Excelsior Scores a Touchdown with Annual Tailgating for Taste Chili-Cook-off for Employees

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

“Go team!” takes on a dual meaning the Friday before the Super Bowl, when employees of Excelsior College show their support for their favorite sports team and show their team spirit for each other and the College.

For the past three years, Excelsior College’s employee enrichment committees have organized the Tailgating for Taste Chili Cookoff during the lunch hours. Employees, either as a department team or as individuals, display their culinary skills by preparing chili for others to taste. Employees sample the chilis and vote for winners in such categories as the best-tasting chili and the heathiest chili—sometimes they’re one in the same, sometimes not! There are bragging rights and a trophy, too.

excelsior employees tasting chili

excelsior employees tasting chili

Excelsior, an online higher education institution that helps adult learners complete their degrees, encourages health, wellness, and team spirit among its employees. Events throughout the year bring employees together to learn, to celebrate, to meet, to collaborate, and to volunteer.

In addition to the cook-off, the pre-Super Bowl event has games, raffles prizes, and a “Team Spirit” award. Departments are encouraged to get creative, cook something healthy, wear sports-themed attire, sports team colors, and display signage with Excelsior team spirit.

excelsior employees dressed in football jerseys

excelsior employees

The event consistently draws a good-size crowd.

“We tend to underestimate the impact of having informal opportunities for staff to get together and have some fun, and it doesn’t always require a huge investment of time and money either —some creativity and willingness to participate or help out is all you need,” says Mark Howe, vice president of human resources. “And if we’re able to promote health and wellness while we’re at it, even better.”

The Tailgating for Taste and other events, such as picnics and holiday parties, are important to the College since employees are in different buildings and don’t always meet others outside their units. Bringing employees together helps bridge distance and creates a culture that employees look forward to while taking a break with each other. For enrichment events, employees lead events, create themes, and enhance employee engagement via collaboration outside the units. The College has been around for more than 45 years, and these events are a big win for employees. In the case of the Tailgating for Taste Chili Cook-off, it’s like a touchdown with a two-point conversion to break a tie!

 

The Many Benefits of Volunteer Work

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Staff at Excelsior College participate in many volunteer organizations and activities. The College supports community engagement and taking time to give back to our neighbors and country. As academic advisors, we often talk to students about how they need to also take care of themselves when so much of their time is spent focusing on other commitments such as work, family, and school. If you have ever volunteered, you know there are many personal benefits associated with volunteer work such as:

        • Seeing growth and change in those you help,
        • Reinforcing your sense of self-worth,
        • Recognizing that feeling of making a difference and having an impact,
        • Trying new activities,
        • Learning new skills,
        • Building new friendships,
        • Creating opportunities to transition into a new career field,
        • Team-building with co-workers,
        • Traveling and seeing the world, and
        • Making memories that last a lifetime.

        In addition, recent research suggests there are also health benefits associated with participating in volunteer work, including:

        • Longer life expectancy,
        • Lower rates of depression,
        • Improved physical health,
        • Greater life satisfaction and sense of purpose and accomplishment,
        • Reduced stress and risk of heart disease, and
        • Higher levels of happiness, self-esteem, and sense of control over life.

        Volunteering can also give a boost to one’s career and professional development. For example, for those looking to network, volunteering is a great way to get to know and be known within the communities that matter most to one’s interests. How better to create opportunities that one day will transition into a new, sought-after career field? Other professional benefits include:

        • Learning new skills,
        • Exploring new careers and industries,
        • Creating a track record of commitment and volunteerism for a specific cause or concern,
        • Team-building with co-workers, and
        • Staying current with trends and advances within your industry.

        With all the benefits associated with volunteering and all the positive ways it can influence your life and career, what is holding you back from getting involved? Set a plan now to give back and help someone in need. You may find it is exactly what’s missing and provides you some broader perspective and greater sense of well-being.

Graduate Success Story: Angeline Bernard

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Angeline Bernard has never stopped learning, working, or growing in the health care field. She is dedicated to her craft, and her passion and determination to succeed is evident each day she goes to work or begins a new project.

Bernard, of Margate, Florida, received an associate degree in business from Rockland Community College in 1992 and then pursued a technical career in nursing after receiving her nursing diploma from Bergen Pines Hospital School of Nursing in 1998. She wasn’t completely satisfied with this career path, however, and decided to shift gears toward health care administration. “I found out you needed a master’s degree to really get anywhere in health care administration but in order to get a master’s degree, you must get a bachelor’s degree first,” she says.

That’s when she discovered she could pursue an education by combining online and in-person learning. Bernard attended in-classroom courses at Florida Atlantic University while taking online courses at Excelsior College to complete her degree. “Excelsior was my avenue because they allowed me to work and attend school,” she recalls, noting Excelsior made it seamless to earn her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts in 2009. She was determined to finish her degree quickly, too, even taking 18 credits in one semester!

Bernard considers herself a creative thinker, which is why she wanted to branch out into the administrative side of nursing. So, she went on to pursue her master’s in health care administration with Florida Atlantic University and earned that degree in 2016.

Now Bernard is a senior consultant for Focus Management Group, a professional services team that offers financial advisory services focusing on crisis management. “That’s what my master’s degree has introduced me to,” she says. Prior to that, she spent seven years in managed care (the health insurance world), which afforded her much experience working as an auditor for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures. HEDIS measures are established by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and are designed to provide purchasers and consumers with the information they need for reliable comparison of health plan performance. Bernard notes that HEDIS hires contract nurses to do chart reviews for them. She says, “This is where my nursing background comes into play.”

From that exposure, Bernard began her own online HEDIS training course. She hired people to design a user-friendly website but developed the material herself. She notes that she found some of the HEDIS material she was taught insufficient to what she felt was necessary to properly do the work. “I created a clear, concise layout for nurses,” Bernard says. The site launched in November 2018 after about seven months of preparation, organization, and design. She also recently met with the medical vendor VITAS Medical Systems to design a home health aid assistant in nursing program for them.

In addition to her work in health care administration, Bernard is the treasurer of the Palm Beach chapter of Black Nurses Rock. The chapter’s health initiatives are HIV- and cardiac-focused, and members want to ensure that the disparities in the community are addressed. “We want to target vulnerable communities because the rates of the diseases are more prevalent in those areas,” Bernard explains. Being a part of Black Nurses Rock has allowed her to give back to her community and also has given her educational exposure, introduced her to health care leaders, and offered training.

Although Bernard takes advantage of the educational and training opportunities, she’s thinking about but not ready to pursue a PhD; she’s happy being on the entrepreneurial track. She’s busy working with Black Nurses Rock and the National Association of Health Services Executives and devotes time to providing health care programs for the community. She works at various children’s centers and extracurricular programs to clean up shelters and assist with projects, and encourages women to get mammograms as part of a local women’s breast and heart initiative. She has also been offered a position with Florida Atlantic University to teach an undergraduate managed care course, which she plans to pursue.

She has some advice for students going back to school: make sure you look into the program best suited to your needs and look at the cost of the program and the funding you may be able to get; and most importantly, make sure your program is the right fit for you: “It’s just making sure your program is going to give you all that you’re looking for,” Bernard says. Based on how busy she is, it looks like Bernard pursued exactly the right program for her.

 

Degrees at Work: Tim Colomer

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Since he graduated in 2006 with a liberal arts degree, veteran Tim Colomer has become CEO of a JDog Junk Removal & Hauling United, a Military Veteran Partners (MVP) company, and works hard to give back to his community and fellow veterans.

Colomer, who was an explosives expert in the Marines for 14 years, became an entrepreneur while working as director of the explosives program at Halliburton, one of the world’s largest energy corporations, centered in Houston, Texas. After a significant number of layoffs, he decided to invest in a business of his own. He looked at several franchises, and ultimately decided on JDog Junk Removal & Hauling because it aligned with his values. In June 2017, he bought one franchise territory. (A territory is based on population density; Colomer’s original territory of Lake Houston equaled about 200,000 people. There is a total of 23 territories in Houston.) “JDog is a very mission-driven and purpose-driven company in that our mission is to hire veterans,” says Colomer, adding that the franchise’s mission is to empower veterans through entrepreneurship, career, and employment opportunities.

In September 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, and though devastating, it became a helpful business opportunity for Colomer. Flood waters rose to 12 feet high, stranding many people in their homes. Many peoples’ possessions were ruined and they were forced to rebuild their houses. Colomer explains JDog was perfectly suited to help because it had a F-150 and small trailer that could fit where a large garbage truck couldn’t. “We were able to negotiate our way into the neighborhood, help house by house, pick up their life, really, and go bring it to the dump for them so they could get in the new working crews to bring in the supplies.”

MVP, a veteran-focused investment and advisory services company, then asked Colomer if he wanted to open the entire Houston metro; an offer that Colomer could not refuse. “MVP offered a once in a lifetime opportunity,” recalls Colomer. So, in May 2018 he became full-time CEO of JDog United.

Since then, Colomer has expanded his franchise to eight more locations out west, to San Antonio, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, and others. He currently employs about 60 veterans, “with the projection in five years we’re going to be open in 125 territories across the United States and employ as many as 500 veterans.”

Junk removal isn’t new but Colomer thinks JDog is different in that they give back to the veterans, their local community, and their environment.

In San Diego, JDog works with homeless veterans and battered women’s shelters; in Chicago, the company supports battered women’s shelters and other veteran’s opportunities and charities specific to Chicago. Specifically, in Houston, Colomer and his team remove the “junk,” which is oftentimes appliances or furniture someone doesn’t need anymore, and bring it back to their warehouse to clean it up before donating it to a local homeless veteran’s shelter. Colomer says, “It’s an environmental friendly aspect of what we do but we’re also literally, quite literally, giving back to our community and giving people a hand up in life.”

JDog also works with an organization called Camp Hope in Houston, which is a privately funded, free retreat for veterans who are struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and drug and alcohol problems. JDog will drop off mattresses and other physical, tangible assets but they also provide an opportunity for the veterans to work with the company. Veterans are able to work for JDog for a couple months so they can get back on their feet and get some money in their pocket. If they want to stay in the Houston area, they may be hired full-time; alternatively, they can return home. “It’s literally a fresh start and an opportunity for them to make a new life for themselves,” says Colomer.

Colomer says it wasn’t a junk removal and hauling business that caught his attention. “To me it wasn’t necessarily about what we did, like the day to day operations; for me it was more about why we’re doing it,” he says. After being in the Marines for 14 years, Colomer understood that veterans look for camaraderie and dedication in a job and wanted to provide them with the same kind of atmosphere. He also knew that veterans have a commitment to service and JDog provides the opportunity for him and fellow veterans to continue serving their community. “Knowing the wants and needs of veterans, and being able to cater to them, and understanding the amount of loyalty they would have to me and our business and our community was just a no brainer,” he says of investing in JDog.

Colomer says he’s successful because he’s “not afraid to trust people to succeed.” He says some people are afraid to let go of the reins, but he has put his trust in his coworkers and district partners. “I know day to day, they’re going to go out there and execute our mission, execute our core competencies, our core values—respect, integrity, and trust.”

Colomer sees the company growing by expanding its services and relying on the skills of his fellow veterans. For now, though, there will undoubtedly be growth in awareness of the company. MVP has sponsored the reality TV show, “MVP has sponsored the TV show, “Military Makeover,” on Lifetime. Military Makeover with Montel Williams is a very special home improvement series that aims to respect those who have served our country, rebuild the homes—and even the lives—of these brave service men and women, and repay veterans for the service and sacrifices they’ve made for us. In the show, JDog Junk Removal & Hauling plays an integral part in making over homes for veterans. Colomer is excited for the opportunity and, though he doesn’t think he’s going to be on TV, he’s hoping to be at the end of the next project’s “big reveal” to support his veteran employees.

Course Feature: ACC 211 Financial Accounting

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Develop or deepen your financial accounting skills with the ACC 211 Financial Accounting course from Excelsior. Will Trevor, faculty program director for business and technology, says this course is beneficial to anybody who manages budgets, takes care of financial statements, or makes business decisions. “You will not only learn and understand accounting principles and processes, but also examine how these can be applied in typical real-world contexts,” he says.

In ACC 211, students cover a variety of topics, including: identifying the fundamental concepts and principles in accounting; recording common business transactions for both service and merchandising proprietorships; preparing basic journal entries for transactions that affect the balance sheet; describing the fundamentals of an effective accounting system, including the necessary internal control features for cash and accounts/notes receivables transactions; and using ratio analysis for evaluating business performance. Trevor says when students finish this course, they should have a broad understanding of accounting and how financing translates into understanding the business world.

Trevor adds that Financial Accounting “is an excellent foundation for developing accounting knowledge, whether you are already an accounting professional at the beginning of your career, someone who aspires to an accounting career, or a non-financial manager who needs some accounting knowledge in their current management role.”

Students have certainly benefited from this course so far and had high praise for their instructors, mentioning they gave out their personal phone numbers in case of any issues. Trevor comments on the importance of accounting, saying, “Accounting is a profession that is needed in so many industries! …If you aspire to a future career in accountancy, then [this] course will give you a head start. Building on the fundamental concepts and principles of accounting, this course then takes you on a journey through the key financial statements and the role of an effective accounting system. This course is an invaluable primer in accounting for the future accountant, but also for the non-financial manager who wants to learn about accounting fundamentals.”

If you’d like to expand your financial accounting knowledge, consider registering for ACC 211 for next semester.

Your Advisor: A Crucial Resource on Your Excelsior Journey

Posted on by Nicole Greco

When you become an admitted student at Excelsior College, there may be a moment where you say to yourself: “Now what?!” Trust me, if it doesn’t happen at that point, it will most certainly happen once you graduate. Aside from familiarizing yourself with College policies and online resources via MyExcelsior, the very first thing you should be anticipating after you receive your official evaluation is outreach from your assigned academic advisor in the Student Success Center.

Excelsior College advisors specialize in specific areas of study at both the undergraduate and graduate level: business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. Advisors are subject matter experts in the requirements for your program. Advisors are your primary resource for ensuring you select sources of credit toward your degree plan and your academic and career goals, as well as for ensuring you select coursework that completes your degree efficiently. Without your advisor, you run the risk of making your path to degree completion a bit treacherous; our job is to keep it well paved.
So, what does the advising relationship look like from start to finish?

Excelsior’s Student Success Center assigns each academic advisor an individual caseload of students. What that means: Your email and Message Center messages, as well as your course approvals generated though the MAPlanner degree planning tool, go directly to your advisor. When you call the Student Success Center, your call routes directly to your advisor. If they’re away from their desk or on the other line, our student support specialists will take a message and your advisor will return your call by the end of the following business day (often the same day, depending on your call time).

Within the first 48 hours of your official evaluation being completed, you will receive a phone call from your primary academic advisor for your first advising session. This is arguably the most important call you’ll have with your advisor. If you miss the call, don’t fret! Your advisor will leave you a voicemail and send you an email, and you have the option of either calling them back at your convenience, corresponding via email, or setting up a specific appointment time.

What you and your advisor accomplish in that first advising session is up to you. Your advisor will frame out the important tasks to address and leave you with actionable items; the goal ultimately being to give you confidence with your future course planning and comfort as you go into your first set of online courses. The most important piece of that first call, however, is establishing the student/advisor relationship.

I struggle to come up with a way to describe this relationship without using anecdotes and idioms, or equating the duality to Marvel’s Avengers, Game of Thrones, or really any number of popular culture references. This one should be universally well-received: your advisor is “your person.” Whatever you need during your academic tenure, “they’ll be there for you.” If there is a matter concerning your academics that lands outside their scope, they will ensure you get the help you need from the appropriate department. Let your advisor be your advocate, your liaison.

I can’t overstate the importance of interacting directly with your primary academic advisor during your time with Excelsior. The relationship you establish with them will get you through the mountains and valleys that make up the higher ed terrain. There’s also nothing better than an advisor than meeting a student face-to-face, meeting their family, and hearing first hand, without veil of internet or telephone, just what a degree means to them. Don’t miss the opportunity to forge this bond.

Your advisor has a direct phone number and email address; be sure to take note of it, and if you can’t locate the information, don’t hesitate to ask. Your advising sessions will be more efficient when you don’t find yourself attempting to bring another advisor up to speed on what you and your primary have already discussed. The Student Success Center wants to ensure you’re receiving the individual care and attention you deserve, and we collectively wish you all the best in your academic journey.

Course Feature: BUS 501 Business Communications

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Course Feature: NUC 323 Material Science

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Refine Your Resume

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

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

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

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

  • Include relevant contact information.

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

  • Document your achievements.

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

  • Be sure your resume has a targeted focus.

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

  • Emphasize your transferable skills.

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

  • Quantify information on your resume whenever possible.

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

  • Be clear and concise.

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

  • Maintain a business-like tone throughout your resume.

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

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

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

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

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

  • Proofread!

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

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

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

CPNE and Me: Rhonda Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More CPNE Study Tips from Rhonda Adams

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

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

Faculty Focus: Sandra Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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