Mission Statement
As a professional communicator, I am committed to provide honest, dedicated, timely service as I work to help and serve others. My goal is to provide information and assistance to the best of my ability, and to be able to recognize and accept my own limitations in what I can and cannot do. My mission is to live my professional life in a way that is similar to how I aim to live my personal life, and that is to treat others as I would like to be treated myself. I would expect honesty, courtesy, and to be regarded with respect in what I say and what I do.
My strengths as a professional communicator stem from the fact that an enormous part of my current job is communicating with others in both written and verbal formats. Throughout each day, I am continually sending and receiving e-mail messages to and from faculty, staff, and students as well as helping them over the phone. I also have a great deal of contact with student workers on a daily basis providing them assistance and direction on performing their duties. My goal in speaking and writing is to be clear, concise, and give good direction to the reader.
In support of my goals as a professional communicator, working at Alverno College has had a tremendous influence on my professional development. I have worked at the college for almost ten years, and have always had the support of my colleagues and supervisor to take on new challenges and to grow in my career by taking on new projects and assignments in addition to my regular job duties. I continually develop my writing skills every day in my communications with others both personally and professionally. Returning to school to complete my Bachelor’s degree in Professional Communication has allowed my skills as a communicator to grow immensely. In my classes, I have worked to sharpen my abilities in both writing and speaking as a part of my course work. My class assignments have provided me with the tools I need to learn and grow as a professional communicator.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
my revised proposal
After looking at my proposal again, I decided it needed more facts and figures to support my ideas. Take a look - I think it turned out to be pretty good!
A PROPOSAL FOR ALVERNO COLLEGE TO CREATE, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE ONLINE CLASSES TO STUDENTS
For consideration of
The Curriculum Committee of Alverno College
by
Kelly Gomoll
Student and Employee of Alverno College
April 28, 2009
Kelly Gomoll
Muskego, WI 53150
April 28, 2009
Alverno College
3401 South 39th street
Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922
Dear Professor Lake:
I am writing you as both an employee and a student of Alverno College to request consideration of my proposal to add more online and hybrid classes to Alverno’s list of course offerings. As an employee, I am aware of the effect of our country’s financial crisis on Alverno’s endowment and fiscal outlook. I was affected by this personally by the college’s decision to suspend employee salary increases this year. While I am grateful to continue my employment at the college, I would also like to suggest ways Alverno can increase enrollment and improve student retention in an effort to improve the college’s financial future. As faculty and staff are reminded at sessions of Institute held every semester, student recruitment and retention is a task each employee is responsible for. When looking at the number of colleges across the country that are increasing their online class offerings, I feel that it would be detrimental to Alverno’s financial future not to investigate the idea to provide more online and hybrid courses to its students from both an instructional and a financial point of view.
As a non-traditional aged student, I am aware of the difficulties of juggling school, employment, and family life. Making time to attend classes in addition to working and taking care of a family can make not only attending, but also succeeding in college a daunting task for many women. Having the option to attend online classes and learn from home could be a valuable tool for many students in this situation. By providing the option to take classes both on campus and online, Alverno would supply its students with more choices in planning their schedules each semester. As a result, Alverno would not only provide women with an additional resource in completing their education, but would also offer more options for when and where they could attend classes. I think it is an opportunity that Alverno should vigorously pursue in order to continue in its commitment to providing quality, innovative education to our students.
I would appreciate your consideration of my proposal. At a time when finding new areas of revenue is important to Alverno, I think the idea of providing more course options to students through online and hybrid classes will not only attract and bring more students to the college, but will also help in student retention; something that is essential to any college or university that is looking toward the future.
Thank you,
Kelly Gomoll
Alverno College Employee/Student
ABSTRACT
Online and hybrid courses have great potential to be an excellent source of revenue to the college. Roughly 3.2 million students took at least one online course from a degree-granting institution during the fall 2007 term. That’s double the number who reported doing so in 2006, and more than 800,000 above the 2005 total. Colleges and universities nationwide continue to expect an upsweep in the number of students taking online courses. (Inside Higher Ed - Growing Popularity of E-Learning, November, 2007)
In addition, when surveyed, 50% of students who were planning on taking classes in the near future stated they would prefer some of these classes to be online. Furthermore, about 80% of these online students are undergraduates who are generally older, more likely to be working, and have families. (Inside Higher Ed - Growing Popularity of E-Learning, November, 2007)
As these statistics show, the addition of more online and hybrid courses to Alverno’s curriculum would be particularly attractive to non-traditional aged students. According to Alverno 2008-09 Facts, weekday and weekend college non-traditional aged students (students age 22 and older), make up 58% of Alverno’s student population. Attracting and retaining more of these students with the creation of online and hybrid courses would bring more valuable tuition dollars to the college. Additional revenue generated from enrollment in these classes could be vital to Alverno as it continues to navigate through the financial storm that is sweeping the country.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
The impact of the country’s financial misfortune has had an adverse affect on the college’s endowment. To help offset the college’s monetary losses, I propose that the college create and offer more online and hybrid courses to its students. Statistics show that online classes have grown in popularity, particularly with non-traditional aged students. As more than half of Alverno’s student population is made up of non-traditional aged women looking to further themselves and their education, I believe the college has a responsibility to provide them with the necessary tools to make receiving that education as accessible as possible. Offering more online and hybrid courses is one way to do this.
By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno would have the ability to create and offer more online courses to its students. Assignments can be distributed to students through Educator; upon completion students can upload completed class work to folders in Educator for instructor feedback. Students and instructors can also communicate with each other through Educator’s e-mail system which provides an excellent tool for communication. Educator also offers an online chat program where students can discuss topics covered in class in real time.
Currently there are only two courses offered each semester that Alverno calls “online” courses. One of them is CM 114, Integrated Communication. The other is MGT 435, High Performance Management – Principles and Practices. I attended CM 114, and I thought it was handled beautifully.
The class met on campus twice during the course of the semester, and the rest of the time class work was assigned and turned in through Educator. The instructor gave assignments and feedback through Educator and was available for questions via e-mail. Overall, the course was both interesting and thought provoking. I feel that I learned a lot from it. I was also very grateful for the online format as it allowed me to spend less time on campus and more time at home.
Because Alverno promotes more hands-on and collaborative teaching styles in the classroom, I do believe that online classes will not be ideal for every course. While there are courses that should not be taught in an online format, there are many courses, particularly the 100 level liberal arts classes such as communication and literature-based courses which can easily be created to be either completely online or as “hybrid” courses where a student is on campus for two to three times a semester, and the rest of the class work is completed online through Educator.
Also, accommodating an increased student population will not be an issue with online classes as the majority of the class work is completed off campus. The current number of open access computer labs on campus could easily provide space for students meeting in groups to work on class projects when needed.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The nation’s current economic turmoil has delivered a severe blow to Alverno’s endowment. As a result, there has been both a hiring and a wage freeze implemented by the college in an effort to lower expenses.
As tuition dollars are Alverno’s primary source of income, the college needs to find new ways to generate revenue by attracting additional students as well as retaining its current student population. By increasing revenue, the college will be able to build a stronger future for itself in spite of the financial setback caused by our nation’s uncertain economic future.
BACKGROUND
Alverno College has weathered uncertain economic times before. Due to low enrollment, there have been years when the college was burdened by debt but continued to provide a quality of innovative education to women that has been unsurpassed by any other college or university. Now, in spite of enrollment numbers at the highest point in the college’s history, the financial damage to the college’s endowment fund has caused some economic distress. To prevent layoffs, the college has implemented hiring and salary freezes.
I believe that increasing enrollment and tuition dollars will help to create a more secure financial future for the college. I also believe that now is the time to invest in a resource that has been underutilized in the past. As 58% of the college’s population is made up of non-traditional aged students, the implementation of more online and hybrid courses will not only attract more students to the college, as the popularity of technology-based courses continues to soar, but help in student retention as many students now take online courses at institutions other than Alverno as these types of courses are more convenient to a non-traditional aged student’s busy lifestyle.
TIMETABLE
Implementing online courses can take place at any time before the start of a new semester. As Alverno already uses Educator to manage courses, much of the initial work has already been completed. An investment of time on the part of the instructor will be essential as courses will need to be re-crafted to provide new instruction for the off-campus work. More handouts and written instructions should be generated by instructors, and in the case of hybrid classes, accommodations will be required for the on campus sessions. Work on a course could begin as early as two to three months before the start of a semester. At the same time, once a course has been planned for a semester, the basic handouts and information will not need many changes and planning time will be reduced.
COSTS
Costs to implement more online classes should be minimal as the college already has the technology in place to accommodate a large number of students. In addition, costs for Educator, the college’s course management software, are based on a subscription price. The price is determined by number of student accounts, bandwidth, and the amount of server space used by the college. As the number of online courses would increase as well as the number of students taking courses would also increase, so would the subscription price of Educator. This additional cost could be offset be the increase in tuition dollars that would come in to the college through the additional students taking classes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The results expected from adding and implementing more online classes into Alverno’s curriculum include,
· an increase in student population
· an increase in student retention as more current students will take the online courses at Alverno instead of going to other institutions
· an increase in classroom space within the college as there will be more online instruction and less class time on campus
· an increase in tuition dollars coming in to the college
· an increase in the college’s financial security
· employees will get salary increases again J
CONCLUSION
Providing students with a wider variety of choices in course offerings each semester will give students, particularly non-traditional aged working students, the flexibility of having more options regarding their education. The college will benefit not only from the increased financial security provided by the additional revenue that having more students will provide, but it will also continue to gain in its reputation for offering innovative ways for its students to learn and grow.
As a result of this proposal, I believe further investigation into the feasibility of introducing more online and hybrid classes into Alverno’s curriculum is needed so that it may continue to be competitive in an academic market.
Initial steps into creating and implementing this curriculum change should begin with a polling of faculty and students to determine if there is enough interest to warrant further action on the matter. I believe opening up a dialogue with the students on this subject is crucial to determine the success of adding more technology based classes to Alverno’s course offerings. Input from faculty on which classes could be converted will also be vital to the success of this endeavor.
Based on the results of the polls, I believe Alverno should initially start the change by offering more hybrid classes. Currently there are two online courses offered each semester. They can be used as a template for the conversion of other courses into the hybrid format and could serve as a guide for creation of future classes.
In addition, preliminary workshops should be designed and offered to provide tips on how to succeed in taking an online course for students, and how to create and manage online classes for faculty. Workshops for faculty can be offered during the week of Institute and throughout the semester, and workshops for students can be offered along with the other CL classes taught at the beginning of each semester.
Changing Alverno’s class offerings to include online and hybrid courses is not a task that will take place overnight, but I believe it is a change that is necessary to the curriculum and to the college as it works toward continuous improvement in Education for both its faculty and its students.
A PROPOSAL FOR ALVERNO COLLEGE TO CREATE, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE ONLINE CLASSES TO STUDENTS
For consideration of
The Curriculum Committee of Alverno College
by
Kelly Gomoll
Student and Employee of Alverno College
April 28, 2009
Kelly Gomoll
Muskego, WI 53150
April 28, 2009
Alverno College
3401 South 39th street
Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922
Dear Professor Lake:
I am writing you as both an employee and a student of Alverno College to request consideration of my proposal to add more online and hybrid classes to Alverno’s list of course offerings. As an employee, I am aware of the effect of our country’s financial crisis on Alverno’s endowment and fiscal outlook. I was affected by this personally by the college’s decision to suspend employee salary increases this year. While I am grateful to continue my employment at the college, I would also like to suggest ways Alverno can increase enrollment and improve student retention in an effort to improve the college’s financial future. As faculty and staff are reminded at sessions of Institute held every semester, student recruitment and retention is a task each employee is responsible for. When looking at the number of colleges across the country that are increasing their online class offerings, I feel that it would be detrimental to Alverno’s financial future not to investigate the idea to provide more online and hybrid courses to its students from both an instructional and a financial point of view.
As a non-traditional aged student, I am aware of the difficulties of juggling school, employment, and family life. Making time to attend classes in addition to working and taking care of a family can make not only attending, but also succeeding in college a daunting task for many women. Having the option to attend online classes and learn from home could be a valuable tool for many students in this situation. By providing the option to take classes both on campus and online, Alverno would supply its students with more choices in planning their schedules each semester. As a result, Alverno would not only provide women with an additional resource in completing their education, but would also offer more options for when and where they could attend classes. I think it is an opportunity that Alverno should vigorously pursue in order to continue in its commitment to providing quality, innovative education to our students.
I would appreciate your consideration of my proposal. At a time when finding new areas of revenue is important to Alverno, I think the idea of providing more course options to students through online and hybrid classes will not only attract and bring more students to the college, but will also help in student retention; something that is essential to any college or university that is looking toward the future.
Thank you,
Kelly Gomoll
Alverno College Employee/Student
ABSTRACT
Online and hybrid courses have great potential to be an excellent source of revenue to the college. Roughly 3.2 million students took at least one online course from a degree-granting institution during the fall 2007 term. That’s double the number who reported doing so in 2006, and more than 800,000 above the 2005 total. Colleges and universities nationwide continue to expect an upsweep in the number of students taking online courses. (Inside Higher Ed - Growing Popularity of E-Learning, November, 2007)
In addition, when surveyed, 50% of students who were planning on taking classes in the near future stated they would prefer some of these classes to be online. Furthermore, about 80% of these online students are undergraduates who are generally older, more likely to be working, and have families. (Inside Higher Ed - Growing Popularity of E-Learning, November, 2007)
As these statistics show, the addition of more online and hybrid courses to Alverno’s curriculum would be particularly attractive to non-traditional aged students. According to Alverno 2008-09 Facts, weekday and weekend college non-traditional aged students (students age 22 and older), make up 58% of Alverno’s student population. Attracting and retaining more of these students with the creation of online and hybrid courses would bring more valuable tuition dollars to the college. Additional revenue generated from enrollment in these classes could be vital to Alverno as it continues to navigate through the financial storm that is sweeping the country.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
The impact of the country’s financial misfortune has had an adverse affect on the college’s endowment. To help offset the college’s monetary losses, I propose that the college create and offer more online and hybrid courses to its students. Statistics show that online classes have grown in popularity, particularly with non-traditional aged students. As more than half of Alverno’s student population is made up of non-traditional aged women looking to further themselves and their education, I believe the college has a responsibility to provide them with the necessary tools to make receiving that education as accessible as possible. Offering more online and hybrid courses is one way to do this.
By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno would have the ability to create and offer more online courses to its students. Assignments can be distributed to students through Educator; upon completion students can upload completed class work to folders in Educator for instructor feedback. Students and instructors can also communicate with each other through Educator’s e-mail system which provides an excellent tool for communication. Educator also offers an online chat program where students can discuss topics covered in class in real time.
Currently there are only two courses offered each semester that Alverno calls “online” courses. One of them is CM 114, Integrated Communication. The other is MGT 435, High Performance Management – Principles and Practices. I attended CM 114, and I thought it was handled beautifully.
The class met on campus twice during the course of the semester, and the rest of the time class work was assigned and turned in through Educator. The instructor gave assignments and feedback through Educator and was available for questions via e-mail. Overall, the course was both interesting and thought provoking. I feel that I learned a lot from it. I was also very grateful for the online format as it allowed me to spend less time on campus and more time at home.
Because Alverno promotes more hands-on and collaborative teaching styles in the classroom, I do believe that online classes will not be ideal for every course. While there are courses that should not be taught in an online format, there are many courses, particularly the 100 level liberal arts classes such as communication and literature-based courses which can easily be created to be either completely online or as “hybrid” courses where a student is on campus for two to three times a semester, and the rest of the class work is completed online through Educator.
Also, accommodating an increased student population will not be an issue with online classes as the majority of the class work is completed off campus. The current number of open access computer labs on campus could easily provide space for students meeting in groups to work on class projects when needed.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The nation’s current economic turmoil has delivered a severe blow to Alverno’s endowment. As a result, there has been both a hiring and a wage freeze implemented by the college in an effort to lower expenses.
As tuition dollars are Alverno’s primary source of income, the college needs to find new ways to generate revenue by attracting additional students as well as retaining its current student population. By increasing revenue, the college will be able to build a stronger future for itself in spite of the financial setback caused by our nation’s uncertain economic future.
BACKGROUND
Alverno College has weathered uncertain economic times before. Due to low enrollment, there have been years when the college was burdened by debt but continued to provide a quality of innovative education to women that has been unsurpassed by any other college or university. Now, in spite of enrollment numbers at the highest point in the college’s history, the financial damage to the college’s endowment fund has caused some economic distress. To prevent layoffs, the college has implemented hiring and salary freezes.
I believe that increasing enrollment and tuition dollars will help to create a more secure financial future for the college. I also believe that now is the time to invest in a resource that has been underutilized in the past. As 58% of the college’s population is made up of non-traditional aged students, the implementation of more online and hybrid courses will not only attract more students to the college, as the popularity of technology-based courses continues to soar, but help in student retention as many students now take online courses at institutions other than Alverno as these types of courses are more convenient to a non-traditional aged student’s busy lifestyle.
TIMETABLE
Implementing online courses can take place at any time before the start of a new semester. As Alverno already uses Educator to manage courses, much of the initial work has already been completed. An investment of time on the part of the instructor will be essential as courses will need to be re-crafted to provide new instruction for the off-campus work. More handouts and written instructions should be generated by instructors, and in the case of hybrid classes, accommodations will be required for the on campus sessions. Work on a course could begin as early as two to three months before the start of a semester. At the same time, once a course has been planned for a semester, the basic handouts and information will not need many changes and planning time will be reduced.
COSTS
Costs to implement more online classes should be minimal as the college already has the technology in place to accommodate a large number of students. In addition, costs for Educator, the college’s course management software, are based on a subscription price. The price is determined by number of student accounts, bandwidth, and the amount of server space used by the college. As the number of online courses would increase as well as the number of students taking courses would also increase, so would the subscription price of Educator. This additional cost could be offset be the increase in tuition dollars that would come in to the college through the additional students taking classes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The results expected from adding and implementing more online classes into Alverno’s curriculum include,
· an increase in student population
· an increase in student retention as more current students will take the online courses at Alverno instead of going to other institutions
· an increase in classroom space within the college as there will be more online instruction and less class time on campus
· an increase in tuition dollars coming in to the college
· an increase in the college’s financial security
· employees will get salary increases again J
CONCLUSION
Providing students with a wider variety of choices in course offerings each semester will give students, particularly non-traditional aged working students, the flexibility of having more options regarding their education. The college will benefit not only from the increased financial security provided by the additional revenue that having more students will provide, but it will also continue to gain in its reputation for offering innovative ways for its students to learn and grow.
As a result of this proposal, I believe further investigation into the feasibility of introducing more online and hybrid classes into Alverno’s curriculum is needed so that it may continue to be competitive in an academic market.
Initial steps into creating and implementing this curriculum change should begin with a polling of faculty and students to determine if there is enough interest to warrant further action on the matter. I believe opening up a dialogue with the students on this subject is crucial to determine the success of adding more technology based classes to Alverno’s course offerings. Input from faculty on which classes could be converted will also be vital to the success of this endeavor.
Based on the results of the polls, I believe Alverno should initially start the change by offering more hybrid classes. Currently there are two online courses offered each semester. They can be used as a template for the conversion of other courses into the hybrid format and could serve as a guide for creation of future classes.
In addition, preliminary workshops should be designed and offered to provide tips on how to succeed in taking an online course for students, and how to create and manage online classes for faculty. Workshops for faculty can be offered during the week of Institute and throughout the semester, and workshops for students can be offered along with the other CL classes taught at the beginning of each semester.
Changing Alverno’s class offerings to include online and hybrid courses is not a task that will take place overnight, but I believe it is a change that is necessary to the curriculum and to the college as it works toward continuous improvement in Education for both its faculty and its students.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
draft of proposal
Our next assignment was to create a proposal. I chose to write a proposal to Alverno College to suggest the college create more online class offerings for students. This is something I feel pretty strongly about, so I hope it turns out well.
A PROPOSAL FOR ALVERNO COLLEGE TO CREATE, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE ONLINE CLASSES TO STUDENTS
For consideration of
The Technology Steering Committee of Alverno College
by
Kelly Gomoll
Student and Employee of Alverno College
April 22, 2009
Kelly Gomoll
S76 W20285 Sunny Hill Drive
Muskego, WI 53150
April 22, 2009
Technology Steering Committee
c/o Alverno College
3401 South 39th street
Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing you today as both an employee and a student of the college to request consideration of my proposal to add more online classes to the list of class offerings. As an employee, I am aware of the affect of our country’s financial crisis on Alverno’s endowment, and fiscal outlook. I was affected by this personally by the college’s decision to suspend employee salary increases this year. While I am extremely grateful to continue my employment at the college, I would also like to suggest ways Alverno can increase enrollment, and improve student retention in an effort to improve the college’s financial future. As faculty and staff are reminded at sessions of Institute held every semester, student recruitment and retention is a task each employee is responsible for. When looking at the number of colleges that are increasing their online class offerings, I feel that it would be detrimental to Alverno’s financial future not to investigate the idea to provide more online courses to its students from both an instructional and a financial point of view.
As a non-traditional age student, I am aware of the difficulties of juggling school, employment and family life. Making time to attend classes in addition to working and taking care of a family can make not only attending, but also succeeding in college a daunting task for many women. Having the option to attend online classes and learn from home could be an invaluable tool for many students in this situation. By providing the option to take classes, both on campus and online, Alverno would provide its students with more choices in planning their schedules each semester. As a result, Alverno would not only provide women with an additional resource in completing their education, but would also offer more options in when and where they could attend classes.
As a means to administer online classes, Alverno currently uses Educator, a course management software program. With the capability to create and store course materials and assignments, Educator is an important resource in online class management. Students can send and receive e-mail messages to each other and to their instructors as well as upload course assignments into Educator. Use of this program would be key to the success of an online class at Alverno. Currently, there are few classes offered by Alverno that can be considered “online” classes. One of them is CM 114, Integrated Communication. The course meets twice on campus and the rest of the semester, assignments are given and turned in through Educator. Students communicate with each other and with the instructor through e-mail. I attended this course, and thought it worked beautifully. The instructor provided feedback on assignments through Educator, and was available to help with any questions via e-mail. Overall I was very pleased with the course, and the ease with which it was administered. I think many of Alverno’s courses could be successfully managed in this way.
I would appreciate your consideration of my proposal. At a time when finding new areas of revenue is important to Alverno, I think the idea of providing more course options to students through online classes will not only attract and bring more students to the college, but will also help in student retention; something that is essential to any college that is looking toward the future.
Thank you,
Kelly Gomoll
Alverno College Employee/Student
ABSTRACT
Online courses have the potential to be an excellent source of revenue to the college. Colleges and universities nationwide have experienced an upsweep in the number of students taking online courses by over 40%. In addition, when surveyed, 50% of students who were planning on taking classes in the near future stated they would prefer some of these classes to be online. Other statistics show that students attending online classes are typically older undergraduates that are more likely to be working and have families. By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno could easily create, manage, and offer many more online courses to its students. The result would be to attract more students that are looking to participate in online learning to enroll in the college, and to retain more of our current student base, many of whom already take classes online at other institutions because of the convenience the technology based classes provide. Attracting and retaining more students would bring more tuition dollars to the college and would help to weather the financial storm that is happening throughout the country.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno could create and offer more online courses to its students. Assignments can be distributed to students through Educator, and upon completion, students can upload completed assignments to folders in Educator for instructor feedback. Students and instructors can communicate with each other through Educator’s e-mail system which provides an excellent tool for communication. Educator also offers an online chat program where students can discuss topics covered in class in real time. Implementing a curriculum with more technology based class offerings would not only make classes more accessible to students, but it could also serve to attract new students to the college as taking classes online is considerably more convenient, particularly for the non-traditional age student.
Because Alverno promotes more hands on and collaborative teaching styles in the classroom, online classes will not be ideal for every course. While there are courses that should not be taught in an online format, there are many courses, particularly the 100 level liberal arts classes such as communication, and literature based courses which can easily be created to be either completely online or as “hybrid” courses where a student is on campus for two to three times a semester, and the rest of the class work in completed online through Educator.
Also, accommodating an increased student population will not be an issue with online classes as the majority of the class work is completed off campus, and the current number of open access computer labs on campus could easily provide space for students meeting in groups to work on class projects when needed.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The country’s current economic crisis has delivered a severe blow to Alverno’s endowment. As a result, there has been both a hiring and a wage freeze implemented by the college in an effort to lower expenses.
The college needs to find new ways to generate revenue and to attract new students, as well as retain its current student population as tuition dollars are its main source of income. By increasing revenue, the college will be able to build a stronger future for itself in spite of the financial setback caused by our nation’s uncertain economic future.
BACKGROUND
Alverno College has weathered uncertain economic times before. Due to low enrollment, there have been years when the college was burdened by debt, but continued to provide a quality of innovative education to women that has been unsurpassed by any other college or university. Now, in spite of enrollment numbers at the highest point in the college’s history, the financial damage to the college’s endowment fund has caused some economic distress. To prevent layoffs, the college has implemented the hiring and salary freezes. I believe that increasing enrollment and tuition dollars will help to create a more secure financial future for the college. I also believe that now is the time to invest in a resource that has been underutilized in the past. Creating more online courses and adding them to the curriculum will attract more students to the college, and will help in retention as many students now take online courses at other institutions instead of at Alverno as technology based courses are more convenient to a student’s busy lifestyle.
TIMETABLE
Implementing more online courses can take place at any time before the start of a new semester. Pre-planning on the part of the instructor will be needed as courses will need to be re-crafted to provide new instruction for the increase in off-campus work. More handouts and written instructions will need to be generated by instructors, and in the case of hybrid classes, accommodations will be needed for the on campus sessions. Work on a course could begin as early as two months before the start of a semester. At the same time, once a course has been planned for a semester, the basic handouts and information will not need many changes, and planning time will be reduced.
COSTS
Costs to implement more online classes should be minimal as the college already has the technology in place to accommodate a large number of students. In addition, costs for Educator, the college’s course management software are based on a subscription price. The price is determined by number of student accounts, bandwidth, and the amount of server space used by the college. As the number of online courses would increase as well as the number of students taking courses would also increase, so would the subscription price of Educator. This additional cost could be offset be the increase in tuition dollars that would come in to the college through the additional students taking classes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The results expected from adding and implementing more online classes into Alverno’s curriculum include,
1. an increase in student population
2. an increase in student retention as more current students will take the online courses at Alverno instead of going to other institutions
3. an increase in tuition dollars coming in to the college
4. an increase in the college’s financial security
5. employees will get salary increases again J
CONCLUSION
Providing students with a wider variety of choices in course offerings each semester will give students, particularly working students the flexibility to make more options regarding their education. The college will benefit not only from the increased financial security provided by the additional revenue that having more students will provide, but it will also gain in it’s reputation for offering innovative ways for its students to learn and grow.
A PROPOSAL FOR ALVERNO COLLEGE TO CREATE, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE ONLINE CLASSES TO STUDENTS
For consideration of
The Technology Steering Committee of Alverno College
by
Kelly Gomoll
Student and Employee of Alverno College
April 22, 2009
Kelly Gomoll
S76 W20285 Sunny Hill Drive
Muskego, WI 53150
April 22, 2009
Technology Steering Committee
c/o Alverno College
3401 South 39th street
Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing you today as both an employee and a student of the college to request consideration of my proposal to add more online classes to the list of class offerings. As an employee, I am aware of the affect of our country’s financial crisis on Alverno’s endowment, and fiscal outlook. I was affected by this personally by the college’s decision to suspend employee salary increases this year. While I am extremely grateful to continue my employment at the college, I would also like to suggest ways Alverno can increase enrollment, and improve student retention in an effort to improve the college’s financial future. As faculty and staff are reminded at sessions of Institute held every semester, student recruitment and retention is a task each employee is responsible for. When looking at the number of colleges that are increasing their online class offerings, I feel that it would be detrimental to Alverno’s financial future not to investigate the idea to provide more online courses to its students from both an instructional and a financial point of view.
As a non-traditional age student, I am aware of the difficulties of juggling school, employment and family life. Making time to attend classes in addition to working and taking care of a family can make not only attending, but also succeeding in college a daunting task for many women. Having the option to attend online classes and learn from home could be an invaluable tool for many students in this situation. By providing the option to take classes, both on campus and online, Alverno would provide its students with more choices in planning their schedules each semester. As a result, Alverno would not only provide women with an additional resource in completing their education, but would also offer more options in when and where they could attend classes.
As a means to administer online classes, Alverno currently uses Educator, a course management software program. With the capability to create and store course materials and assignments, Educator is an important resource in online class management. Students can send and receive e-mail messages to each other and to their instructors as well as upload course assignments into Educator. Use of this program would be key to the success of an online class at Alverno. Currently, there are few classes offered by Alverno that can be considered “online” classes. One of them is CM 114, Integrated Communication. The course meets twice on campus and the rest of the semester, assignments are given and turned in through Educator. Students communicate with each other and with the instructor through e-mail. I attended this course, and thought it worked beautifully. The instructor provided feedback on assignments through Educator, and was available to help with any questions via e-mail. Overall I was very pleased with the course, and the ease with which it was administered. I think many of Alverno’s courses could be successfully managed in this way.
I would appreciate your consideration of my proposal. At a time when finding new areas of revenue is important to Alverno, I think the idea of providing more course options to students through online classes will not only attract and bring more students to the college, but will also help in student retention; something that is essential to any college that is looking toward the future.
Thank you,
Kelly Gomoll
Alverno College Employee/Student
ABSTRACT
Online courses have the potential to be an excellent source of revenue to the college. Colleges and universities nationwide have experienced an upsweep in the number of students taking online courses by over 40%. In addition, when surveyed, 50% of students who were planning on taking classes in the near future stated they would prefer some of these classes to be online. Other statistics show that students attending online classes are typically older undergraduates that are more likely to be working and have families. By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno could easily create, manage, and offer many more online courses to its students. The result would be to attract more students that are looking to participate in online learning to enroll in the college, and to retain more of our current student base, many of whom already take classes online at other institutions because of the convenience the technology based classes provide. Attracting and retaining more students would bring more tuition dollars to the college and would help to weather the financial storm that is happening throughout the country.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
By using Educator, the college’s course management software, Alverno could create and offer more online courses to its students. Assignments can be distributed to students through Educator, and upon completion, students can upload completed assignments to folders in Educator for instructor feedback. Students and instructors can communicate with each other through Educator’s e-mail system which provides an excellent tool for communication. Educator also offers an online chat program where students can discuss topics covered in class in real time. Implementing a curriculum with more technology based class offerings would not only make classes more accessible to students, but it could also serve to attract new students to the college as taking classes online is considerably more convenient, particularly for the non-traditional age student.
Because Alverno promotes more hands on and collaborative teaching styles in the classroom, online classes will not be ideal for every course. While there are courses that should not be taught in an online format, there are many courses, particularly the 100 level liberal arts classes such as communication, and literature based courses which can easily be created to be either completely online or as “hybrid” courses where a student is on campus for two to three times a semester, and the rest of the class work in completed online through Educator.
Also, accommodating an increased student population will not be an issue with online classes as the majority of the class work is completed off campus, and the current number of open access computer labs on campus could easily provide space for students meeting in groups to work on class projects when needed.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The country’s current economic crisis has delivered a severe blow to Alverno’s endowment. As a result, there has been both a hiring and a wage freeze implemented by the college in an effort to lower expenses.
The college needs to find new ways to generate revenue and to attract new students, as well as retain its current student population as tuition dollars are its main source of income. By increasing revenue, the college will be able to build a stronger future for itself in spite of the financial setback caused by our nation’s uncertain economic future.
BACKGROUND
Alverno College has weathered uncertain economic times before. Due to low enrollment, there have been years when the college was burdened by debt, but continued to provide a quality of innovative education to women that has been unsurpassed by any other college or university. Now, in spite of enrollment numbers at the highest point in the college’s history, the financial damage to the college’s endowment fund has caused some economic distress. To prevent layoffs, the college has implemented the hiring and salary freezes. I believe that increasing enrollment and tuition dollars will help to create a more secure financial future for the college. I also believe that now is the time to invest in a resource that has been underutilized in the past. Creating more online courses and adding them to the curriculum will attract more students to the college, and will help in retention as many students now take online courses at other institutions instead of at Alverno as technology based courses are more convenient to a student’s busy lifestyle.
TIMETABLE
Implementing more online courses can take place at any time before the start of a new semester. Pre-planning on the part of the instructor will be needed as courses will need to be re-crafted to provide new instruction for the increase in off-campus work. More handouts and written instructions will need to be generated by instructors, and in the case of hybrid classes, accommodations will be needed for the on campus sessions. Work on a course could begin as early as two months before the start of a semester. At the same time, once a course has been planned for a semester, the basic handouts and information will not need many changes, and planning time will be reduced.
COSTS
Costs to implement more online classes should be minimal as the college already has the technology in place to accommodate a large number of students. In addition, costs for Educator, the college’s course management software are based on a subscription price. The price is determined by number of student accounts, bandwidth, and the amount of server space used by the college. As the number of online courses would increase as well as the number of students taking courses would also increase, so would the subscription price of Educator. This additional cost could be offset be the increase in tuition dollars that would come in to the college through the additional students taking classes.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The results expected from adding and implementing more online classes into Alverno’s curriculum include,
1. an increase in student population
2. an increase in student retention as more current students will take the online courses at Alverno instead of going to other institutions
3. an increase in tuition dollars coming in to the college
4. an increase in the college’s financial security
5. employees will get salary increases again J
CONCLUSION
Providing students with a wider variety of choices in course offerings each semester will give students, particularly working students the flexibility to make more options regarding their education. The college will benefit not only from the increased financial security provided by the additional revenue that having more students will provide, but it will also gain in it’s reputation for offering innovative ways for its students to learn and grow.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
revised feature story
I was advised by my learned instructor to change my feature story to focus more on Joan, and less on the book drive. Here are the results:
Troubled Economy Draws Families to the Waukesha Women’s Center
Joan stands in the doorway of the Waukesha Women’s Center, her arms filled with bags. The parcels hold the necessities that will sustain for her family for the next week. The cold March winds blow against Joan’s threadbare coat as she leaves the Center, but she is determined to bring the goods home to her children.
The country’s current economic crisis has been difficult for Joan’s family. The single mother of two was recently laid off, and while making ends meet has always been a struggle, Joan’s budget has shrunk considerably as an unemployment check is her only income. “I am having a hard time just feeding my kids,” said Joan, her eyes brimming with tears.
Desperate for aid, Joan first turned to her church, but found that the resources there did not meet her needs. “I wasn’t looking for spiritual guidance or charity, I just needed some help taking care of my family,” said Joan sadly. That’s when a friend from church recommended the Waukesha Women’s Center to help Joan get back on her feet again. “I never knew the Center existed” said Joan. “I am thankful to have found a place that helps families in so many ways.”
Thanks to help from the food pantry at the Waukesha Women’s Center, Joan, and other local women have an additional resource to help nourish and care for their children.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency. Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need. In addition, the Center also sponsors a pantry which provides food as well as clothes, toiletries, household items, books, and toys for local families.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center is funded through a variety of sources including the United Way of Waukesha County, government and private foundation grants, and corporate and community donations”, said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director of the Center.
Due to the deteriorating economy, and rising unemployment numbers in Waukesha, the Women’s Center has seen a recent swell in families requiring aid. “The rise in need for assistance, combined with dwindling government funding has strained the Center’s resources”, said Ketchum.
Some neighborhood groups have stepped in to bridge the gap and help the Center. Donations from groups ranging from a local Girl Scout troop to aid from an area church have provided much needed relief to the impoverished families the Center helps to support.
The Women’s Center staff is grateful for the assistance. “Donations from community organizations are such an integral part of what we do, said Ketchum, “the Center would not be here without them. Financial support through the hard work and caring of the members of our community is an example of the kind of generosity sustains and inspires us.”
For women like Joan, the Center provides not only food and necessities, but also place to help find a job through employment counseling, and emotional support through groups like the Center’s Family Support Project to help Joan cope with the often exhausting struggle of being a single parent. “Before coming to the Women’s Center, I was so depressed and didn’t know where to turn or what to do”, said Joan quietly. “I am so grateful to the staff of the Center,” she continued as she looked up with a smile. “It gives me hope for the future to know I have a place like the Waukesha Women’s Center to turn to.”
Troubled Economy Draws Families to the Waukesha Women’s Center
Joan stands in the doorway of the Waukesha Women’s Center, her arms filled with bags. The parcels hold the necessities that will sustain for her family for the next week. The cold March winds blow against Joan’s threadbare coat as she leaves the Center, but she is determined to bring the goods home to her children.
The country’s current economic crisis has been difficult for Joan’s family. The single mother of two was recently laid off, and while making ends meet has always been a struggle, Joan’s budget has shrunk considerably as an unemployment check is her only income. “I am having a hard time just feeding my kids,” said Joan, her eyes brimming with tears.
Desperate for aid, Joan first turned to her church, but found that the resources there did not meet her needs. “I wasn’t looking for spiritual guidance or charity, I just needed some help taking care of my family,” said Joan sadly. That’s when a friend from church recommended the Waukesha Women’s Center to help Joan get back on her feet again. “I never knew the Center existed” said Joan. “I am thankful to have found a place that helps families in so many ways.”
Thanks to help from the food pantry at the Waukesha Women’s Center, Joan, and other local women have an additional resource to help nourish and care for their children.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency. Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need. In addition, the Center also sponsors a pantry which provides food as well as clothes, toiletries, household items, books, and toys for local families.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center is funded through a variety of sources including the United Way of Waukesha County, government and private foundation grants, and corporate and community donations”, said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director of the Center.
Due to the deteriorating economy, and rising unemployment numbers in Waukesha, the Women’s Center has seen a recent swell in families requiring aid. “The rise in need for assistance, combined with dwindling government funding has strained the Center’s resources”, said Ketchum.
Some neighborhood groups have stepped in to bridge the gap and help the Center. Donations from groups ranging from a local Girl Scout troop to aid from an area church have provided much needed relief to the impoverished families the Center helps to support.
The Women’s Center staff is grateful for the assistance. “Donations from community organizations are such an integral part of what we do, said Ketchum, “the Center would not be here without them. Financial support through the hard work and caring of the members of our community is an example of the kind of generosity sustains and inspires us.”
For women like Joan, the Center provides not only food and necessities, but also place to help find a job through employment counseling, and emotional support through groups like the Center’s Family Support Project to help Joan cope with the often exhausting struggle of being a single parent. “Before coming to the Women’s Center, I was so depressed and didn’t know where to turn or what to do”, said Joan quietly. “I am so grateful to the staff of the Center,” she continued as she looked up with a smile. “It gives me hope for the future to know I have a place like the Waukesha Women’s Center to turn to.”
Thursday, March 26, 2009
feature story
**This is a story I wrote as an assignment for my Professional Writing class. The assignement was to write a "soft news" story. See below**
Local Girl Scout Troop Helps Support Waukesha Women’s Center
Joan Martin stands in the doorway of the Waukesha Women’s Center, her arms filled with bags. The parcels hold the necessities that will provide for her family for the next week.
The country’s current economic crisis has hit the Martin family hard. Joan, a single mother of two was recently laid off, and while making ends meet has always been a struggle, Joan’s budget has become even tighter as her only income is her unemployment check. “I didn’t know how I was going to feed my kids.” said Joan, her eyes brimming with tears.
Desperate for aid, Joan first turned to her church, but found that the resources there did not meet her needs. “I wasn’t looking for spiritual guidance or charity, I just needed some help taking care of my family.” said Joan sadly. That’s when a friend from church recommended the Waukesha Women’s Center as a place that would help Joan could get back on her feet again. “I didn’t even know the Center existed” said Joan. “I am so glad to have found a place that helps women in my situation in so many ways.”
Thanks to help from the food pantry at the Waukesha Women’s Center, Joan, and other local women have an additional resource to help feed and care for their children.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency. Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need.
In addition, the Center also sponsors a pantry which provides food as well as clothes, toiletries, household items, books, and toys for local families.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center depends on donations to help support the programs and assistance it offers.” said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director.
Due to the deteriorating economy, and rising unemployment numbers in Waukesha, the Women’s Center has seen a recent swell in families requiring aid. “The rise in need for assistance has put a strain on the Center’s resources to the point where our food stores are becoming dangerously low. Without help we will be unable to continue to meet the basic needs of the families we help to support.” said Lynne Ketchum.
Help for the Center has arrived from an unexpected source. Muskego Girl Scout Troop 2807 sponsored a food drive in February which resulted in over 200 pounds of non-perishable items being donated to the Center. In addition to the food drive, the Girl Scouts held a book drive and hosted a spaghetti dinner; proceeds of both were contributed to the Center.
“Helping the Waukesha Women’s Center has been a great experience for all of us.” said Terry Koster, leader of Troop 2807. “It is a great opportunity for the girls to learn about people in their community and what they can do to help others.”
The Women’s Center staff is grateful for the assistance. “Donations from organizations like the Girl Scouts are such an integral part of what we do, said Lynn Ketchum, “the Center would not be here without them. Financial support through the hard work and caring of the girls in the troop is an example of the kind of generosity sustains and inspires us.”
For women like Joan Martin, the Center provides not only food, but also place to help find a job through employment counseling, and emotional support through parenting groups. “I am so grateful to the staff of the Center.” said Joan smiling. “It gives me hope for the future to know I have a place like the Waukesha Women’s Center to turn to.”
Local Girl Scout Troop Helps Support Waukesha Women’s Center
Joan Martin stands in the doorway of the Waukesha Women’s Center, her arms filled with bags. The parcels hold the necessities that will provide for her family for the next week.
The country’s current economic crisis has hit the Martin family hard. Joan, a single mother of two was recently laid off, and while making ends meet has always been a struggle, Joan’s budget has become even tighter as her only income is her unemployment check. “I didn’t know how I was going to feed my kids.” said Joan, her eyes brimming with tears.
Desperate for aid, Joan first turned to her church, but found that the resources there did not meet her needs. “I wasn’t looking for spiritual guidance or charity, I just needed some help taking care of my family.” said Joan sadly. That’s when a friend from church recommended the Waukesha Women’s Center as a place that would help Joan could get back on her feet again. “I didn’t even know the Center existed” said Joan. “I am so glad to have found a place that helps women in my situation in so many ways.”
Thanks to help from the food pantry at the Waukesha Women’s Center, Joan, and other local women have an additional resource to help feed and care for their children.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency. Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need.
In addition, the Center also sponsors a pantry which provides food as well as clothes, toiletries, household items, books, and toys for local families.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center depends on donations to help support the programs and assistance it offers.” said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director.
Due to the deteriorating economy, and rising unemployment numbers in Waukesha, the Women’s Center has seen a recent swell in families requiring aid. “The rise in need for assistance has put a strain on the Center’s resources to the point where our food stores are becoming dangerously low. Without help we will be unable to continue to meet the basic needs of the families we help to support.” said Lynne Ketchum.
Help for the Center has arrived from an unexpected source. Muskego Girl Scout Troop 2807 sponsored a food drive in February which resulted in over 200 pounds of non-perishable items being donated to the Center. In addition to the food drive, the Girl Scouts held a book drive and hosted a spaghetti dinner; proceeds of both were contributed to the Center.
“Helping the Waukesha Women’s Center has been a great experience for all of us.” said Terry Koster, leader of Troop 2807. “It is a great opportunity for the girls to learn about people in their community and what they can do to help others.”
The Women’s Center staff is grateful for the assistance. “Donations from organizations like the Girl Scouts are such an integral part of what we do, said Lynn Ketchum, “the Center would not be here without them. Financial support through the hard work and caring of the girls in the troop is an example of the kind of generosity sustains and inspires us.”
For women like Joan Martin, the Center provides not only food, but also place to help find a job through employment counseling, and emotional support through parenting groups. “I am so grateful to the staff of the Center.” said Joan smiling. “It gives me hope for the future to know I have a place like the Waukesha Women’s Center to turn to.”
Thursday, March 5, 2009
My Journalism Article
Girl Scouts of Lake Denoon to Host Spaghetti Dinner and Book Drive
Terry Koster and Patrice Michaels, leaders of Junior Girl Scout Troop 2801 in Muskego, announced today that the troop will host a spaghetti dinner and book drive on March 17th, 2009, from 4:00-7:00pm at Lake Denoon Middle School, located on W216 S10586 Crow Bar Road in Muskego.
Proceeds from the dinner will be donated to help support the Waukesha Women’s Center.
The dinner includes all-you-can-eat salad, spaghetti and garlic bread catered by Leah’s Pizza of Muskego.
Tickets for the dinner are $6 for adults and $2 for children 5 and under.
In conjunction with the spaghetti dinner, the Girl Scouts of Lake Denoon are also asking for donations to their book drive.
The troop is looking for contributions of new and gently used books, games, and puzzles as part of the Girl Scout community service requirement to earn a prestigious Bronze Award.
Items collected at the book drive will also be donated to the Waukesha Woman’s Center.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency.
Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center depends on donations to help support the programs and assistance it offers to families.” said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need.
In addition to the books and proceeds from the dinner, the troop recently sponsored a canned food drive and donated over 200 pounds of food to the Center.
“Helping the Waukesha Women’s Center has been a great experience for all of us.” said Terry Koster, leader of Troop 2807. “It is a great opportunity for the girls to learn more about people in their community and what they can do to help others.”
Terry Koster and Patrice Michaels, leaders of Junior Girl Scout Troop 2801 in Muskego, announced today that the troop will host a spaghetti dinner and book drive on March 17th, 2009, from 4:00-7:00pm at Lake Denoon Middle School, located on W216 S10586 Crow Bar Road in Muskego.
Proceeds from the dinner will be donated to help support the Waukesha Women’s Center.
The dinner includes all-you-can-eat salad, spaghetti and garlic bread catered by Leah’s Pizza of Muskego.
Tickets for the dinner are $6 for adults and $2 for children 5 and under.
In conjunction with the spaghetti dinner, the Girl Scouts of Lake Denoon are also asking for donations to their book drive.
The troop is looking for contributions of new and gently used books, games, and puzzles as part of the Girl Scout community service requirement to earn a prestigious Bronze Award.
Items collected at the book drive will also be donated to the Waukesha Woman’s Center.
Founded in 1977, The Waukesha Women’s Center, located at 505 N. East Avenue, is an independent, non-profit human service agency.
Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to aid in their development.
“The Waukesha Women’s Center depends on donations to help support the programs and assistance it offers to families.” said Lynne Ketchum, Associate Director.
The Center provides services such as shelter, domestic and sexual abuse counseling, legal advocacy, community education, employment counseling, on-site childcare, and a 24-hour crisis line to help families in need.
In addition to the books and proceeds from the dinner, the troop recently sponsored a canned food drive and donated over 200 pounds of food to the Center.
“Helping the Waukesha Women’s Center has been a great experience for all of us.” said Terry Koster, leader of Troop 2807. “It is a great opportunity for the girls to learn more about people in their community and what they can do to help others.”
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
When and how to complain "professionally"
My husband and I hired a contractor in late November to remodel most of the main floor of our house. We have had quite a bit work work done, including tearing down walls, replacing floors, installing windows, cabinets, sinks, stove, and new lighting throughout the downstairs area. When I think of all of the work that is done, I almost feel bad complaining, but still, here goes.
The contractor we hired originally said the remodeling would take no more than a month, maybe six weeks at the most. That was in late November. It is now the end of February and our contractors are still not done. I would not mind this at all when I think of all our remodelers have had to do and how much has been completed. Right now, the walls are in and painted, the hard wood floors, lighting and all of the electrical work is done as well as the windows and kitchen cabinets.
The remaining work includes, staining the cabinets and woodwork, installation of a new ceramic tile floor, counter tops, sink and appliances. Also to be completed is the installation of a sink, vanity, toilet, and mirror in the bathroom as well as installation of our new front door.
The biggest problem with all of this remodeling, aside from the intrusion of workers in the house, the noise, and the dust (my God, there is a lot of dust!) is not having a kitchen. My stove is not operational, and my refrigerator is in my family room. (at least it works!) For the last two months I have had to cook meals in either the microwave or the toaster oven. I recently purchased an electric frying pan just so I could make Hamburger Helper and eggs - whoopee! I wash dishes in my laundry tub, and when I cook, it is in the laundry room where I have to unplug the washer and dryer to use either my toaster oven or microwave. I can't run these at the same time - it will overload the outlet and blow a fuse. Needless to say, cooking can be a challenge, but honestly, we are so tired of fast food that eggs and Hamburger Helper is a real treat!
When our contractors first started this job, they were at the house every day, started work at about 9am, and left after 5:00 or 6:00. Now, after over two months of work, they don't arrive until well after 10:00, and leave by 5:00 at the latest. They rarely make an appearance on the weekends, and some weekdays, they will only show up for an hour.
I can't help but feel that at this pace, the work will never be complete, and I will never have a kitchen or a decently cooked meal again!! I have approached my husband about this and asked him to say something to the workers. His response is that he doesn't want to make them angry for fear that they won't finish the job. I just want my house back.
This long, sad tale leads me to my question. How does someone complain "professionally"? I agree with my husband in that I don't want to anger our contractors, but at the same time, I feel like something should be said about the fact that they are certainly not working with the same standards they were when the job began. I feel that they are taking advantage of us in that they know we need them to finish the work, but at the same time they are doing a large amount of work, and I am sure they will be looking for a good reference. I am going to need all of the good communication skills I have learned in my PCM classes here at Alverno to tackle this one....
Any ideas??
The contractor we hired originally said the remodeling would take no more than a month, maybe six weeks at the most. That was in late November. It is now the end of February and our contractors are still not done. I would not mind this at all when I think of all our remodelers have had to do and how much has been completed. Right now, the walls are in and painted, the hard wood floors, lighting and all of the electrical work is done as well as the windows and kitchen cabinets.
The remaining work includes, staining the cabinets and woodwork, installation of a new ceramic tile floor, counter tops, sink and appliances. Also to be completed is the installation of a sink, vanity, toilet, and mirror in the bathroom as well as installation of our new front door.
The biggest problem with all of this remodeling, aside from the intrusion of workers in the house, the noise, and the dust (my God, there is a lot of dust!) is not having a kitchen. My stove is not operational, and my refrigerator is in my family room. (at least it works!) For the last two months I have had to cook meals in either the microwave or the toaster oven. I recently purchased an electric frying pan just so I could make Hamburger Helper and eggs - whoopee! I wash dishes in my laundry tub, and when I cook, it is in the laundry room where I have to unplug the washer and dryer to use either my toaster oven or microwave. I can't run these at the same time - it will overload the outlet and blow a fuse. Needless to say, cooking can be a challenge, but honestly, we are so tired of fast food that eggs and Hamburger Helper is a real treat!
When our contractors first started this job, they were at the house every day, started work at about 9am, and left after 5:00 or 6:00. Now, after over two months of work, they don't arrive until well after 10:00, and leave by 5:00 at the latest. They rarely make an appearance on the weekends, and some weekdays, they will only show up for an hour.
I can't help but feel that at this pace, the work will never be complete, and I will never have a kitchen or a decently cooked meal again!! I have approached my husband about this and asked him to say something to the workers. His response is that he doesn't want to make them angry for fear that they won't finish the job. I just want my house back.
This long, sad tale leads me to my question. How does someone complain "professionally"? I agree with my husband in that I don't want to anger our contractors, but at the same time, I feel like something should be said about the fact that they are certainly not working with the same standards they were when the job began. I feel that they are taking advantage of us in that they know we need them to finish the work, but at the same time they are doing a large amount of work, and I am sure they will be looking for a good reference. I am going to need all of the good communication skills I have learned in my PCM classes here at Alverno to tackle this one....
Any ideas??
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My path at Alverno
In looking back at my career at Alverno, that it was almost inevitable that I would not just work here, but I would attend school here as well. I have worked at my present job at Alverno College for many years. I started in 1996, working as a part time secretary in the Academic Computing Department. I enjoyed my job tremendously. I felt a sense of accomplishment when performing my duties, I became good friends with my co-workers, and I had the best boss in the world. During the years between 1996 and 1999, I was also busy personally. I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Rachel in 1998. After 8 weeks of maternity leave, I returned to Alverno, part time again, and began the sometimes daunting task of managing my job, home, and being a mom. Life was hectic at best, but in time I felt that I was beginning to get the hang of juggling the workload. I also thought that working part time was perfect for me. I had the best of both worlds. I was working at a place I truly enjoyed, and I also had time at home with my wonderful baby. Then, 16 months later, my son Jacob was born. My husband and I often say that having Jacob was the best thing we didn't plan to do. He was a surprise, but a wonderful one. After Jacob was born, I decided to take some time off and stay at home with my two babies, both in diapers. If I thought life was crazy with a job and a new baby, staying home and having an infant and a toddler was crazier. It was a stressful time having two young children so close in age, but it turned out quite well. They have become the best of friends and playmates, and I couldn't ask for two more amazing children. As time went on, life slowly became calmer, and the pace a little slower. In 2001, after being home for two years, I decided to go back to work. By a stroke of great luck, my previous position at the college had opened up again. I called my supervisor, and after some discussion, I decided to return to my old job. It was the same part time position I had left two years earlier, with a few extra duties thrown in as our department evolved and procedures had changed. An added bonus was that my children could attend Alverno's childcare center while I worked. This allowed them to interact with other children their age, and learn in a preschool environment. Most importantly, they loved it! Now - fast forward to 2009. I have been back at Alverno for more than eight years, and I am still very happy. My position and title have changed, and even though I work for the same department, my job has evolved into one that combines technology, as I am responsible for the creation and maintenance of student computer network accounts, and communication, as I also work with both faculty and staff to reserve computer rooms and equipment for classes, and events. One of the best things about being at Alverno is that it is the kind of place that whatever your strengths or interests are, you are encouraged to build on those strenghts and find ways to incorporate it into your job. The people here truly want to help you accomplish your goals and to see you succeed. The mission of continuous self improvement does not just apply to students. Faculty and staff have the same mission and work to investigate and implement ways to improve services and procedures all of the time. I guess that is why when I thought about returning to school to complete my Bachelor's degree, coming to Alverno just made sense for me. I knew I would be in an environment where I would be encouraged to both learn and to grow as a person, and I have not regretted my decision for a minute. It is an experience I will always appreciate, and I will never forget. I am looking forward to seeing the new me emerge both personally and professionally as I continue my educational journey.
Friday, February 6, 2009
So, what do I want to be when I grow up?
What I want to be when I grow up is a question I have struggled with for years. When I was in high school, my loftiest aspirations were to be a secretary. I never really thought of myself as the powerful executive type. In high school (this was back in the 80's!), I took classes like typing, stenography, financial accounting, and business law. In my senior year of school, I worked at a co-op job where I went to school part of the day, and worked in an office the other part of the day and received credit (and pay) for my work. Later, after the birth of my oldest daughter, I decided to go back to school. My first college major was accounting. After a year, I decided it just wasn't for me so I switched to a major in computers. I like working with computers, and find technology a fascinating field, but it is not really where I want to be either. I really enjoy working with people and in my current job I work with both students and instructors every day. With this in mind, when I decided to continue my education, and pursue a Bachelor's degree, I thought a good area of study for me would be professional communication. This leads me to where I am right now. I still work with computers daily, but I am learning to combine technology with professional communication. It is my hope that once I earn my degree, I could move into the field of academic advising. I enjoy creating and critiqueing resumes. I am always counseling my family and friends on employment opportunities and things they can do to further their careers. My husband says career counseling is my superpower. I have created resumes and successfully counseled several of his friends in their job searches. Maybe this is (finally!) the path for me....
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Advertising copy assignment (con't)
Well, I have finished my assignent, and it really was a lot of fun. Writing a sales pitch for an item is much more fun and interesting to do than informational term papers. This type of writing forces you to focus on who your audience is and write to that particular demographic. It was also challenging to write the copy for the J. Peterman store because every item description begins with a story. Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Advertising Assignment
My newest assignment in my professional writing class is to write advertising copy. My task is to pick one item, and write an advertisement about it based on three very different types of audiences. My first audience is younger, and more frugal. The second audience is more of a soccer mom/professional type of buyer. The third audience is a highly sophisticated, well educated shopper with almost unlimited amounts of money to spend. Since I am a more frugal shopper, with the motto "if it's not on sale it's not for sale", writing advertisements in a more luxurious, and more story-like tone will be a challenge for me. At the same time, I really like writing creatively and I think writing advertisements are the epitone of creative writing. I am looking forward to doing this assignment and can't wait to see the final product.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Who am I?
Hi, I am Kelly, and I am a Professional Communication major in my senior year of college. I have worked for many years in an administrative position at Alverno College. In that position, I communicate and work with many different people in a variety of ways every day. My goal is to complete my education, earn a Bachelor's degree, and possibly go on to a Master's degree. I really enjoy working with and helping people. I would like to use my degree to go on to a more challenging position in higher education and continue to work with students. My future goal is to go on to an advising type role. I am married and have three amazing children, ages 21 (yikes!), 11, and 9. While I have never written a blog, I do come from a technology-oriented family. My husband is a computer programmer, and my current job is in Technology Services, where I work with computer hardware and software applications every day. I am hoping to expand my writing skills in my professional writing class this semester. My oldest daughter is a writing major at Cardinal Stritch University, and I hope I can tap into some of her writing talent to help me excel in this class.
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