As a mom of a newly-minted high school graduate, I now understand the difficulty parents experience when it comes to letting go of their college-age children. As parents we dedicate so much time and energy to taking care of our children, guiding...helping. It is hard to recognize when we cross the boundary into new territory where the most helpful thing we can do is to let our children help themselves and make their own decisions.
I have been comparing notes with friends whose children also just graduated and are on their way to various New Hampshire Colleges and Universities this fall. Many have already attended orientations where the children are herded off to one session, the parents to another. The parent orientations talk about financial aid, what we can expect from our children once they are in college - but the main focus seems to be on teaching us to let our children have their own academic experience, complete with poor decisions and the occasional failure - and for us to resist the urge to do everything for them. Point taken.
Even though GSC is known for Adult Higher Education, we are seeing more and more traditional age students. As an Academic Advisor at Granite State College in Conway, NH, I have been in the position to gently point out to parents who are emailing or calling me for course suggestions, that perhaps it might be better for the student to communicate with me directly. Of course, there are also laws that prohibit advisors from sharing adult student's information.
For parents of new Granite State College students, however, it is a somewhat easier transition. Because we are not a residential college, the student is still living at home. Also, unlike many other colleges, Granite State College employs full time academic advisors who are designated student advocates. Parents can take comfort in knowing there is someone there to provide guidance and help when needed.
So, fellow parents, join me in learning how to let go so we can watch our children learn to soar.
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 .
This month we learned the identity of the incoming president of Granite State College. Dr. Todd Leach will assume leadership of the college upon the retirement of President Karol LaCroix on June 30th. Dr. Leach was selected after an extensive search and joins us after a successfully guiding the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University since 2007. Dr. Leach brings with him a wealth of experience in providing access to higher education for adult learners and non-traditional students. If Dr. Leach’s history at Northeastern is any indication, students can look forward to new courses and degree programs; all based on the current and future needs of NH’s adult students. The next few years should prove to be exciting for the Granite State College community.
That being said we must take a moment and look to the past and express our appreciation to President LaCroix for six years of leadership. With her hand to steady the helm, Granite State College experienced consistent growth and developed a reputation as New Hampshire’s “go to” college for online learning and easy access for the State’s working adult student population. Through Karol’s leadership, GSC now provides a balanced matrix of courses and a student-centric organizational ethic that both encourages and supports our non-traditional learners. For those of you who have been, or are currently in this situation, you know how difficult it can be to manage multiple life priorities while attending classes. President LaCroix’s stamp is firmly imprinted into the history of this institution and through her hard work we are better prepared to tackle new academic challenges and move the college forward.
Thank you Karol!
April 8, 2010 was a special day for Granite State College, as Dr. Todd Leach was elected to be our next president. This is an exciting time for all members of the GSC Community, as we find ourselves on the horizon of a new era, and the changes that will come with it. As I sat in the Manchester NH College, patiently awaiting the announcement with other audience members for the big news, I found myself consistently repeating this thought: "I can not wait to see what changes take place immediately, as well as the changes that will take place over time." Dr. Leach's first two years on the job will be my last two years with the college, so I look forward to participating in the improvements that he will implement.
For some audience members, this was their first exposure to the process of selecting a new president (the announcement being the end of the process). I was one of the lucky few in the room to actively participate in the process from end to end. In October, I was asked to be the student representative to the Presidential Search Committee. My first thought was that this was an amazing honor to be asked and to serve, but reality settled in very quickly. Our first meeting in Concord in November was an introduction to the rest of the search committee. Ed MacKay, Chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire, welcomed and introduced us to Trustee George Epstein, who would chair the committee. With the advice from our consultants, we mapped out a process that called for us to immediately begin to request applicants to express interest in the position, to interview in January and February, and finally to recommend three candidates to the Chancellor in March.
Each member was granted access to the email in box that resumes and cover letters were submitted to, and we were expected to return to our next meeting in December with a go/no go for each applicant. After logging into the account, my initial impression was that we had an extremely talented pool of approximately 70 potential candidates to choose from. Our first meeting in December carried the daunting task of whittling the list down to a manageable number of candidates. In January, we discussed the nearly 25 applicants who expressed interest after our December meeting, and interviewed two candidates. Through the month of February, we met three more times in Concord to interview candidates. After those sessions, we forwarded the names of three candidates that we as a committee felt that could be the next president of Granite State College.
Today's announcement was the culmination of a lot of hard work and tough decisions. The inherent stress that comes with the process of making these decisions increased as we came closer to a decision, yet some very nice relationships were forged among the committee members through the hours of deliberating. It was an honor to be part of this committee, and I send my most sincere congratulations to President Todd Leach of Granite State College.
I first heard about top-flight college and universities topping the $50,000 per year mark a couple of weeks ago. The first one to announce corssing this threshold was Boston University (I think), followed quickly by Dartmouth (unique among NH colleges & universities to cross this benchmark), Mount Holyoke, and Tufts, among others.
Most folks that mention this on talk radio and other media do so with overt disgust and contempt. The cost of higher education is portrayed as an extortion with impunity by unscrupulous professors and bloated administrations. One could even argue that the announcements of astronomical cost to attend the aforementioned institutions and their ilk is to some extent fashionable; certainly, if I were running Brandeis University and neighboring Wllesley College announced that they cost more than $50k, what would it say about Brandeis if we don't cost more than fifty?
Expressions of pity for the parents of high school graduates usually follow, but I feel there are two important points that commentators miss, whether acciedntally or deliberately. First - the very parents for whom they express their spendthrift sympathies are likely to be the ones demanding the state-of-the-art facilities and accommodations that have contributed heavily to the steady rise in these tuition and room-and-board totals. That top-flight schools and even some state schools have sushi bars and world-class fitness centers is demanded by the marketplace, rather than artificially dreamed up and foisted upon the higher education public.
The second point that commentators seem to regularly pass over is that there are still far more ways to obtain an affordable bachelor degree than an inaffordable one. It reminds me of the joke where a guy goes to his doctor and says, "Doctor - it hurts when I do this," and the doctor replies "Well, don't do that." If attending Holy Cross and staying on campus and having a meal plan costs more than you can afford, then don't go there. The idea that if you don't go to Holy Cross or Amherst that you won't get a decent education, or worse, that if you can't afford to send your child to one of those places that you are somehow inadequate or a failure, is stupid at best and destructive at worst.
Maybe this kind of discussion gets my hackles to stand up because I attended a public college myself - not a New Hampshire state university, mind you - but the flagship of a nearby system. I wouldn't trade my undergraduate education and experience for anything, and it would be a shame if folks, whether straight out of high school, or looking for Adult college classes, didn't consider public schools, i.e. Granite State College, which are particularly designed to be affordable, accessible, etc.
Fifty thousand a year? Really? Even when a students comes into my office starting from scratch, we can work out a plan that can finish off the degree for less than $35,000 total.
If that works better for your budget and prevents you from having to take out a second mortgage, drop me an email, and we can talk about that some more.
What do you do with your spare time? If you are like most people, you probably don't have a lot of spare time. You are probably running from one thing to another. Maybe you have a job and a family and friends that you juggle your time for. But what about in the evening? Are you sitting in front of tv watching commercials for New Hampshire Colleges and Universities? Maybe an add for a Concord NH College, or a Manchester NH University caught your eye. But you say to yourself, "no way, not me, I can't go to college."
But why not you? Do you realize that you could be taking courses at home on your computer instead of watching tv? You could be enrolled in a course at Granite State College right now at home, or you could be in Rochester, Concord, Manchester, or any number of locations sitting in a classroom and learning new things.
Oh, I lost you again. You say to yourself, "I can't sit in a classroom. I am too ____," (old, tired, busy..) But what if you went to class one night a week? Everyone else in the room is just as busy as you. Even most of your instructors are working somewhere else during the day. They know what it is like to juggle responsibilities. So instructors give you work that is geared to help you in your profession, classmates support one another and suddenly, TADA! You have taken your first course.
Give it a try! Granite State is a place where adult learners can grow and learn and only by giving up a tv show or two!
When I walked into the building they called me "a non-traditional student." This meant I was different than most of the student body, (I had enrolled at state university, herein after known as College No. 1.) Not only was it going to be my first college class, it was my first class in over ten years. Even though I was a bit older than before, (hoping the extra years of maturity would compensate for the years of absence), I was still feeling a bit scared. But I knew enough about myself to just keep going -- no matter how I felt. Once I was 'back into the swing of things,' I knew I would settle down and possibly enjoy the experience. That is the advantage of maturity I had hoped would kick in.
"Ok, settle down and open the door," I started to tell myself. As I reached for the door to the building I flashed back to a commercial from the 70s. The picture was of a young black man. He had a worried look on his face as he stood before a large building about to walk in. As he reached for the door the announcer's voice cut-in, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." As if the announcer were talking through me I echoed the tag line out loud. I was that young black man, except I was a woman, and older than him, but other than that, I was him! Both of us shaking off the social conventions that kept us outside that building, and beginning a new chapter in our lives. I opened that door and, with a renewed confidence, marched right in.
Life events would prevent me from continuing with this College No. 1, and it would be another 10+ plus years before I would return again. But taking that first step was a bit less intimidating with
Granite State College. A lot of the New Hampshire colleges, universities and other institutions may offer you an education but only GSC provides you with unique opportunities for learning. As the premier provider of adult college courses these unique opportunities don't always come from the syllabus, rather they come from the knowledge base of the students themselves. Each new semester always brings new classes and new students. Usually they are also adults who have experienced life and are not afraid to bring what they have learned into the classroom or the discussion boards.
Being afraid is a natural part of life -- walking through the door, in spite of my fears, has made the difference in my learning experiences. Are you ready to open new doors?
What a weekend to be outside!
It was quite the treat this Saturday - I was able to join a field trip with our Enviromental Heritage class in Maine. The course is offered out of our
Rochester NH College, but it also includes some time outdoors.
The course is being taught by Dan Gardoqui, and it is safe to say that he is truly a Master-Teacher. As Executive Director of
White Pine Programs based in Cape Neddick Maine, Dan supplies a tremendous amount of passion, knowledge and experience in his teaching with Granite State students. He is well-known for field components in his courses - frankly, it is an aspect sought out by students. For adult college students, or students of any age, learning doesn't get any better than being outside, being active, and having a Master like Dan making science accessible.
We started our day atop Mt. Agamenticus, and ended up at the
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. It seems clear that potentially abstract notions about conservation, our environment, and public policy, are transformed during class time spent in this manner. As I have written before, the New Hampshire University System through Granite State, offers such a wealth of experienes for students. Be they online classes, weekend college classes, or classes that get students outdoors, it is thrilling to offer such a range of educational experiences.
Pics below!
View from atop Mt. Agamenticus (York, ME):
Inside the Wells National Esturaine Research Reserve (Wells, ME):
I continue to be amazed by the individuals that teach here at Granite State College. I'm pleased that this blog has provided an opportunity to trumpet news about so many of the unique people that contribute to learning at this wonderful New Hampshire State College.
Just the other day, Dr. William "Bill" Cuff popped by my office. To say Bill is interesting would be a true understatement. In addition to teaching behavioral science classes here at Granite State College, Bill teaches at
UNH, and is also heavily involved with service projects, through groups like
Danny's Team.
Bill was chatting with me about his upcoming class this Spring at our Portsmouth NH College - PSY 602, Theories of Personality. The structure of this class exemplifies the Granite State perspective on adult college education: it is a weekend-intensive that takes place over five Saturdays. Yes, Granite State offers affordable Bachelor degree programs, but weekend college classes also work for students with other obligations.
Bill is off to New Orleans and Mississipi next week for more service. As part of this trip he mentioned an opportunity to visit the hometown of Medgar Evers. His eyes were lit-up and intense, and I thought - right, so this is quite a person to have teaching here in our corner of the New Hampshire University System.
I find it interesting that as I travel around southern New Hampshire, speaking with prospective students who have been out of school for a while, who are looking at NH colleges to ease back and take part time classes; a familiar theme repeatedly surfaces:
FEAR.
So many working adults that have considered going back to college for career advancement education are hesitant or procrastinate because they're not sure they're up for it. Either they've been away from the education process too long, they believe that they can't fit it into their schedule or that an adult college degree is simply not affordable. For these individuals I can honestly say; "been there, done that!"
I started college as a traditional-age student at a large urban university. After a year and a half "life got in the way" of my college aspirations. A career opportunity pulled me away from my full time studies in Criminal Justice and into policing. My plan was to get settled into my job and return to college to finish my degree part-time. As you can guess that's not how things worked out. I ended up taking a 15 year summer break. I considered going back a number of times over the years, but the thought of the time it would take and the cost caused me to repeatedly put this idea on the back burner. When I hit my mid-thirties I recognized how important that a degree would be for my continued career success. This reality finally overcame my reservations and I bit the bullet.
In researching colleges in NH I discovered that Granite State College was my most affordable option and GSC offered me significant credit in transfer and through validating professional training. I still was a bit anxious about returning to school after such a long period of time, but after I started attending classes I discovered that most of my fellow students were in circumstances similar to my own. I found that I actually enjoyed the coursework and my time in class. It was a great feeling being able to finally earn my degree and walking in the graduation commencement with my wife and son in the audience made all of the time and effort worthwhile. So for those of you considering returning to college as an adult I have two words for you:
NO FEAR!
I had an interesting conversation with a student this evening at our
Portsmouth NH College. I asked about her experience taking adult college classes with Granite State College, and her response made me sit up and pay attention. Because I hire Faculty that teach in both Portsmouth and our
Rochester NH College, I was fascinated by her take on teaching at this particular NH State College. For her, the individuals that teach our adult college classes are "fresh."
I thought - well isn't that something for New Hampshire Colleges and Universities to consider. Granite State College does indeed have unique people in our classrooms bringing current, "fresh" and unique perspectives with them. I believe it was this student's view that our Faculty truly want to be in our classrooms, and offer a great deal.
This student asked me in return - so, what do I look for when I hire Faculty? Clearly I'll now be thinking about a "fresh" perspective. . .but rather than list particular qualities, I thought I would be specific. Whether you are interested in classes for early childhood education, or behavioral science or management, chances are, you might consider a Sociology class as part of your adult college degree. If that class is with Granite State College in either Rochester or Portsmouth, you could have the pleasure of hearing a "fresh" perspective from Dr.
Nena Stracuzzi. Take a listen
here to Nena talking about her research involving students from Northern New Hampshire. This is how we keep teaching at Granite State College fresh, and why I feel so fortunate to have individuals like Nena Stracuzzi as our Faculty.
I'm writing this post with my other hat on, that of an online educator. I'm currently teaching Developmental Writing online to students from GSC. Out of the NH Colleges and Universities, Granite State truly has it right in that our instructors are professionals in their fields and our small class sizes make both our online courses and face to face classes a close knit learning community. As a professional, wife, mother and friend, I can tell you that there is not enough time in the day for all of us to accomplish all the things we find of value in our lives. At GSC, instructors get that. We understand that we all have a lot of balls in the air and with many choices of colleges to take Portsmouth NH classes and more and more online schools for adults, you will want to get an education somewhere that understands the challenges you face outside of school.
Adult College Degree programs where you can take classes at night or from the convenience of your own home, that are also affordable, are a rarity in the state. The quality of our programs for the cost is quite good.
Teaching writing online has been interesting. Many students feel they did not get the grammar and sentence structure education in their secondary school experience. Our Developmental Writing course helps students learn the basics to prepare for Accuplacer testing in Sentence Skills. I think my students would tell you that they have learned a great deal from the class so far...more to come!
An event this week captures the essence of adult higher education here at GSC. At our
Rochester NH College, our ENG 555, Children's Literature class hosted well known New Hampshire author and poet, Marie Harris. For those of us highly invested in adult college classes, the energy and enthusiasm from the the interaction between students and
Marie was incredible.
I have a great appreciation for all New Hampshire colleges and universities, but when you combine small seminar-style classes, the ability to meet and talk with former NH Poet Laureates, all through evening college classes, it adds up to a unique teaching and learning environment. We of course have adult online degrees, and yes, affordable Bachelors degrees, but there is something particular about this NH State College. I observed a particular dynamic between this noted children's book author and the students in Children's Literature. The questions, the intent look on each face, and the transformation of something abstract to something alive is why Granite State College is the college for lifelong learning, and the center of adult education.
G is for Granite (State College):
L - R:
John B. Cook, GSC Faculty Coordinator; Poet and Author Marie Harris; GSC Faculty Member Heidi Zollman
If you work for the NH Department of Environmental Services I will be attending your Wellness Fair on February 2nd...come and learn more about
Granite State College's continuing education degrees.
Students currently in the CCSNH come out and see Outreach Coordinators at your respective campuses the first week in February. The University of New Hampshire System is holding Transfer Fairs at each campus. On Friday, February 5th I will be at Great Bay Community College for Rochester NH college and Portsmouth NH college students. Check out
www.nhtransfer.net to look at transfer options.
Students currently at York County Community College, I will be visiting your campus on February 10th. Stop by and learn more about taking classes online, night college classes or
teacher training education.
Hope to see you on the road!
Mary was discouraged when she first came to see me. She had attended a large university for three semesters and had not been terribly successful. She had gone to college straight from high school, following the "traditional" undergraduate college path. Her peers had encouraged her to go to a big school. "It will be exciting!" She was told. "So many things to do on campus!"
Her first semester she could not understand why she was experiencing so much academic difficulty. She had been a great student in high school, achieving good grades with relative ease. She struggled through her first semester, enjoying the social life and many great activities the large university had to offer. She failed half of her classes.
After 3 semesters, she had only successfully completed half of her classes. She finally realized that is was the size of the classes that did not work for her. She felt small and lost in the large lecture hall courses with 200 other people and dis-empowered to speak up.
Discouraged, Mary dropped out of school and came home to the North Country, feeling like an academic failure.
Then a friend told her about Granite State College. "They have adult programs online!" she was told, "They have a Conway NH College!" Mary saw a local billboard featuring a smiling student and decided to call. She was greeted by friendly office staff. By the time she made it into my office she was beginning to feel more hopeful.
As we talked I told her about Granite State College's small, personal classes. She was excited that the small class size would allow her to get to know her instructor and fellow students. I went on to describe GSC's evening college courses, weekend college courses and online adult degrees. When she found out that two courses is full time at GSC, her smile beamed. "I was overwhelmed in four courses!" She exclaimed. "Juggling work and a four course load was impossible."
I then assured her that I have an open door policy. I want my students to come see me any time they are experiencing any kind of obstacle or if they just want to talk. "I never had anyone help me at my old school." She said.
She left a very happy, soon to be new Granite State College student.
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