January 2018
Our mission is to provide quality driven adult education, built on a strong liberal arts foundation that will embolden and enhance the ability of professionals to succeed in a global economy.
Daniel A. Szpiro, PhD
Dean, School of Professional Programs
From Danny's Desk:
Dean, School of Professional Programs
Happy new year everyone!

I hope that all of you had a safe and joyous holiday break. Here in Poughkeepsie, 2018 has greeted us with some cold weather and snow, so I hope you’re managing to stay safe and warm wherever you may be located.

The start of a new year is often a time when we make resolutions. Often, these commitments are focused on new activities that we hope to start, like getting fit or traveling to a new location. Of course, identifying new things to begin can be exciting but sometimes there are hurdles to overcome before we can apply ourselves to pursuing new opportunities. In these cases, a new year’s resolution to finish something still undone can make more sense and ultimately lead to something new and exciting.

I mention making a new year’s resolution to finish an undertaking to encourage all of you to focus your efforts in 2018 towards wrapping-up or significantly advancing your studies towards the completion of your degrees. I know that this undertaking can be daunting and that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t always as bright or obvious as it could be. To support you in your effort to advance your studies, the School of Professional Programs is always available. In addition to connecting our adult students with the support resources that can facilitate your academic success, we have also expanded the number of 8-week online courses that are available across five semesters each year (two in the Fall, two in the Spring, and one in the Summer). Even now in January, there’s still time to enroll for online courses in the Spring II semester. Speak to your Advisor about what is available.

I’ll wrap-up this note by pointing out the obvious: a new year’s resolution to complete your Marist degree is the first and best step to the new year’s resolutions that you really want to be able to commit to: to advance your careers and pursue greater success for yourself and for your families. We want to participate by helping you be successful in both parts of that process!

Best wishes for a wonderful 2018 for you and yours,
Danny Szpiro
Dean, School of Professional Programs
Important Dates for the Spring Semester


Spring Semester Begins
January 16, 2018
Add / Drop Period
January 16 - January 22, 2018

For special programs, cohorts, or online please check with your advisor for dates and details of the Spring semester.

Career Corner: Job Search Gimmicks - Do They Work?

We’ve all received some questionable advice about how to stand out to prospective employers, but is there any merit to using promotional stunts or gimmicks to land a job? Let’s consider the most commonly discussed tactics. Most involve engaging in some light stalking by discovering the name of the hiring manager and proceeding to inundate them with questions about the status of your resume. Or my personal favorite, showing up at the office unannounced with doughnuts or flowers for the staff. Not only are these antics unwelcome and intrusive, but more often than not they will tank your chances of getting the job before you even have the chance to land an interview.

It’s important to consider the underlying theme that makes advice like this so pervasive. At their core these tactics are simply ways to make yourself stand out from other applicants-- and that’s a good thing! But it’s easy to take it too far and find yourself not only out of the running for the job, but on a list of banned applicants at Security.

So how can you make yourself stand out without being perceived as a nuisance, or worse? The answer is simpler than you think, and an impeccable resume and cover letter are a good place to start. As always, you should begin by doing your research on the company and its culture. Get a feel for how they conduct business and try to ascertain the level of formality that you should adhere to in your application materials.

Once you do, always keep your resume simple, polished, and error-free. Inject personality into your cover letter with anecdotes customized to the job requirements and language that expresses your own personal flair, as long as it’s appropriate.

Finally, this doesn’t mean you can’t take chances! If you are applying for a job in a creative field, feel free to be a little more colorful. Some artistic jobs appreciate a uniquely designed resume and perhaps even a photo submitted with your materials. On the other hand, a hiring manager in a more traditionally serious field would most certainly raise an eyebrow at such a submission.

No matter what industry you are applying to, always be professional and courteous. You want to be remembered for your stellar resume and qualifications, not because you caused a stir with an over-the-top stunt. And please— no doughnuts, ever!


For further help with resumes and career coaching please visit the Center for Career Services, Library 332.
Career Services Walk-in Hours
  • Tuesday 1:30-4:00
  • Wednesday 2:30-5:00
  • Thursdays 1:30-4:00
Additional appointment times including remote options are available for sign-up via Foxquest. For evening appointments please email career.services@marist.edu .
Books and Bytes: Notes from the Marist Library
Don't forget - you can check out books from the Marist Library on various topics such as time management!

Here's how you access our vast electronic library from a distance:
Some possible books of interest (if you are interested in reading the titles below, be sure to access them via the library website):
Possible books of interest:
(be sure to access them via the library website if you are interested)

  • Skillful time management. By Peter Levin

  • Real-world time management. By Roy Alexander & Michael S. Dobson

  • Time management. By Anna P. Varga

  • Concise time management and personal development. By John Adair & Melanie Allen

  • Time management. By Brian Tracy
Librarians offer a number of ways for you to communicate with us:

  • Call us! 845-575-3292
  • Email
  • Chat service - NEW!

Ask us questions, or let us know how we can help you!
Writer's Block: New Year's Resolutions from the Writing Tutors.
Happy New Year from the Writing Center! 'Tis the season for making resolutions - we hope you might consider adding writing to your list of things to prioritize in 2018. 

At the Writing Center, we are writers as well as tutors, and we have made a variety of resolutions ourselves for the coming year. Take a look at our goals for 2018 - you might just want to borrow one!

  1. Read more, and read a variety, on a schedule (or with a plan).
  2. Keep paper and pen on my person at all times (except in the shower). Last semester, when I was struggling with a seminar paper, I started making random notes in my journal, in between to-do lists and recipes. I wound up stringing them together in a shockingly coherent outline and lo, a paper was birthed. I’m hooked and now the journal is my bff.
  3. Share my writing for more feedback. Everyone needs an editor, even editors. More eyes, from people who are walking different walks. I need more people asking me more questions.
  4. Take time to go to the mental gym every day. Write something every day in a structured form or to a point.
  5. Think more about the audience when it comes to writing. In my job, what I write needs to be understood by scientists, university students, lab technicians, etc. In this case, content presentation matters more than sophisticated stylistic choices. Having the audience in mind will make my manuals easily understood, clear, and basic.
  6. Don't fall too in love with your own writing (or, for fiction, your main character). It will make editing your writing ten times harder if you're too protective of it. Let it be changeable, and be open to other eyes/comments. 
  7. Cut filler words out of my writing.
  8. Experiment with non-traditional mediums (i.e. podcasting, web series, video games), trying to find new ways to get my creative writing out there.
  9. Free write at least 30 min a day (aside from school work/ papers for class).
  10. Start journaling. Don’t leave the fascinating people you meet and experiences you have to the mercy of your memory.

Finally, we hope you will resolve to make the Writing Center part of your regular routine! We are ready and eager to work with you to accomplish whatever specific goal you have set for your own writing.

The Marist Writing Center offers free, 30 and 60 minute one-on-one tutoring sessions to anyone in the Marist College community. We are located in the library, on the third floor, in Library 334.

We are happy to help assist any type of writing you might be doing, from academic research essays to capping projects, creative writing to job or graduate school application materials.
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