The Online Degree Dorm Room

Associate online degree programs | Ball State reflects the rise in online enrollment

Posted by bposton on November 29th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Remember the report I told you about that showed an increase in online enrollments?

Well I thought you might like to know that this increase is being seen across the country
at many universities.

Take Ball State, for example.

The Ball State School of Extended Education has a 9 month independent learning program and a ten-week fast track program, The independent learning program has about half of its classes online and allows students to work at their own pace in a nine-month period. The fast track program has all of its classes online and students have to finish their work within the 10 weeks.

Ball State is reporting that registration for the online independent learning programs is increasing. The online independent learning programs were started in 2005, and offer the entire core curriculum. Students must also complete two minors that the school of extended education developed.

Online enrollment has almost doubled at Ball State. However, they are seeing more graduate level students that undergraduate students at this time.

Jim Flowers, professor and director of online education in the Department of Technology, said the department’s two master’s degree programs skyrocketed in enrollment numbers. He said offering online courses gave an advantage because of different perspectives from students around the country and world. Indiana does not require a master’s degree for education, so Flowers said Ball State can service a greater population of students.

He commented that the graduate students who are online are students who have already done teaching, and have already established houses and families, so they’re able to provide a different perspective to things.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | What colleges offer the most online degrees?

Posted by bposton on November 26th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

The annual report on the state of online education has found that the number of colleges and universities offering 4 year and associate online degree programs has increased.

Which is good news for everyone.

However, the last 3 annual reports showed a very uneven distribution of online course and program offerings by type of institution.  Public colleges and universities and the very large institutions in the US have always been first with online degree offerings.

Private, small 4 year colleges have been least likely to offer online courses, and typically have they’ve received the most negative opinions about online education in general.

And this year’s report is pretty much online the same line. This year’s results show no major changes from this type of pattern. The same large and public universities are still offering the most degrees online.

More than 96 percent of colleges and universities with more than 15,000 total enrollments have some online degree programs, which is more than double that of the smaller, private institutions.
The proportion of colleges and universities with completely online programs rises as the size of the instituion increases. 

About two-thirds of the very largest institutions have degree programs that are completely online programs, while only about one-sixth of the smallest institutions have such programs.

Interestingly Doctoral and Research institutions have been shown to have the greatest depth of online programs and courses. Over 80% of these colleges and universities have some form of online program, either courses or full programs.

So you probably need to look toward the public university or a very large college to find an online degree program with a lot of depth and selection. The private colleges have them also, but you might not find exactly what you need.

Ben 

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Prestigeous Schools go online

Posted by bposton on November 24th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Online education has grown much more popular since the advent of the Internet. But to be honest, most online degrees are still coming from for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix, and not from the traditional brick-and-mortar colleges.

In fact, a lot of the country’s most elite universities have pretty much avoided the trend towards online degrees, thinking that a computer cannot replace the intellectual exchange offered by attending classes in person.

But that is changing - finally

The new online engineering master’s degree offered by Stanford and a handful of other respected universities are embracing online education. Or a least giving it a try. 

Duke University’s new “Global Executive MBA'’ is completely Internet-based. Johns Hopkins University offers an online master’s degree program in bioinformatics.

This is important because it’s a sign that online education is becoming mainstream when these prestigous universities are sticking their toes in the water to see if it’s warm.

It’s a very good sign to me

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by bposton on November 22nd, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Hello, my online degree dorm room buddy!

Just wanted to let you know that I’m gonna be skipping a few classes and taking a little time off from my postings to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.

I want to thank you for putting up with my crazy sense of humor and I hope you’ll continue to come back and learn more about getting your online degree.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday (if you’re in the US, that is) and I’ll be back soon!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | All About Associate Degrees - A summary

Posted by bposton on November 21st, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I hope I haven’t bored you to tears with all these posts about associate degrees

And maybe you’ve even learned a few things that you didn’t know, like:

The difference between Community and Junior Colleges

The three different classes of associate degrees

The three different types of people that persue associate degrees or take associate degree courses

The advantages of associate degrees over 4 year degrees

How to make sure that your community college is accredited and that the credits you earn will be transferable to a 4 year school if that is your plan.

If you didn’t catch all of the posts, don’t worry, there still here in the online degree dorm room. Just take a look around and you’re find those and other posts that I hope you’ll find helpful.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Tennesee’s Online Degree Programs

Posted by bposton on November 19th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

The University of Tennesee is addressing the needs of non-traditional students with their online education programs. The University offers several ways for students to work for degrees through this type of distance education.

UT’s chief information officer confirms what we in the online dorm room already know; online courses will become more and more prevalent in the future. 

UT has 13 graduate degrees available online. These include master’s degrees in engineering and information sciences among others, such as MBA degree programs.

They realize that and are trying to cater to the students who are not in the 18 to 24 age group.

The assistance dean for Distance Education, George Hoemann states that their online course allows these students to continue with work and family obligations while achieving their degree.

The UT online program utilizes “Centra,” which allows interactive video classrooms containing two-way video and audio. These “Live Online” classes can have specific class times that students must log on in order to be registered
as attending the class. Students see what the professor is doing live and have a chance to interact, and the professor controls what is shown.

The online classes have the same pricing structure as their classroom counterparts, and they are taught by the same professors and offer the same benefits.

Tennesee also use online classes to supplement traditional classes. Through Blackboard, teachers can ask students to work and turn in assignments online.

So it looks like the Vols have the right idea to me

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Associate Online Degree Programs | A Hurricane Katrina Survivor Story

Posted by bposton on November 19th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Here’s a great story I read about a Hurrance Katrina survivor who’s now persuring her degree online

Sharon Truly had never evacuated for a hurricane.

So when Hurricane Katrina came barreling through New Orleans, she thought it was just another storm and decided to
ride it out at a motel with her husband, her son and her 21 exotic birds.

“In one day, everything you have in your whole life is wiped out. That fast,” Truly said, with a snap of her fingers,
as she looked through photographs of the things she lost.

Truly, who suffers with seizures, migraine headaches, a chronic respiratory disease and ruptured disks in her back,
is unable to work. She must have oxygen to sleep at night. Her oxygen concentrator was flooded and she also had
trouble getting her prescriptions filled. She eventually relocated to Memphis, Tenn.

That’s when she heard about the Memphis and Shelby County Community Services Agency, a member of Katrina Aid Today.

Truly’s case manager helped her find an apartment and furnish it, and get her prescription medications refilled.
The case manager also is helping her map out a plan for her recovery, and assisted her in applying for an educational grant.

Today, Truly is working toward her bachelor’s degree online and plans to start a home-based business selling
vitamins and nutritional shakes.

What a great success story. I wish you all the best, Truly

Just so you know, Katrina Aid Today is funded through a $66 million grant to the United Methodist Committee on Relief and monitored by Federal Emergency Management Agency. It’s a consortium that consists of 25 agencies with years of
disaster recovery case management experience serving either as national partners or as local service providers under
the Katrina Aid Today umbrella.

Although it has been more than a year since Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast,
the figures confirm that many people across the nation are desperate for aid. This consortium plans to
assist about 70,000 more Katrina-affected families over the next 11 months.

Kudos to Katrina Aid Today!!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Some states give 539 plans get tax break

Posted by bposton on November 18th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

If you’re saving for college, you’re probably already up to speed on the benefits of
investing in a state-sponsored 529 college savings program.

Ah, but what you might not know about are the tax parity laws.

There are a lot of states that give up-front state tax deductions or credits to residents who enroll in their own state-sponsored 529 plans.

But until April, no state allowed residents to receive a tax break when investing in out-of-state college savings plans.

Did you know that?

Well that all changed when Maine, and then Kansas, enacted a tax parity or state tax deduction law enabling families to invest in any in-state or out-of-state 529 college savings program and receive their own state’s tax deduction.

Yeah 529 plans are a popular way to invest for college, but those who try to compare plans state-by-state run into a great deal of confusion when navigating the different tax treatments.
Residents of Kansas will have an open door to other states’ 529 college savings programs starting with the 2007 tax year. Previously, they only received a tax advantage if they chose the state’s 529 Learning Quest plan, which is administered by Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins and managed by American Century Investments.

While Learning Quest is a nationally competitive and well-managed plan, Kansas residents will now be able to utilize the annual adjusted gross income deduction of up to $3,000 per beneficiary ($6,000 if married and filing jointly) for contributions made to whichever 529 college savings plan best meets their investment objectives. 

Many other states have introduced parity efforts in their legislatures, but they’ve not been going anywhere. That’s because these states are worried about tax revenue loss or they want to protect their own in-state 529 college savings franchise. But they’re missing the benefit of providing their residents with more choices and enhancing competition in the 529 industry.

Tax parity is a great way for states to help families catch up with escalating college costs. The tax deduction will help level the playing field among college savings plans, challenging program managers to shape programs competitively, which will ultimately provide the best savings plans for consumers.

So write your state senator and tell them to support tax parity for 529 plans!!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | More employers accept online degrees

Posted by bposton on November 18th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Here’s some great news if you’re thinking about getting a degree online.

I just read a report that said 85 Percentage of U.S. employers say that online degrees are more acceptable today than they were five years ago. That’s according to a survey conducted by Vault Inc.

That’s not all. The report also mentioned that 86 Percentage of U.S. employers would be willing to accept a job applicant with an online degree.

Now in my opinion, that should be 100%

But it is improving. What needs to happen is that employers need to understand that there’s no different in the quality of an online education than one received in a traditional classroom environment.

And it seems to be taking place. The study indicated that 34 Percentage of U.S. employers have encountered a job applicant with an online degree. and 20 Percentage of U.S. employers have hired a job applicant with an online degree.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Traveling Nurses Easing Staff Shortages

Posted by bposton on November 17th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Remember my posts a few days ago about the predicted shortages of nursing positons?

Well, With the acute shortage of nurses nationwide, travel nursing has come into its own within the health care profession.

Today, a well-qualified nurse with experience in a high-demand specialty can find
short-term placements almost anywhere in the country - including exotic resort locations like Hawaii and the Caribbean - throughout the year.

Now doesn’t Hawaii or the Caribbean sound good this time of year?
Registered nurses with at least 10 months of clinical experience and good references are
eligible. These temporary assignments, typically lasting 13 weeks, are often staff positions in critical care settings in locations ranging from rural areas to cruise ships and resort
areas.

Travel nursing offers something for everyone at every career stage: the allure of
travel and unique settings; rewarding positions at top teaching hospitals and research
institutions; and challenging work in hard-pressed, underserved areas.

“For a nurse or nurse practitioner with a flexible schedule, travel nursing can be a
very appealing career option as it offers higher pay, flexibility, variety and often the
opportunity for business travel,” said Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson
Campaign for Nursing’s Future, a public awareness and image-building campaign that is addressing the nursing shortage through nursing scholarships and nursing student recruitment activities. “It’s one of the many areas of specialty where current demand far exceeds supply.”

Those interested usually get their start with placement companies to determine
openings. Candidates complete an application, discuss their plans and interests with a recruiter, and conduct telephone and in-person interviews with potential health care facilities.

If the candidate is offered a position, the travel company helps with the details of travel
documents, credentialing and licensure, hospital orientation, housing (some provide free or subsidized apartments) and even arrangements for furniture and utilities.

Sounds like a sweet deal to me - be a nurse and see the world!
Ben

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