Social Networking continued

Norman Thompson, Jr., a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology student, has been an active participant on the College’s Facebook page and supports Educause’s assertion. “I think Excelsior’s moving in the right direction (with social networking). They’re listening and noticing the trend. You’d become extinct if you didn’t get involved.” He also is a subscriber to the College’s YouTube channel and is connected with Excelsior’s LinkedIn site. Social networking, he claims, fits his lifestyle. A single parent with two children, president of Excelsior’s IEEE student chapter, and lead engineer at EchoStar, this Air Force veteran has his hands full while working to complete his degree. “If I want to stay connected to my industry, I have to stay on top of things. I knew I had to find avenues to do that. That’s why social networking is great for me.” The oft-cited book, The Wisdom of the Crowds, offers many intriguing examples of how the combined wisdom of a group is often greater than the smartest, single individual. With fellow students, alumni, faculty, and staff all participating, the College’s social networking efforts offer another means of communicating and creating community online. Don’t get left out of the discussion. Check out Excelsior’s social networking initiatives at www.excelsior.edu/communities.

School of Business & Technology
ABET Reaccreditation

The School of Business & Technology is pleased to announce the renewal of accreditation for its Electronics Engineering Technology and Nuclear Engineering Technology programs. In October 2009, the two programs underwent ABET review. ABET’s Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) officially notified Excelsior College of the approved status on August 5, 2010.

ABET, Inc., the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 30 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for over 75 years.

MBA Revised

Successful Program Enhances Flexibility and Accessibility

Excelsior’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has been enhanced to increase its flexibility and accessibility for working adults. The School of Business & Technology academic faculty and the College’s instructional designers have given each MBA course a new look along with enriched content and learning activities.

Consistent with the College’s mission to provide educational opportunities that overcome barriers of time, distance, and cost, the program allows students to transfer up to 24 credits from outside sources.

Students can complete the MBA program fully online, with between 33 and 48 graduate academic credits. Upon admission, individual candidates receive an evaluation indicating which courses must be successfully completed to qualify for the degree. Upon enrollment in the program, up to 15 credits of foundation courses may be waived on the basis of prior graduate or upper-level undergraduate study in the relevant areas. Waivers for foundation requirements may also be attempted through online challenge exams after enrollment.

“For the last fifty years, an MBA degree has been the path to management in corporations around the world,” explains Craig Tunwall, business faculty program director. “Now, in a world of rapidly changing values, technology, and economies, that MBA has to be adaptive and focused on the future. Excelsior’s new approach to an MBA degree recognizes those realities; it is adult education aimed at tomorrow’s challenges.”

The Excelsior College MBA is designed to provide a quality graduate business degree that facilitates career advancement; it is particularly helpful to those in middle management, emphasizing ethics, communication strategies, and workplace-oriented skills as well as the application of theory to practical situations.

For more information, go to www.excelsior.edu/mba.