Excelsior Life

Dr. Mika Hoffman, executive director of the Center for Educational Measurement at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to discuss prior learning assessment, competency-based education, and how colleges and universities in the post-traditional era can differentiate themselves. Dr. Hoffman also discusses credit-by-examination as a more affordable degree pathway and the role of psychometricians in the assessment process. 1:19 What is a psychometrican? 2:34 Proving the validity of assessments. 3:55 Thoughts on the nature of the post-traditional era of higher education. 5:42 How do schools differentiate themselves in the market? 9:05 Opening the door to competency-based education. 14:20 The affordability question. 15:53 Responding to critics. 19:35 The mainstreaming of PLA and competency-based education. 22:40 Encouraging more institutions to accept prior learning. Resources discussed during podcast: Credentialing is How Institutions Will Differentiate in the Future (Evolllution) UExcel (Excelsior College's credit by examination program)

Anthony D’Aries, one of the literary world’s most talented young writers, joins the podcast to discuss his award-winning debut novel, The Language of Men (2012, Hudson Whitman/Excelsior College Press). D’Aries takes us through his journey half-way across the world to Vietnam in search of the truth behind whom his father, a Vietnam veteran, really was. In the process, D’Aries learns not only more about himself and his relationship with his father but how men communicate and what it means to be a man. 1:44 Why write “The Language of Men”? 5:35 A rainstorm, a river of garbage, and feeling connected for the first time. 9:44 Why visiting Vietnam left more questions than answers. 11:15 The Language of Men. 14:52 Finding a purpose. 16:11 A code of silence and how men communicate. 19:20 Writing slows down time. 21:26 Vietnam became a gateway to prior experiences. 22:32 Teaching prisoners to write. 24:07 “Trying to pause a movie that doesn’t stop.” Resources discussed during podcast: The official website of Anthony D’Aries Hudson Whitman/Excelsior College Press Order a copy of The Language of Men

Maribeth Gunner, director of career services at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to discuss Informational Interviewing, a powerful, but underused job search tactic. Gunner, an expert on career development, career counseling and military career transition, also discusses the most common questions she is confronted with by adult students and teases new Career Center initiatives under development. 1:36 How does an online career center work? 2:52 What is informational interviewing? 3:55 Feedback from students 6:59 The benefits 7:58 Not a job interview 10:01 Research and other prep 10:55 Where to begin 12:16 Common questions 13:48 Transition issues for the military 15:16 New initiatives Resources discussed during the show: Excelsior College Career Center The Benefits of Informational Interviewing by Maribeth Gunner Webinar: How to Demonstrate Your Skills to Civilian Employers

Dr. Wayne Brown, founder of the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies and vice president of Extended Education at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to explore his recent Information Week piece “In Higher Education, Fewer Women Graduate to CIO.” Dr. Brown discusses this alarming trend, root causes behind gender disparities for mentoring and on-the-job training, and why he remains hopeful for the future. The conversation touches on another of different areas explored in his longitudinal research including expected degree pathways of aspiring CIOs. 1:10 Why is the percentage of women CIOs in higher ed on the decline? 2:26 How much research is there out there? 3:39 Possible factors at play. 6:05 Indications of future turnaround. 7:55 Should we be hopeful for the future? 9:07 Men favor their own CIOs for mentorship, women their peers. 10:50 What types of degrees should aspiring CIOs pursue? 12:15 What could derail potential progress? 14:04 Bridging the disconnect. 15:00 Additional trends – why tech leaders may not understand what a CIO does.

In this special Commencement edition of the podcast, host Mike Lesczinski talks about Excelsior’s 2013 graduating class and shares the inspiring stories of eight graduates. The episode includes interviews with several of the graduates discussing why they returned to school and what their educational journey has meant to them and their families. 1:15 Commencement at a distance learning institution 2:40 A diverse class 3:20 Jon Gonzalez, achieving the “American Dream” 5:27 Rhonda Esposito, putting her studies into practice 8:52 Jeff Urkevich, three degrees of success 11:43 Terry Bedard, and a dream no longer deferred 16:15 Mike Sturgess, never too old to learn 17:50 Joy Aburquez, Navy veteran kept a promise to herself 19:40 Patricia Mann, a courageous learner 20:57 The inspiring story of Eugene Cuthbert, Excelsior’s 150,000th graduate 23:47 The Excelsior success story – forty years of growth

Dr. Michael Verro, Criminal Justice program director at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to discuss careers in criminal justice, myths about law enforcement, the growing need for cyberprofessionals and how to convert criminal justice training into college credit. Dr. Verro, a former police officer, major crimes investigator, DEA Drug Task Force narcotics investigator, and author, specializes in criminal justice and psychology. He helps clear up some myths about law enforcement and whether or not a “police personality” actually exists. 1:46 From “cop” to academic 3:26 Criminal justice career options: more than law enforcement 5:57 Clearing up misconceptions – is the glass ceiling cracked? 8:00 The experience myth 9:40 Homeland Security, cybersecurity, and other growing industries 11:45 The Excelsior Criminal Justice program 14:12 Converting criminal justice training to college credit though the CJTA program 16:17 Is there a “police personality”?

Dr. David Seelow, director of writing programs and the online writing lab at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to explore the development of the award-winning ESL-Writing Online Workshop (ESL-WOW). Dr. Seelow discusses the challenges ESL students face with college-level written composition, how the center addresses these deficiencies, and the importance of these kinds of investments by institutions of higher education. Visit the ESL-WOW: http://www.esl-wow.org/ 1:20 The purpose of the ESL-WOW 3:50 What has higher ed taken so long (in general) to address the writing skills of ESL students? 6:37 The challenges of developing an online writing center 10:55 How ESL-WOW works 16:08 “Avoiding Plagiarism” 19:50 NUTN Award 23:27 The Future of ESL-WOW

Mahesh Harvu, a senior tech executive, author and adjunct instructor at Excelsior College joins the podcast to discuss the role of Big Data in the corporate world, specifically its value at the enterprise level, impact on the bottom line, and some of the key implementation obstacles that a company must overcome to realize its full potential. The conversation concludes with a discussion on human capital and the role of Big Data in five years. 1:04 What is Big Data? 3:35 The challenge of collection 9:15 The value at the enterprise data 13:15 Determining "good" vs "bad" data 17:28 Is Big Data too costly? Is human capital to scarce? 24:03 Big Data in 5 years

Dr. Sandra Dutton, author, illustrator and Excelsior adjunct instructor, joins Excelsior Life: Distance EDU on Demand to discuss two of her most recent works, a children’s book called “Dr. Ms. Perfect: A Beast’s Guide to Proper Behavior” and “Just a Matter of Time” – an off-Broadway musical she is working to revive. Dutton discusses the creative process for developing both children’s literature and musicals, her love of the English language and finding inspiration in the illogical. 1:26 Inspiration to write for children 2:34 what is creative process like? 4:28 Finding inspiration in physics 7:02 Making logic of the illogical 7:30 Work in progress 8:29 No Child Left Behind 9:24 Just a Matter of Time 9:58 Lewis Carrol meets Dr. Seuss meets Salvador Dali meets… 12:09 Turning a coffee shop play into an off-Broadway musical

Sociologist Dr. Christopher Davidson, an adjunct instructor at Excelsior College, joins the podcast to discuss Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and what role, if any, they can or should play in higher education. Dr. Davidson argues that the reality of MOOCs differs from how they are portrayed by the mainstream media and advocates. 1:30 Thoughts on “Academically Adrift” 4:28 Who do MOOCs serve? 6:35 MOOCS are resources, not courses 8:00 Faculty backlash 10:15 What is the purpose of higher education? 11:45 The potential 12:35 Faculty concerns 15:25 Decoupling the learning process from assessment 19:12 “My Question on MOOCs” 21:38 Best practices for course development 22:02 MOOCs in 2023