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SUN

December 2004
Volume 31 Issue 5

Suffolk University News

Images of Transformation at
Adams Gallery

Offices Streamline Efforts Through Campus Cruiser
Slowly but surely, departments across campus are beginning to use Campus
Cruiser to streamline their work and improve efficiency.
Not surprisingly, the more tech-savvy are leading the way and bringing their
coworkers along with them.
Brett Kinney, systems specialist in the Law School’s Financial Aid Office, tends to
be a pioneer where using technology is concerned. He has been using Campus
Cruiser for about six months and his office is particularly enamored of the software’s private office calendar.
Everyone has access to the calendar and can update it, noting appointments, tasks
and deadlines. “It’s all there; all you have to do is log on, add an event, delete or
edit,” said Kinney.
Before it started using the Campus Cruiser office calendar, the Financial Aid
Office depended solely on a date book kept at the front counter. “Everyone had
to remember to enter meetings and student appointments, but sometimes people
forget,” said Kinney. “This is easier, and you don’t have to get up from your desk
or look for the book.”
Now, during the course of the work day, Kinney typically keeps two Web windows open: The Law School Financial Aid Web site and Campus Cruiser. His customized Campus Cruiser dashboard accommodates his personal work habits. “I
have it set up to get the news I want. I have a dictionary, weather, Google,
Mapquest, my personal calendar and to-do list — now, that’s not ten Post-its on
the computer, but my Campus Cruiser task list.”
A Portal with Personality

The Big Dig offered a decade’s worth of inspiration for photographers and paved the way for the transformation of downtown
Boston — from a city bisected by a raised highway to a place
where harmony will be restored through the Rose Kennedy
Greenway. The photo exhibit Images of Transformation: From
Big Dig to Rose Kennedy Greenway captures the vibrant colors and atmosphere of the Big Dig, while previewing the Rose
Kennedy Greenway. At the Adams Gallery, Sargent Hall, 10
a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Jan. 18, 2005. (Photo by Camila
Chaves Cortes)

At the Sawyer School of Management, the Campus Cruiser portal has taken on a
unique personality and name—B-Central—demonstrating that the software can
be customized not just for the individual, but for larger entities within the
University as well.
The primary audience at the business school has been students, according to
Teresa Nelson, associate professor of management and director of the business
school’s Office of Technology Management, but she foresees the development of
separate pages for departments and programs. “We’re getting started on building
very functional Web space that will help users find information and access services more efficiently,” she said.
B-Central’s “front page” carries announcements, links to pertinent Web sites and
a directory of employees and key departments that students need regularly.

INSIDE
News
KUDOS Awards
‘Most Connected Citation’
Computer Savvy Seniors
In Memoriam

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3
4
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“The online world helps us to build community in an urban space, said Nelson.
“The Egyptian ambassador was here recently, and at one time people would say:
How would I know that? Or, I know there’s an event, but what time? What room?
Now they can look on B-Central. Our community is learning that this is a
dependable source for key information.”
Continued on page 3

1

SUN

A Message to Readers
Dear Readers:
This edition of the
SUN reaches the
Suffolk community
during a season of
light and celebration. The spirit of
giving is in the air as
you prepare to take a
much-deserved
break after a semester of hard work. That spirit is alive at
Suffolk all year round, as you can see by the
KUDOS award winners listed here. It’s a
long list, but please take a moment to appreciate these people who go above and beyond
to serve the University and its mission.
Here are some excerpts from nominations
that resulted in KUDOS:
“Assisting a student who was in jeopardy of
being deregistered. The family had received
an eviction notice and did not have the
money to pay tuition. Through the help of
this Suffolk employee, along with some
advice and support, the student was able to
remain registered.”
“An employee came in twice while on vacation to assist a department with some computer issues.”
“The Payroll fax died, and time sheets were
being faxed to the office for the weekly and
monthly payroll. An employee in another
office had a fax machine purchased and
delivered within hours.”
It is this sort of teamwork, along with a caring attitude, that makes it a pleasure to publish the SUN each month, calling attention
to the individuals whose effort makes Suffolk
a great institution.
This issue also focuses on technology and
how it can bring people together. Suffolk
employees are working more efficiently using
the Campus Cruiser, and senior
citizens are meeting and learning about a
whole new world of communication through
computer classes.
On behalf of everyone who brings you the
SUN, we wish you a happy and healthy
holiday season.
Rosemarie E. Sansone
Executive Editor

2

KUDOS Awards
Since summer 2004, the following employees have received KUDOS certificates. These
employees were honored Oct. 27 during a special KUDOS recognition luncheon. Vice
President of Advancement Kathryn Battillo was the guest speaker.
Wendy Alterno, Business Office
Rachel Appel, Registrar’s Office
Neldy Arsenault, Facilities Mgmt.
Kevin Austin, Mail Services
Rose Baetzel, Law Registrar
Judy Benson, Enrollment & Retention
Myriam Berrios, Law Registrar
Adam Birmingham, SUPD
Terry Bishop, Graduate Admission
Todd Bouffard, Residence Life
Erica Lewis Bowen, Graduate Admission
Mike Brown, Accounting
Rick Buckingham, Law Library
Jonathan Castrillon, Facilities Mgmt.
Chris Caswell, Law Academic Computing
Peter Cole, MIS
Josiah Curry, Facilities Mgmt.
Megan Daley, Enrollment Research
Cindy Darrer, Law Academic Technology
Chris Destefano, Performing Arts
Catherine Dinon, Law Financial Aid
Loretta Dinon, Student Accounts
Gina Doherty, Law Academic Technology
Ellen Driscoll, Graduate Admission
Daphne Durham, CIE
Nicole Fadavi, Off Campus Housing
Chuck Feltch, Financial Aid
Larry Flynn, Law Library
David Gallant, CAS Dean’s Office
Dan Gomes, MIS
Susan Gonzales, Graduate Admission
Jose Gonzalez, Law Academic Technology
Dahlia Gordon, SSOM Technology Mgmt.
Greg Harris, Business Office
Paula Higgins, Law Dean’s office
Ann Marie Holland, Payroll
Annette Iebba, Student Accounts
Suzanne John, NESADSU
Kristi Jovell, Law Financial Aid
Lisa Karalekas, Law School Staff
Kevin Kelly, Student Accounts
Brett Kinney, Law Financial Aid
Jennifer Kratage, Student Activities
Janine LaFauci, Law School Staff
Eric Lee, Diversity Services

S u f f o l k

Michelle Lemay, Financial Aid
Sylvia Lewis, Public Management
Susan Leyva, Off Campus Housing
Viviana Leyva, Undergraduate Admission
Anne Macdonald, UMS
Teri Malionek, SSOM Dean’s Office
Denise Malvo-Rodriguez, Accounting
Brian McDermott, Facilities Mgmt.
Judy Minardi, Human Resources
Jim Moccio, Facilities Mgmt.
Sheneka Morgan, Human Resources
Jeanne Morton, Ballotti Learning Ctr.
Brendan Murray, Law Academic Tech.
Jim Nelson, Athletics
John Nucci, Public Management
Helen O’Brien, SSOM Dean’s Office
Alade Olukotun, Facilities Mgmt.
Jackie Parker, President’s Office
Migdalia Perez, Graduate Admission
Ron Perreault, Law Academic Tech.
Chris Perry, Financial Aid
Domenic Piazza, Facilities Mgmt.
Tiffanie Pierce, CIE
Darlene Poplawski, MIS
Brian Queen, Accounting
Sarah Reading, Dean of Students
Jade Richardson-Delay, MIS
Guillermo Saldarriaga, Facilities Mgmt.
Dung Saunders, Business Office
Jane Scherban, Voice Communications
Michael Schneider, UMS
Katie Shaughnessy, MIS
Jack Shields, Registrar’s Office
Doug Snow, Public Management
Mike Spooner, Registrar’s Office
Maureen Stewart, Budget Office
Erin Turner, Theater
Aurelio Valente, Student Activities
Nikki Vamosi, Accounting
Bill Walcott, UMS
Paula Weafer, Advancement
Shannon Werner, Residence Life
Deb Whelton, Law Library
Sharon Yardley, Health Services •

U n i v e r s i t y

N e w s

P U B L I S H E D B Y:
Office of Public Affairs
One Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 573-8447
sun@suffolk.edu

Executive Editor

Staff Writers

Rosemarie E. Sansone

Karen DeCilio
Tony Ferullo

Managing Editor
Nancy Kelleher

Layout
Heather E. Clark

SUN

Streamlining with Campus Cruiser
Continued from page 1

The business school also is using the Blackboard teaching platform
and is committed to NetMeeting and WorkFlow products, which
would allow for online meetings and project management engaging
partners from around the globe.
“The Web is exploding as an organizational tool. One way to make
sense of it is to think of the Web as the solar system, and the products that access the Web as the planets,” Nelson said. “The job of
technology providers is to make the connections, draw lines among
the entities, just as humans have made constellations from the patterns in the sky. We make the Web work as it becomes a more seamless experience for our students and University employees.”
Nelson sees new potential for connecting Suffolk’s main campus with
its other sites in Massachusetts and with Madrid and Dakar.
For example, Cape Cod MBA students don’t get flyers and posters
announcing events on Beacon Hill. But schedules for programs such
as MBA Edge are on B-Central, and students at the satellite campuses may make an informed decision to expand their opportunities by
attending an event in Boston.
All-Purpose Tool

George Comeau, managing associate director of University Media
Services, uses Campus Cruiser not only as an administrative but also
as a teaching tool.
“It’s a multi-functional tool; it’s my Swiss pocket knife,” he said.
Using Campus Cruiser, Comeau can track who is in and out in the
department at any given time and the status of repairs. He can read
messages and notes across the department and share information and
documents. “It’s a single point of contact here on campus or at home.
When I need a phone number, it’s available, and Campus Cruiser
talks to my Palm Pilot. It helps us to be more efficient and more
aware of what is going on on campus.
Comeau started using the portal in May. “When I heard it was available, I started tinkering with it,” he said. “In my division, we tend to
be early adopters.”
Whether people use the portal or not seems to depend on their level
of curiosity, said Comeau. Some people rarely look at it and have to
be reminded. And, since it is a Web-based tool, those who don’t like
technology are standoffish.
“It requires a commitment to keep up information, to keep it current,” he said. “A lot of us, in terms of setup, have to invest some time
and knowledge, but it’s worth it.”
Kinney finds Campus Cruiser to be “pretty intuitive” and steers users
to the online help function and a printed training guide that has been
made available in the Law School. He’s pleased when people come to
him for help in using the portal.

S U F F O L K A M O N G ‘ M O S T- C O N N E C T E D C A M P U S E S ’
Suffolk University has been selected by The Princeton Review as one of
the nation’s “Top 25 Most Connected Campuses.”
Suffolk and Boston University were the only Boston schools among The
Princeton Review’s “Top 25 Most Connected Campuses.” Other prominent schools chosen were Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Temple
University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Cornell University,
Duquesne University and the University of Pennsylvania.
“Suffolk is in good company, and I applaud everyone at our University
who worked together to make this happen,” said Marguerite Dennis, vice
president of enrollment and international programs at Suffolk University.
To identify the “connected” colleges, The Princeton Review surveyed colleges on computing capabilities. Among the criteria were the ratio of
school-owned computers accessible to students; the breadth of the computer science curriculum; the sophistication of campus technology; and
wireless Internet access on campus.
“Because of our high-speed digital network, which is the singular
enabling technology for the 21st
century, we can provide a host of
services in house and remotely to
our students, faculty and staff,”
said Paul Ladd, director of management information systems at
Suffolk. “Some of those services include digitized video, voice over IP
(Internet Protocol) and video conferencing.
“Over the years, we’ve built a rich and robust network that can accommodate the delivery of many current services and unknown future services. Our goal is to continue cultivating new ways of delivering services to
everyone in the Suffolk University community.”

Getting Started

Each academic division is handling the setup of Campus Cruiser
“offices.” For the College, Associate Registrar Thomas Dellicicchi is
the contact; for the business school, Teresa Nelson; and, for the Law
School, Registrar Lorraine Cove. MIS assists administrative departments. Training is offered to those getting started.
“The interface takes a little getting used to, but once you get into the
mode, it’s pretty easy” said Bob DiGuardia, director of administrative
computing. He expects that most departments will be trained and
using Campus Cruiser before the end of the academic year. •

“New products can be frustrating, but they also offer opportunity,”
said Nelson. “The power of the (Campus Cruiser) portal is that you
can ID key audiences and offer information that is particularly
important to them.”

3

SUN

Suffolk Introduces Senior Citizens to World of Computers
Photos by John Gillooly

Since 2001, Suffolk University’s computer lab has been home to
some of Boston’s finest seniors.
But these are not your typical university seniors. They are senior citizens from around the city whose desire to learn puts them at the
head of the class.

Suffolk’s senior citizens computer class has been a big hit
with residents throughout the community.

Kate Rodrigues,
staff assistant in
the Mathematics
and
Computer
S c i e n c e
Department, volunteers her time
and services so that
Suffolk may offer
its “Senior Citizens
Computer Class”
twice a week.

The program is providing Boston seniors with a valuable, life-enriching service, thanks largely to the efforts of Rodrigues, according to
Mathematics and Computer Science Chairman Paul Ezust.
Rodrigues works with several undergraduate and graduate students
to offer this extremely successful outreach program. It serves more
than 50 Boston-area senior citizens throughout the year, teaching
them basic computer skills, such as sending and receiving e-mail,
browsing the Web and simple word-processing.
“They start off a little hesitant about using the computers, but by the
middle of the class, they become more comfortable and get excited
about what they are learning,” said Rodrigues.
Barbara and Dorothy Dailey, sisters from Jamaica Plain, are newcomers to the class and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere, the comfort
of working alongside their peers and all the help they receive from
Rodrigues.
“I didn’t even know how to hold the mouse before this class,”
laughed Dorothy Dailey.
Ida Mazzaro and son Joe, of the North End, also are new to the program. The elder Mazzaro found a flier in her local library and immediately brought it home to her son, who had just purchased a computer and wanted to learn more about using it.
“It was a godsend,” said Joe Mazzaro. “I want to learn how to use the
computer for keeping records of finances and how to use spreadsheets.”

In Memoriam
Patricia Carlson, Professor, Information Systems Operations Management
Nick Zucchero, Adjunct Professor, Management

4

“I never thought at 81 years old I would be sitting at a computer
learning how to set up e-mail,” said Ida Mazzaro, who originally
came to the class to accompany her son, but has now set up her own
e-mail account and started learning some basic computer skills of her
own.
Some of the seniors, such as Albert Rossi of Beacon Hill, are using
their newfound knowledge of computers to renew interest in old
passions. Rossi, an avid short-story writer, is using his new skills to
create stories in a more efficient and straightforward manner.
Stephen Mazur of Beacon Hill is among those who have completed
the program, then returned to offer Rodrigues support and assistance
in working with the new students.
“It’s good to give out your e-mail address to your friends and family,
but remember, never give out your password,” Mazur advised the
students.
Whether
the
seniors are coming
to learn about
Internet use, word
processing or other
computer skills,
one thing they all
have in common is
their thirst for
knowledge.
“Once they get
going, they don’t
want to leave,”
smiled Rodrigues.

Stephen Mazur of Beacon Hill receives a few pointers from
Kate Rodrigues, staff assistant in the Mathematics and
Computer Science Department.

Rodrigues is so enthusiastic about the program that she’s brought it
to senior citizens who can’t physically make the trip to the Suffolk
campus. She has helped other neighborhood organizations, such as
Hill House and Massachusetts General Hospital, to establish small
computer classrooms, according to Ezust. She recently was asked to
extend this service to people who have been laid off and who are trying to learn some computer skills in order to improve their chances
of finding employment. •