ARCHIVE FOR THE ONLINE SCHOOLS

Tens of thousands of people from all over the world continue to sign up for each of 16 free online classes being offered by Stanford University this semester.

Yes, this is the Stanford University, located in Palo Alto, California, that is among the top universities in the world.

The free self-paced, interactive, college classes will be taught by the same distinguished faculty members who teach on the Stanford campus. For example, the online Anatomy class is scheduled to be taught by Dr. Srivastava, a trained orthopedic surgeon who is Division Chief of Clinical Anatomy at Stanford’s School of Medicine.

The professors of the free classes are all leaders in their fields and have earned an impressive array of degrees, awards, honors, and research accolades.

Prospective online students simply sign up for the free classes, access lectures and materials, complete assignments at home, and take quizzes — all online. However, online students will not receive college credit from Stanford.

The list of free online classes includes:

Medicine Department

• Anatomy

Computer Science Department

• CS 101
• Machine Learning
• Game Theory
• Computer Security
• Natural Language Processing
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Machine Learning
• Software as a Service
• Cryptography
• Probabilistic Graphical Models
• Design and Analysis of Algorithms I

Entrepreneurship Department

• Lean Launchpad
• Technology Entrepreneurship

Civil Engineering Department

• Making Green Buildings

Electrical Engineering Department

• Information Theory

Complex Systems Department

• Model Thinking

At the moment, the starting date for the free online classes has been delayed. However, they are currently scheduled to begin in February or March.

In the meantime, signups continue to be accepted.

This is a great opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds in academia at no cost. It is also a wonderful chance to try out online education without any academic risk.

But don’t take too long deciding . . . classes are due to begin any day now.

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We’ve all seen it in the movies — the parched lips of a desperate man as he stumbles along, seeking water in a hot, dry desert.

Suddenly, from the vast and barren landscape, an oasis gradually comes into view and ultimately provides life-saving sustenance.

Similarly, online schools are slowly moving into view for thousands of public college students who are frustrated with higher education budget cuts that have decimated the number of class offerings and extended graduation dates.

Students have had few options as they attempt to finish their college education in a timely manner, while traversing the gauntlet of closed classes, teacher layoffs, and fewer transfer spots in state universities.

Declining funding in public universities and 2-year community colleges has pulled the rug from under the dreams of motivated students throughout the nation who cannot afford the high-priced tuition of traditional private schools.

However, private online schools are an oasis in the desert for these students who are eager to finish college and begin their professional career lives.

Online schools enable students to take the classes they need to remain on track with graduation dates. Many public colleges welcome transfer credits from accredited online schools, especially since it gives students an option in meeting their educational goals.

Of course, students should always check with their college guidance counselors before enrolling in any classes that are being considered for transfer credit.

Online degree programs are also a wonderful option for those who would rather experience greater flexibility in their schedules for family, work or other reasons, while enjoying better options to enroll in the classes they need.

As so many students find themselves vying for limited spots in the necessary classes for graduation, the oasis of online schools is rising as a beacon of hope in a desert of higher education woes.

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During a recent visit to the hospital, I was privileged to observe, first-hand, the crucial role that nurses play in patient hospital care.

I accompanied a family member to the hospital for a neurosurgery procedure and was impressed by the multiple tasks performed by skilled registered nurses during admission, pre-operative preparation, surgery, post-operative recovery and on the neurosurgery hospital floor. My family member received excellent care due to compassionate, competent registered nurses.

It is no wonder that doctors depend so heavily upon nursing to play such a central role in each patient’s healing process.

In our case, nurses interviewed my family member to insure that all previous instructions had been followed prior to us arriving at the hospital. These instructions included not eating or drinking that day, not taking certain medications, not having open cuts or wounds, and not having a fever. After getting settled into the hospital bed, nurses inserted an intravenous line into the patient. This was important for introducing hydration fluids, medicines, anesthesia, and anything else the doctor or nurses required for the patient.

Nurses took the patient’s temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels and accompanied the patient to pre-surgery at the required time, with a record of all pre-op procedures properly notated for the neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist. Nurses constantly interacted with the patient, explaining everything they were doing in preparation for surgery.

Surgical nurses helped prepare and sterilize the operating room. During the procedure, they passed surgical instruments to the surgeon, monitored the patient’s vital signs and assisted the surgeon in numerous other ways. Nurses monitored and guided the patient through the process of waking up from the anesthesia in post-operative recovery.

Back in the hospital room, my family member received round-the-clock care from both male and female nurses. They provided both oral and intravenous medication, along with the continuous hydrating fluids necessary for recovery. They also monitored diet, pain levels, mobility, vital signs, and supervised each time the patient left the bed.

Once it was time for my family member to go home, nurses explained the home care procedures, removed the intravenous apparatus, took vital signs again, and provided detailed written instructions to follow, along with necessary prescriptions.

We were amazed at the specialized skills of each nurse along the way. The neurosurgeon was brilliant in performing the surgery; however, the nursing staff freed him to do his job.

There is still a shortage of nurses in many hospitals across the nation.

Hopefully, men and women who are interested in this honorable profession will explore the varied job opportunities and specialties available in this field. Although the first one to two years of nursing study usually take place in traditional college classrooms or in medical facilities, online degree programs are available for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing following the hands-on training component.

There are few professions that enable workers to daily save and preserve the lives of others.

Yet nursing is certainly one of them.

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The New Year is young and there is promise in the air.

This could be the best year your career has ever had; but how do you make it happen?

Here are five keys to help transform and energize your job, profession or vocation.

1. Be positive concerning your job. Whether you hate your boss, dislike your co-workers, or resent being passed over for a promotion, it is time to change the way you perceive those circumstances. Focus on the positive aspects of your work experience by thinking positive thoughts, like “I am so thankful I have a job” or “I am learning new lessons about coping with difficult people”. A negative attitude can derail your career and, eventually, affect your health. But a positive attitude is often rewarded.
2. Work smarter and harder. The combination of efficiency and diligence is a winner when it comes to being noticed by the higher ups. Finding new ways to improve productivity brings a fresh perspective to the job and increases career satisfaction and fulfillment.
3. Enroll in college or vocational classes to improve job skills and gain additional credentials. Your employer may offer on-site education, or you may opt to enroll in an accredited online degree program for the best scheduling flexibility. Either way, this is a proactive way to take charge and maximize career opportunities.
4. Take the time to assess whether you should remain at your present job. Perhaps there are circumstances on the job that are draining you in ways that are detrimental to your mental or physical health. As a result, you may be considering a career change. However, in this economy, it is not prudent to leave your job just yet. Plan ahead and gain the required skills and credentials to secure a new job. Online classes and online degree programs enable you to quietly, even secretly, earn a college diploma or professional certificate. Once you have all of your ducks in a row, you may then secure a new job before giving notice to your employer. Otherwise, you risk being without work while you are job-hunting.
5. Maintain your integrity on the job and be true to who you are. Often, a job is a testing ground for your integrity, spiritual faith, or morality. Co-workers may be easier to deal with than an employer; but you have to decide where you draw the line. If co-workers are cheating the employer by stealing from the supply room or fudging on their time sheets, it is easy to decline taking part in those activities. However, if an employer asks you to lie, cheat or engage in illegal or immoral activities, you may be forced to take a stand. By drawing a line that you will not cross, you will be able to live with your conscience and avoid violating your own standards.

There is no time like the present to begin a journey toward career fulfillment and satisfaction.

So use these five keys to help make this New Year a catalyst for present and future career success.
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The holiday parties are over, Christmas trees have been carted to the dump, and sounds of the season are but a distant memory.

Yet you wonder why you feel less than excited about this New Year.

Perhaps you even dispensed with the usual New Year’s resolutions, since none of them stuck more than a few weeks, or maybe months, in 2011.

So, now you feel a little blah after all of the excitement, running around, shopping, and visits from relatives have come to an abrupt halt after weeks of nonstop activity.

But there is hope.

Since going back to school is among the top self-help choices for those who dream of career advancement and personal fulfillment, this may be your year for change.

This could be your chance to realize the dream of a college education by enrolling in online classes and online degree programs.

Online school is one of the most popular choices for adult learners. Adult learners are those who have already begun their professional, vocational or other careers while taking care of other pressing responsibilities.

Online schools provide the kind of support that adult learners need while enrolled in college classes. They generally offer everything online — admissions and enrollment, lectures, 24-hour libraries, frequent e-mails with instructors, academic counseling, course syllabus, assignments, and grades.

The New Year doesn’t have to ring in the blahs.

Consider the variety of interesting online degree programs and classes that can help you fulfill your dreams of a college education.

And in doing so, you may well beat the New Year blahs.

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The foremost public college in the nation, UC Berkeley, continues its struggle to maintain high academic standards in the face of severe losses in state funding.

And UC Berkeley is not the only public college struggling to adapt to a streamlined budget.

Other public colleges in the U.S. find themselves in the same boat.

According to Washington Post reporter, Daniel De Vise, in his December 2011 article, “UC Berkeley and other ‘public Ivies’ in fiscal peril”:

“. . . a historic collapse in state funding for higher education threatens to diminish the stature of premier public universities and erode their mission as engines of upward social mobility.”

De Vise reports the following drops in state revenue over the past two decades:

• UC Berkeley, from 47% down to 11%,
• University of Virginia, from 26% down to 7%
• University of Michigan, from 48% down to 17%

In order to cope with less money, some public colleges and universities have resorted to a few unpopular remedies — raising tuition, offering fewer campus classes, increasing class sizes, accepting fewer applicants, and enrolling a higher ratio of out-of-state students (who pay as much as triple the resident tuition costs).

Although students at UC Berkeley have rebelled against rising tuition costs, the additional tuition revenue has replaced a portion of state monies that once paid for salaries, research, the expansion of academic programs, building and grounds maintenance, utilities, and more.

Still, in order to remain competitive with elite private universities, UC Berkeley offers generous scholarship and grant programs to lower and middle income students. Yet it is still difficult for students to find space in all of the classes they need in order to graduate in 4 years.

UC Berkeley also offers a new online master’s degree in public health, which opens up new options for students at a lower cost of implementation than traditional degree programs.

The decrease in state funding for public universities will continue to challenge higher education officials, as well as students.

But hopefully, the future will carve out creative solutions, like online education, that insure the survival and positive transformation of America’s public colleges.

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The Christmas holiday season is a time for reflection, as gift-giving and an impending New Year are upon us.

Giving gifts is a time-honored tradition; though many of those gifts will soon be forgotten.

However, giving support and financial assistance to a loved one for a college education will likely generate fond memories, emotional banking and economic stability that could continue through that person’s lifetime.

By helping someone to enroll a traditional college class, to pursue an online degree, or to earn a professional certificate, you invest in that person and in the dreams they cherish.

A college education provides more than just career enhancements — like job promotions, higher salaries, and greater responsibility. It also builds self-esteem, increases confidence, and fulfills dreams.

A New Year offers opportunities to remake, reshape and restore those areas of our lives that could benefit from improvement or renewal.

However, it is often the encouragement and assistance of parents, spouses, significant others, friends and others that make the difference between realizing education goals and simply dreaming passively about what could be.

So perhaps even long after the holidays have disappeared, the spirit of gift-giving will continue to flourish in the unselfish actions of those who are willing to share in the dreams of others through simple gifts that enable and encourage the pursuit of higher education.

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The entrance of the University of California, Berkeley, into the online degree realm has caused quite a stir.

Yet, in spite of opposition from some faculty members and students, UC Berkeley has introduced a new online master’s degree in public health, which is scheduled to begin instruction in the spring of 2012.

Students have already begun to apply for the new degree, in spite of pricey tuition of over $50,000 for the seven-semester program.

However, students who are accepted into the online public health degree program expect to be recruited into lucrative jobs when they graduate. There is a national shortage of public health professionals and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities in this field are expected to remain favorable.

Public health is a smart career choice because it offers a diversity of job paths to those who hold master’s degrees. Job areas include:

• Public health administration
• Public health education
• Public health analysis, policy and planning
• Public health research
• Public health consulting
• Public health advocacy

The online Master of Public Health Degree offered by UC Berkeley requires three on-campus sessions totaling 15 days. Yet, the majority of instruction takes place via computer, which makes it easier for full-time working adults to enroll in and complete the program.

Other accredited online schools, including Benedictine University and A.T. Still University, also offer online Master of Public Health degrees.

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As the New Year approaches, it is natural to evaluate your career direction to determine whether the time has come for a change.

The agenda for change may include a new job, a new career, or new skills — whatever it takes to succeed in an increasingly competitive employment climate.

Yet, in order to proceed with any of the changes, it may be wise to enroll in traditional or online schools to prepare for that new job or career, or to facilitate the updating of one’s skills.

Online classes and online degree programs are popular choices; because they fit more easily into busy work and family schedules.

But how do you choose an online school?

Fortunately, there are a number of online colleges and universities that could meet your criteria. But there are questions you should ask yourself, and the school counselors, before you enroll.

Here are a few that you may want to consider:

• Do I want to pursue a degree program or a professional certificate?
• Which schools have the best programs and reputation in my field of study?
• Am I satisfied with the list of courses required for me to graduate from the chosen program?
• Will my current employer, or a new employer, accept the college diploma or credential from this online school?
• Are the costs of tuition, books and fees reasonable for the salary I expect to earn?
• Am I able to invest the time it will take to successfully complete the program?

These and other questions should be explored and answered along the way as you move toward fulfilling your desired career change.

Yet once you decide where to enroll, you will be on your way to fulfilling your desire to boost your career in the New Year.

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As students hold demonstrations objecting to rising higher education costs, the presidents of private universities continue to enjoy modest pay raises, with some earning multimillion dollar compensation packages.

These are the findings of a newly-released report from the Chronicle of Higher Education, using data from the 2009 federal tax year.

According to information included in the report, at least 36 out of 482 private college and university presidents earned over a million dollars during 2009.

The top 5 earners were:

1. *Constantine N. Papadakis, $4,912,127 — Drexel University
2. *William R. Brody, $3,821,886 — Johns Hopkins University
3. *Donald V. DeRosa, $2,357, 540 — University of the Pacific
4. *Henry S. Bienen, $2,240,775 — Northwestern University
5. Nicholas S. Zeppos, $1,890,274 — Vanderbilt University

(*No longer president of the university.)

The median compensation was $385,909 for private college presidents in 2009, compared to $118,150 for private college professors.

Although these salaries were not a substantial part of the budget for private higher education institutions, the figures are unsettling for students who struggle to keep up with the high cost of tuition, books and fees.

Millions of students have flocked to online classes and online degree programs to save money. They gain the flexibility of paying education costs by working full or part-time jobs while enrolled in college. At the same time, they also gain the convenience of being able to complete homework assignments at home.

Other students utilize low-cost federal student loans in order to realize their dreams of a college education.

However, rising executive pay at private colleges seems out of place during a period of economic uncertainty and financial strain for students and their families.

Also, high executive salaries do little to bridge the gap between discontented college students and millionaire university presidents.

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