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News from Academic Affairs

Academic Affairs Newsletter 

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs created Intersections to provide a regular and informal opportunity to communicate and share stories and ideas across the Academic Affairs division. If you are interested in submitting a feature, please email Laurie.Savona@montgomerycollege.edu

 

Intersections, The Academic Affairs Chronicles

View past issues of the Academic Affairs Newsletter.

Newsletters for 2020-2021
Newsletters for 2018-2019
Newsletters for 2017-2018
Newsletters for 2016-2017
Newsletters for 2015-2016
Newsletters for 2014-2015
Newsletters for 2013-2014

 


Montgomery Scholars Program Newsletter: Fall 2023 - Another Year of Firsts (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

Montgomery Scholars Program Newsletter Fall 2023 - Another Year of Firsts (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

 


August 2023: Academic Affairs Division Fall 2023 Meeting

 


July 2022: South Asia Monitor’s Washington Calling: Frank Islam speaks with Dr. Sanjay Rai

 


June 2022: US-India Civil Rights Legacy: ‘Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative’ launched

The June 14, 2022, launch of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, part of a much bigger plan, is the fruition of a cause close to the heart of late Congressman John Lewis. The plan announced by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, will bring together 20 emerging young civic leaders from India and the United States to advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion on the local, national and international levels by exploring the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Read more...

 


May 2022: Inside Higher Ed: Students Seek Stronger Connections With Professors but Rarely Take the Lead

Dr. Sanjay Rai was interviewed by Inside Higher Ed about how students can build stronger connections with professors. Read now...

 


April 2022: The American Bazaar: Dr. Sanjay Rai wins President’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Sanjay Rai, a noted Indian American educationist, has been honored with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for “lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service.” The award honors those who complete more than 4,000 hours of service over the course of their lifetime through AmeriCorps, an independent US government agency that engages more than five million Americans in service. “I am very fortunate to have opportunities as a first generation immigrant to contribute to the success of this nation,” said Dr Rai, senior vice president for academic affairs at Montgomery College, Maryland, who came to the US as an international student 32 years ago. Read more...

 


December 2021: The Workforce of Tomorrow Series: IgnITing Montgomery County’s Future Tech Talent

Leveraging the future IgnITe technology hub will help grow Montgomery County's tech talent pipeline & increase job opportunities. Join a conversation on igniting Montgomery County’s tech workforce with Montgomery County MD Council's Craig Rice & Montgomery College’s Dr. Sanjay Rai.

 


August 2021: MCTV | 5G Bootcamp @ Montgomery College!new window  

Congressman David Trone is pursuing federal funding for Montgomery County to hold a 5G job training bootcamp to serve communities of color. Wireless employers will provide input on designing the curriculum and will develop 100 entry level jobs and apprenticeships that could be filled by bootcamp graduates.


July 2021: Facebook Live | The Workforce of Tomorrow: The Quantum Revolutions & The Talent Pipeline

A discussion about quantum technology with higher education and industry leaders. What does it mean for the Maryland economy and the talent pipeline? Maryland Tech Council Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (Md.) Montgomery County MD Council.

 


June 2021: MC News | Montgomery County, University System of Maryland, and Montgomery College Create Landmark Partnership to Expand Region’s Leadership Role in Life and Regulatory Sciences Education and Innovation

June 2021: MC News | Montgomery County, University System of Maryland, and Montgomery College Create Landmark Partnership to Expand Region’s Leadership Role in Life and Regulatory Sciences Education and Innovation

Montgomery County, the University System of Maryland and Montgomery College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create the “Montgomery/Maryland Life Sciences Education and Innovation Partnership” to facilitate collaboration among industry and the academic partners on cutting-edge research, and allow students from across Maryland opportunities to gain work experience and conduct translational research with Montgomery County’s industry leaders. It is envisioned that the Montgomery/Maryland Life Sciences Education and Innovation Partnership will guide the future of post-pandemic education leveraging existing assets to create an economic development powerhouse for Maryland in life and regulatory sciences. Read more...

 


May 2021: Voice of America (VOA)  |  Calls for Free Community College as Fewer Go During Pandemic

Voice of America Logo

Dr. Sanjay Rai is a senior vice president at Montgomery College in Maryland. He said that during the 2008 recession, the college saw a large growth in enrollment. But during the pandemic, the college has seen a 4 percent drop.  In Montgomery County, unemployment went from 2.4 percent in December 2019 to almost 9 percent in May 2020. Rai said that more than half of Montgomery College students lost some or all of their income. “I don’t think this is a recession,” Rai said of the economic struggles of the pandemic. “I think this is an entirely different phenomenon.” Read more...

 


March 2021: Foundation Focus | A Textbook Formula for Giving (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

A Textbook Formula for Giving

Growing up in India, life was difficult for Sanjay Rai. Scarcity defined life in the small efficiency apartment with no air conditioning he lived in with his parents and sister. “My parents did not finish high school—and they had a hard life because of it,” he says.  “Had I not gotten into college, it would have been the end of the road for me,” says Rai, senior vice president of academic affairs at Montgomery College. When he left India to earn his master’s degree at Dalhousie University in Canada, he had $50 in his pocket. Read more... (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

 


March 2021: The Montgomery College Advocate | The Student News Site: 7-Week Courses at MC Explained

The Montgomery College Advocate Logo

In the Fall semester of 2020, Montgomery College announced its decision to offer more classes in a 7-week period starting this spring semester as opposed to the regular 15-week semester. Some students’ concerns were brought up, such as the worry over not being able to learn comprehensively in a 7-week period and whether or not the regular 15-week format would still be offered upon registration. Read more...

 


December 2020: NPR/WAMU | All Things Considered: How Montgomery College Navigates The Pandemic’s Effect On Student Enrollment

NPR/WAMU | All Things Considered Logo

Dr. Sanjay Rai, senior vice president for academic affairs at Montgomery College, explains how school leaders are addressing the needs of students looking to enroll in short-term courses at a time when so many are unable to afford full-time tuition.

 


October 2020: Maryland to Bridge Cybersecurity Workforce Gap with Groundbreaking Bachelor's Degree Program

BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Maryland Higher Education Commission has approved a groundbreaking professional cybersecurity bachelor's degree – the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Applied Cybersecurity (BACS) to be granted by the SANS Technology Institute (SANS.edu), a regionally accredited college in Maryland. Read more...

 


Fulbright Study in Russia

Blog from Dr. Sanjay Rai on Fulbright Study in Russia

Colleagues,

I have just boarded a flight to St. Petersburg, Russia. I am honored and excited to be participating in the 2019 Fulbright Russia Community College Administrator Seminar (CCAS), but for me, this trip is a very special journey.

My father worked in a steel plant in Bhilai, India, from 1962-1993. He did not have an opportunity to finish high school. After passing grade 10 in a village in India, he moved to the eastern part of the country and worked in a coal mine for a few years before coming to Bhilai, which is in the central part of India. India became independent in 1947 after a long freedom struggle – led by Mahatma Gandhi. This was the first successful non-violent freedom movement against a major world power. The power of similar non-violent civil movements played a crucial role in the ending of apartheid in South Africa and in the civil rights movement in the United States.

  


March 2019: Dr. Rai Awarded Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of the Year

Dr. Rai Awarded Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of the Year

The National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA) has selected Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs their Chief Academic Officer of the year for 2018! In selecting their Chief Academic Officer of the Year, the NCIA used the American Association of Community Colleges core leadership competencies: organizational strategy; institutional finance/research/fundraising/resource management; communication; collaboration; and community college advocacy as their foundation. 

Dr. Rai’s nomination packet addressed student success and completion initiatives that have driven the College and the division over the last four years, including the development and implementation of the Academic Master Plan; the redesign of General Studies and developmental English and math programs; the transition to the new ELAP program; the development of online degrees and the use of open educational resources; the deepening of MCPS partnerships with the Early College and Middle College programs; a dramatic increase in dual enrollment; the awarding of $25M in USDOL grants; the development of our digital catalog and the creation of new programs and certificates. These are just a few of the highlights from the award packet – all of which were led by faculty, administrators, and staff at Montgomery College. In his comments at the conference, Dr. Rai noted the remarkable team of faculty, staff and administrators he has the opportunity to work with to achieve the best outcomes for students.

 


March 2019:  MCPSTV - Dr. Sanjay Rai spotlights various options for gaining college credits while still in high school

Montgomery College offers several programs for high school students, including the opportunity to take college-level classes and even earn an associate's degree while still in high school.

 

 


March 2019: "As higher ed eyes adult learners, community colleges add supports"

Montgomery College, in suburban Washington, D.C., offers employer-guided training in technical skills. In particular, it provides training for lower-level lab jobs at biotech companies and retrains tech workers with skills in that and other in-demand fields. One cybersecurity retraining program is designed to fill strong regional demand in that field, according to Sanjay Rai, the college's senior vice president for academic affairs.

"Community colleges were created to be very responsive to the needs of their regions, and that's even more critical today in our fast-moving digital economy," he said, noting that Montgomery College restructured itself several years ago to be more flexible to students' needs, allowing it to create pathways and programs without the approval process four-year colleges may require. Read more...

 


February 2019: “Discovering the Laplace Transform in Undergraduate Differential Equations

In 2008, Dr. Sanjay Rai and Terrance Quinn co-authored and published the article “Discovering the Laplace Transform in Undergraduate Differential Equations”. As of February 2019, the article has over 200 reads on Research Gate.

 


January 2019:  The Washington Post LIVE - Transformers: Education 

Students looking to avoid the debt associated with a college degree are turning to alternatives like skills-based training. University Ventures Co-Founder Ryan Craig, Kettering University President Dr. Robert McMahan and Dr. Sanjay Rai, Montgomery College Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs talk about the collegiate alternatives students are seeking to prepare them for the workforce.

 


January 2019:  Q&A with Dr. Sanjay Rai and David Petr, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC)

Dr. Sanjay Rai spoke with MCEDC

Dr. Sanjay Rai, spoke with Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation of Maryland (MCEDC) on an innovative, yet easy-to-learn Apple coding program. This program has the potential to provide more jobs, more engaging educational opportunities, and stronger economic development for Montgomery County.

 


November 2018:  Cyber Pathways Across Maryland (CPAM) 

Cyber Pathways Accross Maryland (CPAM)

Working to close the skills gap and connect more Maryland residents to high-quality employment in the cybersecurity industry. Visit the Montgomery College Cybersecurity Program for more information.

 


October 2018:  Cyber Education Opportunities Abound at Montgomery College

Cyber Education

Montgomery College is a future-focused higher education institution with multiple campuses delivering content and innovative programming that is both affordable and accessible, on campus and online. Spearheading a statewide consortium of community colleges, and using grant dollars to continuously update and expand offerings, Montgomery College is always looking to innovate, and cybersecurity is one of their top priorities.


October 2018:  Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Maryland - MOCO365

MOCO365

 


September 2018:  7th Annual DC South Asian Film Festival

Dr. Sanjay Rai
The 7th Annual Washington DC South Asian Film Festival at Montgomery College.

 


January 2018:  The Translational Life Sciences Technology Program

Translational Live Sciences Technology Program video

Montgomery College has partnered with the Universities at Shady Grove and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to offer a new degree program called the Translational Life Sciences Technology program. Students in the program would spend two years at Montgomery College's Germantown campus, and then two years at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville.

 


September 2017:  6th Annual DC South Asian Film Festival

Translational Live Sciences Technology Program video
The 6th Annual Washington DC South Asian Film Festival at Montgomery College.
Ananth Mahadevan Receiving Best Director and Best Feature Film for Dr. Rukhmabai.
Ananth Mahadevan Receiving Best Director and Best Feature Film for Dr. Rukhmabai.

June 2017:  Dr. Rai Received Leadership Montgomery’s Outstanding Leader Award

Leadership Montgomery’s Outstanding Leader Award

November 2016:  American Association of Community Colleges/Community College Daily

Bringing universities to the students. Published November 11, 2016. 

 


January 2016:  Dr. Sanjay Rai Appointed to Life Sciences Board by Governor Hogan

Dr. Sanjay Rai, senior vice president for academic affairs, was appointed to a newly formed Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board by Governor Hogan. The new board will support activities to grow the biotechnology and health technology industry sectors in the state. Learn more about the new Maryland Life Sciences Advisor Board appointeesnew window.


October 2015:  Dr. Sanjay Rai Appointed to Newly Formed Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Board

Washington Business Journal new window- Leggett Appoints 11 Biz Leaders to run MoCo Economic Development

conversation county appointees

Montgomery County, Maryland - Conversation with County Executive's Appointees to Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation

 


November 2015:  Yolanda Vazquez talks with Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for Montgomery College.

They discuss the World of Montgomery Festival. Follow Montgomery College on Facebook and Twitter. Taped 10/14/2015


November 2014:  Montgomery College Presentation - Delegation Trip to India

Montgomery County Sister City Delegation Trip to India, November 2014 (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)


July 2014:  Dr. Sanjay Rai Interviewed on The Frank Islam Show

 


June 2016:  Dean & Provost Article

Read the article highlighting MC's support of Part Time Faculty members (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) .