Summer at Elon
When people hear that I work on a college campus, one of the first comments is always “well, how nice and quiet it must be during the summer.” This comment is almost always followed up by the question “do you even have to work during the summer?” To this, I have to reply, it is always busy at Elon and the summer is no exception. Here is a quick run down of some of the exciting things that have been going on.
The PA program is running strong. Dr. Archambault, program director, is busy hiring staff and working on the program. The PA program will be housed in the new Francis Center. The latest estimates indicate that the program may be able to move in as early as fall this year. Lastly, we are very busy working on developing the application for admission, which should be available in September.
Our other health science program, DPT, is also in full swing. Applications went live on PTCAS, the centralized application service, earlier this month. This year, PTCAS has launched an early decision period. If Elon is your number one pick, we recommend looking into applying early decision. The early decision deadline in August 15. Many prospective DPT students are also trying to squeeze in the GRE before the new test goes live on August 1.
Earlier this summer, we welcomed the Summer 2011 M.Ed cohort. We structure our M.Ed program so that teachers are on campus for 2 summer sessions each summer. In the fall and spring, teachers take online courses. Its hard to believe that next week will be the end of the second summer session. Despite the record breaking heat we are having here in NC, this is just a reminder that a new school year and cooler weather will be here before you know it.
We offer two enrollment terms for the MBA program (spring and fall). Recruitment for the fall semester is currently one of our main focuses. We hosted a great open house last week. If you missed the open house and would still like to visit, just give our office a call and we will happily schedule an individual appointment for you. There is still plenty of time to apply for the Fall start.
On Monday, July 25 we will be welcoming iMedia students who are coming to campus early to take their prerequisite seminars. On Monday, August 1, we look forward to welcoming the new iMedia class. Like the previous classes, this new cohort is full of talent. We are very excited to see what they will produce in the coming year.
If you have any questions about any of our campus based graduate programs, please give us a call at 336-278-7600 or email us at gradadm@elon.edu.
Tis the season….the graduation season that is!
Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference. ~Arie Pencovici
The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is as green as it has ever been and the mood for many students on Elon’s campus this week is jubilant. A majority (Law, MBA and iMedia) of the graduate students complete their programs in May,while some finish at other times in the year (M.Ed celebrates in August and DPT celebrates in December). Whether it is now or in a couple of months, the soon-to-be graduate students feel a sense of accomplishment for all of the long hours spent studying and researching, meeting with classmates for group projects and the weekends sacrificed with family and friends for school work. However in the end the reward is not an advanced degree but an advanced knowledge of craft and self. After all, only 8.9% of Americans hold a graduate or professional degree (US. Census 2010). Kudos to our 2011 Graduates!
May 2011 Graduation Calendar of Events
Thursday, May 19th
- Interactive Media Graduation Ceremony, Whitley Auditorium, 7 p.m.
Reception to follow for graduates, families and guests in Studio B, McEwen Communications Building
Friday, May 20th
- M.B.A. Graduation Ceremony, Whitley Auditorium, 7 p.m.
Reception to follow on Long Patio for graduates, families and guests.
Sunday, May 22
- School of Law Commencement, Carolina Theatre, Greensboro 3 p.m.
Admission by ticket only. Reception to follow in Center City Park for graduates, families and guests.
Money vs. Happiness. Advice for the soon-to-be MBA graduate
As we move closer to graduation season, I could not help but share this awesome story recently published in Fortune Magazine by Brad Feld. The article has a great message to MBA students ending their graduate education and starting back into the “real world”. As Feld mentions often throughout the article, it is not so much what salary you make but more so the difference you make. A wonderful message that can speak to all graduates. Enjoy!
M.Ed Alumni Named NC Teacher of the Year
Special Kudos to Tyronna Hooker, 2009 M.Ed graduate. Tyronna was recently named 2011-12 North Carolina Teacher of the Year by the state board of education. See the great article below by Elon’s Eric Townsend recently posted on E-net about Tyronna’s journey.
Tyronna Hooker G’09, an exceptional children’s teacher at Graham Middle School in Graham, N.C., and a 2009 graduate of Elon University’s Master of Education program, has been named the 2011-12 North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
As North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Hooker will spend the next school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching profession. She will receive an automobile to use during the year she serves as Teacher of the Year, an engraved vase, a one-time cash award of $7,500, a trip to the National Teacher of the Year conference, the opportunity to travel abroad through an endowment at the North Carolina Center for International Understanding, and a technology package valued at more than $17,000 from SMART Technologies.
She also will serve as an adviser to the State Board of Education for two years.
In accepting the award at an April 6 banquet in Cary, N.C., Hooker said being North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year provides her with additional opportunities to inspire others. “As teachers, we must seek opportunities to motivate, engage and provoke critical thinking amongst not only our students, but ourselves,” she said. “I can’t wait to share teaching experiences with my colleagues across the state.”
Hooker originally pursued a career in criminal justice after graduating from North Carolina Central University. While serving as a therapeutic foster parent for the Elon Homes for Children, a child described to her the difficulties he faced in school as a result of how the public school system was set up.
She vowed to make a difference and earned her teaching certificate in 2005.
During her first year of teaching, she said she was forced to change her mentality about interactions with students. “I came from a mindset of being in law enforcement,” she told University Relations last year. “People do what you tell them, there’s not a lot of free will. My first year was definitely the toughest.”
Hooker said within her classroom, she often notices that students have a strong desire to learn, regardless of what they do and do not have. “I have to step back and look at the things that I take for granted,” she said. “It’s a reminder daily that we take things for granted and we don’t know where these kids are coming from. Embrace what you have and try to fill in the spaces.”
In making the presentation, State Superintendent June Atkinson said Hooker is a wonderful example of the exceptional teachers leading public school classrooms across the state.
“Tyronna brings a unique set of skills to the classroom given her previous work experience in the criminal justice system and social services. She has seen what often happens to children who have not been successful in school,” Atkinson said. “This has translated into a ‘setbacks are setups for comebacks’ philosophy where her students are concerned.”
Ms. Hooker’s pathway to the classroom may not have been traditional but it illustrates that good teachers come to the profession from many different backgrounds. Her students are fortunate that she chose to teach, and they are benefitting from her dedication and perspective.
State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison also congratulated Hooker on her selection. “Ms. Hooker’s pathway to the classroom may not have been traditional but it illustrates that good teachers come to the profession from many different backgrounds. Her students are fortunate that she chose to teach, and they are benefitting from her dedication and perspective.”
Hooker has taught for nine years at Graham Middle School. She is a member of the National Education Association, the North Carolina Association of Educators and the Alamance-Burlington Association of Educators.
She is a member of the school’s design team, which enables her to work closely with staff members as they design learning experiences for their students. She has participated in Shelter Instruction Observation Protocol (a program to support the learning needs of English language learners), completed training for Corrective Reading© instruction, and is currently training to provide instruction in Literacy First Intensive©. She is a member of the school’s Response to Intervention team, an incentive coordinator for the Positive Behavior Intervention Support program and a mentor for new teachers.
Hooker has received a number of awards including Alamance-Burlington School System Teacher of the Year 2010-11, Graham Middle School Teacher of the Year 2010-11, Graham Middle School Outstanding Teacher Award (September 2008), Gold’s Gym Teacher of the Month Award (January 2007) and a students’ award for The Best All Around award for teaching (June 2006).
She completed her undergraduate studies at North Carolina Central University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice in 1993. An online learning program offered through her alma mater allowed her to complete the North Carolina Teacher Certification program in December 2005. She earned her master’s degree with a specialization in Special Education from Elon University in 2009.
North Carolina has recognized outstanding teachers through its Teacher of the Year program since 1970.
– Information provided in a news release from the Alamance-Burlington School System
Graduate Admissions hosts DPT, MBA and M.Ed Open Houses
Spring is in the air at Elon and with spring comes the opportunity to visit. Now granted you can schedule an individual visit at anytime during the year….but we like to roll out the red carpet (or should we say maroon carpet) for these particular open houses:
M.Ed Open House– Thursday, April 14th, 5:30pm
DPT Open House– Saturday, April 16th, 8:30am
MBA Open House– Tuesday, April 19th, 5:30pm
We would love to see you on campus this spring! If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at (800)-334-8448 or gradadm@elon.
iMedia Blogging about… well, Blogging
I often take the time to check in our current iMedia students and see what projects they are up to. In the fall, the students start writing blogs to document happenings in their lives and in the communication industry in order to become acquainted with the blogging process. I have found this to be one of the more interesting projects that they do all year simply because you can see how they mature and grow as professionals throughout the program. Many of the students start to gravitate toward particular areas in the industry (such as design, writing, project management and social media development). As they find their niche’ many become much more knowledgeable in the trending of their particular interests.
A blog entry that caught my eye a few weeks ago was posted by Meghan Gargan, a current iMedia student. Meghan has a fabulously captive blog and it never falls short of great content. Meghan writes about the common misconceptions about the role of social media in the workplace and how it is indeed a full-time job.
For more information on Meghan’s blog and other students in the iMedia program, be sure to check out the iMedia website.
Happy Reading (or blogging)!
Textbook-Free College Campus?
Could you imagine walking into your college library only to find rows of digital tablets (such as the iPad) in place of actual books? What about your classes….are you comfortable with exploring and learning solely in a digital world?
According to a Chronicle of Higher Education article posted on March 13th, this could be the wave of the future. Colleges and Universities around the country are experimenting with the implementation of the digital tablet. The opinion and the results of this literary revolution is divided. Read on to learn more!
Interactive Media Open House
Are you interested in learning more about the Elon MA in Interactive Media program? Join us this Saturday (2/26/11) for the spring open house. Click here for more information. We hope to see you on Saturday!
Looking for Graduate School Scholarships? Get Creative…
So you have made the decision to go graduate school. Have you decided how you are going to pay for it?
Many students finance their graduate education through federal and private loans. Other students utilize school scholarships designed for their specific program of study. And although these are all great resources for paying the tuition bill….many students continue to miss out on other great opportunities for free money. Fortunately looking for scholarships is a lot easier now than ten years ago. With the age of the internet…access to free money is only a stroke of a keyboard away. Here a few some tips on finding money for graduate school:
- Explore local and community resources for scholarships and grants.
Sometimes the money is right under your nose. If you are picking a field such as the health sciences for example, local hospitals and clinics will offer small community scholarships. Also research local chapters of chamber of commerce, Kiwanis organizations, church groups for assistance.
- Research professional organizations. Some industries have very strong organizational memberships. These organizations provide scholarships to their members who wish to pursue professional development or graduate education. If you are working and belong to one of these organizations, be sure to inquire about support funding. A few examples of such organizations include: The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE); The America Bar Association (ABA); Daughters of the American Revolution; The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA);
- Go Corporate. Believe it or not….the corporate world can be very generous. Companies ranging from Walmart to Target offer scholarships for students wishing to study in just about any field. Look up some of your favorite companies and see if they offer any educational competitions for grants and scholarships.
- Lastly, DO NOT PAY for free information on scholarships! There are plenty of scholarship websites available that provide free search engines to locate grants and scholarships. Some of these include (www.gradschools.com; www.fastweb.com; and www.scholarships.com) However….there are companies out there that host websites that require students to pay for scholarship information. Mostly likely these sites are making money on something that is otherwise free and accessible for everyone.
Elon announces new PA Program and new Director
Elon Provost Steven House announced that Mark Archambault, currently vice chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, will be the founding director of the program. Archambault joined the Wake Forest faculty in 2007 after coordinating the physician assistant academic program at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., from 2001 to 2006. He is a licensed and certified physician assistant.
Elon began exploring a PA program in fall 2008 and trustees approved the plan at their Oct. 22-23, 2010, meeting. A feasibility study, based on the work of an external consultant and a 12-member committee, found that prospects for a successful PA program are excellent, with projections for a substantial increase in physician assistant jobs available in North Carolina over the next several years.
In 2008 there were more than 11,000 applications at more than 140 colleges and universities for the 5,000 available seats in the nation’s physician assistant programs.
“We learned there is a rapidly growing demand for physician assistants, who are playing a crucial role in our nation’s changing healthcare system,” said Steven House, Elon University provost and vice president for academic affairs. “As we face a chronic shortage of doctors, physician assistants are essential to maintaining quality health services. Helping to meet the demand for more physician assistants is in line with Elon’s mission and our desire to expand our outstanding professional and graduate programs.”
Physician assistant programs typically require about 28 months of study, with students spending the first year in the classroom and the second year in clinical settings. Hospitals in the region, including Alamance Regional Medical Center and Moses Cone Health System, have committed to host students for their clinical studies.
The program will enroll classes of about 36 students annually and include six faculty members, a director, a clinical director, a medical director and other staff members. Elon plans to combine a rigorous academic program with a focus on leadership and service to the community. The program’s clinical rotations may include domestic or international service learning opportunities in underserved urban or rural areas.
Before enrolling students, a PA program must earn provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), satisfying more than 200 standards. In addition, Elon would need approval for the new program from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Elon’s program will join North Carolina’s existing PA programs at Duke University, Wake Forest University, East Carolina University, Wingate University and Methodist College along with a program that is planning to enroll its first class in fall 2011 at Campbell University.
Originally posted on E-Net (1/12/11 by Dan Anderson)
The Elon Insider 