91吃瓜

1. 驴Cu谩les son las tres cosas de Excelsior College que m谩s ustedentusiasman?

En la facultad se est谩n llevando a cabo numerosas iniciativas interesantes. Perm铆tanme citar tres ejemplos que ilustran nuestras tres l铆neas de actuaci贸n para mejorar la experiencia de los estudiantes.

El primer ejemplo se refiere a nuestros esfuerzos por mejorar el rendimiento de los estudiantes. Hemos analizado los datos sobre el rendimiento de los estudiantes y hemos constatado que hay algunas asignaturas que resultan fundamentales para que los estudiantes superen con 茅xito el programa. Se trata, por lo general, de asignaturas b谩sicas que impiden a los estudiantes pasar al siguiente nivel si no las superan. A estas asignaturas las denominamos 芦asignaturas trampa禄. A partir de estos datos, cada director de programa responsable ha colaborado con un profesor para llevar a cabo una peque帽a revisi贸n o introducir algunas mejoras en la asignatura identificada, con el fin de potenciar el rendimiento de los estudiantes.

El segundo ejemplo son nuestras iniciativas para fomentar la preparaci贸n profesional. Conscientes de la importancia de dotar a nuestros estudiantes de las competencias necesarias para incorporarse al mercado laboral, estamos integrando en los cursos experiencias de aprendizaje aut茅nticas, como estudios de casos de empresas l铆deres en los 谩mbitos empresarial, de las ciencias de la salud y de la tecnolog铆a, de modo que los estudiantes deban aplicar lo aprendido en clase para resolver retos reales del mundo laboral. Adem谩s, para mejorar las habilidades pr谩cticas de los estudiantes, hemos incorporado diversas actividades de aprendizaje, como laboratorios pr谩cticos, simuladores y laboratorios virtuales, en estos programas.

The third example is our efforts in faculty development. High-quality instruction is key to the student experience. To ensure faculty are supported with appropriate tools for success, we developed an onboarding process to ensure early success for new instructors. Our faculty program directors also devoted a lot of time and effort to reaching out to their faculty to provide any needed coaching and support throughout the term.

2. How do you describe your leadership style?

I believe that effective leadership is an art as well as a technique. The foundation is in relationship building. It requires profound understanding of your staff. You need to know the strength of your staff and their career aspirations. I usually use a quote from John Quincy Adams to remind and encourage myself as a leader, 鈥淚f your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.鈥� I want to be a leader who inspires others to continue to grow and to achieve their career and/or life goals.

3. What opportunities do you see for women in technology?

I think society has made good progress in providing greater opportunities for women in technology as more and more leading companies have recognized the need of an inclusive working environment for company success. GE, for example, has committed to hire 5,000 women in STEM positions within the next few years. One good way to stay connected and learn about available opportunities is to be involved in professional organizations. There are also mentorship programs available in professional organizations such as IEEE and ACM, and the National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College, which resides within the School of Business & Technology, hosts the Initiative for Women in Cybersecurity (IWICs).

4. What do you find inspiring about Excelsior College?

What I really love about Excelsior College is the opportunities it provides to our students. One might argue that Excelsior is just like any other online institution that provides a flexible learning environment to adult learners. However, with our extensive experience in the evaluation of prior learning, including transfer credits from other accredited institutions, professional trainings, and industry certificates, we are the only institution that can meet students where they are and serve as a true partner to enable them to achieve their life and professional aspirations.

Read about Lifang Shih鈥檚 passion for STEM education on our blog.