For Excelsior associate degree nursing students, the Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination (CPNE) — the capstone requirement — is the culmination of the program. Excelsior has long offered study guides, one-on-one support, and tutorials to help those preparing for this important exam, and recently, the School of Nursing began holding a series of webinars to help students. So far, they have been a valuable tool in preparing for the CPNE.

Kim Hedley, assistant dean for the associate degree in nursing program, and several other nursing faculty members began discussing webinars in November 2016. Hedley says a team member suggested the group conduct monthly webinars covering different topic areas, and provide students the opportunity to connect with the faculty in a new way.

The group decided to host one type of webinar with predetermined topics and other webinars as an open forum in a town hall format. The series kicked off on December 7, 2016, with the town hall-style webinar titled “Conversations with Kim” and encouraged question-and-answer interaction. During a “Conversations with Kim” webinar, a moderator monitors questions in real-time so student questions can be answered immediately. Other webinars, created and presented by the nursing faculty, address specific components of the CPNE and use presentations, demonstrate patient scenarios, and ask thought-provoking questions to help students reflect on their personal learning needs as they prepare for the exam. So far, all webinars are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 and 10:30 am or from 3:00 to 4:00 pm, but times are flexible based on student feedback.

“Our overall goal is to be accessible to the student; to allow them an opportunity to find a means to get their questions answered; that meets them where they are … to help them with their success meeting their CPNE requirements,” says Hedley referring to the webinars.

Surveys are sent to students after each webinar session to determine whether they have met student expectations and to gather new ideas. Student feedback directs the focus of the upcoming ones. “It’s all based on feedback from our students,” says Hedley, referring to what is covered in future webinars.

The webinars have an impact. Live webinars generally have 19–20 students attending. For those who are unable to make it, recordings are archived, and as of October 2018, the recordings had been accessed more than 1,000 times.

Student remarks have been positive. Many have commented that the webinars have been “a lifeline,” and that they enjoy being able to ask questions and get immediate feedback. Some students have said they also feel less anxious about taking the CPNE. One overwhelming sentiment culled from the survey findings reveals students mostly select the following statement: “As a result of this webinar, I will be able to apply the knowledge and skills I learned from this webinar to the CPNE” as their takeaway from the interaction.

Deciding the topic of upcoming webinars mostly depends on student feedback, says Hedley. “We’re trying to meet the different needs of the students,” she explains. Connecting with students enrolled in a distance education program requires a willingness to try new ways to do so. The success of the webinar series suggests faculty and students have embraced this new idea, and it lays the groundwork for additional novel approaches.

Assistant Dean Kim Hedley leads a recurring, conversational-style webinar during which students ask questions about the Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination. This “Conversations with Kim” webinar prompted other online presentations to help prepare students for the CPNE. Photo: Mike Hemberger

In January, three new members joined the Board of Trustees: David Baime, Jeanne Meister, and Clar Rosso.

David Baime is the senior vice president for government relations and policy analysis for the American Association of Community Colleges. He directs the national advocacy efforts for the nation’s close to 1,200 community colleges and their students. He has made many radio, television, and web appearances, including on CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, and National Public Radio. He is frequently quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and other publications covering higher education. Baime earned a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics.

Jeanne Meister is a founding partner of Future Workplace and is a best-selling author. Meister’s most recent work is “The Future Workplace: 10 Rules for Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees.” Meister’s books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Estonian. She has written more than 100 articles on the future of learning, the future of work, and the impact of artificial intelligence in the workplace. She has appeared in CIO, CNBC Power Lunch, CBS, CNN, Fast Company, Fox Business, Harvard Business Review, NPR, SHRM Magazine, Market Watch, Time magazine, The Globe and Mail, and WPIX, New York. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and Boston University.

Clar Rosso is executive vice president of engagement and learning innovation for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. She leads the development and execution of strategy to support global competency development and lifelong learning for the finance and accounting profession. Prior to joining AICPA, Rosso worked as COO of the California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) and the CalCPA Education Foundation, where she drove membership growth of more than 30 percent. She earned a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communications from the University of California, Davis and a master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State University.

Excelsior College developed a brand awareness campaign that introduced the new advertising tagline, Life Happens. Keep Learning., to audiences in the greater Albany, New York, and San Antonio, Texas, areas for several months in late summer/early fall 2018. The campaign was undertaken to increase awareness of Excelsior College as an online, not-for-profit, regionally accredited institution that helps adult learners complete their degrees. Excelsior was promoted through billboards on well-traveled commuter routes, advertising on bus shelters and buses, 30- and 60-second radio ads, and a video that appeared on streaming media. The advertising focused on the feasibility of fitting degree completion into a busy life, the acceptance of military and professional training as academic credit, and the ability to transfer credit and earn a degree sooner. The video produced for this campaign can be seen on the Excelsior College Facebook page.

A second phase of the campaign launched in March 2019 in the Albany area to continue to raise brand awareness. The campaign highlights the College as an accredited, not-for-profit online option that enables learners to fit learning into their busy lives.

In fall 2018, the first cohort of students took part in Excelsior’s new INT 400 Internship course. Students in this initial group took part in virtual internships; three students were placed at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, and the fourth student worked as a social media intern at Excelsior College. Despite some challenges, such as time zone differences, all the students expressed satisfaction that the internship had provided a useful and valuable experience.

The plan is for INT 400 to be available each trimester. Students are required to complete 135 hours of work during that time, including various academic and career-relevant activities. The interns also complete a final project relevant to their placement organization. Successful students gain 3 credits toward their degree. The internship is currently limited to students at the bachelor’s level.

“The INT 400 Internship with Excelsior College is a powerful way for a student to boost their resume with an experience that adds value to their career,” says Will Trevor, faculty program director for undergraduate business programs and lead of the INT 400 Internship program.

The Spring 2019 cohort includes seven students in both virtual and face-to-face internships. Before the Spring term, more than 800 students responded to a survey expressing an interest in taking part in an internship, which bodes well for the future development of the program.

Before Commencement 2018, these master’s in nursing graduates were just names behind computer screens. Throughout their studies, they were in many of the same courses and ended up in many of the same work groups. Over time, they realized their team worked well together. Linda Schneider recalls, “Working [with] the team approach helped each one of us succeed.” She says they didn’t immediately find each other when they attended Commencement at Albany’s Empire State Plaza Convention Hall in July 2018; instead, they held up cards with their names on them and gradually amassed their group. Schneider says they were “elated” to find each other because it made the day that much more special to finally have their study group together in person. The graduates come from four different states and include, from left to right, (front row) Maxine Smalling, Lee Melvin, Kristin Covington, Linda Schneider and (back row) Olukemi Kuku, Michelle Mooney, and Kimberly Huseman.