Center for Disability Services, Michael and Margery Whiteman to be honored at Excelsior College Partners in Lifelong Learning Celebration

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

On April 19, Excelsior College will host its 10th annual Partners in Lifelong Learning event and recognize Michael and Margery Whiteman and the Center for Disability Services for their commitment to community involvement, volunteerism, and lifelong learning.

The annual Excelsior fundraising event, held each April, draws attention to the importance of lifelong learning while funding scholarships for working adult students in need of financial support to complete their degrees.  Since its inception in 2008, Partners in Lifelong Learning has raised more than $750,000, benefiting nearly 500 students from the Capital Region and surrounding areas, and has recognized the achievements of 48 individuals and organizations.

“The annual Partners in Lifelong Learning celebration is the College’s signature event that combines the celebration of student achievement and a commitment to lifelong learning,” said Dr. Keith Barrows, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “Through this event, our generous sponsors and donors have made a college degree financially achievable for hundreds of adult students at Excelsior.  We’re grateful for the tremendous support of our alumni, friends, and event sponsors.”

For 75 years, the Center for Disability Services has been the place where people get better at life. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to enabling and empowering people, primarily those with disabilities, through education, support services, and resources needed to lead healthy and enriched lives. The Kevin G. Langan School offers primary and secondary educational services to children and young adults with multiple disabilities, chronic medical conditions, autism, and brain injury, and after school programs for children and teens. The Center and its divisions, the Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center, Life Quality Solutions Incubator, Prospect Center and St. Margaret’s Center offer  primary medical and specialty medical care, dental care, therapy services, skilled nursing, family programs, wellness, transportation, service coordination, residential and career training, and employment.

Michael and Margery WhitemanMichael and Margery Whiteman have been active members of the Capital Region community for 50 years. Margery Whiteman has served as a volunteer, director, and chair of many local organizations such as Albany Pro Musica, the Robert C. Parker School, Family Planning Associates of New York State, and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. Michael Whiteman has served as an officer or director of organizations such as the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Albany Symphony, the Government Law Center at the Albany Law School, the Historic Albany Foundation, Independent Defense Commission, and WMHT Educational Telecommunications.

The Partners in Lifelong Learning Celebration will be held on Wednesday, April 19 at the New York State Museum in Albany, New York. The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Tickets cost $100, although there are other donation levels offered.

For more information, visit Excelsior’s Partners in Lifelong Learning page or call 888-647-2388 FREE. To learn about past winners of the Partners of Lifelong Learning scholarship, visit Excelsior Life.

 

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Excelsior College

Excelsior College is a regionally accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution that focuses on removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners. Founded in 1971 and located in Albany, NY, Excelsior is a proven leader in the assessment and validation of student knowledge. It offers more efficient and affordable access to degree completion through multiple avenues: its own online courses and college-level proficiency examinations, and the acceptance in transfer of credit from other colleges and universities, as well as recognized corporate and military training programs. Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Center for Disability Services

The Center for Disability Services, known as the place where people get better at life, is one of upstate New York’s largest providers of programs and services for individuals who have disabilities. Many of the innovative programs and vital services the Center offers are not available elsewhere. It has more than 80 locations throughout 15 counties and annually provides programs and resources to more than 12,000 infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors who have many different disability diagnoses including cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, spina bifida and traumatic brain injury. The Center for Disability Services, a not-for-profit organization, has four divisions: Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center, Life Quality Solutions Incubator, Prospect Center in Queensbury and St. Margaret’s Center.

Distrac- Oh, Look at that!

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Exactly, as the title tried to state, we are going to talk about distractions.  It seems they come from everywhere these days.  Technology and social media allow us to be connected 24/7 which makes it a tough obstacle to stay focused or concentrated on what we are doing.  Do you ever find yourself at work in the depths of Facebook  thinking, “How did I get here?  Why am I looking at a friend of a friend of a friend’s vacation to Italy from 2006?”  Hey, it happens.  We like to call these “time sucks” – AKA a waste of time.  This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t take breaks or that breaks aren’t healthy, but when the break becomes too long and what you were doing becomes irrelevant you lose focus and it becomes harder to get back to accomplishing what you were doing in the first place.

Here are some things to remember to avoid time sucks:

  1. Environment: Set yourself up in a place where you know there will be little-to-no distractions. Maybe this means going to the library for a few hours to get some course work done or staying late after work at your desk could be a great place to get stuff done.

    Buzz
    Image credit: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3p4kj2
  2. Put time limits on using social media, apps, and games: Some people reward themselves with a quick blog or Facebook scroll once they’ve finished a daunting task (i.e. – studying).  Quick breaks like these will help refocus you, but set a timer on your phone or give yourself a time limit for when you must start studying/working again.  This will ensure that you maximize your time and breaks effectively.
  3. Let others around you know you’re working/studying: Sometimes the biggest distraction can be PEOPLE.  Whether they are physically in front you or behind a computer screen, 23% of people are distracted by their coworkers on a regular basis (Forbes, 2015).  Letting someone know you’re busy or in the middle of something can be easier said than done, but be transparent.  For example, let the person know that you have a really big deadline to reach or that you’re taking a big exam on Monday, so you have to stay focused. Give them another time that you’ll be available.  This makes the interaction seem less dismissive.

Don’t let time sucks get the best of you.  Sometimes we forget the implications that wasted time has on our productivity, concentration, and motivation.  Practice the tips above to maximize your time management!

Savannah White, Student Success Coach
Savannah White, Student Success Coach

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2015/07/31/wasting-time-at-work-the-epidemic-continues/#6b0216683ac1

 

 

Community Health Nursing: A Service Learning Experience

Posted on by Nursing Staff

By Patrick O., RN

Students in NUR 448 Community Health Nursing engage in a service learning experience as part of the requirement of the course. This experience provides students with the opportunity to apply what is being learned in the course to the real world, while reflecting on the link between this experience, the content of the course, the role of the public health nurse, and population health. Service learning is not a new idea. In fact, Florence Nightingale is credited with setting the stage for nurses to work in the community with vulnerable or at-risk individuals and families.

Patrick O., a current BS in nursing capstone student, chose the Special Olympics New Mexico to complete his service learning experience requirement. The vulnerable population selected was individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) in San Juan County, New Mexico. Patrick chose Special Olympics New Mexico due to his desire to work with, and gain a better understanding of, the dynamics and challenges faced by individuals with ID and their families.

Patrick is now in the process of putting together a select group of people from San Juan Regional Medical Center and Special Olympics New Mexico to determine the possibility of building a partnership between the two organizations to implement a Special Olympics Healthy Athletes group in San Juan County. If all goes well, he hopes to educate healthcare providers about interacting with patients with ID in the healthcare setting. In addition, the project will offer health screenings to Special Olympic athletes at least quarterly in San Juan County, as well as extend the health screenings to individuals with ID who are not part of the Special Olympics community.

Patrick (like many NUR 448 students) found after completing his service learning requirement, the desire to continue volunteering for the organization and realized the true meaning of “giving back” to his community.

Dr. Karen Cox to Address Excelsior College Commencement

Posted on by Mike Lesczinski

Karen Cox, RN, PhD, FACHE, FAAN, an Excelsior College graduate and renowned leader in the health care and nursing fields will address graduates at Excelsior College’s 46th Commencement on July 14, 2017. The College will also present Dr. Cox with an honorary degree during the ceremony, which will once again be held at the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany, New York.

“Dr. Cox has made Excelsior College proud, distinguishing herself as influential voice in the health care field and a fearless and passionate advocate for nurses everywhere,” said Dr. James Baldwin, president, Excelsior College. “She’ll bring a unique perspective to solving many of the great challenges facing contemporary society and we’re honored to have her.”

Dr. Karen Cox currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Children’s Mercy – Kansas City, an independent, academic medical center in Missouri. She started her healthcare career as a licensed practical nurse, before earning an associate degree in nursing from Excelsior College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Science in Nursing and PhD from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

In 2015, Dr. Cox was named the inaugural endowed chair for the V. Fred Burry, MD, and Sandra Hobart Burry Chair in Nursing Advocacy and Leadership, to recognize her local and national advocacy and leadership work ensuring resources for its continuation.

Dr. Cox was elected to a four-year term as president elect and president (2015-2019) of the American Academy of Nursing, the premier organization for the profession of nursing. Previously, she was elected to the American Hospital Association, Section on Maternal and Child Health Governing Council, and appointed to the Children’s Hospital Association, Child Health Committee.

Dr. Cox was named a fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship Program. She is also a fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives. She was appointed to a term on the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice, U.S. Health and Human Services.

Dr. Cox has contributed articles to publications including Modern Healthcare, American Journal of Nursing, Nursing Economics, Seminars for Nurse Managers, Journal of Nursing Administration, Nursing Leadership Forum, Nursing Administration Quarterly and Journal of Public Health Nursing.

Excelsior College’s Commencement annually draws hundreds of graduates, friends, and family from around the country and from abroad. For many, the ceremony marks the first time students will have face-to-face contact with classmates, advisors, and instructors.

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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.

 

Scaling the Ivory Tower: Does academic research matter in the world of business?

Posted on by Santhosh Abraham, PhD
Source: Creative Commons

I was recently discussing with colleagues why academic skills are not always considered as relevant to the world of business, but with so many organizations investing billions of dollars in high-risk projects, the need for clear and thorough research has never been more important. In this article, I want to explore why the skills of academic research matter in the world of business more than ever and how they can be applied in a relevant and practical way.

To a lot of people, academic research conjures images of ‘abstract thinking’, ‘ivory towers’, ‘theoretical’, ‘not practical’, ‘white coats’, ‘labs and crazy experiments’. While some of this may be true, there are a lot of important positive features of academic research that are not always understood by people in the business world.

I feel that there is more that academics can do to promote the relevance of transferable skills gained in research that are also important within the business setting, whether that is marketing, HR, logistics, cybersecurity, or accounting. In exploring this issue, I want to focus on one skill that is demonstrated in the process of working on an independent research paper- the research question.

The Importance of the Research Question

Every research project should have a clear research question.

This involves identifying a problem in an area that then needs to be clearly articulated to an external audience.  To do this effectively, involves an explanation of why the problem is important and what is already know in relation to the issue.

Any connection to the business world? Well, formulating a clear problem or issue that needs to be addressed is a very important skill in business and an important first step to various benefits including efficiency gains, enhancements to existing services or product lines, new product development, and, most importantly, helping a business adopt to a dynamic environment.

First Define the Problem

In addition to identifying a problem, it is important to articulate why solving the problem is important, to avoid spending resources that do no benefit on issues that may be interesting, but are not relevant to an organization. A Government could spend billions of dollars on building a new bridge, only to see minimal traffic because it is sited in the wrong place. Relevance will certainly require professional judgement and feedback, but articulating this is an important step towards that.

Don’t ‘Reinvent the Wheel’

Moreover, in highlighting a question it is important to understand how others have addressed similar issues (a literature review in the academic world). Demonstrating an awareness of existing practice is important, so that resources are not spent reinventing the wheel and so that lessons can be learnt from previous experiences. What is the data and information that already exists and what does it tell me that is helpful in answering my question, without needing to commit valuable resources to further research? This does not necessarily mean having to agree with existing solutions, because the problem itself may stem from inadequacies in existing solutions, but someone may have encountered a similar problem before that sheds new light on what we are trying to achieve.

I do not claim that we should engage in academic research to be successful in business, but the intention is to highlight important transferable skills that are gained in this process.  In my next article, I will discuss the importance of another important transferable skill- data gathering and analysis.

Written by Santhosh Abraham

Editor’s note: I am grateful to Will Trevor for spurring me to write this blog and for providing me with editorial guidance.

Excelsior’s Technology Students are #ABETconfident [Video]

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

A group of Excelsior College students recently participated in the #ABETconfident video contest, which was held by the accreditation body ABET. The contest is a chance for students in ABET accredited programs – such as the electrical, nuclear engineering, and information technology programs offered by Excelsior – to show why they are confident in the ABET accreditation as a mark of excellence and career readiness. The Excelsior students were given the opportunity to create their own videos while working with peers within their degree programs.

The contest launched in November of 2016 and called for students and faculty of ABET accredited degrees and programs to collaborate on a video that expresses their confidence in the following areas:

  • Career Readiness
  • Quality of Education
  • Career Prospect

As a participating institution, we submitted the videos to ABET and then posted them on social media with the hashtag #ABETconfident. on Twitter. With three of our Excelsior programs accredited by ABET, this allowed for the submission of three videos, which you can view below:

B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology: Robert Brennan, Robert Gordon, Josh Humphreys http://players.brightcove.net/4276901727001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5349648967001

B.S. Information Technology: Rohit Devkota, Stephanie Schneider http://players.brightcove.net/4276901727001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5349640099001

B.S. Nuclear Engineering Technology: Carl Barr, Kazzene Johnson, Ronald Borel

http://players.brightcove.net/4276901727001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5324448087001

Judging is currently underway and will be conducted by a panel of ABET staff and professionals from both academia and industry.  The main criteria that they are looking for is, “adherence to theme, creativity, authenticity and execution.”

While the students are members of different programs, there were several recurring themes used to express their confidence in their education. Students highlighted the quality of the education as among the highest in the industry.  They also felt that their Excelsior education provided them with the current technical skills for future employment and they particularly valued the continuing demand for ABET graduates from the industry. Many of Excelsior students commented that their education had helped them to gain promotion while already working in the field.

Excelsior has enjoyed a long association with ABET: the first program to receive ABET accreditation was the Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology in 1996, which has been renamed as the B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology, and continues its ABET accreditation today. In 1998, Excelsior’s second ABET degree, the B.S. in Nuclear Engineering Technology, received its initial accreditation.  And last year, the B.S. in Information Technology received its ABET accreditation, making Excelsior a unique institution with three fully online ABET accredited programs.

You may also be interested in: Bachelor-level technology degrees earn new accreditation from ABET

The School of Business and Technology would like to thank all the students who participated in this contest. If you are an Excelsior student and wish to participate in any upcoming programs or activities, please contact your advisor and we will be delighted to get you involved.

We are proud of our students and our ABET accredited programs and this is one of the many reasons why Excelsior College is #ABETconfident.

 

Article was written by Thomas Hand, External Relationships Coordinator, Excelsior College

 

Career Readiness: Equipping Students for the Workplace of Today and Tomorrow

Posted on by lifangshih
Credit: Creative Commons

The first reaction when most of us hear the term, ‘career readiness’, is often to associate it with strong technical skills, such as computer programming or digital marketing.  And while technical skills are vital, they alone are insufficient for success in the current and future workplace. Research shows that skills, such as communication and teamwork, are just as important as technical knowledge, with around 77 percent of employers saying that these so-called soft skills are just as important as hard ones.
At Excelsior, our aim is to encourage our students to develop both the technical skills that will allow them to contribute to their chosen profession, but also those soft skills, that will enable them to excel in their future careers. In this article, I want to tell you why Excelsior means business when it comes to career readiness.

What is Career Readiness?

As a result of a study based on extensive research among employers, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), defines the career readiness of college graduates as,

“the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.”

Career readiness has often been discussed as important for students in both higher education and the public arena, but before NACE provided a definition, there was little consensus about what it meant.  NACE pulled together a task force of HR and education professionals who identified a list of competencies that together comprise the key ingredients of career readiness.

The Eight Competencies of Career Readiness

The eight competencies of career readiness reflect the range of soft skills that equip the student to meet the challenges of the modern workplace and also give them both the agility and the capacity to embrace change in the workplace of the future.
The eight competencies of career readiness are:

  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Analyze and interpret information using good logic and reasoning to synthesize interrelations and connections among various factors to solve problems.
  • Oral/Written Communications: Express and present ideas in an articulate and concise manner, and be an active listener.
  • Teamwork/Collaboration: Work well with others and negotiate and manage conflicts.
  • Information Technology Application: Use current and appropriate technology to solve a problem or complete assigned tasks.
  • Leadership: Lead the team and leverage the strengths of each member to accomplish a common goal/mission.
  • Professionalism/Work Ethic: Demonstrate effective and productive work habits, such as being on time, being polite, being generally pleasant and helpful, dressing appropriately and taking responsibility for one’s own actions.
  • Career Management: Identify desired career goals in according to ones’ skills, strengths, and experiences, identify areas for development and then take steps required to achieve those goals. Evaluate and adjust those goals through ongoing navigating career options and opportunities for career advancement.
  • Global/Intercultural Fluency: Understand and appreciate differences among all people and interact with others in an open-minded, inclusive, and respectful manner.

For a more detailed definition of each competencies, please visit the official NACE website.
These transferrable soft skills are crucial in the workplace, regardless of the profession or industry that the student enters, but, traditionally, college students have not been given as many opportunities to develop and hone these skills as they have the technical skills. Over the past few years, however, articles and news reports have identified an increasing ‘gap’ between the perception of college graduates’ preparedness in these skills, compared to the experience of employers when students enter the workplace.

Excelsior Addresses the Career Readiness ‘Gap’

This ‘gap’ is something that the School of Business and Technology and Excelsior College have been working diligently to address – we take pride in preparing career-ready graduates as one of the School’s top priorities.
Specifically, there are three main approaches to support and ensure career readiness of our graduates: content, credential, and community.

  • Content: There are various types of learning activities integrated into our courses, such as team projects, individual or team presentations, debate, problem based assignments, and hands-on activities. These activities require students to apply both technical and soft skills to solve a problem either individually or in a team setting.
  • Credential: All these soft skills are embedded in the program outcomes. The graduates are expected to successfully demonstrate these competencies upon graduation.
  • Community: Engaging faculty, staff, students, and alumni to form a sense of community is crucial to provide ongoing support. To this end, we have four different virtual student organizations where faculty, alumni and staff actively interact with students on current issues and trends in the job markets for their chosen fields. Additionally, the College’s Career Center offers many resources and services to students and alumni such as self-assessment, trends for major careers, career counseling, and job search and preparation.

As the workplace has become more service oriented, the importance of soft skills to an organization is growing and our courses and programs increasingly reflect those changes. Maribeth Gunner, Director of Career Services at Excelsior College, has said that

“recruiters and employers rarely make the hiring decision solely based on whether the person knows how to do the job, they also want people who know how to handle themselves at work and relate to customers and colleagues.”

Equipping Our Students for their Future Careers

Career readiness is a critical issue in higher education and Excelsior has been proactive in infusing it throughout our programs. It calls for higher education institutions, like Excelsior, to take a coordinated approach to integrate soft skills training into the student learning experience. As Excelsior continues to provide opportunities for students to develop and apply these critical soft skills, we believe we are preparing well-rounded college graduates who can smoothly and successfully transition into both the workplace of today and tomorrow.

By embracing career readiness, we believe we are equipping our students for the future.

Dean of the School of Business and Technology at Excelsior College, Dr. Li-Fang Shih, discusses the importance of Career Readiness for our students and highlights the way in which Excelsior equips its students for the workplace of today and the future.

Simulation Workshop for Nursing Students

Posted on by Nursing Staff

By Cathy DeChance, PhD, RN; Lisa Robert, MS, RNC; Dawn Olbrych, MSN, CNE; Nicole Hedowski, MSN, RN, NE-BC; Karla Scavo, MS, RN

Through the Retention/Persistence Proposal, money was obtained from the Office of the Provost, so that the AD team could develop a simulation workshop for our students. A small task force from the AD nursing team launched the simulation workshop for our students in July 2016.

Since inception, 134 students have attended the workshop. The simulation workshop is intended to provide students with an opportunity to practice an abbreviated implementation phase of the Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination (CPNE®). Two patient care scenarios were developed that represent a typical adult and a pediatric patient that the student will care for during the CPNE®.

An infant and child high-fidelity, programmable manikin are used for the pediatric component of the simulation. The manikins are programmed to exhibit vocal sounds and assessment findings. This allows students the opportunity to practice with unique scenarios while completing areas of competency. Students work in groups of three, and role play as parent for the pediatric patient, follow a scripted scenario as the adult patient, and monitor completion of critical elements as clinical examiner.

The simulation begins with a brief orientation and time for the student to plan their nursing implementation phase for the scenarios. Each student has 20 minutes to complete their assignment as another student observes and records specific critical elements. The critical elements represent expected evidence-based nursing behaviors related to various areas of competency. Every 20 minutes, the students engage in a five-minute faculty mediated debrief, and then rotate roles.

A medication breakout session allows students to simulate the administration of medication during a PCS. The students are provided a medication administration record. The students are expected to review the data and determine what medications are to be administered; select the appropriate medication; and administer the medication to the patient, assuring that the student is adhering to best practice for medication administration. A debriefing session is provided at the end of the day with a discussion of knowledge gained, areas in need of focus, and studying strategies.

Smart Card Alliance Becomes Secure Technology Alliance, Expands Mission to Include Broader View of Security Technologies

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., March 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Smart Card Alliance, known for propelling the adoption of smart card technology as the global standard for payment, identity, access and mobile application security, announced today it is expanding its charter to include a broader range of security and privacy-enhancing technologies. To reflect this expanded mission, the Smart Card Alliance will be changing its name to the Secure Technology Alliance.

“The Alliance’s focus has always been on engaging in industry-wide discussion and providing best practices and educational resources for designing and building secure payments, identification, access and mobile applications and systems,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Secure Technology Alliance. “As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and mobile, the technology used in smart cards is being used more widely in mobile devices, wearables and internet-connected devices. The clear next step for this organization is to expand and engage in activities across the full spectrum of these new applications as the Secure Technology Alliance.”

Smart card technology will remain a priority for the Secure Technology Alliance, while the scope of technologies that the organization focuses on broadens to include embedded chip technology and related hardware and software that enable privacy and data protection for end users and industry stakeholders in payments, cybersecurity, mobile, healthcare, identity and access, transportation and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

“The Alliance has members from all of these industries actively participating in the organization, making it uniquely equipped to provide education and actionable guidance, foster industry collaboration, and encourage adoption of secure technology,” Vanderhoof added.

With industry dialogue and education continuing to be top priorities for the organization, existing industry council activities, conferences, and education and training programs initiated by the Smart Card Alliance will continue and evolve. These programs will incorporate additional security technologies and applications, such as those used for IoT and mobility applications, under the expanded scope of the Secure Technology Alliance.

Secure Technology Alliance activities will include:

  • Influencing standards and best practices that are relevant to the understanding, adoption and widespread application of secure solutions, including smart cards, embedded chip technology, and related hardware and software
  • Serving as an educational resource to its members and industry stakeholders implementing secure solutions
  • Providing a forum for cutting-edge discussions and projects on issues surrounding the implementation of secure solutions
  • Maintaining a voice in public policy that affects adoption and implementation of smart card, embedded chip and other security technologies
  • Supporting the adoption and implementation of smart cards and smart card technology

The Secure Technology Alliance is governed by an elected Board of Directors that plays a fundamental role in guiding the expansion of the organization’s mission. The board is led by its Executive Committee, whose members are:

  • Chair: Brian Russell, Giesecke & Devrient
  • Vice Chair: Jack Jania, Gemalto
  • Treasurer: Brian Stein, CH2M
  • Assistant Treasurer: Morgan Richard, XTec, Inc.
  • Secretary: Thomas Lockwood, NextGenID
  • Technology Vice Chair: Kelly Urban, First Data Corporation

For more information on the Secure Technology Alliance, view the Secure Technology Alliance FAQ and visit www.securetechalliance.org.

About the Secure Technology Alliance
The Secure Technology Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption and widespread application of secure solutions, including smart cards, embedded chip technology, and related hardware and software across a variety of markets including authentication, commerce and Internet of Things (IoT).

The Secure Technology Alliance, formerly known as the Smart Card Alliance, invests heavily in education on the appropriate uses of secure technologies to enable privacy and data protection. The Secure Technology Alliance delivers on its mission through training, research, publications, industry outreach and open forums for end users and industry stakeholders in payments, mobile, healthcare, identity and access, transportation, and the IoT in the U.S. and Latin America.

For more information, please visit www.securetechalliance.org.

CONTACT:
Megan Shamas
Montner Tech PR
203-226-9290
mshamas@montner.com

Excelsior College and Shriners Hospitals for Children collaborate on educational advancements for nurses

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Excelsior College has announced a new corporate partnership with the pediatric healthcare nonprofit, Shriners Hospitals for Children®.

Under the new agreement, employees of Shriners Hospitals for Children and their spouses or domestic partners are eligible for reduced tuition and fees for associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs in the School of Nursing, such as Excelsior’s Associate Degree in Nursing program, RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).

Founded in 1922, Shriners Hospitals for Children provides the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries, and other healthcare needs. The environment at Shriners Hospitals embodies a compassionate, family-centered, and collaborative care setting. Shriners Hospital for Children also works to provide the appropriate education for physicians and healthcare professionals. Research conducted by the Shriners Hospital staff is geared toward discovering new knowledge that improves the quality of care and quality of life for children and families. The hospitals’ vision is to become the best at transforming children’s lives by providing exceptional healthcare through innovative research, in a patient and family centered environment.

“Shriners Hospitals for Children’s goal is that 80 percent of our direct care nurses have a bachelor of science degree in nursing or higher by 2020, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine. We are committed to meeting this objective and we value each and every one of our nurses for their dedication and passion. As such, Shriners Hospitals for Children looks forward to the partnership with Excelsior College to meet the needs of our nurses’ and all employees’ future education,” said Marjorie McEttrick-Maloney, Chief Nursing Officer, Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Excelsior College is committed to serving students from diverse backgrounds by providing them with pathways for educational access.

Excelsior College is an accredited, nonprofit college that specializes in serving the needs of working adults. It provides flexible means for its students—average age of 37—to earn their degrees through a combination of prior earned credit, Excelsior’s online courses, credit-by-exam program, and evaluated industry and military training programs.

“Prior to formalizing our partnership, two things stood out to me about Shriners. Its leadership showed a genuine enthusiasm about supporting the educational advancement of its nurses, and they were very deliberative with their process of vetting and selecting the right partner in education. This was a clear indication that our missions were in alignment, and that both organizations were committed to reducing the many barriers a working adult encounters in his or her pursuit of educational and career advancement,” said Chris Normile, Healthcare Partnership Manager, Excelsior College. “While Excelsior anticipates the greatest employee interest in our RN to BS in Nursing program, we foresee additional opportunities to connect Shriners Hospitals’ workforce with educational programs in areas including but not limited to health care management, health care administration, and medical coding.”

Commenting on the agreement, Excelsior College’s School of Nursing Associate Dean Dr. Barbara Pieper said, “Providing access to education and lifelong learning helps to prepare a ready workforce in nursing. Health care is changing and for nursing the charge is to have RNs achieve a BS and encourage higher levels of education through seamless academic progression. Our nursing programs are rigorous, nationally accredited, and have achieved national designation as a Center for Excellence in Nursing Education by NLN. We are delighted to partner with Shriners to help advance their workforce goals.”

To learn more about the Shriners Hospitals for Children corporate partnership, visit the partnership page at excelsior.edu/partner/shriners-hospitals-for-children/.

 

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Excelsior College

Excelsior College is a regionally accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution founded in 1971 focused on providing educational opportunity to adult learners. The College contributes to the development of a diverse, educated society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals who are historically underrepresented by higher education. Excelsior meets students where they are – academically and geographically – removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners through affordable access to quality instruction and the assessment of learning. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity. Learn more at excelsior.edu.

 

Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research, and outstanding medical education. Our 22 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Resilience: The One ‘Secret’ All Successful Students Know

Posted on by William Trevor
Source: Creative Commons

There have been plenty of newspaper columns, courses, and self-help books, which promise to deliver that elusive ‘secret of success’, but psychologists tend to agree that, among other things, the key to success for individuals, managers, entrepreneurs, or students, often resides in the ability to develop resilience.

Think about a time when you faced some kind of tragedy or setback, whether it was part of your professional life, your personal life, or while you were completing your studies? How did you cope and what did you do to get through it? Did you lose your job, miss out on a promotion that you thought should have been yours, or end up dropping a course that you should have completed? Did you set up your dream business, only to see it fold a few months later with your hopes in tatters and a mountain of debts to pay?

Failures and setback stalk all of us at some point in our lives, but it is how we choose to react to it which may determine how and whether we bounce back from disaster. Some people accept what has happened, count their losses, learn from the experience and move on.  Whereas others find it hard to reconcile themselves to what has occurred and slip from misery to despair.

How does resilience link to success?

But if we all confront failure at some point during our lives, then we need to be able to establish mechanisms and practices that enable us to overcome that failure. And if we are all going to face failure, then it stands to reason that those who are more resilient in the face of reversals are more likely to enjoy success, whether in their business, career, or personal lives. Many successful entrepreneurs will tell you about the string of failures that preceded their ultimate success, whereas a failed entrepreneur might only have one story to tell.

What is resilience?

Resilience is often defined as:

“The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape.”

or

“The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.”

Leading psychologist and best-selling author on the topic of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, has said of resilience and management:

“Enhancing mental toughness, highlighting and honing strengths, and fostering strong relationships are core competencies for any successful manager.”

So, resilience, whether you are a manager, entrepreneur, student, or just an individual facing challenges, is about springing back into shape, recovering quickly, and demonstrating enhanced mental toughness.

But is this innate? Are we just naturally made that way, or can it be developed and learned, and can science help us develop that ability to ‘bounce back’?

So how can science help us to develop resilience?

Fortunately, science tells us that resilience is not just a fixed personality trait that is possessed by only a select few, instead it is a set of behaviors and actions that anyone of us can be taught and develop to face a set of circumstances.

To help us develop those behaviors, and take the right actions, the American Psychological Association (APA), has, after extensive research, developed a 10-point plan to assist in building resilience:

#1: Make Connections – Forge valuable relationships, whether that is with family, friends, colleagues or others in the community.

#2: Avoid Seeing Crises as Insurmountable – Don’t see the present situation as extending into the future, instead focus upon a better tomorrow, beyond your current circumstances.

#3: Accept Change – Acknowledge that change is as constant as the seasons, so embrace it and work with it.

#4: Develop Realistic Goals – If you don’t know what you want, or where you are going, then you need to develop some realistic and achievable goals towards which you can work. Goal-directed behavior is a hallmark of successful people.

#5: Take Decisive Action – When adversity comes calling, do not bury your head in the sand! Instead seek advice and help from your connections, if necessary, but make sure that you take actions to address it, rather than ignore it.

#6: Embrace Self-discovery – At times of loss we often find out more about ourselves than when things are going well. Embrace it and take the opportunity to grow and develop as a person, as they say, “what doesn’t kill you, makes your stronger.”

#7: Trust Yourself – Nurture a more positive attitude towards your own abilities and instincts, so be less inclined to doubt yourself too readily.

#8: Keep Perspective – Keep a sense of proportion, so take a longer view of what has happened and don’t feel inclined to make more inconsequential things bigger than they really are: “don’t sweat the small stuff”.

#9: Stay Hopeful – Retain a positive and hopeful outlook, which should feed into your overall demeanor and your attitude to what is happening. Attitudes breed behavior, so if you adopt a pessimistic outlook, then you are going to see nothing but negativity around you. Remember, “misery likes a crowd”.

#10: Take Care of Yourself – Keep physically and mentally fit, so take regular and modest exercise and challenge yourself to keep your brain in trim.

Resilience of itself is not the only guarantee of success, but working on some of these points will certainly help you to face and challenge the setbacks that we all encounter at some point in our lives and particularly during the years that we are studying.

Resilience is not inborn and you can develop the attitudes and behaviors that will help you achieve the success that you crave by working upon the 10 points recommended by the APA.  And if you are able to develop resilience, then you will have learned the one ‘secret’ that all successful students know.

 

Will Trevor is Faculty Program Director for Marketing at Excelsior College.

Disclaimer:

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer.