Course Feature: BUS 501 Business Communications

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

BUS 501 Business Communications focuses on the development of clear written communication and oral presentation skills. Students examine a variety of communication techniques, formats, and processes for sharing organizational information, and they explore the use of audiovisual and electronic media to enhance the quality of presentation and communication.

According to eztalks, an online video conferencing provider, effective business communication is important in a business organization because it promotes good relationships between employers and staff members, which increases productivity and a company’s bottom line. Increased productivity can lead to a larger customer base, improved business partnerships, and new business innovations.

These kinds of ideas are discussed in BUS 501, which is a beneficial course to any student seeking to improve their business communication skills. The course looks at the communication process as a whole and how people can improve it. Faculty instructor Jan Tucker says the course is important since new technologies are constantly being introduced, we need to be updated and involved in whatever can make the communication process better. “By the end of the course, students should understand the principles of business communication, what makes for effective communication in the workplace, and how to improve the business communication process,” she says.

A group project in the course requires students to create a business presentation using one of the technology tools introduced. Tucker says, “Students enjoy applying the technology tools and often comment on how this exercise has helped them when preparing presentations in their place of work.” She adds that the course is applicable to almost everyone and that, “I always learn something new when I teach this class as students share their communication tips and tools.”

If you are interested in learning about effective business communication, consider signing up for BUS 501 for next semester.

Excelsior College Named a Gold School of Distinction for Online Academic Excellence

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

Excelsior College was recognized as a Gold-Level School of Distinction by , a leading provider of college planning resources and higher education research. This distinction recognizes colleges and universities that have dedicated themselves to developing quality online higher education programs. Of the over 3,500 eligible universities in the United States, more than 2,000 offer online degree programs, and of these schools, only 15 schools qualified for the Schools of Distinction gold medal.

Recipients of the Schools of Distinction represent the top 10 percent of all online colleges nationwide. To be considered, colleges and universities must be a two- or four-year accredited,
not-for-profit institution that offers online degree programs ranked on BestColleges.com’s program rankings. While all the schools that earned a Schools of Distinction award offer a
diverse selection of online programs, those that earned a gold standing consistently finish in the top three places on their respective rankings. Rankings developed by BestColleges.com are
grounded in statistical information gathered from a variety of sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator, both of which are hosted
by the National Center for Education Statistics. “As online education continues to rise in popularity and more schools offer online programs in the United States, the Schools of Distinction list offers an in-depth look at the institutions that provide some of the best online academic programs for students in the country,” says Stephanie Snider, director of BestColleges.com. “One of these top schools includes ExcelsiorÌę College, who has been featured 35 times on BestColleges.com’s online program rankings. Of
these 35 online rankings, Excelsior has earned a position among the top three spots an impressive 10 times.”

The BestColleges.com distinction is the latest for Excelsior College. Excelsior ranked No. 3 on the Best for Vets: Colleges 2019 list of Online and Nontraditional Schools, as published by
Military Times. “This is quite an honor. Excelsior was founded nearly 50 years ago to help adults, many of them underserved by traditional education, earn a degree, and advance in their career. Through abstudent-first approach focused on providing working adults with the flexibility and support they need to juggle their family and career obligations with their academic study, Excelsior has provided a pathway for more than 172,000 graduates to achieve their educational dreams. We are proud of our work and will continue to keep student service at the core of everything we do,”
stated James N. Baldwin, president of Excelsior College.

To learn more about the Schools of Distinction designation, visit: http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-online-schools/schools-of-distinction/
# # #

Media Contact: Alicia Jacobs
ajacobs@excelsior.edu (518) 464-8531

ABOUT EXCELSIOR COLLEGE
Excelsior College (excelsior.edu) is a regionally accredited, nonprofit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The college contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are – academically and geographically – removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity. Learn more at excelsior.edu.

Course Feature: NUC 323 Material Science

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

According to the science news website Science Daily, materials science is “an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering, including elements of applied physics and chemistry, as well as chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering.”

The course NUC 323 covers how materials are used in nuclear engineering applications. Topics include overview of nuclear plant operations, atomic bonding, crystalline and non-crystalline structures, crystal defects and imperfections, diffusion, phase diagrams, mechanical and thermal behavior, stresses, fracture, failure analysis and prevention, structural materials, ceramics, corrosion, radiation effects on materials, materials commonly used in reactor core and nuclear plant design, and material problems associated with reactor core operation.

Shambhu Shashtry, the faculty program director for engineering technology, says NUC 323 is an important course for students because “Materials are the building blocks of any technology, particularly nuclear engineering technology. Mastering the materials is the only way to master the technology that uses those materials.”

According to the , materials science spans so many disciplines and applications that people who work in this field have various educational backgrounds. Most people have chemistry, physics, or engineering backgrounds. Technical skills like math, computer, and science skills are required, but so are soft skills like critical thinking and good oral and written communication.

Shashtry says students in the bachelor’s in nuclear engineering technology program would be most interested in taking this course, though the course is also available as a technical elective to students in the other technology degree programs. Students should be aware, however, that the prerequisites to NUC 323 are physics and calculus. Students should check with their advisors for details.

Students have found the course beneficial and informative, and have shared comments like: “This course was the most challenging I have taken yet. However, the pace is perfect and the layout is intuitive.”

Faculty have also enjoyed teaching the course. Shashtry explains that on a score of 1–7, faculty have graded the course as 5 or above for its structure, learning activities, and graded assignments. Some noted the discussion posts in this course were the best student learning activities. Based on teaching this course, Shashtry says, faculty expressed interest in teaching additional courses because they enjoyed teaching the course to such engaged students.

Refine Your Resume

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Writing an effective resume is one of the most important tasks in the job search process

Your resume is a self-marketing tool that outlines your unique value to an employer and can ultimately secure a coveted job interview. Most employers will spend only 20 to 30 seconds when reviewing a resume. To get your resume noticed at first glance, you want to ensure it is concise, well organized, error free, and visually appealing. A successful resume should highlight your relevant knowledge, skills, and accomplishments.

Here are a few tips to remember when designing your resume:

  • Include relevant contact information.

Include an e-mail and phone number where you can be reached. If it helps to show where you live, include your full address. If you have a home phone, office phone, and cell phone, you may not want to include all those numbers. Pick the numbers that will make it the easiest for a potential employer to reach you. Include a professional website, but only if it provides additional, helpful information, such as if you have an online portfolio.

  • Document your achievements.

Highlight your past accomplishments, not just your previous job responsibilities. Accomplishments that are results-oriented will attract the prospective employer’s interest and are much more meaningful than just listing job duties.

  • Be sure your resume has a targeted focus.

Customize your resume to portray a clear match between your qualifications and the job requirements.

  • Emphasize your transferable skills.

These are the general skills that you have acquired over time that apply to a wide variety of employment settings. Examples include communication, leadership, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Most employers seek these types of skills.

  • Quantify information on your resume whenever possible.

For example, relay to the employer the number of staff you supervised, the total budget amount you managed, the percentage of sales you achieved.

  • Be clear and concise.

Keep your information brief and to the point. Depending on the extent of your experience, a one- to two-page resume is the norm.

  • Maintain a business-like tone throughout your resume.

Refrain from using personal pronouns such as “I” or “me” or any type of abbreviations.

  • Ensure that all the information reflected on your resume is honest and accurate—don’t embellish. Once you secure a job interview, you must be able to substantiate the skills and credentials you originally touted on your resume.
  • List your experience in reverse chronological order.

The only exception to using the reverse chronological format is if you are changing careers or your past experience is more relevant to your career goals than your current experience.

  • Consider adding a section at the beginning of your resume titled “Profile” or “Summary of Qualifications,” which summarizes approximately three to six relevant experiences, achievements, and/or strengths in brief, bulleted phrases. This serves to showcase your best-selling attributes and can immediately capture the employer’s attention.
  • There is no need to list names of references on your resume.

This can be done on a separate sheet and provided upon an employer’s request.

  • Proofread!

Before you submit your resume to an employer, be sure to catch any spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. These types of errors will cause a prospective employer to dismiss you regardless of any winning qualifications you may have. Ask friends or relatives to review your resume as a second pair of eyes. Try to get several opinions.

A well-designed resume can secure an interview and elicit entry to your next job or career. Use the above tips as guidelines, and check out the Career Center for more related resources—like how to get your resume and cover letter critiqued (link: http://career.excelsior.edu/job-search-tools-and-techniques/resume-and-cover-letter-critique/)—and take the time to create a resume that reflects the exceptional and strong candidate that you are!

Editor’s note: Text adapted from Maribeth Gunner Pulliam’s article, “Quick Tips to Refine Your Resume” from Live & Learn, Fall 2006.

CPNE and Me: Rhonda Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Rhonda Adams says she sleeps, eats, and breaths nursing. Her mother says it’s the only thing she knows. Adams lives her profession every day and it is why she was determined to pass her Clinical Performance in Nursing Exam (CPNE) after more than 16 years of being an LPN.

A divorced single parent of four from Tylertown, Mississippi, Adams wanted to show her children that no matter what roadblocks you come across in life, or how much you may stumble, you can still achieve your dreams. The LPN decided to attend Excelsior College to achieve her educational goals because the flexibility of classes allowed her, as she puts it, to “work full-time, take care of my kids, manage my household, and seek the higher learning I desired.”

Adams’s path to passing the CPNE was not easy. She originally enrolled with Excelsior in fall 2013 and after completing the necessary courses, she took and passed the Focused Clinical Competencies Assessment, and then went on to take the CPNE. “I went on to take my CPNE thinking, ‘oh I’m an LPN I’ve done all sorts of things, I got this,’ and I didn’t,” she says. She adds there was no one to blame but herself and since she did not want to let down her kids, her mom, or herself again, she was determined to try her hardest to pass the next time around.

Adams’s greatest asset when studying for the CPNE was the videos posted in the study guide. “I imitated those [Excelsior] staff members who were doing demonstrations for the med stations, and the IV lab, and the wound, and the different stations of care, to a science
it came naturally to know what to do and when to do it,” she says. She adds Excelsior’s instructors—or “facilitators of learning,” as she likes to refer to them—always encouraged her and she became friends with many other students. She says she found strength in her family and those friends to keep going because with distance learning, it was challenging.

“I had to apply myself, I lost friends, failed relationships because I had to give it my all, and I refuse to be a loser,” says Adams referring to the demands of balancing her studying with her personal life. She also says that even though she made friends with fellow students, she took the reins when it came to her studying. She explains, “I started taking advantage of the phone conferences, scheduling them every week, and I started practicing the care plans. I took control of my own destiny; I didn’t wait for someone else
and because of that, it made me that strong independent confident nurse.”

Throughout it all, Adams says her mother was the biggest source of support. She says, “I was not the happiest person while studying and I would be stressed out and overwhelmed and I would snap, and no matter what she would be there.” She also credits a fellow student in another state as being a source of emotional and educational support. Adams says they leaned on each other and encouraged each other to keep at it.

Adams passed her CPNE on May 4th, 2018 in Wisconsin. She says, “nothing is impossible for me to learn or accomplish, that’s how I feel now that I have this degree
I can do anything, the sky is the limit.” She says a “brain break” is in order, but then she is going on to pursue her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. “My end result is to become a nurse practitioner
and possibly be an examiner for the CPNE and an Excelsior employee!”

More CPNE Study Tips from Rhonda Adams

“Know your study guide; it is your bible; it’s your tool; it’s your guide. I would fall asleep with the videos playing; I’d wake up to them playing; sometimes in my car, I’d play the audio over and over again until it was repetitious, until
it’s automatic. I took my study guide and I made flash cards.”

“Take a time out. Don’t get overloaded; allow yourself to reboot. Take a day, take an hour, take a few weeks if you need to, and then go back at it because it’s not impossible and you can do it.”

Faculty Focus: Sandra Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Sandra Adams has been studying molecular biology for more than 20 years, specifically directing laboratory operations at the University of Wisconsin where they research the symbioses between leaf-cutter ants, fungi, and bacteria. The biologist has been with Excelsior College since 2011, teaching BIO 110 Biology (Non-Lab), BIO 212 Microbiology, and BIO 360 Developmental Biology. She is dedicated to her students’ success and encourages them to get hands-on experience in their field of study.

Adams earned a Bachelor of Science in entomology from Washington State University and a Master of Science in microbiology from the University of Montana. Her primary research area is in molecular biology, focusing on how microbes facilitate insect and plant interactions. She explains, “For example, I have found that bacteria associated with bark beetles help breakdown the tree chemical defenses that would normally be toxic for survival. The association with these bacteria allow the beetle to live inside the tree and reproduce.” Interestingly, Adams also studies fermentation and yeast strains in the process of brewing beer and wine.

Adams enjoys that Excelsior’s students are a diverse population, coming from across the world. She knows first-hand how that can make learning hard, though, as she was raised in the military and moved often. “I use that experience and I try to let my students know that even though we are not in a traditional classroom and our time together will be short, I really do want to help them reach their goals,” she says. She notes that faculty like her love to share their experiences with students who have a thirst for knowledge.

Since most of her students are enrolled in the natural science program and planning to obtain jobs in a biology-related field, Adams encourages her students to gain hands-on experience, like volunteering at local nature centers. She also encourages them to read publications from professional associations in the fields they’re interested in and to participate in citizen science projects (projects where volunteers collect data to help scientists answer real-world questions). “Given Excelsior is an online platform, it is important for students to gain such experience in order to build relationships and gain such expertise to excel in their fields of study,” says Adams.

Adams wants her students to know that it’s okay to make mistakes and when the answers aren’t clear, to be patient. She has a variety of management tips for her students: “Study effectively, focus on tips, notes, and outlines that their instructor provides. I also encourage them to make a weekly spreadsheet to help them track what assignments are due and to ‘check’ them off when they are submitted.”

Her students have learned many tips from her, but Adams has also learned from her students to create an environment that helps everyone achieve their goals. When she first started teaching, Adams had a student in her class that was serving in a war zone. She recalls, “I was worried about his ability to complete his work on time, given his situation. When I expressed my concern, he replied. ‘Ma’am, with all due respect, taking this class with you reminds me that I will not always be in this place. Please hold me to the same standard as everyone else.’”

When she isn’t teaching or in the lab, you can find Adams sitting by the Clark Fork River in Montana with a book in her hand while her husband and son fish. You might also find her in the locations of a forest fire a year later; many ecosystems are not only dependent on fires but also prime habitats for fungi. “The year following a local fire, you will find me there [at the post-fire site], as they provide perfect habitat for morel mushrooms, and they are delicious!”

Faculty Focus: Carl Bradshaw

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

ÌęI’m a retired Army officer and I have been working in the military or with veterans continuously for 37 years. I retired from active duty as a U.S. Army military intelligence officer in 2005. I served with the 101st Airborne Division in the Sinai, the 1st Armored Division during operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, and the 10th Mountain Division in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I am a lifetime member of Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and I am a member of the American Legion. I continue to help my fellow veterans with their VA disability claims.

I earned master’s degrees from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in military art and science and the National Intelligence University in strategic intelligence. Additionally, I have graduate certificates in distance learning and adult and organizational learning, along with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University.

I have been an adjunct instructor with Excelsior College since spring 2012. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching five courses, including Great Military Leaders, Military Leadership, and the Military Studies capstone course. I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling, comedy, learning, and New England sports. You could run into me skiing in Vermont, at the beach in Newport, on a roller coaster at Six Flags New England, at a Providence College Friars basketball game, or at Gillette Stadium on many given Sundays. (Go Patriots!)

Teaching and learning at Excelsior College has helped me with any withdrawals I would have had from my military career. There is a great mix of students who continue to serve on active duty, do so in other governmental capacities, or who are now veterans or family members from other services. Quite often, several students in a class bring many years of experience with them, adding significantly to the dialogue. The diversity and experience of our students makes the classroom an exciting place to learn.

In my over 35 years of professional service, each day has required leadership skills in some way. In homage to my favorite leadership doctrine of “Be-Know-Do,” I embrace, challenge myself, or struggle with one aspect of each category every day. I try to be a person of integrity and character; it helps me sleep better at night. My expertise in the intelligence realm, national security, leadership, and Veterans Administration claims process has helped countless students and veterans. Lastly, I work hard every day, anticipating challenges and seeking opportunities, planning for the future while enjoying the present.

I look at education in military leadership as a “combat multiplier.” It enhances one’s experience and encourages one to reflect on successes and mistakes. Because the military requires leadership skills under the most difficult of circumstances, it is somewhat unique, but is still transferable to other circumstances. Veterans will find many leadership challenges in our society, world, and life. I have to say that what I’ve learned about leadership in the classroom as a student and professor has enhanced my life’s experiences tremendously.

It’s never too early or late to start or continue your education. It may provide some immediate results such as a promotion, but also consider the long-term impact on your personal development, your family, or that opportunity that is made possible down the road by a degree you earn now. “Be all you can be” and I hope to see you in an Excelsior classroom soon.

Course Feature: BUS 552 Leadership

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

BUS 552 Leadership explores leadership from four different perspectives: the leader, the follower, the situation, and leadership skills. The main themes discussed in the course include: setting a vision, establishing culture, working through change, ethics and leadership, team building and empowering people, principles of leadership, leading a culturally diverse team of people, leading through difficulty, and performance management.

It is essential that leaders understand themselves and their teams—their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and goals—because leadership is context-specific, says Scott Dolan, associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies. Students learn about leadership through scenario-based discussions and case studies. Dolan adds that students learn to understand their emotional intelligence and that of their teams to help individuals and organizations meet their goals.

Michele Paludi, senior faculty program for graduate business courses, notes that students in human resources, organizational behavior, and human performance would especially be interested in BUS 552. Dolan adds that it is particularly interesting for people “who are interested in becoming more productive or in helping their organizations become more productive and want to learn about setting a vision and motivating their team around strategies that help the team and the organization [toward] reaching their goals.” He adds that to be successful in this dynamic economy, leadership skills are essential to people at all levels of the organization.

Paludi says this course is important to students because they learn “how organizations function and how different leadership styles can empower employees or create employees who are disengaged.” Dolan adds that what makes an organization work comes down to its people. He says, “Ensuring that people within the organization are motivated, working towards the same future, coordinated, and acting with a great moral compass will ensure the success of teams and organizations over the long term.”

Instructors are excited to teach this course, says Paludi, who notes they enjoy talking with students about organizations and how they function while offering examples of highly functioning teams, organizations, and employees.

Students have also enjoyed BUS 552. One commented: “[The instructor] is an excellent mentor and teacher. [The] choice of the course materials really gets to the heart of what leaders should aspire to be. These attributes are backed up with leadership theories and help grow many who may be in lower stages of leadership development. The chosen textbook was excellent. I purchased it for personal business use.” Another student commented, “Yes, I enjoyed the subject matter of this course. It was clear that the instructor cared about his students and added thought-provoking comments to our discussion assignments
Overall, this was an excellent class with an excellent instructor and I would recommend both to someone looking to better understand business leadership/management.”

If you would also like to expand your knowledge of leadership in organizational settings, consider signing up for BUS 552 Leadership.

Find the Perfect Position with This Job Search Checklist

Posted on by Maribeth Gunner

Conducting a job search can be a challenging and overwhelming process, especially in today’s tenuous job market. To land your ideal job, you’ll need to gain a competitive edge. How? Develop a game plan and take control of the process. Identify manageable steps that will move you forward and employ techniques to capture the hiring manager’s attention. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a job search checklist with 10 tried-and-true strategies to help get you started:

Clarify Your Goals

Assess your abilities, interests, and values, and then align your career goals accordingly. Begin with self-reflection: What are your strengths? What do you like to do? Solicit feedback from trusted family and friends, utilize career assessment tools, and seek career counseling if needed. Self-assessment will help you to clarify your aspirations, define your target career, and move ahead with purpose and passion.

Customize Your Resume and Cover Letter

Craft a polished resume and cover letter that are tailored to the job you are pursuing. Remember, generic is average, and will not help you to stand out. Be sure both your resume and cover letter are professional, concise, error-free, and in a reader-friendly font. Accentuate your abilities, but never misrepresent your qualifications. Honesty is highly valued by employers.

Research the Employer

Identify potential employers that interest you. Leverage the Internet. Gather as much information as possible about the organizations and the industry. Research size, mission, history, location, products/services, etc. This will increase your overall knowledge of the field and help you prepare for a job interview.

Develop Your “Marketing Pitch”

This is a succinct 30-second oral summary which illustrates who you are: your background, experience, and what you can offer to a potential employer. It should be brief, professional, and positive. This pitch is also known as an “elevator speech” as it should be short enough to be delivered in the time it would take to ride an elevator to the top floor with a prospective employer. If you had 30 seconds to compel this individual to hire you, what would you say? Perfect your pitch and practice until it is fluid. Be ready to use it when the opportunity presents itself.

Join a Professional Organization

Almost all occupations have corresponding professional associations that offer many benefits. They feature the latest news in the industry, publications, network contacts, job leads, conferences, and more. Membership in a career-related professional organization will afford you information to enhance your knowledge and maintain currency in your field. Most also offer reasonable student memberships. Find a professional association and join!

Network

Networking is one of the most powerful job-hunting tools available. Develop and maintain an ongoing list of contacts. Brainstorm! Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, former classmates, and professors are all potential leads to your next job. Tell them what type of job/career you are seeking and brief them on your qualifications. Remember that networking is a reciprocal relationship. Stay in touch with your contacts. Let them know your progress and be ready to help members of your network if they need your assistance as well.

Use Social Media

If you have not yet done so, it’s time to establish a professional online presence. Social networking has fast become another vital strategy for the job search. A few of the most popular options include LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging. Facebook is another popular option, albeit primarily social. Still, it’s a good idea to update your education and work sections on Facebook periodically. All these venues are great places to highlight qualifications, market your brand, and network with contacts.

However, make sure that the information listed in each of your profiles is consistent, and that all content reinforces your resume and cover letter. Employers are increasingly researching the online presence of potential candidates, so be mindful of what you post. You also can use social networking to investigate employers’ profiles, increase your awareness of their products and services, or catch the latest posts or Tweets on current job opportunities. As powerful as social media can be, remember it is a supplement, not a substitute, for other traditional job hunting methods. Keep a well-rounded approach.

Sharpen Your Interview Skills

Prepare for all types of interviews. In addition to the traditional in-person interview, you may also encounter those that include a panel, phone, Skype, or web cam. Practice your responses to typical ques­tions, including possible behavioral interview questions. Conduct mock interviews or role-play with a friend. During the interview, be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Use the information you gleaned from your research to ask intelligent questions and offer thoughtful comments. Employ all the interview basics: be on time, well groomed, use eye contact, and a strong handshake.

Know Your Market Value

Your skills and talents are valuable. Once you land the job, you’ll want a paycheck that represents a fair market value. Do your homework. Check online salary guides, research the job’s salary range, and determine typical salaries for people with similar experience and skills in your industry. Compare this by location. You’ll need this data when you enter the marketplace to determine what is reasonable and to substantiate your case for a desired salary.

Be Organized

Keep the job hunting process running smoothly. Create either an electronic or paper-based record keeping system for all your job search correspondence. This includes a listing of your network contacts, organizations contacted, research conducted, resumes submitted, responses received, emailed messages, and thank-you notes sent. Accurate and reliable records help maintain parameters for any follow-up that is needed, and allow easy retrieval of materials when you receive a call from a prospective employer.

Keep Your Chin Up!

With any job search it is important to remember the three Ps—Persistence, Patience, and Positivity.
Finding the right match may take time and energy. Don’t get discouraged. Be confident, and keep a healthy and positive outlook. Use this job search checklist to focus your energy and formalize a plan to mobilize your job hunt. With perseverance, dedication, and the right tools, you will be on your way to your next rewarding position.

For More Information

Be sure to visit the Excelsior College Career Center’s newest offering, , for even more job search information and help. Build and upload your resume, listen to career advice via College Central podcasts, download career advice documents, and search more than 500,000 jobs—including jobs posted exclusively to Excelsior.

 

Police Officer Zinab Kitonyi, an Excelsior Student, Stresses the Importance of Doing Something Helpful During Active Shooter Events

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

“We don’t get to pick and choose when bad things happen. Doing something in a situation matters,” said police officer Zinab Kitonyi, after a workplace training class on how to respond to an active shooter event.

Kitonyi, known as “Zee,” a student in the Associate in Science in Administrative and Management Studies, came to Excelsior College in September during National Preparedness Month to train employees on Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). For the past five years, he has been a trainer for the Training and Policy Unit in the Kitonyi’s typical day is teaching other officers, from academy-level recruits to seasoned officers, about counterterrorism.

Active Shooter Event Training

For Kitonyi, active shooter response planning and training is important, and the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 drove the police industry to start training officers. After first responders where trained, there was a need to train civilians and the community wherever there were mass gatherings of people. Now the police teach everybody. The CRASE class provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. The goal is to provide those attending the course with the knowledge and empowerment to act immediately and in a deliberate manner during a stressful event.

Kitonyi is passionate about teaching this training and feels he makes an impact. As a case in point, Kitonyi said people who had taken the CRASE training applied what they learned when panic broke out after gunshots were fired near the Apple store in Crossgates Mall in Albany. Just prior to this, he had held about a dozen sessions at SEFCU Credit Union in Albany, NY to teach their employees about active shooters. Some employees from the CRASE training happened to be in the mall when chaos broke out. They knew what to do and applied the training to the situation.

The takeaway he hopes anyone attending the CRASE training walks away with is the importance of taking action. “We are not helpless. What we do matters,” said Kitonyi. “Doing something in a situation matters. Doing nothing can work against us.”

Experience Equals Credit Toward Your Degree

Kitonyi spent 13 years in the U.S. Army after graduating high school and was deployed in counterterrorism operations in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Since then, he has spent 15 years in the Albany Police Department. He explained he was motivated to go to Excelsior College since he could apply training from the military and police department as credit toward his degree.

Based on his prior experience, when he started the degree program he had about 50 percent of his credits completed from on-the-job experience. It was a huge factor for him in going to college. He also has support from his wife and family, as well as from his father who is a retired UAlbany teacher. Kitonyi is also motivated by planning for his career after this own retirement. He wants to teach in the private sector after leaving the police force. Building on his current work, he has a desire to run his own teaching and training business and continue to educate others.

Having It All: Nurturing the School/Life Balance

Posted on by Nicole Greco

We hear the phrase “work/life balance” fairly often. As an Excelsior student, you know there’s another part to the equation: school. What’s one more thing to add to your plates, right?

It’s not news that we live in a world where we’re expected to do it all, and do it all well. Multitasking has never been easier in our digital era. There’s a stigma that if we aren’t busy, if we aren’t taking on the world and then some, then we’re not doing enough. Modern technology allows us to multitask at levels that aren’t healthy, and inevitably one corner of our arena is sacrificed. Psychology Today published an enlightening on the physical and mental dangers of excessive multitasking.

Tips On How to Balance School and Your Busy Life

Here are some tips that I often share with my advisees on the best ways to have it all without their mental, physical, and emotional well-being taking a hit. I acknowledge these might not work for all, but with some tweaking and consideration, each one can be applied to your lifestyle and schedule.

  • Embrace a schedule: This can be tough for some people, but hear me out! There are 24 hours in a day. Ideally, we can mark off eight hours for sleep and eight hours for work. That leaves us with eight hours. Many people are required to work more than eight hours (nurses often up to 12 or more), but the important piece here is to ensure you’re getting enough sleep (seven hours on average) for your overall health as well as for your productivity. Sleep-deprived employees aren’t effective and sleep-deprived students deny themselves their full potential.
  • Schedule your school work time like a non-negotiable appointment: At the beginning of the term, you receive your course syllabus. Have a designated calendar or planner where you write out all your due dates for discussions and assignments and, additionally, schedule time in the days leading up to those due dates to work on them. Generally speaking, you should expect to dedicate fifteen to eighteen hours per week to performing the work in one 3-credit course.
  • Make family/social time as non-negotiable as school time: The timetable above shouldn’t feel as rigid, immovable, and stressful on your days off. Make sure you have days with no school work so you can take time for yourself and your loved ones. Don’t miss out on a family party because you have a paper to write or reading to do.
  • Embrace convenience: Amazon Prime. Grocery delivery. Meal prep/delivery services like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh. A cleaning service once a month, if you can swing it. Ready-to-heat meals from Costco or Wegmans. Find ways to simplify your routine and take some things off your plate.
  • Ask for help: Be sure you’re leaning on your village (spouse or significant other, parents, neighbors, friends, etc.) for help while you are in the midst of a difficult term, or even just in the middle of a tough week where everything seems to be piling on. If you can afford the luxury, consider taking on a “Parents Helper” to run errands you may not be able to fit in or just help with those chores you can’t seem to get to.
  • Take time for you: I’m not saying you have to take a vacation twice a year, or retreat to a spa in the Berkshires for a weekend (although once in a while, #treatyourself) but the basics of self-care are to sleep, drink water, eat well, and to exercise. None of these are luxuries; they are life necessities essential to your health and your performance at work, at school, and at home. You don’t have to be a fitness fiend or spend 1–2 hours in the gym every day; a 30-minute brisk walk on your lunch break (alone or with a co-worker) or after work will clear your mind, boost your endorphins, and help keep your mind and body healthy.

While our work and our education are important, nothing is more important than the person we are, the people we love, and the people we are raising. Our work and academics aren’t all that define us as a person (if anything they play a very small role in that definition). Strive to achieve your goals, but remember the real “why” behind them, and be sure you’re devoting the same amount of time, if not more, to those whys.

If you want a deeper dive into the methods of time management and to chat about work/life balance, reach out to your academic advisor in the Student Success Center.

The Phenomenon of True Crime

Posted on by James Norton

Evolution of True Crime Entertainment

Over the last few years, true crime has evolved from a low-brow, late-night indulgence to a global phenomenon and conversation about our criminal justice system and criminality in general. True crime can be about the mystery, psychology, history, and sociology of crimes. Audiences are eager to explore the extremes of human behavior, especially the psychological and social factors that trigger certain individuals to commit heinous acts of violence. People don’t just want to be entertained by watching or reading true crime; they want to understand criminality and play an active part in how justice systems respond to crime.

True Crime TV Shows and Novels

I will admit, my Netflix queue reads “MINDHUNTER,” “Criminal Minds,” “Ozark,” “Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer,” “Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist,” and “Man Hunt: Unabomber.” My Kindle has “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for theÌęGolden State Killer” by Michelle McNamara and Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy. In the New York Times op-ed piece, “How Dostoevsky Predicted the ‘True Crime’ Craze” author Jennifer Wilson highlights the growing interest in shows like “Serial,” “Making a Murderer,” and the Peabody-awarded podcast “In the Dark,” and makes connections to the Russian author Dostoevsky (1821–1881), writer of “Crime and Punishment.”

So entrenched were the people of czarist Russia at the time of “Crime and Punishment,” that defense lawyers would invoke the novel’s main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, when seeking jury nullification. Dostoevsky was actually under much scrutiny himself, being a member of the Petrashevsky Circle, a literary group made up of progressive individuals with French utopian ideals, and wrote his novels with strong opinions on mercy, punishment, and death. Books like “The Brothers Karamazov” posed the question of collective guilt; thinking beyond the idea of guilt or innocence meant political incarceration, jury nullification, or how societal failures affected the individual.

We know the fictionalized versions of true crime stories are hyper dramatized or manipulated: “Making a Murderer” left out DNA evidence; the homicidal triad (“triad” of ominous childhood behaviors) has been debunked; and “Dog Day Afternoon” wasn’t just about Attica. However, they ask questions like those about socio-economic bias in “Making a Murderer,” the flaws of family or society with nonconformity in “MINDHUNTER,” and about disenfranchisement — whether transsexualism or prison riots — in “Dog Day Afternoon.”

Theory of Anomie

At the end of the 20th century, David EmilĂ© Durkeim’s theory of anomie (when rapid population growth leads to a breakdown of communication, thus leading to a breakdown of norms and values) was attributed to three main arguments about crime in times of great modernization; they boil down to a greater variety of behaviors being tolerated and punishments changing to become functional law. While Durkeim’s work has been criticized for not focusing enough on socioeconomic inequality and its implication on crime, Durkeim’s main point was the effect of society on the individual.

Critical Criminology

Authors using crime drama to explore socioeconomic inequality and its effect on criminality is not new. According to Wilson’s article, what is new is that “Serial,” “Making a Murderer,” and “In the Dark” take a decidedly different narrative closer to the Attica prison riot in September 1971 or Dostoevsky’s writing in that “The genre is increasingly framed as reformist, with critiques of police abuses, overzealous prosecutions, and mass incarceration playing central roles.” In “Theorizing Criminal Justice: Eight Essential Orientation,” authors John Brent and Peter Kraska discuss how critical criminology, a branch ofÌęcriminologyÌęthat explains crime by challenging traditional perspectives and beliefs regarding crime and criminal justice, has targeted the government’s construction of and reaction to crime versus the acceptance, where the oppression orientation views of criminal justice is seen as an apparatus of oppression: “Early critical criminologists wrote during a time when the government was being critiqued passionately on many fronts. The criminal justice system was no exception…Quinney forthright claimed that ‘law has become the ultimate means by which the state secures the interests of the ruling class.”

Anomie and Critical Criminology – Theories in Opposition

Durkheim’s anomie theory and critical criminology are almost the opposite sides of the same coin. Durkheim saw failure of society to meet the changing social constructs of modernization as a core cause of deviancy, whereas critical criminology views police deviancy as enforcement of socioeconomic status quo, thus the search for justice must subvert to the public. In either case, the reason serial killers and true crime stories are topping the Pulitzer and Netflix lists, Wilson says, is the same reason Dostoevsky’s work did: “It is not only our task to support the innocent or wrongly convicted but also to recognize the humanity of the guilty and the shared sense of responsibility that we have for one another.” How do we do that now?