| In
our continuing efforts to meet the needs of our students, the Distance
Learning Center has formed a virtual Student Advisory Board to assist with
a variety of activities in our online programs. Because we
don't see our students on a daily or weekly basis, like we do in an on-campus
situation, we thought it was important to have a formal manner in which
we could obtain information from a student's perspective.
All
of the online programs are less than three years old, and we are beginning
to get through the start-up issues associated with the programs.
Now we have the opportunity to grow the programs and identify ways to improve
what we are currently doing, add new services/information to support the
programs, and find the best ways to communicate with current and prospective
students. We are really looking at this as an opportunity to hear
from the students about the issues that are most important to them.
The
Student Advisory Board is scheduled to meet monthly. The group has
already completed two audio conference meetings this semester. In
the future, we will be experimenting with other technologies when we meet,
so we can make better use of our time together -- especially when we need
to communicate both verbally and visually. This will also give us the opportunity
to test new communication modes that we may be able to implement for all
students at a distance in the future.
This
summer we will be adding a space on our web site that will keep you updated
on items that we are discussing at future Student Advisory Board meetings
and will provide you with follow-up activities to past items.
Thus
far, the group has given input into the articles for this newsletter, course
navigation issues, web site upgrades, May graduation event, marketing of
the online programs, modes of student communication, and new services that
should be considered -- to name a few. All students should be prepared
to respond to questions that members of the Student Advisory Board ask
of you to help them carry your message forward.
Please
know that these students are your representatives for bringing up issues,
concerns, and changes that you would like to have discussed. If there
are items that impact your program that you would like to have on a future
advisory board agenda, please contact one of the people listed below that
is in the same program that you are pursuing.
Business
Administration
Al
Lakhani lakhanial@hotmail.com
Richard
Kruth richkruth@aol.com
Criminal
Justice
Deb
Rice debngretchen@charter.net
Kevin
Purcell kpurcell@blackhawk.tec.wi.us
Engineering
Jaryn
McNeill mcneilljaryn@johndeere.com
Amanda
Pachniak a_pachniak@hotmail.com
Project
Management
Debbie
Bourdo deborah.bourdo@med.va.gov
David
McKenna david.mckenna@bell.ca
I personally
want to thank this group for the time they are taking in an effort to help
improve the online programs and communicate with their fellow students.
During
the fall semester, we will be putting together another advisory group to
give input to the print-based business program. Please watch for
the opportunity to volunteer for this group.
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