership programs at no cost.
• When students attended the Leadership Conferences on campus, only one student represented her school and developed a plan to take back to her community. Following the new workshops, however, many participants will be able to work together as a team to create positive change in their school.

In commenting on her new position Rafferty said, “I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve the Metropolitan Museum as its next president and am deeply grateful to the board and the director for their confidence in me. In my mind and heart—more than ever—the health and vitality of the Met is crucial to the education and enlightenment of visitors from the city, the nation, and the world.”

Reflecting on her time at PMC, Rafferty said, “It was at Pine Manor that I first took seriously my studies and intellectual growth. Miss Pierce's course on World Religions awakened my mind to new ways of thinking and helped to shape my global view of the world. It was the beginning of my love and understanding of diverse cultures and their tangible expressions through all artistic forms. My life at the Met has expanded this knowledge immeasurably. Certainly Pine Manor fostered many friendships for me, a number of which continue to enrich my life today.”

Rafferty has worked for the Met for 28 years, beginning her distinguished career there as a fundraising administrator in 1976, and spending five years on corporate, foundation, and individual fundraising. In 1981, she became the manager of development; from 1984 to 1996, she served as the vice president for development and membership. Since 1999, she has been the Met’s senior vice president for external affairs, with responsibility for the areas of development, visitor services, admissions, and special events. She also led the efforts to create and manage the museum’s Web site, as well as its multicultural audience and membership initiative.

During her 20 years in charge of the Metropolitan’s vast national and international fundraising operations, she helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars and boosted the Met’s individual, family, and corporate memberships from 98,000 to nearly 120,000. She also introduced “holiday Mondays,” a program that opened the museum on federal holidays for the first time in more than 50 years, and “member Mondays,” which allowed members to pay $50.00 to see special exhibitions in a less crowded environment when the museum was closed to the general public.

As president, Rafferty will be responsible for the museum’s administration, including development and membership, technology and information services, human resources, merchandising, communications, government relations, legal affairs, finance, and facilities management. She will oversee 2,000 full- and part-time employees, and she will supervise a $155-million remodeling project, which includes the creation of a Grand Roman Court and Islamic galleries.

A native of New York City, Rafferty received her Associate’s Degree from PMC in 1969 and her BA degree cum laude from Boston University in 1971. She began her professional career that same year as an arts and philanthropy assistant to David Rockefeller, Jr., in Boston. From 1973 to 1975, she served as the deputy director of education at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.

Rafferty is affiliated with a number of arts and inter-museum organizations, including Art Table, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Women in Financial Development, the American Association of Museums, and Independent Sector. She is a lifelong honorary trustee of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, served on the board of the Independent School Chairmen Association and the Blue Ribbon Committee of the American Cancer Society Foundation, and was president of the Blue Hill Troupe, Gilbert and Sullivan Repertory Theatre in 1998–1999.

Rafferty is married to John Rafferty, an audit partner at Ernst and Young, and they have two children: Nicholas, who recently graduated from Trinity College, and Sara, a student at New York University.

As president of Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Gloria Nemerowicz helped the women's liberal arts school grow by 70 percent to 500 students. In March, Nemerowicz also received an award for diversity achievement from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the school has merited national recognition as well. Nemerowicz spoke about her accomplishments at Pine Manor post-secondary education for women with reporter Tom Witkowski.

How diverse has the school become?

We are about 10 percent international students from about 20 different countries. We are about 55 percent women of color from the United States and the rest Caucasian. The women of color are African-American, Haitian, Asian, Latina, Cape Verdean. What doesn't get measured by any ranking system is socioeconomics Eighty percent of our population gets some kind of help financially and a significant percentage would really be considered from lower-income groups. About 30 percent come directly from the Boston public schools.

What steps as president have you taken since 1996 to increase and maintain diversity?

We did a lot of legwork just in and around Boston, partnering with other agencies that are also interested in diverse populations of women.

I now have the president of the YWCA on the board. (We have been) trying to raise the awareness of people in the Boston public schools that Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill is an appropriate place and welcoming place for students graduating from the Boston public schools; There was a lot of outreach, and there still is. We also reduced tuition, not insignificantly, in 1998 by 34 percent. We were fortunate to get a $4 million unrestricted bequest from an alum who passed away. This is what really gave the board the courage...it was a beginning point. It clearly was an outreach strategy, a message strategy, a volume strategy, more people paying fewer dollars.

What was the tuition?

Just about what it is now, and it's about $23,000 to $24,000 for tuition, room and board. We're just about back to where we were seven years ago.

How do you keep costs down?

We're going to bring together some other colleges like Pine Manor, in terms of size, small size, small endowment and at least the desire to diversify and open up the campuses to broader populations.... We're trying to create a new financial model that relies more heavily on philanthropy, more heavily on people wanting to see these kind of schools thrive and survive.

What was your reaction to Harvard President Lawrence Summers' comments about women and the fields of math and science?

Science is one of the majors that was added last to the Pine Manor BA curriculum— this was before I got here — and it now vies for first place (in popularity). It's a very strong major.

Do you think the gender conversation is worth having, from an academic point of view?

We've had it. And we've had it about race. Free discussion of ideas is fine, but there's lots of evidence, and I'm living in a laboratory of evidence right here.

Highlights on Nemerowicz

• Earned undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees in sociology at Rutgers University.
• Created an institute on women's leadership at Wells College in Aurora, N.Y.
• Author of "Children's Perception of Gender and Work Roles" and coauthor of two other books.

Accepting the award in the main ballroom of Boston’s Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel before 500 guests representing the largest business organizations and institutions in the city, President Nemerowicz said, “I am honored to receive this award, which I share with everyone who works or studies at Pine Manor College. We are all honored to receive this recognition of our efforts to build and sustain a diverse learning community.”

Created in 1996 to promote greater diversity in Boston advertising and business, the Rosoff award recognizes diversity initiatives that have a positive economic and social impact on an organization or company. The award is named in honor of Arnold Z. Rosoff, founder of Arnold Worldwide and an avid supporter of diversity in the workplace.

As she spoke, President Nemerowicz introduced five students from PMC: Cassie Du Gay, a first year Psychology major from Cherryfield, Maine; Naila Iram, a senior majoring in Business Administration from Rampur, India; Nadege Manigat, a senior majoring in Theatre from Brockton, Mass; Katherine Scanlon, a senior majoring in Early Childhood Education from Brookleville, Maryland; and Donnaree Wynter, a senior majoring in Communications from Brockton, Mass.

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce represents approximately 1,700 businesses of all sizes from virtually every industry and profession in the region. It seeks to promote diversity in every aspect of its work and throughout the business, government, and civic life of the region.

The Ad Club of Boston is the trade organization for the New England Communications industry. For a century its mission has been to advance the interests of communications professionals, to present development and public service programs, to facilitate synergy and partnerships within the community, and to celebrate greatness through its awards program.

Compared to when they were first year students -- and compared to women at other colleges – PMC graduates demonstrated greater increases in intellectual and social self-confidence; greater commitment to promoting racial understanding, participating in community action programs and becoming leaders in their communities; and a stronger belief that individuals can help bring about social change.

This national survey of college students, sponsored by the American Council on Education and the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, is designed to better understand the impact of the college experience on student learning. Data have been collected since 1965 from more than 10 million students at over 1700 colleges and universities. PMC has participated in this effort for over two decades.

PMC first year students complete a survey designed by HERI when they first arrive at the College and again during their senior year. Questions for the first year students focus on previous experiences with learning, their confidence about their abilities, their intended areas of study in college, and their goals, values, and aspirations. The senior survey asks students about their experiences over their four years in college, as well as their values, hopes, and aspirations for the future.

For several years we have collected direct evidence on how PMC students have developed by comparing the first year and senior year survey answers of individual students. These data clearly demonstrate that PMC graduates have been positively affected by their experience at the College in ways that are consistent with the mission and values of Pine Manor College.

Student Development from First Year to Senior Year (2000-2004)

(Data from UCLA Higher Education Research Institute)

PMC - Pine Manor College
NS - Non-Sectarian 4-year Colleges
AP -All Private 4-year Colleges