Sawas Dee (Hello in Thai)!

Special blog post by Ray Abrego III, current Master of Science in Applied Technology(MSAT) student at DePaul University specializing in Information Systems.  Ray is an Academic Support Coordinator at Malcolm X College.  Check out the volunteer organization he works with at Open Mind Projects…

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Are you passionate about the integration of technology and education as a means to empower under served communities abroad? Ask how you can integrate a volunteer opportunity abroad into your School of New Learning graduate program!

As an MSAT student and Academic Support Coordinator, I looked for volunteer opportunities that would further develop my personal, academic, and professional areas of practice. I selected Open Mind Projects (openmindprojects.org), which stood apart from other organizations due to their focus on integrating technology and education.

In addition, I was very intrigued by Thai culture, and wanted to immerse myself into this new environment  as way to adapt a different mentality to my everyday life.

There were two aspects of my proposed idea that I focused on while volunteering abroad in Thailand and traveling around South East Asia: (1) International Teaching and IT Experience; and (2) Reflection of Practice.

1.  International Teaching  and IT Experience:

Open Mind Projects (OMP) started off as IT in Isan (est. 2001), an organization determined at bridging the digital divide that many impoverished Thai people face. The goal was to empower the community through increased accessibility of educational support resources, and have local champions expand their support initiatives. They now have numerous projects at various placement sites throughout Lao, Cambodia, Nepal, and Burma.

At OMP, I gained experience teaching basic PC skills to students in 3^rd to 6^th grades at Aunban Arunrangsee School in Nongkhai, Thailand. In a conversation with Sven Mauleon (Co-Founder of OMP), he stated to me that it was important for students to find the motivation to learn, then OMP and its’ volunteers could demonstrate the value in pursuing education. OMP focuses on a “Learn by Doing” pedagogical approach and it’s apparent in everything they do. Motivation, Demonstrating Educational Value, and Learn by Doing, are concepts that I will remember as I aspire to become an effective Computer Information Systems (CIS) adjunct faculty member at one of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC).

The MSAT program focuses on learning how to effectively integrate technology within an organization, and I am extremely honored that I was able to share my knowledge with OMP to help further enhance their operations. I fell in love with Open Mind Projects and wanted to do so much for them, and more importantly the communities they represented.

When I first embarked on this journey, I had ideas of what I wanted to do for OMP. Like any organization, it’s all about the resources (both human and financial), and at times, how to deal with the scarcity of those resources -OMP is no different. I had the opportunity to discuss ways in which we could mobilize OMP Volunteer Alumni for the purposes of fundraising, re-engagement, being informed of current OMP initiatives, promote OMP, and most importantly to continue the relationships established while volunteering. The best way to address these concerns was through their current social network presence via Facebook.  I reviewed how we could make changes to their existing questionnaire in an effort to improve volunteer and OMP relations.

After reflecting on my experience, I realized that much of my approach was conducted in the fashion of a system’s analysis, or even a consultant (something Sven M. brought to my attention), for that matter. I say that because prior to moving forward with any idea, I had to gain a larger sense of the organization, and I did this by reviewing volunteer submitted questionnaires, other OMP documents, and asking various questions about OMP operations. I learned the various reasons why volunteer alumni chose OMP and also was able to understand other aspects of their organization. This approach was very much correlated to learning objectives from: IS421- Systems Analysis and Design; ECT 454 – Enterprise Infrastructure; and SNL Special Topics – Social Media.

One of the things that I wanted from this experience was a way make contributions while back home in Chicago. I am currently working on a proposal as to how I will continue to assist in improving their social media presence and will also serve as a US Volunteer Contact and Social Media Advisor for Open Mind Projects.

2.  Reflection of Practice: Dealing with Impatience and Control.

In my personal, academic, and professional practices, I often deal with issues of impatience and control, and the negative implications associated to those issues. In Thailand, and through my South East Asia travels, I did not have much control (outside the logistical aspects of things, of course). I did not know the language, fully understand the culture, or was able to exert the normal power I have in my environment here in Chicago – to a certain extent, helpless in some contexts. I welcomed the challenge do deal with my issues of impatience and control, and how feelings of anger, frustration, annoyance, anxiety, and stress play a factor in dealing with those issues.

In a western society, we often deal with life in a very business oriented way, everything is fast, fast, fast, and we often get consumed by our day-to-day responsibilities. We are often attached to what happened in the past, and what outcomes will happen in the future. We place pressure on ourselves and try to control the various aspects of our lives in order to reach an expected outcome.

At my OMP training site in Nongkhai, Thailand, I immediately learned about the notion of being ‘Jai Ron (Warm Hearted)’ and ‘Jai Yen (Cool Hearted)’.

Jai ron – Warm hearted (not good): easily angered, impatient, irritable, and intolerant.

Jai yen – Cool hearted (good): patient, calm, peaceful, relaxed, and composed.

My experiences abroad have made me aware of the types of situations that bring to surface the negative feelings associated to impatience and control. I learned much about letting things go and finding enjoyment in my environment – to be more ‘Jai Yen’. It is extremely important for me to recognize my emotions, accept them for what they are, understand how they came to be, and then be able to move forward within a given situation without letting those emotions impede my mentality.

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 This blog post is dedicated to my Open Mind Projects (OMP) family in Nong Khai, Thailand –
Sven, Toto, Pai, Prom, Joy, Kai, Best and Moss -thank you for the invaluable experience.

Interested in Volunteering in Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, Burma, and/or Nepal?
Check out Open Mind Projects’ Website…

Spotlight on Larnzell Harper

We asked Larnzell Harper, a working professional currently pursuing the Master of Arts in Educating Adults (MAEA) at SNL, if he would share his experiences and advice with current and future SNL students.

MAEA student, Larnzell Harper

Tell us about the graduate program you are pursuing…

I am a graduate student in the Masters of Arts Educating Adults program in the School for New Learning.  I chose DePaul University to help me learn how to combine my current training, transit, and broadcasting experience to influence upcoming experiences in adult education. Making my education a personal investment has allowed me to expand my creativity during my courses.

How have you been able to apply your learning in the workplace? What results have you seen? 

I have applied  my learning from SNL by creating visual learning aids to teach and hopefully generate interest.  So far, I have created graphics, word processing “visuals”, and even a video (view below) to demonstrate how I apply my classroom learning in the workplace.  The MAEA program is teaching me to consider various approaches and not to rely on my usual way of making daily decisions.  

How has the program impacted you professionally and personally?

The MAEA program at SNL empowers me with additional resources to allow me to control my professional and personal decisions.  I did not know that I would gain more control over my life when I decided to enroll in the MAEA program.

What are your future career or educational goals?

My future career and educational goals are divided into three sections; #1) a doctoral program in education, #2) management level or higher in the area instructional design, and #3) under construction, which allows me to accept and consider upcoming opportunities.

What are your plans after graduating from the program?

My plans are to consistently evaluate how the ‘continued learning’ belief system remains in my life.  Continued learning is the belief system I accepted after entering the MAEA program. Adults must continue to learn by enrolling in higher learning courses, certification programs, and other curricula of value.  After graduation, I would like to utilize all of the skills that I acquired through my DePaul education to advance adult education in academia, the workplace, and multimedia.

Any advice for prospective graduate students?

Prospective students should not enter a graduate studies program that is not the right fit for their personal or professional goals.  Compatibility between the prospective student’s  career and personal life should coexist with the graduate program.  The academic, financial, and emotional requirements needed for successful completion of any graduate program requires this compatibility.

In the video below, Larnzell shares his advice for students who wish to diversify their teaching and training portfolio and improve their presentation skills.

What is your favorite restaurant or neighborhood in Chicago?

Zaca Tacos on 5925 S. Pulaski Rd Chicago, IL 60629 is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. I tell everyone about this restaurant.  I have never tasted such great marinated steak tacos. 

Any other experiences you would like to share?

All of my experiences at DePaul sponsored events have introduced me to resources that I did not know were available to me as a student.  I strongly encourage graduate students to research and request information about the many resources and assistance provided by DePaul. One would be amazed at the amount support from of faculty, staff, alumni and  tutors, as well as computer labs, libraries, writing assistance, sudent organizations, and more available to graduate students at DePaul.

Life-long Learning: The Elements of Practice

One of our students in the Master of Arts in Educating Adults program, Amy Krenzke, was recently invited to write an article for the October issue of  Training Today on her experiences with life-long learning and the four “Elements of Practice.”  We are excited to be able to share her article in this blog!

Life-long Learning: The Elements of Practice
Life-long learning requires each and every one of us to be prepared to keep learning every moment of every day. As a student, especially an adult student, it requires one to constantly be prepared and flexible towards change. Each semester a student is required to take on a new schedule of classes, new textbooks ($100 textbooks…that was an unexpected change for me this quarter. Whew!), tuition fees change, classrooms, new professors, and simple things like entrances to buildings change. Everything changes constantly and as an adult student it becomes even more challenging when you need to make it fit with your work schedule, relationships and other commitments. As a student at DePaul University in the Masters of Arts Program in Educating Adults (MAEA) we are given a Handbook in our first core course and one major component is the Elements of Practice. Here I gave the example of managing change with flexibility and adaptability and that is just one of the Elements of Practice. Recently, as I faced many changes in my workplace I was reflecting on my experience and the Elements of Practice.

DePaul University School for New Learning has an excellent set of four “Elements of Practice” that we are expected to learn and follow throughout our experience at DePaul but also as life-long learners and as educators of adults in our practices. These four elements of practice are: 1. Reflection 2. Flexibility and Adaptability 3. Inquiry and 4. Decision Making. As students we are constantly encouraged by our professors to use these elements of practice to analyze our work plus courses are designed to help us develop these skills. During my coursework I have been asked to use these Elements of Practice in what we call Reflective Practice sessions where we review how we have used these Elements of Practice in our work out in the “real world”. We then discuss with our classmates how we’ve used the Elements of Practice, what we’ve grown in and what needs to be developed to become a better practitioner. Hopefully, then as we grow in the program we are learning to expand on these Elements of Practice and become better prepared as life-long learners and educators of adults.

When I attended my most recent Reflective Practice session I was asked to consider these Elements of Practice and what I have used the most since we last met in the spring. This assignment made me Reflect (hey, look that’s Element #1: Reflection) on my current work situation. Besides being a student I am store manager at the LEGO Store on Michigan Avenue. Yes, LEGO is a great place and a job working with toys and making kids happy is tons of fun yet just like any other job there are challenges. My biggest challenge during this summer was to move my store from our original location to a temporary location with a three week time-frame and then move again to a permanent location by the end of July. The first move was completed in that three week period with a last minute overnight shift on May 31st to be ready to open in the temporary store at 10am; this day my assistant manager, district manager and I each worked a 22 hour day. Talk about Flexibility and Adaptability (hey, look that’s Element #2: Flexibility and Adaptability) there was no other option and we had to put our lives on hold to ensure we were ready to open on June 1st. It was successful and we were open at 10am with a fresh team of people ready to tackle the first day in the temporary store.

The process of moving from old store to new store took much Inquiry (hey, look that’s Element #3: Inquiry). Finding out the right information from the right people and how to proceed to make the move as smooth of a process as possible was a daily task on my plate since May and finished up about end of July once we moved into the permanent store. Constant inquiry was necessary to make sure everything was going to plan, that my staff was happy, and that we would be ready to go in the new store. Since we had little notice of the move we had to live in a temporary store for a little while as our colorful, engaging new store was being built. This meant many decisions for me. Each step of the way I needed to work with the project manager to ensure all the right things got done with the right people; including getting a business license in place. If any of you have dealt with the City of Chicago on obtaining a license of any sort it is its own special challenge with numerous forms, waiting, many trips back to the office because you didn’t have the right form and did I mention waiting! Decisions needed to be made to get the new store open and the temporary store functioning and much of that came down to me (hey, look that’s Element #4: Decision-Making) Lastly, here is where I had to put those T+D skills to use. I had to figure out how many additional staff to hire then interview them and decide who would best fit into our team. From there I had to create a learning session to train them in the new store and remember this new store was a whole new experience even for me!

When writing these articles we had decided to look at what we were learning in our T+D programs and how we apply it on a daily basis in our practice. These Elements of Practice truly became integral in my life as I encountered this experience over the summer. I have had to frame this experience around the Elements of Practice. Furthermore, I believe I will be better prepared one day in a job interview or in further graduate studies to discuss my own learning and how it connected to the Four Elements of Practice. So now I ask you to think about the Four Elements of Practice and how you can use them to reflect on your experience in the T+D field. Personally, I know I will be using this experience to better understand how to help my staff adapt to change, personally become more resilient to change and how I can better meet my staff’s needs in training and development. Give it a try, have some fun and be a life-long learner with the Four Elements of Practice!

References:
The Masters of Arts Program in Educating Adults (MAEA) Program Handbook (2009-2010). 21-22.

Amy Krenzke is a student at DePaul University – School for New Learning in the Masters of Arts in Educating Adults program. Recently she completed an insightful independent study of Mindfulness and using Mindfulness in the Workplace. Besides being a student Amy is the store manager of the LEGO Store in Chicago and enjoys helping her team grow and develop every day.

New Adult Student Reception

The Office of Adult Student Affairs would like to welcome you to DePaul!  We hope that you will take the time to visit our office and take full advantage of the resources we have for adult students.  We are located in the DePaul Center on the 11th floor (11017).  During the academic year our hours are 8 am – 8 pm Monday through Thursday and 9 am – 5 pm on Friday.

To welcome you, we would like to invite you to our New Adult Student Reception. This reception is for new and transfer adult students admitted Autumn Quarter 2011-2012.  Adult students are undergraduate students 24+ years of age, all graduate,  professional and veteran students.

Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Time:  4:30 – 6:30 pm
Location:  Loop Campus, 1 East Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL  60604, 11th Floor, DePaul Club
RSVP for this Reception

There will be a panel discussion with current adult students followed by a questions and answers session.  The topic: The Adult Student Experience.  Hear how other adult students are juggling school, work and family life.

Horsd’oeuvres will be served! Feel free to come even though you may not be able to stay for the entire event!

Again, welcome!   You have chosen a school that appreciates the valuable life experiences that you bring with you to our university!

Meet Dr. Ruth Gannon Cook…

Meet Dr. Ruth Gannon Cook – our upcoming Faculty Mentor for the Master of Arts in Educating Adults Cluster 10, starting this Fall!

Dr. Ruth Gannon Cook

Ruth is a tenured Associate Professor who has been teaching in  DePaul’s, School for New Learning  for the past eight years.  She has taught courses on the  application of technology as well as training, and organizational change courses and core courses in the undergraduate and graduate SNL programs.  She also recently authored the book “What Motivates Faculty to Teach in Distance Education?: A Case Study and Meta-Literature Review,” and has written ten book chapters on e-learning. Prior teaching experience has included eight years at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston system where she also served as Director of Distance Education, and four years at Colorado Mountain College where she also served as a Program Director. Her earlier career included hosting a radio show and cable TV show for six years, and serving as a Vice President for a manufacturing company.

We asked Ruth a few questions: 

What sorts of topics will you be covering this Fall in Developing Professional Identity, the first course of the MAEA program?

In the Developing Professional Identify Course we will cover the contents of the two textbooks, Elias, J., & Merriam, S. (2005). “Philosophical Foundations of Adult Education, 3^rd ed.,” and Pratt, D. & Associates. (2005), “Five Perspectives on Teaching in Adult and Higher Education.” I’ll cover how students can begin translating what they’re learning in the program right now into their practice settings.  We will discuss issues related to prospective career opportunities available upon completing your MAEA.  I also will begin coaching students as they lay the foundation to establish a professional reputation in the field of educating adults.

What advice do you have for graduate students or prospective graduate students?

“We live in a very stressful world, so when I talk with prospective graduate students I ask them how they currently use their time, I ask them how they will handle juggling work and their studies, and I ask them if they have the support of their employer and, more important, their spouses and families. A graduate degree can be very helpful for one’s career in many career fields, but a prospective student also needs to understand that she/he needs to continue to have a vision of how they will forge their career path with the intention to use that graduate degree. There are so many possibilities, even in an economy like the one we are in, sometimes we need to expand our view of how we can attain our goals—perhaps those goals can be achieved, just a different way. If graduate students are open and willing to explore all avenues with that shiny new graduate degree, there is no limit to the success they can achieve—the world truly is their career-place.”

What inspired you to write your book?  What motivates you personally to teach online?

I wrote the book “What Motivates Faculty to Teach in Distance Education?” because I had conducted my dissertation on this topic, and I thought that the data I had uncovered in my dissertation research could be informative to many universities, administrators, and faculty who are considering or currently teaching online and distance education courses. So I went back and conducted further extensive research and collected it into what is now my book. It is very heartening that a number of administrators at other universities have emailed and called me to tell me they have bought the book, used the data and recommendations, and that it was very helpful.

What motivates me personally to teach online is what motivated me 15 years ago when I first decided to do my doctorate with an emphasis in instructional design and distance education, and that is to offer opportunities for students who could not, otherwise, attend college except via distance learning, or what we today call e-learning. It wonderful to get the feedback from students who are graduating that share they could not have done it unless they could undertake doing their studies online. It is very heartening and it reminds me every day why I love what I do so much. I currently conduct extensive research in semiotics—and cyber-semiotics in relation to designing e-learning; and I am working on two books on semiotics, one is interdisciplinary, and one is an edited book with my research partner, Dr. Caroline Crawford.

Hometown:  New Orleans (Now resides in Chicago)

Education:

• B.A.:  Business, Loyola University (New Orleans)
• M.S. Ed.:  Educational Administration, Loyola University (New Orleans)
• Certificate for Advanced Studies: Emphasis in Change Diffusion and Technology Integration Queens College (Cambridge, UK)
• Ed.D.:  Instructional Technology, University of Houston, College of Education (Texas)

Recent Awards:

• “Women of Spirit” Award, 2009 DePaul University
• “Best Paper” (multiple awards), 2007 E-Learn International Conference, American Association for Computer Education, Quebec, Canada.

For more information about the Master of Arts in Educating Adults (MAEA) program  please contact snlgrad@depaul.edu or visit our website.

Scholarship Opportunity for Adult Learners (DePaul)

The DePaul Office of Adult Student Affairs is pleased to announce their Scholarship Program for the 2011-2012 academic year.  This program is designed to assist the growing number of adult learners who are returning to school.  Two students (one undergraduate and one graduate/professional student) will be chosen from the applicant pool each term, including summer.  Each regular year academic term recipient will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship and the summer term recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship.  These awards are not renewable and winners of the scholarships cannot apply for another Adult Student Affairs Scholarship in the same academic year. 

Fall Quarter = 2 students – $2,000 each                     Winter Quarter = 2 students – $2,000 each

Spring Quarter = 2 students – $2,000 each              Summer Quarter = 2 students – $1,000 each

 

Students who have applied, but have not received a scholarship may apply again within the same academic year.

Winners of the scholarship have the option of having the funds applied to their tuition or towards a DePaul University sponsored Study Abroad trip for the quarter in which they are awarded the scholarship.  Winners must be enrolled at least half time or registered for the study abroad trip in the term for the quarter in which they are awarded the scholarship.  Current financial aid packages may be adjusted when the scholarships are applied.

 

Deadline for Application:

 

*Fall Quarter deadline – August 15, 2011            *Winter Quarter deadline – Nov. 22, 2011

*Spring Quarter deadline – Feb. 26, 2012          *Summer Quarter deadline – May 11, 2012

 

Criteria

To be eligible for the scholarship program, you must:

• Have financial need as determined by the results of your FAFSA
• Be a continuing DePaul student who is currently enrolled at least part-time as a graduate (4 credit hours), professional (9 hours) or undergraduate (8 hours).
• Be an adult student.  Adult student  is defined as an undergraduate student who is 24 years of age or older.  All graduate, veteran and professional students may apply regardless of age.
• Have a cumulative 3.5 GPA
• Complete a short essay (details for essay below)
• Submit the application by the deadline to:

 

Bernadine Thomas, Assistant Director

bthoma10@depaul.edu

Office of Adult Student Affairs

1 E. Jackson, DPC 11015

Chicago, IL  60604

(Incomplete applications and those received after the deadline will not be considered)

Spotlight on Faculty: Dr. Russ Rogers

Q: How long have you been on the faculty at SNL?         

I joined the SNL faculty in 1993. So it’s been 18 years.

Q: What’s your academic area? 

If you’re asking about my degrees, my doctoral and post-doctoral study was in Organizational Behavior/Psychology—which I came to through prior graduate study in Applied Behavioral Science/Human Resource Development after even earlier degrees (undergraduate and graduate) in English Literature and Philosophy.

Q: How did you get from English Literature to Organizational Behavior?

The bridge for me was (and still is) in the nature of “story.” Through literature and poetry, I found a world of language that both helped me make sense of my world and helped me give expression to feelings and awarenesses heretofore trapped in silence. My dream—back then—was to be the next Great American Poet!! Meanwhile, my adulthood started to emerge and my experience of working. Here, I noted a troubling phenomenon in myself and so many of my friends: our energy and excitement was being dampened down and the culprit seemed to be “work.” I recall H.L. Lindsay’s line, “It’s the world’s great crime. Its babes grow dull.” Indeed, we were. We were becoming dull—dulled by work.

Then, one day, sitting outside the building where I worked, I saw the building/organization as itself a “story.” All of my training in literary criticism now began to morph from application to written stories (e.g., King Lear, Ulysses, The Brothers Karamazov, etc.)—to the “story” in that building/organization. Soon I was hooked by the idea of organizations-as-stories and started exploring the notions of worker as character-in-story versus worker as author-of-story (or, at least, partial author!).

Q: How did you come to join the faculty at SNL?

By the twists and turns of chance and choice, I discovered SNL soon after moving to Chicago from Los Angeles. Worn out by too-much-travel/too-many-hotels, I had just sold my consulting firm to what was then Arthur Anderson and was in a “non-compete” phase for a few years. While finishing up some remaining corporate projects, I started to re-dabble in the world of higher education—teaching a few grad courses within intensive executive graduate programs here in the Midwest and back in southern California. . .and I liked it!

Through a fluke of networking, the then-director of SNL’s Graduate Programs asked me to teach the Change seminar and, later, the Leadership seminar. I did—and became intrigued by SNL’s philosophy, its willingness to experiment and its mix of entrepreneurial graduate students—not to mention the good hearts and minds of its faculty. The energy was compelling. Consequently, as an opportunity became available to join SNL’s resident faculty, I applied, ran the gauntlet of some tough-yet-fascinating interviews and, as they say, the rest is history.

Q: But why teach?

I understand your question but let me start with—why learn? For me, the growth of capacity has always been high adventure—the capacity to think, to do, to feel, to wonder, to play, to change, to engage, to reengage, to stretch, on and on. Indeed, I simply refuse to believe that we, as adults, are done—that this is a good as it gets. Indeed, I believe adults (and their organizations) deserve to be different than their past patterns and I believe that learning (real learning; not jargon) is the means to get us there—to get us to better—better personal lives, better relationships, better professional contributions, better organizations, etc. Such learning, I contend, supports the requisite shifts in imagination (and skill-building) that enable us—eventually—to participate and contribute with greater capacity.

That’s what compels me in teaching—the chance to engage in the dynamics of learning. The quasi-critical taunt is, “Those who can’t do, teach.” I understand the point of this taunt; however, for me, I align more with J. E. King’s statement: “Those who can, do. Those who believe others can too, also teach.”

Q: You make a distinction between “real learning” and “jargon.” What do you mean?

I believe there is a difference between “learning” and merely “ratifying what one already thinks.” Here, I have a profound respect for the authority of systemic observation, suspended judgment, questioned assumptions and evaluated experience. “Real learning” in this sense (i.e., applying such actions/values) involves some deliberate willingness to explore complexity without paralysis of thought and action, to make room in one’s mind for possibility and (dare I say it?) to be willing to unlearn prior follies!

Q: You hang ideas on the walls of your classroom when you teach. Why?  

I think of a classroom as an arena for coming to grips with problems in the presence of ideas. The ideas I hang around the room (aligned to the focus of each session) offer some context for our “thinking together.” They also offer additional data-points (and voices) beyond those in the room and, like the mark of a good research document, they offer “footnotes” (or wallnotes!) from which to deepen analysis. They also offer a vehicle through which to put some color into an otherwise typically drab classroom.

Q: In addition to your work at DePaul, do you still work with corporate organizations?

Every faculty member works to keep his/her knowledge-base current and relevant—both to help the University contribute to the greater society and to better bridge the artificial gulf between ideas and practice in order to help students better learn ideas for practice. I do this by participating in national organizations devoted to organizational effectiveness and performance improvement and by maintaining a few “real-world” consulting engagements each year. Currently, I have some organizational projects cooking (in areas of leadership development, system restructuring, change management, merger/acquisition, performance management, etc.) with CNA, PepsiCo, Chicago Board of Trade, Mechanical Contractors Association, California State Compensation Insurance Fund and Dynamic Aviation/VA.

Un-scamming College

A recent posting at Marketwatch (May 26th) entitled “College is a scam — Let’s make some money off it” by Robert Altucher stopped me short. I can best summarize through some quotes that I believe fairly represents his position, a perspective that I have been reading with increasing frequency elsewhere as well. The piece was written to provide investment advice for the myriad of publicly held enterprises that have gone into the education business and have been increasingly shaping both the landscape of higher education but also the perception of it in many circles. I’ve left out the many references to the share values of X and Y companies.

“We can’t deny it anymore: college is a scam… Student loan debt is now greater than credit card debt for the first time ever. After the huge debt crisis we experienced in 2008 and the financial bust in housing that ruined so many lives you would think we would be having more of a national discussion on this but we just aren’t…As a result, for the first time ever we are graduating a generation of indentured servants rather than the entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, and inventors that America is known for. I just hate seeing Americans go down the drain… 44% of graduates in 2009 are either unemployed or hold jobs that don’t require degrees. So in other words, these millions of young people are five years behind their peers and many are holding over $100,000 in debt. What a shame…”

“People tell me, “school teach kids how to think”. To that I say, “learn how to use a library.” And while we’re at it. Put more computers in the library. The knowledge is out there. We don’t need to owe the banks and the government $800 billion to get knowledge… People tell me, “there’s a huge income gap between people with a college degree and people without a college degree.” To that I say… It (this statistic) has selection bias..It also ignores cause versus correlation… A true test would be to take 2,000 people and separate them into two groups of 1,000. Group A is not allowed to go to college. Group B goes to college. 20 years later lets see how they are doing. Obvious this test will never get done but the basic idea is common sense. Take people who are equally intelligent and ambitious and give them a five-year head start and with no debt. They are going to do very well, I have no doubt.”

“Some people say, “College teaches kids how to socially interact and network.” That’s great. But it doesn’t cost (for example) $300,000 for little kids to make friends. Join Facebook for free. And start networking on LinkedIn.”

“Well what about teaching …the classics like Plato. How does art and beauty persist generation after generation. My answer: People with passion will read. I didn’t read a book while in college. But I read several thousand in the 22 years since. If people want knowledge they will seek it out with a hunger like you can’t even imagine. You can’t force feed passion or knowledge.”

“What about if you want to be a doctor? Clearly you need a degree. Maybe. Are you saying you want to heal people or are you saying you want to be an MD? Try working for a few years cleaning people’s bedpans and learn a little about the medical industry. For anything you want to do in life, try it first rather than waste money and time learning something you ultimately never think about it again.”

“Again, tuitions have gone up 10 times faster than inflation in the past 30 years and three times faster than health-care costs in the past 30 years. We need to have an active discussion on this as a society. Meanwhile, the greatest entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors in history either didn’t go to college, were kicked out, or dropped out.

This is all fine, you might say, but what are the alternatives?” And what if I’m now old enough to know that I’m not not an entrepreneur, artist, or inventor? While I believe Mr. Altucher’s point of reference was mostly in regards to education for those of us below the age of 24 or so — though I think most of the target audience for proprietary universities are adults – the ‘value’ of institution based (whether private, public/land grant, or corporate) education as we know it – is going through a period of doubt and re-evaluation. The outcome is meaningful to us as students, academics, parents, citizens and probably every other role we hold and play in contemporary society.

I think we need to be careful not to confuse the institution of education as it is from what it can or should be and toss judgments such as ‘scam’ or ‘school’s not important or worthwhile’ around loosely. I think there are alternatives, some which jive with Altucher’s if you follow the trail of his blogs… but I’d rather open this to responses and rejoin this topic in dialogue with those.

I hope we can engage this conversation.

m fiddler

What Employers Want

These are the three qualities that are on the top of every employers list (even though they may not know it):

• Initiative
• Resourcefulness
• Passion

This semester I took ART 383 – a service learning internship class that was recently visited by Rob Sullivan, (Author, Career Coach, Inspirational Speaker).  Before he started talking, I didn’t know what to expect, except that it was a Wednesday night and I probably would have preferred to be home having dinner.  Within minutes of beginning speaking, Rob had captured the interest of the entire group; everyone was hanging on to his every word and some were even taking notes!

Anyone who is in transition, college students and career changers alike, knows that navigating the job market is a daunting task.  Rob had good tips about how to make the best impression possible just by answering questions differently and changing the content of your cover letter.  He told us that employers are looking for “initiative, resourcefulness and passion” because these are things that cannot be taught to someone.  You either have it or you don’t and many people who do, are unable to express these qualities to their prospective employers.

It is difficult to summarize all of the points that Rob made, I would suggest hearing him speak in person for the full effect, but these were the points that resonated with me:

1.  The “Tell me about yourself…” Question: You need to tell a good (true) story that immediately demonstrates how you have the characteristics of taking initiative, being resourceful, and having passion.  Ask yourself these questions:

- What have you done on your own to prepare for the university you want to attend or the career you want to start?

-How have you shown resourcefulness?  It is important to quantify you accomplishments, to show how you might have saved a company time, money, etc.

-What are you passionate about?  Why have you chosen this path in life over thousands of others?

While keeping those questions in mind, its good to formulate a short story that sets you apart from everyone else who says ‘I grew up in this town, went to this college, majored in this subject, and here I am applying for this job.”

2.  The “What is your greatest weakness?” Question:

I blushed when Rob immediately said to avoid saying “I’m a perfectionist,” or “I work too much,” which might have been my go-to answers for this uncomfortable question. When employers ask this question, it’s probably because they don’t know how to properly interview someone.  This was his suggestion for how to answer it:  Think about the impression you give off to people you don’t know very well, that might not have the best impression of you, what might they identify as a flaw or weakness?

I personally have been told a few times that I can come off as cold or unfriendly to people, when that was not my intention.  If I was answering this question I would say, “Sometimes I have been told that I come off as a little cold when I first meet people.  However, now that I am aware of this, I try harder to smile more when I first meet someone and look for ways that we can connect and engage each other.”  Always end with what you are doing to fix this “problem,” so your  answer ends on a positive note.

3.  The “Do you have any questions for us?” Question:

Do not ask factual questions.  Do your homework before, and know something about the company.  Instead ask opinion questions that are relevant to that company or field.  Rob also suggested asking ‘What is one thing you would want everyone to know about this company that few people know?”

4.  N-E-O-N, use these four elements when writing a cover letter or interviewing:

N-  Where are you now?

E- Why are you excited or energized and what about? (Passion)

O- What is your objective/why do you want the job?

N- Why is this the next logical step?

Navigating the job market is a difficult endeavor.  Best of luck!

June Events

Spring Quarter is almost over, but there are a couple events in June that you need to know about!

When		Where			What
Wednesday June 1st, 4:30-6:30PM		Lincoln Park Campus Alumni Center			Graduate Students Graduation Reception
Please join us for a graduation celebration in honor of our graduate students! Enjoy food and networking with fellow graduates.
Wednesday June 1st, 5:30-7:00PM		Loop Campus, DePaul Center, 9500			Navigating Your Career Change Workshop
Experienced professionals who are considering or already involved in the process of changing careers will benefit from this workshop. Learn how to develop a career change plan by identifying the career development components you most need to work on. This workshop will help you identify the type of transition you are attempting and assess its level of difficulty.  Pre-register HERE.
Tuesday, June 7th, 12:00-2:00 & 4:00-6:00		Loop Campus, DePaul Center, 1113			Fuel for Finals
Free chair massages and food for our adult students during finals.
Wednesday, June 8th, 12:00-2:00 & 4:00-6:00		Loop Campus, DePaul Center, 1113			Fuel for Finals
Free chair massages and food for our adult students during finals.
Friday June 10th, 8:30AM -11:00AM			Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center, 120 A&B		Breakfast with Don Mullen
Please join us for breakfast and a rare conversation with Don Mullan, Irish author, peace and justice activist, humanitarian worker, media producer, and the 2011 Honorary Degree Recipient for SNL. RSVP by June 7 to eventRSVP@depaul.edu
Friday June 10th, 7:30AM- 4:15pM			Loop Campus, DePaul Center, Lover Level		Group Facilitation Symposium: “Catalysts for Innovation”
Join and network with experienced group process facilitators in DePaul CPE’s one-day symposium, “Catalysts for Innovation.” Learn new approaches that will help you increase your capacity to serve as a facilitator and a catalyst for innovation with your teams, organizations and communities.  Symposium Agenda.
Tuesday June 14th, 10:00AM-2:00PM	Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center, 120			Just in Time Job Fair
Just in Time Job Fair is designed exclusively for DePaul recent graduates, students and alumni. Recruiters from a wide variety of industries will be seeking qualified job, internship, and post-graduate service volunteer candidates of all majors and experience levels at this event.  Pre-register HERE.