CONCORD�October 24, 2023 � �鶹��ý�Concord’s Community College has been ranked one of the best schools for online degrees in a public service field by STEPS (Student Training & Education in Public Service). Only 13% of colleges and universities in the U.S. earned a spot on the rankings for AY 2024.

View ����ձ��s Online Degree Programs: �鶹��ý.edu/academics/onlinelearning

Public service degrees give students the opportunity to pursue careers where they can support those most in need, both locally and globally. This includes fields such as teaching, social work, public administration,
criminal justice and public health.

�Our goal was to identify the best colleges with online degree programs where graduates can make a meaningful difference in their communities through education, public policy and other career paths,� said Kyle Smith,�� a community outreach specialist at STEPS.

This ranking arrives at a time when enrollment in online degree programs remains high. The most recent national data (Fall 2021) from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 60% of students take at least one class online and 30% are enrolled exclusively in online courses.

�As more and more students gravitate towards online education, identifying flexible, affordable and accredited degree programs that fit into students� busy lives and make college more accessible is essential,� added Smith.

STEPS analyzed multiple datasets from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Key data points used to identify top schools include the following:

• Number of online programs in a given subject area
• Tuition amount per academic year
• Percentage of students receiving institutional financial aid and the amount awarded
• Availability of academic counseling and career placement services

STEPS vetted over 6,000 postsecondary institutions to create its rankings. To qualify, a college or university must hold active accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and have at least one partially online degree program in a field related to public service. See all of the rankings lists where �鶹��ý appeared:

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. �鶹��ý is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency. Visit for more information

�鶹��ý STEPS

STEPS () started in 2019 with the goal of connecting students with valuable and informative resources to help them get their degrees and find satisfying careers in public service. These free guides range from connecting students with online schools to breaking down options for affording a degree.

Take a Springtime Break

Visit our and check out our fiction, nonfiction, and DVD collection.��Here are some newly available items:

• (DVD), �a mesmerizing mystery based on the tumultuous real live of Ludwig van Beethoven.�
• , a new novel by Elizabeth Strout exploring the mysteries of marriage.
• , Sandro Galea�s exploration of the forces shaping societal health that left us vulnerable to Covid-19 and how to prepare for the next pandemic.
• , by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Expanding on The New York Times Magazine�s award-winning �1619 Project,� this new book weaves together essays exploring the legacy of slavery with poems and works of fiction illuminating �key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance.�
• . Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the role of one of the richest families in the world in making and marketing OxyContin, the painkiller that was the catalyst for the opioid crisis.

Saving Daylight

This month we set our clocks an hour ahead.��Do you ever wonder why?

Daylight saving time was first suggested in April 1784, by Benjamin Franklin in his essay �An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light� published in the�Journal de Paris. Franklin noted fuel expenses as they related to the extensive Parisian nightlife, and proposed the time adjustment so that individuals and businesses could take advantage of natural daylight in the evening and save on the cost of candle wax.

For more on daylight-saving time, read .

Groundhog Sightings?����

Last year, the library adopted a groundhog who had taken up residence nearby. Nicknamed Clement, the groundhog was seen scurrying on the library lawn, warily emerging from culverts.��Will Clement return? Let us know if you see a groundhog who seems to favor the library.��And if you snap a pic, send it to us at �鶹��ýlibrary@ccsnh.edu.

Upcoming Wings of Knowledge presentation: The Secrets of Cellar Holes��

If you�ve hiked in rural New England, you may well have come across abandoned building foundations or crumbling stone walls. On March 24 from 4:30-5 p.m., author and history sleuth Adair Mulligan presents �A Walk Back in Time: The Secrets of Cellar Holes,� an exploration of the rich story behind such abandoned places.

Learn how one town has set out to create an inventory of cellar holes and how landowners are learning what to do when they discover these archaeological sites on their property. For more information, click

This is especially true during finals week! The �鶹��ý Learning Commons Library is offering extended hours and research assistance Zoom sessions mornings and evenings to help you prepare for your end-of-semester exams. The library will continue safety protocols and make any changes necessary to provide services during the pandemic.

Monday, Dec. 13, through Wednesday, Dec. 15, you can drop into Zoom sessions for help with research:

• From 11 a.m.-12 p.m., join Ellen Grimm, instruction and outreach specialist, at .
• From 5:30-6:30 p.m., join Christie Cho, Learning Commons Library coordinator, .

If these hours do not fit your schedule, you can set up a one-on-one research consultation . If you have any questions, email us at �鶹��ýlibrary@ccsnh.edu, call us at 603-230-4028, or chat with us here.

During the Zoom sessions, you can get help navigating extensive databases in that cover a range of disciplines from Arts, Humanities, and Communications to Health Sciences and Services and STEM. Our library staff can help you broaden your search or zero in on a particular element of interest.

Also during finals week, the library will be open additional hours: 7:30 a.m.�9:00 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday; and 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday. These hours are subject to change based on the COVID-19 situation on campus.

You can also peruse our online any time. Our shelves contain roughly 60,000 titles, with more than 6x that number available online.

The Learning Commons Library offers more than academic books, too. If you need a break from studying, we have DVDs, audiobooks, popular fiction, graphic novels, and board games on site. Visit to read about the role of recreational reading in academic libraries and its connection to overall academic achievement. You also have access to thousands of videos and full-length films through the library�s streaming service.

No matter your studying style � individual desk, couch, window seat, private study rooms � you�ll find the right spot for you to concentrate! You�ll also find desk-top computers, laptops you can borrow for the day, and library staff ready to help with any question.

Libraries can be paradoxical places; you are alone with your thoughts and studying materials while surrounded by a community of learners. This can be an inspiring combination. You may also wish to discuss a topic with friends. That�s encouraged, while abiding by safety guidelines.

We look forward to assisting you in person and online!

And remember: �When in doubt, go to the library.� � J.K. Rowling

Given the attention mindfulness has received in mainstream media over the last decade, there�s a good chance you have heard of its rise in popularity. You may have even heard about the fact that companies such as Facebook and Google provide mindfulness training to their employees. But did you know that businesses right here in New Hampshire are providing similar training and experiencing its benefits?

One place that is happening is at the Grappone Automotive Group in Concord. Over the last year, I had the pleasure of giving Communicating Mindfully (CM) training to this year�s Leadership Grappone participants. Owner Amanda Grappone Osmer started the group two years ago to build leadership skills among current employees.

One of the benefits of mindfulness is that it helps increase self-awareness and provides people with an increased ability to identify and modify unproductive patterns of behavior. These discoveries and changes take place at home and at work, both of which impact one�s ability to interact productively with others, including colleagues and customers.

“In our mindful communication sessions with Dan I am observing firsthand that our team members are catching themselves before reacting negatively to their own thoughts, or to coworkers,� said Osmer. �We’re having fun while learning a critically important skill.�

While we have not yet been able to measure the financial benefits of CM training at Grappone, Osmer believes there are some. She has seen changes in the way participants interact with customers (or �guests� as those at Grappone prefer to call them) that increase satisfaction. CM participants have also recognized they are less likely to get caught up in frustration and, therefore, are better able to focus on tasks and guide those they supervise. Osmer suspects these kinds of benefits not only lead to increased customer loyalty, increased productivity, and improved work ethic, but also help improve the lives of Grappone�s employees. As a result, the workplace culture becomes one in which employees can speak freely and respectfully, thus sharing vital information that helps reduce mistakes and misunderstandings, while also improving connection, camaraderie, and teamwork. Not only does this kind of communication help a workplace operate more efficiently, but it can also reduce turnover due to increased job satisfaction.

Such experiences are consistent with the findings of a 2013 study by Ute R. Hülsheger et al. that found mindfulness training reduces exhaustion and increases job satisfaction. Other studies have been done in an effort to pinpoint the impact of mindfulness training on the bottom line. In 2015, for instance, Aetna determined that productivity increased after mindfulness training at an annual rate worth $3,000 for every person who took part in the training. The company further calculated an annual $2,000 worth of savings in healthcare costs for each of those same employees. SAP, a German technology company, says it has seen a 200 percent return on its investment in mindfulness training due, in part, to increased employee engagement and reduced absenteeism.

We are in the early stages of the experiment at the Grappone Automotive Group, but Osmer believes the results are significant and will only increase as more employees receive this training, which will be happening when the next Leadership Grappone group begins in September.

�I am grateful to be taking this class alongside ten of my team members,� says Osmer, �and I’m learning every bit as much as they are.”

����ձ��s Business Training Center offers mindful communication trainings in a variety of formats. Each training infuses mindfulness with essential communication skills that are vital participants� workplace performance and overall wellbeing.

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Dan Huston is a professor of English at �鶹��ý. He created the Communicating Mindfully curriculum, which serves as the foundational course for the college�s Mindful Communication certificate.

For more information about mindful communication training, visit the BTC noncredit microcredentials webpage here or contact the �鶹��ý Business Training Center at 603-234-4022 or �鶹��ýbtc@ccsnh.edu.

An English teacher friend of mine taught an entire course that focused on the Broadway musical , analyzing casting choices by Lin-Manuel Miranda and digging into writings by Alexander Hamilton himself. Talk about getting students interested in literature and history! I�m not sure if they leaped onto tables and broke into song, but I like to imagine it that way. I also enjoy getting students thinking, researching, talking � and occasionally singing � in courses that survey a wider swath of our American landscape.

In educational terms, we call this project-based learning. One college administrator who advocates such learning says, �It�s fun for everyone. It�s harder, but it makes life more interesting� � and she�s right. It requires extra planning but pays dividends in student engagement.

My American Literature students can read �s Walden and A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, but with the Merrimack River lapping our campus and the path from �old Concord� in Mass. to �new Concord� in N.H., drawn in those sparkling cascades, it would be a shame to stop there. A trip to Walden Pond is fun, but to encourage deeper thinking I once asked my students to investigate what historical markers exist for such writers as those we were studying � those who lived in our backyard, so to speak � to look at the demographics of those recognized by historical markers, and ultimately, to propose some new ones to our community.

The students in that class took right to it. Zack wanted to place a marker near the site where Thoreau and his brother John camped not far from the Concord Boys� and Girls Club. Fellow student Ryan thought it might go near the Hooksett Pinnacle, where the Thoreau brothers landed their boat. Samuel proposed a public marker in Milford for African American writer Harriet E. Wilson. Elisa and Jeff thought that poet laureate Donald Hall of Wilmot, who�d recently died, deserved such an honor. And Heather and Miranda reached out to historical societies on the Seacoast to research the Treaty of Portsmouth, calling it a �ginormous triumph for our state, let alone our country� with delegates from Japan and Russia gathering with Pres. Theodore Roosevelt. And Zack did manage to splash the water from Walden Pond on his face during a field trip that semester and shared his research with N.H. legislator Dave Luneau, after reading literature to support this exciting learning.

When opportunities such as these present themselves, I try not to shy away. I regularly teach Images of Women in Literature, and my Spring 2020 semester coincided with the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment, giving most (but not all) American women the vote. The time felt right to allow students to explore images of empowerment in our literature and beyond; to help them build a website of their research and writing, complete with photos and infographics they made; and to see where their inspiration would lead. Little did we know, it would also coincide with a pandemic that sent us remote after spring break. Building a website then seemed like both a blessing and curse. But when you set the bar high, students rise to the occasion. They worked collaboratively in groups, easily continued conversations in Zoom, published their website in collaboration with the �鶹��ý student journal, and earned first prize in the �Change the World� category for the contest. They didn�t give up when both life and their projects got, well, interesting! That�s a skill that will take these students far.

The opportunities for collaborative project-based learning are almost endless. They can be linked to service learning, such as ����ձ��s French students preparing poutine and trivia for ����ձ��s annual Multicultural Fair and reflecting on the experience. They can be tied to experiential learning, hosting or attending an author event, or visiting a historical site. And they are evident in the projects that provide resume-worthy skills and projects for students to share with prospective employers.

This spring�s adventure will take us into the rich stories of indigenous Americans. I was inspired by reading , the U.S.�s first Native American poet laureate, and by the historical marker to the Penacook, a branch of the Abenaki. These are a vibrant people who have lived in this region for 12,000 years, including along the gentle bends of the Merrimack River, that sparkling jewel that ties our campus to the larger world. I�m excited to see where this next project-based learning adventure takes us.

>>Join our Campus Reads book club in Spring 2021 as we discuss An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo!

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… And that can be just what your over-anxious, exhausted brain needs for a few days, but don�t let that post-semester hangover turn into your entire break.

Here are 5 ideas to get you motivated to make the most of your free-ish time; even if you just choose one, you�ll be happier and more prepared for Spring semester:

1 � Clean out your space.

Clutter multiplies quickly, and the best way to combat it for your own mental health is a deep dive. Old electronics? . Worn-out clothes? . Old notebooks? . Give everything else a wipe down, a spritz of Febreze, and a fresh lease on life � you�ll be amazed at how good you feel afterwards.

2 � Get your car serviced.

Winter is a rough season for any vehicle, and the last thing you want it to break down on a wet road on the way to or from class. Ease your mind now and get your oil changed, buy a new snow scraper, and maybe get some snow tires. You can even to make driving a lot less of a chore.

3 � Update your resume.

Every new thing you learn is a critical component to your future. Present yourself professionally and keep your resume up to date with these new skills. When you�re done, check out and see how to get a jump on the job market.

4 � Flex your creativity and uniqueness.

With all your time spent between work and school, hobbies are not a priority during the semester. During your break, make them one. Refuel your creative juices by , taking some beautiful pictures, sketching out a video game plot, even building a LEGO castle with your siblings or kids.

5 � Take a week-long class.

�鶹��ý offers online classes that give you a full semester of course credit in one week. It�s an intense week, but it checks a general education requirement off your course list so you can focus more on your major when classes begin. For more information, contact �鶹��ýadmissions@ccsnh.edu � our advisors are here to help you find your future.

�鶹��ý is ready to welcome you back to classes on Jan. 19, 2021. Until then, have a safe, happy, and healthy winter break!