College Choices For Adults News

Excelsior College Advisor Earns National Award for Academic Advising Excellence

Sarah A. Mesick, School of Health Sciences, selected for prestigious NACADA honor

Albany, N.Y. (May 8, 2012) – Sarah A. Mesick, an advisor for the Excelsior College School of Health Sciences, has been named a 2012 recipient of the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Outstanding New Award, in the academic advising-primary role category. She is one of only six nationwide to receive the award this year.

The award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students and who have served as an advisor for a period of three or fewer years. Ms. Mesick will be recognized at NACADA's 36th annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee October 4 – 7, 2012. She is the 17th Excelsior College academic advisor bestowed the honor since 1991.

"This recognition is a testament to Sarah’s hard work and dedication to our adult learners and a proud moment for Sarah, her family, and our institution," said Dr. Mary Beth Hanner, provost and chief academic officer for Excelsior College. "Sarah joins an elite but growing list of Excelsior academic advisor’s to earn this prestigious honor."

Ms. Mesick first came to Excelsior in 2006 as an admissions counselor and has spent the past two years as an advisor in the School of Health Sciences. A resident of Oswego, New York, Ms. Mesick earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and a Master’s of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy Studies from the State University of New York at Albany.

"This award has provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the role that we as advisors can play in a helping our students overcome obstacles and realize their academic and career pursuits," said Ms. Mesick. "It also acts as an ever-present reminder of the importance of life long learning – every day I am looking for ways to improve."

Established in 1983, the nonprofit Annual Awards Program for Academic Advising honors individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising. NACADA’s membership stands at over 10,000 and consists of faculty members, professional advisors, administrators, counselors, and others in academic and student affairs concerned with the intellectual, personal, and vocational needs of students.

Contact:

Mike Lesczinski
Public Relations Manager
mlesczinski@excelsior.edu
518 - 608 - 8450

Source: Excelsior College

Excelsior College introduces guaranteed $10,000 Bachelor's Degree

Innovative program offers students new pathway to a bachelor’s degree

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 23, 2012) – Today, Excelsior College announced the launch of its new, innovative $10,000 pathway to a bachelor’s degree. A regionally accredited, nonprofit leader in distance and online learning, Excelsior College is the first educational institution to offer this price-guaranteed degree.

Ideal for those who thrive in an independent-study environment, this program provides adult learners with a quality, flexible and affordable means to earn a primarily examinations-based bachelor's degree in liberal studies. In addition to the program's guaranteed cost, students using this approach will have a full complement of student support services, including unlimited tutoring, access to Excelsior College's Career Center and Excelsior's online library provided in collaboration with the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University.

"Excelsior has been a pioneer in credit by examination for more than 40 years," said Dr. John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College. "What makes this program truly innovative is its use of open education resources as a key source of study material for students. Not only do these free resources help keep student expenses down, they engage students in learning subject matter from some of the world’s leading colleges and universities."

According to a 2011 survey by the Zogby organization, 70% of America's business leaders viewed credit by examination as a solution to help reduce the cost of a college education. "Excelsior has applied its expertise in credit by examination toward the development of this new opportunity as another way we can help the 37 million Americans who have some college but no degree to achieve their educational goals," said Ebersole.

Excelsior College breaks down obstacles, including time, cost and distance, that have historically prevented adult learners from earning a college degree. By offering prospective students a guaranteed maximum cost of $10,000, Excelsior College continues its history of innovation in meeting their educational needs.

Through Excelsior College's $10,000 degree program students can earn a bachelor's degree in the following: BA in Liberal Studies with an area of focus in Psychology or Sociology; BS in Liberal Studies with areas of focus in Administrative/Management Studies or Health Professions; and BS in Liberal Studies in Psychology or Sociology. Enrollment opened today in the $10,000 degree options.

For more information on any of Excelsior College's programs, interested individuals can contact an admissions counselor toll free at 877-542-4133 or visit this program's Web page.

Rio Salado College Receives National CHEA Award

Tempe, AZ January 19, 2012

Rio Salado College was recently selected as one of three institutions to receive the 2012 Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes.

The award recognizes Rio Salado’s focus on increasing the number of adult learners who find success in higher education.

"Rio has a strong commitment to innovation that improves institutional effectiveness, student access and student success," said Chris Bustamante, Rio Salado College president.
"We are proud of the impact we have made in strengthening those areas and it is an honor to be recognized for it.”

In collaboration with the Transparency by Design initiative and the Higher Learning Commission’s Assessment Academy,Rio built a comprehensive process for the evaluation and improvement of its education products. The process, referred to as the Plan, Do, Check, Act, cycle; measures student learning outcomes, completion data and program reviews to monitor and maintain high quality, successful learning systems.

The CHEA award committee, comprised of leaders in education advocacy and accreditation, also recognized the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Merced.

“The award committee was strongly impressed with the strength and creativity of the work of these institutions. They provide excellent examples of effective approaches to the use of student learning outcomes,” said CHEA President Judith Eaton.

The award will be presented at the 2012 CHEA Annual Conference January 24 in Washington DC.

A national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of approximately 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.

Rio Salado College is one of the 10 regionally accredited Maricopa Community Colleges and the largest online public community college in the nation, serving nearly 70,000 students annually with more than 41,000 online. Founded in 1978, Rio Salado offers degree and certificate programs and general education classes for university transfer. The college also provides support for dual enrollment, military and incarcerated students, and is the largest provider of adult basic education in Arizona.

Article via PRWEB

College Choices for Adults now features Learner Progress Data

On August 31, 2011 College Choices for Adults released new data to track how learners are retained and complete at partner institutions.

“As institutions who serve adult students, we recognized that the IPEDS measures of graduation and retention rates were not wholly representative of our student populations,” said Ed Klonoski, chair of the Executive Committee for Transparency by Design and President, Charter Oak State College. “The Learner Progress metrics open up the students counted to include part-time and transfer-in students, thus giving a more inclusive view of how our students progress and complete.”

"These learner progress data give potential adult learners a more robust view of how students like them – many of whom are returning to college and doing so part-time – are persisting and completing at our partner institutions,” says Cali Morrison, manager of major grants at WCET. “We have also extended our reporting period to reflect both 150% and 200% of ‘normal time-to-degree’(as defined by IPEDS), to be even more inclusive of part-time students who tend to take longer to graduate.”

To view these data, click on any institution's profile. You will note, if an institution has not provided data, this section will not appear on their profile.

WGU Featured in NY Times

Western Governors' University was the subject of an article in the NY Times - Weekly Prompts from a Mentor. The article discusses the importance of mentors to the success of the WGU model of competency based learning. Most telling is the quote from recent graduate, “The human contact with the mentor, the calls saying, ‘Did you get that chapter done, did you have any problems?’ was critical,” Marie Hermetz said. “There’s constant communication. I’m sure this isn’t for everybody, but when you’re more mature, and you really want to get something done, I can’t imagine a better way.”

University of the Rockies Awards First President's Diversity Scholarship

University of the Rockies honored four students for their commitment to community service and diversity by awarding the first President’s Diversity Scholarship.

Tiko Hardy, Kathleen Newell, Kiara Pittman and Zoe Mills are the first students to be presented with this scholarship, which will be awarded annually.

“Diversity is one of the four core values of University of the Rockies, and it is an important part of every student’s learning experience,” said Dr. Charlita Shelton, president of University of the Rockies. “We are proud of our students’ service in the Colorado Springs community, and we are pleased to be helping them reach their educational goals.” Full story from University of the Rockies.

University of the Rockies Recognized for Commitment to Course Quality

University of the Rockies today announced that Quality Matters^TM, a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer-review process that certifies the quality of online courses, has recognized University of the Rockies for its long-term, systematic approach to course quality assurance. The Quality Matters Academic Advisory Council (QMAAC) has approved the University of the Rockies Implementation Plan, which includes training faculty in Quality Matters standards and submitting courses for peer review by trained faculty from several institutions. Full story from University of the Rockies.

Transparecy by Design featured in NILOA newsletter

Transparency by Design and it's product website, College Choices for Adults, are featured in the July National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) newsletter. Vernon Smith, Vice President for Academic Affairs at our partner institution, Rio Salado College, writes about the institutions experience with creating public profiles, which include program level learning outcomes and assessments, for the College Choices for Adults website.

Vernon Smith, VP Academic Affiars and Chris Bustamante, President receiving the 2010 WCET WOW award for Rio Salado College.

Rio Salado Student Named 2011 Coca-Cola National Gold Scholar

May 12, 2011

Congratulations to Rio Salado student Brendan Pierce who was recently named 2011 Coca-Cola National Gold Scholar.

In addition to completing two associate degrees with a 4.0 grade point average, Pierce, an economics major, serves as president of the Alpha Theta Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and is a contributing writer for the organization’s student newsletter. He volunteers at a local animal shelter and considers himself an animal rescue activist.

The Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Each year, 50 students nationwide are selected as Gold Scholars and receive a $1,500 scholarship. Silver and Bronze scholars are awarded $1,250 and $1,000 respectively.

Excelsior Advisor Earns National Award for Academic Advising of Distance Education Students

NACADA award is a top recognition for academic advising professionals

Albany, N.Y. (May 3, 2011) – Martha Tripp Garing, a senior advisor for the Excelsior College School of Business and Technology, has been named a 2011 recipient of the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Outstanding Advising Award, in the primary advising category.

This distinguished award reflects nomination by peers in the academic advising community. Ms. Garing will be recognized at NACADA’s 35^th annual conference in Denver, Colo. in October 2011.

“Martha's recognition in this fashion is a testimony to her years of dedicated advising services to our adult students,” said Dana Offerman, provost and chief academic officer for Excelsior College. “We are so excited that she has been recognized, and that she is the fourth School of Business and Technology advisor to have received a NACADA award.”

Ms. Garing has been employed by Excelsior for nearly eight years and is a resident of Glenville, N.Y. She holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling from the State University of New York at Oneonta. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Westminster College in Pennsylvania.

New York VFW signs Education partnership with Excelsior College

New York VFW Signs Education Partnership with Excelsior to Draw Younger Veterans and Spouses to Post Membership Rolls

Veterans’ spouses are also eligible for reduced tuition and fees under new education partnership agreement

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 18, 2011) – The Department of New York Veterans of Foreign Wars has signed an education partnership agreement with Excelsior College, a nonprofit distance learning institution based in Albany, in a statewide effort to draw younger veterans and their spouses to the membership rolls of local VFW posts.

The New York initiative, which provides reduced tuition for veteran members and their spouses, builds on the national VFW organization’s goal of boosting membership among younger veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. All New York VFW members, regardless of when or where they served, are now eligible for the education partnership benefits, which were announced Friday, March 18, 2011 in Albany at the start of the New York VFW’s spring convention.

Full Press Release

Quality Matters Recognizes Capella University for Its Commitment to Course Quality

March 22, 2011

The Quality Matters Academic Advisory Council (QMAAC) has approved Capella’s Implementation Plan

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quality Matters, a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer-review process that certifies the quality of online courses, has recognized Capella University’s (www.capella.edu) commitment to a long-term, systematic approach to course quality assurance by designing courses to Quality Matters standards. The Quality Matters Academic Advisory Council (QMAAC) has approved Capella’s Implementation Plan, which includes training faculty in Quality Matters standards, and submitting courses for peer review by trained faculty from across institutions.

Full Press Release

Western Governors University Featured in Business Week

On March 21, 2011 Western Governors University was featured in an article in Businessweek - Online Education, with a Low-Cost Twist.

Excelsior College student named ACE Adult Learner of the Year

On March 8, Mercedes Acuña, mother of three, full-time employee and military spouse, was named the American Council on Education's (ACE) 2010 Adult Learner of the Year.

The Adult Learner of the Year Award is presented annually by ACE's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) to an adult learner who has benefitted from the use of ACE credit recommendations to earn a college degree or advance a career. Recipients must also demonstrate outstanding achievements in their community or workplace while successfully balancing the demands of family, career and education. Nationwide, ACE's CREDIT program evaluates employers' formal learning and recommends college credit when that learning is college level and appropriate to the student's field of study.

"Adult learners face a myriad of challenges in balancing work, family and classroom obligations. In Mercedes' case, these challenges were multiplied by her frequent need to go it alone while her husband was deployed. Every year, hundreds of thousands of adult learners like Mercedes push forward to reach their goals of earning a college degree and serving as role models for their families and communities. ACE is proud to help these working adults by validating the learning they have acquired outside the traditional classroom," said Jim Selbe, ACE assistant vice president for lifelong learning.

Acuña received her bachelor of science degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College (NY), having applied work-related training courses recommended for college credit by ACE's CREDIT to her degree requirements. She currently works for the U.S. Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Academy.

"My desire to better myself, my family and my career pushed me to complete what many working moms thought was impossible. My journey might have taken me nine years to complete, but it taught me that a little determination and motivation can take you through challenges," said Acuña.

Photo Caption: Mercedes Acuña, ACE's Adult Learner of the Year, with John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College

Article Credit: American Council on Education, retrieved March 10, 2011 from http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=HENA&CONTENTID=40206&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

Excelsior Course, Success Strategies for Military and Veterans, Receives 2010-2011 Innovation Award from CENTSS

Albany, N.Y. (Jan. 4, 2011) -- An Excelsior College course designed to guide veterans and military students in college and career planning has earned a 2010-2011 first-place Innovation Award from the Center for Transforming Student Services (CENTSS).

Excelsior's Success Strategies for Military and Veterans won the award in the category of “personal services suite,” which emphasizes orientation, career counseling, financial planning and placement services. This course was developed through the collaborative efforts of the Excelsior College Center for Military Education, Office of Online Education and Learning Services, and the School of Liberal Arts.

Read more about this successful program at Excelsior College.

College Choices for Adults featured in AOL Jobs article

College Choices for Adults was recently featured in an article "How to find a quality online degree" on AOL Jobs. The article cites a study conducted by Excelsior College/Zogby International, found that 61 percent of CEOs and small-business owners were familiar with online degree programs -- and 83 percent of those considered online degrees equivalent to those earned in a traditional classroom.

Western Governors University Featured in LA Times

Western Governors University was featured in the LA Times Personal Finance section on December 26, 2010. The article "This college lets students earn their degree online" focuses on the outcomes of WGU's online, compentcy-based academic model.

Capellaresults.org featured on National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) website

Transparency by Design member, Capella University's website http://www.capellaresults.org is currently featured on the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) website. NILOA selects institutional websites to feature as examples of promising practices in innovative and transparent online communication of student learning outcomes assessment.

Western International University's Data now available

Western International University, the newest member of Transparency by Design, has completed the review process and has now published data on the College Choices for Adults website.

College Choices for Adults is always looking for more institutions to make the commitment to providing quality data to potential adult learners so they may make informed college choices. If you have an institution you're interested in which is not listed on this site, be sure to tell us through the link above "Tell Us What You Think".

Capella University President Larry Isaak joins national initiative to improve student learning

The Presidents' Alliance is committed to gathering and reporting evidence of student learning and using it to improve outcomes

MINNEAPOLIS, November 5, 2010 – Capella University (www.capella.edu) President Larry Isaak has signed on as a founding member of the Presidents' Alliance, a national initiative to improve student learning on U.S. campuses. Isaak joins more than 70 college and university presidents who have agreed to expand their efforts in gathering and reporting evidence of student learning and using it to improve outcomes. Capella University is an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing high quality online degree programs for working adults.

Visit the Capella Education News site for the full press release.

Rio Salado College Receives WCET Wow Award

Rio Salado College’s Peer-to-Peer Plagiarism Project detects plagiarism among its 36,000 online students, using exclusively internal staff and resources. The system is intended to deter cheating, which will greatly benefit students by helping to ensure the long-term value and integrity of Rio’s academic programs. As of March 2010, the system has scanned thousands of new student submissions and has detected 450 suspected cases of peer-to-peer plagiarism—cases that would almost certainly not have been detected using more traditional monitoring techniques. This is either because the two submissions were only a partial match – that is, one student changed a substantial portion of the text prior to submission – or because the two students were enrolled in different semesters or with different instructors. The system has also run consistently over time with extremely minimal downtime, which reflects its long-term stability.

Faculty and staff response to the plagiarism detector has been extremely positive. John Jensen, current Rio Salado faculty president, praised the new system: “The peer-to-peer plagiarism detection system is a key element in fortifying Rio Salado’s commitment to academic integrity. What is more, it reinforces in students the formation of ethical behavior and self-reliance as critical values in their character development and their learning as a personal responsibility. In the end we feel that this system supports authentication in the online learning environment that meets or exceeds the capabilities of the physical classroom.” Watch the video!

Source: WCET WOW Media Release

WGU receives Sloan Consortium Award for Excellence in Online Education

Salt Lake City — College Choices for Adults charter member, Western Governors University, www.wgu.edu, the nation’s only non-profit, fully online university, has received the 2010 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education from the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C). Sloan-C, an association of institutions and organizations of higher education engaged in online learning, annually presents this award to an institution that has demonstrated its commitment to assessing and improving the quality of its online education programs.

To view the entire press release please visit the WGU News Release site.

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For quick updates, links to though provoking articles, and other news snacks, be sure to follow college4 adults !

College Choices for Adults adds Horizons blog

College choices for Adults has added a new feature for potential adult learners - the Horizons blog. Horizons will focus on bringing adult learners information they can use in their studies and the rest of their lives. It will bring resources to help maintain balance, stories of current learners and tips and tricks from higher education leaders. If you're an adult learner, we hope to see you there - be sure to leave comments and add to the discussion.

Welcome Fort Hays State University

At the start of the new year, Fort Hays State University joined Transparency by Design, committing to the fifteen Principles of Good Practice for higher education institutions serving adult students at a distance. Soon their data will appear on College Choices for Adults.

The NonTraditional Students Report features College Choices for Adults

In the November 2009 issue of the NonTraditional Students Report, College Choices for Adults is the cover story. The article "New Web site helps adults choose their best-fit online program" focused on the launch of the site and the data it provides for students. It also discusses the benefits of membership for institutions and the step forward the initiative is taking in greater transparency and accountability in online higher education. A full text, PDF version of this article is available here. To find out more about the benefits of joining the Transparency by Design initiative visit its site: http://www.transparencybydesign.org.

Our newest member: Nazarene Bible College

Recently Nazarene Bible College joined the Transparency by Design initiative that powers the College Choices for Adults website. Later this fall, NBC's information will appear on this site.

"Nazarene Bible College is delighted to participate in Transparency by Design and College Choices for Adults because it provides a system and a process for measuring quality online programs and ensuring a standard of best practices," said Dr. David Phillips, Vice President for Online Academic Services. "For NBC, it enhances our efforts of continual improvement as we are examined and evaluated. We feel this is a very significant step for us because of the growth in online education."