Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

Transcription

1 Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology General Information 41 Berkeley Street Boston, MA (617) Website Organization Contact Molly Russell Year of Incorporation

2 Statements & Search Criteria Mission Statement Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology offers education to students pursuing career-based paths. The College strives to develop technical and professional skills as well as individual values that help to create a foundation for success, civic responsibility and life-long learning. The College adheres to the principles put forth by our benefactor Benjamin Franklin in his writings about education and citizenship. Background Statement Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is Benjamin Franklin s living legacy in Boston. It evolved directly from his bequest of 1000 to the Inhabitants of the Towne of Boston, set forth in a codicil to his will dated In his codicil, he wrote, I have considered that among Artisans good Apprentices are most likely to make good Citizens. I wish to be useful even after my Death in forming and advancing other young men that may be serviceable to their country in both [Philadelphia and Boston]. On Friday, September 25, 1908, with 750 people attending, the Franklin Union building was dedicated. Classes at the fledgling Franklin Union began the following Monday with an enrollment of 533 students. The first term s offerings were Mechanical Drawing, Machine Details, Mechanism, Drawing for Carpenters and Builders, Industrial Chemistry, Steam Engines and Boilers, Industrial Electricity, and Mechanics. In 1941, the College changed its name to The Franklin Technical Institute and saw its programs and enrollment expand during World War II. His efforts to upgrade engineering programs in the late 1940s laid the foundation for Franklin to become a degree-granting institution. In 1957 the legislature authorized the Foundation to grant associate s, bachelor s, and master s degrees in engineering and science. In 1958 Franklin began awarding associate s degrees in engineering and in 1997 its one bachelor s degree, in Automotive Technology. In 1961, Franklin changed its name once again, to the Franklin Institute of Boston and was awarding associate s degrees in engineering. By 1971, students could choose from six associate degree programs. In 2001, the College became the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. In its second century, Franklin moves ahead with optimism. Its student body is highly diverse, some forty national flags in the auditorium honoring the students countries of origin. A dedicated faculty and staff carry on a long heritage of providing a welcoming and highly supportive atmosphere, now characterized by the term High tech, high touch. In addition to its one bachelor s course and several certificate courses, Franklin s nearly six hundred students can select from nine associate s degree programs in the engineering and industrial technologies, preparing for immediate employment or to pursue a bachelor s degree with fully transferable credits at colleges with which Franklin has articulation agreements. In the century since its founding, thousands of men and women have entered rewarding careers, thanks to the original Franklin bequest and the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. Their legacy continues. Impact Statement Top Five Accomplishments: 1. Our graduation rate is triple the MA average and double the national average for two-year colleges. 2. Over 90% placement rate in job or further education. 3. The National Science Foundation reported "The College has a strong system of counseling and student support services, which can truly serve as a national model for public-2 year community colleges...bfit's student support system across all its technology degree programs is the most comprehensive." 4. Renovated Automotive Technology Training Center with Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Lab - only A.S. Degree in New England with a specialization in AFV. 5.In 2014, completed challenge match that raised over $1 million to support student scholarships. 2

3 Needs Statement Increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Increase funding for scholarships and institutional endowment. Expand and deepen industry partnerships to grow job placement rates and corporate philanthropy. Add new academic programs that meet emerging industry needs. Develop plan to address long-term physical plant needs, such as student housing, upkeep of the 1908 main building, and ensuring classroom and laboratory technology are in sync with industry equipment and practices. CEO/Executive Director Statement Anthony Benoit was named as the College's 12th President on January 1, Prior to this appointment, Benoit served both as Interim President from June 2013 and as Academic Dean from August In 2015, Benoit was named by Governor Charlie Baker to the task force on Economic Opportunity for Populations Facing Chronically High Rates of Unemployment. Before joining BFIT, Benoit was division director for technology programs and professor of environmental technology at Three Rivers Community College in Connecticut. While at Three Rivers, he established an associate degree program to meet regional demand for environmental technicians and created a technology learning community funded by the National Science Foundation that improved recruitment, retention, and placement of at-risk young people. Benoit also served as state-wide director of a Department of Labor funded program spanning six colleges that improved workforce development in advanced manufacturing and related technologies. In addition to 20 years of experience in higher education, Tony also has more than a decade of experience in private industry. For 17 years, he ran an environmental laboratory and consulting firm that supported businesses, individuals and water companies in public health and regulatory compliance. Benoit has a Bachelor s in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale, an MA in psychology from Connecticut College, and an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Connecticut. 3

4 Board Chair Statement I volunteer my time at the college due to the students we educate, the need for this program, and for my own personal interests in education: The College serves those overlooked in the present educational environment. The College is effective. The graduation rate is significantly higher than other two year programs, but more importantly, its students gain meaningful job or further education paths. Our companies need these skills. Many jobs are presently unfilled due to the lack of technically skilled workers, but those gaps can be filled with graduates from our College. The faculty/administration goes beyond than just offering classes. They mentor and support students who need and respond to their high touch. I like history, and the college s direct link to Benjamin Franklin and his directive. Challenges & Opportunities: Following years of financial deficiencies and endowment decline, the board determined in 2003 that the problems were due to a lack of decisive governance. Led by the chair, the board members vowed to change; I was one. The governance issue was partially due to the inflexibility of the governing body that had been placed under the State Legislature prior to World War II. This inflexibility did not cope with changes in higher education priorities, funding, and Boston demographics. Enrollment declined; decisions were not made. Since then, great progress has been made. Yet many challenges exist that when addressed will support stability and growth: Tuition covers only a percent of the annual operational costs, thus requiring extensive fundraising. Our students require additional support as they deal with English language deficiencies, lack of family support, and need for remedial learning. Management remains thin. For example, enrollment, student aid and development departments have only recently been implemented and managed. Finally, as the college faced financial issues, money was not spent to update aging facilities. Although there have been improvements, much needs to been done. Outreach and bridges to businesses requires aggressive improvement. Successes: More stable management has already made meaningful change, a student-dedicated faculty and administration is maintained and enrollment has increased over the last nine years. The governance board is now independent of the State and a normal non-profit Board of Trustees with revolving terms and term limits. Effort is underway for new member recruitment and meaningful committee leadership. The governance board and college have been unified into one organization and has applied for non-profit status. In the meantime, the separate 501c3 has been maintained. New facilities have been built including a new electrical lab and a new automotive technology center with an alternative fuels lab (hybrid program); both are needed to address current market needs. To conclude, all academic programs are under review for relevancy and purpose and additional 2+2 programs are being initiated. Service Categories Two-Year Colleges Vocational & Technical Schools Scholarships & Student Financial Aid Geographic Areas Served Approximately 60% of BFIT students are Boston residents; the remaining are from metropolitan Boston-area cities and towns within Route 128. Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served. 4

5 Programs Early Access to College Description BFIT has partnered with the Boston Public Schools to provide a dual enrollment program branded with a technology future for any hopeful student. Courses taught at BFIT serve students across three semesters each year. They come to us because we give them access to hands-on courses with real-world applications. A report from The Boston Foundation, Who s Making It, describes a dire need to increase the engagement of Boston Public Schools graduates and other under-represented students in their college coursework and other academic experiences. In our traditional classes it was clear that BPS students, entering as freshmen, suffered from too little understanding of the demands and expectations of higher education; and too few skills to identify appropriate courses, to organize and complete assignments, and to reach out to teachers for support and direction. BFIT committed itself to encourage students to explore college, to learn about what it is and where it can take them. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Education, General/Other Education & Technology Adolescents Only (13-19 years), At-Risk Populations, Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent Sustain enrollment of annually or above and increase graduation rates to 70% or higher over the next five years. Maintain a competitive tuition rate. Expand partnerships with Boston Schools that, through curriculum alignment and dual-enrollment, substantially reduce the need for remedial programs at the College, and create a seamless pipeline for technology education for interested students. Build partnerships with Boston industry to train students in highdemand technology positions for immediate placement in regional technology jobs. 5

6 Program Long term Success Our goal is to contribute to the development of a student as college ready according to David T. Conley, author of the 2007 report on Redefining College Readiness: The college-ready student is able to understand what is expected in a college course, can cope with the content knowledge that is presented, and can take away from the course the key intellectual lessons and dispositions the course was designed to convey and develop the student is prepared to get the most out of the college experience by understanding the culture and structure of postsecondary education and the ways of knowing and intellectual norms of this academic and social environment. The student has both the mindset and disposition necessary to enable this to happen. This program is a long-term commitment to Boston s students and to strengthening the Greater Boston community. EAC is producing college-bound, skills-oriented youth, but it requires continual annual funding and increased investment. Program Success Monitored By Student grades, graduation rates, and enrollment levels are captured by the Registrar s Office and are simple to track for confirmed performance against the outcomes described above. The chart below provides a multi-year review of performance: Academic Year Enrolled Received Dual Credit % Received Dual C (Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters) % % % % % Total % Examples of Program Success Freshman year of high school I toured Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology and learned about what it takes to become a college student. I heard about the dual enrollment program that allows students to start college and get a feel for it while still in high school. Automotive is my passion. I grew up around cars and have always known that my career would involve working on cars. I took my first class during the spring 2010 semester. Since then I have taken many other classes and will enter BFIT next September with only one year remaining to get my associate degree. The EAC program changed my mindset because I wasn t planning on coming to college. College isn t a hassle. I have found out that if you stay on top of everything, the ride through college is smooth. - Renaldo Torres 6

7 Third Semester Description Student retention is the impetus behind the tuition-free Third Semester Program. Incoming students, whose admissions' placement tests show the need for remedial support, are offered a free third semester in their freshman year as an enticement to take remedial courses in order to remain in college, succeed, and graduate within two years. This is a personalized learning plan for incoming freshman needing remedial work before they take college-level courses, and might include: Algebra I, II, or English. In the spring semester, they begin taking courses in their major, and in the summer or "Third Semester," they complete first year credits in their major, and are then ready to become sophomores in the fall. Budget 726,727 Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Education, General/Other Education & Technology At-Risk Populations, College Aged (18-26 years), Minorities The College tracks fall-to-spring retention (first semester) and fallto-fall retention (one year). The fall-to-spring retention rate for freshman students in 2008 was 84%, in %, and in %. The fall-to-fall retention rate in 2008 was 48%, in 2009 it was 47%, and 48.42% in The graduation rate for students who started in fall 2008 was 62.24%, fall 2009 was 57.44% and those in fall 2010 was 61.4%. Certificate students, who on average make up 10% of the student body, who graduate within their first year are not counted as retained because they do not return for a second year which impacts our retention numbers. To address this, the Registrar also tracks success rates to include certificate students who generally graduate within that first year. In fall 2008 the success rate of our students was 62%, in fall 2009 it was 57%, and in fall 2010 it was 78%. The ultimate goal of this program is to keep students enrolled in college and allow them to attain their degree by offering development courses to fix lapses in core areas essential to college success, including math, English, and communication. The aim is to increase student retention and graduation rates. Our current graduation rate is 50% (triple the MA level for twoyear colleges and double the national average) and our goal is to increase that number to 70% by

8 Program Success Monitored By In an effort to address the declining retention and graduation numbers the College established a Retention Committee in fall The committee includes members from all aspects of the College community and meets regularly to analyze our retention rate and discuss possibilities for improvement. The committee has also broken into three smaller working groups, Early Intervention, Data Gathering, and Curriculum Delivery, to more closely examine specific components of the College. The goal is to implement initiatives in 2011/12 and continue ongoing evaluation. The work of this group has led to new initiatives to be implemented in the 2011/2012 academic year, which include: Students of Concern committee which will meet every week to review students who have been identified as being at-risk for attrition (attendance records, work with faculty and staff, and anecdotal information) Retention Committee which will continue the work which began in the fall 2010 in collecting and analyzing data and reviewing systemic/policy issues related to retention Development of an exit survey that will better enable the college to understand why students left their program prior to receiving their degree. Adding a pilot course, the Franklin Seminar, designed to support students to be successful in and prepared for the rigors of college level coursework. Through contextualized learning students will learn how to be successful in their college level course work and understand how to utilize the resources that the College provides to assist students as they work toward graduation Investing in capital improvement projects for the 2012 academic year geared towards improving the students co-curricular experience. Improving the College s web-based SOS (Support Our Students) system, an early warning system, allowing faculty and advisors to communicate via like messages to detect and solve student concerns quickly. Integrating the SOS system with the Students of Concern committee Examples of Program Success One recent graduate, Christina L., is a particularly good example of the value of Third Semester. She needed developmental courses to progress in the Opticianry program, but she simply could not afford to pay for the extra required semester to stay in college and graduate. Her mother was already working three jobs, and her father worked more than 16 hours a day at his. She says The Third Semester scholarship definitely changed my life in a big way. She is now working as an Optician for Target, and her ultimate goal is to become an Ophthalmologist Program Comments CEO Comments Anne Bailey Berman, Former Board Chair: "Too many of our greater community's young people struggle with finding a future, gaining the right education and training, or even getting on the right path. They fall between the cracks of our fouryear institutions and community colleges. My goal related to Franklin is to insure its stability, 8

9 relevance, and growth so that it may educate even more students in the way that it does." Christopher Morss, Trustee: "The administrators, faculty, and staff devout Herculean efforts to support our students and help them succeed. Stories abound at the college both from current students and alumni about people who went far out of their way to help someone be successful. Franklin has a comprehensive student support system and we do all in our power to identify and help any student in difficulty before a situation becomes grave. The result is that tentative incoming students who wonder if they can succeed discover that they can, and their confidence in their ability grows." James S. Hughes, Former Trustee: "In addition to teaching practical job skills, the College creates a supportive environment and a personal learning experience which helps students mature, stay in school, graduate, and find a career path that suits them and allows them to become good citizens. The result of this successful program is reflected by the high student retention and graduation rates and a near certainty of job placement upon graduation." 9

10 Management CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Term Start Jan Mr. Anthony Benoit Experience On January 1, 2014 the Board of Trustees of Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) unanimously approved the appointment of Anthony Benoit as the 12th President in the college s 106-year history. After the sudden loss of President George Chryssis in May 2013, the Board of Trustees appointed then Academic Dean, Anthony Benoit, as Interim President. During his term as Interim President, Tony demonstrated he well understands our college, our challenges and our opportunities, stated Chair of the Board, Anne Bailey Berman. To further assist the Board during the transition period, Isaacson, Miller was commissioned to begin a search for a permanent President. In a report to the Board, Isaacson, Miller noted that Benoit was highly regarded as both an administrator and a highly competent technology professional. Among his achievements during his time at the college, Isaacson, Miller pointed to Benoit s successful redesign of curriculum to strengthen program offerings and to develop new programs. He has fostered solid and creative relations with industry that have strengthened the college s partnerships. He led the academic division of the college through its recent ten-year NEASC accreditation and has achieved laudable success in securing large grants from major funders including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor. Prior to joining BFIT in August 2011 as Academic Dean, Benoit was director for the technology department and professor of environmental technology at Three Rivers Community College in Connecticut. While at Three Rivers, he established an associate degree program to meet regional demand for environmental technicians and created a technology learning community funded by the National Science Foundation that improved recruitment, retention, and placement of at-risk young people. Benoit also served as state-wide director of a Department of Labor funded program spanning six colleges that improved workforce development in advanced manufacturing and related technologies. In addition to 20 years of experience in higher education, Benoit also has more than a decade of experience in private industry. For 17 years, he ran an environmental laboratory and consulting firm that supported businesses, individuals and water companies in public health and regulatory compliance. Benoit has a Bachelor s in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale, an MA in psychology from Connecticut College, and an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Connecticut. Former CEOs Name Term George Chryssis Jan May 2013 Senior Staff 10

11 Mr. Brian Bicknell Title Experience/Biography Dean of Academic Affairs Brian Bicknell joined Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in June of 2011 as Dean of Students. Brian was previously the Dean of Students at Montserrat College of Art and the Director of Housing at The Boston Conservatory. Brian has an MA in counseling from Fitchburg State University and an EdD in higher education administration from University of Massachusetts- Boston. Mr. Michael A. Bosco Title Experience/Biography Dean of Student Services Michael Bosco began his tenure as Dean of Enrollment Management in May He has admissions, enrollment management, and marketing experience at Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts and Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He holds a master s of education from Curry College, a bachelor s degree in business management and an associate s degree in financial services management, both from Johnson & Wales University. He is a frequent presenter at regional and national higher education conferences including the New England Association of College Admissions Counselors, the NASPA Region I Conference, and the Conference on the First Year Experience. He is pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration at Northeastern University. Mr. Marvin Loiseau Title Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Experience/Biography Ms. Shelley Dropkin Title Director of Human Resources Experience/Biography Mr. Jaime Crespo Title Director of Marketing Experience/Biography Staff Information Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Volunteers

12 Contractors Retention Rate 1 87% Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 8 Asian American/Pacific Islander 2 Caucasian 60 Hispanic/Latino 5 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency NonManagement Formal Evaluation Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually Annually Annually Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers 12 Under Development Date Strategic Plan Adopted Jan 2011 Does your organization have a Business Continuity of Operations Plan? Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Document Destruction Policy 5 No Under Development Under Development No No

13 Is your organization licensed by the Government? Registration Permit? No Exempt Exempt External Assessments and Accreditations Assessment/Accreditation Year

14 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. Ryan Hutchins Company Affiliation Gilbane Building Company Term July 2014 to June Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mr. Anthony Benoit Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Exofficio Mr. Roger Berman The Berman Group Voting Mr. Daniel Bonnette McGladrey LLP Voting Mr. Rahn Dorsey City of Boston Exofficio Ms. Kaye Ferriter Consultant Voting Mr. David Fischer Gold Hill Capital Voting Mr. William A. Ghormley Xconomy Voting Mr. Ryan Hutchins Gilbane Building Company Voting Ms. Amy Leddy Liberty Mutual Voting Mr. Erik Lien Outside In Advisors Voting Mr. Christopher Morss Retired, Teacher and Author Voting Mr. Steven Neville UMass Boston Voting Mr. Jed Nosal Brown Rudnick Ms. Judy Pagliuca Pagliuca Foundation Voting Ms. Maureen Pompeo Consultant Voting Mr. Christopher Scoville Eastern Bank Voting Mr. Joseph Shaker Shaker Auto Group Voting Mr. Kevin Stone KeyBank Real Estate Capital Voting Mayor Martin J. Walsh Office of the Mayor Exofficio Mr. Daniel Weinger Mintz Levin, PC Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 2 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 18 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other

15 Board Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified Board Information Board Term Lengths Number of Full Board Meetings Annually Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions Constituency Includes Client Representation 3 4 Under Development Under Development 100% Standing Committees Board Governance Executive Finance Marketing Strategic Planning / Strategic Direction Academic Affairs Audit Building Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Investment 15

16 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start July 01, 2014 Fiscal Year End June 30, 2015 Projected Revenue $11,212, Projected Expenses $11,212, Endowment? Endowment Value $ Spending Policy Percentage Percentage 5% Credit Line? Reserve Fund? No Months Reserve Fund Covers 0 Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year Total Revenue $11,136,246 $10,478,221 $9,607,957 Total Expenses $9,912,636 $10,194,567 $9,435,490 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year Foundation and Corporation $699,100 $530,500 $721,500 Contributions Government Contributions $41,706 $278,474 $348,112 Federal $41,706 $278,474 $348,112 State Local Unspecified Individual Contributions $1,838,697 $700,363 $1,217,039 Indirect Public Support Earned Revenue $7,703,508 $8,561,785 $7,238,870 Investment Income, Net of Losses $853,235 $407,099 $82,436 Membership Dues Special Events Revenue In-Kind Other

17 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year Program Expense $8,675,949 $8,403,500 $8,140,920 Administration Expense $846,926 $1,336,500 $846,500 Fundraising Expense $389,761 $454,567 $448,070 Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 88% 82% 86% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 15% 30% 20% Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year Total Assets $8,875,191 $7,279,907 $7,101,559 Current Assets $6,127,237 $4,531,375 $4,110,246 Long-Term Liabilities $468,734 $486,068 $1,413,619 Current Liabilities $2,179,170 $1,790,162 $967,917 Total Net Assets $6,227,287 $5,003,677 $4,720,023 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 5% 7% 20% Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? No Comments Foundation Staff Comments Financial summary data in the charts and graphs above is per the organization's audited financials. The organization provided further revenue breakout detail for both Foundation & Corporation and Government sources for fiscal years 2014, 2013 and The breakout of functional expenses was provided by the nonprofit for all three years above. The nonprofit received a new nonprofit status (EIN # ) in November 2012, and began using this new nonprofit status to receive all gifts in early The IRS Letter of Determination is posted above for this new nonprofit status. Prior to early 2013, the nonprofit used the Franklin Institute Inc. (EIN # ) nonprofit status to receive donations. Please note, the Form 990s and Audits associated with the previous nonprofit status are posted above for your reference. Created Copyright 2018 The Boston Foundation 17