NEWS

James Keevan started as the Executive Director for WISE on Monday, June 6, 2022. Jim, as he prefers to be called, is a Holden local.  As he lives in Holden in the house he grew up in, working for WISE at Assumption University allows him to stay closer to home while also giving back to the community that taught him so much.

This is not his first time at Assumption University, although when he earned his Bachelor’s degree here in 1986 it was known as Assumption College. He then spent a year working as the evening custodian at Rice School in Holden, which was the elementary school that he had attended as a child. There are some WISE members living there now, as the former school was renovated into condos. Jim then returned to Assumption College and earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology in 1989, after which he worked in the Counseling department at Assumption College before heading off for almost three decades working in the field of Emergency Mental Health in Massachusetts, first in Webster, then in Gardner, and then in Milford. He switched fields slightly to residential work in 2017, being the Program Director for YOU, Inc.’s Teen Parent Program in Worcester before moving on to the field of higher education. Jim started working for Elms College’s Off Campus program in 2019. His job there involved recruiting and supporting Elms students who already had associate degrees and were working with Elms College on their bachelor’s degrees, but were doing so at the campuses of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, and, starting in January of 2022, Greenfield Community College in Greenfield. In addition to these experiences, Jim has also been a lifelong and usually active member of the First Congregational Church in Holden, where he is currently the Moderator, and was very involved in Scouting for many years.

Jim is excited to have the opportunity to use his knowledge of the educational field, the local towns and cities in Worcester County, and interacting with a variety of people to help bring WISE back into in person activities while also preserving the Zoom connection so that WISE members who are far away can still participate in lifelong learning opportunities.

Les Blatt, Martha Gach, and Bill O'Brien spoke with Hank Stoltz about their upcoming courses. Have a listen.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Worcester's seniors get WISE to virtual learning - join us this Fall 2021!

The WISE Annual Meeting approved a number of by-law changes and elected officers and Council members for the upcoming academic year. 

See the WISE Annual Report, Meeting Agenda, and By-Laws for details.

The following article appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of The Chamber Exchange newsletter, a quarterly publication of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

WORCESTER - The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) hosted by Assumption University makes it easy for lifelong learners to stay engaged with 30 rotating courses. Offerings range from uplifting to mysterious with unique selections like “Great Movie Music,” “Introduction to Bird Watching,” and “Imposters, Con Artists and Their Webs of Deception.” Assumption President Dr. Francesco C. Cesareo says religion and politics courses have become the most popular programs in recent years, adding that WISE has grown a great deal since its inception in 1992.

Read more

Art history, bird watching, and immunology are three of the many topics explored in classes offered by Assumption University' WISE program.

Read more at the Fifty Plus Advocate

In this episode, Dr. Tej Maini, President of Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption College, and Monica Gow, Director of WISE, discuss this program and the wide variety of college level courses offered to Seniors through Zoom.

Listen to the show on YouTube.

As kids and teens settle in behind laptops and monitors for remote learning, there’s a new age group now logging on.

See the news segment on Fox 25.

Senior program takes to Zoom during pandemic

WORCESTER - Barbara Groves is a past president of the Worcester Institute for Senior Education and the current curriculum chair, and she has taken WISE courses for 15 years, mostly at Assumption ...

Read more at the Worcester Telegram website.

Senior citizens continue to be a population largely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, as senior care facilities, nursing homes, senior centers, and programs adapt and fight to protect the well-being of elders.

Read more at the Worcester Business Journal website.