Alpha Sigma Lambda was originally founded in 1946 by Dr. Rollin E. Posey, Dean of University College of Northwestern University, to recognize and honor superior scholarship of adults who accomplish academic excellence while trying to fulfill their many commitments to family, community, and work.  Today, Alpha Sigma Lambda is the oldest and largest chapter-based honor society for adult students with chapters at over 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States.  Lewis University is proud to present this nationally recognized prestigious honor to recognize the valuable contributions non-traditional students make to the university’s diverse learning community.

To be considered for chapter membership, a student must meet the following requirements:  be at least 24 years of age; be a matriculated student seeking his/her first undergraduate degree; have completed a minimum of 32 credit hours at Lewis University; have at least 12 credit hours in liberal arts; have achieved at least a 3.700 grade point average; rank among the top 20% of eligible students; and have junior or senior status.

This year, a total of 52 students accepted membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda; a total of 21 students attended the ceremony.  The adult student inductees represented 17 majors from all four colleges; were daytime, evening, main campus, regional campus, and online students; and in addition to being Illinois residents, one student was from Wisconsin, one from California, and four from New Mexico.  Every student inductee had a GPA within the range of 3.837 – 4.000.

The ceremony began with an introduction by Bernadette Valderrama, Academic Advisor for the School for Professional and Continuing Education and Chapter Councilor, who recognized how it was indeed a day for great celebration and applauded the students for their effort and persistence. This was followed by a moving invocation delivered by Dr. Lesley Page, Associate Professor from The College of Arts and Sciences, who also serves as Deputy Councilor.  The Welcome Address was then given by Lewis University President, Br. James Gaffney, who generously acknowledged that, for adult students to excel scholastically amid their countless responsibilities and challenges, is testament to their competence, courage, and discipline.

During the ceremony, Dr. Walter Pearson, Dean of the School for Professional and Continuing Education, offered gratitude to those who admirably commit to serving adult students and presented four Excellence in Learning awards to three Faculty Members, Dr. R. V. Barello, Dr. Philip Jenks, Dr. Anne Rapp, and to one Staff Member, Maggi Pfrommer.  The four award recipients along with Br. James Gaffney were also bestowed with Honorary Membership in the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society.

The newly elected 2013 Alpha Sigma Lambda Student Officers, Gene Klimek (President), Doris Wallace (Vice President), Sarah Eberwein (Secretary), and Marina Kostyra (Treasurer) assisted with the ritual and administered the Pledge of Membership to the new inductees.  Also assisting the inductees before and after the ceremony, were the newly appointed 2013 Board Members, Robin Boland, Eva Bustamante, La’toya Carter, Laura Hutton, Joan Strainis, and Chad Turner, as well as the staff from the School for Professional and Continuing Education.

Dr. Mary Fisher, Associate Professor in the College of Education recited the names, and Dr. Michael Cherry, Coordinator of Adult Business Programs from the College of Business along with Dr. Lesley Page distributed certificates and membership materials to the inductees.

After a standing ovation, and a resplendent recessional to The Trumpet Voluntary performed by musician, Michael Pleska, the inductees were joined by family, friends, and faculty, for a reception of light refreshments and fellowship.

Students inducted into the honor society included: Christine Alessi, Kevin Archibald, Tamara Arnold, Ann Bakshis, Christa Barton, James Baum, Jennifer Belice, Therese Berglund, Michael Bird, Michael Breese, Jodi Canaday, Ann Candelaria, Nicholas Cassell, Sheila Debelak, Wojciech Fedorowicz, Lynda Frank, Chad Funk, Cary Hansing, Karly Hantosh, Shannon Heim, Kimberly Herzog, Christina Howard, Eileen Johnson, William Kallal, Kevin Karasti, Wendy Knox, George Krizka, Kandis Kuklinski, Sarah Langheld, Julie Lombardo, Jessica Mellen, Mark Milazzo, Daniel Miller, Joyce Montoya-Roach, Danielle Mosher, Heather Multon, Scott Myers, Heath Parvis, Kelly Quinn, Nicole Rafferty, La’tonya Sawyer, Jeremy Schmeling, David Scholtes, Anna Schroeder, Cynthia Shepkong, Ann Marie Spohnholtz, Vincent Sproete, Kathryn Strait, Tracy Vittorio, Laura Wirth, David Woock, Ruben Zendejas.

Story contributed by: Bernadette Valderrama

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The photo above features students who attended the ceremony:

Third Row (Top) (left to right): Ann Bakshis; Kelly Quinn; Karly Hantosh; George Krizka; Scott Myers; Kevin Karasti; Michael Bird

Second Row (left to right): La’tonya Sawyer; Danielle Mosher; Kathryn Strait; Ann Marie Spohnholtz; William Kallal; Joyce Montoya-Roach

First Row (Bottom) (left to right):  Jodi Canaday; Heather Multon; Wendy Knox; Therese Berglund; Cynthia Shepkong; Anna Schroeder; Julie Lombardo

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Start off on the right foot with a class that stimulates your critical thinking skills, teaches you about yourself as a learner, and enables you to explore your academic and professional goals.

Adult students seeking admission or re-admission to Lewis University who are admitted before the end of the term are eligible for a scholarship to cover the tuition for the course. 

The Adult College Experience (ACE) is a 3 credit course at Lewis University that is the pathway to completing your degree.  It will enable you to:

• succeed in accelerated courses
• excel in online and classroom learning environments
• hone your writing and critical thinking skills
• revisit and improve how to study most effectively
• enhance your professional and academic goals
• plan financially and academically so you complete your degree
• learn about how to earn college credit for knowledge gained from life experience
• become more aware of your learning style so you maximize your effectiveness in class and in your profession

Plus, the course orients you to all of the resources Lewis University has to offer, including:  online learning tools and courses, academic resources, and Library research.

Here’s what students who have taken the course have to say:

• This is a great class for adult students returning to college to learn how to get back into the college mode.
• I think the course will be an asset for my future courses.
• The class helped me to figure out the kind of learner that I am. [It] helps a student to realize their goals and better ways to achieve them.
• An excellent tool for adults new to Lewis. Provided information on resources that Lewis offers but also resources that an individual may not know they are capable of doing themselves.
• Class was always interesting and fun! I recommend this class for everyone! It is a great course for adults returning to college.

Please contact us to find out when the next offering of this course will be.  Please contact a Graduate and Adult Admissions Counselor for more information.

Contact your Adult Admission Advisor today to find more at

acceleratedprogram@lewisu.edu  or (815) 836-5610.

DON’T FORGET TO REFER A FRIEND!

LEWIS  UNIVERSITY’S  REFER  A  FRIEND

A successful University doesn’t just happen; it is the result of a strong commitment to excellence and in the relationships we build with our students and colleagues. We appreciate the confidence you’ve placed in us to provide you with the quality education you have come to expect from Lewis University, and we thank you for recommending us to your friends and family.

It’s easy to refer a friend! Complete the Refer a Friend Form located at: http://www.lewisu.edu/admissions/referafriend/ by indicating the potential student’s information and include your information too.

By referring someone to one of our Adult Accelerated Undergraduate Programs, you will receive a $100 Voucher for the Lewis University Bookstore once that student successfully enrolls in their first course.

The information you provide will never be used for any purpose other than communication regarding Lewis University. For more information please contact Nina Nowaczyk at 815-836-5811.

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Do you need general elective credits?  Want to accelerate your degree progress and reduce tuition costs?  Prior Learning Assessment may be the answer.

Rebecca Kowall did.  Rebecca will be graduating with a Bachelors degree in Human Resource Management and a minor in Business Administration. She took full advantage of the PLA opportunity, and because of this, she reached her intended goal of graduating in May 2013.  She successfully earned 21 general elective credits, which saved her just over $11,000 in tuition.

Here’s what she has to say about Prior Learning Assessment:

The decision to enroll in the PLA course was one of the best decisions I have made in my academic pursuits while completing my degree with Lewis University. The PLA taught me how to organize my thoughts and experiences in a way that enabled me to express HOW I have applied my learning at several organizations over the years. Additionally, the structure of the PLA challenged my critical thinking skills, which in turn, warranted significant changes in updating my resume.

Because of my experience with the PLA course, I am confident that I have learned critical thinking and writing techniques that I would not have have otherwise developed outside of this process.  The PLA course has developed me both personally, and professionally, and because of this, I have become a stronger writer.

Whether you are a weak or strong writer, I highly recommend enrolling in the PLA course.  Documenting and sharing my learning experiences through this amazingly structured course has provided significant tuition savings, but most of all has saved me valuable TIME in completing my degree.

 If you want to participate in PLA and need general elective credits, register for a PLA Orientation:

• Wednesday, April 3rd, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm, Online Orientation (will be using Blackboard Collaborate)

Please click here to register for the orientation.

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The Summer and Fall 2013 SPCE course schedule is now available here

 The Summer and Fall Masters of Organizational Leadership schedule is now available here

Summer 2013 registration began April 3rd! 

Fall 2013 registration began April 15th!

Access the link to the Lewis University online registration, here.

Access Course Cycles for Bachelor of Organizational Leadership and Masters of Organizational Leadership

Access Course Cycles for College of Business

Access Course Cycles for Applied Sociology and Political Science

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History of Alpha Sigma Lambda

Alpha Sigma Lambda is a nationally recognized honor society devoted to the advancement of scholarship and to the recognition of full- and part-time non-traditional adult students.

The founding chapter was established in 1946 by Dr. Rollin Posey, Dean of University College at Northwestern University, to recognize the accomplishments of those returning to academic pursuits after the close of World War II.  Dr. Posey realized that a measure of encouragement and recognition accorded an adult student’s scholastic achievement at an early stage of his/her program could provide the thrust of desire to achieve his/her educational objectives.  Dr. Posey founded a society, Alpha Sigma Lambda, to honor those dedicated adult students, who while adroitly handling their life responsibilities, achieve and maintain high scholastic standards.

Alpha Sigma Lambda stands as an inspiration to scholastic growth, is an invitation to associate with similarly motivated students, and is a builder of pride through recognition.  The chapter serves as a vehicle for imparting appreciation for adult students’ academic achievements and contributions.  Through leadership borne of scholastic and fraternal effort, Alpha Sigma Lambda inspires its candidates to give of their strengths to their fellow students and continues through their academic achievements.

Today there are over 300 chartered chapters throughout the United States.  It is not only the oldest, but also the largest, chapter-based honor society for full- and part-time students.

To be eligible for membership to Alpha Sigma Lambda at Lewis University, you must be a matriculated undergraduate student, at least 24 years old, seeking your first degree, have completed 32 credit hours at Lewis University, have at least 12 credit hours in liberal arts/sciences (which may include transfer credit), rank among the top 20%, have junior or senior status (a minimum of 59 hours earned from all institutions), and have achieved at least a 3.7 GPA.

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At Lewis University, undergraduate students who have completed 12 graded credits in a semester are considered for the Dean’s list if they have a term GPA of 3.25 or above.

Dean Bonnie Bondavalli said, “Congratulations. This is a significant honor that is given to those who have shown excellence in their academic work. It attests to your hard work, determination, dedication and commitment to learning and achievement. On behalf of the Faculty of the College, I extend to you our heartiest best wishes for your continued success as a student and a scholar. Please know of our hopes that you will continue to find joy in your intellectual endeavors now as a student and throughout your life.”

The following Arts and Science students in accelerated programs are honored for their academic success:

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Photo taken from Glassdoor.com

A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers points out that skepticism about the value of a college degree 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.

Additionally, The College Advantage: Weathering the Economic Storm, from the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, shows that workers without a college degree have been significantly worse off in the recent economic downturn than those who have attended college. Four out of every five jobs lost in the recession were held by workers with no post-secondary education experience. Although the unemployment rate for recent college graduates is higher than for older workers with comparable education levels, their unemployment rate of 6.8 percent is still more than 17 points lower than for new high school graduates, which is at 24 percent.”

 Read the full report here.

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Sort and search courses in our Spring Catalog!   You can view this document by clicking here…SPRING 2013 SPCE course list Sort and Search.

As always, we have several other ways of obtaining access to our course schedules and here are a few of them…

Here is a link to the electronic version of our Spring 2012 Course Schedule Book.

Lewis University website… http://www.lewisu.edu/, find the “Academics” tab. When you hover over the “Academics” tab, you can see the drop down box and one of the choices is “Course Schedules”. See location of Academics Tab. If you click on “Course Schedules,” you will be taken to a page that contains an electronic version of our printed course schedules. See example of location SPCE Schedule from Web Page. You will be able to browse through the course schedules from this location.

Blackboard…You can access the course schedules without logging int Blackboard by clicking on the Program Information tab, then under School for Professional and Continuing Education, click on Adult Degree Completion and then, the course schedules will be on the left. If you want to access it with logging into Blackboard, it is much the same…access the Blackboard log-in location by clicking here. Log into Blackboard. If you do not remember your login information, please call the Help Desk at 815-836-5950. Once you have logged into Blackboard, click on the “Program Information” tab…see the location of the Program Information Tab. Once you have opened the “Program Information” tab, you will notice the column on the left and one of the selections in this location is Course Schedules. When you click on “Course Schedules,” you will then click on the link at the top of the page called “SPCE Spring 2013 Schedule” and from this location, you can scroll through the pages of the Course Schedule book.

Please see the Student Information Spring 2013.  This document will take you through information from admission processes to financial aid, billing and much more.

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