May/June 2010 Edition Cohort Chronicle In This Issue: On the Cover - What s New at MCU? Sigma Beta Delta; MCU Student Donation- Pg. 2 Need Extra Classes? Upcoming Associate & ONLINE Classes; Locations Coming Soon - Pg. 3 Tuition Freeze; Student Stories - Pg. 4 New Cohorts - Pg. 5 Graduation Photos - Pgs. 6-9 New MCU Employees - Pg. 10 Share your news in the next Chronicle! Email news to: dmclaughlin@midcontinent.edu The Chronicle is always available online in color on the MCU website at www.midcontinent.edu. The Cohort Chronicle is published every two months. Enjoy! What s New at MCU? Did you know that ADVANTAGE recently launched its first graduate degree offering with a Master of Science in Human Resource Management, and it has already started four graduate cohort groups since January? This is long awaited news for our current students and recent graduates. We are anticipating the start of several more class groups throughout the year in Paducah, Mayfield, Bowling Green, Madisonville and Louisville. The program consists of 12 classes that have a dual emphasis in management and human resources. It takes 22 months of instruction to complete taking only one class at a time, one night per week. This master s is designed for the practitioner who wants applicable concepts such as leadership, training, and personnel but it also qualifies graduates to teach undergraduate classes at the university level. It is offered in the same cohort format you have grown to love! Classes are forming now and it s not too late to join one near you. If you are interested in obtaining more info or enrolling in classes, please email masters@midcontinent.edu for an individual appointment or call 1-888-628-4723. Psychology Department Chair Dr. Keith Roach Another exciting bit of news is that we have just been accredited to offer our Psychology and Counseling degree off-site. It was previously only offered on the main campus in Mayfield and ONLINE. Plans are in the works to bring this degree to several off-site locations. Applications are being taken now in anticipation of the classes starting this fall. General Psychology is a prerequisite and will be available to take ONLINE this July. Psychology Department Chair Dr. Keith Roach explains, The ability to take our major to the student in the nontraditional format offers more career options. We have been successful in the major on campus and now it is time to expand our boundaries to provide quality education to the surrounding areas. I always get asked, What can I do with a Psychology degree? and my answer is always the same: what do you want to do? This degree can be shaped and molded to fit a number of different careers. We just want the opportunity to help you have what you need to get started. Jackie Imhoff, Vice President of Adult Programs, adds, My own undergraduate major was in the psychology field and it has helped me with each of my jobs throughout the years. An understanding of people is an important foundation to all of our personal and professional interactions. This is an exciting addition for us! Find us on facebook under Mid-Continent University s Advantage! Director of Graduate Admissions, Wendy Puckett Page 1
Seventeen students from Mid-Continent University were inducted into Sigma Beta Delta an international honor society in Business, Management, and Administration with a ceremony and reception held on the main campus on April 17th. Congratulations to the following inductees: Laura L. Andrade Taylorsville, KY Tammy Lee Barnett Wingo, KY Jeffery A. Carney Mt. Washington, KY Katie L. Dachs Mayfield, KY Jane E. Galbraith Metropolis, KY Ramona Gilkey Hawkins Louisville, KY Kathy Kaufman Providence, KY Jason Robert Link Owensboro, KY Kenneth David Lewis Kevil, KY Mary L. McSparin Eldorado, IL James M. Payne Owensboro, KY Karen B. Penner Morgantown, KY Kenny E. Pierce Princeton, KY Michelle M. Ploetner Louisville, KY Rachel Renee Richards Kevil, KY Tanya L. Thomas Mayfield, KY Louis S. Vancelette Mt. Washington, KY What is Sigma Beta Delta? Membership in Sigma Beta Delta is the highest national recognition a business student can receive at a college or university. To be eligible for membership, a business student must rank in the upper 20 percent of their junior, senior or master's class and be invited to membership by the faculty officers. Candidates who are members of the Sigma Beta Delta Honors Society are recognized by green and gold cords presented at induction. The purposes for which Sigma Beta Delta was established are to encourage and recognize scholarship and achievement among students of Business, Management, and Administration, and to encourage and promote personal and professional improvement with a life distinguished by honorable service to humankind. The first chapter was established at Belmont University in March, 1994 and the number has grown to over 225 chapters in 45 states. MCU s Chapter was begun October 31, 2005. Why should you become a member? Sigma Beta Delta membership provides recognition for a lifetime. Because the Society is recognized for honoring scholastic excellence in business, it is appropriate to include Sigma Beta Delta membership on your resume. Employers throughout the country will recognize your academic achievements. Sigma Beta Delta campus chapters can assist in advancing the career opportunities of members; as members graduate and assume important positions in the business community, they provide excellent sources of help and guidance for future employment. The chance for Sigma Beta Delta student and alumni members to network with business professionals places them a step ahead of the employment competition. If you are interested in more information, contact Edwin Nyamwala at (270) 247-8521 ext. 618 or email enyamwala@midcontinent.edu. Recently, an anonymous donation was made by an ADVANTAGE student to the MCU Library archives. The donation was a complete and well preserved Bible printed in England in 1607, and known as the Geneva Bible. It was printed four years BEFORE the first release of the original King James version in 1611. It is bound in leather over wood, but was probably re-covered in the mid to late 1800s. This Bible was nicknamed the Breeches Bible because of a passage in Genesis; in that version the passage about Adam & Eve states that when they saw that they were naked, they sewed together leaves and fashioned themselves breeches. It is complete with the Old Testament, New Testament & Apocrypha. Inside, there are quill pen writings and copied passages on the blank areas of pages, one of which is signed by a woman and dated 1689. Paper was not easily obtained in that period. People practiced writing on any blank area of paper they found. The copy is typed in middle English and appears to be printed by press, each page printed individually. It is in remarkably well-preserved condition considering it s complete and more than 400 years old. You may remember from history classes that 1607 was the year the Jamestown settlement was founded! This Bible was handed down from a relative of the donor s estate. The donor had kept it carefully for almost 20 years while searching for a museum or religious organization that would properly continue its preservation. After taking the course, The Life of Christ, the student felt such excitement and emotion and was so impressed by the cohort, ADVANTAGE, MCU, its faculty, and staff that the donor decided MCU was the most deserving recipient. Research is ongoing by the library and religion department into the history of this extremely rare book. The possibility of scanning each page for digital archival has been discussed. MCU is humbled by the generosity and personal sacrifice demonstrated through this amazing gift! Page 2
Need Extra Classes? MCU provides solutions for those who need extra classes* to complete degree requirements. If you re interested in taking additional classes for associate s & ONLINE, contact your advisor at 1-888-MCU-GRAD. Bardstown General Psychology Tuesday, 07-13-10 General Psychology Thursday, 07-22-10 Principles of Microeconomics Tuesday, 08-17-10 Bowling Green Business Math Monday, 06-21-10 Financial Accounting Tuesday, 07-20-10 General Psychology Monday, 08-02-10 Frankfort Intro to Business Thursday, 07-22-10 Fulton Business Mathematics Tuesday, 08-03-10 Hopkinsville Applied English Tuesday, 06-22-10 English Comp I Tuesday, 08-03-10 Lebanon US History to 1877 Thursday, 07-08-10 Environmental Science Thursday, 08-12-10 Leitchfield Intro to Business Tuesday, 07-20-10 Lexington Environmental Science Tuesday, 06-22-10 Principles of Speech Tuesday, 08-03-10 London Biology & Lab Monday, 06-21-10 Business Math Monday, 08-09-10 Louisville Principles of Speech Thursday, 06-24-10 Applied English Thursday, 06-24-10 US History to 1877 Monday, 07-12-10 US History to 1877 Tuesday, 07-13-10 Intro to Computers Thursday, 08-05-10 Principles of Microeconomics Monday, 08-16-10 General Biology & Lab Tuesday, 08-17-10 Mayfield Applied English Thursday, 07-01-10 Intro to Business Monday, 07-19-10 Business Mathematics Tuesday, 07-20-10 Principles of Accounting I Tuesday, 07-20-10 US History to 1877 Tuesday, 07-27-10 Applied English Thursday, 07-29-10 General Psychology Thursday, 08-05-10 Intro to Computers Thursday, 08-12-10 Morganfield Principles of Speech Monday, 06-28-10 Business Math Monday, 08-09-10 Mt. Sterling General Psychology Monday, 06-21-10 Music Appreciation Monday, 08-02-10 Murray Biology & Lab Thursday, 06-24-10 Financial Accounting Thursday, 07-22-10 Intro to Computer Apps Thursday, 08-12-10 Northern KY English Comp I Monday, 08-02-10 Owensboro Personnel Supervision Thursday, 07-15-10 Financial Accounting Thursday, 08-19-10 Paducah Financial Accounting Tuesday, 07-20-10 Intro to Applied Math Tuesday, 07-20-10 Paducah (cont.) Intro to Business Thursday, 07-22-10 English Comp II Monday, 08-02-10 Environmental Science Thursday, 08-05-10 Foundational Issues of Life Thursday, 08-05-10 Princeton Life of Christ Monday, 06-21-10 General Psychology Tuesday, 06-22-10 English Comp II Monday, 08-02-10 Principles of Microeconomics Tuesday, 08-03-10 Russellville Environmental Science Thursday, 07-15-10 Somerset English Comp I Tuesday, 07-20-10 ONLINE COURSES July Intro to Comp & Benefits 07-12-10 (H.R. Minor/Elective) General Psychology 07-12-10 (Psych or S.S. Minor/Social Science/Elective) New Testament Survey 07-12-10 (Human./Christ. Studies/Christ. Studies Minor/Elective) Environmental Science 07-12-10 (Science/Elective) Intro to Human Communications 07-12-10 (Elective) Applied English 07-12-10 (Elective) August General Biology 08-23-10 (Science/Elective) Business Mathematics 08-23-10 (Elective) Management Issues 08-23-10 (Business Management Minor) Managerial Accounting 08-23-10 (Business Management Minor) Org. Communications 08-23-10 (Business Management Minor) Group Process 08-23-10 (Business Management Minor) Social Psychology 08-23-10 (Psych Minor/Social Science/Elective) Child Psychology 08-23-10 (Psych Minor/Social Science/Elective) UPCOMING COHORT AREAS: Master: Paducah & Bowling Green Bachelor: Psych. & Counseling: Paducah, Bowling Green, Louisville, Owensboro, ONLINE & Mayfield Business Management: Paducah, Mayfield, JALC, Hopkinsville, Frankfort, Princeton & Somerset Associate: ONLINE, Paducah, Leitchfield, Lebanon, Princeton, Bowling Green, Monticello, Murray, Franklin, Owensboro, Louisville, Mayfield & Shepherdsville *MCU reserves the right to cancel any course. Page 3
MCU Holds the Line: No Tuition Hike This Year While universities across the country are raising tuition rates as much as 6%, Mid-Continent University s traditional and ADVANTAGE programs are bucking the trend. Despite the growing demand for the ADVANTAGE format, it was announced recently that MCU will not raise tuition in 2010. Because of tough economic times, we want to do our part to help students and their families hold down costs so they might achieve their goal of a quality college education, said Mid-Continent University President Robert Imhoff. VP of Adult Programs Jackie Imhoff explained, In addition to being designed for convenience, MCU continues to work hard to be an affordable degree option for students. The tuition at the University is among the lowest in the state of Kentucky, and it has consistently ranked in the bottom 3 (of state universities) for debt of graduates (www.projectonstudentdebt.org). Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello from the other side of the world! My name is SPC Nathan Henderson (left). You may have read my article in the Cohort Chronicle on the challenges of going to school in extreme situations. I am currently deployed in a combat zone (Iraq) for a year. My goal was to go to school while I was here so that I might finish some of it while I was away, but I have absolutely no time to finish a semester right now. I do have time to CLEP some of my Gen Eds so that when I return I might achieve my bachelor's in a little less time. I have said before that most people think it is too hard to go to school AND hold a job, parent children, etc. It messes with the comfort of our daily lives. I sit here to write this, trying to think of ways to make my point jump off the page into your mind. In actuality it is very easy to do these things; you only need to have the will to complete what you set out to do. I want you to start your thinking in first gear: be thankful to live in a country where you are free to do what you want and achieve any educational level you like. What I want to tell you today is to relate my conclusions about my first semester at MCU. I think God put me there just before I left on this tour, which is the journey of my life. I'm a religious man. I trust in God deeply; but I am also young and naïve. I don t pray enough, don t go to church like I should, do things I shouldn t, and have to ask for forgiveness like everyone in the world. The semester at MCU before I came to Iraq was very informative in terms of history, God, and the Bible. I learned some facts, statistics, and little pieces of information here and there that added to the religious background which makes up my spirituality. What I am trying to say is that going to MCU strengthened me as a Christian right before I needed it most, maybe more than I will ever need it in my life. A couple of months ago I did not know if I would still be on the earth right now. I didn t know if I would ever write another letter. The uncertainties that drive most people crazy I have been able to let go of and give to God. I know I will make it home one way or another. I pray every day that I will see my family again, that I will sit on my front porch again. I thank God every morning that I wake up and breathe, that a mortar shell or freak accident didn t take me in the middle of the night. I ask for the physical and mental strength to carry on just for that day. When I get through it, the same process goes on in me the next day. I ask for world peace: that I will see no violence while I m here and pull no trigger. I ask that all the blessings I receive will also come to everybody else on the face of the planet, including my enemies. The point to my story is that things are different all over the world, whether you are going to school in the comfort of your own home, to class at your weekly meeting, or going to school in a warzone. God can prepare you for whatever. He will be with you and walk beside you no matter what you do. You have the chance to better yourself mentally through education. You also have the chance to better yourself spiritually to let God accomplish His purpose in you. You need to do both, and sooner rather than later. - SPC Henderson, United States Army Anthony Epps, DL 14 Doug Johnson, Bard 2 ADVANTAGE Students Named as Local High School Basketball Coaches Anthony Epps, who led Marion County in 1993 to the state championship and continued on to play point guard for UK, was named as Marion County Boy s Basketball Coach recently. Doug Johnson, who played college ball at Austin Peay and professionally in Australia for the Townsville Suns, was named as the Head Boy s Basketball Coach at Nelson County High School. CONGRATS GUYS!!!! Page 4
Mayfield 3CM (Christian Ministry) Dr. Wilson giving a lecture in Bardstown RLC 9 Madisonville 12 Lexington 1F Bowling Green 13 Morganfield 4F Coming soon: Owensboro 3, SCC 7, Paducah 12F & 13F Madisonville 1M (Masters) Page 5
Congrats to MCU s May 2010 Grads! PADUCAH Page 6
OWENSBORO 2 MAYFIELD 9F MAYFIELD 7F FRANKFORT LOUISVILLE 11 BOWLING GREEN SCC 5 Page 7
MAYFIELD 13 PRINCETON 3 HENDERSON 5 DL 10 DL 9 JALC 6 Congrats to Billy Pitts, recipient of the Academic Achievement Award, given to the graduate with the highest GPA. Page 8
LOUISVILLE 8F PINCKNEYVILLE 2 MURRAY 2F Congrats to Gina G. Leeper and Michael Dwayne Simmons, Sr., recipients of the Outstanding Service Award. This bi-annual award recognizes students who have Contributed Exceptional Service to the community and/or university during their tenure at MCU. Nominations for this award are made by students, faculty and staff. RLC 06 If you would like to order pictures from graduation, go to www.wmcartersphotography.com. Select Mid-Continent U. Select the image you wish to purchase and place it in the cart. You can pay by credit card or PayPal. Call for assistance: 270-443-0198 or 270-217-4706. Page 9
MCU is proud to announce new ADVANTAGE members! Dr. Debra Hudson (left) is Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at MCU. With 15+ years leadership experience in the field of administration and having taught in Christ-centered higher education programs for adults, Dr. Hudson supports ADVANTAGE as it continues MCU s tradition of quality curriculum and instruction for adult learners. She looks forward to leading the MCU faculty in developing new programs to meet the educational needs of today s adult learners. Formerly at Colorado Christian University, Dr. Hudson served as the Center Director for both the Southern and Western Colorado Adult Learning Centers and the Director of Student Services and Development. She also worked as Acting Director of the Educator Licensing Programs for the College of Adult and Graduate Studies and Assistant Dean of Academic Services. As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Hudson taught and developed undergraduate and graduate courses for CCU s adult learners in education, critical thinking, prior learning assessment, adult studies, and research. Dr. Hudson holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management with emphasis in Management of Human Resources, a Master s in Curriculum and Instruction from Colorado Christian University, and a Doctorate in Education and Human Services from Colorado State University. She currently serves as president of the governing council of the Christian Adult Higher Education Association. Dr. Hudson and her husband, Bill, are newlyweds and recently relocated from the Denver, Colorado area. They are proud parents of four grown children and eight grandchildren. New ADVANTAGE faculty hires, Dr. Ed Hogg and Dr. Robert Gail, will focus mainly on the new graduate degree offerings but will also teach some undergraduate classes as well. Dr. Hogg (left) is currently president emeritus of Trinity Theological Seminary of Newburgh, IN. He held positions as Academic Dean, VP for Academic Affairs, Executive VP, and President from 1992-2005. Prior to his positions at Trinity, he worked in the medical field at the McNeil Island FCI in Tacoma, WA. While working at McNeil, he taught courses in management, leadership, and business and health care administration for Chapman University and Trinity as an adjunct faculty member. Prior to McNeil Island, he served as Academic Dean of The International Graduate School of Theology in Honolulu, HI. He says, The Hawaiian Islands are peaceful and beautiful. I hope to return there to live after I retire. Dr. Hogg received his B.S. from the University of Nebraska; a M.S. in Business with emphasis in Health Care Admin from the University of Northern Colorado; a M.S. in HR Management Development from Chapman, an Ed. D. in Educational Admin from USC; and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. He also has graduate degrees in theology and religious studies and has taught courses in theology, religious studies, business, human services, HR management development and health care administration at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Hogg is married and has four daughters. His hobbies include flying (pilots private planes), competitive pistol shooting, reading, and studying law. Dr. Gail (left) spent four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam conflict. He was an intelligence officer with the Office of Special Investigations. Dr. Gail started his business career with Duty Free Shoppers, the world s largest retail company that markets to tourists. At Duty Free, Robert worked in store operations, merchandising, and human resources as the corporate management training director. With his extensive background, Dr. Gail was promoted to Retail Operations Director. In that position he conceived, wrote, and managed the management development program. It was during this time that he realized that he wanted to be in post-secondary education. He received his Masters Degree from University of Portland and a Doctor of International Business Administration from Nova Southeastern U. Prior to MCU, Dr. Gail taught at Guam Community College, University of Guam and University of Phoenix. He is the proud father of two daughters. Page 10