In 2010, almost 11,000 people in Worcester County were admitted to state-funded facilities for the treatment of drug and alcohol-related problems; state-wide, the number exceeded 102,000. You may not see them or know these people, but they are part of our community—contributing to our businesses, connecting with their families, and giving back to the community. They are struggling with their own personal nightmares and have made the decision to deal with their addiction in an effort to set their feet solidly on a path toward hope.

But they cannot go through their recovery alone. Unfortunately, there are insufficient numbers of trained counselors to meet the needs of people suffering from alcoholism and other dependencies in our community. Certification and licensure is not a difficult process. There are colleges and agencies in Worcester County that offer these educational hours and counseling supervision. At Becker College, we have incorporated this training into our four-year psychology major, and we have created a six-course certificate program. Requirements to be a certified alcoholism/drug abuse counselor (CADAC) include: 270 hours of continuing education training related to substance abuse and supervised counseling experience, as well as up to three years practical work experience.

“The good news is that we are making progress,” says Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD).  “It is now estimated that more than 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery. These individuals, with the help of certified drug and alcohol counselors, have achieved healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally, and contribute in positive ways to their communities.”

Unlike many jobs, substance abuse counselors have the rare opportunity to transform people’s lives. While the job can be challenging, the outcomes—helping clients overcome their addictions and get their lives back on track—can be extremely rewarding.  Certified drug and alcohol counselors help their clients in multiple ways, from providing tangible guidance and information to serving as a source of emotional strength.

Alcoholism and drug addiction does not discriminate; it affects people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, geographic regions, and socioeconomic levels. Too many people are still unaware that drug addiction and alcoholism are conditions that can be treated, just like we treat other health disorders such as diabetes and hypertension.  I urge anyone who has the passion and commitment to help those with addiction problems to become certified. You can make a tremendous difference in the lives of those in our community. We must help those who are suffering and to help our next generation avoid the many problems associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Click here for more information about the Certificate in Alcohol/Drug Abuse Counseling.

By Nina Mazloff, Chair, Department of Teacher Education and Family Studies, Becker College

The post Rising Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Counseling is Key to Healing appeared first on Becker College.

Funutation is enrolling now for the Tek Lab camps, which offer an approach to technology for children that feature a blend of learning and fun that focuses on hands-on action.

“Younger children and teens have more opportunities to discover science and technology than ever before,” says Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. “The children who enroll in the Funutation Tek Labs, will also visit the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, here on campus, to meet college students and interactive media industry professionals and to see them working on serious and entertainment games aimed at reaching the marketplace.”

Session I takes place August 5-9, 2013, and includes “2D Video Game Design with Scratch,”  in which children ages 8-11 learn computer graphic techniques and animation fundamentals to design a basic computer video game; and “Stop Motion Animation,” in which children ages 8-11 discover the secrets behind computer animation by using Scratch software and create a video with everyday objects.

Session II takes place August-16, 2013, and includes “K’nex Robotics,” in which children ages 7-10 discover how real-world amusement park rides work, using K’nex models; and “Battlebots,” in which children ages 12-15 build robot warriors using everyday materials and pit them against each other in battle.

To register for a Tek Lab, or for more information, contact Funutation Tekademy at 1-888-386-8835 ext. 512, or visit www.funutation.com.

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Many adults focus on the obstacles they see between them and a bachelor’s degree: schedules packed with work and family obligations, finances, the yawning gap since they last picked up a book or took a test. They do not realize that adult courses are tailored to their strengths, that their work experience will help them succeed in class, that classwork will help them succeed in the office, and whether employed or not, they will serve as a role model for others.

Charise Wilson is a typical adult non-traditional student. A career services and workforce development director for more than 11 years, she reached a plateau she could not cross without a bachelor’s degree. With some college credits, and a wealth of professional experience, she enrolled in the bachelor’s degree in business administration program at the Center for Accelerated & Professional Studies at Becker College and is successfully juggling one course a week, family, and full-time work, like many other adult students.

Charise is sharing her story and her career services expertise in her current role as an admissions counselor and community liaison for the Accelerated Center at Becker and at “Free in June,” an event aimed at demystifying the adult student experience and offering career and interviewing tips, to be held Wednesday, June 12, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 15, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Becker College. Charise is also offering free career consultation appointments in the coming weeks.

The post Free in June: Adults Need Not Fear Returning to College appeared first on Becker College.

Media coverage: Worcester Business Journal, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Worcester Magazine

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray was honored in a ceremony Wednesday, May 29, 2013, for his accomplishments in six years in statewide office, and as a lifelong champion of the Central Massachusetts economy, at the Worcester campus of Becker College.

Murray received the President’s Medal from Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., who established the honor in 2013 to recognize those whose contributions have had a far-reaching and positive influence on Becker College, in our communities, across the nation, or around the world.

Murray, who is leaving office to take the position of chief executive of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, was recognized for his numerous achievements for the benefit of Central Massachusetts and the Commonwealth, including the establishment of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI), a state-sponsored organization housed at Becker College and dedicated to economic growth and the creation of jobs in the fast-moving video game industry.

“MassDiGI, Becker College, and the community at large have been blessed by the tireless advocacy of Lt. Gov. Murray, who has brought real change and growth to both our community and the Commonwealth as a whole,” said President Johnson. “A Worcester native, Lt. Gov. Murray has never forgotten his roots and never failed to serve as a champion of the growth and progressive change that benefits all of the citizens of Massachusetts.”

At the ceremony, Murray also helped to officially kick off the second annual MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program with students pursuing careers in digital and video game development, and recognized the role this dynamic young organization is playing in bringing new jobs and energy to the state’s technology community.

“I am proud to have partnered with President Johnson and the Becker College community to advance opportunities for students pursuing careers in the state’s growing digital and video game industry,” said Lt. Gov. Murray.  “Video games are a growing industry, and MassDiGI is dedicated to helping students improve their talent and help Massachusetts stay competitive in the increasingly global marketplace of the 21st Century.”

The post Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray Receives Becker College President’s Medal appeared first on Becker College.

Communications Design offers students a diverse set of creative and technologic skills that provide entrée into a broad range of employment opportunities, which are expected to experience an average of more than 17% growth in the near future.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for entry-level positions in advertising, motion and broadcast graphics, web design, book and magazine design, package design, corporate branding, information visualization, interactive design, exhibition and retail design, architectural and environmental graphics, apparel design, and instructional technology.

Among the many advantages of using a communications design strategy in a range of professions and industries is that it forms the foundation for the practice: organization of information is the first step in designing any communication, especially if it has visual and auditory components.

Communications design provides the ability to identify, research, evaluate, and solve problems; create prototypes; apply relevant tools and technologies; understand basic business organizational practices; and apply an understanding of design history.

This program prepares students for the broad field of communications design while allowing them to expand their knowledge in one or more areas through course groupings that provide the opportunity for depth.  Students who choose the bachelor of arts in communications design may elect to focus on instructional design, or add courses in video production, or multimedia journalism. Portfolio, senior project, professional practice, and an optional internship assure that students receive hands-on experience in their chosen area of communications design and enter the workforce with marketable skills and an interview-ready portfolio.

Computer Information Systems provides a degree in an industry that includes the top-eight growth jobs over the next eight years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Students majoring in the bachelor of science in business administration’s computer information systems (CIS) concentration will have leading-edge tools and techniques in their grasp (MSDNAA, Rational Suite Enterprise, IBM products, and Oracle), as well as a solid foundation of business skills.

CIS students establish a robust foundation that prepares them to pursue either a business career with a strong understanding of how technology facilitates achieving business objectives, or a technology career with a strong understanding of how business objectives drive information systems toward achieving business goals.

Information systems (IS) is the use of computers and information to enable people and organizations to be more creative and productive.

Students learn to:

• identify the needs of an individual or organization
• design and develop systems to meet those requirements
• deploy these systems to solve real-world problems

These solutions can involve applying the latest technology to improve the delivery of products and services, while insuring that the systems are secure.

Students will take four additional courses in an area of specialization.  Current courses in the areas of project management and information security are available.  Students have the option of taking other approved program electives.

For more information on these, or any Becker College academic programs, contact 508.373.9400 or admissions@becker.edu, or visit http://www.becker.edu/admissions/.

The post Becker College Announces New Academic Programs appeared first on Becker College.

The bond between human owners and their pets may be affecting the health of both, especially when it comes to diabetes, high blood pressure, and other illnesses associated with obesity.

In the veterinary sciences field, we have observed that the epidemic of overweight humans is being mirrored in the population of pet cats and dogs. Obesity is just as threatening to the animals as it is to their owners, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine.  Diseases being diagnosed in animals that are obese “are eerily similar to those reported for people,” according to the center, citing an annual study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP).

Fat owners, fat pets? It has long been observed that dog and cat owners often resemble the dogs and cats they own. In 2009, a scientist in England issued a study in which 70 subjects were asked to match pictures of 41 dog owners to one of several breeds. They were able to match successfully more than half the time, far better than chance. Why? Because it’s true: Many people look like their pets.

Norman Rockwell, the artist famous for his series of Americana paintings featured on Saturday Evening Post covers, did not need a study to understand how pets and owners reflect each other. He painted a group of dogs and their look-alike owners in 1952, in his famous work “Waiting for the Vet.”

But the resemblance is now being found to extend to problems like obesity and the diseases it can cause, potentially affecting millions of Americans and the animals they love.  More than half of all American households have a companion animal, for a total of 77 million dogs and 93 million cats.  There are more dogs and cats in households than children, in addition to 75 million small mammals and reptiles and millions of aquarium fish. Pets are family members, and we often treat them as loved ones with all the benefits of a great home life. But our pets are, sadly, falling victim to one of the biggest health issues facing their human owners.

Obesity is a leading epidemic in the United States, for humans and for pets. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that during the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in American obesity, and rates remain high. More than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese, and the numbers are relatively the same for women.

Guess what? Similar trends hold true for our pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the dog and cat. The latest nationwide survey, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), found 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats to be classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. That equals over 100 million pets that are too heavy, according to veterinarians.

A central part of the problem, APOP found, is the growing “fat pet gap.” Many owners are unaware that their pets are overweight. The new normal is fat and, in many cases, the problem correlates to the obesity epidemic among people. The FDA sees the pet as the sentinel for childhood obesity. When we see dogs that are overweight, we essentially should see a child that’s at risk for excess weight. Think about the lifestyles of many of our young people, and then we can readily see how their pets are emulating those lifestyles.  If a child is playing video games all day, the dog isn’t outside playing. Rather, the pet is sitting at her feet or on the sofa. If the child is lying around snacking on high-calorie treats, chances are the dog is sharing in those same excess calories—and is also likely to get something from the dinner table.

What can we start doing in May—National Pet Month—the perfect occasion to begin decreasing the risk of disease and improving the overall health and wellness of both ourselves and our pets.? Just as humans who are striving to improve their health can benefit from partnering with others, so too can we partner with our pets. Make May a time to resolve to change your unhealthy habits, and those of your pet. Get outside with your dog. Go for a walk or play fetch. Run around the house with a feather on the end of a lead with your cat. Take an unflinching look at your lives TOGETHER.

Rather than sit together, play together. Exercise together. Eat right together. Picture a healthier you looking fit and trim, and do the same with your dog, cat, or other favorite pet. Make your new normal—and that of your pet—healthy.  And, as in the Norman Rockwell painting, make sure to visit your veterinarian so you can receive the guidance and assistance you both need to embark on a healthy mission together.

The post National Pet Month: Overweight Owners Lead Pets to Obesity appeared first on Becker College.

More than 25 years ago, the University of California’s Clark Kerr and Marian Gade wrote that in higher education, turmoil and change have been “the rule, not the exception.” Yet the winds of tumultuous change are today blowing harder than ever, whipping up a gale that threatens every institution that is slow to adapt.

Online learning is certainly a driving force in the higher education revolution, but the phenomenon of Internet-based courses is only part of the changes to come. In the furious rush to build virtual classrooms, colleges and universities may be confusing the online revolution with the larger need for higher education to embrace much wider change.

Read more.

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Knight’s real name was Roger Jaskoviak, a 1961 graduate of Leicester Junior College, now the Leicester Campus of Becker College. It has been many years since a showing of Knight’s work has taken place; Becker is taking this unique opportunity to hold an exhibit of his work in May, as part of the celebration of its 225^th commencement anniversary.

Knight painted huge, detailed portraits of towns like Palmer and the Brookfields, many of which survive. He was also well-known as an illustrator, doing covers for TV Guide and many for Yankee magazine. An annual grant program was named for Knight and has been supporting Massachusetts artists for many years.

Knight lived in the Brookfields in a house that was a work of art in and of itself, and was the subject of a noted photo series by Massachusetts photographer Stephen DiRado, who is also contributing some images to the exhibit at Becker.

The College has been in contact with Knight’s friends, colleagues, and family, and has collected paintings, prints, artifacts like a set of vintage Jacob Knight print sheets, and other materials for the show.

The exhibit will be held on Friday, May 10, 2013, 6:00-9:00 p.m., in the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Campus Center on the Becker College Leicester Campus. To contribute Jacob Knight artwork, stories, or other materials to the exhibit in May, future exhibitions, or the Becker College archive, please contact the Becker College Office of Institutional Advancement at 508-373-9531.

Click here to register for the event.

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