Education open house
UD employees urged to take advantage of education opportunities
2:40 p.m., Dec. 12, 2014--Completing a college degree and traveling to Italy were two important bucket list items for University of Delaware employee Cathy Kinney, that is, until she accomplished both by returning to college as an adult student, taking advantage of her UD employee tuition benefit.
Speaking to a group of fellow UD employees attending an education open house last month, Kinney shared highlights and encouragement from her experiences as a UD student and full time administrative assistant in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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“Earning my degree taught me that with a little determination, discipline, diligence and dedication, I could do anything,” said Kinney, who achieved her goal of earning a UD associate in arts degree in 2012. Along the way she was able to participate in a UD study abroad program to Siena, Italy, and as part of her History of Landscape Design class, authored Delaware’s first historical landscape survey to be accepted into the Historic American Landscapes Survey Catalog in the Library of Congress.
Co-sponsored by UD Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) and UD Human Resources, the Nov. 17 open house provided an opportunity for UD benefits-eligible employees to learn more about education opportunities available to them at UD, such as enrolling in credit courses or completing a certificate program, as well as programs and workshops provided directly by Human Resources.
Jim Broomall, associate vice provost for professional and continuing studies, welcomed attendees and encouraged them to explore the education options available to them as University employees. “UD people are our institution's principal asset. PCS is privileged to work with HR to invest in our employees, and help them to meet their personal and professional goals.”
Approximately 50 UD employees attended the event. Some of the resources and tips presented include:
- UD’s ACCESS Center is a free resource to all UD employees, as well as members of the community, and provides academic and career advisement to help adult students reach their educational goals. ACCESS advisers can help UD employees evaluate previous college coursework for transfer of credits, explore career interests, choose classes and navigate UD student processes.
- It’s never too late. Carol Bernard, manager of UD’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Wilmington, started her college career at age 42. Earning an associate degree at age 46 led to her first UD job, where she went on to complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees using UD course fee waivers. The graduate degree turned out to be a central qualification for her current position. As Bernard shared with fellow UD employees at the event, “You can be 50 years old without a college degree or you can be 50 years old with a college degree. Why wait?”
- Choose a subject you’ll enjoy. Many prospective adult students may wonder whether they actually have the time to balance work and family responsibilities with academic pursuits. Kinney’s advice: sign up for just one class, in a subject you know you’ll be interested in. “You will be so surprised how easily you will adapt and find time to study,” says Kinney. “I guarantee you that you will feel so proud of yourself at the end of that first class, you will be looking for the next one to take.”
- Consider a short term program. UD’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies offers certificate programs and workshops that can be completed in less than a year. UD employees make up nearly 10 percent of certificate program graduates, in subjects like project management, social media and big data analytics.
- Make the most of UD-provided courses and workshops. Jean Neff, UD’s associate director for employee education and development, encouraged employees to take advantage of opportunities provided by UD’s Employee Education and Development and LearnIT@UD, with offerings ranging from leadership development and workplace effectiveness to IT topics and safety training. In the new year, employees should also look for a new online interface for UD training that will enable individuals to track their completed training and create an online portfolio showcasing their professional education path at UD.
Visit the following UD websites to learn more:
- Employee Education and Development
- LearnIT@UD
- Professional and Continuing Studies
- ACCESS Center
- Course Fee Waiver Program
For more information about signing up for courses, pursuing a degree, or for academic and career advisement, contact the ACCESS Center at 302-831-7600 or continuing-ed@udel.edu.
For additional details about the UD fee waiver benefit, review the UD Benefits Guide or contact UD Human Resources at 302-831-2171.
Article by Nora Riehl Zelluk
Photos by Evan Krape