Monday, November 12, 2007

Exciting New Course Offerings!


We’re very pleased to announce that this quarter the Online Division of GU/MSB is offering several new exciting courses that have not traditionally been taught in a fully online format.

Please see the brief descriptions below for Spanish, Speech Communications, and Mass Communications, to learn how these courses have been carefully developed. Lastly, if you would like to learn more about any of our current or future online courses, please don’t hesitate to contact me.


HU130: Spanish I

Spanish I requires both oral and written communication learning techniques in order for a student to be successfully competent in the material. This course includes MP3 files of the complete Textbook, which allows students to hear and practice the correct pronunciation of Spanish words. Through the use of auto-graded diagnostic quizzes, the instructor is offered a way to actually test the speaking skills of their students. Students also participate in audio practice activities, audio vocabulary tutorials, and student-to-student speaking assignments. In addition, through the use of weekly assignments and a final paper, students are able to practice and develop their written Spanish communication. Lastly, through interactive, weekly discussion boards the topics of Spanish culture are discussed and explored at length.

- Specific Course Requirements - Continual access to a microphone, speakers/headphones, sound recording capabilities through MS Office Professional 2003 or 2007 (this comes standard with MS Office)

CM111 – Speech Communications

Public speaking is no longer isolated to the traditional lecture in front of an audience, and with the rise in remote offices and business interactions worldwide, professionals are finding themselves conducting presentations via multiple channels including, conference calls, Webinar, and traditional lectures.

Speech Communications online offers the unique opportunity to engage in public speaking using each of these modes, while also focusing on strategies for managing speech anxiety, developing effective speech structures, conducting and implementing appropriate and logical research, and delivering dynamic speeches and mediated presentations

Within this course, students will be making presentations (formal or informal) on a weekly basis through recordings, Webinars, and live traditional presentations in a formal audience and student-to-student setting. Each of these public speaking environments and opportunities will prepare our students for success and make them more marketable in the ever changing technological world of public speaking.

- Specific Course Requirements - Continual access to a microphone, speakers/headphones, sound recording capabilities through MS Office Professional 2003 or 2007 (this comes standard with MS Office)

CM410 – Mass Communications Online

Because of the intense and significant influence mass media plays in our daily lives, whether in the form of old or new tools, information and misinformation is spread rapidly and massively. MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and other Web sites are becoming more integrated into all realms of society than ever before. Presidential candidates are even holding debates on YouTube as a way to connect with the masses that are so reliant on the Internet, as the Internet is influencing world views more than any other media source historically.

As Dr. Edward Schiappa, professor and department chair for the Department of Communications at the University of Minnesota, articulates "We are at a point in human history where most of what we learn about the world we learn through mass media" (Communication, 2007, p11). .

Mass Communications online is designed to introduce students to various media sources and theories, while also offering students the opportunity to engage in mass communication directly through the online experience. Coupling these two experiences will make our students more critical users and consumers of mass media overall. Examining media, both old and new, will allow students to evaluate, critique, and engage in the most common forms of media now found in our society: Television, Movies, Newspapers, Advertisements, and of course the Internet…all of which can now be accessed via the Internet.


Amy Ode
Online Curriculum Manager

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Winter Software Update


Software is always changing and institutions of higher education must adapt to these changes while working to accommodate students.
Globe University/Minnesota School of Business will transition from Microsoft Office Professional 2003 to 2007 gradually. We are not transitioning to Microsoft Vista operating system at this time.

Who needs to upgrade to Microsoft Office Professional 2007?
Students who are early in their program will need to upgrade to Microsoft Office Professional 2007 this winter so that they can progress through their program. There are three core courses that all students must take which do require the use of Microsoft Office Professional 2007.

Which core courses actually require Microsoft Office Professional 2007?
The specific courses that do require MS Office Professional 2007 include:
- CS111 Computer Information Systems,
- CS131 Microsoft Office Professional I and
- CS256 Microsoft Office Professional II.

Why do these courses require Microsoft Office Professional 2007?
These courses require the newest version of software because they are training specifically on the use of the software. These foundational courses must be taken early in the program and it is important for students to complete these courses as early as possible in their program.

Are there other program-specific courses that require Microsoft Office Professional 2007?
Students in Information Technology programs may need to upgrade to MS Office Professional 2007 to take the required course DB100 Introduction to Database in Spring 2008.

How will my classes be affected by some students/instructors having Microsoft Office Professional 2007 and others still having Microsoft Office Professional 2003?
Adapting to new software will require that online students and instructors are prepared to work with documents in either MS Office 2003 or 2007 formats. The patch that allows MS Office Professional 2003 users to read documents created in MS Office 2007 is available within the announcements section of Blackboard. All users may download this tool free of charge.

What software is being used to create course curriculum?
At this time, all documents within the actual online course curriculum are still being created in MS Office 2003 so all users may access them.

Does the college provide access to purchasing this software at a discount?
Not at this time, but students are encouraged to purchase the 2007 software even if they are not taking a course requiring the software. Students may utilize this resource whether they have a course requiring the software or not.

Will the college eventually require the 2007 software for all courses?
Over time, most students will have 2007 software due to the specific course requirements listed above. If we do determine a necessary transition for all courses, we will work to inform students as early as possible.

Ann Mickelson
Online Dean of Students



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Welcome Our Newest Faculty


As our online department continues to expand, we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce and officially welcome our instructors who are new to MSB this quarter.

With the addition of our new instructors our overall number of online instructors has increased to 115! We are excited about the growth of our online department as well as by our new additions that come to us from across the United States.

Amy Thenor: Amy joins us from California where she is the Human Resources Director for a private agency. She is teaching MG310 Human Resources Management this quarter.

Carl Lindgren: Carl joins us from Minnesota and is also teaching residentially at the St. Cloud campus. Carl’s area of expertise is in English and writing and is teaching FW052 Foundations of Writing II this quarter.

Dan Harrison: Dan’s business experience coupled with his previous experience teaching and taking courses online makes him a welcome candidate in the area of MG320 Operations Management. Dan is joining us from the Minnesota/North Dakota border.

Danny Chavez: Danny has completed his degree in Kinesiology, which makes him a great fit for our Health and Fitness Science courses. He is teaching MT160 Health Sciences Research Principles this quarter from his home state of Texas.

Jaynelle Nixon: Jaynelle joins MSB with previous experience teaching online in the areas of literature and writing and humanities. This quarter she is teaching FW052 Foundations of Writing II and lives in Missouri.

Jeff Davis: Jeff works as the Compliance Office for our sister campus, Utah Career College, and with his strong background in economics and finance is teaching FM052 Foundations of Math II this quarter.

Joel Phillips: As a mechanical engineer located in Minnesota, Joel has a strong interest in and love for math which he brings to his BS100 Business Math and FM052 Foundations of Math II courses this quarter.

Linda Orlando: Linda has an extension background teaching both residentially and online at the college level in the areas of accounting, healthcare administration, and writing which makes her a triple-threat instructor. She’s currently teaching FW052 Foundations of Writing II and CM121 Composition this quarter from her home in Maine.

Rosie Branciforte: Rosie returned to education after selling her business and hasn’t looked back since. With her degree in Education and experience teaching online, she’s been a welcome addition. She’s currently teaching FW052 Foundations of Writing II and resides in Florida.

Scott Rudeen: With Scott’s experience in law enforcement as a Minnesota State Trooper, he brings a practical and real-world focus to his class which is a great resource for his students and our criminal justice program. During his off-duty time, Scott is teaching CJ240 Corrections this quarter.

Stefanie Lassitter: As a lifelong educator, Stefanie brings a great enthusiasm to her FW052 Foundations of Writing II class this quarter. Stefanie has been teaching English and writing courses both online and residentially and currently resides in Michigan.

Teri Kuffel: And last but certainly not least, Teri joins our team of legal instructors this quarter teaching LA100 Legal Terminology and LA240 Legal Writing I. With her legal and business background in addition to her passion for online teaching, Teri has been a great addition to our team.


Julie Phillips
Associate Dean of Faculty



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Do You Need Citation Help?


You know the library databases are great for finding research, but did you know the library databases can help you create your bibliography too?

That’s right! Whether you’re doing APA or MLA style, the library databases can put the article information into the proper format for you.

In InfoTrac databases, click on the “citation tools” or “how to cite” buttons.

In the ProQuest databases, click the “cite this” button.

In EBSCOhost databases, click the “print,” “email,” or “save” buttons.

Don’t stress about your List of References or Works Cited! Let the databases help you make it easier to finish that research paper on time. Here are some more websites to help you with your citations:

- MSB Library Citation Guides:
http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/
- Bedford St. Martins: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
- Diana Hacker:
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
- Purdue University: OWL
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Happy researching! If you need assistance, contact me:

Elaine Settergren
Online Librarian.

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Your Instructors are Available


Getting in touch with your Instructor is easier than ever! Have you ever been working on homework for one of your classes and needed to get in contact with your instructor about a question you have?

We’ve recently introduced some new technologies to the online classrooms that make it easier than ever to communicate with your instructor. Here are some of the tools available to you:

Email, Phone, and Office Hours:
The ‘Meet Your Instructor’ section of class shows your instructor’s email address, phone number, and office hours. Instructors are required to respond to student emails and phone calls within 24-48 hours and hold 3 office hours per week. If you don’t have access to your online class and need to email your instructor, please remember your instructor’s email will be the first initial of their first name and full last name (ex. bjames@msbcollege.edu).

Pronto:
New to online this quarter, Pronto is an online instant messaging tool that allows you to communicate with your instructor and fellow students spontaneously. This is a great tool if you have a quick question for your instructor or want to get in touch with one of your classmates to discuss a team project or assignment. One of the great features of Pronto is that each quarter, your contact list will automatically be updated based on what classes you are enrolled in. Plus, you don’t need to be logged in to class to contact anyone. See directions in Jodie's Tech Tip, and it is a very quick and easy download to complete.

Elluminate Live!:
This web-conferencing tool is a new feature to online courses this quarter as well. Elluminate Live is a great tool for real-time discussions. During Elluminate sessions, you can talk directly with your instructor and fellow students while watching a presentation or problem being solved on the whiteboard. This quarter, Elluminate has been used for individual/team project presentations in SS140 Interpersonal Relations and tutoring sessions in NS116 College Algebra I. All you need to participate is a pair of headphones with microphone capabilities and a good internet connection.

(Special Note: Technically, a mic isn’t necessary in order to participate.)

It's important to remember that if you have questions, your instructor is here to help! Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. It’s now easier than ever to do so.

Brian James
Dean of Faculty


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Need Library Assistance?


Instant Message (IM) your Librarian! Asking a librarian just got easier. Now you can IM me, Elaine Settergren, from your favorite IM software or directly from the library website.

You can add me as a buddy in:

Pronto: esettergren
ICQ: 447247984
AIM: gumsblibrary
Yahoo: msb.library
Google Talk: msb.library
MSN: msb.library

Or you can IM me directly from http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/onlinestudents/.

Note: To add me as a buddy in Pronto: download Pronto from the “Tools” section in your Blackboard course. Check out Jodie's Tech Tip to the right for more instructions. Once you have downloaded it, go to the “contacts” menu, select “add contact” and enter my Pronto ID: esettergren.

You can also get a hold of me in the traditional ways including email and phone which can be found on the link above.

Now, how can I help you?
- Citation Questions
- Creating a bibliography
- Database help
- Evaluating sources
- Exploratory research
- Finding images or audio
- Finding professional associations
- Finding scholarly information
- Finding statistics
- How to use E-Books
- How to avoid Plagiarism
- Research (from beginner to expert)
- Topic formation
- Tracking a source based on a citation
- Web searching tips
- Helping you cope with information overload
- And MORE… the sky’s the limit!

I love connecting people to the information they need. IM, email, or call me the next time you hit a research roadblock!

Elaine Settergren
Online Librarian

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Career Services For You


It is my mission to actively support the professional employment goals of all students from their first term, to their graduation and beyond.

Hello, my name is Lesley Farnham and I am the Director of Career Services for the online division. This quarter I want to share some advice on Networking, a critical component to your career search. Networking is the best way to find opportunities and the benefits of building a network are numerous. Here are just a few:

· Access to “unposted” opportunities or ones you would most likely not have access to without the connection
· Advanced notice of potential opportunities that are about to occur
· Having a referral into the position
· Gain additional information about the opportunity and organization

So, how do you build your network? Here are a few tips:

· Get involved in clubs or organizations that specialize in your area of interest
· Ask those in your network for advice on how you should approach getting into your target industry
· Attend events (workshops, seminars, conferences, career fairs) that are related to your industry to gain knowledge and build your network.

Finally, as many of you already know, the career services department provides all active and graduate students with:

· Resume assistance (examples and auditing/critiquing)
· Lifetime placement assistance for graduates
· Cover letter and Interviewing advice

My mission is to support your goals, whether it is to get a promotion or to find a new position elsewhere. As a graduate of our school you will have lifetime access to these services.

Please feel free to contact me via phone, 612-798-3747 or email at lfarnham@msbcollege.edu. I look forward to working with you and helping you achieve your employment goals!

Lesley Farnham
Director of Career Services


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The Value of an MBA



Have you ever thought about what an MBA could do for your Career?

Congratulations to all of you on your success thus far in your current degree programs and as you prepare for your future, I want to share some exciting news about one our fastest growing programs. In today’s competitive landscape, it’s becoming increasingly important to separate yourself from other candidates. One of the premier ways to differentiate yourself from the field, is through our Masters of Business Administration.

As an MBA graduate, you will be better prepared to lead and make decisions on a higher level, a level that will result in greater effectiveness and efficiency for your organization regardless of its size. Our online MBA program will:

· Enable you to enhance your leadership and decision making skills
· Learn the leadership principles of business-entrepreneurship
· Lean the practices of teaching people to cope within changing environments
· Learn how to be an effective leader by participating in data-driven decision making

In addition, you’ll learn how to address the following four preeminent managerial challenges:

· Ensuring fiscal stability
· Maintaining meaningful communications
· Upholding legal, ethical, and government regulations
· Initiating managed growth

Lastly, I’m very pleased to share some exciting news that we had our first MBA graduates this past Spring! These graduates are highlighted on our Roll of Online Graduates to the left. If you, a friend, or a family member would like to learn more about the advantages of our MBA program, click here:

http://www.msbcollege.edu/programs/mba.html

Also, feel free to contact us today at 1-877-609-8889. Congratulations again and good luck with your studies!

Seth Tesdall
Director of Online Education

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Monday, May 7, 2007

Take Advantage of the Summer Quarter!



Congratulations on the start of the Spring Quarter! As we look forward to barbecues, warmer weather, and softball leagues, it’s very important to take a step back and reenergize towards your education and career goals.

In the past, many students have used the entire summer quarter to take a break from their studies, but many times this only puts off graduation and ultimately potential job opportunities. Also, we've observed that once students stop, many have found it difficult to get started again after the prolonged break. Therefore, as many of you already know, MSB has decided to give students a three week break from their studies following the Spring quarter! In order to better meet the needs of all students, we will be implementing a 10 week quarter this Summer instead of the typical 12 week quarter, which will give you the opportunity to get right back on track towards your goals following the extended three week break.

The specifics:

- Students will be on break from school starting Thursday, June 21st with Summer courses starting 3 and half weeks later on Monday, July 16th. Your future quarters in the Fall, Winter, and Spring will continue to follow the typical 12 week cycle for online instruction.

- To accommodate the new 10 week quarter, our current 6 week MBA courses will follow a 5 week schedule this summer. Just like our undergraduate courses, your future quarters in the Fall, Winter, and Spring will continue to follow the typical 12 week quarter and 6 week schedule for online instruction.

- With these changes, some weeks may have more then one unit, and this means that certain weeks will require multiple assignments, discussions, and activities in order to gain the knowledge needed to be successful in the course.

- If you have any questions regarding the structure and schedule for the Summer Quarter please contact the Education Department.


Most importantly, the goal of the three week extended break and 10 week quarter is to give you a much needed rest and then help you get right back on track in pursuit of graduation and ultimately, a new career! Once again, congratulations on your success thus far, and we look forward to working with all of you this summer!

"There is no upper limit to what individuals are capable of doing with their minds. There is no age limit that bars them from beginning. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome if they persist and believe."

H. G. Wells, English novelist & historian


Seth Tesdall
Director of Online Education



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Importance of Accreditation



All of us at MSB Online are looking forward to some exciting developments this spring. We will celebrate graduation with many of our undergraduate students and our first MBA graduates on June 21, 2007. We are also looking forward to our accreditation site visit May 30 through June 1, 2007.


Accrediting agencies are “private educational associations of regional or national scope which develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met (U.S. Department of Education, 2007)”. The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality. “Accreditation” is a formal review of the quality of higher education institutions and programs. In the United States, accreditation is an important tool in communicating to students, families, government officials, and the press that an institution or program provides a quality education (CHEA, 2006).

Our accrediting body, The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) will send a team of peer evaluators to review our institution during the site visit. The team will be visiting virtual classrooms and may be contacting students and faculty to learn about their experiences in the school. These visits occur every three to ten years for each of our locations. This peer evaluation is a valuable learning experience for us and we are looking forward to using the insights we gain in our work toward continuous improvement as an institution of higher learning. “The site visit is a great opportunity to show an institution’s strengths and aspirations to others and to benefit from the site visit team’s collective expertise (CHEA, 2007).”

Please feel free to contact a member of the education department if you have questions about the peer review process or accreditation in general. For additional information regarding higher education accreditation, see:

Commission on Higher Education Accreditation: Informing the Public About Accreditation. (2006). http://www.chea.org/public_info/index.asp

Financial Aid for Post-Secondary Students – Accreditation in the United States. (2007). http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Ann Mickelson
Online Dean of Students

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The Library Presents:
Central Search



Central Search is a new library tool that will save you time and help you find more sources for your research.




Without Central Search...

Even when searching on only one topic, to get complete results you would have to:

- Log in to two, three or even more separate library databases
- Search the MNPals catalog for books and e-books
- Browse through scholarly websites
- Repeat the same searches and get separate lists of results each time

Now, using Central Search...

You can enter one search and let the search engine:

- Look for articles and documents in dozens of library databases
- Search the catalog and e-book collections
- Check reliable scholarly web sites
- Return everything in one list of results
- Organized by topic, date, source or author.

Save Time by not having to repeat your search over and over. One search will return results from 50 library resources!

Find more by not having to guess which databases or search engines to use. One search will check nearly every collection in the MSB Library!

Julie Andreasen
Associate Dean of Online Faculty

Try Central Search Now!


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Summer Registration!



The Online Education Department hopes this email finds you doing well and enjoying your Spring 2007 quarter courses!

Registration for the Summer 2007 quarter is available starting Monday, May 14th, 2007! Registration through the portal will be available to you until Friday June 1st, 2007. We understand that your time is valuable; as a result, we have reviewed each student file and developed a list of recommended courses for the Summer 2007 quarter (you may view our recommendations online through the student portal). Follow the instructions below to complete the registration process.

Registration is on a first come-first serve basis. The earlier you register, the earlier you are able to ensure that you are reserving a seat in the classes you need to achieve your educational goals!

1. To log in to the online portal:
Go to:
http://my.msbcollege.edu/
Select: Student Portal Homepage

Once on the log-in page, enter your username and password (same as your email log in):
- TYPICAL USERNAME: first name.last name
- PASSWORD: the last 4 digits of your Social Security number

2.To view printable degree audit in the online portal:
- Select from the menus on the left side of the page
Academics > Degree Audit > Printable Version (to the right of the “Program Details”) > Select “Open
- Look for courses that are assigned to “07SUM” in the middle of the page

3.To register for your assigned courses in the online portal:
- Select from the menus on the left side of the page
Academics > Online Registration > Begin Online Registration
- Follow the steps as outlined on the webpage.
- The Online Registration Tutorial can be helpful if questions come up while registering

4.To view previously registered courses in the online portal:
- Select from the menus on the left side of the page
Academics > Online Registration >
- In the middle of the page, you will be able to view Previously Registered Courses (if you do not see your schedule or all of your courses, please contact the education department)

NOTE: If you need to make any modifications (add/drop) you will need to contact a member of the Education Department.

Students not wishing to register through the online portal may request their Summer 2007 courses by email or phone to anyone listed below.

Ann Mickelson
amickelson@msbcollege.edu

Dana Wallace
dwallace@msbcollege.edu

Kate Germ
kgerm@msbcollege.edu

If you request your courses with the Education Department (by email or phone), you will be registered for courses by the Education Department.

Dana Wallace
Registrar


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Monday, February 26, 2007

Director's Message:

Seth Tesdall
Seth Tesdall writes:

"I am very pleased to introduce the new and improved MSB Online Newsletter! Each quarter we’ll be sharing some of the great news about MSB Online as well as putting the spotlight on some of our dedicated students, staff, and faculty. We hope to include current news about online education and through Ken’s Corner, we’ll be showcasing some of the cutting edge learning tools that are being developed and used in our online programs and courses. We hope that you find our newsletter useful and informative, and please use the survey tool to the right to provide your feedback and testimonials!

Today we are serving well over 300 fully online learners and over 2,400 residential students taking online courses. As you can see from the graphic below, we are not just exclusive to Minnesota, but we are truly growing a diverse and talented population of students that are all over the United States! We hope to have a presence in all 50 states by the end of the year!

online service map

Another exciting new initiative are our Student Resource Centers that will be located in Sioux Falls and Fargo. We are hoping to provide a new and convenient education alternative to adult learners in areas outside of the state of Minnesota. Through our Student Resource Centers, students will have the best of both worlds by being able to retain the flexibility of a fully online program, but also be able to obtain face-to-face assistance if and when they need it.

Once again, these are very exciting times at MSB Online and we’re very pleased to be able to share some of the great news in this new format.

Seth



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Summer Quarter 2007

For Summer Quarter 2007 MSB/GC will be utilizing a 10-week quarter session verses the traditional 12-week session.

Students will be on break from school starting Thursday, June 21st with Summer courses starting Monday, July 16th.

Please contact a member of the education department if you have any questions.

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Online Student Services

Jodi Bergerson
A friendly reminder that online students can take advantage of many free student services, such as:

  • Free Tutors
  • Free Online Tutorials
  • Supplemental Webinars and Conference Calls
  • SkillSoft Training
  • Professional Development
  • Free Online Library
  • Test Outs
  • Work Experience
  • Prior Learning
  • Transfer of Credit Evaluation
  • Academic Advising and Planning
  • Scholarship Opportunities
  • Online Resource Center
  • Weekly and Quarterly Newsletters
  • Helpdesk Support
  • Student Representation on Online Retention Committee
  • Student IDs (mailed the first quarter)
  • Quarterly Graduation Ceremonies

  • Recognition Certificates (Honors, Attendance)
  • Career Placement Assistance
If you are interested in learning more about any of the services listed above, please contact a member of the Education Department.

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