Are Algorithms the Answer? Vol 2

Posted on by Gretchen Schmidt, JD
Using Data Might Help Reform Pre-Trial Detention Processes
Editor鈥檚 note: The following is an abridged article based on an Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences presentation.

Pre-trial detention is both costly and often disproportionately leveraged against minorities and those with lower socio-economic means. Courts nationwide are looking to algorithms to determine whether a defendant should be detained pending trial. The goal of using algorithms is twofold: reduce the population of pretrial detainees and help judges make better decisions regarding the need to detain a defendant.

Across the United States, criminal justice policymakers, practitioners, and advocates have raised concerns about the large number of people who are detained in local jails while waiting for resolution to their criminal charges. While some defendants are held because they are deemed likely to flee or commit additional crimes if released, many others do not pose a significant risk and are held because they cannot afford to pay the bail amount set by a judge. Incarcerating these relatively low-risk defendants is costly to taxpayers and disrupts the lives of defendants and their families, many of whom have low incomes and face other challenges. To address this situation, some jurisdictions are experimenting with new approaches to handling criminal cases pretrial, with the overarching goal of reducing unnecessary incarceration while maintaining public听safety.

Currently, most jurisdictions in the United States work on a bail/bond system. The judge generally looks at the information in front of him/her in the defendant鈥檚 file and is forced to decide whether the defendant will be released on his/her own recognizance or if they will be given the opportunity to post bail pending trial. In many cases, there is a chart that is used to determine the amount of bail that is to be set based on the level of the offense and the defendant鈥檚 criminal record. Another factor considered is the defendant鈥檚 age and ties to the community, i.e. family, job, housing. Research has proven that the bond system tends to be biased against those who are poor and, often, minorities and the homeless. Intuition is also often biased against the same populations. Inserting a data-driven alternative is a good step toward reform and a more just听system.

Simply put, those with money are more likely to be able to post whatever bail is set, avoid jail time, and afford a lawyer to help reduce the charges. Those who are poor can鈥檛 afford the bail or time off the job to fight the charges; therefore, they are more likely to take a plea whether they are guilty or not, thus ending up with a lengthier criminal record. This, of course, sets them up to be ineligible the next time they get arrested whether for valid or invalid charges. It is a vicious cycle.

During the last few years, increased awareness of the economic and human toll of mass incarceration in the United States has launched a reform movement in sentencing and corrections. According to Arnold and Arnold [鈥淔ixing Justice in America,鈥� Politico Magazine], this remarkably bipartisan movement is shifting public discourse about criminal justice 鈥渁way from the question of how best to punish, to how best to achieve long-term public safety.鈥�

It seems from the collective research that for the algorithm to be successful, the tool not only needs to be valid but also properly implemented. This includes intensive training on the tool, its goals and limitations, and consistent use at every level鈥攆rom the officer utilizing it and entering the data in the system to the judge who determines the appropriate pre-trial听action.

Kentucky, which has been working on reform of pre-trial detention for over a decade, struggled until 2013 when it added the PSA tool and training for all parties involved. It has since seen great success. A balance needs to be realized between what the tool suggests and the judge鈥檚 intuition. But in any case, a proprietary bail system that grossly over houses the poor needs to be eliminated. Putting at-risk community members in touch with the appropriate resources to help them be contributing members of society is for the greater good. Research supports that this can be accomplished without creating harm to society and for defendants still appearing for court appearances as evidenced in Kentucky and New Jersey.

Research has proven that the bond system tends to be biased against those who are poor and, often, minorities and the homeless. Intuition is also often biased against the same populations. Inserting a data-driven alternative is a good step toward reform and a more听just听system.

According to New Jersey鈥檚 state-reported data, between January 1 and July 31, 2017, the state of New Jersey has seen its pretrial jail fall by 15.8 percent. That is an impressive drop in under a year. That translates to 2,167 fewer people held in pretrial detention on July 31, 2017, than at the same time in 2016. That鈥檚 more than 2,000 people who have not been convicted of any wrongdoing, and who get to live at home with their families and carry on their normal lives rather than live in a jail cell. These same people also stand a better chance of keeping their jobs and their kids, and their lives aren鈥檛 unnecessarily disrupted while they are locked up before even being convicted. It is important to note that during this same time, New Jersey鈥檚 crime rate fell. According to the New Jersey State Police, violent crime in January through August 2017 was 16.7听percent lower than during the same period of 2016. Murder fell by 28.6 percent, assault by 13.3 percent, robbery by 22 percent. By contrast, violent crime only fell 4.3 percent in 2016, and didn鈥檛 move in 2105.

It鈥檚 far too soon to say if bail reform contributed to the big year-to-year drop. But at the very least, bail reform hasn鈥檛 been accompanied with some dramatic increase in danger or crime. More people are free, and more people are safe.

Jail and prison population chart
While jail and prison populations grew by 11% nationally between 1996 and 2013, New York City鈥檚 jail population declined by 39%
Chart 2
Between January 1, 2017 and July 31, 2017 there was a 15.8% drop in the number of people detained pending trial.
Chart 3
New York City鈥檚 use of jail is among the lowest nationally (167听individuals detained per 100,000 residents) and is lower than Los听Angeles听(263/100,000), Chicago听(281/100,000), and the national average听(341/100,000).

Kentucky鈥檚 courts have used the PSA-Court to help identify low-risk defendants who pose little threat to public safety and are therefore suitable for pretrial release. Since implementation of the PSA-Court, and as compared to the four years prior to July 1, 2013, the new criminal activity rate has dropped significantly. Kentucky is now detaining more high-risk and potentially violent defendants, while more low-risk defendants are being released. And crime is down.

We are only scratching the service on how algorithms, research, and data-driven decision making can help reform the pre-trial process. This is where academic partnerships and alliances with agencies in our community can make a听difference.

Based on the research, considering people are going to make errors and no system is perfect, it seems like this approach is a good start at taking out some of the bias and making the system a bit fairer, particularly for poor, non-violent offenders. Furthermore, it may go a long way toward helping our communities; if we get people in touch with the resources they need rather than put them in a cage, they are more likely to productively contribute to society.

DOWN THE ALGORITHM RABBIT HOLE

Gretchen Schmidt

In fall 2017, Gretchen Schmidt read an听article about New Jersey鈥檚 adoption of algorithms in determining pre-trial sentencing. The concept of bail reform appealed to Schmidt, who prior to her career in higher education, worked in the legal field. In fact, during law school, she worked at a sheriff鈥檚 office where one of her responsibilities was conducting legal research with inmates two to three times a week.鈥淲hile using data to inform sentencing decision is not new, the concept of using data-driven tools to help remove some of the apparently intrinsic bias in the current bail/bond system was appealing to me,鈥� says Schmidt.

In February 2018, she presented on the use of algorithms in the pre-trail sentencing process at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences is an international association established in 1963 to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. It promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners. Schmidt was part of a panel presenting papers related to issues with pre-trial detention.

There are extensive writings about algorithms being used in different ways and phases of the criminal justice process. 鈥淎s I began my research, I did exactly what I caution my students against: I kept getting led down rabbit holes,鈥� recalls Schmidt.

One rabbit hole she found herself exploring relates to the correlation between being detained pre-trial and the likelihood of being arrested. Related is research regarding the likelihood of someone detained pre-trial being sent to jail. 鈥淭he theory is that if you are detained, you are more likely to take a plea and get a shorter sentence or, in best case scenario, time served. This, of course, leads to the last rabbit hole, the likelihood of pleading guilty to something you didn鈥檛 do because you don鈥檛 have the time or money to defend yourself,鈥� she explains. These are serious issues to be considered when looking at pre-trial detention and the bail/bond system, and Schmidt was determined to see if algorithms were a solution.

Schmidt came to the conclusion that 鈥渋n order for the algorithm to be successful, it needs to be properly [implemented], which includes intensive training on the tool, its goals and limitations, and consistent use at every level from the officer utilizing it and entering the data in the system, to the judge who determines the appropriate pre-trial action.鈥� Her research supports this can happen. Schmidt reports that Kentucky added a public safety assessment tool and training for all parties involved in 2013 and, since then, has achieved great improvement in pre-trial detention. 鈥淚n any case, a proprietary bail system that grossly over-houses the poor needs to be eliminated,鈥� she says. – by Jenna Kerwin

Mission Transition

Posted on by Maria C. Sparks
College Implements Initiatives to Support Veterans Pursuing a Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in Nursing

Instructional faculty member Susan Piper looked pained as she discussed issues concerning veterans during a presentation at Excelsior College in February 2018. The issues hit close to home. As a soldier and a nurse, she had seen firsthand how PTSD had affected her husband, a soldier who had returned from Iraq in November 2006. The issues also hit close to work. As an educator of adults returning to college, many of whom are servicemembers and veterans, she sees how their personal challenges extend to the classroom. In her presentation to听Excelsior College faculty and staff, Piper shared both her personal and her classroom experiences to highlight the critical importance of being attuned to the needs of veterans and how that awareness can make for a better learning experience.

Piper鈥檚 presentation was one part of a larger, multi-faceted effort at Excelsior College to better support veteran and military students. In July 2014, Excelsior College was awarded a three-year, $1,019,181 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to assist qualified veterans with earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing and transitioning to the civilian workplace. In July 2017, the College received an additional year of funding to complete project initiatives and evaluation efforts. By then, the initiatives focused not only on promoting student success through changes to the curriculum, but also on helping faculty and staff develop their awareness of veteran students. Known as Mission: Transition, the focused efforts reinforced the College鈥檚 military- and veteran-friendly reputation.

Of Excelsior鈥檚 more than 29,000 enrolled students, 34听percent are military servicemembers and 12 percent are veterans. Mission: Transition made it possible to help instructional faculty better understand the experiences of this student population and what they bring to the online classroom by funding the production of a tutorial that was offered as a faculty development opportunity. Created through a collaboration between the School of Nursing and Excelsior鈥檚 Center for Military and Veteran Education, FAC听120 Military Culture addresses nuances of military culture and the associated impact on the lives of students with military backgrounds. After it was offered to nursing faculty leadership and instructional faculty, the tutorial was opened to faculty leadership and instructional faculty in other disciplines, as well as to some academic advisors.

鈥淔AC 120 served as a cultural immersion where faculty learned to view their own world as 鈥榦ther鈥� as the first step in reaching out to veteran students,鈥� says Patricia Cannistraci, assistant dean in the School of Nursing. While the bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing program has several faculty members who are veterans [see sidebar on page 18], other programs with enrolled veterans do not. A survey of participants who completed FAC 120 shows they were more familiar with the experiences of military and veteran students after taking the course. While gains in knowledge and understanding were reflected collegewide, the largest gains were reported by faculty affiliated with the technology programs, who typically have backgrounds in industries rather than the military. 鈥淣early every faculty member who completed FAC 120 reported having a better understanding of the circumstances of students with military experience as a result of taking the course,鈥� says Barbara Storandt, principal consultant at ALTA Solutions Group LLC, who serves as the external evaluator of Excelsior鈥檚 work related to the grant.

In one of the first grant-funded initiatives, Susan Piper participated in a digital storytelling project and recorded her personal account of recognizing her husband鈥檚 PTSD [see sidebar below]. The video was incorporated into NUR 448 Community Health Nursing and into a presentation for a faculty workshop on recognizing the signs of PTSD. The workshop also provided faculty members with strategies for working with veteran students, such as establishing a personal connection and promoting goal setting with short- and long-term planning. Piper also discussed strategies for working with military and veteran students when she visited the College in February and gave examples from her teaching experience at Hopkinsville Community College in Kentucky.

Developing a better understanding of military students is a recurring theme in accomplishments attributed to the grant or inspired by the grant. Mission: Transition funded revisions to the bachelor鈥檚 degree nursing curriculum so that course content increased awareness of the health care needs of servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Course assignments provide veterans with opportunities to reflect on their military health care experiences and relate them to the course work. A new elective, NUR 340 Caring for Our Nation鈥檚 Heroes and Their Families, gives nursing students the opportunity to learn more about the diverse health care needs of military service members, veterans, and their families. Students learn about military and veteran culture, health care systems and resources for servicemembers and veterans, and the military family. The course also explores veteran-centric health-related topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder, transition issues, poly-trauma, homelessness, women鈥檚 veteran health issues, LGBT topics, and applicable theories.

The inclusive learning environment resulting from Mission: Transition initiatives benefits all students. 鈥淣ot only did it assist our veteran student population in attaining their bachelor鈥檚 degrees in nursing, it also improved nursing care for military patients and their families by educating all our students about the needs of our wounded warriors,鈥� says Mary听Lee Pollard, dean of the School of Nursing.

With the support of the grant, the College looked at how it can meet the needs of veteran students and the effect of relationship building on a student鈥檚 success. Excelsior College was the only online institution among the colleges and universities that received the HRSA grant through the Nurse Education, Practice, and Retention: Veterans鈥� Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing program. The grant provided Excelsior College with a unique opportunity to test hypotheses about the level of support veteran students need and better ways to support them as they pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing.

For the first three years of the grant, veteran students were assigned to a dedicated academic advisor and a faculty nurse mentor to further personalize the student鈥檚 experience and strengthen connections. The faculty member provided veteran students with academic coaching and mentoring, particularly as students took their first academic course and acclimated to the online classroom. After evaluation, which included interviews with students, the College found its veteran student population did not require mentorship that varied from what鈥檚 offered to the typical Excelsior student. The College discontinued the grant-funded nurse mentor position when the initial funding ended in June 2017. Veteran students, as do all students, receive support from academic advisors through the Office of Student Success Services.

According to survey results, veteran students respond positively to the services offered to them at Excelsior College. 鈥淭hey really needed to know that they are part of a veteran-oriented institution,鈥� says Storandt, and adds that Excelsior鈥檚 culture of valuing veteran service is clearly conveyed to and understood by veteran students.

Making the transition from a traditional classroom setting to online learning can be challenging for students, and even a 鈥渕ind-blower,鈥� according to one veteran student in the bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing program. The student was among those surveyed to assess the grant鈥檚 impact. After the student identified as a veteran, the support kicked in right away. 鈥淚t was like a connection that was right there, readily accessible. I felt at home, not so much back in the military, but at home in the sense that I was able to reach out to people that were in civilian life with me and understood where we were, what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�

That experience is exactly what Excelsior seeks to provide veterans. The grant enabled the College to foster a deeper understanding of the veteran experience across the college, and to connect with other higher education institutions that serve similar populations. 鈥淚t put Excelsior College in touch with 30 other colleges and universities across the country doing similar work with veteran students, allowing us all to share our stories and experiences for the benefit of students,鈥� says Barbara Pieper, who was the principal investigator for the grant. She served as the associate dean for bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree programs in the School of Nursing until her appointment as dean of the School of Health Sciences in spring 2017. 鈥淚 believe we had some unique program features to share with our colleagues. We were honored to participate.鈥�

The collaboration with the other higher ed institutions contributed to the impact of the 2017 Annual Educational Institute, 鈥淟essons from the Field: Innovations in Veteran Education, Transitions, and Care.鈥� The daylong conference, funded by the grant, was organized by Excelsior College School of Nursing and Albany Medical Center. The College invited grantees to give papers or posters highlighting aspects of their Veteran Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, says 听Pieper.

Faculty development opportunities, such as the FAC 120 course, the PTSD workshop, and the educational institute, were layered onto a military-friendly culture at Excelsior College that has existed for more than four decades. The听grant essentially enhanced what was already there as far as awareness of the veteran experience and support for them as adult learners, according to several people involved in administering or evaluating the grant. 鈥淎ny effort that went into a veteran-oriented program came out on the student side in some way,鈥� says Storandt.

In the years since the College first received the grant, 179听veterans have enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program [as of April 3, 2018]. The number of veteran students who earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing during that same period totals 66. As recently enrolled students complete the program requirements, the number of veteran students earning a bachelor鈥檚 in nursing is expected to increase. Mission: Transition will have helped many of these students enter the workforce better prepared to meet the growing demand for bachelor鈥檚-prepared registered nurses.

NURSING INSTRUCTOR TOMAS SERNA, A VETERAN, GIVES BACK

Tomas Serna may have left active duty in October 2016, but his life remains anything but calm. Nowadays, the former lieutenant colonel is teaching, coaching, and mentoring the next generation of nursing leaders 鈥� what he claims was the best choice he could have made.

Serna initially joined the Army in 1983 because his business degree gave him few job prospects. When he briefly left the Army eight years later, he attended college at the University of Texas at El Paso and attained his bachelor鈥檚 in nursing. 鈥淚 chose nursing because it gave me better career opportunities,鈥� he says. Now he works as an employee for the federal government. 鈥淚 just changed uniforms and returned to work,鈥� says Serna. 鈥淢y military and my civilian life is pretty much interconnected. I would not change it. I would rather continue to serve than to work in a civilian hospital.鈥�

Photo of Tomas Serna
Tomas Serna鈥檚 strong will and dedication to lead others to survive and succeed has led him to support his fellow veterans in transferring to the civilian life, as well as encouraging his own children in following their educational dreams.

Photo: Aaron Ingrao

It wasn鈥檛 easy to transition to civilian life, however. 鈥淚 think the most difficult thing for me was losing control. As an Army officer, I had a lot of responsibility, but I also had a lot of respect. I could make things happen with a single order,鈥� Serna explains. Understandably, now it鈥檚 not so much the case, and Serna says a certain level of diplomacy must be mastered in order to get things done.

That doesn鈥檛 take away from his love of teaching. Serna teaches NUR 338 Introduction to Nursing Informatics and NUR听456 Leadership and Management in Nursing at Excelsior. 鈥淚 enjoy dedicated students. I can work with students who are committed to succeed in the course. I can help them become successful in the class. I look for those students who work hard,鈥� he says. It runs in the family, too. One of Serna鈥檚 greatest personal achievements is raising two nurses 鈥� his son and daughter. He says he 鈥減rovided effective teaching, coaching, and mentoring. I could not give the profession more than my own two children.鈥� One of Serna鈥檚 greatest military achievements is that in 2004, he took 450 soldiers to Iraq and brought them all back safely. Both accomplishments are a testament to Serna鈥檚 strong will and dedication to lead others to thrive and succeed.

Serna鈥檚 advice extends far beyond the paternal. He encourages veterans to take advantage of every possible program available to them; for instance, the VA has many programs, including job placement opportunities. 鈥淭he transition center can also help them [veterans] before they get out of the service,鈥� Serna explains. 鈥淭hey need to find a way to transfer their military experience, education, and training to the civilian job force. They need to dress to impress.鈥�

In addition to helping fellow veterans, Serna is a member of a variety of local community organizations. He is also a member of the Texas Nursing Association and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. 鈥淲e conduct bi-yearly health fairs, seminars and educational activities within the community. The goal is to promote the profession within the community,鈥� he explains. As a former Army Nurse Corps officer, he is a member of the Army Nurse Corps Association. In this capacity, he helps mentor young officers. 鈥淔urther,鈥� continues Serna 鈥渁s a certified medical-surgical nurse, I听help our clinical nurse specialists develop and present in-services to help our young nurses attain medical-surgical certifications.鈥�- by Jenna Kerwin

Editor鈥檚 note: To read about other instructional faculty, visit the Life at Excelsior College Blog.

SUSAN PIPER: USING DIGITAL STORYTELLING TO HELP VICTIMS OF PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder can happen to anyone. Military servicemembers and veterans most often experience PTSD due to the shocking and dangerous combat events they have witnessed during times of service. Susan Piper, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, knows firsthand the effects of PTSD since it took many years for her husband to admit he experienced symptoms of the disorder. Since then, Piper has been using digital storytelling to share his story with others in hopes that they might learn they aren鈥檛 alone and that help is available.

Piper, who hails from western Kentucky, comes from a large family of servicemembers. 鈥淚 chose to join the military, and answer that call, because my family is a military family. My dad served, my brothers served, uncles, and aunt; from the Air Force, to the Army, to the National Guard,鈥� says Piper. She has over 25 years of military service with most of that serving in the Army National Guard, and only moved into nursing eight years ago.

鈥淭he things that influenced me to become a nurse go way back,鈥� Piper recalls. Her older sister was a nurse and after being a 鈥渃lassic, traditional鈥� college student, she decided on nursing, too. 鈥淚t was an overwhelming urge to want to help, to make a difference,鈥� says Piper, who visited Excelsior in February.

What influenced her to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner stems back to her military family. 鈥淲hat drove me to specialize in that particular area falls back to my passion related to my service as a military member myself, having a family that is full of servicemembers. I have watched, over the years, so many soldiers go to war, and then return home, and talk of the things they experienced,鈥� she explains.

Susan Piper presenting
Susan Piper, an instructional faculty member听for the School of Nursing, shares her experience with recognizing PTSD and teaching veteran students during a presentation at Excelsior College in February 2018.

Photo: Danny Santandrea

Her husband was one of these soldiers. In fact, Piper had been a nurse for 12 years when her husband finally admitted he had a problem. 鈥淚 was a nurse in the military, I was a soldier, and was standing right beside him, and even though I saw these things happening, it even took me a little bit of time to say there was a problem,鈥� she says.

As a nurse educator at Hopkinsville Community College, about 10 miles from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Piper was used to teaching students who had served in the military or are currently still serving in the military, or who are military dependents. That鈥檚 when she had an idea to use her husband鈥檚 PTSD as a learning tool while teaching for Excelsior in 2016. Piper听decided to create a video to further enhance material in the bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing鈥檚 community health curriculum. The video was funded by the Veterans鈥� Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing grant. 鈥淚 decided to use the fact that my husband has PTSD in my digital story, and sharing that with my students, because I think it is important to make connections. When you make connections, learning occurs,鈥� she says. Piper has taught NUR 212 Health Differences Across the Life Span 2, NUR 211 Health Differences Across the Life Span 1, and NUR 105 Essentials of Nursing Care Health Differences for Excelsior.

Piper describes digital storytelling as a method of using multimedia, such as photographs, music, videos, text, and sometimes even the spoken word, to share information鈥攁 story, an idea, or a thought. 鈥淒igital storytelling is a wonderful method to provide reflective thought, and that is important for all of us to do in some way,鈥� she adds, explaining the process of reflective thought as being a method of analyzing a situation and then developing a course of action. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a method of problem solving, if you will.鈥�

For example, she says, 鈥淚f I want to better myself, then I鈥檓 going to take a minute, every day, and reflect upon the day, and anything that may have caused me a problem. Or maybe it was something new that I鈥檇 been exposed to, then I鈥檓 going to think about that, and analyze how that impacted me. What have I gained from it? And then develop that plan, or course of action, or what am I going to do with this now that I鈥檝e been exposed, or experienced it.鈥�

There were several things Piper wanted people to take away from her digital story. 鈥淭he first was related to the struggles that came with PTSD. The second was 鈥� that they鈥檙e not alone, that someone else has experienced this. I wanted my students, specifically my nursing students, to understand,鈥� says Piper. 鈥淪o, many things that I want[ed] for them to take away from my husband鈥檚 story of PTSD, and how I handled it, and the things that I went through 鈥� . And I guess one thing that, maybe as I spoke about it, a lot of times the military family is kind of forgotten about, and that would probably be one of the other things that I wanted to make sure that they took away. The soldier, the veteran, suffers, but the family suffers also. And the struggle touches many,鈥� she adds. 鈥淏ut I also wanted them to know, related to that, they鈥檙e not alone, that there鈥檚 someone that could stand with them. That there鈥檚 help available.鈥�

Digital storytelling is not only beneficial in the classroom, but it can be used therapeutically, also. That鈥檚 what Piper and her husband came away with 鈥� like a 鈥渨eight had been lifted off their shoulders,鈥� she says. Piper says, 鈥淚 was very excited when he [her husband] was anxious to then share that himself. His friends, my friends, said it best. They said, 鈥榮he鈥檚 not just telling your story, she鈥檚 telling our story.鈥� So that was exactly the response. That鈥檚 what I wanted. I wanted that connection.鈥�

Piper has not assigned digital storytelling to any of her students, but she believes it can surely be utilized in the teaching process. She explains that any course that promotes critical thinking and problem solving (reflective thought) would be ideal for this sort of teaching. She is interested in using it in Hopkinsville鈥檚 mental health track. 鈥淚 have recently taken on the responsibilities of our behavioral health nursing course, back at Hopkinsville Community College, and I think that as I make it my own, this is one of the things that I鈥檓 going to utilize 鈥� I鈥檓 hoping to use it in my mental health course. I听think that I can embed it there, in some way. I听believe that it will be very beneficial to these students.鈥�

She also hopes to go back to her story to revise it. 鈥淎t the end of that digital story, I talk about how I鈥檓 finishing my post-master鈥檚, and starting my DNP. And now I鈥檓 looking at my two-year anniversary of being a certified mental health nurse practitioner, and in May I graduate with my DNP.鈥� Piper鈥檚 capstone project focused on veterans, particularly access to mental health related to the veterans at Hopkinsville. It is her dream to make a greater difference at the government level, but for now she is happy she has made a difference with her digital story. 鈥淚 said, well, even if I just impact one person, that鈥檚 one person 鈥� I can walk away OK. But I can鈥檛 walk away, no, I鈥檝e got to do more,鈥� she says.

Piper says personal connections and being aware are the most important things in understanding, but also in learning. They are building blocks for developing trust. She says, 鈥淎wareness is key, whether it鈥檚 awareness of issues, awareness of signs and symptoms, awareness of what you can actually then do to help or compensate, or awareness of resources that may be available in your area. So, to me, that [awareness] is key. That鈥檚 how we best can make a difference.鈥� – by Jenna Kerwin

When You Aren鈥檛 Who You Think You Are

Posted on by Melinde Lutz Byrne
Three Cases Show How Genealogical Research Helps Reveal An Individual鈥檚 Truth

Genealogical professionals approach and solve difficult identity inquiries by thoroughly dissecting, analyzing, and reassembling complex genealogical problems. They gather evidence, evaluate and analyze records, and report the findings of these problems. As the following three examples illustrate, there can be surprising applications of genealogical approaches. Lessons from this sort of casework often show how life-changing proving one鈥檚 identity 鈥� in the sense of who they are and what they鈥檝e experienced 鈥� can be.

WHAT鈥橲 IN A NAME? LAWRENCE SELLS FORD HATFIELD FINDS OUT

CASE #1
RESEARCH QUESTION: Is there a better way to learn your biological father鈥檚 identity?
OUTCOME: The discovery of a truth comes at a price 鈥� for everyone

Lawrence 鈥淟arry鈥� Sells Hatfield, the eldest of a large family in Indiana, was headed to college for engineering when he requested a copy of his birth certificate. When it arrived, the teenager learned an unexpected truth: the father listed on his birth certificate was a complete stranger. Larry was not a Hatfield; he was a Ford. The man he鈥檇 called 鈥渇ather鈥� his whole life was a step-father and his many siblings were only half-siblings. His biological father died of the Spanish flu in boot camp in 1917. His widowed mother, with infant Larry, remarried soon after.

Larry was furious that his mother had lied to him his entire life. In a rage, he threw away a full scholarship and broke all ties with the man he knew as his father. Larry married, served in World War II, raised four children, and found a career on the floor of an Indiana factory.

Larry鈥檚 anger is not unusual, but he may have made better decisions had his family handled the information differently. The reveal of his true identity shattered his trust, but did that need to be the case?

Today, genealogists know we have four kinds of family: a genetic family (where DNA contributions from certain ancestors eventually disappear); a genealogical family (everyone who is your ancestor); a social family (including anyone you welcome into your life); and, finally, a legal family (defined by law, as in adoption or disinheritance). There is now a fifth kind of family for people who have organ transplants and share the donor鈥檚 DNA. For example, a sister who receives her brother鈥檚 kidney will now test as both female and male, so this leads to a new definition of self.

Identity is defined and embraced by the individual. Is it ethical to conceal the truth as in Larry鈥檚 case? Do fostered or adopted children have the right to know their origins?

MIRIAM PERLSTEIN LOWY, SABINOV HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, SHARES HER PAST

CASE #2
RESEARCH QUESTION: Was her story true?
OUTCOME: Finding sources that contain evidence that meets the standard for truth

Miriam Perlstein Lowy survived the Holocaust and told her story to her son only once when he was 18. He wrote it out in Hebrew and never forgot. Forty years later, an elderly Miriam was plagued by dementia and began living her life backward. Knowing her history, he understood why his mother mistook him for his father, then later hated him as an SS officer trying to imprison her. Ultimately, she cried about her older sister, torn from the family and sent to entertain the troops, never to return.

His reluctant retelling of the story captured the attention of a screenwriter. But was it true? As important as never forgetting is not perpetuating a fraud. Could the incredible facts be proven and documented?

Years later the answer is a resounding 鈥淵es!鈥� Genealogical research reveals extraordinary evidence. Survivors from the 100 Jewish families of Sabinov, Slovakia, were few but fierce. At least nine made it to New York City by the late 1950s. Six of the nine made recorded testimonies about their experiences. Each Holocaust witness was instructed to tell only their own story, yet details in their testimonies helped corroborate information in Miriam鈥檚 story.

Florence Reimer was Miriam鈥檚 best friend after the war. In her testimony, Reimer tells that she was born in America and recounts her father鈥檚 fateful decision to return to Slovakia in the 1930s to be with his parents. Her father, mother, and teenaged brother were killed, but she was exempt from the March 1942 鈥渢ransport鈥� of young, unmarried Jewish women because the government did not dare mistreat an American.

Miriam Perlstein family photo
Miriam Perlstein (center top) stands with her parents, Anna Landesmann and Kolomon Perlstein, and three of her five siblings, about 1926 at Sabinov. Her youngest sister, Rozalie, was killed in a drug test at Auschwitz. This photo, by an unknown Sabinov photographer, was hidden by friends in Sabinov and is owned by Miriam鈥檚 son.

Dr. Eugene Schnitzer and his wife Serena survived the war in Sabinov with an 鈥渆xception鈥� that he was a doctor. They kept his niece and his in-laws in a large armoire in the living room under the noses of the authorities. He once took niece Vera out for a walk, but never again. The townspeople, once so friendly, knew Vera was not supposed to be there and their stares were hostile.

Lt. Joseph Schnitzer and his wife were transported in May 1942. Joseph鈥檚 relative bribed many people and chased the train for 15 miles before catching it. The car doors were opened and Schnitzer was called to come out. He refused to leave because he felt everyone should be allowed to go home. At the Polish border, Schnitzer fed hundreds of people during a wait for a new train to the concentration camp Sobibor. He fired up an abandoned bakery and scrounged supplies. Schnitzer鈥檚 Bakery on the show 鈥淪einfeld鈥� was a real place owned by the real Joseph Schnitzer.

Every detail in Miriam鈥檚 story鈥攆rom jumping from the train headed to Auschwitz, eluding capture for almost two years, escaping death when the camp was liberated as she faced execution, hiding in the snowy Tatra Mountains, and hating the people of Sabinov who stole her family home and shunned her when she returned鈥攃an be documented. Research into independent testimonies such as those above, the log books of Auschwitz, a census of Sabinov, and the tattered photos hidden for decades say it is so. As a result, her story meets the genealogical proof standard of truth and will soon be told through a book, a screenplay, and eventually a film.

A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD CASE: JANE DOE NH 1971

CASE #3
RESEARCH QUESTION: Who is she?
OUTCOME: Genetic genealogy will resolve the mystery

A young hunter found Jane Doe NH 1971, as she came to be called, a long time too late. He stirred the woodpile with his rifle and ran to the police station when her sightless eyes met his. Since New Hampshire did not have a medical examiner in 1971, the go-to doctor came from Massachusetts to preside over the recovery in the chilly October rain.

Dr. George Katsas said Jane Doe was 16 to 35 in age, probably in the older range. He wrote down no cause of death in the first autopsy, and inexplicably took home her mandible and maxilla. She had no ID, so the police placed an ad in the local newspaper. Many people came forward, searching for their lost daughters, sisters, or wives. Those missing women were eventually found, but no one claimed Jane Doe NH 1971.

Decades later, the technology exists to date her age to within six months. This requires counting rings of cementum formed around her teeth, but that part of her skull is not with her remains. Height and weight estimates for Americans have also been updated from the long-used Depression-era figures, but people reading Jane Doe鈥檚 description still envision a young runaway or prostitute. She was almost certainly a housewife in her 30s, robbed of her future. Two reconstruction artists created what her face may have looked like, based on her skull, but the renderings could not be more different.

Images of Jane Doe facial reconstruction
Jane Doe 2006 reconstruction by Mary Fish (left) and Jane Doe reconstruction circa 1995 by an unidentified artist.Photos courtesy of the New Hampshire State Police Cold Case Unit

When all else fails, genetic genealogy can lead to a definitive answer. DNA is not just for exclusion any more. With basic skills, a researcher can use autosomal DNA to name the remains of soldiers missing in action or killed in action by matching the primary next of kin. It can and will also name Jane Doe NH 1971 and the tens of thousands of unknown dead who await the return of their identities. A non-disclosure ends the story here, for now. More than five of these cases have been solved in the last few years and all road signs point to genetic genealogy becoming a necessary step in cold case identifications in the future.

Melinde Lutz Byrne, a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, teaches advanced genealogy problem solving for Excelsior College.

Q&A Lifang Shih

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

1. What are three things at Excelsior College that you鈥檙e excited about

A lot of exciting initiatives are taking place within the College. Let me use three examples to represent our three focuses to enhance the student experience.

The first example relates to our efforts in enhancing student success. We reviewed student success data and found there are some courses that are quite critical to students鈥� success in the program. These are usually foundational courses that prohibit students from moving to the next level if they fail the courses. We call these courses obstacle courses. Based on these data, each responsible faculty program director worked with an instructional faculty member to either do a minor revision or make some enhancement to the identified course to enhance student success.

The second example is our efforts in fostering career readiness. Recognizing the importance of equipping our students with workforce-ready competencies, we are integrating authentic learning experiences, such as case studies from top companies in business, health science, and technology programs, into courses so that students are required to apply what they have learned from the class to solve real workplace challenges. Additionally, to enhance students鈥� hands-on skills, we incorporated various learning activities such as hands-on labs, simulators, and virtual labs in these programs.

The third example is our efforts in faculty development. High-quality instruction is key to the student experience. To ensure faculty are supported with appropriate tools for success, we developed an onboarding process to ensure early success for new instructors. Our faculty program directors also devoted a lot of time and effort to reaching out to their faculty to provide any needed coaching and support throughout the term.

2. How do you describe your leadership style?

I believe that effective leadership is an art as well as a technique. The foundation is in relationship building. It requires profound understanding of your staff. You need to know the strength of your staff and their career aspirations. I usually use a quote from John Quincy Adams to remind and encourage myself as a leader, 鈥淚f your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.鈥� I want to be a leader who inspires others to continue to grow and to achieve their career and/or life goals.

3. What opportunities do you see for women in technology?

I think society has made good progress in providing greater opportunities for women in technology as more and more leading companies have recognized the need of an inclusive working environment for company success. GE, for example, has committed to hire 5,000 women in STEM positions within the next few years. One good way to stay connected and learn about available opportunities is to be involved in professional organizations. There are also mentorship programs available in professional organizations such as IEEE and ACM, and the National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College, which resides within the School of Business & Technology, hosts the Initiative for Women in Cybersecurity (IWICs).

4. What do you find inspiring about Excelsior College?

What I really love about Excelsior College is the opportunities it provides to our students. One might argue that Excelsior is just like any other online institution that provides a flexible learning environment to adult learners. However, with our extensive experience in the evaluation of prior learning, including transfer credits from other accredited institutions, professional trainings, and industry certificates, we are the only institution that can meet students where they are and serve as a true partner to enable them to achieve their life and professional aspirations.

Read about Lifang Shih鈥檚 passion for STEM education on our blog.

LEARNING TOGETHER Vol 2

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

STUDY SHOWS VIABILITY OF ONLINE INTERPROFESSIONAL NURSING EDUCATION

A paper written by Patricia Cannistraci, assistant dean of the School of Nursing, and Bonny Kehm, a faculty program director, based on their study on interprofessional education (IPE) received the United States Distance Learning Association鈥檚 (USDLA) International Quality Research Paper Award, and was published in the April 2018 issue of the Journal of Nursing Education. IPE is a team-based approach to learning where students from two or more health care professions learn together during their professional education. The Institute of Medicine, the World Health Organization, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act approve of this practice because it encourages health care professionals to reassess how they work with patients and each other.

Cannistraci and Kehm wanted to show that it was possible to have an interprofessional education experience at an exclusively online college. 鈥淭here is a gap in the literature,鈥� says Kehm, referring to the lack of research showing online schools that successfully implement IPE. Cannistraci and Kehm sought to change that. 鈥淥ur goal is to move interprofessional education from a novelty experience for the nursing student to the norm in nursing curriculum,鈥� says Cannistraci. Their three-phase study included Excelsior College鈥檚 School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences as well as The Sage Colleges Nutrition Sciences Dietetic Internship program.

Ninety-two students (53 nursing students, 30 nutrition students, and 9 health sciences students) were assigned to teams of 9鈥�10 students to equally distribute the professions, with a military or veteran student in each of the groups, too. In phase I of the study, each student was assigned to watch the PBS open-access movie 鈥淧oor Kids,鈥� a 45-minute documentary following three families through their experience of homelessness. This was in preparation for phase II, where students would meet for a weeklong discussion hosted through Moodle, an open-access learning management system.

Each student signed a consent to participate in the study, which contained a pre-post test. Once in the Moodle room, students responded to five discussion questions which included, 鈥淗ow would these families be likely to enter 鈥榯he system鈥� of care, in other words, meet you and the types of service you would provide? What would the family experience look like?鈥� and 鈥淲hat views shared by members on your team, from other disciplines, helped to deepen your understanding of health and societal issues faced by children growing up in poverty?鈥� Faculty participated in the group discussion to expand and deepen the dialogue among students. In phase III, the formal IPE experience ended and students returned to working in their discipline-specific course.

Eighty-eight percent of the 92 participants completed the pre-post survey, which measured how confident the student was in the subject matter and the other professions in their group. Cannistraci and Kehm discovered there was a statistically significant increase in self-reported confidence across all questions of the survey. 鈥淭he results are encouraging because they support the notion that the IPE educational experience significantly improves student confidence in understanding and performing on an interprofessional team,鈥� says Kehm.

As a result of the experience, many students reflected upon their interprofessional teamwork with a deeper understanding of specific provider roles. Student comments include, 鈥淎n important lesson that I learned is that working as a team promotes better patient outcomes and a more successful plan of care,鈥� and 鈥淓very professional on my team had their own opinion that tied to the overall topic of concern.鈥�

Cannistraci and Kehm summarized their study in a manuscript which they then submitted to the USDLA. The International Quality Research Paper Award, given to the authors of a research paper that advances the field of distance education, was presented in May at the USDLA International Awards Ceremony during the annual conference. You can read Cannistraci鈥檚 and Kehm鈥檚 paper, 鈥淒ifficult to doable: Interprofessional collaborative practice in distance education,鈥� in the Excelsior College library.

Smart Eating

Posted on by Alayna DeFalco

FIVE TIPS FOR A HEALTHY DIET

How do we determine what we are supposed to eat without risking harm to our body? How do we move beyond following the latest trend to embrace a healthy eating lifestyle? Unfortunately, there is no one simple answer, and sometimes the easy way can seem like the best way. That鈥檚 when many people turn to fad diets. Fad diets promise quick weight-loss results, although they usually include an unhealthy and unbalanced diet. They allow a very low caloric consumption, ultimately leading to short-term weight loss, but don鈥檛 educate the public on how to eat a sustainable, nutritious menu that they can adopt long-term.

Here are five strategies that we can all apply to eat better and lead us on the track to a healthier lifestyle.

1.EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT EATING OUT.

Americans eat out four times per week on average. If you do, it is important to pay attention to the calories in your food. There are many hidden calories in take-out, but luckily, many food chains provide nutritional values, including calorie counts, for menu options. A typical person鈥檚 daily caloric consumption should be around 2,000 calories per day. If I decide to order a prepared salad at a fast food restaurant, thinking that is one of the healthiest choices on the menu, that salad could well constitute 录 to 陆 of my recommended daily caloric intake. Dressing, processed meats, croutons, and other toppings can dramatically increase calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and even sodium intake.

2.KNOW THE NUTRITIONAL NUMBERS.

Nutritional resources such as the American College of Sports Medicine and healthypeople.gov provide excellent recommendations on daily nutrient intake. For example, experts recommend a daily fat intake of no more 30 percent of our daily calories. If I am on a 2,000-calorie diet, my intake should be no more than 66 grams of fat per day. Going back to the fast food salad: if 2 tablespoons of dressing constitutes 25 grams of fat, I am left with 41 grams of fat for the rest of the day. Prepackaged, convenience, and restaurant foods can contain a lot of fat and calories!

3.READ THE LABELS.

Sometimes it鈥檚 a lifesaver to eat convenience foods. You may be balancing work, college, family, and other demands. Once you know the nutritional numbers, learn to read the labels. Then make it a lifelong habit. The Food and Drug Administration has an excellent overview on reading nutrition labels.

4.EAT PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL.

This may sound strange, as protein is often associated with weight gain, but protein is an essential macronutrient that helps rebuild our tissues, hair, nails, skin, and much more. Most people do not get enough protein in their daily diets. Insufficient protein leaves people hungry. When feeling hungry, people tend to eat more carbohydrates or fat, which can increase blood glucose and calorie counts.

5.WORK WITH A LICENSED DIETICIAN.

Nutrition is an ongoing battle, with a lot of inaccurate information. If you want to lose weight or alter your diet, you may need professional assistance to get started safely. Every person is wonderfully unique, and we all have different caloric needs. Dieticians can determine what a safe weight-loss program can be for that person. Most fads do not take individuality into consideration. Extremes in dietary change and weight loss can cause more harm than good in the long term.

Our food is the fuel that keeps our bodies and minds functioning at peak efficiency. Following the first four steps is vital to survive and thrive in our own bodies. If you are at all confused, follow Tip 5 and work with a professional. You can also learn more by taking HSC 403 Nutrition for Health and Wellness or HSC 304 Exercise for Health and Wellness.

Project Management 101

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

ALUMNUS KANE TOMLIN PRESENTS WEBINAR SERIES

One only needs to search 鈥減roject management鈥� to see the rapid and growing influence of this business practice in today鈥檚 global market. Based on independent research, the Project Management Institute (PMI), which offers eight certifications that recognize knowledge and competency, asserts that the project management-oriented labor force is expected to grow by 33 percent鈥攏early 22听million new jobs鈥攂y 2027.

According to Kane Tomlin, 鈥�12, 鈥�14, that鈥檚 good news. Tomlin is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional who oversees the project management office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement where he works as a special programs administrator. He studied criminal justice and cybersecurity at Excelsior and now serves on the College鈥檚 Alumni Leadership Council. Through his work on the Council, he recently launched a quarterly alumni speaker series on project management to help his fellow alumni and current students make sense of one of the fastest-growing听fields.

鈥淧roject management is as simple or as complicated as the project,鈥� says Tomlin. 鈥淎nd the skill set starts with being intellectually curious,鈥� he says, adding that PMI thinks of project management as more than a skill; it considers it to be a profession. Skill, profession, or both, project management, Tomlin explains, is a cognitive process that leads to the most effective and efficient way to perform the work. From this perspective, it鈥檚 easy to see why employers are interested in having project managers on board: how effectively you execute the growth strategy of the organization is directly related to success markers such as profit.

While many of us who are not project managers may feel as though we do this type of work in our jobs every day, not all projects are created equal. Within the industry, projects are clearly defined by the following criteria: 1) a specific product or service, 2) with a start and end date, 3) that has never been done before by you or your company, 4) which requires planning and execution, and 5) has unknown variables.

Or, as Tomlin describes it, a project is any one-time effort with an end-state goal. It can be as simple as making a pot of coffee (if you鈥檝e never made one before) or as complex as building a stadium or IT system. However, all projects share the same three constraints: limited budget, limited time, and performance constraints (good and fast vs. fast and cheap vs. good and cheap).

So, what does it take to be one of these in-demand project managers?

If you like working in an area where there isn鈥檛 much information provided, and that requires you to do research in order to accomplish your goals, then you will enjoy project management. Project managers possess the following skills and attributes: problem solver, positive attitude, high-level communication ablities (written and verbal), systematic mindset (breaks down problems), enjoy challenges, enjoy a lack of routine, and highly goal-oriented.

Project managers follow a prescribed process for handling the work. Remember those three constraints that affect every project? Project management begins with identifying the driver constraint (least flexible) and weak constraint (slightly negotiable) related to the project at hand. Then, it involves breaking down the work into a method that can be organized into a project schedule. For example:

STEP 1:听Make a list of every task that needs to be done in order to complete the project.

STEP 2:听Interview subject matter experts to find out what steps they need to take to complete their portion of the project (for example, if you鈥檙e building a stadium, the subject matter experts would include the architect and general contractor).

STEP 3:听Determine task dependencies, such as tasks that can be completed simultaneously and those that need to be completed before another task can be started.

STEP 4:听Schedule the work; how long each task will take is often identified through those interviews and conversations with the subject matter experts in Step 2.

Scheduling the work isn鈥檛 the end of the planning, of course. Some tasks take longer than scheduled and project managers have to compensate by shuffling people, time, and money to meet goals. That鈥檚 where, Tomlin says, the most important quality of project managers comes into play: problem-solving.

鈥淭he reason is twofold. First, the simple act of starting a project usually involves some version of 鈥榟ow do we solve this problem or overcome this challenge,鈥欌�� says Tomlin. 鈥淪econd, once the project is underway, no matter how much planning you have done, new problems will arise.鈥澨�� by Renee Kelly

New College Partnership: Army University

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

The U.S. Army Ordnance School recently selected Excelsior College, one of Military Times鈥� Best Colleges of 2018, to provide associate degree pathways to soldiers based on military training. The partnership is part of the Army University Continuing Education Degree Program (CEDP), which matches Army schools with civilian colleges. Excelsior was one of a select few colleges nationwide chosen to partner with Army University to participate in the CEDP Leadership Initiative Program and to offer associate degree programs at the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Fort Lee, Virginia, and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

The associate degree programs selected for the program include the Associate in Applied Science in Technical Studies with a concentration in electromechanical technologies, Associate in Applied Science in Administrative Management Studies, Associate in Science in Liberal Arts with areas of focus in leadership, environmental management science, and logistics, and Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. College credit is awarded for military service school courses, and for primary and duty military occupational specialties (MOS) experience.

Students will also profit from other benefits, including support from military academic advisors and admissions counselors; reduced course tuition rate of $250 per credit hour for active duty servicemembers, reservists, and National Guard personnel, and their family members; waived enrollment fee for military students; and maximum credit awarded in transfer for military training, prior college, and exams such as DLPT, CLEP, and DANTES.

鈥淲ith this new partnership with the Army University, we鈥檙e excited to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with the Army and pave pathways for servicemembers to earn college degrees,鈥� said Sue Dewan, executive director of the Excelsior College Center for Military and Veteran Education.

For more information about the partnership, visit .

Alumni Give Back by Paying It Forward

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Alumni giving was up last fiscal year, spurred in large part by the growth of the Pay It Forward campaign. The campaign asks new graduates to contribute to the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for students with financial need and helps ensure they stay enrolled and earn their degrees.

When graduates make a gift of $25 or more to the Pay It Forward campaign, they receive a purple honor cord to identify themselves as a contributing member of the Excelsior College Alumni Association. Nearly half of the 418 graduates attending Commencement 2017 made a gift on Commencement day.

鈥淧aying it forward to current students is similar to helping a family member with their college expense. I have noticed over the years that there is a strong desire with our alumni to see others succeed.鈥� 鈥揇wayn Hanford

Dwayn Hanford, the president of the , says the Excelsior family atmosphere makes this campaign so successful. 鈥淓xcelsior graduates are proud of our Excelsior family and overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunities they have received after earning their degree,鈥� he says. 鈥淧aying it forward to current students is similar to helping a family member with their college expense. I have noticed over the years that there is a strong desire with our alumni to see others succeed.鈥�

The participation of graduates at Commencement boosted the number of alumni donors to more than 950 for the 12 months ending July 2017. Alumni giving for that period totaled more than $116,000 to support student scholarships and resources.

Overall, Excelsior awarded 1,021 scholarships to students with financial need during the 2016鈥�2017 academic year.

Helen Benjamin Becomes Chair of the Board of Trustees

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

In January 2018, Helen Benjamin was elected by her peers to serve as the chair of the Excelsior College Board of Trustees. The first woman to serve as board chair, she brings a wealth of knowledge, deep experience, and commitment to higher education and student success to the position.

Benjamin retired as chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District in Martinez, California, in December 2016 after serving as chancellor for more than 11 years. Before that, she held a variety of senior-level positions in the district since 1990. She had been an educator in secondary and higher education for more than 44 years. Benjamin started her career as a high school teacher in Dallas, Texas, and then was an assistant professor at Bishop College in Texas. She was with the Dallas County Community College District for 22 years, including four years as a dean.

She joined the Excelsior College Board of Trustees in 2011. 鈥淓xcelsior鈥檚 mission of serving historically underserved adult learners no matter where they are academically or geographically resonated very strongly with me because of my own educational experiences,鈥� says Benjamin. 鈥淓xcelsior makes a huge difference in the lives of so many students, and I enjoy being a part of an institution with such an important mission. One of my goals as an educator has always been to support underserved students because I identify with them, having attended segregated schools through my years as an undergraduate student.鈥�

She says she is honored to have been selected to chair the Board of Trustees and intends to continue the leadership work of those who have served in the position before her to ensure Excelsior remains true to its听mission.

In addition to her work with Excelsior, Benjamin serves as a member of the Texas Woman鈥檚 University Foundation Board and as a volunteer at the African American Museum in Dallas. President of HSV Consulting Inc., she is a consultant to community colleges in a variety of areas.

鈥淓xcelsior makes a huge difference in the lives of so many students, and I enjoy being a part of an institution with such an important mission.鈥� 鈥揌elen Benjamin

Benjamin maintains an active role in a variety of professional and community organizations, many committed to increasing opportunities for students of color and increasing access to education for economically disadvantaged individuals. She worked tirelessly for the improvement of community and junior colleges and served as president of the California Community Colleges CEOs, as president of the board of the Community College League of California, and as chair of the California Promise Leadership Team. She holds the distinction of being the first community college representative appointed by Congress to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. Benjamin served with distinction as convener of the Presidents鈥� Round Table of Community College African American CEOs and on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges.

Known as a champion for student success, Benjamin has written on the topic, has delivered many presentations, and has been acknowledged for her efforts. She co-authored, with Darroch Young, 鈥淗arvest from the Vineyard: Lessons Learned from the Vineyard Symposiums鈥� (2016) and contributed to 鈥淭he Chocolate Truth: An Anthology of Perspectives from Community College CEOs鈥� (2012). She was among 20 community college CEOs from throughout the United States to participate in the first White House Summit on community colleges held by President Barack Obama.

Benjamin earned a Bachelor of Science in English from Bishop College where she graduated magna cum laude, and earned a MEd in supervision and reading and a PhD in English from Texas Woman鈥檚 University in Denton, Texas.

 

Partners on This Journey

Posted on by James Baldwin

For 47 years, Excelsior College has served as a model for how innovative institutions can deliver quality, affordable education, contributing to the realization of the fundamental American promise that anyone鈥攔egardless of social or economic circumstance鈥攕hould be free to pursue their听dreams.

As the College has evolved, so too has the world around us. Private and public institutions across the nation are grappling with how to fulfill their mission in the face of significant marketplace challenges, including a rapidly changing higher education environment, heightened competition, demographic changes, regulatory uncertainty, and a loss of government support.

Excelsior鈥檚 new strategic plan, unveiled in February, elevates our capacity to meet these challenges by building on our core strengths and creating a foundation for future growth and success through improvements to our academic programs, courses, and student services, all supported by dramatic improvements in technology.

Some enhancements will be easily identifiable to all students, such as a captivating new learning management system and the introduction of automated self-service options. Other changes will be difficult to discern but the cumulative effect will create a new, highly responsive, and fully automated student experience.

Our advisors, evaluators, and counselors will be empowered to identify and resolve student issues and problems. We will continue to recruit and retain high-quality faculty with deep expertise and rich teaching experience to foster robust learning communities that stimulate creativity, curiosity, and critical thought. We will elevate our program offerings, infusing them with writing across the curriculum, career-ready competencies, and skill-development opportunities to ensure all graduates are well-prepared to achieve their personal and career goals.

From inquiry to graduation, students will experience an exceptional level of service, personalized to their needs. For our students, Excelsior will be more than an institution. We will be a partner on one of life鈥檚 great journeys鈥攖he search for, and achievement of, self-actualization.听

A+ Tech for the Adult Student

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Going to school as an adult has a way of transforming you into a modern-day magician. Juggling work, family, and life all while working on your degree requires new ways to make time, homework, and even dinner appear out of thin air! 听Sometimes, however, even the most multitalented multitasker could use a little help.

How many times have you wished for a magic spell that could help you grocery shop, write that research paper, and remember to send your aunt a birthday card? While unfortunately Hogwarts doesn鈥檛 offer online degrees, technology isn鈥檛 too far off.听 From apps that keep you focused, to clever tech for your kitchen, we鈥檝e found four new ways technology has innovated to help you work smarter until science develops that magic wand!

  1. Distraction Destroyers
    We鈥檙e all guilty of sitting down at our computer with the best intention of working only to discover it鈥檚 an hour later and we鈥檙e 10 cat videos deep down a YouTube hole. Luckily there are apps that, with a little setup, can stop digital procrastination before it starts., , and are web browser extensions that allow you to block your choice of distracting websites for the certain amount of time you want to focus on work. Each app comes with smart options like redirecting an off-limit site back to something more scholarly or serving you a landing page with an inspirational quote instead when you visit Reddit in a moment of weakness. You can even program in short breaks to keep you motivated while you work. Best of all, the basic versions of all three are completely free.
  2. Smart Kitchen Tech
    We鈥檝e heard the praises of the Instant Pot (the pressure cooker with a cult-like following), but there are a plethora of other upgrades available to your basic kitchen appliances designed to squeeze those precious extra minutes from your daily routine.The WiFi-enabled coffee maker keeps you caffeinated without even having to leave your desk. This smart coffee pot lets you use voice commands to start brewing from wherever you are. Plus, the built-in bean grinder and programmable features makes sure you always have a fresh cup waiting during those all-nighters.

    The works with Alexa voice commands to allow you to instantly stop, start, and control your cooking. Taking things even further into the future, this microwave comes with 鈥淪can-To-Cook鈥� technology that reads the barcodes of most frozen foods and instantly programs cooking time accordingly, freeing you from the scourge of burned popcorn or icy-in-the-middle entrees.

  3. Household Schedule Heroes
    One of the most difficult things about going back to school is staying on top of your own class, homework, and exam schedules while also making sure the rest of your household keeps on track. Technology can be your saving grace to keep loved ones connected and organized.The app brags that it 鈥溾�� organizes everyone鈥檚 schedules, activities, and appointments in one place that鈥檚 accessible anytime, anywhere.鈥� The helpful color-coded calendar and programmable reminders keep your family on schedule and in the loop. Additional features like shopping lists, a meal planner, and a family journal help keep track of the details so you can keep track of your school work.

    If you鈥檙e looking for a true household command center (and have a few thousand dollars to burn) consider the . This fridge has a 21.5-inch screen tablet embedded in the door as well as three interior cameras that let you know how well stocked you are on your favorite items and alerts you to their expiration dates and nutritional facts. The WiFi-enabled screen that syncs with your family calendar lets you plan recipes with the food you have available and if you don鈥檛 have time to cook, lets you order from GrubHub via voice command.

  4. Academic All Stars
    You鈥檝e just scheduled a pot of coffee with your phone, your distraction blocking app is activated, and now it鈥檚 time to study! While these last two innovations won鈥檛 guarantee you an A, they鈥檒l certainly make it easier.

    Adult students have to be flexible and that often means getting homework or reading done wherever there鈥檚 a will and a WiFi connection. This makes having a portable, wireless power source like the The pad is small enough to carry in a bag or store in a car鈥檚 glove box. Simply place your QI-enabled phone or laptop on the pad and your device begins to charge without the hassle of cords and cables.The path to your degree is surely paved with reading, writing, and research. One of the most time-consuming parts of any writing assignment is making sure your sources are correctly cited. is a subscription service that helps you collect and organize sources and reading materials on any device. CiteThisForMe鈥檚 unique features allow you to cite as you write and can generate citations for a variety of source media in any commonly used style. For group projects, CiteThisForMe gives you a simple way to share research materials with your team and the plagiarism checker function compares your work against your source content to guard against any overzealous borrowing.

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These innovations are just a sampling of the advancements available designed to streamline our lives with the magic of technology, but any adult student knows the real magic is as simple and as complicated as good old-fashioned drive and determination. Find out ways you can implement these clever hacks while enrolled in our liberal arts degree.

What鈥檚 your favorite technological life-hack?听 Let us know on our .