"Cheryl made my think I could do it," Seehafer said. "It's a great program, but Cheryl definitely was the motivating factor behind my selecting UW-Platteville over Michigan State or Florida State. She made me believe that I could do it, even though I'd been out of school for 20 years. She made it happen."

Seehafer had never taken an online class before and was concerned about the workload required and the feasibility of learning graduate-level courses at a distance. Once he began his courses, however, he realized that he had made the right choice.

"The level of interaction with all the instructors was great," said Seehafer. "They were always there. They responded in a very timely manner and very thoroughly."

He encourages new students to make sure that they are comfortable with the basics of a computer before enrolling in an online program.

"The program has great tech support, but you really need to know how to cut, copy and paste, move diagrams, and use Excel spreadsheets--basic computer skills," said Seehafer.

He also warns potential students to be aware of the time commitment required to complete an online graduate program.

"It takes a lot of time to do the readings and the papers. I was fortunate in that I was able to do some of it at work, and about an hour in the morning, so I wasn't faced with four hours of work at night after getting home. This takes a real commitment of about 15 to 20 hours a week. You have to be willing to do that. Don't be disillusioned," said Seehafer.

Seehafer, who is teaching part-time, mentions that the program curriculum has been very relevant in his work with the Justice Department. His research on post-traumatic stress disorder has been helpful to colleagues, and he is able to look at existing research more critically.

Attention Alumni: We want to hear about you! Tell us what you've done since graduating. If you're willing to be profiled in a future issue of PLEXUS, please call the Distance Learning Center at 1-800-362-5460 or email disted@uwplatt.edu.