Distance Learning Universities

Amazing Weather

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 by Beth McKenna

Finally it seems that winter has left us behind and spring is giving way to summer. The flowers are in bloom and everyone wants to be outside. For me, that sunshine is also calling me to read a good book, whether in traditional book form, or on a computer screen.

Did you know that Granite State offers courses that allow you to experience the out of doors? There are science classes that allow you to travel to the Isles of Shoals. There are art classes that allow you to paint the landscape. These are some of the adult education services available to students at Granite State College.

The college also offers distance learning classes that would be perfect for you to get involved in while sitting in that warm spring sunshine. You can take online courses for adults at Granite State and enjoy the spring weather at the same time that you are studying science, math, behavioral science or early childhood education. So when you grab that good book and settle into the summer sunshine, grab a Granite State College catalog, and enjoy the weather.

Realtors and temp living arrangments??!!

Saturday, March 19, 2011 by Gail Gifford

Here it is, Saturday morning and I have been up since 6am, waiting for the Realtor to come and tell me what my house/home is worth. If any of you have moved, you know the hassle it can be. The trashing of stuff you have toted from one residence to another that you never even unpacked after four or five years. That is what I am finding to be true in my case. There are boxes that left Michigan twenty-three years ago. I trashed a few when I left Tennessee seven years ago and I have taken some of them to New Hampshire, South Carolina and now wondering if I need to take them back Michigan once again. Why? Why do we save these trinkets and trash? I even move the rocks that lined the street my grandparents cottage was on. I think it is just the sentimental part of us, or at least me. I take them as they were happy memories, the past and somewhere deep inside, I care about them and what they represent. Therefore, I have trashed some and others will get loaded on the truck and taken to Michigan and who knows where else they may travel too.

I went through my school papers and books from Granite State College while in the attic the other day. I got rid of some of the papers I had written but, some I saved. I saved them because I remember the hard work I put into my adult college classes. The research the study groups I was part of and the endless hours I spent figuring out my math problems for business statistics. So, I kept them so some day I will show them to my grand-kids what their Grammy did in life and how they can do it too. Distance learning universities are out there, Granite State College was my salvation since I moved so much. I just kept on going doing on-line classes either from home, the book store or sitting at Panara Bread having a bagel on Sunday Afternoon.

I am rambling and I really need to run the vacuum. I will let you know how it all pans out..Guess I will have to buy a shovel this next winter. YUK!!

Spring, Where are you?

Thursday, January 27, 2011 by Gail Gifford

I woke up this morning thinking, where are you spring? It has been a long winter so far. The snow has fallen in South Carolina and even though it only lasted a mere week and a half, it was ugly. Then I think of my friends up at the Manchester NH University and realize that I was lucky, we only got about seven inches of the white stuff, where you all got around two feet. Yuk, but yuk in a good way. The north knows how to clear the stuff from the roads and sidewalks, and work goes on as usual just like any other day. Therefore, students could get to school for their evening college classes after work or on the weekend. What I have learned with this past snow storm is that I need to go buy a shovel. No matter where I live, I may need it. It was kind of sad that only one person in our neighborhood had one and we all borrowed it to shovel our way out. I don't think we are too far away from spring, though. I just looked at my iris in the flower beds and they are starting to grow. The pussy-willow bush is getting buds and the birds are starting to come back to my kitchen window for some birdseed in the feeders. But my wooden flowers seem to have survived the snow. They bring a smile to my face as I look out of my back door.

It is Saturday morning, I am getting ready to go into work, and the weather lady on the TV just said it is going up to 62 degrees today. No, it is not shorts weather yet, but I believe it is just around the corner. Sunshine, flowers, picnics, vacations and, yes, learning are all just around the corner. Learning never stops no matter what the weather is. So, to all of you doing on-line classes with distance learning universities, keep at it. It is so rewarding to have that degree under your belt. Until I get myself back to school to earn my Masters degree, I will enjoy the place I am in my life. This morning, it is a day of work with the realization that spring is not too far away!! Come on Sunshine...shine on South Carolina today!!

On being student-centered

Friday, December 3, 2010 by Todd Leach

Since arriving at Granite State College, I have met with students at our Concord, Claremont, Conway, and Rochester regional campuses and hosted an online chat for our distance learning students. The message has been consistently positive when it comes to the quality of education and services students feel they are receiving from GSC. I have also spent enough time with staff throughout the college to know that there is a very high level of student caring that exists throughout the college. The Granite State College mission of access and opportunity is one staff embrace and students appreciate.

At the same time, colleges and universities must learn to go beyond caring about students and ensure that their practices, systems, and policies are "student-centered." Which means that we anticipate student needs and align our practices, systems and policies in a way that enhances student success and minimizes student frustration.

Over the past several months we have taken steps at Granite State College to better align our practices, systems and policies with student needs and goals. For example, more than half of our students are now enrolled in online courses, so in order to better support our distance learning students we have recently added new online tutoring services. We are also introducing new self-service capabilities that allow students to better plan their programs of study. And we are focusing attention on course scheduling to ensure more rapid tracks to degree obtainment.

This student-centered focus will be core to Granite State College as we engage in a process of continuous improvement moving forward, and find new ways to serve the evolving needs of adult students throughout the state of New Hampshire and the region.

The Granite State College Alumni Board Association

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 by Deidre Romeo

Today I was voted into the Granite State College Alumni Board Association (“ALA”). President Todd Leach was kind enough to attend today’s board meeting and bring us all up to speed with the direction he is moving the college towards. He shared his observations, initiatives and strategies to continue the growth of our great institution. His focus is clearly to transform GSC into a “student centered” adult education school.

I was most concerned about the possibility of GSC turning into one of the many distance learning universities; offering only online courses leaving those who require the availability of evening college classes, part time classes and weekend college classes without the flexibility and convenience of an affordable bachelor degree throughout New Hampshire. My concerns were quickly addressed. Growth and innovation are certainly at the top of President Leach’s strategy, but reducing or eliminating the availability of live course schedules throughout New Hampshire is not included in his plan.

I am excited and extremely hopeful at where Dr. Leach will lead GSC in the coming months and years. I am grateful to have the opportunity to come along for the ride.

From left to right: Barbara Grant, Kathy Moulis, Dawn Corriveau, Ruth Tappin, Deidre Romeo, President Leach, Carrie Landry, Dee McClave, Steve Cotter

www.granite.edu/alumni-and-friends/alaboard.aspx

Presentations, can I do this?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 by Gail Gifford

I am up this morning, sipping on coffee and thinking about the presentation I give this afternoon at the office. I have to show the collectors what my job is as a Credit Analyst and how I determine who and when to grant credit to for a car loan.

I never liked getting up in front of people, hated it. I was shy as a youngster and in my teenage years, I was pretty much a loner. Standing up in front of a lot of people was something I just dreaded. I had a teacher/professor who taught a class called Small Group Dynamics. She gave us assignments to give presentations every week, individually as well as a small group presentation. It was one of the adult accelerated degree program classes I had taken in TN and it was accelerated class. Giving a presentation every week was the pits. Preparing by making note cards, standing in front of the mirror the night before and thinking about it all through the day until the class came that night was so unbearable at times. But, I did it and so did everyone else who had the guts to stay in the class. That class went from a roll of 20 students down to 14 students in just one week. Only the strong survive, as I told my girlfriend Doris Card. We joked about that years later saying we got through the Class from H _ _ , we can do anything!!! Doris is no longer on this earth, but my fun and fond memories of our days in school will stay with me always.

So today I have another presentation to give. I am not dreading it anymore, in fact just the opposite, I looking forward to it, I love it. I love getting up there explaining what I do to others, showing them a career path they may want to explore at some time in the future. College gave me that confidence to do so. Whether it be on-line classes from distance learning universities or from Granite State College, anyone can do it if they just stick to it. You too can be a survivor!!

If You Ever Take Linguistics

Monday, September 20, 2010 by Leslie Bowering

     Taking a Linguistics Course, whether it is done online through Granite State College or in a face to face class at the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, New Hampshire can be a daunting task.

     Therefore, as a college student at eighteen years old or fifty years old, one tip I offer is to stay connected to or perhaps revisit the rules you previously learned in developing the necessary skill of rote memorization.

     I am taking Linguistics 405.2 as the final course of my Language Arts Degree which might have been a more significant task at the beginning of my program because of how the course breaks the English language down to morphic units of words and phrases. Now that I have completed every single other language writing requirement, it seems I should have taken Linguistics in a different order at the beginning of my course work.

     The online Linguistics course offered through Granite State College is taken by those enthusiastic techno-geniuses from all over the world. One of the students that signed up for this course was enrolled from England. So, from where ever you may be, there is a good opportunity to study this course online with interesting folks from away.

     Although I was fascinated by the distance between my local address and the students from away, I am not a techno-genius. Because Linguistics is a course requirement for the success of my degree, I dropped the online course before I was in too far over my head... after awhile... you can tell when a course is going to surpass the label of challenging and meet up with the label of impossibility which the online Linguistics course did for me.

     My face to face Linguistics course at UNH is equally as challenging as far as I am concerned. The biggest difference about taking the face to face class is definitely in the ongoing classroom discussion that occurs bi-weekly for an hour.

     Still, Linguistics covers a wide range of information that I have never been exposed to before. Certainly, I should have made a point to find out more about the course before signing up. The good news is that I love the English Language. I love to read and write. And so, it is my most earnest hope that if I continue to do the reading, sit for many hours reconstructing the word and phrase diagrams involved in the course, and revisit the rote memorization model (even though I don't really believe in this method of learning), eventually the concepts and purpose of Linguistics will all come together and I will successfully complete the course. You can too!

Visit to see the new Grandbaby!!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by Gail Gifford

The anticipation was just about to make me bust as I drove the 420 miles, from SC to VA to meet my new grandson for the first time. Owen Alan was born on Thursday, Aug. 26 in Norfolk, VA. My son and his wife are just so happy with their new little addition/bundle of joy. I tried to help them when I could and give them a bit of a break while I was there. So when 3am or 4am came and Owen didn't want to sleep, my son brought out Owen for Grammy to take care of him. That is what I was there for, to help them out. They will learn to sleep when he sleeps and to let him cry at times when need be. It is all about learning. Whether it be about babies, being married, Economics, Statistics or Math, life is all about learning.

Of course I brought up again about his college plans, going to school, getting his degree in something. I mentioned Granite State College, online learning classes, distance learning universities and the advantages about having a degree. I even mentioned what a good example it is for Owen that daddy went to college. I think he got the message, time will tell but I won't let up on this one. I am so sold on going back to school, no matter where you are in life. He will decide when the time is right and I know they have a lot on their plate being newly weds and brand new parents.

It was a good trip. I love my new grandson and can't wait to see him again. I was trilled to spend some more time with my new daughter-in-law and she will be a great mom. She will learn as she goes, just like we all do. There will be many adventures for them in the next few weeks, new lessons learned and new processes developed. They will learn all the different cries Owen has and what they mean. It is all good and our family has just grown a little bit with Owen in it. Welcome Owen into our family, into our lives.

GSC: A different kind of "Brick and Mortar" school

Monday, September 6, 2010 by Chris Perley

So I just finished my second-to-last class; Victim's Right and Advocacy. For me, it was one of the more interesting online classes for criminal justice. Mostly due to the fact that with 25 years of experience, I have had plenty of training in the application of law enforcement theory, but not a lot of experience in the more human side of the endeavor. Also, the class was made up of a larger mix of students in the social and behavioral sciences and not just CJ students. It was nice to see other viewpoints expressed on topics I had dealt with for years but never really discussed intellectually.

This class got me thinking more about what kind of school Granite State College really is. What might have been considered a kin to a correspondence school 20 years ago, because the institution didn't have classrooms or a singular campus, it really is a first rate distance learning university. The students have ample opportunity to exchange ideas, access to excellent research tools and professors that care.

I think the most endearing components of our school are the motivations everyone expresses as to why they are here. Reasons like; Moms making a better life for themselves and their kids, mature adults who have raised families and now want a formal education for themselves, and adult learners who want to continue to contribute in their chosen fields by staying current and up to date, are all common themes with my fellow classmates.  Sincerity, selflessness and concern for the greater good are all goals that are held by members of our institution.  These are the types of beliefs that any college or university would be happy to have their student body hold sacred.

So along the way, on this journey of mine that has spanned 20 years, I have come to realize something.  Granite State College IS a "Brick and Mortar" school of sorts. Not one with a campus, and a quad or a student union, but one of a different kind. One where each and every GSC student that lives a life each day, and studies each night, are the bricks. Those bricks are bound together not only by the collective experiences we share in the virtual classroom but by our goals to become better people, and to make the world around us a better place as well. Those ideals become the mortar, solidifying us into a real place, a place where accomplishing more than your believed you could becomes a reality.

As I enroll in my last class, I reflect on the work I've done, the people I've met, and the real sense of satisfaction I feel knowing that I accomplished much more than I believed I ever could.  At Granite State College, I feel like not only did I GO to the school, but that I am an integral PART of what makes the school special. In the end, virtual or brick and mortar, that's what a great college experience should be all about anyway.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you at graduation in June ;)

Who knew What I knew Had Value?

Monday, August 16, 2010 by Chris Perley

After graduation I hit the ground running. I decided I would still signed up for a class a semester, starting with Survey of World Architecture. I was taken by surprise by the summer semester a little bit. The previous summer I had done test-outs, so this was my first real summer class online. Don't be fooled by the length, it's 8 weeks long but 12 weeks full!  I am always amazed at the end of a class by the quality of Granite State College compared to other distance learning universities. I learned so much about the world around me, and now see buildings differently.  This class really made me feel like I was at an institution of higher learning!

I also took a trip to validation nation last winter. With the help of my academic advisor Nancee Caughey, I gathered up all the specialized training I had received over the years. I was now enrolled in a Criminal Justice administration degree program so I knew my prior classes would be a big help. I was doing all my online classes for criminal justice, and figured if I could validate out of a couple, all the better.

Validation at GSC is a process where you present, in a somewhat formal fashion, evidence of prior learning.   The prior learning has to have been A. significant, B. measurable and C. evidence of both provided. It sounds more complicated than it is.  I presented many of the career college training classes in criminal justice I had taken at the police academy and other law enforcement institutions.  All of my efforts paid of BIG TIME! I was awarded 22 credits towards my degree in criminal justice administration. Do the math of this one: 22 credits, at about $300 bucks a credit, is $6,600.00 I saved. Plus at one class a semester, I saved 6 semesters or 1 1/2 years of time towards my degree.

Anyone who has previously taken classes for work or pleasure should seriously consider the validation process. It really confirmed in my mind that GSC wants me to succeed more than anything else!   Don't wait, VALIDATE!!!!!!!!!

Next Up: Why the integrated seminar should be more like a lost weekend.

The Big Finish! (at least halfway anyway!)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Chris Perley

So I returned to GSC with a renewed spirit. As far as distance learning universities went, Granite State College was offering everything I needed to get my degree. I started back up in the winter of 2008 with critical thinking. The blackboard tutorial walked me through everything I needed t know to make it in this new electronic blackboard jungle!

I found the level of instruction and interaction more fulfilling than before in my face to face classes. It was exciting to not only be back in school but using new tools and techniques to achieve my goals. The on-line college opportunity that GSC was providing me was really making a difference. I began to rack up the credits and get closer to my goals, feeling like I was on an accelerated undergraduate degree path. I knew I was going to seal the deal this time!

One resource that I tapped with GSC was the ability to do CLEP and DANTES test-outs. These college level aptitude tests evaluate whether you possess college level knowledge in a number of subject matter. Although I did study to prepare for each test, you can really take advantage of prior learning with this adult education service the college provides. In one summer I was able to CLEP out of three subjects, which gave me 12 credits towards my degree. This also saved me 9 months and about $3,000 bucks too! This is a perfect way for adults learners to qualify the knowledge and skill they already possess and really race towards a college degree.

Well after 18 short months from my second go-round, the impossible became the possible and I walked with the class of 2009 receiving my Associates degree in Business. This was a great feeling, well worth the wait, and a milestone that no one can take away from me. I described it as a half way victory because getting that degree let me know, I had what it took to go all the way. I was going to continue on for my Bachelors in Criminal Justice Administration. Now I knew, getting a degree wouldn't be a matter of if I could do it, but WHEN!

Next up: More classes and a trip to Validation Nation!

Fits and Starts: The Long and Winding Road

Sunday, August 1, 2010 by Chris Perley

My first crack at college life was anything but idyllic. No strolling the quad, no Frisbee on the common with the buds. Just plain work! All classes were face to face then and at night. Back then, Distance Learning Universities meant you had a long drive to class! I was working day shift at the PD, prosecuting cases in court and studying by night. My work was intellectually challenging, but that made school work even more so, I only have so many active brain cells!

Along with the schedule, there were the finances. To qualify for federal financial aid you had to carry a part time class load which meant at least two classes a semester. This had me out of the house two nights a week and studying the remainder. There were even times, because of the emergency work I did, where I would have to leave class due to a robbery, burglary or other dilemma. Not an easy road, but who said college was supposed to be easy?

I did start to make headway towards my college degree, got my first official college "A", and my first migraine headache from all the STRESS!!!!! Ahh the good old days. The quality of the classes was, and still is, first rate. My mind was opened up to a lot of new and meaningful concepts particularly in management. I carried on for 2 years and then life began to take it's toll. I couldn't carry the part time student class load, which meant I would have to pay as I went. This got expensive on a cop's salary. In 1992 I took a break from formal classes. Although I had learned a lot, and was applying that knowledge at work in my position as a Sergeant, the dream of a college degree was still just that, a dream. I wondered if with all life was throwing at me, would I ever finish what I started and have a degree?

Next: My return to the all new GSC!

Change and education opportunities

Sunday, July 25, 2010 by John Ford

Recently I've had a few opportunities to talk with some recent high school graduates about their plans for the summer and beyond....including continuing education. I found it rather interesting listening to them talk about the pressures of attaining good grades to get into good schools to try and get good jobs (the typical parental mantra to motivate kids through the high school years - it didn't work on us when we were kids yet we try it on our kids and they will try it on theirs as well - maybe some things are genetically coded.....).

Anyway what struck me is the attitude of some of these young people. They are not "buying in" to the college right after high school tradition. As a matter of fact many of them are looking at ways to get involved in the global community for a year or two before going "back to school" to earn a degree.

Some are looking at AmericaCorp, Habitat for Humanity, and other global service opportunities. They are seeking ways to expand their experiences as a world citizen, gain a better understanding of how the world works, meet some people with similar values and aspirations and concerns, and share their passion for giving back. Some want to be able to use this time to get to know themselves better. Many are considering smaller, less well known colleges or universities. Some are pursuing their own interests distance learning universities and online classes. And yes, the truth be told, some just don't know what they want to do, but they know that the traditional path just isn't the right thing for them now.

Some are looking at the experiences that their parents have had both in academics and in the business world. Many think about deferring college to enlist in the military. Some are considering adult education certificate programs or getting into an adult education diploma program that allows them to go to school while pursuing a job or their passion. They've seen their parents working while getting their degrees (undergrad as well as post grad work). They've seen their parents go back to get a second degree or certificate and start a new career. They have learned that education is the key to their future, but it doesn't have to be down the traditional path.

For all of the caterwauling about today's generation (every generation past has complained about the one they created), there are a lot of bright kids (okay, parents, you can acknowledge that you did a great job with your kids....there, feel better?). I came away from this conversation feeling pretty good about the next generation of learners. They are taking charge of their own education. They have challenged the system, the teachers, the parent, and even the business world. They have options that we never heard about, they are courageous, they are afraid of the future, but not paralyzed by their fear. It feeds their desire to get outside of their comfort zone. They know that you can hit the reset button and recover if you make a mistake. They are not afraid of doing something they haven't done before. They create opportunities, they create their future, they create our future.

They will change the way education will be delivered in the years to come and they will complain and be overly concerned about the next generation.....and somewhere down the road, some one will have a conversation with a group of the next generation and find out that this new generation, like the ones before it, will create a world of new knowledge and opportunities for living, for working and even for learning.......

They are using online courses, accelerated undergraduate programs, and distance learning in ways that create opportunities for those in academics to create the future of colleges and universities. They are creating new careers and new technologies that are creating opportunities for colleges and universities to grow and evolve faster than ever before.

The adult learning community is listening and responding! Never before has there been so many options for today's learning community to access education. Never before has there been so many options and academic programs to purse so many unique and innovative degrees. Never before has the academic world been more ready to serve and support the adult learning community.

So, graduates (high school, tech school, community college, college and university grad, and even you post-grad learners) when you get ready to turn to the college and university community to continue and support your education and career advancement goals, we will be there, ready to give you the education you need to continue your journey as a lifelong learner......

See you in class......

My Philosophy

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by Mary Gaetz

What Would Mel Brooks Do?

I tend to ask myself this whenever I am held up by my own insecurities and fears.  I have lot of anxiety and so I almost always have Mel Brooks in my head. Mel's movies and sense of humor always remind me of how ridiculous the entire world can be, and if we're stressed out about it, we're probably taking ourselves too seriously. I am the newly hired Outreach Coordinator for Granite State College, Claremont/Lebanon. I am thrilled to be working in a college again, but I am very nervous and definitely have some anxiety about starting this job. I totally commiserate with those of you beginning your studies this semester. So here we go.  Remember: life is unrehearsed and a sense of humor is necessary.

I suppose I must admit that I am not from around here. I was born and raised in Kansas and went to graduate school in Nebraska. Just a note: if you are from New Hampshire NEVER GO TO THESE STATES. You won't like them. Trust me. I, on the other hand, am in long distance love affair with Kansas. I won't elaborate except to say that I find it beautiful and enchanting and like nowhere else I've ever been. I also liked Nebraska very much and hope to end up back there someday.

Education is very important to me and I understand the value of it.  Since I was young I always assumed I would go to college after high school. Both of my parents have Bachelor degrees and growing up we were regaled with fun stories from my father's exploits as a college student. I couldn't wait to adopt stray cats and keep them in my dorm room, accidentally blow up trash cans at drive thrus, and put pink light bulbs in all the light fixtures. I wanted to have friends with weird names like "Tree", or call them by their last names. It was what I wanted while I was in high school--freedom! Unfortunately, life happened while I was making college plans and college fell by the wayside. So life beat me up for five years, but during those five years I never forgot about college. I would look at adult education services at local community colleges, but could never seem to get my life together enough to take the plunge. I thought about taking part-time classes or night time classes but still wasn't sure how to make it work. And of course there was no such thing as taking online classes back in the nineties. I didn't even own a computer.

One day, when I finally had a great job, a cute apartment, and a cat, I knew it was time. I had proved to myself that I could have a stable life, so time to scrap it and get going on making those dreams come true. I packed up the cat and the boyfriend and moved to Emporia KS where I spent the next five years learning everything I could fit into my schedule. It. was. so. hard. I. was. so. scared. I would mourn the loss of my job and apartment and sit around being a big ball of stress. But: I was succeeding in my studies in a way that was surprising and exciting.  I set the goal that I would get a B+ average in my first semester. I had a 4.0. I was very shy around the other students. They were all so young and spry, beautiful and annoying. They were also talented, accepting, inspiring, smart and LIKED me!! My fellow students were a great source of inspiration and information, and still are to this day.  I liked school so much that I went on to get my MFA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Through it all I have had the most incredible teachers and the most supportive classmates, but I never forget that I worked my tail off, that I did it, that I had the strength and the vision and the courage to get my degree. Sure, I missed out on the dorm experiences, but I still have college stories that I hope to share some day with my children--the cat doesn't seem to care. So now I am ready to embark on my adventure at Granite State College, helping people transition into students, a noble and wonderful title.

1990: My first Try at College

Sunday, July 18, 2010 by Chris Perley

In 1990 I decided to enroll in College. I was 30 years old, had two children, a mortgage and a full time job at a busy police department. Even though I knew I needed to obtain a degree, I was really dreading it. The only brick and mortar school in my area was the Berlin NH college, or as we called it, "The Vo-Tech". This really wasn't a realistic option as the drive was too far, and the time commitment to large. A friend of mine was involved in adult education services at our local high school and mentioned the night school they held there for adult learners. Back then it was known as the College For Lifelong Learning. My first thought was "how would they fit that title on a diploma?"  It didn't sound very enriching but it was the only real option if I wanted to get any level of career college training in my area.

I reluctantly went down to the local C.L.L. office and met some wonderful people. I am guessing that Gail Paine and Beth Beyerle had met the likes of me before as they quickly stripped away all the preconceived obstacles I felt stood between me and a degree. I was left with only one real option, jump in with both feet! I can still remember how helpful they were in taking me from looking in from the outside to actually being a real college student.

Back in 1990 our college offered a much more limited plate of degree choices and options. Although a police officer, the school had no criminal justice classes to offer.  As far as delivery method you had the choice of face to face or face to face! That's right Gen-xer's the Internet hadn't yet been applied to commercial use for distance learning universities. I picked a degree that I though would help me in the higher ranks of police work. It was a business offering called a Business and Professional Studies Degree, only offered at the Bachelor's level. So here I was, signed up with the School For Lifelong Learning in a Business and Professional Studies Degree Program (like I said, imagine the size of the diploma!), and starring down the barrel of at least 6 years of school ahead of me.  So with great trepidation I walked into my first college classroom, at 6:00pm, in my old high school, with my old English teacher. I thought to myself "was this really going to work?"

Next blog I'll discuss how GSC made the impossible possible for me!

The shortest distance between two points

Thursday, June 3, 2010 by Tom Oetinger

During my student recruiting travels for Granite State College I frequently hear stories of woe from parents of traditional age college students about how their child’s undergraduate experience took longer than the anticipated four years. “My son spent six years in college because he majored in fraternities during his first two years” said one parent. All too frequently, students who complete eight full-time semesters in a bachelor’s degree program have either insufficient credits or lack required courses for graduation. Changing majors, dropping courses, poor academic performance and course scheduling mistakes are common reasons for an extended college experience. These extra semesters equate to higher out of pocket costs for parents and students and bigger student loans.

Fortunately there are strategies that can assist the traditional-age college student to complete their bachelor’s degree on time and, in some cases, ahead of schedule. Taking one or two summer courses every year, along with proper academic planning can enable a student to complete their plan of study a full semester ahead of time. This strategy can reduce both tuition and room and board costs and enables the student to begin the career search five months earlier than their classmates.

Many students at our sister University System of NH schools take advantage of Granite State College’s five week online spring courses or eight week summer term to build credits, then transfer these course credits into the plan of study at their ‘home’ college. Our online, evening and weekend course options allow students to complete the coursework while still working summer jobs and having adequate ‘beach time’. Registering for a summer course at Granite State College is both affordable and easy. The NH Transfer.org website allows students to make sure that the selected courses will transfer and meet their plan of study needs. My son is a communications major at Keene State College and by taking a summer course every year at GSC is on track to complete his degree requirements in December of his senior year. My checkbook is really liking that!

If you are interested in learning more about this and other accelerated graduation strategies drop me an e-mail at tom.oetinger@granite.edu .

Education: Achieving a Childhood Dream

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 by John Ford

I've been thinking a lot about leadership and every day life lately. I have recently had several acquaintences diagnosed with cancer and each are dealing with this in their own personal ways. Some better than others, but in an interesting way, it has made me reflect on each of us and how we take on "leadership" roles each and every day.

I also just re-read the book, "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, who, for those of you that may not recognize his name, was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He gave his "last lecture" and presented his thougts as an opportunity to leave something behind for his children. You can use this link to watch his last lecture - www.youtube.com/watch - and do yourself a favor, take the 45 minutes or so and really watch and listen to what he has to say.

Now, you may be asking what does this have to do with "leadership" or adult education resources or career advancement education. If you think the connection is that he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, I faked you out. Here's the connection, each one of us as opportunities to take on "leadership" challenges every day. Some we can easily recognize - a new team, a new work assignment, maybe coaching a little league or high school sports team. What we don't recognize are the hundred of moments where we use our leadership capabilities just to move through a difficult or challenging day.

It is about understanding outcomes. It is about doing things that will ensure the results you want, not just going through a series of tasks, one right after the other. It's about being in a particular place and space and being really present where it counts. Leadership isn't about the what.....it is about the who and the why!

In his book, Randy speaks to how we should chase our childhood dreams, no matter what they are or how long they take to achieve. He also challenges us to help others chase and achieve their childhood dreams. To be an enabler of those around us to realize their goals. To always be present and engaging.

He uses his "last lecture" as a gift for his children, but it is wrapped in a present for each of us who has taken the time to listen to the video or read his book.

A good education has been a childhood dream of almost every child at some point. While many people will never recognize that their time in an adult education class, or weekend college classes, or using distance learning universities is a way of achieving their childhood dreams, it certainly is our way of helping many gain the skills and knowledge they need to reach out and make that dream their own.