ARCHIVE FOR FEBRUARY 2012

The story has all the makings of a big-screen movie — an unwanted investigation, a prominent community member found dead, international intrigue, greed and millions of dollars at stake.

However, this scenario is not on the big screen. It is, unfortunately, being played out in Dickinson, North Dakota, with real-life characters — in the form of university administrators and foreign students — who are mired in a drama interspersed with tragedy, greed and dishonor.

On Friday, February 10th, the body of Douglas LaPlante, was found in Rocky Butte Park, dead of a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound from a large-caliber rifle. LaPlante was the dean of education, business and applied science at Dickinson State University (DSU).

LaPlante may have been despondent over recent revelations of impropriety involving DSU’s international exchange program, which indicated that at least 400 foreign exchange students — most from China and a few from Russia — were awarded college diplomas they did not earn.

A few students spoke no English. Others, who did not meet minimum entrance prerequisites, should never have been admitted to the university in the first place. Many were students in LaPlante’s department; though his connection, or lack thereof, is unclear.

The disturbing revelations originated from an audit, which led to an full-scale investigation. The ongoing investigation has since expanded to include roles played by the Department of Homeland Security, the Chinese Embassy in the United States, the State Department, the U.S. Department of Education, and the university’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission of Chicago.

The booming oil industry in North Dakota offers generous salaries to high school graduates, leaving schools like Dickinson State University with fewer enrolled students. So DSU reportedly recruited foreign students, usually paying full tuition, to fill the financial gap.

The Chinese Embassy is on the scene to protect the interests of the students from China, determined that the majority of them will be allowed to complete required coursework and keep, or earn, their college degrees.

In the meantime, Dickinson State University remains burdened by the loss of a treasured colleague, humbled by a tainted reputation and suspended in a cloud of uncertainty. Potential fallout may follow, with regard to the diploma mill antics, potential student visa improprieties, and accreditation issues.

As if to foreshadow the university’s current woes, DSU was rocked by scandal less than a year ago as the university’s president at that time, Richard McCallum, was asked to resign following allegations of inflating DSU’s enrollment numbers. He would not step down as president when ordered by the board to do so, and was subsequently fired last fall. A new president, Donald Coston, has been at the helm only since January of this year.

A rich oil industry in North Dakota was the catalyst for a house of cards that stood for awhile and has now come tumbling down.

DSU’s saga is one to be remembered, not emulated, by other higher education administrators who, when feeling the discouragement of their institutions’ money woes, might otherwise be enticed into similar supporting roles.

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College students should act quickly to avoid paying double the current student loan interest rates.

Undergraduate subsidized student loan rates are set to hike from 3.4% to 6.8% this summer, unless legislators rush to intervene.

By enrolling in traditional or online degree programs now, students could save thousands of dollars in interest over time.

The U.S. Department of Education released the following statement on February 13th, 2012, regarding this issue:

Following up on the President’s State of the Union Address, the Department is proposing to freeze the interest rate on subsidized student loans at 3.4% — instead of allowing it to double to 8.4% this summer — and make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent. The AOTC provides taxpayers up to $10,000 over four years to cover expenses like tuition, fees, and textbook costs.

Although the proposed freeze could be implemented, it is also possible that interest rates on undergraduate student loans could rise to equal the rates on graduate student loans, which is 6.8%.

Popular online classes in business, computer science, health care, criminal justice, engineering, education, and information technology are among the thousands in which motivated learners are enrolled in order to propel them toward the jobs of the future.

In order to afford a college education, millions of students take out low-interest student loans, which are often just one part of their financial aid package. They may also receive grants, scholarships, or work study, depending upon eligibility.

Military students and veterans may receive military education benefits that cover all or most college expenses.

But the clock is ticking.

So enroll now in college classes and enjoy current student loan interest rates that are almost too low to believe.

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High school students in Georgia may soon be required to take at least one online class before graduation.

Following the example of several other states — including Florida, Alabama and Michigan — the Georgia Senate voted in favor of a bill that would add this new graduation requirement, thereby boosting the importance of online education in the state.

Senators voted along party lines to approve the bill, with Republicans widely supporting passage of the legislation.

The vote of 36-15 pushed the bill closer to becoming a law that would affect all high school students.

Online education continues to soar in popularity, especially on college campuses and private online schools. College students continue to gravitate towards flexible, convenient online degree programs and classes, causing a spike in new online class offerings each fall.

According to online education survey reports compiled by the Sloan Consortium, the popularity of online classes is growing at a much faster rate than that of traditional on-campus classes. This growth is particularly fueled by adult learners, who juggle a myriad of responsibilities while seeking a college education. Understandably, online classes fit more easily into their busy schedules.

Georgia’s Senate also approved a resolution urging the state to use the Digital Learning Council’s guidelines when writing online education legislation. The vote on this resolution was almost unanimous, 49-1.

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The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms what most of us are experiencing and observing throughout the country:  widespread job growth in the United States.

After disappointing gains in employment during the recession and its aftermath, the overall unemployment rate has now dipped to 8.3%.

However, where you live may dictate whether or not you are able to find employment, since jobless rates vary between states. In December 2011, North Dakota’s unemployment rate was a mere 3.3%, followed by South Dakota (4.2%), Vermont (5.1%, Iowa (5.6%) and Wyoming (5.8%).

Of course, there are also states that dominate the higher-than-average unemployment rates. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, faced a challenging 14.7% jobless rate in December 2011, as did Nevada (12.6%), California (11.1%), Rhode Island (10.8%), and Mississippi (10.4%).

Just as your location may impact your employment situation, so might your chosen career field. The recent Employment Situation Summary, released on February 3rd, highlighted the areas of increasing job growth.

The private sector added 257,000 jobs, most in the following areas:

• professional and business services, 70,000 (primarily in employment services, accounting and bookkeeping, architectural and engineering services)
• manufacturing, 50,000 (primarily in fabricated metal products, machinery, motor vehicles and parts)
• leisure and hospitality, 44,000 (primarily in food services and drinking establishments),
• health care, 31,000 (primarily in hospitals and ambulatory care services)
• construction, 21,000 (primarily in nonresidential specialty trade contractors)

Additional job gains took place in retail trade, wholesale trade, information and mining.

The average wage for private non-farm payrolls rose to $23.39 per hour and has been rising for the past 12 months.

The BLS Employment Situation Summary is a great resource for those who would like to determine which career fields and states offer the most promising job situations.

With a growing U.S. job market, this is a great time to prepare for new employment by going back to school to acquire the necessary skills, college degrees and certificates.

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Approximately a third of all college students are enrolled in at least one online class, according to the Sloan Consortium.

That percentage is expected to increase tremendously, as more and more students opt out of on-campus classes for the knowledge, and the credit, they need to graduate from college.

But what are some of the reasons that students choose online education as the non-traditional route to their required credentials?

Online Classes Save Time

Time is valuable, especially for busy adult learners. Therefore, these students often find it frustrating to travel to on-campus classes, remain in those classes for several hours, then travel back home — sometimes late at night. With online classes and online schools, students may access class lectures, assignments, and grades on their computers — thus skipping the travel time.

Online Classes Save Money

Traveling to on-campus classes is expensive — whether students pay rising gasoline costs or choose to live in pricey on-campus housing. Online classes, especially fully online degree programs, enable college students to cut back on education expenses by eliminating these items from their budgets.

Online Classes are Job-Friendly

In this still-weak economy, few employees want to take time off from work to attend on-campus classes. Thankfully, online degree programs and certificates are especially job-friendly, since working students are usually able to take all of their classes online. Online students also submit applications and register for classes online, which provides a tremendous amount of flexibility and keeps the boss out of the picture.

Additional reasons

A boost in the popularity of online schools, online degree programs, and online classes is also due to other factors.

• Religion — Some online degree programs, like those at Liberty University, enable Christians and other God-focused students to pursue bible-based college degrees, with moral values and spirituality woven throughout the accredited course materials. Students may pursue their college degrees, while remaining at home or within their chosen spiritual-centered environment.
• Health — Physically-challenged students find online degrees and classes to be a viable option to navigating college campuses in wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and crutches. The choice to remain comfortably at home while earning a college degree has opened up doors for many who might not otherwise have considered pursuing higher education.

Online education is the clear choice for over a million students.

And in the near future, you could be among them.

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