Keith Sloan Brings Military Expertise to National Security Program

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

College courses can thrive with faculty proficient in an eclectic mix of environments. In the case of Keith Sloan, an adjunct instructor who teaches in the Bachelor of Science in National Security program, students have the benefit of learning from a military professional expertly versed in his material—and with experience above and below sea level.

During his 20-year career with the United States Navy as a submarine warfare officer, Sloan handled such job responsibilities as intelligence focused on Russian submarine operations, advising on nuclear strikes from U.S. Strategic Command, and nuclear arms inspection under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Since his retirement from the Navy in 2010, he’s worked as a federal civilian with the U.S. Army, informing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) policy at the Pentagon from 2010 to 2017; and now working as a nuclear target integrator with the Nuclear Operations Division of the U.S. Army Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency (USANCA).

The aptitude and attention necessary to manage these responsibilities would be enough for most national security professionals. But for Sloan, the need to educate intermingled with the duty to protect. A year before retiring from the Navy, the graduate of the University of San Diego (BA, Political Science), Creighton University (MA, International Relations), and American Military University (MA, Homeland Security and Terrorism Studies) began teaching graduate-level National Security Studies courses at Trinity Washington University, and continued to do so until his host program was discontinued in 2017.

Thankfully, a former colleague from Trinity recommended Sloan to Excelsior College that same year. Now, he’s brought his decades of experience to students enrolled in Excelsior’s Introduction to Security Studies and National Security Ethics and Diversity courses, and their ongoing engagement is now one the most rewarding experiences of his career.

“It’s always the students. Always,” says Sloan, who now resides in Alexandria, Virginia. “They make it interesting and worthwhile. Excelsior has been great in that the students tend to be professional, and often military folks. I understand them, what they do, and why they do it. They always have great stories to tell.”

Now, these students are giving Sloan stories to tell, thanks to the subject matter exchanged through Excelsior’s convenient online courses. According to the longtime military strategist, his web-based classrooms are full of learners trying to maintain personal and professional lives in the busiest of conditions. “I’ve had students on the front lines of Syria and Iraq running around [South] Korea, and who knows where else,” he says. “Excelsior makes it possible for them to have full lives and still get a good education.”

Amid these challenging situations, there’s Sloan, helping to conceive careers or enhance professional interests.

“I just had a student tell me that the discussions in my Ethics class helped steer him in his choice for his next career,” says Sloan. “That sort of impact is a bit humbling.”

 

More from Keith Sloan:

Job-hunting tips

Get smart on your area of expertise; network; and, as hard as it is to swallow, realize you will likely have to do your time and work your way up in your field. As Sloan notes, “No one starts as CEO.”

Time management tips

Be disciplined. Don’t procrastinate. Think of your time and budget it like you do money. “In the end,” says Sloan, “it’s far more valuable.” 

Best field-related advice he’s ever received

Don’t be complacent. Keep learning, keep growing, and don’t get stagnant or lazy. “If you do,” says Sloan, “you risk becoming irrelevant.”

Best field-relevant book, podcast, or e-related pub

The Defense News Early Bird Brief. Professor Sloan receives the email every workday, and it provides a long list of links to articles on security issues.

One thing learned as a faculty member he wishes he’d known as a college student

Don’t sweat grades. “Learn for learning’s sake and try to always improve on your work and yourself,” says Sloan. “The diploma may be a means to an end, but the education is an end.”

 One piece of advice for future Excelsior students

Take advantage of the learning opportunities. Don’t just focus on the degree—focus on the learning. “As a professor, I learn things every time I teach a class,” says Sloan. “It would not be much fun if I didn’t.”

 

IQ and EQ in the Nuclear Industry

Posted on by Kelly Robinson

High cognitive intelligence (one’s IQ) is important in today’s technological workforce. The nuclear industry is one field where leaders must possess high IQs to understand the technology and interpret information to make risk-informed decisions.

Is high IQ sufficient to achieve optimum leadership results? In today’s nuclear environment, a leader must perform in a relational environment where everyone is expected to collaborate in reaching conclusions and implementing decisions to ensure safe operations. Emotional intelligence (EQ) helps leaders know themselves and workers in order to motivate them to be actively engaged and achieve higher levels of performance. Studies show that leaders with a high EQ and average IQ outperform leaders that have a high IQ and low EQ. While IQ is relatively unchangeable, a leader can choose to develop EQ.

Leadership development programs are a vital component of talent management strategies used by nuclear utilities. Despite current research on the effectiveness of EQ on leader performance and employee engagement, not all utility development programs include emotional intelligence. The utility that I work for has included EQ development in the leadership development program for more than 13 years and started formally assessing leaders’ EQ seven years ago. The program conveys the idea that leaders who focus on improving their EQ would see improvement in their overall leadership performance as well as more employee engagement and higher levels of performance. During training, there are some individuals who have an “aha” moment, but the majority do not, and so there is little-sustained change. After training more than 2,000 leaders on EQ, the company’s performance should be best in the industry. Why isn’t it?

It seems that the importance of EQ is not recognized or valued despite studies and literature that demonstrate how valuable EQ is for leader performance. For example, during a leadership intervention involving more than 400 middle-level executives, each leader completed a 360-degree leadership assessment and an EQ-i 2.0 assessment prior to attending the course. During the course, each leader received their assessment results and spent time creating an individual development plan to help them improve their management competency. Facilitators discovered that participants focused almost solely on their leadership skills and gave little thought to EQ despite having been presented content on the importance of EQ and its role in supporting leadership competencies. Like in many management development programs, new skills are quickly forgotten. If EQ concepts are not reinforced in the workplace, they don’t get implemented.

The outlook is not completely bleak. When EQ leader assessments in the first line supervisor development program began, the scores averaged approximately five points below the assessment tool norms. As time progresses and younger supervisors come through the program, we should see an improved trend in EQ competency. This gives me hope that as these younger leaders move up in their companies, EQ will be more valued and supported, aiding in the industry’s drive for continuous improvement. Organizational development personnel must also continue to advocate for EQ development content in talent management programs.

 

Kelly Robinson, Ph.D. (ABD), is a certified emotional intelligence coach.

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Excelsior College, its trustees, officers, or employees.

Business Basics: Using a SWOT Analysis

Posted on by William Trevor

Amazon uses its strength in e-commerce and cloud computing to dominate online sales of books and other products; Google identified an opportunity in online advertising and now generates billions of dollars in ad revenue every year; and Apple and Samsung counter the threat from each other’s businesses as they fight a daily battle for global smartphone sales. In each of these businesses a SWOT analysis would have been used to shape the strategy of the organization and to reach an informed decision about what direction the company should take.

Why Is the SWOT Analysis Important?

The SWOT analysis is a vital component of every business course, both at the bachelor’s and MBA levels, that any student or manager needs to know. At its simplest, the SWOT analysis allows the manager to understand the strengths of the organization and match them to the opportunities in the wider business environment. It also helps the manager identify weaknesses that need to be addressed and/or threats to future growth. The SWOT analysis looks at the wider environment in which the organization operates to help a business focus upon priorities and identify a way forward.

But despite the simplicity of the SWOT—whether the business is considering new opportunities or trying to understand the threats to its future growth—it is also one of the most powerful decision-making tools available to the modern manager. There is also a tool called the TOWS matrix, which is just a variant of the SWOT analysis and uses the same components.

What Role Does a SWOT Analysis Play in Developing a Business Strategy?

A SWOT analysis plays an important role in developing a business strategy. First, the organization scans its macro-environment (the broader business environment) comprising the political, economic, social, and technological factors that impact the organization and representing the external factors over which they have little influence. A change of government, for example, might mean the loss of jobs from the cancellation of a defense contract. Second, the organization gathers information from its micro-environment, or the specific context in which the business operates: competitors, customers, suppliers, and other key stakeholders.

How Can Data Be Organized Using SWOT Analysis?

Data resulting from macro- and micro-environmental scanning, can then be analyzed using the SWOT analysis to categorize and then prioritize the organization’s options. Strengths are internal to the organization. They are the internal capabilities of the business and represent the core skills of the organization. For example, with Apple, it is design; with Google, it is online search. Weaknesses are the internal limitations of the organization. Perhaps the organization lacks the IT infrastructure to develop a new app, or the absence of the right expertize prevents the company from expanding overseas. Opportunities are the things in the external environment that the organization can take advantage of, such as a different market for an existing product, or an innovative new business model. Threats are from the external environment, perhaps a competitor moving in on a best-selling product or new legislation that requires a change to the way we do business.

What Does an Organization do with Information from a SWOT Analysis?

Having identified the relevant SWOT elements, the organization will engage in either a “matching” or “converting” strategy to utilize the results of the analysis. A matching strategy is where a business

matches its strengths to a corresponding market opportunity. For example, Amazon realized that its strengths in online retail allowed it to gain a competitive advantage in other products beyond books. Alternatively, a converting strategy allows the business to convert threats into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths. A business that lacks an overseas sales presence, for example, might buy a local company and gain a team of experts in a market that was previously underserved.

How Will a SWOT Analysis Help Me as a Future Manager?

Ultimately, a SWOT analysis remains one of the simplest and most powerful aids among the many strategic business tools available. Successful businesses need to make priorities and make decisions based upon the available data, and that is exactly what the SWOT analysis allows the organization to do. The temptation for students and inexperienced managers is to list as many factors under each heading as they can think of, but to be effective it is important to identify the top three or five factors and then place them in ranked order. It is in identifying the most important opportunity, or the most pressing threat, that makes the SWOT so indispensable.

Top companies develop competitive advantage from understanding the opportunities and threats in the marketplace and from identifying where their strengths and weaknesses are. The ability to develop and analyze a SWOT analysis and make informed decisions based upon the results allows you to develop a strategic perspective that will benefit you in a range of different organizations and help you in whatever career path you choose.

Course Feature: MAT 101: Math for Everyday Life

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

The Math for Everyday Life Course Helps Students Learn Important Skills

Math is everywhere—be it calculating your mortgage, balancing your checkbook, or figuring out the area dimensions for your home’s new carpeting—but when it comes to taking a math course, some people worry their skills won’t add up. MAT 101: Math for Everyday Life is a comprehensive course that emphasizes the critical thinking involved in understanding common uses of math—a focus perfect for the average adult learner.

Program Director Margie Dunn led the creation of the innovative mathematics course in 2012. It covers a variety of topics that can be applied to adult life. Many topics are presented and applied in a manner that requires college-level critical thinking and problem solving. “Some of the topics,” says Dunn, “provide the adult learner with new perspectives, such as the mathematical beauty that can be found in music, art, and nature, or the remarkable speed of exponential growth.” Current topics include: unit conversions; percents and earning interest; compound interest in savings plan and investments; compound interest in loans, credit cards, and mortgages; mathematics in arts and nature; statistical reasoning; and inaccuracies in medical testing.

Math is Not Scary

MAT 101 is specifically designed for the non-STEM student (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math). Most students, unless they are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, are not likely to take another math course after completing their core requirements. Course instructor Chris Arney notes that many students delay taking MAT 101 until the end of their college experience because of the “dreaded” and “scary” mentality surrounding traditional math courses. The course addresses this perspective by making students aware of math in their world. He says, “They often reflect at the beginning of the course that math has nothing to do with their lives, but for some arcane reason the system is making them take this terrible subject as some kind of punishment. That attitude quickly changes, and by the end of the course, they are singing the praises of the utility of math in their lives.”

In addition to recognizing the role of math in our lives, a great takeaway from the course is the realization that a mathematics problem can be solved in a variety of ways. “There is no best way. The best way is the way you understand it,” says Dunn, explaining students may come to learn faster or easier ways as they compare solutions with their peers. This variety can also be used to check correctness, she says. “There’s no solution manual in real life—how can you be confident that your answer is correct?  Solve it a different way—or have someone else solve it in whatever way they choose —and see if you get the same results.”

Instructor Helps Students With Real-Life Math

Arney says the course gives students confidence to use mathematical thinking and quantitative problem solving in their everyday lives. One student remarked, “I would absolutely recommend this course to other students. The practical, real-life approach to mathematics in this course will be more useful in day-to-day life than that of many other mathematics courses.” Another noted, “Great course with interesting information. Good for an adult learner returning to college to achieve their math requirements while learning some very useful and interesting skills and information.” Another student commented on the learning techniques, saying, “I would recommend this course because being in a group with others learning the same information is better than learning on your own. I was amazed how three of my classmates worked the same problem differently but came up with the same answer…”

Dunn agrees with this perspective, saying, “Learning to communicate when group members are attacking a problem from different perspectives —whether the problem is a numeric problem or another type of problem —regardless, that communication is an important life skill.”

Interested? Consider registering for MAT 101: Math for Everyday Life for next semester.

 

 

 

The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review: Continuity and Change

Posted on by Keith Sloan

“The Secretary shall initiate a new Nuclear Posture Review to ensure that the United States nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies.” President Donald Trump, January 2017

One of President Donald Trump’s first national security orders directed the Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and its role in U.S. national security. On February 2, 2018, the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) was approved by both Defense Secretary James Mattis and President Trump. Compared to the 2010 NPR conducted by President Barack Obama’s administration, there is significant continuity—but also significant changes—envisioned for the role of nuclear weapons.

The 2018 NPR begins with a review of the deteriorating security environment, focusing on the return of great power competition, especially with Russia and China, which have both shown a willingness to use force and threats of force to challenge the post-Cold War international order and long-recognized norms of behavior. Additionally, although the U.S. continued to reduce the numbers and salience of nuclear weapons, other states did not follow and, indeed, moved in the opposite direction. New nuclear threats have emerged since the 2010 NPR, most notably North Korea. Although currently contained by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran retains the ability to develop a nuclear weapon in as little as a year should they so choose.

The 2010 NPR postulated that the greatest threat from nuclear weapons was the possibility of a terrorist organization acquiring and using such a weapon. The 2018 NPR, on the other hand, considers the most likely use of a nuclear weapon would be during a regional conventional conflict in which a nuclear-armed state employed a nuclear weapon in order to achieve an otherwise unobtainable victory. Russia, for instance, has maintained a policy of “escalate to de-escalate” for over a decade, believing that a limited use of nuclear weapons might achieve results that its conventional forces alone could not. To this end, Russia has modernized and expanded its arsenal of non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW), which are unconstrained by any treaty and to which the U.S. largely lacks comparable capabilities.

As in 2010, the 2018 NPR’s primary purpose is deterring the use of nuclear weapons by a potential adversary. Also consistent between administrations is the requirement to hedge against future uncertainty, whether technological or geopolitical; the need to assure allies that they do not need to develop their own nuclear weapons; and the explicit statement that nuclear weapons would only be used in extreme circumstances. President Trump diverges at this point from his predecessor in more broadly defining “extreme circumstances” to include “non-nuclear strategic attack,” which includes (but is not limited to) attacks that cause strategic effects against U.S and/or allied civilian populations or infrastructure; U.S. nuclear forces; the ability to command and control nuclear forces; or the ability to detect and assess attacks against the U.S. and allies. The 2018 NPR is careful to not narrowly define specifics of what constitutes a non-nuclear strategic attack, but obvious possibilities include severe cyber or biological attacks. The 2018 NPR does retain President Obama’s Negative Security Assurance that states that the U.S. will not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear weapons state in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The apparent contradiction between these statements is not resolved in the document and may be its most significant flaw.

President Obama made it clear that his ultimate goal was the total elimination of nuclear weapons. While the 2018 NPR also addresses this goal, it views nuclear weapons as likely an enduring element of the security environment. The NPR recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” means to deter potential nuclear adversaries. Therefore, it calls for a tailored and flexible approach to deter nuclear use, laying out specifics for the four countries of greatest concern (Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran).

The U.S. nuclear enterprise has been neglected since the end of the Cold War in 1991. Most every element of the nuclear enterprise was deployed in the 1980s or even earlier. The NPR calls for an across-the-board revitalization of the nuclear enterprise, with new weapons and delivery systems for each leg of the nuclear triad (air, sea, and land-based systems). Additionally, it recognizes the need to enhance and strengthen the ability to command and control those forces in any potential conflict, including new and emerging threats in such areas as cyber and space. Two specific directives have generated the most concern: a low-yield warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and a new sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM) for attack submarines. Both are seen as required to at least partially fill the gap between robust Russian and lackluster U.S. NSNW capabilities.

Perhaps surprisingly, the DoD currently spends only about 3 percent of its budget on the nuclear enterprise; the extensive modernization and revitalization the NPR envisions will increase this to about 6 percent of the budget for several decades. This is, of course, a significant amount of money, but Secretary of Defense Mattis has stated that “we can afford survival.”

The 2018 NPR lays a reasonable and ultimately affordable way ahead for the nuclear enterprise, given degrading conditions in the security environment and decades of neglect. It implements the initial work to modernize the enterprise begun by the Obama administration. At the end of the day, nuclear weapons have prevented great power conflict since 1945 and ensured the ultimate security of the United States. It does not shut the door to future arms control initiatives. It soberly assesses the expansion of nuclear arsenals in potential adversary countries and seeks to make it clear that the costs of using nuclear weapons will always exceed any potential benefit. Implementing the recommendations and direction of the 2018 NPR will ensure U.S. security for decades to come.

For a more in depth look at the Nuclear Posture Review, watch our previously recorded webinar with Keith Sloan.

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in National Security Program, click here.

Thirty NYS STEM Teachers Invited to Attend GenCyber Camp in August

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

Excelsior College, Capital Region BOCES, and Questar III BOCES recently were awarded a $98,624 grant from the National Security Agency (NSA) and National Science Foundation (NSF) to participate in the GenCyber program (www.gen-cyber.com).

This grant will fund a cybersecurity camp for a total of thirty 6th–12th grade STEM teachers from August 13–17, 2018, prior to their return to the classroom this fall. The camp will be held at the Capital Region BOCES in Albany, New York, and includes hands-on educational instruction and activities with Excelsior College cybersecurity faculty and industry experts.

“It’s with great pride Excelsior College was awarded this opportunity to work with BOCES and to provide much needed cybersecurity training for educators in the New York state Capital Region,” says Amelia Estwick, program manager of the National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College. The National Cybersecurity Institute was established in 2014 as an academic, training, and research center dedicated to assisting government, industry, military, and academic sectors meet challenges in cybersecurity policy, technology, and education.

The GenCyber grant is significant since it funds the first cybersecurity camp for educators in New York’s Capital Region. The area was dubbed “Tech Valley” in the late 1990s in recognition of the growth of the technology industry and associated academic programs. There is a significant demand for cybersecurity expertise beyond STEM industries, to assure proper handling of information in state government, regional medical systems, and defense installations.

With this grant, Excelsior College, Capital Region BOCES, and Questar III BOCES can collectively leverage expertise in the region and provide much needed educational support services for educators. Combined these organizations serve over 45 school districts impacting hundreds of educators and thousands of students in the New York State Capital Region.

Participants selected for the GenCyber camp will earn 37.5 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credits and receive a $800 stipend. They do not need prior background knowledge in cybersecurity to attend but must be available to attend all five days of the camp. Limited travel stipends may be offered to some participants. Applications for the 30 spots in the free camp are accepted now until May 25.

For more information, visit https://explore.excelsior.edu/LP_GenCyber.html or email gencybercamp@excelsior.edu.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Security Agency.

What are Some MPA Careers?

Posted on by dhennessey

There are many options for careers with an MPA.  If you have a passion for public service and the betterment of your community, then the MPA is worth consideration as a degree option. An Excelsior College Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is an excellent vehicle to break into a new employment field or to advance in a career.  Let’s explore some careers for graduates of MPA programs.

Top 12 Careers with an MPA

1. Not-for-profits: Not-for-profits are agencies that range across the spectrum of government and community issues. There are “A-to-Z” association positions from agricultural groups to zoological parks. These agencies provide education, training, best-practices guidance, and other services that strengthen their memberships. Most not-for-profits specialize, so if you have a passion for a specific topic, this is a solid option.

2. Institutional interest groups are not-for-profit groups with private sector members. In this category, you will find associations that represent car dealerships, gun owners, mushroom growers, mortuary owners, propane gas distributors, K– 12 administrators, and a myriad of other interests. It is common for these organizations to advocate for their membership at state and federal agencies and with elected officials.

3. Lobbyists are people who specifically work to influence the political system for clients. Their activities include making or cutting regulations, getting government grants, and influencing various types of issue legislation.

4. An elected position is an option for a MPA graduate. Have you thought about running for your local school board, town council, county assembly, state legislature, or other elected position? A MPA degree will help you understand public sector budgets, human resource management, ethics, and other essential governmental functions.

Aspiring and current municipal, state, and federal government employees will find the MPA degree a credential for career advancement. If you are thinking about moving up the career ladder, then look at the requirements for positions above entry level or your current grade. These types of jobs depend on experience and education for promotions.

5. City and county managers and their staff positions are critical for local government. These managers work as facilitators of local elected government officials and local government agencies like the fire department, sheriff’s office, department of public works, office of parks and recreation, department of aging, and other public services.

6. First responders are government employees for whom a MPA is an outstanding fit. Fire and law enforcement academies train individuals for specific work—essential (and potentially hazardous) community service. Academies, however, do not teach those first responders who aspire for leadership roles how and what to present to the town board, what it takes to create an agency budget, or how to handle personnel issues like recruitment and discipline.

7. Government vendors provide goods and services to all levels of government from construction, to food services, to the latest in defense acquisition. This is a particularly important consideration for active-duty military personnel thinking about a career transition into the civilian sector.

8. Journalists, like most professions, have various areas of expertise from sports to entertainment, to finances, to politics. Politics is particularly is important whether covering news stories about local government, state bureaucracies, or federal agencies. Media outlets and associations both need talented writers that understand the workings of government. The MPA provides the knowledge to cover those public agency activities.

9. Higher education is an area for consideration by MPAs. Not all the activities that happen on a college or university campus are related to professors and students. Colleges need administrators to track financial aid, stay in compliance with U.S. Department of Education regulations, and work in course registration, records, and a slew of other activities. A MPA provides the needed skill set to implement and sustain complex plans and activities.

10. Business intelligence is yet another field that fits a MPA degree. This job involves research and writing about trends in various industries. This involves important information for clients that seek potential partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and / or information to influence government policies.

11. Economic development is a field that connects local and regional governments with the private sector through the promotion of job growth, tourism, and the attraction of new businesses. These agencies are represented by the local chamber of commerce, county and state agencies, and various educational institutions from vocational high schools to community colleges, to research universities.

The MPA is a versatile graduate degree option for people who seek entry into a new field, seek transition from a current job into a new one, or want to pursue career development. The common feature of all fields listed is the community-based nature of the work.

Statement by President Baldwin

Posted on by Mike Lesczinski

Statement

Since I assumed the presidency at the College, we have acted to make critical investments in support of our mission and our students, to fulfill the promise of our values. I intend for us to operate at the highest standards of integrity – because our most important obligation is to our students.

Over the past two years, we have made difficult, unpopular decisions – eliminating distractions that were draining our resources, all while making investments in our future and improving our policies, practices, and systems.  We are instilling a culture of accountability and responsiveness at every level of this institution.

Regarding the recent article about Excelsior, I was explaining to staff, in a private meeting, the importance of our ADN admission requirements and why those changes were necessary. Unquestionably, it was the right decision for our students and for the future of the institution. With the benefit of hindsight, the better approach would have been to impose the requirements sooner on a phased-in basis.

-Dr. James Baldwin, President, Excelsior College

Course Feature: NUR 108: Transition to the Professional Nurse Role

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

When moving into the registered professional nurse (RN) role, it is important for students to have developed the knowledge and competencies necessary to succeed in this complex career. Topics affecting the everyday job of the RN include nursing history, nursing organizations, regulatory agencies, ethics, law, technology, health care delivery systems, and scope of practice. In NUR 108: Transition to the Professional Nurse Role, students learn how to transition to the RN role, by studying self-care behaviors, nursing competencies and core values, ethical principles and legal influences, regulatory frameworks, managing the care of patients using delegation and supervision, evidence-based practice, and nursing theories.

NUR 108 is a main requirement for the associate in nursing programs, and as Faculty Program Director Nicole Helstowski says, it allows students to bridge their current role in health care to the role of RN. Conveniently for students, it can be taken at any time during phase one of an Excelsior nursing education career; however, it’s most beneficial to take it as the first nursing course.

Students in Transition to the Professional Nurse Role come from varied backgrounds. Some are licensed practical nurses, paramedics, and military corpsmen; education provided in the course builds upon their current knowledge. “The foundational support for professional practice is essential to functioning as an RN. The most significant takeaway [of this course] is the pivotal role of the RN as coordinator of care, patient advocate, and interdisciplinary team member. The RN role is complex and requires knowledge of evidence-based practice and fuels the spirit of inquiry,” explains Helstowski. She adds that students also learn about the various roles RNs have within health care.

Nursing students have enjoyed the course. Satisfied comments include: “I would recommend this nursing course because it really has made me think about the communication with patients on a daily basis” to “this should be the first course that we take when we start the nursing program classes” and “I loved the effective use of critical thinking throughout this class.”

Faculty have also praised the curriculum of NUR 108, saying “all activities have value as they reach students with different learning styles and offer the content necessary for success” and “The discussions that included scenarios; these were good tools for developing critical thinking skills.”

To make sure you get on track to become a well-rounded professional nurse, be sure to register for NUR 108: Transition to the Professional Nurse Role for next term.

Dean Mary Lee Pollard Gives Speech at Salute to Nurses Luncheon

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Mary Lee Pollard, Dean of the School of Nursing gave a speech to the attendees at the Times Union’s Salute to Nurses luncheon in celebration of National Nurses Week.  You can now read the full speech here on Life at Excelsior College.

 

Good afternoon, I want to thank the Times Union and St. Peter’s Health Partners for hosting and supporting this wonderful luncheon. I also want to extend my deepest appreciation to the nurses in this room.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of an event such as this, that recognizes the additional efforts and personal sacrifices all nurses in all professional settings make on a daily basis without the expectation of acknowledgment or an award.

Nurses have a long history of promoting social change from our place at the patient bedside.  Our professional history is rich with social activists such as Florence Nightingale, Margaret Sanger, Dorthea Dix, Lillian Wald and Mary Breckinridge- individual leaders who sought to transform the social determinants of health while providing care to the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

We have similar leaders in our profession today- nurses are involved with the fight for clean water for our communities.  Nurses are fighting to preserve access to health care for all citizens, to end sexual violence against women and to end gun violence.

Very few appreciate just how physically and mentally draining the profession of nursing can be.  The late nights and long days, the emotional challenges, the bureaucratic pressures – or to the extent that nurses often, sadly, sacrifice their own health for the sake of their patients.

Research by the American Nurses Association shows that nurses are actually more unhealthy than the average American.  Nurses are more likely to be overweight, have higher levels of stress and get less than the recommended hours of sleep.

Hazards such as workplace violence and musculoskeletal injuries are commonplace in nursing practice.  In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported RNs have the fourth highest rate of injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work when compared to other occupations.  We all know if we didn’t report to work ill and injured, we would actually rank first.

I haven’t said anything none of you don’t already know. Sadly, for most of us, unhealthy nurses is our reality.  Today, I am inviting all of you to join the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Challenge.  It is a social movement developed by the American Nurses Association to transform the health of the nation by supporting nurses to take positive action to improve health.

If all 3.6 million registered nurses increase their personal wellness and support some of their family, community, co-workers, and patients to do the same, we would improve the health of our nation in ways no health plan or federal program could ever imagine.

The ANA has adopted a new definition of a healthy nurse- “One who actively focuses on creating and maintaining a balance and synergy of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, personal and professional wellbeing.”  Perhaps, with time, this will become the way we define our profession.

I urge you to visit the American Nurses Association website and learn more about the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation challenge.  You can join this social movement with other nurses just like yourself and improve your health and the health of our nation.

Another way nurses are changing our profession is with the adoption of the ‘BSN in 10’ bill, signed into law by Governor Cuomo in December.  The genesis of this bill came from nursing- the lobbying effort was completed by nursing.  Nurses wrote the letters and met with legislators and stakeholders.

Although controversial- the bill is a significant if not a long overdue step toward improving patient outcomes and our status as a profession.  As an innovator and pioneer in nursing education for more than 40 years, Excelsior has been a strong and vocal advocate for the BSN in 10 national movement and we are proud to see New York leading the way and becoming the first state to adopt the new requirement.

As this law is anticipated to create significant demand for advanced nursing credentials, New York must continue to recognize the contribution of nonprofit online nursing colleges such as Excelsior. Over the past four decades, more than 50,000 nurses have successfully earned a degree through us on their way to successful practice.

Together, Excelsior, traditional brick and mortar schools, hospitals and health care facilities, can work together as partners to maintain New York’s education capacity, improve overall nursing care and quality, and ensuring every New Yorker, including our most vulnerable have access to the high-quality health care they deserve – that is their right.

Today, we will hear many personal, highly emotional stories of nurses who have made a profound difference in the lives of their patients.

I hope you take these stories to heart – these are incredible individuals, who deserve to be recognized. But they aren’t unique, but rather a reflection of a profession devoted to self-sacrifice and social justice. These types of stories are playing out in every hospital and health care facility across the country…today, we are not just recognizing the great deeds of the nurses in this room, but saluting – and saying thank you – to nurses everywhere.

 

 

 

 

Degrees at Work: Joseph Davern Cleans Up the Streets

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

When Joseph Davern was working as an electrician studying nuclear engineering technology at Excelsior College in 2010, he didn’t ever picture himself behind a dumpster performing CPR to save a heroin addict’s life.

All he knew as he was continuing a college career that started two years prior at the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee Telecommunications School was that he wanted more.

“After one year in the program, I just knew it wasn’t for me,” says the 29-year-old Nantasket Beach, Mass., native. “I was missing something. I realized I had a passion to help people and desired to make an impact in the community. I had a calling to clean up the streets.”

Eyeing a career in law enforcement, he chose criminal justice, and says that Excelsior made the transition an easy one. Davern started classes and immediately knew he was on the right path.

“My criminology instructor was a retired chief of police and he was simply fantastic,” Davern says. “Having an instructor that’s been in the field and who’s able to share first-hand knowledge and experiences was a great advantage. The amount of papers that we wrote was extensive, but it was a great learning opportunity and it prepared me very well.”

As he was working toward his criminal justice degree at Excelsior, Davern tested his luck and applied to the Abington (Mass.) Police Department, knowing it can be a long acceptance process. In 2013, exactly two years after Davern dropped everything to pursue a career in law enforcement, he was offered a job at the Abington Police Department.

The key to balancing all of this – which includes his 5-month-old daughter Olivia – is determination and having an unbreakable support system. “Even though this job has the ability to flip your life upside-down at any moment,” he says. “I had amazing support from my wife Brianna and I still do.”

In 2014, Joseph attended the Boylston Police Academy and in his final year at Excelsior, Davern was honored with the 2016 Dwayn Hanford Award that recognizes the academic excellence and community service of a student who completed an undergraduate degree in the School of Public Service. That same year he graduated from Excelsior with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Switching gears from nuclear engineering to criminal justice was a big leap of faith, but Davern has no regrets.

“Somedays I deal with overdoses, accidents, and domestic calls and other days I don’t have to handle anything serious at all,” he says. “Each day on the job is very different, which can be stressful because you really don’t know what’s going to happen, but I find peace in knowing that I’m making a difference in people’s lives every day.”

And that unfortunately includes situations like the one when Davern found two older gentlemen behind a dumpster in a parking lot. One had overdosed on heroin, and the Narcan that Davern administered didn’t work.

“For the first time in my experience, it failed,” he says. “I had to perform CPR on a living human being for the first time behind that dumpster. For what felt like an eternity, 30 seconds of breaking this guy’s ribs, he came back to life. Even though this was an extremely traumatic experience, it affected me in a very positive way, because without me, he would’ve lost his life that day.”

He was also recently involved in a high-speed car chase that thankfully ended without any serious injuries.

“Another incident that will stick with me forever was being involved in a very dangerous car chase,” he says. “I was chasing a middle-aged man, and he was driving erratically at a very high speed. He went to the extreme of attempting to hit me in my car as well as coming very close to crashing into school buses full of children. I had to smash into him in order to stop him and put my own life at risk. Having the ability to respond well under high-stress situations is key in law enforcement.”

When it came time to start college, being a police officer never crossed Davern’s mind, but he realized quickly that he had a different calling, and was able to successfully transfer majors within Excelsior and quickly pivot to a successful career in law enforcement.

“Looking back, the criminal justice classes I took mirrored my job very well,” he says. “Within the next couple of months, I am going back for my master’s degree. I’ve decided to go back to Excelsior not only because of my excellent experience the first time around, but also because its nationally accredited. My goal is to become chief of police with a Master of Public Administration. I believe you can always better yourself with another degree!”

Professional Advice from Joseph Davern:

On time management:

“I trained in martial arts, was going to school full-time to become a police officer, and taking care of a family. My advice is get all of the work you can done at the beginning of the week and don’t put anything off.”

>On networking:

“A lot of people feel uncomfortable talking to strangers, but I like talking to everybody. I think talking to as many people as possible is so important. Throwing your name out there is key to networking. You shouldn’t be intimidated to talk to someone just because of their position.”

On the book to read for this industry:

“In the police academy, we read Emotion Survival for Law Enforcement and Their Families. This job changes you and your life, and this book describes how to deal with that and what things you should look out for.”

On being a police officer:

“Never lie. Cliché, but this is the best advice I’ve received so far in this business. Integrity is the most important trait to stand by. If you don’t have integrity, then you are useless as a police officer.”

Army University Partnership Provides Pathways for Soldiers to Earn Their Degree

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Excelsior College was recently chosen as one of Army University’s official partners to provide degree pathways to soldiers based on military training. The partnership is part of the Army University Continuing Education Degree Program (CEDP), which matches Army schoolhouses with civilian colleges.

Army University aligns many of the Army’s education programs under a unified academic structure. It was first established in 2015 and became fully operational in November 2017. This new concept provides accelerated roadmaps to college degrees for Army soldiers, giving enlisted members the opportunity to obtain a college education while simultaneously serving our country.

The Army University-Excelsior College partnership will provide the following degree options to active-duty service members:

Each of the offered programs is intended to match military career fields to degree programs and ensure students receive maximum credit for Army training.

“The leadership skills gained through military experience are second-to-none,” said Sue Dewan, executive director of the Excelsior’s Center for Military and Veteran Education. “By aligning Army training with Excelsior College degree programs, soldiers will be well-prepared to advance their college educations and accelerate their military careers or successfully transition into civilian careers.”

Excelsior is one of just two initial colleges selected to partner with the U.S. Army Ordnance School and CBRN School, and one of six initially selected to help Army soldiers develop their leadership and problem-solving skills through the Army-wide CEDP Leadership Initiative.

While the Army University partnership is new, Excelsior College has had a longstanding relationship with the military and military families since the early 1970s. Excelsior was recently named to Military Times Best Colleges 2018 list, coming in at No. 4 on the top 20 list of online and nontraditional schools, which evaluates colleges based on survey responses and data from the federal Education, Defense and Veterans Affairs departments.

Over the past four decades, Excelsior has assisted more than 68,000 military service members in advancing their educations and earning their degrees. To learn more about Excelsior’s programs for members of the Army, visit http://cme.excelsior.edu/army/.