UW-Platteville Distance Education Blog

 By Ian Clark

PLATTEVILLE – Shawn Belling, online adjunct instructor for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Online, will be heading to Melbourne, Australia to present at the Project Management Institute Global Congress — Asia Pacific region. The congress will begin Feb. 22. PMI, a not-for-profit membership association for project management professionals with globally recognized standards in more than 180 countries, holds a global congress yearly in each region. The three regions include Asia Pacific; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and North America.

As an instructor in UWP’s Master of Science in Project Management Program, Shawn will present his paper titled “When Agendas Override Objectives,” which outlines how hidden customer and interoffice agendas can interfere and even hijack projects and their managers.

To present at a PMI Global Congress, those who wish to participate must submit an academic paper detailing a subject relevant to project management. After a thorough screening process, those papers that are found to be exceptional are asked to present.

"Once you get accepted that first time, it is a lot easier to stay tied into that presenting pipeline and be asked back to present," says Shawn, who has been a credentialed Project Management Professional for six years. "Having the opportunity to present original thinking to large groups of colleagues and peers is a really great experience."

This will be Shawn’s third time presenting at a PMI Global Congress. In 2008, he presented in Sydney, Australia and again in Oct. 2009 in Orlando, FL. He has also presented at other PMI seminars, and plans to speak at the Success in Project Management Conference in June of 2010 to be held at UWP.

Shawn, besides teaching for UWP online classes, also teaches for the University of California-Irvine and Lakeland College, and is a project manager at Promega Corporation in Madison, which sells products to the life science industry.

"I just treat it like I have two jobs," says Shawn. "I have to be highly organized, so it's good to be a project manager. When I have speaking opportunities like this, I obviously have to make adjustments, but I really enjoy what I’m doing."

By Ian Clark

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's online division received its second military friendly award this fall by a military education magazine. Military Advanced Education selected UWP as a top school in their “3rd Annual Guide to Top Military Friendly Colleges and Universities,” a journal about higher education for service members of the armed forces. The first award came in October from G.I. Jobs Magazine.

"We're delighted this guide has become a valuable resource for service members and the larger network of educational professionals involved in higher education," says MAE editor, Mark Fitzgerald.

From community colleges to nationally known centers of higher learning, MAE's annual guide provides potential students with information about colleges and universities across the nation who they consider to be military-friendly. Among the attributes considered in evaluating any school’s degree of military friendliness are the quality of its academics, the on-campus and online advice and support it provides to veterans and their families, and the sophistication and effectiveness of its distance learning programs.

"We're very happy to receive the distinction and be able to provide a valuable service to soldiers, sailors, and airmen" says Les Hollingsworth, marketing director for the Distance Learning Center and field artillery instructor in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. "Service members have unique educational challenges and it's important that universities step up and be able to help them overcome those obstacles."

Military Advanced Education is the only magazine produced specifically for service members seeking to take advantage of the military education benefit. MAE covers issues and trends in distance learning and education as they specifically relate to military life, including innovative programs, military educational policy, financial aid and coursework that offer special opportunities for military personnel.

UWP offers multiple degrees that are designed for working adults and can be completed entirely online. For more information about UWP's Distance Learning Center, go online at www.uwplatt.edu/disted.

By Ian Clark, Staff Writer

Fall graduation has come and gone, and while dreams of tassel-turning and diplomas swim in the heads of those soon to have the opportunity to shake hands with the chancellor this May, it might a bittersweet 'congratulations' for those without a serious job prospect.

According to cnn.com, spring graduates had a rough time this past year suffering through the economy and battling each other for the 40% fewer job prospects compared to those of 2008. CNN also said that, while the job market is better, this is no time to put your feet up. With national unemployment up-now at 10.2% per CNN-the well-prepared student may find him or herself living at home with mom and dad. Don’t believe me? Nearly one in seven college grads moved home for an extended period last summer (according to Pew Research Center), and not much has changed in the job market since then.

While there are options in this economy, those options are few and far between, and to land one of them in your field, you need deep commitment, great networking and a little luck. Don’t settle for a job that will “just get the bills paid.” Take a step towards the career you want and consider a better option than scanning the classifieds: graduate school.

It’s not for everyone. Without knowing your longer-term career goals, it’s a mistake to enroll in graduate school. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has some wonderful resources for those who are questioning or interested: namely the Career Center and Counseling Services.

If you are interested, a graduate degree can act as a stepping stone to a higher paying job and make people immediately more marketable than their baccalaureate-holding peers.

According to Roger Meyer, the director of UWP University Counseling Services, an advanced degree can do all of these things, depending on the specific degree and the job market within the field. “Advanced degrees commonly tend to make people more money and make them more marketable in general compared to someone with a bachelor’s degree.”

Employers will consider more than just your degree when seeking to hire, said Meyer. “The best way to make yourself marketable is to get your bachelor’s and work for one to three years to build up your work experience within the field. Then get your master’s degree. Also, the willingness to relocate can be very important. When you are geographically limited, options can be severely reduced, and oftentimes who you know can become as important as what you know.”

Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa have 130 graduate schools, with 31 schools in the Badger State. In the area of Southwest Wisconsin, there is UW-Madison and Edgewood College, Clarke College, Loras College and the University of Dubuque. UWP also has great graduate options offering master’s degrees in engineering, project management, and criminal justice through the Distance Learning Center in addition to on-campus graduate programs in computer science, counselor education, industrial technology management, and education.

Employers want to hire people who are lifetime learners. Fields and industries will progress, things will change, and “to be hirable later on, it often helps to have an advanced degree depending on the field you choose,” said Diana Trendt, director of the UWP Career Center. “Students interested should also talk with their advisor or faculty, because they often have some very valuable insight into their specific field.”

As the spring season approaches, flowers defrost and tassels turn, think about your future and consider the advantages a graduate degree can offer.

Ian Clark is a staff writer at the UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center, which offers online master’s degrees in engineering, criminal justice, and project management.

By Ryan Broege, UWP Office of Public Relations

PLATTEVILLE– Laura Sherrick, a graduate of the online Master of Science in Project Management Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been awarded the James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award by the Project Management Institute. On its website, PMI described itself as a “not-for-profit professional association whose primary goal is to advance the practice, science and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner.”

Ginger Levin, adjunct professor of project management at UWP since 2002, had Sherrick in her classes and was impressed by her former student’s achievement. Levin said that she encouraged Sherrick to apply but pointed out that there is a tremendous amount of competition among students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate project management programs from all around North America. Sherrick’s paper was selected as the winner among all submissions in the North American division; winners were also selected in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe-Middle East-Africa regions.

Sherrick’s paper was originally the final product of the Capstone Class, a three-credit course that all students in the Master’s of Science in Project Management program take near the end of their studies. “I encouraged her to submit the paper because she took each of the nine knowledge areas in the PMI’s ‘A Guide to the Project Management Methodology, third edition,’ and applied each of its inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs to her work. She described why she used each one and their value,” said Levin, who was Sherrick’s professor in the Capstone Class.

As winner of the international student paper award, Sherrick was awarded $500 and given the opportunity to present her paper at the PMI North American Congress, an annual week-long professional conference held in Orlando, Fla. “The Congress was a celebration of project management. There were more seminars being held than any one person could attend, and also opportunities to share knowledge, explore project thinking and learn more about the field,” she said.

This is the second time in three years that the winner of the PMI International Student Paper award has been a graduate of UWP. “In 2007, I nominated Tonya Petersen, who wrote a paper on motivation. The fact that UWP has had two winners in three years truly is an indicator of the strength of our program,” said Levin.

“I am very proud of our campus and students because this is a very competitive award,” said Bill Haskins, program director of the Master’s of Science in Project Management at UWP.

Anyone with further questions regarding the award may contact Haskins at (608) 342-1961 or haskinsd@uwplatt.edu.

One easy way to reduce your stress, especially stress associated with money, is to earn a scholarship or award. The Project Management Institute Education Foundation offers 27 scholarships, some worth as much as $7500 annually. Ten additional scholarships are awarded quarterly to employees of non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

If you’re interested in showcasing your knowledge, understanding, and application of project management theory, throw your hat into the ring—or your paper, rather—and vie for an award from the Project Management Institute.

The James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award recognizes one undergraduate and graduate from each of the four global regions annually. UWP students placed first three times and second once in the last four years!

By Ian Clark

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville earned a spot on G.I. Job’s list of military friendly schools, characterized by their efforts and successes in recruiting veteran students. G.I. Jobs, a website and magazine that helps current and former members of the military transition successfully into civilian life, formed the list which recognizes the top 15 percent of the most “military friendly” of the nation’s 7,000 schools. Schools on the list range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. The common bond between them is their shared willingness to cater to the unique needs of military students.

The United States government has allocated tens of billions of dollars through the Post-9/11 GI Bill for educating America’s armed forces, providing monies paid directly to schools for tuition, a housing allowance, stipends for books, and other fees associated with higher education.

“Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “This list is especially important now because the recently enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school. Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified.”

Cody Brigman, president of the UWP Veterans Club, while unaware of the new list by G.I. Jobs, was unsurprised. “This campus has a long standing relationship with veterans,” said Brigman. “The Registrar’s Office, which also functions as veterans liaisons, goes to bat for veterans time and again. It is through their dedicated service that many of us on campus are able to concentrate on school work rather than paperwork.”

Brigman also mentioned that many veterans joined their particular branch of service immediately after high school, and that ACT and SAT scores are something that most veterans don’t have before enrolling.

“When a vet leaves his or her branch, it can be at any given time of the year, which doesn’t always lend itself to jumping right into college, but the campus works with us so that we have the chance to get enrolled at our earliest convenience,” added Brigman.

Changes in environment and social structure are also significant issues veterans can have issues with as they begin college. However, UWP has a highly seasoned veteran community that aims to help those in need with these troublesome transitions, and help better acclimate veteran students with their new environment, according to Brigman.

For more information about the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill or other veteran-related questions, contact the Registrar’s Office at (608) 342-1321. To learn more about the UWP Veterans Club, contact Brigman at brigmanc@uwplatt.edu.