UW-Platteville Distance Education Blog

Need some inspiration? Read about our alumni in our Plexus newsletter

2009-07-10T15:47:00.001-06:00

By Christine Hawkinson

Do you ever wonder if your hard work will be worth it? Have you ever dropped a class mid-semester because you just didn’t think you could keep going?

In some respects, earning a degree is a leap of faith, but everyone who finishes lands on their feet. You may land exactly where you anticipated, or you may arrive in front of a door you never dreamed would open. The important thing is to keep going.

Keep the Summer 09 issue of our Plexus newsletter handy and you’ll have a ready source of inspiration. A story about recent graduates or long-time alumni can remind you that your work will reap rewards.

Corporate Training Career Opportunities for Project Management Graduates

2009-07-01T09:15:00.005-06:00

By Sharon Beery

Sharon Beery is a Senior Project Manager at L-3 Communications and earned her master's degree in project management from UW-Platteville in 2006.

Wondering where your online degree in PM can take you? Once you get it, do you think companies will see your MSPM on your resume and forever banish you to a world of developing WBS’s, analyzing government CPR’s, dealing with clients and keeping your staff motivated? (Mind you “banishing” may be a little harsh!) Well, fear not graduates or graduates-to-be. The world is not confined to managing projects at a remote on-site location void of corporate HQ contact. Wait a minute; that may not be a bad idea…but I digress. Your options are vast and here is just one of them.

Corporate PM Training

The economy is bad. We all know that. Individuals and corporations are cutting back on their expenses. Those of us that have earned degrees via distance education appreciate the flexibility—and quality—an online education can provide. Many corporations are also seeing the value in this delivery method as a discriminator from their competitors to lure the finest project managers to their team. Corporate training departments are realizing online education can

Keep their costs in line
Provide current industry information to managers and other disciplines working in remote locations
Provide information about processes and procedures unique to their organization to those working in remote locations

Enter project management corporate course development and delivery as a career path.

HR can handle much of the regular corporate process training, but they need someone strong in PM to effectively write a course or an online “brown-bag” to address the required PM skills. That’s where you can come in. You have the knowledge and the experience to write a session and train online. How can I jump to that conclusion?

Because you

Know what works and what doesn’t work well in training cyberspace
Know project management topics
Recall which training styles you liked, and didn’t like, from your online professors
Can write and organize materials in a logical manner (at least you better be able to do that by the time you graduate!)
Have good communication skills and can effectively explain PM techniques to others in your field and mentor upcoming team leads

Why not expand that into course development?

Think about it. You can utilize all your newly acquired project management education and pass along sound project management principles to corporate America. You can direct how corporate project managers operate. Now, does that give you a sense of power or what?!

Evaluating Projects in Your Organization

2009-06-26T07:55:00.001-06:00

Now, more than ever, organizations are evaluating their resources and how to allocate time, money and energy to projects. Perhaps you are in a decision-making role, assessing the use of resources in your organization. If so you’ll want to check out the Project Management Institute (PMI®) Community Post article by UW-Platteville Project Management Professor, Ginger Levin.

Her 5-part article, "Think Outside the Project with OPM3®" demonstrates how to keep your competitive edge with carefully managed projects and programs. Read Part 1 of the series at pmi.org.

Virtual Advisor serves thousands of distance learning students!

2009-06-25T15:27:00.002-06:00

by Travis Courtney, Student Services Coordinator

The Distance Learning Center’s Virtual Advisor is a unique combination of an interactive FAQ page and a logic-based search tool designed to give you immediate access to the information you’re looking for without searching several web pages.

Since its implementation in 2006, more than 10,000 people have asked questions in their own words and received an answer within seconds. With Virtual Advisor, you can

Ask your own questions
Pick from a list of questions related yours
Browse a list of pre-populated topic areas
Provide feedback to tell us if the answer is useful

Try it out today and let us know what you think about Virtual Advisor.

2009-2010 Scholarship Recipients

2009-06-19T14:51:00.001-06:00

by Sara Davis, Outreach Specialist

The UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center is honored to recognize our 2009-2010 scholarship recipients. This year the scholarship committee chose two very high caliber students. Our staff is honored to share the stories of Colette Bauer and Noelle Delfosse:

Colette Bauer - Walter Longacre Memorial Scholarship

Alan Langeteig created this scholarship to honor of his father-in-law, Walter Longacre, who inspired and encouraged Alan to complete his degree. Colette says, “My family has been very supportive of my continued education and has had to sacrifice both personally and professionally to assist me in my studies.” Colette has demonstrated a commitment to her community and family as she earns her master’s degree in project management.

Noelle Delfosse – Dawn Drake Excellence in Distance Education Scholarship

Dawn Drake, Executive Director of Alternative Learning at UWP, created this scholarship to acknowledge the important role distance education has made in her life. The scholarship recognizes the many sacrifices distance learners make to juggle education, career, and family. Noelle’s brother, Noah, has cerebral palsy and she cares for him while her parents are at work. “If I was not at home, I would not be able to take part in the very important matters that affect Noah and our family,” says Noelle. She has also shown great commitment to her students at a dance studio as she continues her education.

PM Job @ Northrop Grumman - Cambridge, MA

2009-06-04T22:21:00.002-06:00

by Les Hollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director

Attention PM and Engineering Students:

Job Title: Program Manager Job ID# 84049

Job Description:

Manage $100k ~ $5M programs in Systems & Service business area. Includes managing the development of new products for retail and shipping industry applications. Programs include three-dimensional machine vision image processing, multiprocessing, Bayesian classification, self-learning database implementation, and some Automatic Identification & Data Capture (AIDC). Involves directing engineers and technicians, and managing and tracking program schedule, scope and cost.

Basic Qualifications:

-5+ years experience in program management and/or project leadership roles
-Bachelor'sdegree in science or engineering.
-Experience managing product design and development, and managing program cost and
schedule
-Ability to do limited travel
-Experience preparing project reports & presentations.
-Experience interfacing with customers and senior management.
-US Citizenship or Permanent Residency is a bona fide requirement as applicants
selected will be subject to a security investigation.

Assets (Preferred qualifications, NICE, NOT NECESSARY):

-Experience in electro-optical systems integration
-Program Manager Certification
-Excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills
-Experience managing government proposals and/or programs.
-Previous or current security clearance.

David Steinbach, CPC
Human Resource Staffing Specialist
Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Ten Wilson Road
Cambridge, MA 02138
Office: 617-806-1745
Fax: 617 806 1899
david.steinbach@ngc.com
http://www.northropgrumman.com

Getting the Most Out of Online Discussions

2009-06-01T08:34:00.003-06:00

by Les Hollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director

Engaging in a discussion in an online classroom can create some anxiety, especially for students new to online learning. With many posts to do and never enough time, how do you ensure that your responses are worthy of full points? As an online learner myself, I remember spending tons of time trying to find the right balance of personal perspective and theory from the readings. Too much personal perspective and it looks like you didn't do the readings. Too much theory from the text and your response won't generate discussion. Here are a couple of quick tips to find that balance.

Follow a Consistent Format

Start by stating your point. This tells people where you’re going and piques interest. It also helps classmates to quickly determine if they want to respond to your post or not. If they can quickly identify what you’re proposing, the chances are higher that they will continue the thread.

After you’ve stated your point, relate a personal anecdote to clarify and demonstrate its connection to the real world. Wrap it up by incorporating a quote or idea from the text.

Tools and Tactics

One of my best friends during my online studies was MS OneNote. I used it to take notes from my readings for several reasons:

1) I can type much faster than I write.

2) If your course uses an e-book, you can simply copy the note of interest into OneNote. From there you can search your notes quickly and copy the quote/note into your discussion response easily (with citation of course).

3) You get formatting benefits. Re-organizing, highlighting, mark-up, and deleting are easier if you're not scrawling notes on paper.

Celebrate Success!

2009-05-26T09:01:00.002-06:00

By Amy Nemmetz, BSCJ Coordinator

Have you heard of the Royal Potty?! This awesome invention is a toddler’s potty chair that plays a tune when a liquid or solid (I don’t need to be more specific, right?) touches the sensors on the base of the bowl. You remember the horn sound that often accompanies the arrival of the king in cartoons, right? The sound immediately brings a smile to the toddler and parent’s face! By now you must be wondering if motherhood has clogged my senses. You may also be pondering ‘where’ I may be headed with this blog! Here’s my point:

Making the decision to return to school often brings mixed emotions. Although, many people are a little anxious about what lies ahead, the majority of learners are excited to work toward their goal of earning their diploma! However, after the first semester of classes, the excitement may shift to questions like “what was I thinking?” and “how will I possibly keep up with my school work and other commitments?”

After completing my master’s degree at a distance and currently nearing the end of my online PhD coursework, I can honestly tell you that YOU CAN DO IT! The key to reaching your goals isn’t sending your children to boarding school and booking your partner to Antarctica! Rather, the way to keep your goals in clear view is to celebrate successes along the way by rewarding yourself when you tackle obstacles. Unfortunately, we seem to be embarrassed to talk about and celebrate successes.

Although, the Royal Potty may not be in store for you at this stage of the game, find something or someone to celebrate your successes and remember to reward yourself for your accomplishments. After all, each semester is one term closer to earning your diploma. So, how will you celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done? Will you read a book for fun between semesters or schedule a massage or simply take a nap on the weekend without feeling guilty? As Peter Drucker once said, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”

Rate Your University of Wisconsin-Platteville Degree

2009-04-25T16:21:00.000-06:00

You’ve told us you’re happy with your degree from UWP. Here’s your chance to tell others. With an increasing number of online degree programs, potential students may have difficulty determining which program provides the education and services that will meet their needs.

Knowing what other students have experienced can encourage someone to learn more about UWP distance education. Interested in spreading the good word?

Go to GetEducated. com and rate your online degree:

Go to GetEducated. com
Click “Search By School”
Type University of Wisconsin and click “SEARCH”
Scroll down and select View Degree Profile for your degree
Select the tab “Grade This Degree”
Click “Add A Comment” and rate your degree

Does RefWorks Help Students?

2009-04-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

By Bob Streff

UW-Platteville subscribes to RefWorks for all students. I have listened to debates on both sides regarding its usefulness. Some say that students don’t learn the proper manuscript style when RefWorks creates it for them. And sometimes, there are problems importing into word processors. On the upside, it can save students time by automatically filling in the information required by the different styles.

There are some useful features of RefWorks that I never hear in the debate:
You can open RefWorks and cut and paste portions of text into RefWorks; and you can place notes about the quote in another section.

Refworks will also add the citations within the paper.

These can be very helpful tools during the research and writing phases. But during the final draft phase, there is no substitution for using the most current style manual.

Encouraging Participation in Online Classroom Discussions

2009-04-23T15:55:00.000-06:00

By Charles Christison

Discussion assignments, whether whole class or group focused, are meant to be an interaction between all participants. The learning that takes place in a in a discussion forum is different than other types of learning. In a discussion, each student is exposed to the viewpoints of others and should be willing to share their viewpoint on the topic. In this light, discussions are interactive and support learning by participation.

Students should begin a discussion assignment after they have completed assigned readings and individual assignments. Without this preparation they enter the discussion without context. This leads to a poor learning experience.

One technique is to position students as teachers by evaluating the impact of how they have contributed to the learning of their classmates. A successful discussion does not mean that everyone agrees with everyone else, but that multiple viewpoints have been presented and discussed. Active discussions should lead to more critical thinking as reflected in questions and issues raised.

Discussions can be evaluated in terms of improved questions and the amount of engagement presented. Better responses will reflect Boom's higher level cognitive skills, such as analysis and synthesis. Poorest responses would be simple agreement or repeating of what others have stated.

Any behavior in a discussion that limits the amount of engagement, students dominating the discussion and otherwise restricting the flow of ideas should be corrected as soon as possible.

The bottom line is that discussions are meant to be an interaction between all participants to the benefit of all. Exposure to multiple viewpoints with active discussions should lead to a higher level of critical thinking.

Finding a way to pay tuition during this economic crisis

2009-04-22T15:46:00.000-06:00

By Clinton Nemitz

As a recruiter for UWP Distance Education, I am the first to hear students’ stories about their desire to further their education or get a much needed promotion. But lately, the stories have been a little different -- and not for the better. I don’t have enough toes or fingers to count how many times I have heard the words, “I just lost my job.” When the conversation starts, I have no emotional stock in a student, but when the story has been told and the conversation has ended, I am very close to the student.

We may have talked about how the loss of their job has affected them emotionally, physically, and put so much wear and tear on their family that it is almost unbearable to hear. Through all the emotions, we talk about options, because they called with a purpose: to turn a horrible situation into a positive one.

The biggest topic we discuss is money. How are they going to pay for school? We talk about financial aid and how it is available to all students in our program who take at least six credits per semester. I explain the scholarships our program has to offer. Finally, I give them the link to Fastweb.com. Based on students’ criteria, this website searches the United States for scholarships they are eligible to apply for. The awards range in value from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

If you want something bad enough, you have to look for the resources to make it happen. Fastweb.com is just one of many resources that could help you finance your education.

Kirkwood Community and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges Sign Articulation Agreements with University of Wisconsin-Platteville

2009-04-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

Are you earning an Associate of Science or Associate of Arts degree from Kirkwood Community College or Eastern Iowa Community College? Are you looking for a smooth transition to begin studying for your bachelor’s degree? Do you need to earn your bachelor’s degree while working?

Consider a UWP Distance Learning Program. Thanks to recently signed articulation agreements between both KCC and EICC and University of Wisconsin-Platteville, if your associate’s degree was granted after December 3, 2008, your general education credits will automatically transfer as a package. Exceptions may apply if you do not meet the UWP requirements in the areas of International Education, Natural Sciences, and Ethnic and Gender Studies.

Information about transfer agreements with other community and technical colleges is available on our website at the following URL:

http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/partners.html?transAgr

For more information, call the UWP Distance Learning Center at 608.342.1468 or 800.362.5460.

A Day in the Life of a Student

2009-04-20T15:32:00.001-06:00

By Christine Hawkinson

In the short time I’ve been with the Distance Learning Center, I have had the opportunity to talk with several graduates of our programs. Three observations stand out:

They all agree that earning a degree online is worth every bit of the sacrifice.
They all rave about the quality of instruction and the benefits of interacting with students across the country who work in various professions.
There is no typical day in the life of an online student.

Most of our students are employed, many have families, and all juggle their lives to accommodate study time. I am still thinking about comments from two students you can read more about in the Spring 2009 PLEXUS.

Kelli Johnson earned her Master of Science in Engineering in 15 months, while substitute teaching and waitressing. Her success depended on lots of planning and study sessions at four in the morning. An extra challenge to Kelli’s schedule: she had to plan for time needed to download information and upload assignments with dial-up internet service!

Don Zurek worked full time while earning his Master of Science in Engineering. He has two children and a wife who also works full time. He credits the support of his wife and her willingness take on some of his responsibilities at home. Don was also creative when it came to squeezing 10-15 hours of study time into his already busy week. Rather than lunching with colleagues, he brown bagged it and read a chapter for class. And his wife took the wheel on trips to the mall so he could read on the way.

Every student offers a source of inspiration and encouragement for others. Send me your top hint for finding study time and I’ll share them in a future blog. E-mail me at hawkinsonc@uwplatt.edu.

Plexus Newsletter Receives Facelift

2009-04-09T18:34:00.000-06:00

By Christine Hawkinson

Have you seen the latest Plexus? Thanks to our graphic designer, Christal Swigart, the new and improved Plexus is an inviting four-color publication. You will find profiles to inspire, important information to guide your distance learning, and news of advancements and new opportunities the UWP Distance Learning Center can offer students. For your convenience, the Plexus is also available online.

As the new editor for Plexus, I am interested in your feedback. Our goal is to provide an interesting and informative resource. Please e-mail me at hawkinsonc@uwplatt.edu to let me know:

What sections of Plexus are most helpful to you?
What’s missing? Is there information you are unable to find that should be included?
Are you a current student or alum? Have you had a unique experience like Synthia Faulks (featured in the Spring 2009 issue of Plexus) that we could share in a future feature story?

Stress Busters and Homework Helpers for Online Students

2009-03-24T08:01:00.006-06:00

By Samantha Brehm

The weather is getting warmer. The yard work is piling up, your taxes still aren’t done, home improvements are inevitable, and the family vacation plans need to be made. But you have to think about classes and your upcoming finals. A little stressed? Well there is a simple solution to calm your stress and help you study.

GET SOME SUN! According to an article on the, “Heath Expressions,” website, individuals who receive ample exposure to sun are in a better mood and are more productive. The article explains that simply exposing yourself to more sunlight can dramatically improve your mood and make you feel more energized.

But how are you supposed to get more exposure to the sun when you work all day and you have 3 papers to write and a test everyday for the next two weeks? Well the answer is simple. Just slightly change your daily routine to include more sunlight.

Drive with your window down
Open the shades in your house
Park farther away from the office/school
Walk to work/school
Eat or take your break outside
Walk your dog two extra blocks every day
Exercise outside

Take the small effort to change your routine and you will experience the big effects. By getting a little extra sun every day, you won’t feel as mad/sick/upset about being inside writing a paper and you will be ready to tackle whatever school or life throws your way.

Be sure to visit the Health Expressions website for more tips to improve your stress and overall health.

Exciting New Technology Projects

2009-03-23T15:42:00.002-06:00

by Charles Christison, Instructional Designer

The Technology Committee is working on several exciting new projects. Coming soon:

Audio/video presentations from our recruiters
Synchronous conferencing with your advisor
Synchronous open house and information sessions
Audio video presentations by our student service representatives on topics such as the drop process and financial aid
Video profiles of faculty and staff

Watch for announcements as these features go live.

"Return to Learn" Class Updates Study Skills

2009-03-19T10:17:00.002-06:00

by Kim Maier, Admission Specialist

As we approach the halfway point of our semester, we are also completing the first semester of our newly-created retention class, Return to Learn. This has proven to be a very successful class and we are confident we assisted students in brushing up many of their skills as they make their educational journey.

If you weren’t able to take our class, but are in interested in a few of the topics, please visit the following websites:

Study Skills Tips
http://adulted.about.com/od/intro/tp/studytipcollection.htm
Returning Adult Learner Tips
http://adulted.about.com/od/intro/tp/going-back-to-school.htm
Time Management Tips
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/timemanagement/a/timemgttips.htm

If you are interested in the course or know of anyone who is, please send them our way. Amy Griswold can be reached at foleya@uwplatt.edu and I can be reached at maierk@uwplatt.edu.

The Real Scoop on Being a Student in the Distance Learning Program

2009-03-05T19:29:00.003-06:00

By Jodi L. Zeal

I have to be honest and tell you that I was skeptical about having success as an online student. I am the kind of person who loves to interact with people and the thought of communicating with fellow students and teachers strictly via computer was scary to me. The other detail that was daunting to me was whether or not I was organized enough to do this on my own....you know, outside of a classroom. Sometimes, we need that extra motivation that happens when you actually come face to face with your professor and discuss the textbook material you were supposed to read last night!

Well, I am happy to report that if you have any reservations about whether or not you can interact with your classmates or stay motivated as an online student, you can put those concerns to rest.

I remember the first time I logged in as a student in my first online class, our professor had typed a message introducing himself and he told us what he hoped we could accomplish this semester and invited us to do the same. I loved learning about my classmates and seeing that we were from all over the country. We had many differences; some were in my class as part of their UWP master’s program and some were in the same undergrad program that I was. Our shared goal was the same—to get as much as possible out of the class and to make it a very enjoyable experience.

The beauty of this program is that you log in and get your work done when it is convenient for you. You learn the study patterns of your classmates....some are early bird students and some are night owls but you are all involved and can interact just the same. I had great experiences with each of my professors in that great discussions were present everyday and questions were answered promptly. If I had any technical issues when attempting to take an exam or just logging into the system itself, help was truly one phone call away.

In this ever-changing economy, it is important to have all the chips in your favor. Whether you are changing careers or getting your first degree, please don’t think that you aren’t the right kind of student for distance education. UW-Platteville’s Distance Education Program is designed just for you, no matter what your organizational skills or sleeping patterns may be!

In May, 2005, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville through their Distance Learning Program. I can honestly say that my degree is a powerful tool. If my position were downsized tomorrow and I was looking for a job, I know that my degree from UW-Platteville makes me a marketable job candidate. We all need that edge when we are up against so many other job applicants. Do you have that edge? If not, please start looking into UWP’s Distance Education Programs to see how they can help.

Myths Surrounding Online Education

2009-03-02T09:13:00.003-06:00

by Les Hollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director

If you've spent much time reading the news online, you've probably heard that an increasing number of universities plan to start up online programs to supplement revenue from their campus-based programs. A direct result is that many potential students are asking if online is really as good as campus-based instruction and many of the naysayers are once again spreading mis-information. So, to do my part in helping to debunk these myths I reference an article from Military.com. It lists the four biggest fallacies surrounding online education. Although the article is geared toward servicemembers, the information is relevant to all prospective online students. Here's the link:

Busting the Myths of Online Education

Having Trouble Writing?

2009-02-24T10:34:00.008-06:00

by Samantha Brehm

Have you consulted Grammar Girl? The website http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx has a plethora of tips for students and writers facing grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues. This secret passageway to knowledge and resources was passed along to me by a fellow writer and now I want to pass the secret on to you.

The website provides short, descriptive podcasts for a wide variety of topics concerning confusing grammar issues or writing rules. The podcasts are easy to find, access, and use. Each podcast topic is clearly labeled and will appear promptly after selecting the appropriate link. I usually like to print the topics I am struggling with so they are easy to reference when I am working on an article or story.

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of “Quick and Dirty Tips” and creator of Grammar Girl. She is a magazine and technical writer at trade and believes grammar is a subject that requires lifelong study. She hopes to educate individuals about successful writing skills in a fun and friendly way.

See what Grammar Girl has to offer! It might even make paper writing fun, or at least a little more bearable.

Drums and Cymbals: Second Rendition with a Different Beat

2009-02-16T15:53:00.003-06:00

By Bob Streff

We are halfway through the second phase of the Drums and Cymbals project. Twenty of 21 planned projects have been completed, with the last enhancement scheduled to go live next summer. We have initiated some innovative, as well as some tried and proven, technology enhancements.

The Drums and Cymbals project grew from survey results, committee discussions, focus groups, and other sources. The consensus was that we should proactively analyze our distance education programs to identify opportunities to better utilize current technologies. The program coordinators determined that all courses will have technology enhancements by the end of 2010. Not a problem, right? Just add them like another instrument to an orchestra.

Exactly! Except that our courses (the performance) are designed to be asynchronous, and many technologies are based on real time interaction, which limits our choices. Furthermore, the conductor (the instructor) can’t just add a bass drum to a piano concerto—or a violin to a trumpet solo. The instructor must find portions of the course content (music) where use of a technology will get the message across clearer or more effectively; determine which technology is most suitable; modify that part of the content to allow the technology to flow into the course, and then implement it.

This is a time-intensive process. We spent the first year testing technologies and refining our requirements. We examined each course for areas needing improvement and the benefits and drawbacks of using a particular technology for adult learners. We also considered the cost of implementation, the time required to create and implement the enhancement, necessary training for faculty and students, the impact on the ability to remain asynchronous, outsourcing the work, reusability within other courses, and other factors.

So far, we have successfully used several strategies ranging from low impact (images and graphs) to intensive technologies (students using audio and video in an online debate). Other successful implementations include:

Web conferencing for virtual office hours
Audio files for feedback on assignments and exams
Audio and video files (in Flash format) to demonstrate examples of procedures and processes
Collaborative tools for students to work on group projects
Video tutorials

At this point, we are moving ahead. New courses and those undergoing revision will be scrutinized for areas where technologies will enhance the knowledge transfer. Instructors teaching courses not yet enhanced will have a “toolbox” of technologies to use as they find the need. This “toolbox” contains technologies the instructor can incorporate without assistance. They can insert these toolbox items in non-content areas of the course such as news, discussion, feedback, and in supplemental links.

We are on target to meet our 2010 deadline, and we are committed to the technological changes that will assist our students and maintain the UW-Platteville Distance Education Program’s reputation of being a leader in high quality distance education.

Utilizing Your Academic Advisor

2009-02-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

by Kelly Curtiss, Associate Advisor

Welcome to another semester at UW-Platteville! I have taken over as the academic advisor for the undergraduate business administration distance learners. I have really enjoyed the first two months at this university and at this campus. I hope that by working with those of you who are pursuing your business degree through UW-Platteville, I can offer a bit of the opportunity that this institution offers all its students.

The first step you took was deciding to attain a higher education and enrolling at UW-Platteville. The second step is staying on track. Higher education will open more doors of opportunity for you—especially in these harder economic times.

So what do you need to do to stay on track? You need to keep track of what courses you have completed, and what you have left. This will help you minimize the time needed to earn your degree, therefore, maximizing your efforts. Registration will begin Monday, March 2nd, for those interested in taking online summer courses. If you plan on taking courses then, please contact me (or your own advisor if in a different program) to ensure that you stay on track.

We, as your advisors, are a tool to be used. EXAMPLE: No one intends to use their hands to dig a large hole. So why would you try to plan your college career without the use of your academic advisor? Besides helping you with possible course selection and with study ideas, we also want to be a door of communication. Sometimes we may not have the answer or be the right person to go to, but we can point you in the right direction!

Best of luck to all students in reaching their higher education goals!

36th Annual Criminal Justice Career Day on Campus

2009-02-11T13:43:00.002-06:00

by Christal Swigart, UWP Distance Learning Center Staff

Talk about a bad day to do something illegal in Platteville—the Criminal Justice Career Fair will be held on March 10 in Ullsvik Hall on the UW-Platteville campus. More than 100 police departments and agencies will be on campus recruiting graduates, including the FBI, SWAT and the DEA, so you better be on your best behavior! Seriously, this is a great opportunity to network with people from agencies and departments all over the United States. Learn more about this event at the CJ Association website. The career fair is open to anyone interested in the criminal justice field, so come and check out the excitement at UW-Platteville!

Aid letter triggers warning

2009-02-09T16:55:00.001-06:00

Parents of Wisconsin college students have been receiving official-looking letters urging them to pay $49 to apply for financial aid, but the mailings are actually from a private business that charges money for information available online for free. Read the entire Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article...