tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.comments2023-04-14T04:47:42.572-04:00The President's TakeCharter Oak State Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632221178378165042noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-69363699730219585272015-03-01T09:10:47.613-05:002015-03-01T09:10:47.613-05:00I am so sad to hear that Doris Cassiday has passed...I am so sad to hear that Doris Cassiday has passed away. She was a wonderful counselor and a truly encouraging presence for those of us returning to college after a long hiatus. She will be sorely missed.Poly Styrenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18280482892492467657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-61409916059722783662015-02-25T11:55:09.678-05:002015-02-25T11:55:09.678-05:00I went back to school around 2002 to complete my u...I went back to school around 2002 to complete my undergraduate studies. Doris was my adviser. She was terrific! Always there to help and prod me through my studies. Imagine how surprised she was when she received a bouquet of flowers upon my graduation. I'm sure it wasn't the first. So thank you Doris, and may you rest in peace.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12304027480299890420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-50275749903569273962015-02-25T11:50:39.821-05:002015-02-25T11:50:39.821-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12304027480299890420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-14078564513506280562015-02-20T19:46:51.150-05:002015-02-20T19:46:51.150-05:00My deepest condolence to the family. Thanks to Ms...My deepest condolence to the family. Thanks to Ms. Cassiday, I would not be the person I am today, fulfilled and reaching goals I never imagined. Thank you. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16022975815425553601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-48889375655764969652015-02-20T08:16:12.929-05:002015-02-20T08:16:12.929-05:00This is a lovely tribute. Thank you for sharing it...This is a lovely tribute. Thank you for sharing it with us.Tierney Tullyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510195532337788791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-64375547570042501832014-03-11T18:44:24.184-04:002014-03-11T18:44:24.184-04:00I know it's been a while since this was posted...I know it's been a while since this was posted but it's a great motivator for me. I too plan to go to medical school but need to test out to get through my bachelor's degree. However, I intend to enroll in a post-bacc pre-med program here at a 4 year school. The advantage to that will be ...it's covered by financial aid so it'll be worth it if it helps me get into med school. Thank you for telling your story! Goodluck with your studies and getting into PA school :)Tawny Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11660272298211485670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-53649664266048246032014-01-14T14:41:57.547-05:002014-01-14T14:41:57.547-05:00Thanks for your feedback. Keep it coming.
Austin...Thanks for your feedback. Keep it coming.<br /><br />Austin, an 8 week course and a 15 week course are worth the same number of credits (typically 3). The only difference is the compression of the work.Ed Klonoskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18074388962291616880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-23443671889917234662013-12-18T02:09:50.069-05:002013-12-18T02:09:50.069-05:00Hello,
Here's my opinion on the matter.
Fo...Hello, <br /><br />Here's my opinion on the matter. <br /><br />For starters, the 8-week courses are not equivalent to the 15-week ones in terms of workload. Maybe they share the same abstract concept of 'SLOs', but a 15-week course has more work than an 8-week course, and often more reading, more papers and more exams. In some sort-of game of cost-benefit analysis, you're always better off with the 8-week course. I don't always follow this rule -- if both an 8 or a 15 week are offered I compare the syllabi. For a lot of electives I prefer the 15 weeks -- you learn more.<br /><br />As someone else mentioned, financial determines your status (1/2 time 3/4 time or fulltime? I forget) which in turn determines your award package by credits attempted. It is easier to attempt fewer credits at a time (i.e. be full-time by taking two back-to-back 8-week courses rather than four 15-week ones) because you're not taking the courses at the same time. <br />afuller1https://www.blogger.com/profile/11700573766182206853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-28296888796860256082013-10-31T23:01:56.560-04:002013-10-31T23:01:56.560-04:00I am taking 8 week classes because like others I w...I am taking 8 week classes because like others I want to be able to take one at a time but still be considered a part time student, eligible for student aid. However, reading another post above, I do see some benefit to adding a 15 week as well so that I can have two at a time, but one being a 15 week should be less 'intense' so I can see that helping me to complete my degree more quickly and become eligible for more aid potentially.<br /><br />One thing I would like to provide feedback on is the need for some type of online 'lecture' course. I have taken a lot of online courses, some of which offered a set time for all students to log in and get a live lecture over the computer, with presentations, ability to ask questions, etc. A recent class I took was International Business and I could definitely see how something like that could have benefited me rather than only reading through chapters and trying to absorb it all without hearing things and contributing to active discussions. While I know the message boards are good, it's not interactive in the same way that a lecture 'room' would be. Hope you will consider this as an option some day.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06204911891540131517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-53491327348199819782013-10-31T22:54:31.336-04:002013-10-31T22:54:31.336-04:00I thought of one additional item that has been a b...I thought of one additional item that has been a bit of a pain so I thought I'd share since you're looking for ways to improve. I, like many other Charter Oak students, am an adult learner who has been in the business world for many years. Some courses I'm looking to take are requiring prerequisites that should be easy to get waived, but the process has not been simple. <br /><br />I tried to register for a business course (after 25 years in the business) and it wouldn't let me because I didn't have enough English credits. I ended up registering myself for a CLEP to prove that I was capable, but it would have been helpful to be able to have someone to appeal to for a waiver. I was told when I did reach out that I had to take another communication course (ENG) or a CLEP test to be admitted to the class. I know other places do allow you to appeal a special situation and get approved to take a class, waiving a prerequisite. Anyway, thanks for being open to constructive feedback!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06204911891540131517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-21674329558300650692013-10-31T19:15:00.185-04:002013-10-31T19:15:00.185-04:00The reason the 8 week course appeals to me is beca...The reason the 8 week course appeals to me is because I find it makes the best use of my time. I find that I can take 1 course at a time and focus on only that course's material. Once the course is over, I move on to the next 8 week course. This format has helped me to complete my college education quicker, while simultaneously receiving a quality education.Deanna Wrennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00599285156058259626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-1850440600612475622013-10-31T16:18:34.287-04:002013-10-31T16:18:34.287-04:00I think testing out of some of the courses needed ...I think testing out of some of the courses needed to complete your degree is a wonderful option. It isn't a very new option but it has started gaining much more acceptance among different universities. For instance, at one time the University of Texas at Austin did not allow CLEP testing, they now offer and accept a few exams.Charter Oak has the largest limit on the number of credits by exam you may achieve, where others have a smaller limit. As for study material for these exams, check out www.education-portal.com, they offer video courses that prepare you for some of these exams and the best part is its free! Perhaps Charter Oak could partner with them in some way if that was even possible. I am looking forward to hopefully being able to complete by degree in time for graduation in the spring!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12092858544817110402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-1646737945349650882013-10-31T15:56:50.329-04:002013-10-31T15:56:50.329-04:00Thank you all for these wonderful suggestions. Li...Thank you all for these wonderful suggestions. Lisa, I will look into the gender mix. Dustin, we are working with the US Department of Education to try and get financial aid dollars to apply to Testing. In the meantime, we will look into additional test prep resources. Nancy, I hear you, and I will relay this need for both options to the team.<br /><br />To those lurking, please keep the comments and suggestions coming. <br /><br />EdEd Klonoskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18074388962291616880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-60727360895923748152013-10-31T15:33:06.638-04:002013-10-31T15:33:06.638-04:00One thing that I love about Charter Oak is the abi...One thing that I love about Charter Oak is the ability to use testing for credit. It would be nice, however, if there were more resources from Charter Oak to help prepare for those tests. This could mean anything from a discussion board to recommended study material to even a staff member that could answer questions about the tests.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06848868257665395721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-63876493895526834152013-10-31T14:58:42.890-04:002013-10-31T14:58:42.890-04:00I actually prefer the flexibility of being able to... I actually prefer the flexibility of being able to chose some 8 week courses as well as 15 week courses. This semester, I took one 15 week course along with two 8 week courses so that I was only taking two courses at a time. Being an adult learner and trying to maintain full time employment, this allows me to be at 3/4 time status. I would not be able to dedicate sufficient time to my studies if I didn't intentionally plan my semesters this way. <br /> If the majority of courses offered were only offered in 8 week sessions, I would only be able to take two courses each semester, which would be 1/2 time status. The impact this would have is potentially reaching the point of exceeding 150% of the time allowed to receive Title IV funding and possibly make it difficult for me to be able to afford to complete my degree. I wonder how this might impact other students who may or may not be aware of this.<br />NancyAMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14878321010771251881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-75192302469112951032013-10-31T12:34:31.345-04:002013-10-31T12:34:31.345-04:00Hi Ed, I have thoughts on the favoritism of 8 wee...Hi Ed, I have thoughts on the favoritism of 8 week classes versus others. There are several variations and reasons as to why the 8 week classes are more appealing. It centers around workload and the ability to complete the most classes in the shortest period of time without putting to heavy a school workload on a person who is balancing, school, work and family. The eight week classes allow this balance and the ability to take more classes in a shorter of period of time with a more manageable workload. I am curious what is the ratio of men versus women who prefer the 8 week classes? best regards, Lisa G. Wildman (proud to be a COSC Alumni)lgwildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03396965776614567225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-88259716516664822702013-10-31T11:49:28.182-04:002013-10-31T11:49:28.182-04:00I choose the 8 week format because it allows me to...I choose the 8 week format because it allows me to take more classes, which A) means I graduate in a shorter time frame and B) allows me essentially be a full-time student while I'm working full-time, which C) helps me get more financial aid, thereby making my education more affordable. I do think some classes probably benefit from a longer time-frame, though, and I may do that in coming semesters. <br /><br />I think you need to add a prompt for students to get vouchers for books - generally speaking, by the time I'm buying books, the time to get a voucher has ended. I would welcome a reminder mid-term, since I usually don't think about the next term until after I'm over the hump!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15784743136656971218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-4633994775453824542013-08-12T11:24:48.806-04:002013-08-12T11:24:48.806-04:00Ed: I was a member of the EDUCAUSE Breakthrough A...Ed: I was a member of the EDUCAUSE Breakthrough Academy in Boston last month. My team is looking at the process of accreditation for online courses/programs, and we were hoping that we might do a short interview with you, that we could use in our video presentation. I have also sent a message to Burcke Smith, but it might be easier for you to contact him directly as well, as we would like to interview him as well and include one or more clips of his comments into our video presentation. Please let me know. Thanks. Brad<br /><br />Dr. Brad Eden<br />Dean of Library Services<br />Valparaiso University<br />brad.eden@valpo.edu<br />219-464-5099Brad Edenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08756954068299774237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-36517369606857530312013-07-09T12:26:07.855-04:002013-07-09T12:26:07.855-04:00That's great news! Doubly so in that we'r...That's great news! Doubly so in that we're offering something that plays to our long-established strengths.Steve Foersterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17613434140684502444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-79876368770684551272013-06-11T23:03:50.200-04:002013-06-11T23:03:50.200-04:00Thank you! It is a true honor to be a part of the ...Thank you! It is a true honor to be a part of the Class of 2013! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01909720819179582781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-16491552340181980802013-05-17T16:40:17.160-04:002013-05-17T16:40:17.160-04:00Another thought to throw out there: it can be very...Another thought to throw out there: it can be very difficult to find appropriate materials to prepare for an exam and it takes a certain savvy to find material that will teach the fundamentals you need for the exam. You can find plenty of textbooks, but most of them (particularly biology textbooks) suffer from a serious case of TMI, with a 6:1 ratio of information-you-don’t-need to information-that-might-show-up-on-the-exam. There simply isn’t a very big industry for self-teaching material, again probably because there aren’t enough people interested.<br /><br />I’m sure if you were to visit any college and poll students that many of them would say that they’re interested in credit-by-exam. I found the same phenomenon as a screenwriter: many people said they would like (or even intend) to write screenplays. However, when it comes to actually forcing your rear into a chair and plugging away at it, day after day, all alone, with no external structure or rules, the pool of people actually willing to write a feature screenplay or study for a credit-by-exam gets much, much smaller. I have a feeling that if Congress gave students aid to study for an exam (rather than aid to just pay for exam fee itself) a lot of that money would get wasted by students who lack the discipline and know-how to follow through on their own.<br /><br />My 2 cents. <br />R Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03702795454838619117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-54153572743824335272013-05-17T16:39:41.702-04:002013-05-17T16:39:41.702-04:00I specifically chose Charter Oak because of its cr...I specifically chose Charter Oak because of its credit-by-exam policies. I got a-whole-lotta-credits through the GRE Biology and GRE Chemistry exams. This took me a good deal of time to study, but it enabled me to embark on a tailor-made study program that also helped me to prepare for the MCAT -- a great deal of my study started with MCAT practice materials. I ended up scoring in the 93rd percentile on the GRE Biology and something like the 59th percentile on the GRE Chemistry. I also scored a 40 on the MCAT, which is better than 99.5 percent of test-takers, and is better than 90% of the students who get acceptance to the top schools (e.g. the top 10% at Harvard Medical School is a 41).<br /><br />Some people believe a 40 on the MCAT is guaranteed entrance to any med school, but I actually didn't get in anywhere when I applied last summer. This was partly because I had really, really bad grades from my first stab at college (two semesters over ten years ago), partly because I didn't have any new grades, partly because I didn't have any professor recommendations, and partly because I didn't yet have all the required coursework. I reasoned (correctly) that I could take all the prerequisites and complete a degree before fall of 2013, but this didn't seem to make a difference. I did make some questionable choices with my essays, believing that my unusual application merited some risk-taking, but in every respect not mentioned above I had a pretty good application. I had been working full-time as a nursing assistant while teaching myself biology, chemistry, and physics, and I came out with a stellar recommendation from my nurse manager along with some equally stellar test scores. I also had a past life as a screenwriter, complete with a work that's currently in development with a British production company. I felt that I had proven I had the discipline, tenacity, intelligence, and character required to make it through med school and become a great doctor, but the admissions committee didn't see it that way. I think a great part of my problem was that I did not fit into any of the paradigms for med school applicants, which meant there were no charts or statistics or crystal balls that they could use to predict my future. My data couldn’t be plugged in to any formulas.<br /><br />All this is for the better, because I came to decide I would rather go to Physician Assistant school instead. However, once again I ran into problems with respect to my testing out. I figured I could enroll at the local community college to meet my science lab requirements, but come-to-find-out…. I cannot take the labs separately. I still have to enroll in the lectures. This is okay too, because a lot of the PA schools won’t accept CLEP for their prerequisites and this saves me the trouble of having to request an exception.<br /><br />I still think that the test-out program is a great tool for students, and I still plan to use it to complete my last few credits at COSC, but I wish that I had planned the whole process out a little better. While I have saved a significant amount of money (despite having to pay for some courses I already had credits for), I don’t feel I saved a whole lot of time in the process. <br /><br />With all the open courseware and cheap used textbooks and internet videos and course notes available, there’s no reason someone should have to pay three-thousand dollars to learn Biology I and II. But I feel like there aren’t enough students like me out there, which means there aren’t graduate programs willing to buck the trend and accept our unusual educational approach. Credit-by-exam is a great option, but until things change students with post-baccalaureate aspirations would be well-advised to take their more important coursework in class and leave the CLEP to just fill core requirements and electives. Many schools aside from Charter Oak (and Excelsior, and TESC) already allow students to do just that.<br />R Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03702795454838619117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-19269439566660063582013-05-15T08:56:54.320-04:002013-05-15T08:56:54.320-04:00Credit by examination is one of the best values av...Credit by examination is one of the best values available in higher education, along with schools like Charter Oak. When I graduated from COSC in 1995, the internet was in its infancy; there were not many options for someone who could not attend classes. As a professional pilot, my job prohibited me from regular class attendance. CLEP exams gave me the flexibility to complete my degree at my own pace. In fact, I doubt I would ever have completed my degree without them. Naturally, it takes a good deal of self-motivation and discipline to prepare for these exams, but the effort is rewarded with credit towards one's degree, and savings that are dramatic. Bruce Talbothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08821599656930566772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-40823931904131168772013-05-14T18:44:39.344-04:002013-05-14T18:44:39.344-04:00Credit by examination is a great resource, and I c...Credit by examination is a great resource, and I completely agree that adult students shouldn't be afraid to give it a try. Through CLEP tests, I earned 27 semester-hours of credit toward my BS from Charter Oak -- nearly the equivalent to a year's worth of full time study! My total cost for those exams was just a little more than $500. Working adults can't afford NOT to consider it!Steve Foersterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17613434140684502444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314221089554273437.post-38459288311447877432013-04-07T07:00:19.554-04:002013-04-07T07:00:19.554-04:00President Klonoski,
I want to comment on the Co...President Klonoski,<br /><br /> I want to comment on the Cornerstone Course, while I am sure some students may not like it and may find fault with it I actually found it to be the best course and the most challenging course taken so far at COSC. <br /> <br /> One of the things the Professor did that made it such a great course was have a video web chat every week in which she held a lecture using whiteboard. students could use webcams to view each other and the professor could view the students. It created the feeling of being in a virtual classroom and was extremely effective in passing on knowledge. I learned much more from that course than I would have otherwise. I really wish all COSC courses did the same thing, a lecture series from the professor weekly would add to our knowledge base instead of just reading out of the textbook and writing a few papers or taking a few exams. <br /><br /> One of the reasons I chose COSC was because COSC requires more out of the students academically in terms of a residency requirement, with both a Cornerstone and a Capstone than some of the other online schools. It shows that COSC takes the idea of academic excellence and applies it instead of just talks about it. <br /><br /> One last thing, I really hope COSC considers adding graduate programs sometime soon, as I would love to continue my graduate studies at COSC after I graduate in 2014. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12092858544817110402noreply@blogger.com