Online Classes for Criminal Justice

I fell in love with Granite State College almost immediatley. I was initially drawn to GSC for two reasons: the main reason being it was one of a few schools in NH that offered a Criminal Justice degree. Secondly, it is a part of the NH university system, so I knew a majority of my credits from UNH Manchester would transfer over. I entered into GSC a 'different' type of student than I did when I entered into UNH Manchester almost 5 years ago to obtain my associates degree. This time around, I was a full-time working mom with bills to pay and more determined then ever to complete my bachelor's degree. I needed a school that would not only work around my schedule and daughter, but consisted of other faculty and students that knew where I was coming from. From the day I started, I knew GSC was the right choice for me. I fell in love with my online classes, the teachers, faculty, and fellow students. Not only have I been truly impressed with my courses, but I have also had such a pleasant experience dealing with the staff, whether it be financial aid or my counselor. GSC has given me a confidence that I have never felt before and an unparalleled passion for learning. I have been very successful at GSC and I am proud to say that I am a GSC student.

- Stephanie

What are your thoughts about online adult education classes at Granite State College? Have you taken online classes for early childhood, or online classes for criminal justice, or maybe online college english classes?
What did you think? Were the class materials easy to negotiate online? Were the assignments clear and enjoyable? Did you feel that you were learning as much, or more than you do in a face to face class at Granite State?

I am asking because as a faculty member at Granite State College, I am taking a course on creating online courses. I am interacting with a number of faculty members who teach english courses and science courses and education courses. Our discussions focus on using the best online experiences for the students enrolled in online classes. 

If you have thoughts about online classes for college or personal online education experiences at Granite State College, or want to get involved in the online courses, I would love to hear your ideas.

Tonight, in my child development class at Granite State College's Portsmouth NH college campus, we were talking about cognitive development of high school students. We discussed how during the high school years, children are transitioning to adulthood, not only in their size, but also in their thinking. Students in high school begin to analyze things from a variety of perspectives. They start to think of themselves as part of a larger world and they start to make moral judgments based on an understanding of right and wrong. You might not think that education classes at Granite State College would touch on world issues, but as we discussed thinking and reasoning, we also talked about issues facing not only today's teens, but also issues facing our country and our world. Should we be concerned about the fate of people half way around the world in Japan? Should we care about how the United States is responding to the crisis in Libya? There are many classes at Granite State College that will allow you to think more deeply about world issues. Think about registering for online classes or face to face classes. These might be behavioral science classes or critical thinking or an online class for criminal justice. Try registering for an adult education class. Many of the classes will encourage you to think and offer you a chance to discuss your ideas with other people who are also interested in world issues.

What are you doing today? Maybe you are an early childhood educator. You go to your job, which you love, but you wish you could do more. Maybe you are a paraprofessional and you wish you could take on more responsibility. Then you think of how you could do more. That would mean going back to school. School?? AHHH!!  Then come the excuses. I am too old. I am too tired. I work all day. I have my own kids to worry about at night. 

But have you thought about online education classes? Maybe you knew that Granite State College had online college english classes and online classes for criminal justice. But did you know that many of the classes for Early Childhood Education are also online? Just think, you could come home from work, have your supper, get your kids to bed, put on your pjs, climb into bed and go to school. 

Wow! Wouldn't that be great. Just think, you can take online classes at Granite State College in so many areas. You could get your whole Associate's Degree without ever leaving your room. Or maybe you just need a course or two. Check it out. The online courses at Granite State are designed for working professionals just like you. 

Now that you have eaten the Thanksgiving turkey and all of those pies, you may be thinking about enjoying December and then making the regular New Year's Resolution to go on a diet. Well, how about something more lasting this year? A resolution that will really change your life?

How about enrolling in Adult Education classes at Granite State College. You have debated taking a class, finishing a degree or maybe getting an Adult Education Certificate. Now is the time. Granite State College has face-to-face and Online Classes in many areas. Maybe you are interested in an Adult Accelerated Degree Program, or Online Classes for Criminal Justice. Maybe you are interested in Childhood Education Classes or Behavioral Science Classes. Check out all the offerings at Granite State College and then make a New Year's Resolution to further your education. Classes at Granite State are offered in the evenings and people like you are coming from work to learn more and further their careers. The people are friendly and ready to learn. So, make a move and make a New Year's Resolution that you will enjoy keeping. You can register on line today.  And, as for that diet, just watch that third piece of pie! 

I never want you to feel nervous or scared to start a fresh new life. That's the person I was until a friend brought me to Granite State College. Since I have begun my education by taking many behavioral science classes, I have become a whole new person. I am a go-getter now! I am happy and excited by things and I know I am headed to a great place. If you have any thoughts about starting your education, stop on by! We have so many things for you to take a look at, see what interests you. Maybe you are looking for online classes for criminal justice! Maybe you are looking for foster parent classes or an accelerated undergraduate courses! We have a wide range of things to offer you, and with convenient nights, weekend, and online courses, you can still work while you get your adult education diploma. Whatever you decide to do, I want you to know that I am here for you! You can stop by any time and we can talk about getting you a fresh start too! So come on by to the Manchester Campus and ask to speak with me, Danielle, and become the best that you can be!

P.S. Registration for our Winter term begins today!!

If you are thinking about taking a course online, but you are not sure you know how to navigate a whole course online, just realize that as a student at Granite State College, whether you are looking for online classes for early childhood education or online classes for criminal justice or online college English classes, you are not the only one who has to learn to navigate the online system.

I am currently creating my first online course and I will tell you it was a bit of a challenge at the beginning. My first look at the Blackboard system was almost enough to scare me away from online classes at Granite State forever. I thought, there is no way I am going to be able to put a whole course onto the computer. But with the patience and assistance of the Blackboard resource people at GSC, I have almost finished writing my first online course. I have been teaching for a long time, at Granite State and in other places but I guess I am still not too old to learn new things and neither are you.

So be brave, step out of the familiar and into the new and exciting world of online adult education classes at Granite State. See you online!

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 ;)     

So I am wrapping up my career college training in criminal justice administration and cruising towards my bachelor's degree.  I signed up for the integrated seminar in hopes that since we we were all sooooo close to finishing it would be more like a big get-together, have a few laughs, exchange some stories and off we go.  Wrongo!!!!!  Granite State College gives opportunity, but it doesn't give away credits! 

My Online Classes for Criminal Justice had been challenging so far but this one was going to be a doozey.  Melding everything I had learned in the past years into a single meaningful topic, over the course of 20 pages in APA format looked like a mountain I would never be able to climb.  

I now know why CSG makes you take all those seemingly less important classes as an adult learner.  My online college English classes prepared me for sustained writing.  Critical thinking prepared me for tough analysis and synthesis of an idea.  Communications prepared me to express myself in a thoughtful and provocative manner.  It was all coming together and I could feel my confidence rising.  I had what it took to do this an I would see this through!

I can tell you that having that integrated seminar behind me is a great feeling.  I submitted a 20-page research paper on a topic I really cared about.  It gave me an opportunity to truly express myself, and show that I had obtained the academic skills a person should have when attending a true institute of higher learning.  I felt like not only had I learned, but that I had become educated as well.  For me, as an Adult Education Service, Granite State College delivers.   

Next up:  One down, one to GO!    

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.   

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!    

I had put my dreams of a college degree away and carried on with my life.  I was busy, and happy in my career, but really never thought I would "close the book" on an adult education diploma.  I was enjoying some success in my career and as luck would have it, I was promoted to Lieutenant of the Conway Police Department.  This was a happy time for me but a crossroads as well.  Now that I was an administrator, would I have the credibility dealing with budgets, Boards and Committees?  I new I had to take another look at finishing my educational journey.

In December of 2007, I went down to the local Granite State College office and met the greatest people.  From my academic advisor Nancee Caughey to the office staff, Cindy, Patti, Julie and Molly, they were all clearly pulling for me to get back in the game!  They could tell that I was nervous about returning to classes after 15 years, especially the online classes for criminal justice.  I wasn't the most computer savvy guy and I was more than a little intimidated.  They explained the process of re-enrollment, accuplacer testing and the many new programs available to help me obtain an accelerated undergraduate degree. 

The thing that caught my attention first was the huge variety of degree choices.  I had choices like Associate in Science in Business, Criminal Justice or even General Studies.  All of these choices were now available online too.  No traveling to the Berlin NH College or to any Concord NH Classes for credit.  I settled on continuing with a Business Degree, now at the Associate level, and realized I was actually more than half way there!  My fear was replaced with excitement and a renewed sense of purpose.  I thought, "This is really going to happen!"

Next:  Online classes, test outs and the impossible becomes possible!    

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!   

There must have been a time when livestock was expensive enough that it was currency unto itself, hence phrases like "bring home the bacon." I am pretty sure the term bucks came to mean dollars in the frontier days of the U.S for the same reason. There was probably an era, when prosperity and success in life in the developed world could be correlated to the amount of bacon a particular person ate, or at least had access to.

This however, is not the bacon I have in mind; instead, I am thinking of Kevin Bacon. In particular, I think that Kevin Bacon should get his own unit of measure, not shockingly called Bacons.

Let me back up: ever since 7th grade, I thought it would be the coolest thing to have my own unit of measure (after I took chemistry in 10th grade, I added that having my own chemical element would be awesome, too). The greatest names in science, as a tribute to their contributions to knowledge, were made synonymous with units of measure in their fields of endeavor. Some of the are familiar and heard every day, like Fahrenheit, or Newtons, if you've ever taken physics. There are dozens more, and they can get totally obscure, like angstroms, gauss, roentgens, farradays, etc. Since I changed my major in college from chemistry to psychology in my sophomore year, the odds of getting my own element or unit don't look good. Almost everyone else alive today won't get one either, but each of us can make a difference in the world with our Bacons.

The idea is to play off the "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, so that your one-Bacons are the people immediately around you: family, friends, colleagues. The two-Bacons and beyond are somewhat harder to measure, but it could certainly be done. Focusing on the one-Bacons, I believe that the well-being of your one-Bacons is a direct measure of yourself. The best part about this is that everyone you've ever seen, spoken, or been around is one of your one-Bacons, and anyone that they've ever seen, spoken to, or been around is one of  your two-Bacons. Similarly, you could very well be a two-Bacon to two complete strangers, who turn out to be within four or five Bacons of each other....whoa, hang on... I'm dizzy.

This all hit me at the Granite State College Commencement ceremony a couple weekends ago. Even though I have been to a dozen graduation ceremonies before, both as a spectator and a graduate, I just realized a couple weeks ago that an elusive concept like success can be easily measured as your one-Bacons. Each speaker at Commencement, including GSC President Dr. Karol LaCroix, Governor John Lynch, and the faculty and student speakers, more or less made this point from different perspectives. When the students thanked their husbands and wives and children and families, they spoke volumes about being the one-Bacons of their family members. The award recipients basically said the same thing - that their personal achievements were possible only because they are the one-Bacons of their families and colleagues.

I also had a great day that Sunday on account of my one-Bacons. For the first graduation since I started here, I had a number of students graduate that "came in" with me, which is to say I was their advisor from their first day, to that Sunday where they graduated. My one-Bacons are everywhere, too. Some of them had been to multiple schools in the University of New Hampshire System, but finished at GSC. Others have a career for years, even decades, before deciding to finish with online classes for criminal justice.

All of this was huge for me, although to be fair, it's sort of rigged: each of my advisees who graduated are some of my one-Bacons, and it felt really good to have helped in the success and graduation of that many folks. The families and friends assembled that afternoon must have also been proud, so that my two-Bacons also had a great day.

Please know, this is not all about me, or about any one of us, individually. Instead, I think the true measure of the success of any one of us can be measured by our Bacons. Ask yourself, just as I do everyday (wait, that's not true; it's not every day, how about a few times a week):

How did I make my organization better today?
How did I make my spouse's/child's/friend's/neighbor's life better today?

Your one-Bacons (and two-Bacons and three-Bacons, and so on) can be your most trusted friends or total strangers on the bus, and any one of them or all of them can be vastly upgraded by the simplest or silliest things. And even though it's true that we have an opportunity to better ourselves by actively bettering the lot of our one-Bacons, it always helps to have a ceremony or event that broadcasts the betterment of your one-Bacons, like when a number of my students walked across that stage when their names were called at Commencement.

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: