The Pioneer Post

In the winner's circle: UW-Platteville Online graduate wins national award

2012-01-11T11:14:00.004-06:00

Chuck Millhollan, a 2003 graduate of UW-Platteville Online’s master program in project management, earned the 2011 Kerzner Award sponsored by the International Institute for Learning Inc. (ILL) and administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading project management member association.

As director of program management at Churchill Downs, he created the Churchill Downs, Inc. Project Management Office, which has evolved into an Enterprise PMO responsible for leading projects and programs across all business units, including four thoroughbred horseracing tracks, three casinos, two software development groups, and a bloodstock research group.

Another UW-Platteville Online graduate Olatunde Olatona, was a top five finalist for the Kerzner Award. He worked with Action Missionaire Interafricaine (AMI) in Mali, Africa, to enable the small community of Farakala realize its dream of a high school.

Please click here for the full, interactive press release.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville a Best Online Business School

2011-12-30T15:28:00.001-06:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, an accredited pioneer in distance learning for the last 33 years, is among the top schools in the nation for an affordable online bachelor degree in business.

GetEducated.com, a consumer group that publishes impartial online university rankings, recently released its list of the Best Colleges Online for an affordable business degree at the bachelor level. The online degree rankings were objectively calculated by comparing tuition and distance education fees at 67 regionally accredited or regional candidate universities that offer 136 distance bachelor degrees in business administration.

School makes GetEducated.com's top 25 'Best Buys' in criminal justice degrees

2011-12-13T14:14:00.004-06:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville and its Distance Learning Center have earned a top 25 spot in GetEducated.com’s "Best Buys" for online criminal justice degrees.

GetEducated.com, an online consumer watchdog and advocate for prospective distance education students, rates and compares online schools and degrees based on cost and quality, student satisfaction and credibility. The Best Buy designation indicates that UW-Platteville Online provides a high-quality bachelor’s degree in criminal justice for under $45,000.

“Our criminal justice program is one of the very best values out there,” said Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, director of UW-Platteville Online’s criminal justice program. “That value is directly due to the reputation of the university and its criminal justice program. We're grateful for the recognition by and believe our students will benefit.”

Please click here for an interactive press release.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville receives military-friendly award

2011-12-13T14:11:00.003-06:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and its Distance Learning Center, have been designated a Military Friendly School® for the third year in a row by G.I. Jobs Magazine, a journal covering higher education for the 8 million military members and veterans seeking a school. The list includes the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that do the most for America’s veterans when they transition to students.

“We’re honored to receive the distinction and be able to provide a valuable service to the nation's most deserving heroes,” said Karen Adams, director of corporate marketing for the Distance Learning Center. “They have unique educational challenges and it’s important that universities help them overcome those obstacles.”

Criteria included academic strength, on-campus and online advice, support provided to veterans and their families, and the effectiveness of a school's distance learning programs. The final list, which included UW-Platteville, was compiled from a survey of more than 8,000 schools.

Please click here for an interactive press release.

Credit card numbers can no longer be faxed

2011-11-21T11:23:00.001-06:00

Due to increased credit card security requirements, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville can no longer accept credit card numbers via fax.

Education is key as job opportunities grow in the criminal justice field

2011-11-21T11:04:00.001-06:00

Careers in criminal justice are continue to grow. Growth among careers in law enforcement and investigation is reported at 22 percent, an above average gain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The same published report projects 9 percent growth among probation officers and corrections personnel. This projection represents an average growth rate, but growth just the same.

To give you an idea of the options available in this growing industry, Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, program director for University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online’s criminal justice program, offers her advice.

“In the current economic climate, law enforcement positions in most big cities are tough to get. They tend to look for people with a military background and prefer a candidate with a master’s degree,” she said. “Colleges like UW-Platteville prepare students to take full advantage of these opportunities.”

Please click here for entire article or contact Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller for more information on UW-Platteville Online's criminal justice programs.

Don’t be a victim of textbook bait and switch

2011-10-31T09:41:00.000-05:00

Don't order the international edition of your course textbook. Ten percent of our students enrolled in Global Business have learned that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. While the international versions might be cheaper, they'll not be compatible with your courses.

If you do an online search for your textbook using the ISBN, you can be directed to a site selling the international version. To be sure you get the text you need, read all information carefully and match the ISBN to the version being sold.

What is an ISBN?

Every book has a unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Just like different editions of the same textbook have different ISBNs, the international edition of a textbook will also have a unique ISBN. Always check the ISBN listed for your course textbook to ensure you purchase the text for which your course was written.

Master's program will now launch in fall 2012

2011-10-31T09:33:00.003-05:00

Launch of the online Master of Science in Distance Education Leadership program has been postponed until the fall of 2012. Course development, however, will continue. Watch for further information as it becomes available.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville professor earns certification

2011-10-11T16:21:00.002-05:00

Scott Wright, Ph.D., P.E., assistant professor of project management at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and its Distance Learning Center, is the first employee at UW-Platteville to receive the Project Management Professional (PMP)® Credential from the Project Management Institute (PMI)®.

The credential is the most important industry-recognized certification for project managers. Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP demonstrates that an individual has the experience, education and competency to successfully lead and direct projects. PMI is the world’s leading not-for-profit membership association for the project management profession, with more than 500,000 members and credential holders in more than 185 countries.

See full release.

UW-Platteville named Best School for Online Education second consecutive year

2011-08-02T13:46:00.000-05:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, an accredited pioneer in distance learning for the last 33 years, earned a platinum (first place) award and named the Best School for Online Education in the Best of Wisconsin Business competition sponsored by Corporate Report Wisconsin (CRW). This is the second consecutive year the university and its Distance Learning Center have earned the award.

“All the credit goes to our dedicated staff and, of course, our more than 2,500 students. We wouldn’t be here without them,” said Dawn Drake, executive director.

Please see the full release for more information.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville adds three new online master’s degrees

2011-07-15T10:30:00.001-05:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has added three online master's degrees to its curriculum: organizational change leadership, distance education leadership and integrated supply chain management. UW-Platteville plans to launch all three new programs in time for students to enroll this fall.

See the full release for more information.

Investigator receives Honorary Lifetime Pioneer Award

2011-05-26T14:35:00.001-05:00

By Morgan Spitzer
Some people can’t stay away from the educational grindstone, including Doug Ducklow. A 22-year veteran in law enforcement, he recently received the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Honorary Lifetime Pioneer Award.

“This means I’m part of a group of professionals who are committed to promoting UW-Platteville,” said Ducklow, who plans to serve on the DLC’s Alumni Advisory Board.

The award recognizes graduates based on academic excellence, leadership, community involvement, professional development and plans for involvement with the UW-Platteville Alumni Association. All recipients are gifted a lifetime membership to the association.

Please see the press release for the complete story.

UW-Platteville reaches new transfer agreement with Northwestern University

2011-05-19T11:09:00.003-05:00

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Master of Science Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program has reached a credit transfer agreement with Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC). The partnership allows graduates of the police management program to transfer specific completed course credits to UW-Platteville’s MSCJ degree program.

The UW-Platteville master’s in criminal justice program already has transfer agreements with the American Military University Homeland Security, UW-Madison, U.S. Department of Defense and Fox Valley Technical College Criminal Justice Executive Development Institute.

For more information, see the full press release. For a list of MSCJ transfer agreements, visit http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/criminal-justice-transferring-credits.html#life.

UW-Platteville Online program graduates record number of students

2011-05-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

The Distance Learning Center Online program will graduate a record number of students this academic year—almost 150 graduates in all. This number demonstrates the growing interest in online programs, especially accredited and affordable ones like UW-Platteville.

This academic year, the BSAD program will graduate 53 students; MSPM will graduate 40; the MSENG program 22; and UW-Platteville’s criminal justice programs will round off the number with five BSCJ and 27 MSCJ graduates.

"It’s pretty incredible to find these numbers in just a division of a school as opposed to an entire college,” says LesHollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director for the DLC.

To read more, check out the full press release.

More information about UW-Platteville’s distance education program can be found at http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/.

To send invites, post messages to our graduates, watch the ceremony—and get involved in graduation in many otherways—check out the virtual graduation website at http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/distedgrad/grad2011/.

UW-Platteville to offer new Child Advocacy Studies certificate to graduate students

2011-04-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

Beginning in fall 2011, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will offer a new Child Advocacy Studies certificate to graduate students as part of the online Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program. The CAST certificate, which is designed to prepare students for the realities of child protection and serve the needs of learners who are specifically interested in professions that work directly with or among maltreated children, meets the mission of the National Child Protection Training Center, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to end child abuse in the United States.

The CAST certificate, which is earned upon the successful completion of nine graduate credits through the Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Child Advocacy, Victimology, and internship or independent study courses, is specifically tailored for students who intend to pursue careers in law enforcement and as child protection professionals, victim workers, lawyers, witness workers, school social workers and treatment providers.

“I am elated that learners pursuing the CAST certificate will have an opportunity to analyze current practices, explore best practice options, dissect cases, debate controversial topics and address related child maltreatment issues," says Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, MSPM program coordinator.

In recognition of UW-Platteville students’ contribution to their mission, the NCPTC will recognize the UW-Platteville CASTcertificate on their website and will also sign, and include their logo on, each awarded UW-Platteville CAST certificate.

To read more more, check out the full press release. For more information about the certificate, contact Banachowski-Fuller at 608.342.1652 or banachoc@uwplatt.edu.

New transfer agreement for UW-Platteville MSPM program

2011-04-13T12:15:00.001-05:00

The UW-Platteville Master of Science in Project Management program recently completed a new transfer agreement with the University of California-San Diego.
UW-Platteville attempts to establish as many of these transfer relationships as resources allow.

“Our objective is to look for and establish agreements with every UC school that offers a PM certificate program so their students have the opportunity take advantage of our MSPM program,” says Bill Haskins, MSPM Program Coordinator.

To read more, check out the full press release. For more information and a list of MSPM articulation agreements, visit http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/project-managementtransfer-agreements.html.

New transfer agreement for UW-Platteville’s project management program

2011-03-17T12:27:00.001-05:00

The UW-Platteville Master of Science in Project Management program recently completed a new articulation agreement with the University of California-Riverside.

Bill Haskins, MSPM Program Coordinator, reached out to UC-Riverside about an agreement because of its strong international presence and to complete a series of transfer agreements with UC schools.

“UW-Platteville fulfills a real need for these schools by providing an educational path forward for their students,” says Haskins.

For more information and a list of MSPM articulation agreements, visit http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/project-management-transfer-agreements.html.

To find out more, check out the full press release.

PACCE connects campus to community

2011-02-28T12:54:00.002-06:00

The Pioneer Academic Center for Community Engagement (PACCE) offers you, as distance education students and alumni, and your employers the opportunity to connect with on-campus students and faculty by becoming community partners to various service and community projects.

The PACCE program is designed to bring together students, community partners and faculty in order for all three parties to “experience, grow and make a difference” by working on real community projects. Students work under faculty and community partner supervision to achieve a goal or accomplish a task set by the group.

You can get involved today by contacting PACCE at 608.342.6121 or visiting their website at http://www.uwplatt.edu/pacce/index.html.

To find out more, check out the full press release.

SAP University Alliance expands learning

2011-02-28T12:43:00.002-06:00

With over 12 million users, SAP is the most widely used brand of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software today. Students with SAP experience are in high demand, and recently, five UW-Platteville students were offered internships by a large, regional employer looking for students with SAP experience.

UW-Platteville has been part of the SAP University Alliance since 2009, and in the late spring/early summer of 2011, the university will host a conference to determine whether to establish a local ASUG chapter to include areas of SW Wisconsin, NW Illinois, NE Iowa, and SE Minnesota.

To find out more, check out the full press release.

Know your academic advisor

2011-02-25T15:51:00.003-06:00

By Elizabeth Swift, MSPM, BSAD Advisor

Your academic advisor is here to serve you in a variety of ways. Though we will contact you several times as you progress through your program, we invite you to contact us anytime we can be of assistance. We are here to

Advocate: First and foremost, academic advisors are advocates for all distance learning students. Our goal is to create an environment that allows you to communicate effectively with all parties involved.
Trouble-shoot: Your academic advisor is your point-person during your entire journey at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. When you have questions or concerns related to school, your advisor is a great starting point. Although we cannot answer every question, we can refer you to the appropriate resource or facilitate communication until your question is answered.
Explain: Your advisor can explain most policies and procedures related to distance education.
Connect: We act as a liaison between students, faculty, and academic staff. We are a great resource if you need a conversation facilitated or initiated, but don’t know where to begin.
Guide: Your advisor can be a great resource for you. Consider us your guide during your “tour of the UW-Platteville distance learning system.” We make sure that your questions are answered and your academic goals are realistic, while connecting you to important resources. We can evaluate your academic path to ensure that your best interest is at the forefront of every decision.

We want to hear from you. And, we want to make our services as useful as possible, so please complete the advisor survey at the end of every semester. That way, your advisor can know what’s working and what’s not. We’re here for you!

Evaluate

2011-02-08T14:49:00.003-06:00

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

There are many places on your journey to an online degree where you will need to evaluate something or someone—including yourself. You definitely need to use this skill when selecting your major and the school from which you wish to obtain your degree. But that is just the beginning.

During each course, you will need to regularly evaluate your progress. Make sure you stay in touch with your instructor on a regular basis. If you don’t understand an assignment, ask questions. Periodically reread the course objectives to make sure you are learning what the instructor feels are important outcomes for the course. Look for real-world applications for the material you are learning. This will help you remember it and motivate you to continue working on your degree.

There is another very important evaluation that you can do, if asked. At the end of every semester, we ask our students to complete a survey for the course that they just completed. The results of these surveys are not tabulated until after the grades are submitted, and are completely anonymous. Our students are asked to evaluate both the course itself and their instructor. We use this information to make decisions when trying to improve the quality of the course and when hiring—or not hiring—instructors. I know that sometimes surveys can be tedious. But you are the best judge of whether a course is successful or not and you should use the opportunity to communicate this information.

If I was more creative, I would be able to think of a way to stretch this series into eight articles, in keeping with the theme. And although there are many more words which might apply, I have run out of material. So I will leave you with one last thought…

If you investigate, coordinate, dedicate, communicate, motivate, and evaluate, one day you will definitely GRADUATE and then you can CELEBRATE!!

Look at that—we did make it to eight.

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:

Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate
Motivate

BSCJ program forges two new articulation agreements

2011-01-19T15:57:00.001-06:00

The UW-Platteville Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science Degree program recently forged two articulation agreements with Northcentral Technical College in Wausau and Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire.

Amy Nemmetz, instructor and program coordinator for the BSCJ program says, “We want to make a bridge between every possible technical and community college and UW-Platteville, so that these students know right away what courses transfer and what they need to take when starting their academic journey with UW-Platteville.”

Nemmetz attempts to complete three to four of these agreements with technical and community college programs annually, and always welcomes the opportunity to form articulation agreements with schools around the nation.

To read more, check out the full press release. For more information about UW-Platteville articulation agreements, check out the BSCJ articulation agreements page.

UW‐Platteville Online instructor releases newest book, attends conferences

2010-11-19T14:13:00.001-06:00

Dr. Ginger Levin, PMP, PgMP instructor for the project management program at the University of Wisconsin‐Platteville Online recently was the keynote speaker at the professional development days for Project Management Institute chapters in Minnesota and Iowa and presented multiple sessions at the Global Congress in Washington, D.C. Levin also released her first solo book, “Interpersonal Skills for Portfolio, Program, and Project Managers.” In addition to her speaking tour and writing career, Levin also teaches master’s-level course through UW-Platteville Online and enjoys a consulting job at Cargill, and international producer and marketer of food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services.

When asked how she is able to keep up, Levin simply said, “When I was young, I had energy.” Obviously, she still does.

To read more, check out the full press release.

Motivate

2010-11-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

It’s funny that “motivate” would be the topic of this blog because I was not looking forward to writing it! It has been some time since my last post; we have been going through some very interesting and challenging transitions at work so my experiment with writing a blog was pushed to the bottom of my “To Do” list. As a distance learner, it can be very easy to push course work to the bottom of your own list, especially if you have kids, a home, and a job all demanding a spot at the top of that list.

So how do you keep yourself motivated to complete your courses and, eventually, your degree? It’s time to do a little self analysis and find out what has motivated you in the past.

Do you get excited when you are able apply something you have learned? Then concentrate on the practical applications of the information that you learn in your courses. Look for ways to use the information at work.
Are you a list maker? Make sure study time is on your list each day. Do you need the encouragement of others? Make sure your family, friends, and co-workers know about your choice to get a degree. Their support can help you keep going when challenges come along.
Does meeting new people get you excited? Although you may not share an actual classroom, distance learning is an excellent way to network with a group of people that can have both very different experiences and surprisingly similar ones. Make an effort to get to know your fellow classmates and instructors by participating in class discussions and chats.

I read a nice tip in a blog on motivation at http://www.pickthebrain.com/. When you start to lose motivation, create a plan with two positive actions. The first should be a small job that you have been meaning to do; the second should relate to a long-term goal. Immediately do the first task. Getting this done will create a positive momentum. Then take the first step toward the long-term goal. Doing this periodically will get you out of slumps and keep your long-term plans moving ahead.

As for me, I love chocolate, so I’m going to give myself a little treat when I am done writing this. You might want to save this method for only exceptionally difficult assignments. :)

UP NEXT… Evaluate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:

Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate

UW-Platteville Online and Clarke College MBA Program form agreement

2010-09-22T09:43:00.001-05:00

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online students in the Master of Science in Project Management Program might soon have some new classmates. A recent agreement between UW-Platteville and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, will provide Clarke’s Master in Business Administration students interested in project management with the opportunity to earn an academic certificate in project management in conjunction with their MBA. The certificate requires six credits in advanced project management courses and an additional three credits in quality management coursework.

To learn more, read the full press release.

Academic planning for business administration students

2010-09-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

By Kelly Curtiss

Your credit evaluation documents are your golden ticket toward completing and earning your undergraduate degree. Even more important is to use them to create your academic plan. If you pencil in your courses at least two semesters out, we can work together to ensure you are meeting and scheduling prerequisite courses as needed.

On the Business Administration Course Offerings page, you will find the necessary information to help you plan:

Course prerequisites
Formats offered (print-based and/or online)
Online course rotation by semester

A couple of other questions you should tackle when planning your academic schedule are:

How long is it going to take me to earn my undergraduate degree?
Am I being realistic about reaching my goal?

Example
Suppose you have 46 credits left to complete your degree. It is your intention and plan to take two courses (six credits) a semester during the fall and spring, but not summer. Thus you will be enrolled in a total of 12 credits a year. At this rate, you could expect to earn your degree in about four years. Does this match your goals? Do you want to be done sooner? If so, you will need to make some adjustments to the number of credits you take each semester or consider completing courses during the summer session.

You are the best judge of how much you are capable of handling. However, as your advisors, Elizabeth Swift and I are happy to provide guidance by reviewing your plan and answering any questions you might have along the way. We are here to help and look forward to keeping each of you on the path to graduation.

Communicate

2010-09-03T15:37:00.001-05:00

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

The ability to communicate effectively is a skill that improves your chance of success in anything you do and at any point in your life. It is especially important if you are an online learner because, for the most part, you won’t have access to one of the main components of effective communication: visual cues.

At the most basic level, there are some practices that will help you communicate effectively with your instructor and classmates:

Write your name and contact information on each assignment. Also, it doesn't hurt to include your course number and the instructor’s name.
Keep a copy of each assignment you turn in.
If you experience computer/internet technical difficulties, either immediately repair the system, or contact your instructor by phone to explain your "absence" from class. Ask him/her for advice on how best to proceed.
Identify yourself in all class communications to ensure that you are receiving appropriate class credit.
Use appropriate subject lines in your e-mails. Check with your instructor if there is a certain format they would like your messages to follow.
Read all messages sent to the class group or via e-mail. Be on the lookout for messages from your instructor or others answering questions you might have.
When commenting on your class posting boards, make meaningful, relevant comments only.

Learning online can seem isolating, especially compared to the traditional classroom environment. But it doesn’t have to be. If you are studying a language like Spanish or Japanese and know someone who speaks the language fluently, ask if they, or someone they know, might like to do a language exchange with you. Get a mentor. If there is someone in your workplace that already has the degree you are seeking, ask if you can take them for coffee once a month to get career advice or discuss topics related to your field. They can also discuss real world applications of the theories you are learning about. Look into joining a club or professional organization in your area that is related to your career choice. These connections could be a valuable resource once you have earned your degree. Effectively communicating with your instructor, your classmates, your coworkers, and your community can have an enormous impact on your education!

UP NEXT… Motivate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate

Online engineering snags Best Buy award again

2010-08-20T14:14:00.002-05:00

For the second consecutive award cycle, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online has once again made the top-25 Best Buys – Online Master’s Degrees in Engineering. GetEducated.com, LLC, a consumer-oriented online degree clearinghouse, conducts a biennial survey of tuition costs at accredited distance learning engineering graduate degree programs nationwide.

UWP was one of only a handful of public colleges included in the list, finding its spot at #20.

"The engineering field requires its practitioners to regularly pursue professional development so it’s vital that universities provide that training at an affordable cost, especially in this economy," says Les Hollingsworth, marketing director for UWP Online.

To read more, check out the full news release.

Project Management at UWP earns distance education 'Best Buy'

2010-08-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

UWP's MS in Project Management degree earned a top 30 spot in GetEducated.com's Best Buys in Online Master’s Degrees in the Management and Administration category.

According to GetEducated.com, the Best Buy designation earned by UWP Distance Education indicates that they offer a high quality online master's program with tuition rates well below national averages.

"We're grateful for the recognition by GetEducated.com and we believe our students will benefit by it, too," says Bill Haskins, UWP MS Project Management program coordinator.

To read the whole article, go to our News Release page.

Your votes made the difference: UWP voted best online school in Wisconsin

2010-08-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

At the will of some 2,000 voters, University of Wisconsin-Platteville Distance Education was named the best school for online education in the Best of Wisconsin Business competition held by Corporate Report: Wisconsin’s Business Magazine.

“We’re obviously very happy to be recognized in this way,” said Dawn Drake, executive director of Alternative Delivery Systems at UWP. “We’ve learned a lot in the 30 plus years we’ve offered degrees at a distance. Our student assessments are our best tool and are a big part of how we continue growing.”

For more, see the full press release.

Dedicate

2010-07-21T13:19:00.002-05:00

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

You’ve made the decision to return to school. Now you have to dedicate yourself to the goal of completing your degree. If you’ve been away from school for any amount of time, it might be hard to make adjustments to your schedule that involve reducing the amount of time you spend with your family or on your hobbies. You may need to decrease the time you devote to social activities or community service groups. Studying online does give you flexibility, but if you don’t dedicate enough time to your studies, you will have a hard time completing your courses and an even harder time completing your degree.

Before the semester starts, try to keep a record of your activities for a week or two. See if there are any activities that you can cut out or if you can reduce the amount of time you spend on them. See if there are certain times that you can set aside every day for studying. It is recommended that you spend at least 2 hours of study for each credit that you take. This can end up being a large part of your schedule. If possible, have a dedicated study place that keeps all of the supplies you need within easy reach.

Finally, pace yourself. Different people can tolerate different workloads. There is a reason that, at UWP, we give graduate students up to 7 years to complete their degree. And undergraduate students don’t have a time limit as long as they continue to make academic progress. You are doing this to learn. Make sure you devote your mind and your time to achieving your goal, especially since you have already dedicated the financial resources!

UP NEXT... Communicate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Coordinate

Choose wisely when selecting a degree program

2010-07-14T13:12:00.001-05:00

By Ian Clark

Online for-profit (proprietary) colleges and universities are coming under fire from quite a few directions. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, for one, may soon begin an investigation at the call of lawmakers on the hill. Even Saturday Night Live is getting in on the blanketing perception that online universities are fake institutions that pump out diplomas – or at least PDFs of them.

All joking aside, for-profit institutions are in their fair share of hot water. Recent press reports are raising lots of questions about the validity of proprietary institutions, namely that more than a quarter of all Title IV loans – Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Supplement Education Opportunity Grants and Federal PLUS loans act as revenue for proprietary institutes, accounting for some $26.5 billion dollars. Also worth noting: the number of for-profit students has increased by 500 percent since 2000.

About 10 percent of college students attend for-profit schools. The concern from all this comes with the default rates of for-profit students; they constitute 44 percent of all students who default on their student loans. (It’s estimated that, by 2020, the government will lose $275 billion on Title IV loans.)

But consider this statistic: UW-Platteville, as a public institution encompassing both online and traditional students, has a student loan default rate of 0.63 percent. That can mean a few different things, all of them good for you.

Our students don’t have trouble repaying their loans because

UWP students are well-prepared to enter the workforce when they graduate
UWP students are a cut above the rest because they have to be; our programs are rigorous and carry the same weight as our on-campus degrees
UWP students are backed by the brick-and-mortar campus in Southwest Wisconsin and are supported by personal advisors and student service representatives

By choosing a quality online program, you will be better-prepared than most of your for-profit attending peers. You will soon have a degree that you can be proud of…and you won’t have to fake a heart attack when someone asks the name of your alma mater in an interview.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the pros and cons of public and for-profit universities, check out this blog series. If you want to learn more about the industry that is proprietary institutions, check out of few of these other, independent blogs.

For-Profit Education Gains from the Pain of Customers and Sales Staff
– DailyFinance: an AOL money and finance site

For-Profit Colleges Need More Oversight, Senator Says
– Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Facing Cuts in Federal Aid, For-Profit Colleges Are in a Fight
– The New York Times

Transfer Tips

2010-06-21T13:26:00.002-05:00

By Kim Maier

Are you planning to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online? If so, I would like to lend a few tips to help your transition goes as smooth as possible.

Deadlines

Pay attention to them as they go fast. They were designed to help keep you on track and assist in your successfulness. You’ll see there are deadlines for application submission, class registration, payments, and the list go on. Write them down so you don’t forget. For a list of important deadlines and happenings, see our Important Dates webpage.

Transfer credits

Be prompt in having official transcripts sent from all the institutions where you’ve taken classes.
Recognize that some credits will not transfer in or may only transfer in as electives. For example, we don’t offer an aviation program, so regardless of how rigorous those classes were; there aren’t any equivalents at UWP.
Do your homework and be aware of each program’s admission requirements.

Advisor

Advisors are here to help you be successful at UWP. Follow through with your advising sessions when they are scheduled and be prepared to discuss a plan for your education. Once you have a plan, you’ll have a clear idea of what classes to take each semester.

Transferring to another university is an exciting experience. Remember to enjoy the moment and keep moving forward with your education so you can reach your final goal of a degree. Having a college education will launch you into your next employment opportunity, a pay raise or plain new experiences!

Coordinate

2010-06-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

There are several definitions of the word coordinate. The good news is that I am not asking you to change the way you dress or perform a series of physically challenging tasks. Of course, some of you might prefer either of those to a final exam or big project!

The definition that I am using is “to organize something complex.” If you have ever taken an online course, you know that it can be very complex—both in terms of using the learning management system [D2L, Blackboard, Moodle] and in organizing the material presented in the course. Thinking about the course as a whole can be overwhelming.

It helps to break the course into manageable sections. At UWP, we give students a week before class officially starts to preview the course. This is a good time to look through the information and get a preliminary plan of attack in place. Map out your semester and look for weeks that might be a problem, especially if you are taking more than one course. Remember to incorporate family events and your work schedule into the mix. By breaking things up you can take one week at a time and, before you know it, you will be another step closer to getting that degree!

Another way to keep coordinated is to match your classes to your work, when possible. There is usually some flexibility regarding both the courses you need to take and the order in which you take them. Try to take courses that coordinate well with your current position. If you can immediately apply what you learn, it will be easier to retain the information.

UP NEXT… Dedicate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See our other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Dedicate

The Great ‘-ate’s

2010-06-02T15:47:00.003-05:00

By Stephanie Cooley

Hi! Welcome to my first attempt to write a blog. I have worked in the Distance Learning Center for 10 years but I usually take care of things behind the scenes—purchasing, invoicing, databases, and web corrections—real fascinating stuff! I love reading and thought I might like to try my hand at writing. The administrators here in the DLC are always encouraging us to broaden our skill set, so I will be writing a series of articles with tips for distance learners.

I was looking for a way to aggregate the information. I want to advocate good ideas that will help you acclimate to the distance learning environment. Maybe I can even alleviate some of the fears you have about learning online. I anticipate that this will be a lot of fun!

OK—I know that wasn’t very subtle but I kept running across words that ended in “–ate” so I decided to build a series of tips using those words as my theme. Get ready for… The Great ‘-ate’s.

Investigate

This is useful both before and after you enroll in a program. There is so much you need to investigate! We are going to assume that you already know the degree that you are interested in. You need to spend time investigating the schools that offer your program at a distance. Make sure you are applying to an accredited school. UW-Platteville is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Look at the courses offered in your program of interest. Many schools give course descriptions on their web sites. Some, like the UWP Distance Learning Center, even list more detailed information about their courses, like the number of exams, assignments, and projects that are associated with a course. Make sure the courses associated with your program sound like something you would be interested in learning.

If you are already in a program, you still need to do some investigating. Get input from your fellow students about courses they liked and disliked. Or ask about problem spots in required courses that might mean more study time should be added to your schedule. Learning at a distance does not mean you are learning alone. Remember to investigate!

UP NEXT… Coordinate

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate

Starting the admission process

2010-05-26T15:15:00.002-05:00

Part V of "Going back to school: Step by step"

By Les Hollingsworth

Once you’ve selected the program that is right for you, it’s time to get started. Admission processes and guidelines will vary in detail from school to school but they should follow a similar process overall.

Submit an application. Some institutions (especially the private, for-profit schools) will run promotions that allow you to waive the application fee. Many will not. You simply have to ask your enrollment counselor.
Submit official transcripts from your previous institutions. For undergraduate students, this helps get you transfer credits. For master’s students, this proves that you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree and might qualify for admission. Any respectable institution will require you to have a bachelor’s degree before you can enroll in a master’s program. If they don’t, be wary.
Investigate scholarships that you might qualify for. My favorite is FastWeb.com. You can build a profile and it spits out a list of potential scholarships. The more detailed you can be in your profile the better the results for your scholarship search. Also check with your local high school. The guidance counselor there might know of opportunities for your specific situation.
Decide if you should apply for Federal Financial Aid. The government has certain requirements you must meet to qualify, such as enrolling in a minimum number of credits per semester. Males: If you didn’t register for selective service when you turned 18, no luck for you. Here’s a red flag to watch for: if a school doesn’t qualify for Title IV Federal Financial Aid, you need to select another school. For one reason or another, Uncle Sam is wary of this school. You should be too. Many will offer loans through private lenders but interest will be higher and they generally won’t be subsidized (i.e. you’re loans interest will begin to accrue as soon as monies are dispersed).
Pick a start date and enroll.

I hope this series has been helpful. My recommendation overall is to be cautious. There are a lot of shady organizations that will try to boiler room you into a decision. Don’t rush, do your research, and you’ll get the education you deserve at the best possible price.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at hollingsworl@uwplatt.edu . My goal is to be a resource for anyone who seeks to improve themselves through education. Good luck!

About this series

Whether you're a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a blue-collar employee looking to strengthen your resume, or a skilled professional looking to climb the corporate ladder, it’s likely that you’ve thought about continuing your education. The odds are also good that you’ve wondered about doing it online. This five-part series will provide a few tips and thoughts over the next two weeks to help you decide.

A ‘gift’ of perspective

2010-05-18T15:30:00.004-05:00

By Ian Clark

Not many of us want to hear what we’re doing wrong. Personally, my favorite type of comments to hear are “nice job,” “good work” and “keep it up.” But do these comments make me any better at my job, and do they give me any indication of how I can improve?

How we handle criticism is a matter of perspective. For the majority of us, it’s easy to get a little frustrated at the first sign of criticism, but again, what does that frustration do for us? In my search for articles that might inspire students, I came across “The Gift of Criticism” by Judy Umlas, part of the Voices on Project Management blog offered by the Project Management Institute.

This school of thought applies to all of us, not just project managers, but Judy happens to find her best example in one of UWP’s project management faculty members, Ginger Levin.

It’s a quick read with a lasting message. Take a look; it might just make a difference in your day.

International student admissions

2010-05-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

By Travis Courtney

As the need for online education moves toward the norm, rather than the exception, we continue to serve an increasing number of international students. While all UWP distance education students ultimately have opportunity to take courses together, regardless of physical location or background, the process of admission to a degree program may be slightly different if you. International students:

Have permanent residence outside the United States
Are not a US citizen or were born in a country other than the US
Have high school or post-secondary academic records from an institution outside the US
Do not consider English your official native language

You may be required to submit the following information in addition to standard application materials:

Official academic records (called transcripts in the US)
A Catalog Match evaluation performed by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) for any post-secondary transcripts you submit
Official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL® Test)
One form of US residency documentation (visa, passport, permanent residency card, etc.) if you were born outside of the US, but now hold citizenship

Because it can take longer than you might expect to acquire some of these materials, you should begin the application process well before your desired start date. For more information, see the admission information for your program below or call the Distance Learning Center at 800.362.5460.

BS in Business Administration
BS in Criminal Justice
MS in Criminal Justice
MS in Engineering
MS in Project Management

Red flags and warning signs when evaluating online degrees

2010-05-05T14:55:00.005-05:00

Part IV of "Going back to school: Step by step"

By Les Hollingsworth

We have all experienced a situation where we didn’t ask the right questions or didn’t even know what questions to ask. Don’t let this happen with your education. A degree is both expensive and time-consuming — be an informed consumer.

Ask about the weekly time commitment. Let’s face it; college is supposed to be hard. If an admissions rep tells you that it will take less than 15 hours per week to complete the coursework, warning lights should be going off like a trooper in a high-speed chase. This brings into question the real amount of learning from the courses and the reputability of the school.
Be sure you understand the program’s on-campus residency requirements. These go by many different names: residencies, colloquia, time-savers, etc. At the end of the day, they all mean the same thing; you have to come to campus and that costs you additional money for travel/expenses/time off work. There are many schools now that do not require on-site time and you should be aware of these lesser-known requirements prior to enrolling.
Know what you need from a program and move through the admissions process at your pace. Many institutions hire professional salespeople as their admissions counselors. It’s important to know what you need so you can stick to your guns when an enrollment person starts calling. Save yourself time and money by not letting a counselor hurry you through the process.
Overall, if a program seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Be wary of schools that give you credit for just about anything. Don’t get me wrong, credit for life experience is good and legitimate in many cases, but question the legitimacy of the school if you get credit for that underwater basket weaving conference you attended.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at hollingsworl@uwplatt.edu. My goal is to be a resource for anyone who seeks to improve themselves through education. Good luck!

Next week: Starting the admission process.

About this series

Whether you're a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a blue-collar employee looking to strengthen your resume, or a skilled professional looking to climb the corporate ladder, it’s likely that you’ve thought about continuing your education. The odds are also good that you’ve wondered about doing it online. This five-part series will provide a few tips and thoughts over the next two weeks to help you decide.

Public vs. for-profit colleges: Pros and cons

2010-05-04T09:47:00.005-05:00

Part III of "Going back to school: Step by step"

By Les Hollingsworth

Part III: Public vs. for-profit colleges: Pros and cons

As a frequent visitor of LinkedIn, I see a question that comes up several times per month: Which is better: public or private, for-profit? Here are a few things to consider:

The key to the whole educational process is finding a provider that meets your needs. In some cases, a state university will work the best; in others a for-profit may be the only way to go.
Public University – The private, for-profits still receive a skeptical eye in some employment circles. They’ve also had some pretty negative press over the past few years. You could avoid a potential negative stigma on your resume by selecting a well-known state university. Most public universities also help by making no reference to “online” on your transcript. As an example, at UW-Platteville, your transcript is a University of Wisconsin-Platteville transcript. Your coursework is as rigorous and the requirements for earning a degree are comparable to on-campus programs, so there is no distinction on your transcript. Be sure to ask admissions advisors about this.
For-Profit University – It’s almost guaranteed that a for-profit university will give you a better transfer credit evaluation than what you would get at a public school. They often have fewer bureaucratic and academic limitations and design the curriculum to accept more flexibility in transfer credits. But, this also should prompt you to carefully evaluate the quality of the program.
Public University – Many public schools’ online courses are taught by the same tenured faculty using the same curriculum as they do in their traditional brick-and-mortar classes. This lends additional credibility to your coursework.
For-Profit University – It’s easier to find information about these institutions. These schools are designed to be highly-responsive and they’ve spent the marketing dollars to ensure that you know they exist.
Public University – Generally, tuition at a state university will be lower than an equivalent program at a private university. Be sure to compare what type of credit system (semester hour, quarter hour, etc.) the schools use so you can compare apples to apples.

I think that covers the main pros and cons. Use the comments feature to let me know if there are others worth mentioning. Also, If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at hollingsworl@uwplatt.edu. My goal is to be a resource for anyone who seeks to improve themselves through education. Good luck!

Next time: Red flags and warning signs when evaluating online degrees.

About this series

Whether you're a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a blue-collar employee looking to strengthen your resume, or a skilled professional looking to climb the corporate ladder, it’s likely that you’ve thought about continuing your education. The odds are also good that you’ve wondered about doing it online. This five-part series will provide a few tips and thoughts over the next two weeks to help you decide.

Deciphering accreditation: What the alphabet soup really means

2010-04-26T11:40:00.013-05:00

Part II of "Going back to school: Step by step"

By Les Hollingsworth

After reading our first post, you’ve identified a list of four or five online programs or institutions that might fit your needs. Now it’s time to winnow that list to your top choices. The absolute first criterion is having the correct accreditation. Insufficient accreditation must make an option disappear faster than a thief at a police convention. Here are the facts:

Not all online programs are equal. Make sure the school is regionally accredited. This is the gold standard for accreditation. National accreditation is technically a second-rate accreditation and is less reputable to other institutions and future employers. This can negatively impact transfer credits and many employers won’t recognize nationally accredited degrees, i.e. you paid money and invested time in a degree that isn’t worth anything.
Be advised: Admissions folks at some non-regionally accredited universities will dance around this question. Also, don’t judge the acceptability of a nationally accredited institution based on the size of its student body. It just means that there are a lot of people who could find themselves in a tough spot down the road.
Watch for schools that create their own accrediting body. This is a common practice used by degree mills. They create fictitious (and very formal sounding) accrediting bodies and tout them on their website but they’re really just gas. You can confirm regional accreditation for an institution by checking the Council on Higher Education Accreditation’s website at http://www.chea.org/.
Programmatic accreditation is a specialized award that should be in addition to regional accreditation. This includes groups such as AACSB, AABSP, and PMI GAC as well as many others. These groups help ensure quality in a specialized academic discipline. In general, they don’t accredit institutions; they ensure specific standards in a given program. Consider these a bonus; they're not a requirement (and many institutions can’t monetarily afford to pursue them) but they could be used to break a tie between a first and second choice.

That's it for now. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at mailto:hollingsworl@uwplatt.edu. My goal is to be a resource for anyone who seeks to improve themselves through education. Good luck!

Next time: public universities versus private for-profit universities.

About this series

Whether you're a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a blue-collar employee looking to strengthen your resume, or a skilled professional looking to climb the corporate ladder, it’s likely that you’ve thought about continuing your education. The odds are also good that you’ve wondered about doing it online. This five-part series will provide a few tips and thoughts over the next two weeks to help you decide.

Going back to school: Step by step

2010-04-14T17:05:00.009-05:00

By Les Hollingsworth

Whether you're a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a blue-collar employee looking to strengthen your resume, or a skilled professional looking to climb the corporate ladder, it’s likely that you’ve thought about continuing your education. The odds are also good that you’ve wondered about doing it online. This five-part series will provide a few tips and thoughts over the next two weeks to help you decide.

Part I: How to find and choose an online degree
Part II: Deciphering accreditation: What the alphabet soup really means
Part III: Public vs. for-profit colleges: Pros and cons
Part IV: Red flags and warning signs when evaluating online degrees
Part V: Starting the admission process

Part I: How to find and choose an online degree

So you're thinking about going back to school. With a family, a job, and/or other commitments, going to class on campus is not an option. And it would be really difficult to attend evening and weekend classes. Have you considered an online degree program? How do you find one that’s right for you?

Step one: find a list of institutions that offer online programs. There are actually countless schools that provide online degree programs – and many are highly respected state institutions. Several of the larger for-profit institutions have effectively dominated the marketing efforts for online education, making it somewhat difficult to find the traditional university that also offers online degrees. The moral of the story is that you can find a great school with a great reputation - you just have to know where to look.

In my humble opinion, the best - and most objective-source is Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning, which lists thousands of institutions and their distance learning programs in a clean and easily searchable format. Many of the institutions also list general information such as how much of the coursework can be completed online, tuition, etc.

If you're like most people, you will do a Google search of the degree name that you're looking for, i.e. "project management master's, business degree online", etc. The top results for these searches will often be lead aggregators. These websites gather information from numerous schools and then sell information that you provide to target schools. They are extremely useful to a potential student for requesting information from large numbers of institutions, but be aware that they are not a comprehensive list and certainly aren't objective. Position and findability on the website are determined by the highest bidder for different degree areas.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at hollingsworl@uwplatt.edu. My goal is to be a resource for anyone who seeks to improve themselves through education. Good luck!

Next week: Accreditation: What it really means.

Criminal Justice at UWP is a 'Best Buy' in distance education

2010-02-25T10:19:00.001-06:00

By Ian Clark

UWP's BS in Criminal Justice degree earned a top 20 spot in GetEducated.com's Best Buys in Online Colleges list in the law, legal and justice studies category.

According to GetEducated.com, the Best Buy designation earned by UWP Distance Education indicates that they offer a high quality online bachelor's program with tuition rates well below national averages.

"Being recognized by GetEducated.com demonstrates that at UW-Platteville, we are not only providing an affordable product, but a structurally sound program too," says Amy Nemmetz, program coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Online.

To read the whole article, go to our News Release page.

Preparing, planning and staying organized

2010-02-16T13:50:00.001-06:00

By Kelly Curtiss

When tackling any major task, those who do it successfully will tell you that you need to prepare, plan and organize yourself. These three items I believe can be applied to any life event, such as planning for

an open house for a high school graduation
your big wedding day
the welcoming of a new child into a family
a family vacation
earning a degree

All of these events require you to think ahead. What is my main focus and goal? What kind of obstacles might I have to be ready for? How will I handle these issues should they arise? How am I going to make this happen? Who is here to help me?

Even in the pursuit of higher education, these ideas and question should be evaluated each semester. Many of you know that it is not easy to go back. But you have a goal. You may have obstacles, but in the end you have kept yourself organized, knowing what the goal is and what you are going to do to keep yourself moving forward.

If you haven’t done so already, make it a priority to sit down and talk with your advisor about where you want to go, how you plan to get there, and ask for their support. We enjoy working with our students and seeing them earn their academic goals!

Keys to Success in a Distance Degree Program

2010-02-15T11:23:00.001-06:00

By Christine Storlie

I'm too tired to study when I get home from work. I want to spend time with my family this weekend and have some fun. It seems like I’m going to be working on this degree forever.

These are comments that I hear on a regular basis from students I teach and advise. While earning my Ph.D. at a distance, I learned several useful techniques that helped me keep things in perspective and stay on top of everything that I had going on. Here are four factors that will influence your success:

Control
Control means taking on a reasonable workload, so that you can successfully balance your course load, family and career. Don’t give in to the temptation to procrastinate on an assignment and then do it at the last minute with the least amount of effort possible. Stay up after you put the kids to bed and finish that paper because tomorrow has its very own to-do list. Set up a study schedule and stick to it, so that you are making progress in your courses on a regular basis. Use self-discipline to complete your assignments and group activities in a timely manner, in order to successfully complete the course. Lastly, take responsibility for your decisions and follow through with your commitments. Students that are able to take control of their lives are much more likely to succeed in their educational endeavor.

Motivation
Another major factor influencing your progress is motivation. If you ever feel your motivation declining, take a step back and recall the main reason you entered the program. Thinking about the benefits the degree will give you in your career can give you the motivation you need. Students with a degree earned at a distance are prized by employers who will recognize your competence and the strength of your character developed by the challenges of earning such a degree.

Support
To successfully complete a degree at a distance, you’ll need the support of at least one person. You need someone to believe in what you are doing. While moral support is important, there are other kinds of support that are also invaluable, including child care, financial support and help with chores. The broader the network of support among friends, family and even coworkers and employers, the easier it is for motivated students to finish their coursework.

Self-assessment
If you can reasonably assess your own strengths and weaknesses, you will fare well in a distance education environment. Self-assessment leads to appropriate action. Time and effort are precious commodities to adults with multiple responsibilities and can be best used by students who understand themselves and can manage their time well.

UWP online instructor presents at international conference

2010-02-04T09:36:00.002-06:00

By Ian Clark

Shawn Belling, online adjunct instructor for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online, will be heading to Melbourne, Australia to present at the Project Management Institute Global Congress — Asia Pacific region. The congress will begin Feb. 22. PMI, a not-for-profit membership association for project management professionals with globally recognized standards in more than 180 countries, holds a global congress yearly in each region. The three regions include Asia Pacific; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and North America.

As an instructor in UWP’s Master of Science in Project Management Program, Shawn will present his paper titled “When Agendas Override Objectives,” which outlines how hidden customer and interoffice agendas can interfere and even hijack projects and their managers.

To present at a PMI Global Congress, those who wish to participate must submit an academic paper detailing a subject relevant to project management. After a thorough screening process, those papers that are found to be exceptional are asked to present.

"Once you get accepted that first time, it is a lot easier to stay tied into that presenting pipeline and be asked back to present," says Shawn, who has been a credentialed Project Management Professional for six years. "Having the opportunity to present original thinking to large groups of colleagues and peers is a really great experience."

This will be Shawn’s third time presenting at a PMI Global Congress. In 2008, he presented in Sydney, Australia and again in Oct. 2009 in Orlando, FL. He has also presented at other PMI seminars, and plans to speak at the Success in Project Management Conference in June of 2010 to be held at UWP.

Shawn, besides teaching for UWP online classes, also teaches for the University of California-Irvine and Lakeland College, and is a project manager at Promega Corporation in Madison, which sells products to the life science industry.

"I just treat it like I have two jobs," says Shawn. "I have to be highly organized, so it's good to be a project manager. When I have speaking opportunities like this, I obviously have to make adjustments, but I really enjoy what I’m doing."

UWP receives second military-friendly award

2010-02-01T15:04:00.003-06:00

By Ian Clark

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's online division received its second military friendly award this fall by a military education magazine. Military Advanced Education selected UWP as a top school in their “3rd Annual Guide to Top Military Friendly Colleges and Universities,” a journal about higher education for service members of the armed forces. The first award came in October from G.I. Jobs Magazine.

"We're delighted this guide has become a valuable resource for service members and the larger network of educational professionals involved in higher education," says MAE editor, Mark Fitzgerald.

From community colleges to nationally known centers of higher learning, MAE's annual guide provides potential students with information about colleges and universities across the nation who they consider to be military-friendly. Among the attributes considered in evaluating any school’s degree of military friendliness are the quality of its academics, the on-campus and online advice and support it provides to veterans and their families, and the sophistication and effectiveness of its distance learning programs.

"We're very happy to receive the distinction and be able to provide a valuable service to soldiers, sailors, and airmen" says Les Hollingsworth, marketing director for the Distance Learning Center and field artillery instructor in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. "Service members have unique educational challenges and it's important that universities step up and be able to help them overcome those obstacles."

Military Advanced Education is the only magazine produced specifically for service members seeking to take advantage of the military education benefit. MAE covers issues and trends in distance learning and education as they specifically relate to military life, including innovative programs, military educational policy, financial aid and coursework that offer special opportunities for military personnel.

UWP offers multiple degrees that are designed for working adults and can be completed entirely online. For more information about UWP's Distance Learning Center, go online at http://www.uwplatt.edu/disted/.

Commencement brings new opportunities for education

2010-01-22T11:46:00.002-06:00

By Ian Clark, Staff Writer

Fall graduation has come and gone, and while dreams of tassel-turning and diplomas swim in the heads of those soon to have the opportunity to shake hands with the chancellor this May, it might a bittersweet 'congratulations' for those without a serious job prospect.

According to cnn.com, spring graduates had a rough time this past year suffering through the economy and battling each other for the 40% fewer job prospects compared to those of 2008. CNN also said that, while the job market is better, this is no time to put your feet up. With national unemployment up-now at 10.2% per CNN-the well-prepared student may find him or herself living at home with mom and dad. Don’t believe me? Nearly one in seven college grads moved home for an extended period last summer (according to Pew Research Center), and not much has changed in the job market since then.

While there are options in this economy, those options are few and far between, and to land one of them in your field, you need deep commitment, great networking and a little luck. Don’t settle for a job that will “just get the bills paid.” Take a step towards the career you want and consider a better option than scanning the classifieds: graduate school.

It’s not for everyone. Without knowing your longer-term career goals, it’s a mistake to enroll in graduate school. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has some wonderful resources for those who are questioning or interested: namely the Career Center and Counseling Services.

If you are interested, a graduate degree can act as a stepping stone to a higher paying job and make people immediately more marketable than their baccalaureate-holding peers.

According to Roger Meyer, the director of UWP University Counseling Services, an advanced degree can do all of these things, depending on the specific degree and the job market within the field. “Advanced degrees commonly tend to make people more money and make them more marketable in general compared to someone with a bachelor’s degree.”

Employers will consider more than just your degree when seeking to hire, said Meyer. “The best way to make yourself marketable is to get your bachelor’s and work for one to three years to build up your work experience within the field. Then get your master’s degree. Also, the willingness to relocate can be very important. When you are geographically limited, options can be severely reduced, and oftentimes who you know can become as important as what you know.”

Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa have 130 graduate schools, with 31 schools in the Badger State. In the area of Southwest Wisconsin, there is UW-Madison and Edgewood College, Clarke College, Loras College and the University of Dubuque. UWP also has great graduate options offering master’s degrees in engineering, project management, and criminal justice through the Distance Learning Center in addition to on-campus graduate programs in computer science, counselor education, industrial technology management, and education.

Employers want to hire people who are lifetime learners. Fields and industries will progress, things will change, and “to be hirable later on, it often helps to have an advanced degree depending on the field you choose,” said Diana Trendt, director of the UWP Career Center. “Students interested should also talk with their advisor or faculty, because they often have some very valuable insight into their specific field.”

As the spring season approaches, flowers defrost and tassels turn, think about your future and consider the advantages a graduate degree can offer.

Ian Clark is a staff writer at the UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center, which offers online master’s degrees in engineering, criminal justice, and project management.

UWP alumna Laura Sherrick wins International Paper award

2009-11-30T15:59:00.001-06:00

By Ryan Broege, UWP Office of Public Relations

PLATTEVILLE– Laura Sherrick, a graduate of the online Master of Science in Project Management Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been awarded the James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award by the Project Management Institute. On its website, PMI described itself as a “not-for-profit professional association whose primary goal is to advance the practice, science and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner.”

Ginger Levin, adjunct professor of project management at UWP since 2002, had Sherrick in her classes and was impressed by her former student’s achievement. Levin said that she encouraged Sherrick to apply but pointed out that there is a tremendous amount of competition among students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate project management programs from all around North America. Sherrick’s paper was selected as the winner among all submissions in the North American division; winners were also selected in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe-Middle East-Africa regions.

Sherrick’s paper was originally the final product of the Capstone Class, a three-credit course that all students in the Master’s of Science in Project Management program take near the end of their studies. “I encouraged her to submit the paper because she took each of the nine knowledge areas in the PMI’s ‘A Guide to the Project Management Methodology, third edition,’ and applied each of its inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs to her work. She described why she used each one and their value,” said Levin, who was Sherrick’s professor in the Capstone Class.

As winner of the international student paper award, Sherrick was awarded $500 and given the opportunity to present her paper at the PMI North American Congress, an annual week-long professional conference held in Orlando, Fla. “The Congress was a celebration of project management. There were more seminars being held than any one person could attend, and also opportunities to share knowledge, explore project thinking and learn more about the field,” she said.

This is the second time in three years that the winner of the PMI International Student Paper award has been a graduate of UWP. “In 2007, I nominated Tonya Petersen, who wrote a paper on motivation. The fact that UWP has had two winners in three years truly is an indicator of the strength of our program,” said Levin.

“I am very proud of our campus and students because this is a very competitive award,” said Bill Haskins, program director of the Master’s of Science in Project Management at UWP.

Anyone with further questions regarding the award may contact Haskins at (608) 342-1961 or haskinsd@uwplatt.edu.

UW-Platteville named a ‘military-friendly’ university by G.I. Jobs

2009-11-16T18:30:00.001-06:00

By Ian Clark

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville earned a spot on G.I. Job’s list of military friendly schools, characterized by their efforts and successes in recruiting veteran students. G.I. Jobs, a website and magazine that helps current and former members of the military transition successfully into civilian life, formed the list which recognizes the top 15 percent of the most “military friendly” of the nation’s 7,000 schools. Schools on the list range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. The common bond between them is their shared willingness to cater to the unique needs of military students.

The United States government has allocated tens of billions of dollars through the Post-9/11 GI Bill for educating America’s armed forces, providing monies paid directly to schools for tuition, a housing allowance, stipends for books, and other fees associated with higher education.

“Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “This list is especially important now because the recently enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school. Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified.”

Cody Brigman, president of the UWP Veterans Club, while unaware of the new list by G.I. Jobs, was unsurprised. “This campus has a long standing relationship with veterans,” said Brigman. “The Registrar’s Office, which also functions as veterans liaisons, goes to bat for veterans time and again. It is through their dedicated service that many of us on campus are able to concentrate on school work rather than paperwork.”

Brigman also mentioned that many veterans joined their particular branch of service immediately after high school, and that ACT and SAT scores are something that most veterans don’t have before enrolling.

“When a vet leaves his or her branch, it can be at any given time of the year, which doesn’t always lend itself to jumping right into college, but the campus works with us so that we have the chance to get enrolled at our earliest convenience,” added Brigman.

Changes in environment and social structure are also significant issues veterans can have issues with as they begin college. However, UWP has a highly seasoned veteran community that aims to help those in need with these troublesome transitions, and help better acclimate veteran students with their new environment, according to Brigman.

For more information about the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill or other veteran-related questions, contact the Registrar’s Office at (608) 342-1321. To learn more about the UWP Veterans Club, contact Brigman at brigmanc@uwplatt.edu.

Five Tips for Succeeding in an Online Course

2009-10-15T17:43:00.004-05:00

By Christine (Schuldes) Storlie

Print the Course Calendar for each of your courses. Record all the due dates for assignments and exams on your calendar (electronic organizer, cell phone, or paper calendar – or the pocket calendar you may have received from the Distance Learning Center). Set a reminder on your electronic devices to alert you to upcoming due dates.
At the beginning of the semester, set a specified amount of time each day to work on class assignments. For example, one student found that by designating one hour each day of the week for studying, she was able to keep up with her coursework much better than when she tried to do everything over the weekend. Or, you could set aside two hours every other day, with larger blocks of study time on Saturday and Sunday.
Work on your written communication skills. Clearly communicating your ideas is imperative in an online course, especially in courses that require group activities. Effective communication is vital to a virtual team’s success. Allow time to review what you say, checking your content as well as grammar and spelling. Set aside enough time to communicate with your instructor, classmates, and group/team members.
Check the News on the course home page regularly for each of your courses. Instructors often post important announcements such as
- additional information pertaining to course material
- details regarding expectations for an assignment
- upcoming deadlines
- hints or additional information regarding assignments
Reading messages from others is an important part of the communication process!
Do not hesitate to ask questions. If the question occurred to you, it is likely that others have the same question and all will benefit.

Distance learning provides flexibility

2009-09-22T12:55:00.001-05:00

By Melissa Gavin

The best thing about UWP's distance education programs is – the distance. When I was asked to contribute this blog, I looked at my calendar and was slightly concerned about timing since I was going to be out of town. However, this provided my topic. One of the best perks of the distance learning programs is the ability to travel while still going to school.

Unlike a traditional brick and mortar university, distance education allows students to participate in class whether at home or on the road. The key to success in this program is having an Internet connection available at some point during the day. As a student, I was able to travel with my family or volunteer my time out of town as long as the hotel I stayed at had a connection. This flexibility gave me a lot of freedom that I wouldn't have had at any other university. It allowed me to travel to weddings, special events, and for vacation at times when most students are not able to leave school.

Being at a distance is also a perk for being an active alumnus. As long as I have access to a phone line and Internet, I am able to be an active alumni member through the Alumni Advisory Board (AAB). Not only does the AAB allow me to stay connected to my alma mater and classmates, it also lets me continue to serve UWP from a distance. Once a month, I meet with fellow alums and members of the Distance Learning Center to discuss various items from mentoring to new developments to providing feedback. This connection is not something I have with the brick and mortar university from which I received my undergraduate degree.

Agreement opens door for criminal justice students in Southwest Wisconsin

2009-08-19T09:19:00.004-05:00

By Christine Hawkinson

A new agreement between Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP) allows course-to-course transfer for criminal justice students who complete Southwest Tech courses and want to continue their education at UWP.

A previous agreement allowed for the transfer of some general education coursework, but due to differing course requirements, criminal justice courses were rarely accepted. The new provision allows up to five Southwest Tech criminal justice courses to transfer for students who complete the courses within 15 years of their application to UWP.

According to Amy Nemmetz, program coordinator for the online undergraduate criminal justice program at UWP, “We are excited to work more closely with Southwest Wisconsin Technical College criminal justice graduates. The strong foundation and skills these graduates bring to the UW-Platteville Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program will lead to additional opportunities. UW-Platteville criminal justice graduates have obtained positions with the FBI, DCI (Department of Criminal Investigations), Probation and Parole, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and several other fascinating agencies.”

For more information, contact the Distance Learning Center at 800.362.5460.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Named a Best Buy Among Online Business Schools

2009-08-12T14:43:00.002-05:00

Compiled By Christine Hawkinson, Editor, UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree has earned a Best Buy award from the research team at GetEducated.com, a consumer group that rates and ranks online colleges for cost and credibility. The group issues report cards to online degree programs in an effort to bring transparency to the selection process in terms of cost, public perception, and verified student satisfaction.

According to Vicky Phillips, Founder & CEO of GetEducated.com, “Any online student seeking quality combined with affordability in these hard economic times should take a serious look at UW-Platteville. Platteville’s 100% online bachelor’s in business, master’s in project management, master’s in engineering and master’s in criminal justice all rank as top values when compared to the online competition nationwide.”

Hundreds of colleges now offer online degrees, but UW-Platteville is one of a handful of American universities that have successfully combined a venerated residential history with exceptional quality and service in the online education sector.

“We are very excited about the recognition that GetEducated.com has provided for our online programs. At a time when more and more students are searching for ways to continue their education, it is important that they have an online resource that they can trust,” says Dawn Drake, Executive Director of the UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center.

Corporate Training Career Opportunities for Project Management Graduates

2009-07-01T10:15:00.005-05:00

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

2009-06-26T08:55:00.001-05:00

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!

2009-06-25T16:27:00.002-05:00

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.

Getting the Most Out of Online Discussions

2009-06-01T09:34:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-05-26T10:01:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-04-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-23T16:55:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-22T16:46:00.000-05:00

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.

A Day in the Life of a Student

2009-04-20T16:32:00.001-05:00

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.

Stress Busters and Homework Helpers for Online Students

2009-03-24T09:01:00.006-05:00

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.

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.

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!

PMP Benefit vs. Global Accreditation

2009-01-21T15:56:00.001-06:00

It was like David versus Goliath: In one corner, the 6 credits offered by UW-Platteville’s MS Project Management program to all admitted students who have the PMP credential; in the other corner, the Project Management Institute’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC). Something had to give in this epic battle and something did give, but not without a fight. All prospective students who would like to earn their masters degree in Project Management are strongly urged to apply before February 1st, in order to take advantage of a time-restricted benefit that UW-Platteville has so generously offered these past several years. After February 1, the MSPM program will offer only 3 credits for the PMP credential, to comply with GAC’s accreditation requirements. Though it loses the popular 6 credit award feature, UW-Platteville gains accreditation approval by GAC, which, in turn, gives you the opportunity to be a part of something even more special. Your Master’s Degree will be earned at one of only 22 schools worldwide which have been accredited by GAC. Though all great battles have heartache and loss, UW-Platteville achieved victory that day. You can be a part of it by earning your master’s degree from UWP’s accredited program. Best of all, you can have your cake and eat it too by taking advantage of the 6 credit PMP benefit before it expires February 1. Don’t let that benefit go to waste—get applied to the MSPM program before February 1st and receive those credits. You’ll earn an outstanding degree, with a highly valued worldwide accreditation.

- Clinton Nemitz, Recruiter

Awards Ceremony for PMI Global Accreditation

2008-11-12T15:42:00.003-06:00

As you all probably have heard by now, PMI recently granted programmatic accreditation to UW-Platteville's Master of Science in Project Management. The awards ceremony was held at PMI Global Congress, N.A. in Denver last month. Here's a 2-3 minute clip from the ceremony including a quote from Bill Haskins, the MS Project Management program director.

PMI GAC Awards Ceremony

PMI's Educational Foundation

2008-10-17T09:53:00.002-05:00

I was surfing the answers portion of LinkedIn the other day and came across a post about PMI's Educational Foundation. From their site, they are "the philanthropic arm of PMI, dedicated to improving society through project management knowledge and skills globally". They offer scholarships and a few practical tools to help advance the field of project management. It might be worth checking out...

Also, here's a link to Erika Flora's post that highlights the "Cool Stuff at PMI's Educational Foundation".

5 Tips to Help Stay Focused When Learning From Home

2008-10-13T09:15:00.003-05:00

Attending college courses from the comfort of your own home is an amazing and practical way to complete coursework and earn your degree on your own time. However, many distance learning students can get too comfortable with their surroundings, and this comfort can adversely affect homework, projects, and, ultimately, grades. What follows is a list of tips to help you stay focused when working on your degree from home.

Plan out your day. Managing your time and having a plan for each day is a great way to stay on top of your coursework and not get behind. Make a schedule and block out your time, dedicating specific periods of time for reading and note-taking, completing homework, and working on long-term projects. Sticking to the schedule will help create boundaries for yourself and increase your productivity.

Minimize your distractions. This is especially important if you are working from home. Don’t be tempted to turn the television on if you know it will keep you from working. If you like to listen to music, make sure that it is nothing more than background noise. Anything that diverts your attention from the task at hand will cut into valuable time needed to complete your coursework.

Have a dedicated work space. If you don’t have a home office or place to study, find a place to spread out and get to work. Keep a clear, clutter-free area with enough room to have books and notebooks open so that you don’t have to constantly hunt down any necessary information. Try to make sure that the space you decide to use is conducive to being productive with your studies; refrain from using the couch if at all possible.

Set goals and take breaks. If you are properly managing your time, you will more than likely begin to finish things in a timely fashion. However, some subjects and courses are more difficult than others. When you are facing a particularly challenging assignment, break it up into manageable chunks and set goals for yourself on how you would like to go about completing the assignment. One you have reached a particular milestone, reward yourself with a break. Sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee or a brief television program. Once you’ve gotten some rest, get back to work. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and relaxation by doing this.

Change your environment. Sometimes working from home is just not always feasible. Perhaps on a certain day, there are other people around the house, increasing your chances of getting off-task and distracted. When this happens, it’s advisable to have a go-to place to work on your assignments. Maybe you have a favorite coffeehouse you’d like to visit where you can work on your assignments or readings. Public libraries and university libraries are great places to go as well and offer optimal environments for studying.

This article is contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who regularly writes on how to become a teacher in California. She invites your questions at her personal email address: kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

Using Google for Your Next Research Paper

2008-09-26T08:20:00.002-05:00

By now, it’s very likely that you’ve heard of or used Google’s standard search engine. It’s also a good bet that you’ve used it to find sources for a research paper. Here’s a few tips to generate even better search results so you aren’t poring through countless sources that may or may not be appropriate for a college-level research assignment. If you go to www.Google.com and click on “more” at the very top of the page, you’ll see a list of valuable extensions of Google.

Google Scholar: For those that need peer-reviewed, scholarly sources. This should be quicker than maneuvering through countless library databases.

Google Books: Search inside countless books for useful material. Generally, the search will take you directly to the page you’re looking for. It looks like Google is also working on a partner program so you can physically borrow the book from some provider. Beats having to buy one…

Google Video: If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s a video by a subject matter expert worth? From my experience, I think Google’s video lists are easier to quickly scan than YouTube’s.

Post a comment to let me know what you think. How did the sources work for your research? There's also quite a few other cool features that may not specifically help you with a research paper but may make your life easier (i.e. Google Docs).

Student Assessment Methods

2008-09-22T09:04:00.003-05:00

by Shenita Ray

In my last post for this blog, "Distance Teaching and Learning Conference Offers Benefits to Learners and Educators," I talked about the Distance Teaching and Learning conference in Madison. This year was the second year in a row that I participated in the conference. The first year I attended the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference, I participated in sessions that focused primarily on the administrative aspects of distance education, given that this is my primary role as the Assistant Director. However, at the 2008 conference, I found myself attending more sessions that focused on improving student assessment, learning and engagement in the classroom. I personally believe that there must be a fusion between providing superior student services and creating superior learning environments to ensure the success of distance learning students.

During the student assessment sessions I attended at the conference, I learned that there are many different techniques instructors can employ to evaluate student learning, other than giving multiple choice exams. Individual and group projects, discussion sessions, debates, portfolios, presentations, and papers are other types of assessments that instructors may use of to enhance student learning and success. I learned that it is important for instructors to integrate varying assessment instruments in their class as there are multiple different learning styles and intelligences: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, logical, interpersonal and intrapersonal.

What is your preferred learning style? How would you like your learning to be assessed?

Gain Outweighs the Pain

2008-09-15T09:43:00.003-05:00

by Colleen Armstrong

When I first thought about going back to college for my master’s degree, I was working full time in the Los Angeles area, with a job that required travel. Missing classes due to travel, driving to and from the college, attending classroom lectures, and the various assignments were going to reduce my already minimal free time. I pondered the idea for nearly one year when I found my answer at the PMI Congress—UWP offered an on-line Master of Science in Project Management degree. Even with the elimination of driving to and from the college, I knew there would be sacrifices.

Helpful hits to help reduce the pain:

Time Management—be realistic
1. Postpone extra curricular activities. (I couldn’t do it all!)
2. Review the course outline immediately and schedule time to complete the work.
3. Complete course work early when needed. (e.g. business travel, family commitments, etc.).
4. For group activities, volunteer to be the first person in the group to be the project manager (or lead)—get it over with and set the tone for a successful assignment.
5. Take time before each group assignment to organize how you will communicate (including posting threads) and coordinate the assignment (including the use of version control).
Communication—very powerful
1. Understand that everyone is different. When working in groups, establish ground rules agreed upon by the group (people who like to finish early will be frustrated by those who wait to the last minute).
2. Be careful with email. More than likely you have never met the people in your virtual class, therefore emails could be misunderstood.
3. Be sensitive to others. Understand that there may be emergencies or reasons for a member to miss a deadline. Volunteer to help—you never know when you will need a little help.
Assistance—reach out!
1. Reduce your anxiety by talking to others if you are overwhelmed or concerned. It is amazing how many others have the same concerns.
2. Take advantage of the network. UWP has an amazing network of people to contact, including: instructors, advisors, other students, Student Advisory Board, and Alumni Advisory Board.

Throughout my master’s program I gained more than knowledge and a sense of accomplishment; I gained friends, an extended business network, and a better appreciation of working in a virtual environment. After finishing my degree, several exciting work assignments were available, along with the compensation for my efforts. Yes, the UWP on-line program was worth all of the long hours and juggling of schedules.

Business Professionals Use Facebook, Too!

2008-08-08T16:27:00.001-05:00

By Dan Klein, DLC Staff Writer

It seems as the Distance Education blog has been on a ‘tools’ kick lately, so here’s one more I’m sure you’ve heard of but you may have overlooked…

As a socialite, cultural observer & active member of the online community, I’ve been in tune with the growth of social networking sites. The younger internet crowd uses the connecting of individuals from around the globe in these extremely popular networking sites to share common experiences, photos, ideas, and comments.

Non-youth readers, you’ve probably heard all about this, haven’t you? You’ve done plenty of other net-savvy things like watched streaming video, subscribed to RSS feeds (like this DistEd blog or the DLC Announcements blog!), and frequented sites tailored to your specific interests, am I right? Just because you aren’t part of the youth of society doesn’t mean you’re any less ‘in the loop’ in regards to the internet. Therefore, don’t overlook these social networking opportunities as just child’s play - they are legitimate work tools.

The social networking sites that youth use to hook up, share photos of concerts, or support causes can also power professional networking. Business professionals use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to reach the same ends youth socialites like myself do: Connect with others through similar interests, work connections, common geographic area, or other such criteria in ways not possible before.

The same things professionals for years have done in hotel lobbies at seminars, industry meet & greet sessions, and corporate conference rooms can be done globally through these sites! The benefits: a larger potential audience, it works with your schedule, and there’s no dealing with sweaty palms. Asking industry questions in a bar may not yield a thoughtful response, but asking one on a LinkedIn message board to users with similar experience often proves fruitful.

Staying connected is important now more than ever in the business world and young and old professionals alike. Social networking is one of the methods both can use to get advice, get insider information, and to get ahead in your field.

Turnitin: Cop or Educator?

2008-07-31T15:14:00.001-05:00

By Bob Streff, Instructional Designer/Web Developer

Anti-plagiarism software and services create controversy. There are pros and cons. On the one hand, faculty has been charged with upholding their institution’s academic misconduct policies. In the area of plagiarism, sometimes the line is not clearly drawn. If a student misses on quotation or incorrectly cites, is it plagiarism or just a mistake? As the results of accusing a student of plagiarism are quite serious on both sides, most instructors are cautious, even to the point of overlooking possible cases.

Faculty go to great lengths to develop research and writing assignments which are designed to increase a student’s ability to research topics, evaluate ideas, synthesize that information, and communicate their finding in a clear and scholarly manner. The purpose of giving grades is to evaluate those abilities, not the ability to obtain the end product without actually proceeding though the process.

Enter the services and software. They tout that they will seek the offender out and give the instructor an outside opinion as to the probability of plagiarized work. Now the instructor has a third party to suggest the offence and take the responsibility of being wrong. And it relieves the instructor of the added time involved in checking for plagiarism. There’s a new cop in town and it applies its laws equally for all.

But there is another side to this issue. The paper is the student’s intellectual property. Did the student give permission for a third party to see the paper? Some services keep a copy of the document basically to grow their reference library. Is this a copyright violation? One thing not mentioned usually is that those that do add the paper to their database gives the student proof of copyright by a third party. What determines a “clean” paper? What about reference material not in their database?

It seems like there needs to be a balance. How about this? Have the students use the software/service before they turn in their paper? Now they can see what the “grading criteria” is and have the opportunity to correct it before the final draft is submitted. Now everyone can be happy. The faculty’s worries are minimized and the students learn. And isn’t that what education is really about?

A New Tool for Busy People

2008-07-17T11:46:00.006-05:00

By Charles Christison, Instructional Designer

Are you one of those people always on the run? As you run from one errand or meeting to the next, do you often think you should make a note of something to remember, only to have your thought lost in your busy schedule? I often do. I came across a tool that helps me track my thoughts, called Jott. Jott uses different technologies by merging cell phones, email, and text messaging in a unique and useful way. Jott is currently a free service to which you subscribe online. During your account configuration, you identify your contacts and your cell phone number.

How does Jott work? You call its toll-free number and its automated voice system recognizes your phone, and asks you, "Who do you want to jott?" You respond with a name of someone on your contact list and, at the beep, you leave a message. Jott converts your spoken word into a text message and sends it to the contact that you identified. If your contact is identified with a cell phone number, Jott will send that phone number the text message. If your contact is identified with an email address, then Jott will send that email address the text message along with a link to the audio message.

Jott allows you to remind yourself or others when you're not able to make note on paper. For example: You're in your favorite store and have a thought for your presentation next week.After calling and sending a message to yourself, you will find an email with your memo in your email inbox when you get back to the office. You can also have Jott send reminders to you for upcoming events such as birthdays. You can configure a contact with a group of people. By sending a message to that contact, all people in the group will receive the message.

I'm still discovering all the features Jott offers. For more information, visit Jott's web site. If you decide to use it, please let me know your thoughts.

Alternating Between Peace and Anxiety

2008-06-30T13:55:00.003-05:00

By Dawn Wheeler, student
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Program

After voluntarily signing up for two demanding, writing-intensive summer school classes, I've decided that I must be a little bit crazy. If I'm not there yet, trying to keep up with the workload over these next several weeks may do it. The only excuse I have for putting myself in this situation to begin with is that I've grown impatient.

I've been working toward my bachelor's degree since 1999, when I began taking one or two classes each semester at the local community college. That was where I discovered the convenience of online classes, so making the decision to transfer to the distance education program at UW-Platteville in January, 2005 was easy. The online program offers everything I was looking for -- it's award-winning, accredited, and offers a business administration degree with an emphasis in human resources. Perfect! The hard part is working full-time, finding time for family, friends and other interests, and continuously plugging away at a degree.

I've noticed that I go through phases where I alternate between being at peace with the progress I've made toward obtaining that all too important piece of paper, and being annoyed that I'm not finished yet. The anxiety increases exponentially every time I review my degree plan to determine which classes I'll enroll in next. When I went through that process this past spring, I realized I could conceivably finish my degree in two years, if (in addition to the usual spring and fall semester classes) I double-up on summer school classes and take two print courses during semester breaks. Crazy, right? Honestly, it didn't seem like such a bad idea at the time.

Thankfully, I realize the frustration I'm feeling now will pass. I will be grateful to be six credits closer to my goal when I turn in my final assignments in August, and the agony of this semester will be a distant memory when I order the print classes and register for two summer school classes again next year. I also realize I'm among good company and that many of you are sharing this experience as you juggle work, school, and life, too. Good luck to all of you. Perhaps we can get a bulk order discount on straitjackets.

Information Made Easy

2008-06-23T09:36:00.004-05:00

By Travis Courtney, Student Services Coordinator

Not as familiar with our web site as you would like to be? Are you away from your home computer and your convenient list of bookmarks? Tired of scrolling through the results listing of the typical site search function? No problem! Let the Distance Learning Center’s "Virtual Advisor" do the work for you! Simply ask a question in your own words and gain immediate access to the information you're looking for within seconds, all without having to navigate through pages of web content. Each user has the ability to ask their own questions, pick from a list of questions related those just asked, browse a list of pre-populated topic areas and provide feedback regarding how useful the answer was that they received.

Although the tool has quickly become a popular alternative allowing our students to receive prompt and accurate feedback, it is not a replacement for -- but a supplement to -- contacting our Student Services Team. We still strongly encourages all students to contact us by phone; however, we are excited that this resource has allowed our web visitors to find what they’re looking for more quickly and effectively. Try it out today here.

Please send comments and feedback to Travis Courtney in the Distance Learning Center at courtnet@uwplatt.edu.

Is there an Entrepreneurial Dimension to Successfully Managing Projects?

2008-06-16T11:20:00.002-05:00

By: CJ Walker Waite, PhD (May 2006), PMP

Project Managers are increasingly expected to be more than “Implementation Specialists”. There is an expectation that they will have the aptitude to apply consulting and entrepreneurial skills by identifying opportunities, leading requirements definition, and managing stakeholder expectations to ensure project success. Davidson Frame (author of the New Project Management) defines these new responsibilities as the “New Project Management,” where the consulting aspect of project management revolves into more of an entrepreneurship realm. Project Managers are now expected to have refined people management and communications skills, be keen problem solvers, and be capable of sophisticated risk management. This is particularly true in an international setting, requiring both an awareness and ability to effectively manage the nuances of cultural norms, which is critical for communications and managing project teams. In addition, the Project Manager of an international project is faced with unique challenges and risks, and therefore creativity and an Entrepreneur mindset can be very effective in overcoming barriers.

Although Entrepreneurs are also expected to have excellent communication, problem solving and risk management skills, a key distinction is in the way Project Managers and Entrepreneurs interact with “the team.” Unlike Entrepreneurs, who are not touted for their team management skills (as a rule), Project Managers need to have an ability to foster “team perseverance,” and be able to function effectively within the corporate bounds as both excellent team players and motivators. The Project Manager cultivates and develops the team, whereas an Entrepreneur only sees the team as a means to a specific end and does not perceive any long reaching development of personnel. Within an international project context, the Project Manager is often the cornerstone of ensuring corporate objectives are understood and adhered to across the globe. Using creativity with a blend of project management discipline, the Project Manager can improve communications, build virtual teams, and create high performing teams by recognizing the advantages of cultural differences and seeking creative ways of achieving results.

A few of the attributes of an Entrepreneur are identified above, but let’s consider a more comprehensive collection of attributes, as defined by John Kao in his book The Entrepreneur, to determine how his 11 common characteristics relate to the Project Manager:

Total commitment, determination, and perseverance
Drive to achieve and grow
Opportunity and goal orientation
Taking initiative and personal responsibility
Persistent problem solving
Realism and a sense of humor
Seeking and using feedback
Internal locus of control
Calculated risk taking and risk seeking
Low need for status and power
Integrity and reliability

These characteristics are desirable for any colleague, regardless of whether they are also Project Managers. The question is how these traits might be applied within a project management setting, as compared to an entrepreneurial setting.

The First Distinction is recognizing what is different between the disciplines of Project Management and Entrepreneurship. Project Management is a methodology and process from the initiation of an idea to implementation. In fact, within an international project setting, the basic concepts of project management are universally recognized and therefore project management can serve as the common language for the team. On the other hand, Entrepreneurism is the way in which an individual interacts with their world, their willingness to take risks, initiate something new, go it alone, take full responsibility for the outcome, including design of the work, not being tied to rules, processes, or even methods. Consider then a pardox:

If the nature of an Entrepreneur is not to be tied to rules, processes and methods, then how can project management as a methodology be of value to an Entrepreneur? Conversely, how does a Project Manager whose basis of success is measured by the ability to follow rules and attain the triple constraint adapt an entrepreneurial state of mind?

This leads us to the Second Distinction, understanding the nature of an Entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are often described as dreamers and idealists who possess a high degree of optimism, which carries them through when 85% of the time their ideas fall short of their vision. Their perseverance and hard-driving nature are driven by a self-imposed necessity to succeed, and their commitment to their objective is paramount because they will not spend time on anything to which they are not 100% committed. Entrepreneurs prefer to rely almost exclusively upon their own initiative, and their greatest satisfaction is gained from independence and autonomy over any measure of security that might be offered through a corporate structure (these are eagles - they don't flock together…. rather than geese, who have an instinct for flying in prescribed patterns). However, where entrepreneur’s cross over into the realm of project management is in the execution of their ideas. An entrepreneur needs to be more than a tenacious idea generator, they also need to have a keen sense of how to implement their ideas, and be outstanding negotiators and politicians.

Therefore, it is during Implementation where the Entrepreneur can benefit from the knowledge and skill of the Project Manager. Traditionally, Project Managers have been expected to be control and tool experts, mastering the areas of scheduling, budgeting, allocation of resources – essentially adhering to the triple constraint. However, because the Project Manager generally has an executive advocate known as the Project Sponsor, they are not alone in bringing the project to fruition. They are also not expected to create new opportunities, ideas or generate new projects, but rather are considered the arms and legs of the Project Sponsor, who is responsible for this function. The lack of power and responsibility afforded the Project Manager, in juxtaposition with complete accountability, has been one of the greatest obstacles for Project Managers in their implementation role. However, it is because of this lack of overall control that a Project Manager must rely on the skills of an Entrepreneur in terms of being an outstanding negotiator and politician. This is particularly true in an international setting where there is greater likelihood of having multiple Project Sponsors with varying agendas.

The Third Distinction, understanding the nature of the Project Manager. Project Managers are often described as pragmatic implementers who readily adhere to a process, framework and who have the tenacity to reduce uncertainty and increase the likelihood of a successful project outcome. The Project Manager functions within a prescribed methodology, and strives to control all outcomes by keeping precise records and control of every detail of the process in order to reach the outcomes, which are defined by someone else. The Project Manager is committed to the project outcome, and therefore their focus and reason for existing is to meet the Project Sponsor’s expectations. However, where the Project Manager crosses over into the realm of the Entrepreneur is when they are expected to go beyond an implementation focus to incorporate all aspects of project idea generation, implementation and follow-on opportunities. As such, the Project Manager becomes critical in project definition, managing client expectations, controlling project execution, and then defining additional opportunities when their project concludes.

It is the drive, tenacity, and “can do” spirit, as well as the opportunistic nature of the Entrepreneur that is of value to the Project Manager, but which needs to be adapted to fit into the realm of project management. This is prevalent in the way in which the Entrepreneur considers the “sense of self” as compared to that of the Project Manager. Whereas Entrepreneurs tend to be exceedingly competitive and self-oriented/focused, if a Project Manager becomes overly competitive and self-oriented they will not attain the requisite buy-in and support from the organization (including the project sponsor) that is required for project success. Within an international project setting this can become quite a challenge because by its nature, virtual teams need to have a sense of independence and proactiveness, yet taken to an extreme the project could divide into multiple facets. Virtual project team members and the Project Manager do well developing an Entrepreneurs “sense of self” and belief that they can make anything a reality, given the semi-autonomous nature of being in a virtual team. However, this “sense of self” can also be an important contributing factor to the perception of “failure.” Entrepreneurs see failure as a learning tool, and thus expect to encounter failure (actually more frequently then success, thus they play the odds). On the other hand, Project Managers (and the virtual project team) are not in a “trial and error” environment, but rather have been given an opportunity to implement something to which the corporation has committed time and resources and confident that it should succeed. Therefore, Project Managers are held accountable for absolute triple constraint attainment, and failure to attain this is considered negatively within the organization, and certainly an indication of an individual’s poor project management skills and abilities.

To understand the paradox, it is necessary to recognize the balance and value of the attributes of both the Entrepreneur and the Project Manager for corporate success. Therefore, corporations must define and recognize what they specifically want to promote when they encourage their Project Managers to behave more like Entrepreneurs, because in its purest form, a true Entrepreneur would not be a good Project Manager. However, the nature of most corporations is to follow a pendulum game that is prevalent throughout business – if things are not going according to plan, then it must be time to change, and that change is generally the opposite, rather than a modified version of their current state. It is because change is perceived as progression that logically a more dramatic change equates to more progress. This, however, is very detrimental to the overall goals of a corporation: to increase market share, develop economic viability, and create a sustainable environment. This focus on balance between Entrepreneur and Project Manager attributes is emerging in corporations through Strategic Project Management and Project Portfolio Management, which by definition recognize the strategic and tactical requirements for successful business operations, including the implementation of projects.

A good model for defining this balance between culture and infrastructure can be realized in the Eight Basic Principles defined by T. Peters and R. Waterman in their book, In Search of Excellence.

1. A bias for action: a preference for doing something – rather than sending a question through cycles of analysis.
2. Staying close to the customer.
3. Autonomy and entrepreneurship – breaking the corporation into small units and encouraging people to think independently and competitively.
4. Productivity through people – an awareness of best efforts.
5. Hands-on, value-driven, insisting those executives keep in touch with the firm’s essential business.
6. Stick to the knitting – doing what the company does best.
7. Simple form, lean staff – few people in administration or at the upper levels.
8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties – fostering a climate where there is dedication to the central values of the company combined with tolerance for all employees who accept those values.

So what is the answer to the Paradox? Balance. As such, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That is the heart of the pendulum game; you always come back to center – or you will always eventually find that balance, at least for the interim.

Lists Are the Way to Go!

2008-05-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

By Amy Nemmetz, Coordinator, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Program

Call me crazy, but I truly believe the art of being successful in the classroom, professionally, and at home starts with a task list! You may be thinking, "What is she talking about?!?" Well, let me explain. There is no doubt about it that we are living in a busy society! Whether you're a stay-at-home parent, an online student, or a stockbroker on Wall Street, you have tasks to complete each day, and there is no doubt about it, you will experience multiple interruptions while trying to complete your work! Making a solid task list each day not only has kept me on track during my adult years, but also certainly has minimized my level of procrastination. Additionally, my task list seems to solve the big problem of, "Now, what was I working on prior to getting interrupted?" As a side note, there is nothing more refreshing than literally crossing off "items on the list" as you complete them!

As noted by professional trainer/coach/consultant, David Allen (2008), keeping lists is not only putting your mind to good use, but the list helps rank tasks too as you can visually decipher "what has to happen today and what could possibly slide to tomorrow."

Below is my list for today; you will see that my tasks include professional and personal items to ensure that I'm organized at work, in the classroom, AND at home! I should also note that my list always includes a couple very easy tasks, because I love to cross off items quickly!

Monday, 5-19-08:

• Proof blog article
• Submit blog article
• 9am Teleconference/Training
• Write advising summary for Tammy
• E-mail Tammy the final summary
• Reschedule Wednesday meeting w/Bob & Gary
• Check e-mails
• Start advising e-mails
• Read assigned chapters for online class
• Contact Cheryl regarding Tuesday morning
• Confirm receipt of court subpoena to DA's Office
• Call courthouse to get Judge Albert’'s court room #
• Call Real Estate Agent
• Amelia's 2 year dr. appt (11:15)
• Make cookies for Amelia’s birthday treat

I realize that this blog topic and content is fairly simplistic in nature, but many people have asked me over the years, how I successfully balanced working full time, a family, and going to school and my response continues to be the same: "I make lists every day." I should also note, that I always use the pen & paper lists to ensure that I can take my list with me, but others have had success with computerized lists. If you have never been a list maker, I encourage you to try it for a couple days and then decide if this is a helpful tool for you!

Reference:
Allen, D. (2008). Mental ecology: the art of list making. [Electronic Version]. Retrieved on 5-19-08 from huffingtonpost.com.

Get Involved: The Benefits of Professional Associations

2008-05-19T14:40:00.002-05:00

With family, work, and classes on your plate, you’re probably thinking that there’s no way you could join a professional association. As a working professional who is pursuing your degree, there’s no way that you shouldn’t join. Many professional associations offer benefits that go well beyond just providing networking opportunities. Here are two of the lesser known benefits that many associations offer:

1. Newsletters and whitepapers: These pieces are often excellent “brain food” for future homework assignments. Generally they tackle current issues in your field so you could use them to generate a thesis or a project, cite them as a reference (be careful if your instructor requires peer-reviewed sources only), or just stay current with issues in the industry.
2. Scholarships: Many associations offer scholarships for some of their members. Most of them fall in the $500-$1000 range but there are a few that offer sizeable opportunities. If your annual membership fee is $50 or less, that’s a pretty good return on investment for membership.

Even if you’re not looking to get deeply involved and build a strong network, you can benefit from these groups and the resources they provide. Below are a few of the larger professional associations that align with our distance learning programs.

Project Management Institute

Wisconsin Chapters: Northeast WI, Madison, Southeast WI, La Crosse

National Society of Professional Engineers

Wisconsin Chapter: WI Society of Professional Engineers

Society for Human Resource Management

Wisconsin Chapter: WI Society for Human Resource Management

Fraternal Order of Police

Find a System that Works for You

2008-05-05T10:58:00.001-05:00

By Melissa Gavin, student
Master of Science in Project Management Program

After graduating as an undergrad, I entered the "real world." I was somewhat disappointed in the opportunities that I had as they were not truly what I wanted. After two years, I realized there was not potential for advancement, so I decided to research graduate school. The task was daunting. I talked to many people about their thoughts on grad school and decided upon either an MBA or MSPM. The outcome of my decision was the MSPM at UW-Platteville, mainly because it is a distance education degree, but for other reasons as well.

Although distance education was an important factor, I had very little experience working in a virtual environment. The virtual environment differs greatly from the standard brick-and-mortar classrooms and takes a lot of adjusting. I remember my first week of school clearly. I made the prediction to my family that I was not going to complete my program due to stress. The online factor was only part of the reason this statement occurred. On top of this, I had just moved, recently had a child, and started working part-time.

I didn’t let the stress get to me. That evening I sat down and devised a plan, which has led to my continued success in the program. The first step of my plan was combining all of my due dates for the entire semester in date order, rather than by course. I broke them down by month and included all days. This helped me see how much time I had between assignments, but also where there were conflicts. I also added any personal items that could not be moved, such as vacations, weddings, and doctor appointments. This list keeps me organized throughout the entire semester and motivated to keep working.

Another thing that aided my success was learning to tackle one thing at a time. For instance, I would work through one course’s assignments in a day. This kept me organized and on topic. Subjects were less likely to get mixed up.

Having a family takes a lot of time, which is realized even more when you are a full-time student and stay-at-home mom. To tackle the family element, I would set aside time just for school. Instead of cleaning while my child was napping, I would read a textbook. Cleaning can be done anytime and by anybody. I also take one Saturday each month to go to the library or coffee shop and work distraction-free (i.e., no family and no cell phone). Studying for 8 hours can put a huge dent in the amount of work that you have to do any given week.

I also learned to balance my school and personal lives. Learning to say "Not today, but maybe tomorrow" to family and friends is an important discipline to follow. My friends and family have accepted that I need to study. They know that I’m not giving up on them, but will give them attention as soon as I have time. A few friends and I have come up with interesting ways to keep our socialization alive. For instance, if I'm studying at the coffee shop, my friends will visit for a quick cup of coffee and then leave. Not only does this let me have the social element, but also a refreshing break from studying.

By not giving up and continuing the challenge, I was able to succeed a lot better than I originally thought. My original goal was to complete my master’s degree; my new goal is to complete my degree with a 4.0 grade point average. It seemed daunting the first week of class, but after reorganization and priority setting, my goal should be accomplished this May. Any person can have a social life, work life, and family, while still completing the distance education program successfully. All you have to do is find a system that works for you.

RefWorks: An Online Research Management, Writing, and Collaboration Tool

2008-05-05T09:16:00.003-05:00

By Robert Streff, instructional designer/web developer
UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center

Students, classes, and written papers go hand-in-hand. I must have written at least a dozen papers that had to be in APA format and properly cited. I must confess, without dating myself, that the earlier works were done on a typewriter when correction fluid only came in a bottle. I remember literally sweating over getting the citations right without using the whole bottle, because once the paper was out of the typewriter, it was really a feat to re-insert and get the lines to match up. I know that the content of those papers suffered as a result.

Fast forward to the present. My thesis was done electronically. I was better at using the APA style guide, but I still had to deal with the citations, quotations, references, and bibliographies. There were some programs out that were designed for that, but they were too expensive for my budget. I muddled through, spending precious time on the style again.

At UW-Platteville, the entire campus population has access to RefWorks. This is a tool that can greatly reduce the anxiety of writing a paper in any style. You can even use the same references in papers based on different style manuals (and, being web-based, it works on all platforms).

Most, if not all of the databases offered through the UW-Platteville Karrmann Library are able to export all the information needed for proper citation into RefWorks. Refworks also allows the user to put in notes on the reference. If you have access to the full text article, you can copy and paste passages and insert your thoughts for later recall; otherwise, you will have to type in the material and your notes. It can also correctly cite personal communications, websites, and video, audio, and print-based media. In total, it will cite 30 different reference types.

RefWorks has a companion called Write-N-Cite, which will create inline citations in a MS Word document (it works on Macs and PCs, sorry Linux users). It will work with MS Word 2007. It will also import the references and the bibliography for you. However, this package is not going to do all the work for you. The type of reference being cited is not always automatically determined (print-based references are one example). Also, when imported into MS Word, Word automatically changes all but the first letter in a sentence to lowercase. Spelling, typeface, and other aspects of a document related to a style manual must be checked manually.

The real expert on RefWorks is Kay Young at the Karrmann Library. Her contact information is:

Kay Young
Senior Instructional Specialist
Reference Services
Elton S. Karrmann Library
Room 217
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Phone: (608) 342-1134

If you are located off-campus, you must go through the proxy server to access many of the library's resources. See http://www.uwplatt.edu/library/database/offcampus.html for details. To download Write-N-Cite or view the tutorials from the RefWorks website go to http://www.refworks.com. To use RefWorks, go to http://ezproxy.uwplatt.edu/login?url=http://www.refworks.com/Refworks/.

In short, don't throw away the style manuals, but consider using these online tools that could allow you to spend more time on your content and still produce a manuscript that showcases your skills.

Minimizing System Revictimization is Crucial for Victims of Crimes

2008-04-21T15:56:00.000-05:00

By Amy Nemmetz, Coordinator, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Program

Despite your spell checker not recognizing revictimization as an official word, it is an important concept. Although this may be a hard situation to consider, please read the following fictitious scenario:

You're walking in your neighborhood when you see a little girl crying. You approach the little girl and learn that the little girl’s name is Sasha and she is 7-years old. Sasha immediately asks if you can help her. Before you can answer, Sasha pushes aside several tears and proceeds to tell you that she was just sexually assaulted by a friend of the family.

Although, you may initially be thinking, "Why is this girl telling a complete stranger about this horrific incident?" hopefully you're also thinking WHAT should/can you do to get this little girl the help she needs? Your next step would entail a phone call to the police.

Here are some questions that may not come to mind after reading the scenario:

How many times will Sasha be asked to share the details of the event?
How many different people will question/interview Sasha about the sexual assault?
Will Sasha’s caretaker(s) believe her?
Will Sasha feel guilty, embarrassed, or ashamed about the incident?
Will Sasha be able to see a mental health professional in a timely fashion to work through any flashbacks, nightmares, or other trauma she may experience as a result of this incident?
Will Sasha be forced to sit across from the defendant to provide testimony?

In the criminal justice system, there are steps we can take to make the "process" more comfortable for Sasha to reduce "secondary" system revictimization. More specifically, it would be in Sasha’s best interest if the criminal justice professionals:

Limit the number of times Sara is interviewed.
Utilize a multi-disciplinary team approach (get the appropriate criminal justice professionals together from the beginning of the investigation to offer input).
Enlist the help of a Child Advocacy Center.

If we pick up on Sasha's scenario above, the following steps would reduce system revictimization:

Conduct a detailed interview at a Child Advocacy Center. These centers allow a multi-disciplinary team (i.e. the District Attorney, Victim Witness worker, Human Service Social Workers, Detectives) to gather to discuss the case and proceed with a video-taped interview.
Have ONE interviewer meet with Sasha to conduct the interview while other multi-disciplinary team members watch from an observation room (Child Advocacy Centers are typically set up to accommodate this).
Use a non-leading child friendly interview protocol such as the forensic Cognitive Graphic Interview or Stepwise (several protocols have been supported by research).
Use an interviewer who has been TRAINED to conduct a research-based interview protocol.
In compliance with state statute, use the video tape at the preliminary hearing in lieu of having Sasha appear to provide face-to-face testimony.

The PM Hut: Info for Project Managers

2008-04-21T09:26:00.004-05:00

Looking for project management articles? I recently found a website that is loaded with information about all sorts of project management topics. It covers everything from quality management to soft skills. Best of all, everything is categorized so you can quickly find what you're looking for.

The Project Management Hut

12 Free Online Tools to Help You Study

2008-04-17T09:13:00.004-05:00

Contributed by Heather Johnson

Thanks to the Internet, both distance and traditional students have access to free learning tools. There are new Web 2.0 resources being developed every day that are geared toward students. However, separating the good from the bad can be overwhelming. Below are 12 sites that will not only aid your learning and research, they are absolutely free to use.

1.College-Cram – This site serves as both a learning aid and a social networking community. Here, students can connect and join study groups, as well as share information about specific courses and instructors.
2.SparkNotes – Why pay for CliffsNotes when you can have instant, free access to similar study guides on this site? This is a great way to beef up for a class discussion on popular texts, as well as cram for a major test.
3.AnswerU – Similar to College-Cram, this is an online community for students to connect and share information with one another.
4.Google Book Search – Although still in a beta stage, Google Book Search offers free online access to thousands of books. If you are conducting research and need to cite some classic literature, check Google Book Search before you pay for a similar service (or lug yourself to an actual library).
5.MIT OpenCourseWare – Here, the world-renowned MIT offers free learning materials. This site includes lecture notes, syllabi, tutorials, audio and video from MIT professors.
6.SuTree – This is a fun tutorial site that aims to let you "learn how to do anything." Featuring thousands of video tutorials, you just might find something useful for school on this site. At the very least, you will have a lot of fun looking around.
7.Wikipedia – The "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" has raised some controversy amongst educators. While it is true that information found on Wikipedia should never be taken as hard fact, the site can be a great place to start your research.
8.CiteULike – This is a unique site that allows people to save and store their favorite academic papers online. CiteULike even extracts the citation details immediately, helping the site to become organized for every researcher.
9.wikiHow – Wikipedia is the encyclopedia that anyone can edit, while wikiHow is the how-to manual that anyone can edit. This site can be extremely useful for all people, not just students.
10.Instacalc – Doing a little math homework? Instacalc offers a free, online calculator than can do anything. It even charts graphs for you! The ability to use a feature-rich calculator from any computer is a handy thing indeed.
11.Clipmarks – This is a social bookmarking tool with a twist. Like using scissors on a computer screen, you can now grab anything interesting from a Web page and save it for sharing on this site. No longer do you need to bookmark a whole page or article – you can actually excerpt just a specific portion of a page.
12.Notefish – Still in a beta phase, Notefish aims to make your Internet research much easier. It allows you to put all your research onto one page… you can even annotate and customize your notes.

Heather Johnson is a freelance writer as well as a regular feature contributor for Distance Degrees.com, a website which helps students in getting distance learning degrees. Heather invites your writing job inquiries as well as comments and questions at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

How to Find Textbooks and Save Money

2008-04-14T08:49:00.003-05:00

As you all have experienced first-hand, textbooks are starting to get expensive. I'm sure many of you have already encountered your first (or unfortunately your second, third, etc.) $120 textbook. Luckily, there are quite a few resources out there to help you get around this problem.

I recently came across an article by Jamie Littlefield on About.com that provides a list of possible places to acquire your textbooks for a lower cost or perhaps even for free. I encourage you to at least check out some of the sites that are listed to see if any of these will fit your needs.

Of course, here's a disclaimer: I'm providing these resources in good faith as an opportunity to help you. Neither UW-Platteville nor I are endorsing these sites. Please use the resources listed in the linked article at your own risk. We assume no liability.

Find Your Textbooks for Cheap or Free

Hitting the Books When You Hit the Road

2008-03-31T14:19:00.007-05:00

Let's face it. Regular to frequent travel is often a requirement for many of our jobs. This, of course, becomes an even larger inconvenience when you throw your distance learning responsibilities into the mix. What can you do to maximize your time so that you're able to effectively manage your work, family, and school responsibilities?

Distance Learning Today's March 21, 2008 issue has an excellent article for distance learners who travel frequently. From locating Wi-Fi spots to carrying a laptop first aid kit, the article serves as a good checklist for maximizing your layovers and being prepared for unfortunate eventualities. The full article is below:

Sull, E.C. (2008). Hitting the books when you hit the road. Distance Learning Today, 2,5.

Using Whiteboards to Collaborate

2008-03-27T15:04:00.001-05:00

By Charles Christison, Instructional Designer

Your class has group projects and your group members are scattered around the globe. How do you bring everyone together and collaborate on the projects? Consider using one of the many free collaboration tools available on the World Wide Web. For now, let’s look at an online whiteboard that support collaboration.

These online tools let your group share a whiteboard space for brainstorming and for concept mapping. These sites allow for all to draw and annotate the board. One free online whiteboard is Twiddla. It has just been awarded the SXSW Interactive Annual Web Award for Technical Achievement. Besides the shared whiteboard feature, it has built-in chat and audio tools. This site is free, but you do need to register to have access. To invite people, you can choose to type their email in the invitation box or simply share the whiteboard location (i.e., URL).

Other collaborative whiteboards include Scriblink and Skrbl. All of these are free and have audio conferencing capabilities.

If you know of other collaborative tools that are worth passing on to others, please contact us.

Confessions of a White Collar Worker

2008-03-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

By Lisa Cousins, alumna
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Class of 2001

I remember when I first started thinking about earning a degree from a distance education program. I was enrolled in the on-campus Justice Studies graduate program at my local university. My Justice Theory class was small (about 15 students), and we met on Tuesday nights. There was a research paper due at the end of the semester, but a few weeks into the class, the instructor had requested that we turn in our draft outlines the following week. I approached her after class and explained that I was going to be absent the following week because I would be in Israel on a business trip. I asked if I could turn the outline in the following week. Seeing her displeasure, I offered to work on it on the airplane and fax it to her when I arrived in Israel. She liked that idea better. The Holiday Inn in Tel Aviv charged me the equivalent of 18 U.S. dollars to fax my draft outline to my instructor on the day it was due.

I figured there had to be a better way to achieve my goal. I eventually Google'd my way to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Distance education was a perfect fit for me. I had a fairly demanding Monday through Friday job. At UW-Platteville, I was able to do almost all of my schoolwork on the weekends. The coursework itself was very similar to the coursework at my local university—a lot of reading and writing. The work itself was not easier or harder than the traditional master’s program; it’s just that getting it done was easier because I could do it at my convenience, when I more rested and focused.

The secret to being a successful distance education student is to find a rhythm. Because there is usually no set schedule, it is tempting to procrastinate. It works best if you try to set aside time to do your homework. It does not work well when you just try to fit it in here and there, when you have nothing else to do. Inevitably, you will run out of time and end up feeling rushed and pressured. If you can, schedule your school work at a regular day and time each week.

Distance education is great. It opens up opportunities for people who may not be able to commit to a strict schedule of years of college classes at a specific geographic location. For me, I know I would have finished my degree at the local university. But transferring to UWP made my graduate school experience a lot more convenient and a lot less frustrating. If you think it might work for you too, I would encourage you to give it a try. Take a class and see how you like it.

Student Applies Class Project to Help the Community

2008-03-06T16:31:00.004-06:00

By Scott Skelly

All too often people think of project management as big companies, multimillion dollar projects, and a team full of professionals working non-stop to complete a project. Kim Chapman, a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin proved that project management does not always take place in the corporate environment.

Chapman completed her Master of Science in Project Management last fall through UW-Platteville. When it came time to lead a project, she realized she did not want to complete her project as a part of a company. Instead, she wanted to touch lives. She wanted to give some people dinner.

Chapman had an idea in her head and started researching resources. A local non-profit called Cluster to Neighborhood Organization liked her idea and agreed to help. Her plan was to provide a free Thanksgiving dinner for a poorer neighborhood in Milwaukee. But she wanted to do more than just give the people food and a piece of clothing to go home with. Through her work, those who attended received that and much more.

Chapman knew that many of these residents have a number of problems with local government, landlords, and social services. Many times if these people call city numbers with questions about city and social services, they may be on the phone for hours and not get an answer. So, she decided that to help both groups she would put everyone in the same room to help them connect with needed resources. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, she organized a unique event to serve her community.

A wide variety of city and non-profit groups attended the event held in the basement of a local church. Agencies such as the Adult Literacy Center, the Department of Health and Family Services, Department of Corrections, agencies that process food stamps, and Medicare representatives were some of the groups represented. The Milwaukee Health Department gave out health kits and special coupons to families. Neighborhood service organizations also talked to attendees about things such as rental issues to help residents solve landlord problems rather than the resident simply stopping payment and end up being evicted. Specialists shared information about creating more energy efficient solutions in a home which is important for people on a tight budget. County supervisors also attended and talked with people attending the event, and some helped serve meals. One supervisor commented that this was the largest event that person had ever attended of this type. “It put the individuals face to face,” Chapman said. For once, they were able to get their questions answered. She said that city caseworkers have a very high turnover rate so it can be hard for people to get answers. Caseworkers were at the event to help answer residents’ questions.

Chapman was very pleased with the turnout of 273 people coming during the four hour event. Based on past Cluster to Neighborhood events, Chapman had originally thought that only about 50 people would attend. But donations had allowed her to prepare ahead and she still had left over food to donate to Sojourner’s Truth House, a local women’s shelter. “This place was packed with families who sat down together and had a dinner,” she said. After the dinner, families had the opportunity to take home household items and a variety of clothing items. The event did not cost Chapman or Cluster to Neighborhood anything besides a few fliers Chapman printed because everything else was donated.

“My perspective of project management was much different than I thought it would be,” she recalled after the event. She found something that she cared about and made it successful. “When you see project management, do not assume it will be hard.” She used her social service experience to help others through her project. “It felt good when they said thank you because they felt like their voices were heard.”

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Online Students

2008-02-29T10:47:00.004-06:00

Okay, I know that we’re way past January 1 and many of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions. Fortunately, it’s never too late to apply some strategies to make it easier to find that ever-elusive work-school-life balance. As a distance learning student, you not only have to juggle work and life responsibilities, you have chosen to add academic responsibilities to your plate. Here are a few ways to help take on that additional responsibility and keep your sanity.

As a former distance learning student myself, I wish I would have applied a few of these ideas earlier in my program to take some of the pressure off. Here’s a few of the top 10:

1. Make a study spot. This allows you to minimize distractions and jump into your “work” more quickly.
2. Get creative to get your degree faster.
3. Build your network of contacts with classmates and instructors.
4. Leverage technology to make your life easier.
5. Stop procrastinating; it’s public enemy #1 for distance learners.

The full article can be viewed at distancelearn.about.com.

One Project Management Graduate's Success Story

2007-12-17T16:59:00.000-06:00

By Kevin Straka, Merchandising Analyst at The Guild, Inc.

Throughout my career in product development and design, I was many times faced with the fact that there were process deficiencies, resulting in many deadlines not met and certainly not within budget restrictions. I am one who thrives on change and the always-alluring "better way."

While working on my MBA program, this desire to bring a more a fluid process to my professional career, prompted the search for knowledge I could apply to bring about efficiencies I could see, but could not truly figure out how to obtain. I turned to a friend who works in Information Technology. This friend is a Project Manager, but has never had formal training. During our casual discussion, that internal light bulb popped on. As she explained what her responsibilities were, I realized what she was charged to do was very similar to what I was seeking knowledge for.

Project Management isn't new in the fields of Engineering, Architecture, or Information Technology, but it is in business fields. And, the need is ever present.

I decided to research graduate programs offering a specialization in project management. As I searched, I found the program at UW Platteville. Oddly enough, UW Platteville is my undergraduate alma mater.

What appealed to me most was the fact that the program was all online. My entire MBA program was based in a traditional classroom setting. Being a lover of change and new challenges, I was drawn to the online opportunity. And, as I researched programs and searched for professional recommendations, UW Platteville’s program continuously came highly recommended.

After completing the program, I could not agree more. I was offered the opportunity to learn with other students, some abroad. I had teammates in Italy and Yemen, proving global learning is possible and preferred on my part. I feared being placed on teams for every class and worried about limitations of time and location, but those fears were quickly diminished. I guess a great equalizer is that students who enter this program share these same worries or fears and are truly dedicated to their education so they make sure it works. And, sharing different team roles for each project allows team members the opportunity to lead projects or be the individual who ensures work is completed within plan.

I recently finished my final project. I am excited about the fact that I was able to introduce project management in a direct merchant catalogue/website setting and garner such enthusiasm and excitement around efficient process initiation, integration and reporting. Company executives see the value of project management tools and processes and look forward to great achievements with these tools and processes in the future. I truly feel that I have now found the right path to efficiency that I could see but could not quite reach.

Prescription Precautions

2007-12-04T14:03:00.000-06:00

By Amy Nemmetz, Online Undergraduate Program Coordinator
UW-Platteville Criminal Justice Department

What is that line that my mom used to throw my way? Oh yes, here's what it was: "Amy, you never cease to amaze me!" It's not that I was a horrible child, but occasionally, we all did something that our caretaker(s) failed to find "acceptable," right? As a matter of fact, "Making Poor Choices" could be a chapter in every child development textbook!

Now let me put a little criminal justice twist on the line, "You never cease to amaze me." Because many offenders plan their crimes, it should come to no surprise that we often find ourselves thinking, "They never cease to amaze me." Unfortunately in the criminal justice system, the word amaze commonly becomes synonymous with words like disgust, disappoint, scare, and other negatively applied words.

Where am I going with this? Well, I had a client on my bail monitoring supervision case load last year who attempted to break into homes in broad daylight in a prominent neighborhood to obtain prescription pain pills. What's even more disturbing is the client was a physical therapist at a respected health club. This last year, I also remember watching a news clip warning the public about opening the door to strangers. Apparently a young female had been ringing strangers' doorbells under false pretenses and once inside the residence, she asked to use the restroom. If/when the female accessed the restroom, she then combed through the cupboards and cabinets for prescription pills. You may be wondering if these two cases were isolated incidents of pure craziness in the Madison area. Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, those addicted to prescription painkillers take drastic measures just like any other addict. As a matter of fact, in one of Frank Schmalleger's criminology textbooks, he included an article about prescription crime and actually mentioned a case from Madison, Wisconsin.

Schmalleger noted that a man dressed as a police officer, conducting a fictitious narcotics investigation, attempted to steal painkillers from a local woman's medicine cabinet. Thankfully, the man was apprehended, convicted, and placed on supervision. Just as with any other "group of offenders," these offenders keep topping the creativity scale--from posing as potential home buyers to steal prescriptions out of sellers' homes to burglarizing pharmacies. The possibilities are endless!

Perhaps the bigger problem may be what do we do about the offenders who are also out to make a quick buck before the next big score? Unfortunately, they could be selling these pills to vulnerable teens and young adults.

Although, we would like to think that we would never be the target of a prescription thief, it never hurts to be cautious of those entering our homes nor does it hurt to spread the word about these creative offenders.

Light at the End the Tunnel

2007-11-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

By Jen Taborski, student in the Master's of Criminal Justice Program

Only three weeks until the semester is over. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! (Well, until January, that is.) Bring on that last semester! Graduation here I come. YAY! But, I am getting ahead of myself, because within these next three weeks, I must write a 15-page paper, complete 9 research labs, and take a final exam. If that wasn't enough, I am still expected to show up at work for 40 hours a week and then come home to tend to my children, husband, and house.

Life gets extremely crazy and stressful at times. Sleep is a precious commodity these days; however, I would not have it any other way. Earning my master's degree is important to me. UW-Platteville has allowed me to work toward my degree at my own pace instead of needing to worry about getting to class on time on pre-determined days of the week. The online Criminal Justice Program allows me to complete my course work on my schedule, as well as meet my other obligations in everyday life. The flexibility that the program offers was a great selling point for me -- not to mention that I was already a UWP alumni, having earned my undergraduate degree there. My experience has been very positive. The professors have been first class all the way, and the coursework has been relevant toward my current profession as a probation officer.

What Is Collaborative Learning?

2007-10-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

By Tony Munos, Instructor

According to Thirteen.org, collaborative learning is “a method of teaching and learning in which student’s team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful project.” Another source states that cooperative or collaborative learning is “a team process where members support and rely on each other to achieve an agreed-upon goal.”

We use a form of collaborative learning in our Master’s of Science in Project Management Program (MSPM) at UW-Platteville. As the class begins to form, groups or teams are designated to begin working on an icebreaker assignment. The icebreaker assignment serves two purposes. One is to introduce students to one another. They begin by exchanging information about themselves as well as their experiences in project management. The second is to work collaboratively as they prepare their team assignment. Another task they complete is to establish specific roles that each member will perform for the remaining class assignments. Each member then rotates between specific roles for each of the remaining group assignment.

At another school at which I teach, an entirely different form of collaborative learning is used. Rather than work as teams, each class member is assigned to respond to one of our weekly activities during the course. During the initial two weeks of class, I enter at least three activities or discussion topics for our weekly class discussions. Beginning in week three and continuing throughout the course, I continue to enter three activities, and each class member is then assigned to provide a response to each of their fellow submissions for one activity.

This accomplishes a couple of learning experiences. Initially, the early assignees need to read the weekly textbook material plus the material in a study guide in order to provide an adequate response. As their classmates enter their responses to the assigned weekly activities, the class member with responsibility to respond, has to now read each of the entries. This really engages the student in learning. Previously, they might read the material in the textbook and the study guide, and then provide their response to the activity. They may or may not read their fellow students postings. Now they begin to get engaged in the class.

This also provides each student with an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with their fellow class members. Once the initial engagement is made, the class members begin to be more open and responsive in the class. They also begin to more readily share their knowledge and experience with their classmates. Their posts become more friendly but still professional. So we begin to move into a cooperative learning environment.

As we progress through the next weeks, a rapport begins to develop between the students. Those with early responsibilities to respond are now engaged as they now share their knowledge and experience with their classmates and collaborative learning is occurring without any formal announcement.

At another university at which I teach, I employ a somewhat similar form of collaborative learning. Rather than have a specific student provide responses to their fellow student posts, each student provides only comments to at least two of their fellow student weekly postings. However, they must still read the majority of the postings to select the one that they want to respond to. Initially, the students are somewhat hesitate and their comments are somewhat terse. But as others begin to provide their submissions to the topic or their comments, the comments become more specific in nature and friendly. They begin to ask questions regarding a specific submission or validate what another student has stated. In one class that I’m teaching, the posts to one weekly activity has already reached more than 100 individual posts. The two other weekly activities are fast approaching the 100 mark as well. And this is for our initial class week!

These students are definitely engaged in collaborative learning as their interests and contributions are valued by their fellow students. They’re drawing upon their past experiences and knowledge and readily sharing with their fellow classmates. Even those with little experience in a particular topic share as well. One of the key benefits of collaborative learning is the interpersonal relationships being formed as they form a positive attitude about the subject matter.

Outside the classroom, we've all been associated with one form or another of collaborative learning since we were very young. How else did we learn to tie our shoes, learn to play a game, or do other things we now take for granted? Someone shared their knowledge and experience with us and we began to learn. We may not have realized that collaborative learning was occurring, but it was. And we continue today not only in our classes but in our daily lives as well. Collaborative learning takes many forms and it will continue to provide those positive learning experiences for us.

So the next time you’re assigned to a group project of some sort, remember those positive aspects of working together. “Collaborative learning brings positive results such as deeper understanding of content, increased overall achievement in grades, improved self-esteem, and higher motivation to remain on task”. It also provides you with the means to take ownership of your own learning!

Staying Connected

2007-09-19T11:16:00.000-05:00

by Travis Courtney, Student Services Coordinator

Choosing an institution and finding the right program are all struggles that distance learning students face when getting started on the completion of their degree. Many people would probably be shocked to know how many distance learners fail to keep in contact with their institution.

As a member of the Distance Learning Center's Student Services and Retention staff, I'm always looking for new ways to connect with students. Not everyone prefers the phone, many of us are tiring of email surplus, and web sites are no substitute for a personal contact.

You've chosen and begun the completion of your degree. Now finish your goal and use us to accomplish it. One of the greatest risks distance learners face after beginning a program is stopping out. Because it's not always possible for you to benefit from the physical atmosphere of the UWP campus, it is very important that you stay connected with the distance learning faculty and staff. You're welcome to contact us for anything. Seriously, anything. Just keep in touch!

Whether you prefer to use the telephone, blogs, rss feeds, instant messenger, webcasts, or email to stay connected, keep in touch. If you have suggestions for additional tools that would make it easier for you to keep in touch, please let us know!