Administrative Changes

Mount Holyoke continuously looks for ways to strengthen ties within the Five Colleges and identify collaborative arrangements that provide a high level of service and increased effectiveness and efficiency at a cost affordable to the college. Effective July 1, 2008, MHC entered into such an agreement with Hampshire for joint campus public safety services under the leadership of Paul Ominsky who is the current Director of Public Safety at Mount Holyoke. Hampshire's public safety officers and dispatchers have become employees of Mount Holyoke. They will continue, however, to serve the Hampshire campus as they always have. At Mount Holyoke, the level of service provided by the Department of Public Safety will be unchanged, as will our staffing levels.

We are excited about this new collaborative initiative. Director Ominsky also currently supervises the Smith College public safety force. We expect that the extension of this collaborative to include Hampshire will present opportunities for coordination, cross-training, and mutual support among the three campuses.

This arrangement brings an immediate benefit to Mount Holyoke. For example, we will have greater staff resources available to help at such busy times as Halloween and Commencement. Meanwhile, our officers will continue to be part of a police force accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, a status indicative of the force's meeting or exceeding rigorous national standards for public safety.

Other exciting news from Public Safety includes the graduation of two of our officers, Theresa Ryan and Megan Smith, from the Special State Police academy. Theresa was elected president of her class, and Megan received an award for highest academic standing in the class. Theresa will be training and working on the overnight shift, and Megan will be training and working on the day shift.

Source: MHC News Office