Alumna spotlight — Tonia B. Davis ’03

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

The staff members of Columbia College-Salt Lake sport their new polos made at Tee’s and Lee’s T-Shirt and Sweatshirt Shop. Pictured from left: Scott Standriff, David Stoddard, Tonia Davis, Annica Ribble and David Martini.

It’s a small shop that Tonia B. Davis, a 2003 Columbia College-Salt Lake alumna, works out of. Mountains of shirts, hats, hoodies and other clothing are stacked on her shelves, while Tonia is strategically printing and embroidering logos for so many organizations and individuals.

Tonia’s love for shirts started while she was serving in the U.S. Army. Her husband, also a veteran, used to tease her by saying, “What are you going to do with all those shirts?” She would reply, “Start a business!” That is exactly what Tonia did. With a business degree from Columbia College, along with her training from the military, Tonia opened Tee’s & Lee’s T-Shirt and Sweatshirt Shop.

Tee’s and Lee’s started small with a pen, paper and a computer that Tonia’s church gave her. With a few tools and a never-ceasing willpower, Tonia started by printing names on the back of little league jerseys. From there she started silk screening memorial shirts and printing catchy sayings. Some of her favorites are “Duh,” “Whatever” and “It is what it is.” Also, she loves to make anything with “Columbia College” printed on it. As her business developed, Tonia started taking on new projects. She taught herself how to use large embroidery machines and now does polos, hats and anything else needing done. She now has three embroidery machines in her shop, along with updated equipment. She does thousands of shirts annually along with her other products.

Outside of her shop, Tonia is heavily involved in charity work. In 1999 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since that time she has sponsored shirts for the MS Walk and Shriners Hospital. She doesn’t let the MS slow her down, however. She works in her shop around the many doctor appointments, and she is beating the odds in many ways. In 2001, while pursuing her degree, doctors told her she would never walk again. She showed them, as she walked across the stage to receive her degree. She continues to show them, as she walks with the assistance of a cane today. Her passion for serving led to her receiving the Columbia College Alumni Association Service Award in April 2016.

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You are not alone

By Kim Major, senior academic advisor for Ready.Aim.Hire.

You are not alone. That statement is as true for an adult student as it was for Fox Mulder in the TV show The X-Files.

Deciding to begin higher education as an adult or return to it after being away for a long period of time is a courageous choice! It’s not going to be as scary as you might think. Here is proof that you are not alone. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projected a 13-percent increase in enrollment of nontraditional (adult) students between 2011 and 2021.

So if you are an adult who chooses to pursue higher education, how will you choose your first course? What do you need to know about studying? Where can you find help if you struggle?

Here are some tips for returning and new adult students that might help you along the way:

• Meet with your advisor. She or he works for you! Think about your favorite subjects in high school or courses you had success with in college, if this is not your first time in college. Your academic advisor will then help you select your first class.
• Begin with an introductory course, even if you’ve attended college before. Try a beginning course in your major, such as BIOL 108, CJAD 101, HUMS 105, MGMT 150, PSYC 101 or SOCI 111, OR take something in an area that interests you, such as HIST 121 or ARTS 105, OR even take a course to help you refresh or learn new skills, such as INCC 123 or ENGL 107.
• Before you go to your first night of class or log into an online class, read the course syllabus. Hopefully, you’ve already looked at it, but take time to read it again. Flip through your textbook. Better yet, read the first chapter. You do have your textbook, don’t you?
• Get to know fellow students and create a support network. Exchange contact information. Support from family and friends is one of the most important success factors for adult learners.
• Use your resources, including our online Tutoring Services and electronic library. You can find the current Tutoring Services schedule here, and some Nationwide locations offer face-to-face math and English tutoring free of charge. The library has course guides for a ton of subjects, from art and biology to psychology and religious studies as well as many other areas tied to specific Columbia College courses.
• Talk to your instructor, especially if you feel unsure or are struggling.
• Consult the list of strategies for success, specifically for nontraditional adult learners. At Columbia College, the Writing Center and Tutoring Services webpages have links to study strategies and skills, including time management, note-taking styles, test-taking tips and other helpful topics.

Once you get through that first course, you will be able to build on your experience and become increasingly successful. You are ready to begin!

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We want to hear from you!

By Columbia College Public Relations

The CC 360 Nationwide digital newsletters are an informative way to keep our community up to date on all the happenings around Columbia College, and we want your help making them the best they can be!

We want to hear from you. We want to give you a chance to tell us which features you use the most when we send out our newsletters at the beginning of each semester, what sort of content you like to see, and what types of things you would like to see more of in future editions of the newsletter.

Simply click on this link and take our anonymous, nine-question survey about the CC 360 digital newsletters to make your voice heard. Your feedback is appreciated!

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Financial aid for nontraditional students

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

College holds a different, unique set of challenges for adult learners, nontraditional students who are either picking up their college education again or entering an institution for the first time since high school.

The challenges start before enrolling in classes, continue during a college career that includes juggling family and professional responsibilities with schooling and extend long after a degree is earned, with financial-aid debt.

Yes, most students — traditional and nontraditional alike — incur debt. But nontraditional students have a special set of circumstances to consider when deciding whether to take on this debt, as well as how much they can take on.

A U.S. News & World Report article from January 2017 highlighted three potential financial aid traps for nontraditional students to avoid:

• Not completing a degree: A 2015 Federal Reserve Bank of New York study concluded that students who don’t complete their degrees are significantly more likely to default on their loans than ones who do. This leaves borrowers with no degree as well as financial liabilities. U.S. News & World Report urges nontraditional learners to find ways to navigate their courses without having to take out loans. Deliberate course planning will help to ensure academic success and may include limiting the number of courses taken to be able to pay out of pocket, utilizing tuition and student loan reimbursement programs through their employers and ensuring that opportunities to utilize Pell Grant funding are maximized. The Department of Student Success recommends working with advisors to ensure you are setting a good pace for yourself and, if you do end up needing to take time off school, to contact Student Success to talk about your options with loans to ensure you are able to successfully navigate the financial liability of loans.
• Leaning on loans: If you’re going back to school to better your employment credentials in the hopes of earning more money in your career, consider the final balance. Will the potential increase in salary outweigh the loans you’ll eventually have to repay in order to earn your degree? The article points out that nontraditional students don’t qualify for many of the grant and scholarship programs that traditional students do, so they’re more likely to have to rely on federal and private loans. Student Success encourages students to look at an estimate of what their borrowing might end up at over their time in college to ensure that their return will be worth the investment (or loans). The good news is, at Columbia College, tuition for online undergraduate courses for 2017-18 is about half the cost of the national tuition and fees average for private nonprofit and for-profit institutions, based on a 30-credit-hour academic year.
• Forgetting about the long term: A 22-year-old recent graduate has a 40-year career ahead of him or her before retirement age. That leaves plenty of time to pay off student debt. A 42-year-old recent graduate has to fit his or her financial obligations into a tighter window if he or she still wants to retire on time. U.S. News & World Report suggests budgeting a debt payment schedule based on your current income rather than any expected pay bump with a college degree. We hope that this encourages our students to look at paying off loans faster than required by the payment plan or borrow less. The more that they can do this, the faster they will get to a better financial place with their degree.

Even with financial aid considerations, going back to school is a decision that could pay off in the long run. According to 2015 U.S. Census data, the yearly median earnings for people 25 years and older were 21 percent higher with some college or an associate degree ($33,820) than with a high school diploma or equivalency ($28,043). The figure for bachelor’s degree holders ($50,595) was 80 percent higher than the high school earnings level, and the figure for graduate or professional degree holders ($66,857) was 138 percent higher. Education matters!

If you need any guidance utilizing the financial resources Columbia College has to offer or have questions about how to be a smart borrower, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

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What to consider when considering a career change

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

Lately, the staff at Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center has been getting variations on the same type of question quite frequently: “What should I know before making a career change?”

Deciding to leave your field for another can be a stressful process, definitely not one to be taken lightly. But, in the long run, it could also end up leading to a rewarding change of pace, either financially, emotionally or in other aspects of your life.

When considering whether to change careers, try to think about these things:

• How do you feel at your current job? A February 2014 article from Fast Company magazine lists three telltale signs that it may be time to change careers. First, is your paycheck the only thing fueling your workday? Second, do you wake up every workday wishing you could be anywhere but where you are? Third, do you have bad performance reviews? If you’re getting no enjoyment out of your job, performing in a mediocre manner and only showing up every day to get paid, it may be time to move on.
• Are you switching for the right reasons? So how can you tell whether you’ve hit a momentary rut at work or it’s time to plant roots somewhere else? An April 2013 article on KeppieCareers.com cautions against making rash decisions based on factors that may not even change with a career move. Evaluate why you’re unhappy with your job. Is it the work itself, or the office culture? If you’re frustrated with long hours or a lack of upward mobility, ask yourself if it’s worth starting at the bottom rung of the ladder somewhere else for the chance those aspects will be more favorable. If you’re feeling bored or unchallenged, think about how long it may be before you start feeling that way in a new career.
• Is there anything you can do to improve your current situation? The answer to your work malaise may not be outside your workplace’s walls. It may lie within you. An April 2012 Forbes.com story on the biggest mistakes career changers make suggests that you start repairing relationships and building respect and skills at your current job before deciding whether to leave. If you do end up leaving, then you’re in a better position to succeed in your next career. If you stay, then you’ve taken steps to improve your workplace environment. Whatever you do, the article warns, make sure you put copious amounts of time and research into the decision. And if you do change careers, be sure to give yourself time to settle in before deciding you need to be on the move again!

If you’re in need of advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

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Columbia College and Veterans United Home Loans recently announced a partnership designed to assist Veterans United’s clients further their education while helping members of Columbia College’s Veteran population achieve their aspirations of owning a home.

Through the partnership, Veterans United now offers Columbia College Veteran students, alumni, faculty and staff the opportunity to utilize the company’s Home Buyer Select Program, which offers savings on the total amount of their home loan. Columbia College is also offering a tuition discount to Veterans United’s borrowers, employees and their spouses.

“Columbia College and Veterans United are truly at the forefront of serving Veterans and their families in two important areas: education and home ownership,” Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple said. “This partnership can make a major impact on our alumni, faculty, staff and students who have served our country. It also allows us to work with an entity that provides a much-needed service to Veterans and is one of the most philanthropic-minded businesses in the country.”

Based in Columbia, Missouri, Veterans United is a full-service national lender. Its mission is to help Veterans and service members achieve the dream of homeownership.

“At Veterans United, our values are central to everything we do,” said Kris Farmer, Chief Marketing Officer. “One of our values is to ‘Enhance Lives Every Day’.  This unique partnership will allow us to enhance the lives of our clients by allowing them to further their education while providing them some extra savings. We are excited to forge this new relationship with Columbia College.”

Columbia College students, alumni, faculty and staff can learn more about home loan savings on the Homebuyer Select program website. Veterans United borrowers and employees can learn more about the tuition discount by contacting Patty Anderson at pranderson@ccis.edu.

Founded in 1851 in Columbia, Missouri, Columbia College has been helping students advance their lives through higher education for more than 165 years. As a private, nonprofit institution, the college takes pride in its small classes, experienced faculty and quality educational programs. The college, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, has more than 30 locations and offers day, evening and online classes. Columbia College educates more than 20,000 students each year and has more than 86,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit www.ccis.edu.

In 2017, Veterans United was named No. 27 of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, according to Great Place to Work® and Fortune Magazine. Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work® also named the company No. 37 on its Best Workplaces for Women in 2017. Veterans United’s employee-driven charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation, is committed to enhancing the lives of Veterans and military families nationwide by focusing on supporting military families and nonprofit organizations that strengthen local communities. The foundation has given nearly $10 million to charitable causes and organizations since the beginning of 2016. Learn more at EnhanceLives.com.

Simplifying your educational goals

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

We are a few days past the holidays and into a new year. We just began a new session here at Columbia College-Salt Lake. There is fresh powder in the mountains, the air is crisp, and we have new goals to accomplish. Many of us set New Year’s resolutions just a few weeks ago. Some of us put a lot of thought into it while others carried over the goals we did not accomplish last year. If you struggle keeping your New Year’s resolutions, you are not alone. Business Insider reports that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions are failed by February.

If you are struggling to keep your resolutions already, or maybe didn’t even set any goals for 2018, I’m with you. Every year I tell myself, “This is your year. You are going to lose the weight.” Well, every year comes and goes and I still struggle with my weight. That is the one goal that stares me in the face and knows it has me beat. Some of you may feel the same way about your educational goals. Sometimes the task (losing weight or getting done with your degree) can be too big.

Educational goals are important. Whether you are already taking classes or thinking about getting back into school, Columbia College-Salt Lake can and wants to help. I know that each of you is capable of accomplishing the things that you set your mind to and then follow up with the dedication and work that is required to achieve what you set out to do. One thing that I have learned in goal-setting is that if we are going to accomplish the things we have never before accomplished, we must do things that we have never before done. That means we must get out of our comfort zones and go to work. In a simple google search of “how to accomplish goals,” there are 7,430,000 results. After looking at a few of them, it seems that most goals can be accomplished by following the same few principles:

• Make your goal visible – post your goal where you can see it every day. I know people who write it and tape it to the bathroom mirror.
• Tell others about your goal – when others know about your goal, they can help keep you on track.
• Divide your goal into smaller, simpler goals – don’t get too overwhelmed with such a large goal. Maybe your goal of completing your degree is best managed by tackling one session at a time.
• Set a date of achievement – due dates are important. It keeps us on track. That’s why your instructors use them for your assignments.
• Be realistic – I am probably not going to lose 100 pounds this year. Maybe 25 is a more realistic approach.
• Commit to yourself – you determine the outcome.

Here at Columbia College-Salt Lake, we want you to achieve your goals. As a school, we are designed for those that work hard and want the education, also. We do evening and online classes with you in mind. We have an accelerated format that will help you get done sooner. We even keep our cost low so that you are not overwhelmed with the financial burden that often comes with educational pursuits.

We are focused on you. Let us be a part of your goals.

We want to hear from you!

Click here to take a survey about what you’d like to see in the CC 360 digital newsletters.

Credo Reference – A place to start your research

Are you writing a research paper but struggling with how to get started? Columbia College’s Stafford Library has a tool that can help.

Credo Reference offers more than three million reference entries from more than 800 titles in major academic subject areas to offer a great starting point for research. Credo’s collection contains resources such as:

• Dictionaries
• Thesauruses
• Encyclopedias
• Atlases
• Images, audio files and videos
• All with full citations

Mind Maps, interactive, visual tools for exploring related concepts, are available to help you learn about a topic. Your search term becomes the central concept in a map of related ideas to help you brainstorm. Check the image to the right for a look into how Mind Maps function.

Topic Pages give you a full-text article containing background information on a subject. A list of related topics, images, videos and other Credo articles are also available from the topic pages. For more information on how Topic Pages work, you can watch this video tutorial.

Students can access Credo Reference from Stafford Library’s list of databases. Simply click on this link and type in “Credo Reference” in the search bar to find the database. Enter your CougarTrack username and password when prompted if accessing the database from off campus.

And you can always contact Stafford Library by emailing library@ccis.edu or calling (573) 875-7381 or (800) 231-2391, ext. 7381.

Top time management tips

By Maria Haynie for Ready.Aim.Hire.

Finding the time you need to get through your to-do list, let alone your wish list, can seem impossible for working adults and students. Here are four time management tips from Columbia College managers to help you tame the calendar.

Build your team

Assuming that time management problems are yours alone to fix can be problematic. Taking the time to express your goals and your situation to others can help them understand how important your education is to you and how hard you are working to achieve your goals, said Debra Hartman, Region II and Crystal Lake location director.

“When others see, they are much more likely to make sacrifices on your behalf,” Hartman said.

Jean Simmons, Evening Campus and Region I director, agrees that sharing your struggles and successes is important to help you find support. “Get your family on board. If they feel like part of the solution, it makes life easier for you, and they will tend to be more supportive,” Simmons said.

Tools for you, tools for the team

Whether you prefer pen and paper for scheduling or type it all into your digital calendar, you need something to help you keep track of dates, block out hours of time and keep you aware of what’s coming up. But more importantly, your team needs to know, too. If you can communicate the big test you have coming up on Friday to your team, they will understand why you need extra time to prepare that week and can work out a plan. Because digital calendars such as Google Calendar are so easy for multiple people to share, they’re a great option for families.

“My husband and I share documents, calendars and message all day long so we stay on the same page about where to be and when and who’s picking up which kid from where,” said Brandi Herrman, instructor of business administration. “We also have Google Hangouts on our phones — making sure that it’s easy to contact each other and we have a record of it.”

Only balance the right things

It may be tempting to try to keep everything on the schedule and treat school as an add-on, but that will lead to “emotional and physical wear and tear,” said Mark Bowles, Student Support Services director.

Instead, consider a blank weekly schedule. Add in your most essential items, such as work hours, child care hours and most important appointments. As you add each item, consider the impact it will have on your day and if there are any ways to reduce the amount of time or effort it would take to accomplish that task.

Hartman encourages the use of carpools as one schedule-saver. Then schedule school time in, right with these essential activities, to show yourself and your team that it is a priority.

Before you try to squeeze in anything else, carve out space for a little self-care and family time. “When one steals from downtime to try to catch up somewhere else – that’s a cure that does more harm than the disease itself, which is the problem of not having enough time for other responsibilities,” Bowles said.

When you schedule in time for some fun with your family, “this gives everyone something to look forward to as they work through the responsibilities of their week,” said Becky Gordon-Bocklage, director of the Fishman Center for Entrepreneurship.

See the big picture

With any luck, after essential activities, school and a bit of downtime are on your calendar, there may be a few hours left. Decide what you will spend on social life, volunteer service, personal projects and other activities. If you don’t have as much time as you’d like to dedicate to those aspects of your life, be patient with yourself and remember that you won’t be in school forever.

“Do not hesitate to explain that you may need to take more than you give at this time,” Hartman said. “We all go through seasons in our life when that imbalance occurs and when you are able, when the degree is done, it can be your turn to give more than you get.”

Tips for a smooth tax season

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

It’s never too early to start thinking about preparing your taxes. And, with tax day a little more than three months away, the time will be upon you before you know it.

With that in mind, Rachel Smith, Project & Student Services Specialist for Columbia College’s Department of Student Success and Money Stacks, has some advice on what you need to stay prepared.

Consult a checklist

Articles such as this one on NerdWallet.com run down all the things people need to have handy in order to fill out their taxes. A checklist can help you keep track of what you need to know about your personal data, yearly income and possible deductions and credits for your paperwork.

Detailed rundowns like this can also help alert you to deductions and credits that you may not have known about, such as claiming a deduction for tuition and fees for your schooling and applying for American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits that benefit college students.

Have last year’s tax documents available

This is especially handy, according to Smith, when you’re receiving a number of tax documents from different sources.

“I personally find it helpful to pull out my tax documents from the prior year so I can remember what forms to expect in the mail or what I might need to log in and print out,” Smith says. “Sometimes just reading a list of documents isn’t enough to spark my memory. I need to see the form from the organization from the prior year to really remember what I’m waiting on.”

Check into IRS resources

If you’re planning on preparing your own taxes, seek out software that could help you along the way. The IRS has a Free File site that includes a list of free software tools for applicants who meet certain criteria.

Understand your withholdings

Have you ever gotten a bit of an unwelcome shock when your taxes come back and you see what you owe? Want to do something about it?

The IRS has a site that can help you understand how to fill out your W-4 form and the withholding options for which you could be eligible.

If you need any more guidance about preparing for tax season, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

Asking the right interview questions

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

You’ve made it. You secured an in-person interview for a job, presented your qualifications and strengths in an enticing manner and answered all of the questions the interviewer had for you.

All except one, the one they usually save for last: “So, do you have any questions for me?”

The staff at Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center gets this all the time: people who come to them seeking advice on how to respond when asked if they have any questions for the interviewer.

“It’s critical that you ask questions during an interview,” director of Career Services Dan Gomez-Palacio says. “If you don’t, the subtext might be that you just want the conversation to be over ASAP and that you really aren’t curious about the position.”

But you shouldn’t just ask any question that comes to your mind. You should prepare with questions beforehand, much as you’ve prepared answers to the questions your interviewer might pose of you.

Articles such as this one from Forbes.com offer helpful advice on the right and wrong types of questions to bring to a job interview.

If it’s a first interview, “anything that smells even a little bit like it’s self-serving,” in Forbes’ words, should not enter the equation. It’s too early to start asking about salary, vacation time, work schedule and other logistical questions.

Instead, focus on questions that delve more into the opportunity the job presents, as well as the work environment at your prospective place of employment.

Gomez-Palacio suggests questions such as:

• Can you tell me what you enjoy about working here? What do you appreciate the most about working here and if you could change one thing about your company, what would that be?
• What attributes make the ideal candidate for this position?
• What do your clients say about your company?
• What are the opportunities and challenges the organization will face in the next six months?

These questions could serve as an opportunity to further align yourself with the employer, as well as opening the door to more information into the company’s culture and the expectations placed on the position. Alternately, they show a deeper level of thinking, consideration and interest in the job that is attractive to interviewers.

So don’t fret about that dreaded “any more questions?” portion of the interview. Prepare yourself and seize the moment!

If you’re in need of advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

No fees. No book costs. No surprises. These are the benefits new and current Columbia College of Missouri online and nationwide location students will experience this fall with the launch of the college’s Truition^SM initiative.

“College pricing is not transparent. There’s tuition, of course, but most colleges pile on all sorts of fees too: application fees, technology fees, lab fees and several others. These fees can cost as much as the tuition,” said Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple. “Beginning this fall, Columbia College will charge an affordable tuition rate for its online and adult-serving venues– charging no fees of any kind, while providing textbooks or eTexts to students at no cost.”

Increasing book costs often prove to be a barrier for students to complete their education. The college will be partnering with Ed Map, a national leader in etext and educational resources distribution, to assure students will have their books and other materials on or before the first day of class at no cost.

Additional fees are also frequently hidden in fine print. Students get hit with fees after they’ve enrolled, during the semester and even before graduation. The Truition^SM (truth + tuition) initiative eliminates these fees and provides an honest and clear look at the price of college, allowing students to better plan for their financial future. To learn more about Truition^SM, visit MyTruition.com.

Stop buying Books. Stop paying Fees.

Dear Students,

College pricing isn’t very transparent. There’s tuition, of course, but most colleges pile on all sorts of fees too:  application fees, technology fees, lab fees… the fees can cost as much as the tuition.  What’s worse, the cost of textbooks is simply out of control.  Many students report going without textbooks at least once because they just don’t have the money.

It’s time somebody did something about it. That somebody is us. Starting Fall 2018, Columbia College will charge a single tuition rate for its online and adult-serving venues– charging no fees of any kind, while also providing textbooks. Truth + tuition = Truition

When we say no fees, we mean it. No proctoring fee, no parking fee, no graduation fee… nothing.  And all of your books will be provided at no additional charge– even expensive lab kits.

New undergraduate students will pay $375 per credit hour, while new graduate students will pay $490.

But as a current student, you will pay a lower rate— while receiving the same great benefits:

• Undergraduate Online courses: $335 per credit hour
• Undergraduate In-Seat courses: $295 per credit hour
• Undergraduate Active military students: $250 per credit hour*
• Graduate In-Seat courses: $410 per credit hour
• Graduate Online courses: $435 per credit hour

I’m excited to share this news with you.  Learn more at truition.CCIS.edu or contact your academic advisor.

At Columbia College, our mission is to improve lives, and Truition helps us get there.  Thanks for reading and best of luck with the summer session!

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Dalrymple

President, Columbia College

Truition prices are established exclusively for undergraduate and graduate students taking classes online or at one of our adult higher education venues across the nation. Other exclusive programs are in place for students attending our residential campus in Columbia, Missouri.

 *Active duty service members, including the National Guard and Reserve, pay a Truition rate of $250 per credit hour. Columbia College provides a military grant to cover the cost of books.

Making the most of virtual career fairs

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

In the past few years, virtual career fairs have become increasingly popular with employers. They offer an inexpensive way to reach a diverse range of candidates. For the job or graduate program seeker, they can provide the opportunity to make an impression on a recruiter that you may never have a chance to meet in person.

Job applicants can find out inside tips on applying, learn more about the company and, most importantly, influence the recruiter positively toward you as a candidate. For folks thinking about graduate programs, there are fairs that specifically aim toward continuing your studies. Whether it’s a virtual meet-and-greet with a specific program or a larger fair where you meet reps from many schools at once, these events can be an innovative and powerful way to help lead you to a decision.

To find these events, head to Handshake – Columbia College’s free, online career management software for students and alumni. Because participating in these fairs is not necessarily intuitive, you might wonder, what is the best to handle the events? Here are a few tips to get started:

• Research the organizations attending the event

Spend time looking at the websites of the attending organizations. What positions are they offering? What is their organizational mission? The more you know about employers and their available positions, the more you will impress them.

• Have your resume ready, polished and reviewed

Often you will upload your resume prior to the fair, and it will appear on screen. Having a resume that clearly explains the value you bring to an employer and is error free will go a long way.

• Practice a short introduction and be ready to ask questions

Often the recruiters will want you to initiate the conversation. Whether it’s over webcam or using your computer keyboard, a short introduction of your name, school, major, expected graduation date and planned career path will help kick off the discussion. Also, be ready to ask questions. Questions could be about a specific opportunity, the organization or just general questions about the industry. But don’t ask questions about information that can be easily found on their website, as that may make you look unprepared or disinterested.

• Dress up

If it’s a fair that will have a video chat component, for obvious reasons, you will want to dress professionally. But even if it isn’t, dressing professionally can help put you in the right mindset to make your best first impression.

• Be sure you are communicating appropriately and professionally

A lot of online communication is very informal. Use professional communication, avoid text speak and showcase your enthusiasm.

• Follow up

If you have a good talk with a recruiter, follow up with an email to thank them for their time and continue to build the relationship. Additionally, you can connect with them on LinkedIn.

You can find more information on succeeding at virtual career fairs by checking out articles such as “12 Ways to Make the Most out of a Virtual Career Fair” and “How to Succeed in Virtual Job Fairs.” If you’re in need of additional advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Checking in on your school finances

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

The summer months are a great time for rest and relaxation after the rush of the fall and spring semesters. They’re also a good time to take stock and plan ahead, whether you’re taking a semester off from school or still taking class or two.

It doesn’t take much time to get your school finances in order and see where you stand before the fall arrives. Here are a few suggestions for those who want to use the summer months to prepare their finances before the new academic year hits.

• File your 2018-19 FAFSA Application

That is, if you haven’t already filed your FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is necessary to determine whether you’re eligible for federal and state financial aid. Submission deadlines vary by state, and you can go to the FAFSA website or consult this handout to see which deadlines apply to you. If you have already completed your FAFSA application, take this time to monitor your Cougarmail to make sure nothing additional is required and your  electronic award letter is accurate.

• Revisit your graduation plan

Checking in with an advisor on how long it will be until you anticipate graduating can help you to estimate the time and cost it will take to complete your degree. Start planning for how much aid you’ll need to get through the 2018-19 school year, and how much you will be able to pay out of pocket. This will also help you formulate an estimate of how much total student loan borrowing you’ll have during your college career and what would be a viable repayment option for you. This also might be an opportunity for some people to estimate total student loan borrowing and estimate repayment. The studentloans.gov website has a valuable Repayment Estimator tool to help you plan for your payments down the road.

• Apply for outside scholarships

It never hurts to see how much supplementary aid you can get your hands on as well. Sites such as collegescholarships.org are helpful resources when it comes to finding scholarships for nontraditional students.

If you need any more tips about financially planning your way through college, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

How long does it take to complete a degree?

By Maria Haynie for Ready.Aim.Hire.

Biological clocks, circadian rhythms, the red countdown timer at the crosswalk — we’re hard-wired to be aware of the passing of time. No one knows this better than the busy student.

Whether you’re a planner or a procrastinator, all students must contend with the timing, balancing and scheduling of academic life. While we have lots of advice for fitting education into your life, it’s also important to know how long the whole degree could take from start to finish.

So, how long will it take you? The short answer: it depends.

No matter where you attend college, an associate degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, and a bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. In addition, students must meet degree requirements and complete 30 credits for a bachelor’s degree and 15 credits for an associate degree with Columbia College.

A variety of factors will determine how long it will take a person to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree, including but not limited to incoming transfer credit and the number of courses a student wants to commit to each semester. One of the great things about Columbia College is the flexibility that allows students to progress at a pace that works best for them.

Here are the two main factors that affect how long it takes to get to graduation for busy adult learners.

CREDITS AND EXPERIENCE YOU ALREADY HAVE
“Students coming to Columbia College who have taken courses or earned military credit previously are often able to shorten the time to degree completion,” said Joie Hendricks, senior academic advisor at Columbia College Online Student Services.

Even if you’ve never taken college classes before, you might be able to save time by getting credit for experiences. Students with a background in law enforcement may be able to earn college credit for police academy training in the PIC and PiLE programs.

Students can also test out of classes by proving they already know the content. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams and DSST exams are common ways to get credit for prior knowledge.

Hendricks offers this advice for those looking to test out of classes: “Students interested in taking CLEP and DSST exams should always check with their advisor to ensure the exam will transfer in as needed and that taking a CLEP or DSST exam will not interfere with a student’s residency requirement.”

A MANAGEABLE WORKLOAD
“It’s also possible for students to take advantage of our six-session structure to earn an associate degree in under two years or a bachelor’s in as little as three-and-a-half years,” Hendricks said.

If you can handle a greater workload while in school, finding a program with multiple sessions can help. You could graduate faster and start enjoying the benefits of your degree sooner. Shorter class sessions also mean it’s easier to set your own pace and continue to adjust your workload as needed every eight weeks. You aren’t committed to your class schedule for months, like with traditional semesters.

“A full-time course load for an online student is two courses per eight-week session,” Hendricks said. “With six sessions per year, a student can take 12 courses per year or up to 18 if the student can handle a greater workload. Our flexibility allows students to customize how long it takes to complete a degree.”

Resource guides at Stafford Library

By Stafford Library

Are you looking for resources to help you with a class or a specific assignment? Are you needing information related to the subject of your major or minor? Take a look at the library’s resource guides on the library’s website at https://library.ccis.edu or on the library’s resource guide web page at https://library.ccis.edu/guides. The guides are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all Columbia College students.

Resource guides help students find articles, databases, books, e-books, videos and websites pertinent to an assignment, course, topic or subject. The guides provide links to resources and present search strategies to use. The librarians work with the faculty in creating these guides so that students can find resources specific to their research needs.

Instructors may request a guide to be created for a specific assignment, course, or topic by emailing the library at library@ccis.edu or calling (573) 875-7381.

There are four types of resource guides available to help students:

• Assignment guides are created to assist students with an assignment in a particular course. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Resource Guide is an example. This guide provides information for an assignment in the ARTS 111 – Arts and Ideas class.
• Course guides are specifically designed for a course. For an example, see the English Composition II – ENGL 112 Resource Guide.
• Topic guides are created to help students research one particular aspect of a subject. The Industry Ratios Resource Guide is an example of such a guide. It was created to help students find and analyze industry ratios as they do work in various business administration classes.
• Subject guides are created for Columbia College majors and minors in order to help students do research in that subject field. A good example of a subject guide is the History Resource Guide.

Remember, you can contact the library staff for help by calling (573) 875-7381 or (800) 231-2391, by emailing library@ccis.edu, texting (573) 535-5449 or sending a chat by clicking on the chat link on the library’s website at library.ccis.edu.

Uber and Columbia College of Missouri today announced a unique partnership that will give thousands of Uber driver-partners in Missouri and around the U.S. a 15 percent discount on tuition. The discount will also be available to any current Columbia College of Missouri student who signs up to drive with Uber.

“Uber has a great global brand, and we’re pleased to partner with them,” said Dr. Scott Dalrymple, president of Columbia College of Missouri. “This initiative has the potential to change many lives.”

Tuition costs at Columbia College of Missouri are less than half the national average. The college offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees on its main campus in Columbia, Missouri, through a robust online program, and via a network of 34 additional locations across the country. Eight-week classes begin six times a year.

“Uber is a natural fit for students looking to earn money while pursuing a degree. With no set hours or shifts, students can choose when they want to drive in a way that works around their lives and class schedule, not the other way around,” said Andy Hung, Uber Missouri General Manager. “We are thrilled to team up with Columbia College of Missouri to offer this program to drivers seeking an affordable way to further their education.”

To be eligible for the tuition discount, Uber driver-partners must complete at least one trip per month. For more information about how current students interested in driving with Uber and current driver-partners interested in applying to Columbia College of Missouri can take advantage of this offer, visit uber.ccis.edu.

About Uber Missouri

Uber’s mission is to make transportation as reliable as running water – everywhere, for everyone. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? Six years and over a billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars. Follow us on Twitter @Uber and find us on Facebook: Uber.

The five practices of the exemplary student 

If you’ve ever read the book The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, you might find it applies to you while pursuing your education. In fact, let’s retitle our thoughts to The Five Practices of the Exemplary Student and see if it applies to you. If not, perhaps you should set your sights on these practices.

In their studies and resulting book, The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner wanted to know the common practices of ordinary men and women when they were at their leadership best. Their analysis of cases and surveys revealed The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership:

Practice One:  Model the Way. Leaders create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. For students this might mean striving for academic excellence and not settling for just passing.

Practice Two: Inspire a Shared Vision. They create an idea or image of what the future can be. They see exciting possibilities for the future. For students this might mean envisioning themselves as graduating and helping their family and friends envision the same.

Practice Three: Challenge the Process. Leaders look for ways to improve. They take risks. They don’t take foolish risks but are willing to step out toward something new. Pursuing a degree is seen, by some, as a risk, but it has huge rewards.

Practice Four: Enable Others to Act. They strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others so that they too can reach their potential. While treating people with civility, students encourage others to contribute in class and share ideas and opinions. They contribute to their own education.

Practice Five: Encourage the Heart. Leaders keep hope and determination alive. They celebrate accomplishments and make others feel like heroes. Students celebrate every academic task well done and, ultimately, graduation!

The field of Leadership Studies can teach us much and, in many cases, reinforces the “enduring wisdom” that our parents, grandparents and elders taught us. Lead yourself so you are better prepared to lead others as we begin this new year at Columbia College-Salt Lake!

Read the fine print on promotional interest rates

The holiday season has come and gone and, more likely than not, your credit card bills have swollen with the weight of the gifts you purchased for family and friends.

Some of you may have taken credit card companies up on seasonal low interest rate offers in order to lessen the burden as well. If a company is offering to let you pay off a four-figure debt over the next year with 0 percent interest, how can there be a downside?

Sometimes companies hide them in the fine print of the agreements, according to Rachel Smith, senior advisor at Columbia College’s Student Success office.

“Many people think that they are getting a great deal with a 0 percent interest program,” Smith says. “when in reality they haven’t read the fine print and don’t realize that if you don’t pay off the loan in the specified timeframe, even by one payment, they go back and charge you interest from the date of purchase. This can be costly mistake for consumers.”

In an article called “How Credit Card Promotional Rates Work,” TheBalance.com highlights the key tenets of these potentially useful, yet potentially damaging, deals.

Here are some things to consider with promotional rates:

• How long do they last?: Federal law mandates at least six months, but some of the best deals can last up to a year and a half. Some credit card companies measure the rates through billing cycles rather than months, so be on the lookout for that as well. Also, be sure to make your payments on time. Some rates expire before the end of the promotional period if you’re more than 60 days late on your credit card payment.
• Check the rate after the promotional period: Before you enter into a low interest rate agreement, find out what the post-promotional rate will be. Sometimes, an inflated rate after the promotional period makes it so that it’s not worth it to sign on for a low interest rate during the deal.
• It’s not the same as deferred interest: Even though companies may use similar phrasing to promote low-interest rate introductory offers and deferred interest plans, they are not the same thing. With a deferred interest plan, you have to pay the full credit card balance in order to pay no interest. If you have any balance left after the promotional period, you’re on the hook for the full interest backdated to the first day the balance was added to your account.

For more tips on financial awareness, you can check out the Student Success Money Stacks page, email moneystacks@ccis.edu or call (573) 875-7860.

Campus Quad’s Alumni Fountain celebrates Nationwide locations

Columbia College is far more than just its Day Campus. We would not be where we are today without the students and alumni from our 35 Nationwide locations, Evening Campus and the Online Education program as well.

That’s why, when it came to planning out the Quad — the new heart of our Columbia, Missouri, campus — we made sure that our national footprint played a prominent part.

To honor our more than 83,000 alumni living worldwide as well as all the locations that make up the whole of Columbia College, we positioned Alumni Fountain as the centerpiece of the Quad. The fountain has one center jet of water, representing main campus, with eight smaller jets arranged around it to represent the Nationwide locations’ contribution to Columbia College.

Not only that, but the fountain also serves as a sort of compass, with bricks bearing the name of each Nationwide location and arranged geographically around the center of the fountain in the direction they are from the main campus.

Alumni Fountain turned on for the first time August 29, the first day of classes, and it took students less than a minute to make a sprint through the jets! On October 7, President Scott Dalrymple officially dedicated the rest of the Quad at a ceremony in which more than 100 members from the community showed up to help celebrate.

We hope that those of you who have had the opportunity to visit our beautiful campus will make a return trip at some point to check out the Quad. And, if you’ve never made it to Columbia, we hope you’ll stop by and check out all we have to offer.

Be sure to visit ccis.edu/quad for more information.

Social networking can help net a job 

Have you ever thought about using your Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts to help further your professional life?

While their primary purpose is expanding and deepening someone’s network of personal connections, the many platforms that make up social media can also serve as invaluable resources when you’re looking to land a job or further your career. That is, if you know how to use them correctly.

A 2012 CareerBuilder.com survey found that 37 percent of the more than 2,300 hiring managers and human resources professionals the site polled use social networks to vet job candidates. Of those companies, 65 percent said they did it to see if the potential candidate presents him or herself professionally.

“Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today, and because much of that communication is public, it’s no surprise some recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in,” CareerBuilder vice president of human resources Rosemary Haefner told Forbes.com.

So how do you put your best foot forward? Forbes (“Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn in Your Job Search”) and TheMuse.com (“45 Things Successful Job Seekers Do on Social Media”) both have helpful articles on the topic.

Here are some of their top tips:

• Show Your Personality: Don’t start these accounts just to have them. Actually go on Facebook, Twitter, etc., read what others are posting about and develop some content of your own that shows off your individuality. Comment on others’ posts. Share articles that interest you, or that you find interesting about the field in which you work.
• But Keep it Clean: Make sure that the face you present to the public is one that you wouldn’t mind everybody in the world seeing. That goes beyond some obvious pointers such as don’t use profanity and keep party pictures off your feeds. The Muse also suggests “removing articles that are politically divisive or could be considered offensive, posts that are super random, long rants on a certain topic and the like.”
• Spread Your Wings: Don’t be afraid to expand your social circle beyond your immediate sphere of friends and family. Forbes suggests remaining vigilant on LinkedIn with inviting new networking contacts and old work colleagues to join your network. That not only expands your networking circle but also gives you access to more second- and third-degree connections through your new contacts.
• Read Up on Potential Employers: Identify companies for which you ultimately might like to work and follow their social media trails. That way, you can keep up to date on any jobs that might be coming open, as well as any initiatives or milestones so you can be knowledgeable at a possible interview. You can also find who you might be working for (or with) and see their social media presence. Familiarize yourself with their passions and views and get a gauge on their personalities.
• Promote Yourself…But Not Too Much: If you’re proud of a personal or professional achievement, don’t be afraid to flaunt it on your social media accounts. But, as the Muse points out, don’t come off as a braggart: “Nothing looks worse – or turns followers off more – than a Twitter stream just promoting your own thing.” Spread praise around to others in your social and work communities and show that you’re just as happy for the success of others as you are for yourself.

For more tips on pursuing and enhancing professional opportunities, you can visit Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center website, call (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Uber drivers can get discounted tuition at Columbia College

Are you looking for a way to pursue a quality college education while supplementing your income with a side job? Columbia College and Uber have you covered.

The two organizations have announced a unique partnership that will give thousands of Uber driver-partners around the U.S. a 15-percent discount on tuition. The discount will also be available to any current Columbia College student who signs up to drive with Uber.

“Uber has a great global brand, and we’re pleased to partner with them,” Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple said. “This initiative has the potential to change many lives.”

Tuition costs at Columbia College are less than half the national average. The Uber partnership provides an incentive for current students to realize another revenue stream, as well as an enticement for prospective students who just so happen to be Uber drivers.

“Uber is a natural fit for students looking to earn money while pursuing a degree. With no set hours or shifts, students can choose when they want to drive in a way that works around their lives and class schedule, not the other way around,” said Andy Hung, Uber Missouri general manager. “We are thrilled to team up with Columbia College to offer this program to drivers seeking an affordable way to further their education.”

To be eligible for the tuition discount, Uber driver-partners must complete at least one trip per month. For more information about how current students interested in driving with Uber and current driver-partners interested in applying to Columbia College can take advantage of this offer, visit uber.ccis.edu.

This feature was published in the latest edition of Affinity Magazine! Click here to check out the magazine in its entirety. 

Columbia College is committed to providing an environment that encourages inclusion and equity for every student and employee. That goes for all races, ages, religions, gender identities and sexual orientations, in all of our venues.

The Columbia College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
(Photo by Kaci Smart)

To that end, and to ensure that the college is doing everything it can to maintain a welcoming community for all, President Scott Dalrymple created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in the spring of 2016.

This group of 12 representatives from three different locations was chosen by a panel of the president’s Administrative Council to enact and oversee diversity initiatives for the college.

Keith McIver, director of Development and chair of the committee, says that the group has already identified and assigned four sub-committees to tackle different parts of the diversity, equity and inclusion picture.

There’s the assessment sub-committee, chaired by James Smith, director of Adult Higher Education Campus Admissions; training, chaired by Dr. Teresa VanDover, associate professor of Education; programs, chaired by Kandace Anthony, assistant director at Columbia College- St. Louis; and policy, chaired by Alisa Buck, director of project management for Technology Services.

“We want to ensure that throughout the institution, we are committed to these values and principles,” McIver says. “I’m happy that this committee was formed not as a reaction. I think it’s good we are proactively engaging our community and volunteers.”

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee works to maintain a place for open discourse at Columbia College, support activities that promote diversity and inclusion, coordinate efforts with campus departments and conceive of ways the school can fulfill its vision as an accommodating learning, teaching and working environment.

“I’d like to see, and we’ll work with other stakeholders for, diversity in our faculty representation,” McIver says. “It’s my hope that we are able to increase diversity as it is recognized throughout the college, in all areas.

“It is a hot topic across the nation, but it’s good work. We’re all committed. Let’s go. It will take more learning, talking and engaging across the spectrum.”

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

I’m reaching out to offer support to our campus community. As you are likely aware, a  Presidential executive order was signed and put into effect over the weekend that made changes to the rules governing visas and entry to the United States for certain countries. This is a fluid situation, but I want to be clear that Columbia College welcomes all of our international students regardless of their nationality or religious background. We are a diverse and inclusive college community spanning the entire country with students from around the globe, and it is important that all members of our community know they are valued. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is carefully monitoring this situation, with our students and the larger college community in mind. 

If you have questions, please know that you can contact our International Student Services office (573-875-2756 or internationalcenter@ccis.edu), our Student Affairs office (Dave Roberts, interim dean, dwroberts@ccis.edu, 573-875,7690), our Diversity, Equity  & Inclusion Committee chair (Keith McIver, kwmciver@ccis.edu, 573-875- 7550) or, of course, you are welcome to contact me directly as well.    

I want to be clear that our international students, faculty and staff are valued and supported by leadership at Columbia College.   

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Dalrymple

President, Columbia College

president@ccis.edu

(573) 875-7200

Columbia College-Salt Lake welcomes a new director

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

My name is David Stoddard, and I am the new director at Columbia College-Salt Lake. I feel extremely fortunate to be given this opportunity to be working as a director for Columbia College. Our institution integrates the highest standards in education while ensuring that each and every student has the opportunity to excel personally and educationally.

I believe that my credentials, which include more than 12 years of experience in recruiting, educating, training and strategic planning along with a Master of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College, reflect my qualifications. As your director, it is my goal to use these experiences to provide you with the best educational experience while you pursue your goals.

My staff and I appreciate all of our students as they spread the word about the educational opportunities provided by the Columbia College-Salt Lake location. We have several undergraduate majors to choose from and offer four online master’s programs in business administration, criminal justice, military studies and teaching. The MBA program has a concentration in human-resource management and accounting. In addition to in-seat degree programs, we also offer online degrees — 28 accredited online associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees through more than 800 online courses.

My personal motto that I strive to live by is to “teach, love and celebrate students.” Each of you matters in what Columbia College and I stand for. Without you, we could not exist. I look forward to meeting each and every one of you, and I hope that you will feel welcome to come visit with me. I want to know you, your goals and your achievements.

Not too young, not too old

By Maria Haynie, Ready.Aim.Hire.

The magic age for getting a degree doesn’t actually exist. However, students who consider themselves “nontraditional” are concerned about how their age will affect their experience in the classroom. Let’s break down this make-believe age barrier:

Imagine the fictional college freshman, a fresh-faced 18- or 19-year-old, walking through a historic, bricked campus while the changing red leaves softly fall from the stately trees overhead. The image is beautiful and certainly will be found at the main Columbia College campus and elsewhere across the nation each fall, but it only represents 3.4 percent of the whole student body at Columbia College.

While many evening and online students may consider themselves nontraditional students, the numbers show that the actual Columbia College tradition is about them. The majority of students, 56 percent, were between 30 and 65 years old in 2015. Our students are more likely to find a classmate to have much more life experience than a student who may still daydream about last spring’s prom. In fact, the student learning alongside you is 2.5 times more likely to be in their early 30s than around 20. It’s also likely you’ll have more than one classmate whose children are in high school, or perhaps has a grandchild or two.

The mix of ages in a learning community enriches the whole class with both mature and fresh perspectives. Many adult students share the common concerns about using technology or about getting the hang of school after being out of classrooms for a long time. The resources and technology used in our classes are designed to be user-friendly for all students: no higher education experience required to start.

At any age, going to college is no fairy tale. Earning a degree is hard work. But as an adult, older students have experience and responsibilities that can be resources and excellent motivation. You may have to use your imagination and get creative to fit school around your full and busy life, but the happy ending of graduation is attainable for any age of student.

The pros and cons of summer courses

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

Taking classes over the summer can be a big help when you’re pursuing a degree. At Columbia College, you can take up to 12 additional hours over the summer, which could knock off an entire semester of coursework! That lets you complete your schooling faster and lessens the financial load.

But how do you know if taking summer courses is right for you? Columbia College’s Department of Student Success and Money Stacks has some pros and cons you might want to consider when deciding whether to trade in your swim trunks for syllabi:

• Keep up your momentum: If you had a good spring term and want to ride that wave into the summer, it might be a good idea to sign up for more classes so you can stay in an educational rhythm. If you’re a student that strives on structure and routine, you could benefit from forging ahead with your classes rather than taking the summer off.
• Be mindful of burnout: If, on the other hand, you’re starting to experience some education fatigue, sitting the summer sessions out might be the best option. Summer can provide a great opportunity to recharge with family time, vacation or just straight-up relaxation away from a school setting.
• Saving time can mean saving money: Getting done with school earlier could mean less interest on student loans to pay back. It also allows students an earlier gateway to the workforce or to looking for a promotion in their current jobs. But, along with these financial benefits, taking summer classes also necessitates some financial planning when it comes to allocating some of your funds and looking for additional scholarships of different ways to pay for the summer sessions.
• Make time for fun: A Monster.com article on the subject cautions that taking year-round school could prohibit you from taking part in some of the extracurricular activities you enjoy. You have to find a good balance between enjoying the college experience and getting through it in a timely manner.

For more guidance on how to make the most of your Columbia College experience, you can contact the Department of Student Success at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

‘Handshake’ helps connect students with job opportunities

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

Starting in July, Columbia College students will have a new way to connect with companies around the country who are offering enticing employment and internship opportunities.

The college is transitioning from CCNet, its previous career services software, to Handshake, a relatively new software that has been adopted by more than 160 colleges and boasts over 120,000 nationwide employers that have posted jobs through the service.

Students can upload their resumes, research companies, apply for opportunities and find out about career events through Handshake. The service allows students to connect with employers without the companies having to go through Columbia College in order for a student to access them. This makes for a powerful service that can help our students no matter what location they attend or what part of the country they’re searching.

An October article in The Chronicle of Higher Education explains it this way: “The company produces software that’s designed to replace the systems that colleges have long used to keep track of job postings and pass them along to students. For employers, it’s a way to easily mine talent and broaden the set of colleges where they send job and internship listings.”

Handshake is also very mobile-friendly and features an intuitive interface that will be easy to use. So students can utilize Handshake as frequently and simply as they do their social media applications on their phones!

For more advice on preparing for a career after college — or advancing in the field you’re in now — visit the Grossnickle Career Services Center webpage, call (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Green Zone training provides support for student veterans

By Ousley Family Veterans Service Center

Student veterans across all branches of service understand that a “green zone” is a safe place in a combat zone. Did you know Columbia College also has a Green Zone?

What is Green Zone training, and what does it mean for you as a student veteran? The overall training objective is for faculty and staff to gain a basic knowledge and understanding of challenges faced by student veterans during their transition from the military to the college classroom. It also has the objective of providing resources available on campus and in the community to assist them. Faculty and staff members volunteer to attend training sessions providing information such as:

• Identifying student veterans
• Service components (active, guard, reserve)
• Deployment cycles and impact on families
• Traditional issues that student veterans face
• Other information veterans want staff and faculty to know

The training concludes with faculty and staff interactively participating in scenarios to apply what they learned to typical situations with student veterans. New Green Zone team members receive a window cling or a decal to display on their office door or on their syllabi. This helps student veterans to identify trained faculty and staff members. When a student veteran has questions, or just wants to talk, they have a resource in any Green Zone team member who can understand their issues and concerns. Team members are available to listen and assist, and they can help with a referral to the appropriate services as needed.

Veterans Service is excited to announce that 234 staff and faculty members across the college have received Green Zone training, with additional training opportunities planned for the future. Columbia College Veterans Service and Green Zone team members are here to empower student veterans to make wise decisions about their educational goals.

To learn more, contact Veterans Service at (573) 875-7504 or ovc@ccis.edu.

Alumna spotlight — Tonia B. Davis ’03

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

The staff members of Columbia College-Salt Lake sport their new polos made at Tee’s and Lee’s T-Shirt and Sweatshirt Shop. Pictured from left: Scott Standriff, David Stoddard, Tonia Davis, Annica Ribble and David Martini.

It’s a small shop that Tonia B. Davis, a 2003 Columbia College-Salt Lake alumna, works out of. Mountains of shirts, hats, hoodies and other clothing are stacked on her shelves, while Tonia is strategically printing and embroidering logos for so many organizations and individuals.

Tonia’s love for shirts started while she was serving in the U.S. Army. Her husband, also a veteran, used to tease her by saying, “What are you going to do with all those shirts?” She would reply, “Start a business!” That is exactly what Tonia did. With a business degree from Columbia College, along with her training from the military, Tonia opened Tee’s & Lee’s T-Shirt and Sweatshirt Shop.

Tee’s and Lee’s started small with a pen, paper and a computer that Tonia’s church gave her. With a few tools and a never-ceasing willpower, Tonia started by printing names on the back of little league jerseys. From there she started silk screening memorial shirts and printing catchy sayings. Some of her favorites are “Duh,” “Whatever” and “It is what it is.” Also, she loves to make anything with “Columbia College” printed on it. As her business developed, Tonia started taking on new projects. She taught herself how to use large embroidery machines and now does polos, hats and anything else needing done. She now has three embroidery machines in her shop, along with updated equipment. She does thousands of shirts annually along with her other products.

Outside of her shop, Tonia is heavily involved in charity work. In 1999 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since that time she has sponsored shirts for the MS Walk and Shriners Hospital. She doesn’t let the MS slow her down, however. She works in her shop around the many doctor appointments, and she is beating the odds in many ways. In 2001, while pursuing her degree, doctors told her she would never walk again. She showed them, as she walked across the stage to receive her degree. She continues to show them, as she walks with the assistance of a cane today. Her passion for serving led to her receiving the Columbia College Alumni Association Service Award in April 2016.

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You are not alone

By Kim Major, senior academic advisor for Ready.Aim.Hire.

You are not alone. That statement is as true for an adult student as it was for Fox Mulder in the TV show The X-Files.

Deciding to begin higher education as an adult or return to it after being away for a long period of time is a courageous choice! It’s not going to be as scary as you might think. Here is proof that you are not alone. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projected a 13-percent increase in enrollment of nontraditional (adult) students between 2011 and 2021.

So if you are an adult who chooses to pursue higher education, how will you choose your first course? What do you need to know about studying? Where can you find help if you struggle?

Here are some tips for returning and new adult students that might help you along the way:

• Meet with your advisor. She or he works for you! Think about your favorite subjects in high school or courses you had success with in college, if this is not your first time in college. Your academic advisor will then help you select your first class.
• Begin with an introductory course, even if you’ve attended college before. Try a beginning course in your major, such as BIOL 108, CJAD 101, HUMS 105, MGMT 150, PSYC 101 or SOCI 111, OR take something in an area that interests you, such as HIST 121 or ARTS 105, OR even take a course to help you refresh or learn new skills, such as INCC 123 or ENGL 107.
• Before you go to your first night of class or log into an online class, read the course syllabus. Hopefully, you’ve already looked at it, but take time to read it again. Flip through your textbook. Better yet, read the first chapter. You do have your textbook, don’t you?
• Get to know fellow students and create a support network. Exchange contact information. Support from family and friends is one of the most important success factors for adult learners.
• Use your resources, including our online Tutoring Services and electronic library. You can find the current Tutoring Services schedule here, and some Nationwide locations offer face-to-face math and English tutoring free of charge. The library has course guides for a ton of subjects, from art and biology to psychology and religious studies as well as many other areas tied to specific Columbia College courses.
• Talk to your instructor, especially if you feel unsure or are struggling.
• Consult the list of strategies for success, specifically for nontraditional adult learners. At Columbia College, the Writing Center and Tutoring Services webpages have links to study strategies and skills, including time management, note-taking styles, test-taking tips and other helpful topics.

Once you get through that first course, you will be able to build on your experience and become increasingly successful. You are ready to begin!

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We want to hear from you!

By Columbia College Public Relations

The CC 360 Nationwide digital newsletters are an informative way to keep our community up to date on all the happenings around Columbia College, and we want your help making them the best they can be!

We want to hear from you. We want to give you a chance to tell us which features you use the most when we send out our newsletters at the beginning of each semester, what sort of content you like to see, and what types of things you would like to see more of in future editions of the newsletter.

Simply click on this link and take our anonymous, nine-question survey about the CC 360 digital newsletters to make your voice heard. Your feedback is appreciated!

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Financial aid for nontraditional students

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

College holds a different, unique set of challenges for adult learners, nontraditional students who are either picking up their college education again or entering an institution for the first time since high school.

The challenges start before enrolling in classes, continue during a college career that includes juggling family and professional responsibilities with schooling and extend long after a degree is earned, with financial-aid debt.

Yes, most students — traditional and nontraditional alike — incur debt. But nontraditional students have a special set of circumstances to consider when deciding whether to take on this debt, as well as how much they can take on.

A U.S. News & World Report article from January 2017 highlighted three potential financial aid traps for nontraditional students to avoid:

• Not completing a degree: A 2015 Federal Reserve Bank of New York study concluded that students who don’t complete their degrees are significantly more likely to default on their loans than ones who do. This leaves borrowers with no degree as well as financial liabilities. U.S. News & World Report urges nontraditional learners to find ways to navigate their courses without having to take out loans. Deliberate course planning will help to ensure academic success and may include limiting the number of courses taken to be able to pay out of pocket, utilizing tuition and student loan reimbursement programs through their employers and ensuring that opportunities to utilize Pell Grant funding are maximized. The Department of Student Success recommends working with advisors to ensure you are setting a good pace for yourself and, if you do end up needing to take time off school, to contact Student Success to talk about your options with loans to ensure you are able to successfully navigate the financial liability of loans.
• Leaning on loans: If you’re going back to school to better your employment credentials in the hopes of earning more money in your career, consider the final balance. Will the potential increase in salary outweigh the loans you’ll eventually have to repay in order to earn your degree? The article points out that nontraditional students don’t qualify for many of the grant and scholarship programs that traditional students do, so they’re more likely to have to rely on federal and private loans. Student Success encourages students to look at an estimate of what their borrowing might end up at over their time in college to ensure that their return will be worth the investment (or loans). The good news is, at Columbia College, tuition for online undergraduate courses for 2017-18 is about half the cost of the national tuition and fees average for private nonprofit and for-profit institutions, based on a 30-credit-hour academic year.
• Forgetting about the long term: A 22-year-old recent graduate has a 40-year career ahead of him or her before retirement age. That leaves plenty of time to pay off student debt. A 42-year-old recent graduate has to fit his or her financial obligations into a tighter window if he or she still wants to retire on time. U.S. News & World Report suggests budgeting a debt payment schedule based on your current income rather than any expected pay bump with a college degree. We hope that this encourages our students to look at paying off loans faster than required by the payment plan or borrow less. The more that they can do this, the faster they will get to a better financial place with their degree.

Even with financial aid considerations, going back to school is a decision that could pay off in the long run. According to 2015 U.S. Census data, the yearly median earnings for people 25 years and older were 21 percent higher with some college or an associate degree ($33,820) than with a high school diploma or equivalency ($28,043). The figure for bachelor’s degree holders ($50,595) was 80 percent higher than the high school earnings level, and the figure for graduate or professional degree holders ($66,857) was 138 percent higher. Education matters!

If you need any guidance utilizing the financial resources Columbia College has to offer or have questions about how to be a smart borrower, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

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What to consider when considering a career change

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

Lately, the staff at Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center has been getting variations on the same type of question quite frequently: “What should I know before making a career change?”

Deciding to leave your field for another can be a stressful process, definitely not one to be taken lightly. But, in the long run, it could also end up leading to a rewarding change of pace, either financially, emotionally or in other aspects of your life.

When considering whether to change careers, try to think about these things:

• How do you feel at your current job? A February 2014 article from Fast Company magazine lists three telltale signs that it may be time to change careers. First, is your paycheck the only thing fueling your workday? Second, do you wake up every workday wishing you could be anywhere but where you are? Third, do you have bad performance reviews? If you’re getting no enjoyment out of your job, performing in a mediocre manner and only showing up every day to get paid, it may be time to move on.
• Are you switching for the right reasons? So how can you tell whether you’ve hit a momentary rut at work or it’s time to plant roots somewhere else? An April 2013 article on KeppieCareers.com cautions against making rash decisions based on factors that may not even change with a career move. Evaluate why you’re unhappy with your job. Is it the work itself, or the office culture? If you’re frustrated with long hours or a lack of upward mobility, ask yourself if it’s worth starting at the bottom rung of the ladder somewhere else for the chance those aspects will be more favorable. If you’re feeling bored or unchallenged, think about how long it may be before you start feeling that way in a new career.
• Is there anything you can do to improve your current situation? The answer to your work malaise may not be outside your workplace’s walls. It may lie within you. An April 2012 Forbes.com story on the biggest mistakes career changers make suggests that you start repairing relationships and building respect and skills at your current job before deciding whether to leave. If you do end up leaving, then you’re in a better position to succeed in your next career. If you stay, then you’ve taken steps to improve your workplace environment. Whatever you do, the article warns, make sure you put copious amounts of time and research into the decision. And if you do change careers, be sure to give yourself time to settle in before deciding you need to be on the move again!

If you’re in need of advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

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Columbia College and Veterans United Home Loans recently announced a partnership designed to assist Veterans United’s clients further their education while helping members of Columbia College’s Veteran population achieve their aspirations of owning a home.

Through the partnership, Veterans United now offers Columbia College Veteran students, alumni, faculty and staff the opportunity to utilize the company’s Home Buyer Select Program, which offers savings on the total amount of their home loan. Columbia College is also offering a tuition discount to Veterans United’s borrowers, employees and their spouses.

“Columbia College and Veterans United are truly at the forefront of serving Veterans and their families in two important areas: education and home ownership,” Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple said. “This partnership can make a major impact on our alumni, faculty, staff and students who have served our country. It also allows us to work with an entity that provides a much-needed service to Veterans and is one of the most philanthropic-minded businesses in the country.”

Based in Columbia, Missouri, Veterans United is a full-service national lender. Its mission is to help Veterans and service members achieve the dream of homeownership.

“At Veterans United, our values are central to everything we do,” said Kris Farmer, Chief Marketing Officer. “One of our values is to ‘Enhance Lives Every Day’.  This unique partnership will allow us to enhance the lives of our clients by allowing them to further their education while providing them some extra savings. We are excited to forge this new relationship with Columbia College.”

Columbia College students, alumni, faculty and staff can learn more about home loan savings on the Homebuyer Select program website. Veterans United borrowers and employees can learn more about the tuition discount by contacting Patty Anderson at pranderson@ccis.edu.

Founded in 1851 in Columbia, Missouri, Columbia College has been helping students advance their lives through higher education for more than 165 years. As a private, nonprofit institution, the college takes pride in its small classes, experienced faculty and quality educational programs. The college, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, has more than 30 locations and offers day, evening and online classes. Columbia College educates more than 20,000 students each year and has more than 86,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit www.ccis.edu.

In 2017, Veterans United was named No. 27 of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, according to Great Place to Work® and Fortune Magazine. Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work® also named the company No. 37 on its Best Workplaces for Women in 2017. Veterans United’s employee-driven charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation, is committed to enhancing the lives of Veterans and military families nationwide by focusing on supporting military families and nonprofit organizations that strengthen local communities. The foundation has given nearly $10 million to charitable causes and organizations since the beginning of 2016. Learn more at EnhanceLives.com.

Simplifying your educational goals

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

We are a few days past the holidays and into a new year. We just began a new session here at Columbia College-Salt Lake. There is fresh powder in the mountains, the air is crisp, and we have new goals to accomplish. Many of us set New Year’s resolutions just a few weeks ago. Some of us put a lot of thought into it while others carried over the goals we did not accomplish last year. If you struggle keeping your New Year’s resolutions, you are not alone. Business Insider reports that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions are failed by February.

If you are struggling to keep your resolutions already, or maybe didn’t even set any goals for 2018, I’m with you. Every year I tell myself, “This is your year. You are going to lose the weight.” Well, every year comes and goes and I still struggle with my weight. That is the one goal that stares me in the face and knows it has me beat. Some of you may feel the same way about your educational goals. Sometimes the task (losing weight or getting done with your degree) can be too big.

Educational goals are important. Whether you are already taking classes or thinking about getting back into school, Columbia College-Salt Lake can and wants to help. I know that each of you is capable of accomplishing the things that you set your mind to and then follow up with the dedication and work that is required to achieve what you set out to do. One thing that I have learned in goal-setting is that if we are going to accomplish the things we have never before accomplished, we must do things that we have never before done. That means we must get out of our comfort zones and go to work. In a simple google search of “how to accomplish goals,” there are 7,430,000 results. After looking at a few of them, it seems that most goals can be accomplished by following the same few principles:

• Make your goal visible – post your goal where you can see it every day. I know people who write it and tape it to the bathroom mirror.
• Tell others about your goal – when others know about your goal, they can help keep you on track.
• Divide your goal into smaller, simpler goals – don’t get too overwhelmed with such a large goal. Maybe your goal of completing your degree is best managed by tackling one session at a time.
• Set a date of achievement – due dates are important. It keeps us on track. That’s why your instructors use them for your assignments.
• Be realistic – I am probably not going to lose 100 pounds this year. Maybe 25 is a more realistic approach.
• Commit to yourself – you determine the outcome.

Here at Columbia College-Salt Lake, we want you to achieve your goals. As a school, we are designed for those that work hard and want the education, also. We do evening and online classes with you in mind. We have an accelerated format that will help you get done sooner. We even keep our cost low so that you are not overwhelmed with the financial burden that often comes with educational pursuits.

We are focused on you. Let us be a part of your goals.

We want to hear from you!

Click here to take a survey about what you’d like to see in the CC 360 digital newsletters.

Credo Reference – A place to start your research

Are you writing a research paper but struggling with how to get started? Columbia College’s Stafford Library has a tool that can help.

Credo Reference offers more than three million reference entries from more than 800 titles in major academic subject areas to offer a great starting point for research. Credo’s collection contains resources such as:

• Dictionaries
• Thesauruses
• Encyclopedias
• Atlases
• Images, audio files and videos
• All with full citations

Mind Maps, interactive, visual tools for exploring related concepts, are available to help you learn about a topic. Your search term becomes the central concept in a map of related ideas to help you brainstorm. Check the image to the right for a look into how Mind Maps function.

Topic Pages give you a full-text article containing background information on a subject. A list of related topics, images, videos and other Credo articles are also available from the topic pages. For more information on how Topic Pages work, you can watch this video tutorial.

Students can access Credo Reference from Stafford Library’s list of databases. Simply click on this link and type in “Credo Reference” in the search bar to find the database. Enter your CougarTrack username and password when prompted if accessing the database from off campus.

And you can always contact Stafford Library by emailing library@ccis.edu or calling (573) 875-7381 or (800) 231-2391, ext. 7381.

Top time management tips

By Maria Haynie for Ready.Aim.Hire.

Finding the time you need to get through your to-do list, let alone your wish list, can seem impossible for working adults and students. Here are four time management tips from Columbia College managers to help you tame the calendar.

Build your team

Assuming that time management problems are yours alone to fix can be problematic. Taking the time to express your goals and your situation to others can help them understand how important your education is to you and how hard you are working to achieve your goals, said Debra Hartman, Region II and Crystal Lake location director.

“When others see, they are much more likely to make sacrifices on your behalf,” Hartman said.

Jean Simmons, Evening Campus and Region I director, agrees that sharing your struggles and successes is important to help you find support. “Get your family on board. If they feel like part of the solution, it makes life easier for you, and they will tend to be more supportive,” Simmons said.

Tools for you, tools for the team

Whether you prefer pen and paper for scheduling or type it all into your digital calendar, you need something to help you keep track of dates, block out hours of time and keep you aware of what’s coming up. But more importantly, your team needs to know, too. If you can communicate the big test you have coming up on Friday to your team, they will understand why you need extra time to prepare that week and can work out a plan. Because digital calendars such as Google Calendar are so easy for multiple people to share, they’re a great option for families.

“My husband and I share documents, calendars and message all day long so we stay on the same page about where to be and when and who’s picking up which kid from where,” said Brandi Herrman, instructor of business administration. “We also have Google Hangouts on our phones — making sure that it’s easy to contact each other and we have a record of it.”

Only balance the right things

It may be tempting to try to keep everything on the schedule and treat school as an add-on, but that will lead to “emotional and physical wear and tear,” said Mark Bowles, Student Support Services director.

Instead, consider a blank weekly schedule. Add in your most essential items, such as work hours, child care hours and most important appointments. As you add each item, consider the impact it will have on your day and if there are any ways to reduce the amount of time or effort it would take to accomplish that task.

Hartman encourages the use of carpools as one schedule-saver. Then schedule school time in, right with these essential activities, to show yourself and your team that it is a priority.

Before you try to squeeze in anything else, carve out space for a little self-care and family time. “When one steals from downtime to try to catch up somewhere else – that’s a cure that does more harm than the disease itself, which is the problem of not having enough time for other responsibilities,” Bowles said.

When you schedule in time for some fun with your family, “this gives everyone something to look forward to as they work through the responsibilities of their week,” said Becky Gordon-Bocklage, director of the Fishman Center for Entrepreneurship.

See the big picture

With any luck, after essential activities, school and a bit of downtime are on your calendar, there may be a few hours left. Decide what you will spend on social life, volunteer service, personal projects and other activities. If you don’t have as much time as you’d like to dedicate to those aspects of your life, be patient with yourself and remember that you won’t be in school forever.

“Do not hesitate to explain that you may need to take more than you give at this time,” Hartman said. “We all go through seasons in our life when that imbalance occurs and when you are able, when the degree is done, it can be your turn to give more than you get.”

Tips for a smooth tax season

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

It’s never too early to start thinking about preparing your taxes. And, with tax day a little more than three months away, the time will be upon you before you know it.

With that in mind, Rachel Smith, Project & Student Services Specialist for Columbia College’s Department of Student Success and Money Stacks, has some advice on what you need to stay prepared.

Consult a checklist

Articles such as this one on NerdWallet.com run down all the things people need to have handy in order to fill out their taxes. A checklist can help you keep track of what you need to know about your personal data, yearly income and possible deductions and credits for your paperwork.

Detailed rundowns like this can also help alert you to deductions and credits that you may not have known about, such as claiming a deduction for tuition and fees for your schooling and applying for American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits that benefit college students.

Have last year’s tax documents available

This is especially handy, according to Smith, when you’re receiving a number of tax documents from different sources.

“I personally find it helpful to pull out my tax documents from the prior year so I can remember what forms to expect in the mail or what I might need to log in and print out,” Smith says. “Sometimes just reading a list of documents isn’t enough to spark my memory. I need to see the form from the organization from the prior year to really remember what I’m waiting on.”

Check into IRS resources

If you’re planning on preparing your own taxes, seek out software that could help you along the way. The IRS has a Free File site that includes a list of free software tools for applicants who meet certain criteria.

Understand your withholdings

Have you ever gotten a bit of an unwelcome shock when your taxes come back and you see what you owe? Want to do something about it?

The IRS has a site that can help you understand how to fill out your W-4 form and the withholding options for which you could be eligible.

If you need any more guidance about preparing for tax season, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

Asking the right interview questions

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

You’ve made it. You secured an in-person interview for a job, presented your qualifications and strengths in an enticing manner and answered all of the questions the interviewer had for you.

All except one, the one they usually save for last: “So, do you have any questions for me?”

The staff at Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center gets this all the time: people who come to them seeking advice on how to respond when asked if they have any questions for the interviewer.

“It’s critical that you ask questions during an interview,” director of Career Services Dan Gomez-Palacio says. “If you don’t, the subtext might be that you just want the conversation to be over ASAP and that you really aren’t curious about the position.”

But you shouldn’t just ask any question that comes to your mind. You should prepare with questions beforehand, much as you’ve prepared answers to the questions your interviewer might pose of you.

Articles such as this one from Forbes.com offer helpful advice on the right and wrong types of questions to bring to a job interview.

If it’s a first interview, “anything that smells even a little bit like it’s self-serving,” in Forbes’ words, should not enter the equation. It’s too early to start asking about salary, vacation time, work schedule and other logistical questions.

Instead, focus on questions that delve more into the opportunity the job presents, as well as the work environment at your prospective place of employment.

Gomez-Palacio suggests questions such as:

• Can you tell me what you enjoy about working here? What do you appreciate the most about working here and if you could change one thing about your company, what would that be?
• What attributes make the ideal candidate for this position?
• What do your clients say about your company?
• What are the opportunities and challenges the organization will face in the next six months?

These questions could serve as an opportunity to further align yourself with the employer, as well as opening the door to more information into the company’s culture and the expectations placed on the position. Alternately, they show a deeper level of thinking, consideration and interest in the job that is attractive to interviewers.

So don’t fret about that dreaded “any more questions?” portion of the interview. Prepare yourself and seize the moment!

If you’re in need of advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

No fees. No book costs. No surprises. These are the benefits new and current Columbia College of Missouri online and nationwide location students will experience this fall with the launch of the college’s Truition^SM initiative.

“College pricing is not transparent. There’s tuition, of course, but most colleges pile on all sorts of fees too: application fees, technology fees, lab fees and several others. These fees can cost as much as the tuition,” said Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple. “Beginning this fall, Columbia College will charge an affordable tuition rate for its online and adult-serving venues– charging no fees of any kind, while providing textbooks or eTexts to students at no cost.”

Increasing book costs often prove to be a barrier for students to complete their education. The college will be partnering with Ed Map, a national leader in etext and educational resources distribution, to assure students will have their books and other materials on or before the first day of class at no cost.

Additional fees are also frequently hidden in fine print. Students get hit with fees after they’ve enrolled, during the semester and even before graduation. The Truition^SM (truth + tuition) initiative eliminates these fees and provides an honest and clear look at the price of college, allowing students to better plan for their financial future. To learn more about Truition^SM, visit MyTruition.com.

Stop buying Books. Stop paying Fees.

Dear Students,

College pricing isn’t very transparent. There’s tuition, of course, but most colleges pile on all sorts of fees too:  application fees, technology fees, lab fees… the fees can cost as much as the tuition.  What’s worse, the cost of textbooks is simply out of control.  Many students report going without textbooks at least once because they just don’t have the money.

It’s time somebody did something about it. That somebody is us. Starting Fall 2018, Columbia College will charge a single tuition rate for its online and adult-serving venues– charging no fees of any kind, while also providing textbooks. Truth + tuition = Truition

When we say no fees, we mean it. No proctoring fee, no parking fee, no graduation fee… nothing.  And all of your books will be provided at no additional charge– even expensive lab kits.

New undergraduate students will pay $375 per credit hour, while new graduate students will pay $490.

But as a current student, you will pay a lower rate— while receiving the same great benefits:

• Undergraduate Online courses: $335 per credit hour
• Undergraduate In-Seat courses: $295 per credit hour
• Undergraduate Active military students: $250 per credit hour*
• Graduate In-Seat courses: $410 per credit hour
• Graduate Online courses: $435 per credit hour

I’m excited to share this news with you.  Learn more at truition.CCIS.edu or contact your academic advisor.

At Columbia College, our mission is to improve lives, and Truition helps us get there.  Thanks for reading and best of luck with the summer session!

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Dalrymple

President, Columbia College

Truition prices are established exclusively for undergraduate and graduate students taking classes online or at one of our adult higher education venues across the nation. Other exclusive programs are in place for students attending our residential campus in Columbia, Missouri.

 *Active duty service members, including the National Guard and Reserve, pay a Truition rate of $250 per credit hour. Columbia College provides a military grant to cover the cost of books.

Making the most of virtual career fairs

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

In the past few years, virtual career fairs have become increasingly popular with employers. They offer an inexpensive way to reach a diverse range of candidates. For the job or graduate program seeker, they can provide the opportunity to make an impression on a recruiter that you may never have a chance to meet in person.

Job applicants can find out inside tips on applying, learn more about the company and, most importantly, influence the recruiter positively toward you as a candidate. For folks thinking about graduate programs, there are fairs that specifically aim toward continuing your studies. Whether it’s a virtual meet-and-greet with a specific program or a larger fair where you meet reps from many schools at once, these events can be an innovative and powerful way to help lead you to a decision.

To find these events, head to Handshake – Columbia College’s free, online career management software for students and alumni. Because participating in these fairs is not necessarily intuitive, you might wonder, what is the best to handle the events? Here are a few tips to get started:

• Research the organizations attending the event

Spend time looking at the websites of the attending organizations. What positions are they offering? What is their organizational mission? The more you know about employers and their available positions, the more you will impress them.

• Have your resume ready, polished and reviewed

Often you will upload your resume prior to the fair, and it will appear on screen. Having a resume that clearly explains the value you bring to an employer and is error free will go a long way.

• Practice a short introduction and be ready to ask questions

Often the recruiters will want you to initiate the conversation. Whether it’s over webcam or using your computer keyboard, a short introduction of your name, school, major, expected graduation date and planned career path will help kick off the discussion. Also, be ready to ask questions. Questions could be about a specific opportunity, the organization or just general questions about the industry. But don’t ask questions about information that can be easily found on their website, as that may make you look unprepared or disinterested.

• Dress up

If it’s a fair that will have a video chat component, for obvious reasons, you will want to dress professionally. But even if it isn’t, dressing professionally can help put you in the right mindset to make your best first impression.

• Be sure you are communicating appropriately and professionally

A lot of online communication is very informal. Use professional communication, avoid text speak and showcase your enthusiasm.

• Follow up

If you have a good talk with a recruiter, follow up with an email to thank them for their time and continue to build the relationship. Additionally, you can connect with them on LinkedIn.

You can find more information on succeeding at virtual career fairs by checking out articles such as “12 Ways to Make the Most out of a Virtual Career Fair” and “How to Succeed in Virtual Job Fairs.” If you’re in need of additional advice, you can also reach out to the Grossnickle Career Services Center at (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Checking in on your school finances

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

The summer months are a great time for rest and relaxation after the rush of the fall and spring semesters. They’re also a good time to take stock and plan ahead, whether you’re taking a semester off from school or still taking class or two.

It doesn’t take much time to get your school finances in order and see where you stand before the fall arrives. Here are a few suggestions for those who want to use the summer months to prepare their finances before the new academic year hits.

• File your 2018-19 FAFSA Application

That is, if you haven’t already filed your FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is necessary to determine whether you’re eligible for federal and state financial aid. Submission deadlines vary by state, and you can go to the FAFSA website or consult this handout to see which deadlines apply to you. If you have already completed your FAFSA application, take this time to monitor your Cougarmail to make sure nothing additional is required and your  electronic award letter is accurate.

• Revisit your graduation plan

Checking in with an advisor on how long it will be until you anticipate graduating can help you to estimate the time and cost it will take to complete your degree. Start planning for how much aid you’ll need to get through the 2018-19 school year, and how much you will be able to pay out of pocket. This will also help you formulate an estimate of how much total student loan borrowing you’ll have during your college career and what would be a viable repayment option for you. This also might be an opportunity for some people to estimate total student loan borrowing and estimate repayment. The studentloans.gov website has a valuable Repayment Estimator tool to help you plan for your payments down the road.

• Apply for outside scholarships

It never hurts to see how much supplementary aid you can get your hands on as well. Sites such as collegescholarships.org are helpful resources when it comes to finding scholarships for nontraditional students.

If you need any more tips about financially planning your way through college, the Columbia College Department of Student Success and Money Stacks is here to help. You can contact the Department of Student Success and Money Stacks at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

How long does it take to complete a degree?

By Maria Haynie for Ready.Aim.Hire.

Biological clocks, circadian rhythms, the red countdown timer at the crosswalk — we’re hard-wired to be aware of the passing of time. No one knows this better than the busy student.

Whether you’re a planner or a procrastinator, all students must contend with the timing, balancing and scheduling of academic life. While we have lots of advice for fitting education into your life, it’s also important to know how long the whole degree could take from start to finish.

So, how long will it take you? The short answer: it depends.

No matter where you attend college, an associate degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, and a bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. In addition, students must meet degree requirements and complete 30 credits for a bachelor’s degree and 15 credits for an associate degree with Columbia College.

A variety of factors will determine how long it will take a person to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree, including but not limited to incoming transfer credit and the number of courses a student wants to commit to each semester. One of the great things about Columbia College is the flexibility that allows students to progress at a pace that works best for them.

Here are the two main factors that affect how long it takes to get to graduation for busy adult learners.

CREDITS AND EXPERIENCE YOU ALREADY HAVE
“Students coming to Columbia College who have taken courses or earned military credit previously are often able to shorten the time to degree completion,” said Joie Hendricks, senior academic advisor at Columbia College Online Student Services.

Even if you’ve never taken college classes before, you might be able to save time by getting credit for experiences. Students with a background in law enforcement may be able to earn college credit for police academy training in the PIC and PiLE programs.

Students can also test out of classes by proving they already know the content. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams and DSST exams are common ways to get credit for prior knowledge.

Hendricks offers this advice for those looking to test out of classes: “Students interested in taking CLEP and DSST exams should always check with their advisor to ensure the exam will transfer in as needed and that taking a CLEP or DSST exam will not interfere with a student’s residency requirement.”

A MANAGEABLE WORKLOAD
“It’s also possible for students to take advantage of our six-session structure to earn an associate degree in under two years or a bachelor’s in as little as three-and-a-half years,” Hendricks said.

If you can handle a greater workload while in school, finding a program with multiple sessions can help. You could graduate faster and start enjoying the benefits of your degree sooner. Shorter class sessions also mean it’s easier to set your own pace and continue to adjust your workload as needed every eight weeks. You aren’t committed to your class schedule for months, like with traditional semesters.

“A full-time course load for an online student is two courses per eight-week session,” Hendricks said. “With six sessions per year, a student can take 12 courses per year or up to 18 if the student can handle a greater workload. Our flexibility allows students to customize how long it takes to complete a degree.”

Resource guides at Stafford Library

By Stafford Library

Are you looking for resources to help you with a class or a specific assignment? Are you needing information related to the subject of your major or minor? Take a look at the library’s resource guides on the library’s website at https://library.ccis.edu or on the library’s resource guide web page at https://library.ccis.edu/guides. The guides are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all Columbia College students.

Resource guides help students find articles, databases, books, e-books, videos and websites pertinent to an assignment, course, topic or subject. The guides provide links to resources and present search strategies to use. The librarians work with the faculty in creating these guides so that students can find resources specific to their research needs.

Instructors may request a guide to be created for a specific assignment, course, or topic by emailing the library at library@ccis.edu or calling (573) 875-7381.

There are four types of resource guides available to help students:

• Assignment guides are created to assist students with an assignment in a particular course. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Resource Guide is an example. This guide provides information for an assignment in the ARTS 111 – Arts and Ideas class.
• Course guides are specifically designed for a course. For an example, see the English Composition II – ENGL 112 Resource Guide.
• Topic guides are created to help students research one particular aspect of a subject. The Industry Ratios Resource Guide is an example of such a guide. It was created to help students find and analyze industry ratios as they do work in various business administration classes.
• Subject guides are created for Columbia College majors and minors in order to help students do research in that subject field. A good example of a subject guide is the History Resource Guide.

Remember, you can contact the library staff for help by calling (573) 875-7381 or (800) 231-2391, by emailing library@ccis.edu, texting (573) 535-5449 or sending a chat by clicking on the chat link on the library’s website at library.ccis.edu.

Uber and Columbia College of Missouri today announced a unique partnership that will give thousands of Uber driver-partners in Missouri and around the U.S. a 15 percent discount on tuition. The discount will also be available to any current Columbia College of Missouri student who signs up to drive with Uber.

“Uber has a great global brand, and we’re pleased to partner with them,” said Dr. Scott Dalrymple, president of Columbia College of Missouri. “This initiative has the potential to change many lives.”

Tuition costs at Columbia College of Missouri are less than half the national average. The college offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees on its main campus in Columbia, Missouri, through a robust online program, and via a network of 34 additional locations across the country. Eight-week classes begin six times a year.

“Uber is a natural fit for students looking to earn money while pursuing a degree. With no set hours or shifts, students can choose when they want to drive in a way that works around their lives and class schedule, not the other way around,” said Andy Hung, Uber Missouri General Manager. “We are thrilled to team up with Columbia College of Missouri to offer this program to drivers seeking an affordable way to further their education.”

To be eligible for the tuition discount, Uber driver-partners must complete at least one trip per month. For more information about how current students interested in driving with Uber and current driver-partners interested in applying to Columbia College of Missouri can take advantage of this offer, visit uber.ccis.edu.

About Uber Missouri

Uber’s mission is to make transportation as reliable as running water – everywhere, for everyone. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? Six years and over a billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars. Follow us on Twitter @Uber and find us on Facebook: Uber.

The five practices of the exemplary student 

If you’ve ever read the book The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, you might find it applies to you while pursuing your education. In fact, let’s retitle our thoughts to The Five Practices of the Exemplary Student and see if it applies to you. If not, perhaps you should set your sights on these practices.

In their studies and resulting book, The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner wanted to know the common practices of ordinary men and women when they were at their leadership best. Their analysis of cases and surveys revealed The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership:

Practice One:  Model the Way. Leaders create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. For students this might mean striving for academic excellence and not settling for just passing.

Practice Two: Inspire a Shared Vision. They create an idea or image of what the future can be. They see exciting possibilities for the future. For students this might mean envisioning themselves as graduating and helping their family and friends envision the same.

Practice Three: Challenge the Process. Leaders look for ways to improve. They take risks. They don’t take foolish risks but are willing to step out toward something new. Pursuing a degree is seen, by some, as a risk, but it has huge rewards.

Practice Four: Enable Others to Act. They strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others so that they too can reach their potential. While treating people with civility, students encourage others to contribute in class and share ideas and opinions. They contribute to their own education.

Practice Five: Encourage the Heart. Leaders keep hope and determination alive. They celebrate accomplishments and make others feel like heroes. Students celebrate every academic task well done and, ultimately, graduation!

The field of Leadership Studies can teach us much and, in many cases, reinforces the “enduring wisdom” that our parents, grandparents and elders taught us. Lead yourself so you are better prepared to lead others as we begin this new year at Columbia College-Salt Lake!

Read the fine print on promotional interest rates

The holiday season has come and gone and, more likely than not, your credit card bills have swollen with the weight of the gifts you purchased for family and friends.

Some of you may have taken credit card companies up on seasonal low interest rate offers in order to lessen the burden as well. If a company is offering to let you pay off a four-figure debt over the next year with 0 percent interest, how can there be a downside?

Sometimes companies hide them in the fine print of the agreements, according to Rachel Smith, senior advisor at Columbia College’s Student Success office.

“Many people think that they are getting a great deal with a 0 percent interest program,” Smith says. “when in reality they haven’t read the fine print and don’t realize that if you don’t pay off the loan in the specified timeframe, even by one payment, they go back and charge you interest from the date of purchase. This can be costly mistake for consumers.”

In an article called “How Credit Card Promotional Rates Work,” TheBalance.com highlights the key tenets of these potentially useful, yet potentially damaging, deals.

Here are some things to consider with promotional rates:

• How long do they last?: Federal law mandates at least six months, but some of the best deals can last up to a year and a half. Some credit card companies measure the rates through billing cycles rather than months, so be on the lookout for that as well. Also, be sure to make your payments on time. Some rates expire before the end of the promotional period if you’re more than 60 days late on your credit card payment.
• Check the rate after the promotional period: Before you enter into a low interest rate agreement, find out what the post-promotional rate will be. Sometimes, an inflated rate after the promotional period makes it so that it’s not worth it to sign on for a low interest rate during the deal.
• It’s not the same as deferred interest: Even though companies may use similar phrasing to promote low-interest rate introductory offers and deferred interest plans, they are not the same thing. With a deferred interest plan, you have to pay the full credit card balance in order to pay no interest. If you have any balance left after the promotional period, you’re on the hook for the full interest backdated to the first day the balance was added to your account.

For more tips on financial awareness, you can check out the Student Success Money Stacks page, email moneystacks@ccis.edu or call (573) 875-7860.

Campus Quad’s Alumni Fountain celebrates Nationwide locations

Columbia College is far more than just its Day Campus. We would not be where we are today without the students and alumni from our 35 Nationwide locations, Evening Campus and the Online Education program as well.

That’s why, when it came to planning out the Quad — the new heart of our Columbia, Missouri, campus — we made sure that our national footprint played a prominent part.

To honor our more than 83,000 alumni living worldwide as well as all the locations that make up the whole of Columbia College, we positioned Alumni Fountain as the centerpiece of the Quad. The fountain has one center jet of water, representing main campus, with eight smaller jets arranged around it to represent the Nationwide locations’ contribution to Columbia College.

Not only that, but the fountain also serves as a sort of compass, with bricks bearing the name of each Nationwide location and arranged geographically around the center of the fountain in the direction they are from the main campus.

Alumni Fountain turned on for the first time August 29, the first day of classes, and it took students less than a minute to make a sprint through the jets! On October 7, President Scott Dalrymple officially dedicated the rest of the Quad at a ceremony in which more than 100 members from the community showed up to help celebrate.

We hope that those of you who have had the opportunity to visit our beautiful campus will make a return trip at some point to check out the Quad. And, if you’ve never made it to Columbia, we hope you’ll stop by and check out all we have to offer.

Be sure to visit ccis.edu/quad for more information.

Social networking can help net a job 

Have you ever thought about using your Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts to help further your professional life?

While their primary purpose is expanding and deepening someone’s network of personal connections, the many platforms that make up social media can also serve as invaluable resources when you’re looking to land a job or further your career. That is, if you know how to use them correctly.

A 2012 CareerBuilder.com survey found that 37 percent of the more than 2,300 hiring managers and human resources professionals the site polled use social networks to vet job candidates. Of those companies, 65 percent said they did it to see if the potential candidate presents him or herself professionally.

“Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today, and because much of that communication is public, it’s no surprise some recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in,” CareerBuilder vice president of human resources Rosemary Haefner told Forbes.com.

So how do you put your best foot forward? Forbes (“Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn in Your Job Search”) and TheMuse.com (“45 Things Successful Job Seekers Do on Social Media”) both have helpful articles on the topic.

Here are some of their top tips:

• Show Your Personality: Don’t start these accounts just to have them. Actually go on Facebook, Twitter, etc., read what others are posting about and develop some content of your own that shows off your individuality. Comment on others’ posts. Share articles that interest you, or that you find interesting about the field in which you work.
• But Keep it Clean: Make sure that the face you present to the public is one that you wouldn’t mind everybody in the world seeing. That goes beyond some obvious pointers such as don’t use profanity and keep party pictures off your feeds. The Muse also suggests “removing articles that are politically divisive or could be considered offensive, posts that are super random, long rants on a certain topic and the like.”
• Spread Your Wings: Don’t be afraid to expand your social circle beyond your immediate sphere of friends and family. Forbes suggests remaining vigilant on LinkedIn with inviting new networking contacts and old work colleagues to join your network. That not only expands your networking circle but also gives you access to more second- and third-degree connections through your new contacts.
• Read Up on Potential Employers: Identify companies for which you ultimately might like to work and follow their social media trails. That way, you can keep up to date on any jobs that might be coming open, as well as any initiatives or milestones so you can be knowledgeable at a possible interview. You can also find who you might be working for (or with) and see their social media presence. Familiarize yourself with their passions and views and get a gauge on their personalities.
• Promote Yourself…But Not Too Much: If you’re proud of a personal or professional achievement, don’t be afraid to flaunt it on your social media accounts. But, as the Muse points out, don’t come off as a braggart: “Nothing looks worse – or turns followers off more – than a Twitter stream just promoting your own thing.” Spread praise around to others in your social and work communities and show that you’re just as happy for the success of others as you are for yourself.

For more tips on pursuing and enhancing professional opportunities, you can visit Columbia College’s Grossnickle Career Services Center website, call (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Uber drivers can get discounted tuition at Columbia College

Are you looking for a way to pursue a quality college education while supplementing your income with a side job? Columbia College and Uber have you covered.

The two organizations have announced a unique partnership that will give thousands of Uber driver-partners around the U.S. a 15-percent discount on tuition. The discount will also be available to any current Columbia College student who signs up to drive with Uber.

“Uber has a great global brand, and we’re pleased to partner with them,” Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple said. “This initiative has the potential to change many lives.”

Tuition costs at Columbia College are less than half the national average. The Uber partnership provides an incentive for current students to realize another revenue stream, as well as an enticement for prospective students who just so happen to be Uber drivers.

“Uber is a natural fit for students looking to earn money while pursuing a degree. With no set hours or shifts, students can choose when they want to drive in a way that works around their lives and class schedule, not the other way around,” said Andy Hung, Uber Missouri general manager. “We are thrilled to team up with Columbia College to offer this program to drivers seeking an affordable way to further their education.”

To be eligible for the tuition discount, Uber driver-partners must complete at least one trip per month. For more information about how current students interested in driving with Uber and current driver-partners interested in applying to Columbia College can take advantage of this offer, visit uber.ccis.edu.

This feature was published in the latest edition of Affinity Magazine! Click here to check out the magazine in its entirety. 

Columbia College is committed to providing an environment that encourages inclusion and equity for every student and employee. That goes for all races, ages, religions, gender identities and sexual orientations, in all of our venues.

The Columbia College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
(Photo by Kaci Smart)

To that end, and to ensure that the college is doing everything it can to maintain a welcoming community for all, President Scott Dalrymple created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in the spring of 2016.

This group of 12 representatives from three different locations was chosen by a panel of the president’s Administrative Council to enact and oversee diversity initiatives for the college.

Keith McIver, director of Development and chair of the committee, says that the group has already identified and assigned four sub-committees to tackle different parts of the diversity, equity and inclusion picture.

There’s the assessment sub-committee, chaired by James Smith, director of Adult Higher Education Campus Admissions; training, chaired by Dr. Teresa VanDover, associate professor of Education; programs, chaired by Kandace Anthony, assistant director at Columbia College- St. Louis; and policy, chaired by Alisa Buck, director of project management for Technology Services.

“We want to ensure that throughout the institution, we are committed to these values and principles,” McIver says. “I’m happy that this committee was formed not as a reaction. I think it’s good we are proactively engaging our community and volunteers.”

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee works to maintain a place for open discourse at Columbia College, support activities that promote diversity and inclusion, coordinate efforts with campus departments and conceive of ways the school can fulfill its vision as an accommodating learning, teaching and working environment.

“I’d like to see, and we’ll work with other stakeholders for, diversity in our faculty representation,” McIver says. “It’s my hope that we are able to increase diversity as it is recognized throughout the college, in all areas.

“It is a hot topic across the nation, but it’s good work. We’re all committed. Let’s go. It will take more learning, talking and engaging across the spectrum.”

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

I’m reaching out to offer support to our campus community. As you are likely aware, a  Presidential executive order was signed and put into effect over the weekend that made changes to the rules governing visas and entry to the United States for certain countries. This is a fluid situation, but I want to be clear that Columbia College welcomes all of our international students regardless of their nationality or religious background. We are a diverse and inclusive college community spanning the entire country with students from around the globe, and it is important that all members of our community know they are valued. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is carefully monitoring this situation, with our students and the larger college community in mind. 

If you have questions, please know that you can contact our International Student Services office (573-875-2756 or internationalcenter@ccis.edu), our Student Affairs office (Dave Roberts, interim dean, dwroberts@ccis.edu, 573-875,7690), our Diversity, Equity  & Inclusion Committee chair (Keith McIver, kwmciver@ccis.edu, 573-875- 7550) or, of course, you are welcome to contact me directly as well.    

I want to be clear that our international students, faculty and staff are valued and supported by leadership at Columbia College.   

Sincerely,

Dr. Scott Dalrymple

President, Columbia College

president@ccis.edu

(573) 875-7200

Columbia College-Salt Lake welcomes a new director

By David Stoddard, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

My name is David Stoddard, and I am the new director at Columbia College-Salt Lake. I feel extremely fortunate to be given this opportunity to be working as a director for Columbia College. Our institution integrates the highest standards in education while ensuring that each and every student has the opportunity to excel personally and educationally.

I believe that my credentials, which include more than 12 years of experience in recruiting, educating, training and strategic planning along with a Master of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College, reflect my qualifications. As your director, it is my goal to use these experiences to provide you with the best educational experience while you pursue your goals.

My staff and I appreciate all of our students as they spread the word about the educational opportunities provided by the Columbia College-Salt Lake location. We have several undergraduate majors to choose from and offer four online master’s programs in business administration, criminal justice, military studies and teaching. The MBA program has a concentration in human-resource management and accounting. In addition to in-seat degree programs, we also offer online degrees — 28 accredited online associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees through more than 800 online courses.

My personal motto that I strive to live by is to “teach, love and celebrate students.” Each of you matters in what Columbia College and I stand for. Without you, we could not exist. I look forward to meeting each and every one of you, and I hope that you will feel welcome to come visit with me. I want to know you, your goals and your achievements.

Not too young, not too old

By Maria Haynie, Ready.Aim.Hire.

The magic age for getting a degree doesn’t actually exist. However, students who consider themselves “nontraditional” are concerned about how their age will affect their experience in the classroom. Let’s break down this make-believe age barrier:

Imagine the fictional college freshman, a fresh-faced 18- or 19-year-old, walking through a historic, bricked campus while the changing red leaves softly fall from the stately trees overhead. The image is beautiful and certainly will be found at the main Columbia College campus and elsewhere across the nation each fall, but it only represents 3.4 percent of the whole student body at Columbia College.

While many evening and online students may consider themselves nontraditional students, the numbers show that the actual Columbia College tradition is about them. The majority of students, 56 percent, were between 30 and 65 years old in 2015. Our students are more likely to find a classmate to have much more life experience than a student who may still daydream about last spring’s prom. In fact, the student learning alongside you is 2.5 times more likely to be in their early 30s than around 20. It’s also likely you’ll have more than one classmate whose children are in high school, or perhaps has a grandchild or two.

The mix of ages in a learning community enriches the whole class with both mature and fresh perspectives. Many adult students share the common concerns about using technology or about getting the hang of school after being out of classrooms for a long time. The resources and technology used in our classes are designed to be user-friendly for all students: no higher education experience required to start.

At any age, going to college is no fairy tale. Earning a degree is hard work. But as an adult, older students have experience and responsibilities that can be resources and excellent motivation. You may have to use your imagination and get creative to fit school around your full and busy life, but the happy ending of graduation is attainable for any age of student.

The pros and cons of summer courses

By Department of Student Success and Money Stacks

Taking classes over the summer can be a big help when you’re pursuing a degree. At Columbia College, you can take up to 12 additional hours over the summer, which could knock off an entire semester of coursework! That lets you complete your schooling faster and lessens the financial load.

But how do you know if taking summer courses is right for you? Columbia College’s Department of Student Success and Money Stacks has some pros and cons you might want to consider when deciding whether to trade in your swim trunks for syllabi:

• Keep up your momentum: If you had a good spring term and want to ride that wave into the summer, it might be a good idea to sign up for more classes so you can stay in an educational rhythm. If you’re a student that strives on structure and routine, you could benefit from forging ahead with your classes rather than taking the summer off.
• Be mindful of burnout: If, on the other hand, you’re starting to experience some education fatigue, sitting the summer sessions out might be the best option. Summer can provide a great opportunity to recharge with family time, vacation or just straight-up relaxation away from a school setting.
• Saving time can mean saving money: Getting done with school earlier could mean less interest on student loans to pay back. It also allows students an earlier gateway to the workforce or to looking for a promotion in their current jobs. But, along with these financial benefits, taking summer classes also necessitates some financial planning when it comes to allocating some of your funds and looking for additional scholarships of different ways to pay for the summer sessions.
• Make time for fun: A Monster.com article on the subject cautions that taking year-round school could prohibit you from taking part in some of the extracurricular activities you enjoy. You have to find a good balance between enjoying the college experience and getting through it in a timely manner.

For more guidance on how to make the most of your Columbia College experience, you can contact the Department of Student Success at (573) 875-7860 or studentsuccess@ccis.edu.

‘Handshake’ helps connect students with job opportunities

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

Starting in July, Columbia College students will have a new way to connect with companies around the country who are offering enticing employment and internship opportunities.

The college is transitioning from CCNet, its previous career services software, to Handshake, a relatively new software that has been adopted by more than 160 colleges and boasts over 120,000 nationwide employers that have posted jobs through the service.

Students can upload their resumes, research companies, apply for opportunities and find out about career events through Handshake. The service allows students to connect with employers without the companies having to go through Columbia College in order for a student to access them. This makes for a powerful service that can help our students no matter what location they attend or what part of the country they’re searching.

An October article in The Chronicle of Higher Education explains it this way: “The company produces software that’s designed to replace the systems that colleges have long used to keep track of job postings and pass them along to students. For employers, it’s a way to easily mine talent and broaden the set of colleges where they send job and internship listings.”

Handshake is also very mobile-friendly and features an intuitive interface that will be easy to use. So students can utilize Handshake as frequently and simply as they do their social media applications on their phones!

For more advice on preparing for a career after college — or advancing in the field you’re in now — visit the Grossnickle Career Services Center webpage, call (573) 875-7425 or email careerservices@ccis.edu.

Green Zone training provides support for student veterans

By Ousley Family Veterans Service Center

Student veterans across all branches of service understand that a “green zone” is a safe place in a combat zone. Did you know Columbia College also has a Green Zone?

What is Green Zone training, and what does it mean for you as a student veteran? The overall training objective is for faculty and staff to gain a basic knowledge and understanding of challenges faced by student veterans during their transition from the military to the college classroom. It also has the objective of providing resources available on campus and in the community to assist them. Faculty and staff members volunteer to attend training sessions providing information such as:

• Identifying student veterans
• Service components (active, guard, reserve)
• Deployment cycles and impact on families
• Traditional issues that student veterans face
• Other information veterans want staff and faculty to know

The training concludes with faculty and staff interactively participating in scenarios to apply what they learned to typical situations with student veterans. New Green Zone team members receive a window cling or a decal to display on their office door or on their syllabi. This helps student veterans to identify trained faculty and staff members. When a student veteran has questions, or just wants to talk, they have a resource in any Green Zone team member who can understand their issues and concerns. Team members are available to listen and assist, and they can help with a referral to the appropriate services as needed.

Veterans Service is excited to announce that 234 staff and faculty members across the college have received Green Zone training, with additional training opportunities planned for the future. Columbia College Veterans Service and Green Zone team members are here to empower student veterans to make wise decisions about their educational goals.

To learn more, contact Veterans Service at (573) 875-7504 or ovc@ccis.edu.