http://www.dbusiness.com/DBusiness/May-June-2013/Severstal-North-America-Announces-Executive-Leadership-Changes/

Tweet

To review visit the ASTD website article here.

For more information contact Mike Cherry 815-836-5562.

Tweet

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/one-skill-every-american-needs-learn-153037730.html?vp=1

Tweet

Real success in business is to be found in achievements comparable rather with those of the artist or the scientist, or the inventor or the statesman. And the joys sought in the profession of business must be like their joys and not the mere vulgar satisfaction which is experienced in the acquisition of money, in the exercise of power, or in the frivolous pleasure of mere winning.

Justice Louis D. Brandeis

Tweet

“This,” they will say, “is our northbound train. This is the direction we have chose, and no other. If you don’t feel you want to go north, there are other trains you can ride. But this particular train is going north, and I expect anyone who rides it to commit his or her energies fully to the journey.”

Karl Albrecht

Tweet

Susan Mitchell providing resume review.

Students got individual résumé reviews from Kristi Kelly with able support from faculty members Chris Condieu, Susan Mitchell, Meena Razvi, and Bill McKeown.

Maureen Keane and Rochelle Santopoalo led a career assessment (new directions for your career) workshop reviewing Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator results.

A hands-on workshop on getting started with LinkedIn was led by Mike Cherry and Bill McKeown while George Forsa led another on building your network on LinkedIn.

In a lively interactive session, alumni Joan Strainis (’11), Connie Tippett (’09), and Mike Maher (MAOL) shared their approaches to advancing or securing their career.

Questions? Dr. Walter Pearson pearsowa@lewisu.edu

Tweet

The Organizational Leadership Department is pleased to announce a new concentration being offered to students pursuing their Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. Organizational and Leadership Coaching is a multidisciplinary-based tool that can provide professionals with a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Coaching has grown rapidly as a profession within the past decade in businesses, schools, and organizations.  This new four course concentration explores the theory and research from which coaching has emerged and teaches the skills needed to become an effective internal or independent Organizational and Leadership Coach.

The courses are conducted synchronously online.  This means that you can attend class from the comfort of your own home computer! This technology supports interactivity and collaboration, creating a powerful virtual learning experience. The courses will meet from 6 until pm one night a week for 8 weeks.

Note: LL546 is a prerequisite for  LL547, LL548 and LL549.

Benefits

• Learn coaching strategies based on research and evidence in the field.
• Determine personal coaching styles, guided by well-researched models.
• Develop the ability to coach on the phone and face-to-face.
• Discover the theory behind effective coaching practices.
• Receive supervision from academically qualified coaching practitioners.
• Learn how to start a coaching practice both inside an organization and as an independent practitioner.

Please discuss enrollment in these courses with your advisor.  If you have any questions about the content of these courses, please feel free to contact Dr. Sheila Boysen-Rotelli in the Organization Leadership Department: boysensh@lewisu.edu.

Tweet

IMPACT Lab
Innovative Multimedia Projects, Assessment and Coaching with Technology

The IMPACT  Lab features equipment and software which promote and enrich the learning experience and offer greater options for self-discovery and improvement.

The Lab offers opportunities for multimedia project development, and writing and research support in conjunction with the Writing Center. It accommodates the production of work related to critical and creative thinking in a dedicated environment.

FACILITIES

The Lab facilities include dual-boot Macintosh computers and various software programs that assist students with basic computing tasks,   programmed instruction in specific academic skills, and discipline-specific assessment programs. The Center also includes a scanner and various printers.

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO IN THE IMPACT LAB

The IMPACT Lab is on the first floor of the library, located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC).

http://www.lewisu.edu/resources/larc/impact/index.htm

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

IMPACT Lab hours vary each semester.  To  verify our availability or for  additional information, please contact Melissa Cavazos-Eichelberger, IMPACT Lab and Academic  Technology Coordinator at (815)  836-5583 or via e-mail at impact@lewisu.edu.

Do you need a learning resource that is available to you on a flexible schedule?  Lewis University is offering you a free online tutoring service that you can access from the comfort and convenience of anywhere you have internet access!

Tweet

The answer is, “Yes, of course it is!”

Even during this very trying Great Recession, those with more education fared much better than those with high school and below.  Education has mattered enormously during this recent period in avoiding unemployment and garnering higher wages.  Those with only a high school education have continued to lose jobs throughout the entire recent period, and wages have slid lower.  An associate’s degree improves things.  A bachelor’s degree improves wages and employment even more.  A graduate degree adds to your chances of positive employment and wage outcomes.  The bottom line is, more education matters.

But wait, what about those recent graduates living at home?

We all know some who have completed degrees that are not flourishing and some who stopped their formal education at high school that are doing well.  Despite these individual counter-examples, the economic data make it clear that holding a bachelor’s degree is an enormous advantage.  During the more recent period of slow recovery, job growth has largely gone to those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.  Georgetown’s Center for Education and Workforce report titled “Weathering the Storm” stated:

“More than half of the employment increases have gone to workers with a bachelor’s degree or better, the rest of the gains to those with some college education or an associate’s degree.  Even in the recovery, workers with only a high school diploma or less have continued to lose jobs.”

While the size of the job market for college graduates has increased more slowly than in the past, the odds still strongly favor those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.  The broader direction of the economy points toward this becoming a stronger, not weaker trend.  This chart from their report “Weathering the Storm” illustrates the point:

But, what about wages?  I don’t want to have $25,000 in debt to make only $30,000 a year.

A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers pointed out that skepticism about the value of a college degree in the wage area is just off base:

“…the evidence clearly demonstrates the value of a college education.  According to our analysis of U.S. Census data, those who obtain a bachelor’s degree have a median income of $50,360 compared to a median of $29,423 for people with only a high school diploma.  An associate’s degree leads to a median income of $38,607, more than $9,000 higher than a high school diploma.  Those with a graduate degree have a median income of $68,064, 35.2 percent more than those with a bachelor’s degree.”

Let’s work with that wage differential.  How long does it take to pay off the cost the degree, and what’s the lifetime advantage? Whether we consider the bachelor’s advantage over the associate’s degree ($11,000 a year) or the high school degree ($21,000 a year), it takes only a few short years to pay the direct costs.  The lifetime advantage will be better than $400,000, according to the Census Bureau.

OK, does it matter what major I choose?

In some ways, no.  Completion of the degree is what matters.  However, not all degrees are created equal.  For one thing, the degree does need to come from a reputable source to be helpful in a job search.  We also know that, in general, the more quantitative or technical the degree, the better the lifetime outcomes will be.  For instance, there is great demand right now for health-related degrees, and graduates from those programs are getting good starting wages.  However, over their careers graduates in engineering, science, and business will get the greatest bang for the buck.  In IT, those who create information will do better than those who use information.  These insights come from another recent study from the Georgetown Center for Education and Workforce.  All that said, completion of a degree matters.  For those with experience, the major may be less important than simply finishing the degree.

I’ve seen those commercials from a for-profit college — is that a good option?

It does matter where you get your degree.  In one study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, graduates from for-profits saw very little impact on earnings after degree completion, even after controlling for other characteristics that might affect wages.  The study found “large, statistically significant benefits from obtaining certificates/degrees from public and not-for-profit but not from for-profit institutions.” Another study indicated that hiring managers preferred graduates from traditional programs over those from identifiably online universities.  When hiring managers were presented with sets of candidates that were matched with the only variation being the source of the degree, “96 percent chose the hypothetical applicant with the traditional degree.” The U.S. Senate Committee on Education recently published a large study on the major problems they found with the large for-profit colleges.  There are plenty of adult-focused colleges that are non-profit or public that provide credible degree completion programs with accelerated and online options.

Is it really that simple? Does completing my degree get me the job I want?

The key is having both – - the needed experience and the credential (the degree).  In my career, I serve adult degree completion students, and roughly half of them are completing their degrees in order to secure their career or to move up where they currently work.  They typically do not need added experience, just the degree.  Another 40 percent are seeking a degree in order to gain entry into a field new to them.  While they are working on their degrees, we help them gain experience in the target profession so that they make the most of the degree when they finish.

What does a college degree mean?

Completion of a college degree may help satisfy a requirement for hiring or promotion, and it does so because it signifies a number of qualities the candidate is likely to possess.  A degree from a quality institution signifies the capacity to reason from facts, the capability to engage in thoughtful and clear writing, empathy for others, the ability to work cooperatively within diverse settings, an understanding of our place in a rapidly changing global context, and analytic and quantitative reasoning.  These are qualities employers are looking for – - and qualities our society needs.  Employers are paying more for college graduates, even when a degree is not a formal requirement of the job.  In the Weathering the Storm study from Georgetown, those holding the bachelor’s degree typically receive 37 percent more in salary in low-education jobs than those with a high school education.  Employers are paying a premium even when a degree is not required.  The degree matters.

Is there any way I can reduce the cost of completing my degree?

Explore the least expensive options first.

My university is transfer-friendly and has a robust program to allow you to earn credit for the learning you’ve already gained through your work, travel, and the stuff you are passionate about, such as hobbies and causes.  These options (transfer, PLA, CLEP, and evaluated training) can save you thousands and several semesters.  Explore all of these options with your college or university to help you reduce the cost and time to degree:

• Maximize transfer credits.  Since the goal is to finish a bachelor’s degree, start by exploring community college transfer credits with the college where you want finish.  How many credits can I bring in? Which courses will help me the most? Most bachelor’s degree programs will allow about half of your credits to come from a regionally accredited two-year school, usually the local community college.
• Check out prior learning assessment.  This is a well-established system for receiving credit for the learning you have gained from work and other experiences.
• Try CLEP tests.  These nationally recognized exams from the College Board enable you to receive credit for a required course.  With a bit of study and a modest expense, CLEP tests can save time and money.
• See if your training programs from the military or work might carry a credit recommendation from the American Council on Education.

Get your boss to pay for it.

Try to find a job where the employer provides tuition support.  Many employers provide up to $5,250 a year in tuition support.

Go for all of the grant funds — too few apply!

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov,  and do it early each year.  This helps you qualify for a Pell Grant (up to $5,550 per year) and may qualify you for additional state grant funds.  My home state of Illinois has a grant program that provides about $157 per credit.  Any time you can find gift aid (that does not need to be re-paid) grab it.

I’m worried about repaying loans since my salary may be low when starting out.

The most important guideline is to borrow the minimum amount.  Don’t borrow for living costs or things you don’t absolutely need:  A new car or the latest gadget can wait.  Scrimp and save.  Remember that you are investing in your future, not living for the moment.  Unlike other forms of debt that can be erased in bankruptcy, you cannot walk away from student loan debt.

Check this exciting new student loan option: Re-payments in proportion to income.

Under a new federal student loan program, you can pay in proportion to your income.  Loan payments can be capped at 15 percent of discretionary income, which results in payments that are generally much lower than under the current system.  To give an example, let’s say you are making $30,000 a year after graduation and your loans total $17,000.  Since you are single, the government calculates that you would have a discretionary income of $13,225.  Your payments would be 15 percent of that, or $165 per month.  The payments would be lower if you had family obligations.  There is a subsidy for interest accumulation over the first three years, and the loan goes away after 25 years, even if not fully repaid.  This is a great deal, and I am very happy President Obama made it happen.

You may not have to pay all of it back: Public service loan forgiveness.

One of the most valuable new federal programs gives you loan forgiveness after 10 years of income-based payments.  These terms will apply if you are working for any unit of the federal, state, or local government.  This also applies if you work for any non-profit that provides any of the following:

• public health services;
• public education or public library services;
• school library and other school-based services;
• public interest law services;
• early childhood education; or
• public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly.

This forgiveness program is combined with the new income-based payment system (see previous section) to make this a very attractive option.

Closing thoughts

Despite all the recent skepticism, completing the bachelor’s degree pays off in finding and keeping a job and in how much you get paid.  You’ve got to be careful to choose the right college and the right major for you.  Be smart and explore with an admissions representative or academic advisor all the ways to bring down the cost.  Get grants and employer support to help you with the cost.  If you must borrow, be frugal and borrow only the minimum necessary.  Work with the financial aid office to understand the great new re-payment and forgiveness programs.  Make sure you approach the job market with the degree completed as well as with experience in your chosen profession. Millions of adult students finish their degree each year. You can do it too. The key is to get started.

Tweet