For Washtenaw Community College instructor Angela Guy-Lee, attending an important event like her daughter’s induction ceremony to the National Honor Society eclipses most everything else. “This is one of those things you know that your kids will remember if you’re not there,” Guy-Lee said. Finding a way to juggle the demands and guilt of pursuing an education when already busy with life, work and children can be challenging for everyone involved. Because parent students have responsibilities and commitments that can put a strain on their families, it is important to ensure that children aren’t forgotten in the rush to betterment. “Especially for non-traditional students, it’s harder because they are balancing so much more than those students fresh from high school, still living with their parents, with no bills, no spouse, no job, and no children. It’s harder – it really is,” Guy-Lee said.
 Angie Underdahl, 31, is a working mother who knows that juggling a full-time job, two classes and a child is difficult. (Bob Conradi/The Washtenaw Voice) “I try my best to get school work done during the week and focus on my family on the weekends,” said Angie Underdahl, 31, a social work major from Deerfield and working mother of a 2 year-old-son. “My son does get annoyed when I’m trying to study and can’t play with him right at that exact moment, but I know that my choice to be in school right now is something that will benefit him in the future,” Underdahl said. Being a stay-at-home parent doesn’t always make it any easier. Children are often comfortable with a particular process at home and a parent starting at college can change that. “I scheduled all my classes for weeknights and Saturday and Sunday,” said Chad Doxey, 36, a liberal arts student from Ann Arbor and father of three. “I only have one kid at home with me during the day so it is not that much of juggling. We always eat dinner together, and I make sure to ask them about their school and in turn tell them about mine,” Doxey said. Including children in the parent’s educational process helps ease any feelings of guilt for not having time for them, while also showing them the importance of getting an education. Taking advantage of available extended family and friends is also a way to ease the burden on the parent and keep things as normal as possible for the child. “I don’t feel guilty because my son is blessed with so many people who love to spend time with him. He probably doesn’t miss me one bit,” Underdahl said. The real key may be just to put the importance of the education in focus and keep things light and fun at the same time. “I take advantage of travel time in the car with my son and instead of talking on the phone or listening to the radio, my son and I talk and sing,” Underdahl said. “For the most part, my kids like it when I’m at school because I am the main disciplinarian. When Mom is in charge while I’m gone they feel they can get away with more,” Doxey said. “My oldest said it would be funny if I took fewer classes and was still in college when he goes. Um, yea, that’s real funny, dude. Not!”
Chad Doxey wants to go to the University of Michigan, but is attending Washtenaw Community College for two years first.
“I hope to start at the U-M in the fall of 2013, pending admission, of course,” said the 36-year old Liberal Arts Transfer major from Ann Arbor.
With the high cost of tuition today, many students like Doxey look to WCC as a springboard to other colleges and universities. But how it is best done, specifically, isn’t always clear to them.
To help students transfer, the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers created a transfer agreement that uses the acronym of their title, MACRAO.
“I actually was just going to finish up my associate’s degree at WCC and start my bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University without transferring my credits,” said Amanda Blackburn, 25, and a Criminal Justice major from Ypsilanti Township.
“I met with a counselor to discuss graduation and such when she introduced me to the MACRAO program. I thought to myself, why haven’t I done this already? This way I am not taking duplicate classes through both places.”
The agreement makes it possible for interested WCC students to complete up to 30 credit hours and then transfer those to another college or university. MACRAO students are required to complete at least eight of their 30 credit hours at WCC and have a minimum 2.0 grade point average to be eligible.
“I anticipate making the transfer from WCC to EMU this spring, and completing my term at EMU by the spring of 2013,” Blackburn said. “After that, I hope to start at Cooley Law School in the fall of 2013.”
According to Doug Potter, manager of Specialized Recruiting for EMU, the best course of action for any WCC student wanting to transfer is to meet with a counselor or adviser sooner, rather than later.
“Even if it’s a few years down the road, start by meeting with a counselor from WCC and an EMU Transfer Admissions Representative as early as possible,” Potter said.
Because of a strong partnership with WCC, walk-in advising is available to students with representatives from the EMU Advising Office located in WCC’s Counseling Office. They are available year-round on Wednesdays from 1-5 p.m. and Thursdays from noon-4 p.m.
Potter also believes that many students use the agreement because it is an efficient way to transfer.
“We had approximately 2,100 new transfer students enroll this past Fall,” he said. “I would guess that nearly half of them from Michigan community colleges came with a completed MACRAO agreement.”
To fulfill the MACRAO agreement, WCC students need six credit hours in English Composition, eight-to-nine hours in the social sciences like sociology, history or psychology, eight-to-nine credits in math and science, and eight-to-nine hours in the humanities like art, drama, music, journalism or foreign language.
In addition, some colleges and universities have special limitations, exceptions and additions that an advisor will explain as part of the intended school’s requirement and help ensure a successful transfer.
“Even though U-M has stricter requirements over Eastern, Michigan has more programs that interest me,” Doxey said. “I keep in regular contact with people at both places to make sure things are still going OK.”
In addition to speaking to college and university advisors, additional information and a list of supported educational institutions are available by visiting the student services section of http://wccnet.edu and at http://MACRAO.org.
Most people have heard the old adage of “buyer beware,” but probably never thought about that in regard to their choice of college classes.
When Washtenaw Community College students sign up for an online class and pay their tuition for the course, they believe it will be a safe investment when dealing with a busy schedule while still providing the same curriculum and quality to that of a face-to-face class.
With Geology 104-section DL2, a weather class taught online since 2008, the reality, according to several students enrolled in the class, is that the online offering is not as good as it should be.
The three-credit class costs $282, including tuition and tech fees. Add the $160 textbook, and the cost of the class totals $442. Considering the cost of an education, students expect to get what they pay for from a class whether online or in-person.
“I’ve had eight online classes so far at WCC, and the worst experience in taking online classes would have to be the weather class,” said Bob Palmer, 45, a Liberal Arts Transfer major from Greenville.
Another student in the class, who asked that his name not be used, has strong feelings about the value of the class.
“They provide a lecture video as the only online learning material,” he said. “The faculty did little beyond give us the syllabus and schedule, and has done no teaching in our course as far as I’ve seen.”
As a student with multiple online classes completed at the University of Phoenix, he expected a similarly rich experience at WCC.
“University of Phoenix has a wide assortment of learning materials, discussion groups, and faculty involvement to support online learning. The instructor’s feedback here is sparse and uninformative, and the ‘discussion board’ assignments are all separate responses to the instructor that don’t lead to any discussion by the class at all.”
The instructor, the geology department head, Kathleen Butcher, and Dean of Math, Science and Health Martha Showalter all declined to be interviewed for this story.
According to James Egan, Dean of Distance Learning, base class materials are determined in the course master syllabus.
“Courses start with a uniform template, but individual departments make decisions to modify at their level, and materials can be changed slightly to allow for variety in teaching based on instructor preference,” he said.
A review of the Blackboard page for Geology 104-section DL2 shows that the discussion board is set aside for only three assignments and does not encourage comments from other students to foster a classroom-like interaction. Instructor feedback comes, in most cases, in the form of a one or two sentence comment that appears on the grade page for a particular assignment.
“I know I found it frustrating when I asked the instructor a question about how to do something and his comment was ‘read the instructions again.’” said Debra Cross, a 56-year-old Photographic Technology major from Dundee.
Grading accuracy is a concern to Cross as well.
“I found several answers wrong on the master keys supplied after assignments that show the correct answer once it is completed. I called the instructor out on two wrong answers recently that should actually have been right. He corrected it when shown, but it has also happened before.”
The former University of Phoenix student says he’s disappointed by what he feels the class represents for the greater WCC campus distance-learning system, and he made his feelings known when he filled out his student-opinion questionnaire (SOQ).
“Having experienced many good online classes, and holding a master’s degree in education technology, I see WCC treating online learning like a mail-order correspondence course instead of the media and feedback-rich environment it should be. It’s sad really,” he said.
For Palmer, who also submitted an SOQ for the class, the lack of instruction is a major flaw. For this reason, he feels the course has taught him nothing about weather.
“The only thing I have gained out of the Geology 104 experience is to never take a class with this instructor again. He is unyielding in his attitude that he is perfect, the syllabus is perfect and that it isn’t his responsibility if there are technical issues or the dates change to the schedule without notice.”
Any tool that brings the college experience to more folks is a plus, according to Washtenaw Community College English instructor Sarah Pinkelman.
“However, like all superpowers, it can be used for good and evil,” Pinkelman said.
Traditional on-campus classes are not in danger of becoming a thing of the past any time soon, but with students busier these days, online classes are growing in both popularity and offerings.
Although a form of online class was available previously, the beginnings of the modern version began at WCC in the Fall of 2004.
“We started by offering an original four online courses,” said James Egan, dean of distance learning at WCC. “By the Fall of 2011 we had a combination of 61 completely online and blended courses on the schedule.”
Between Fall 2007 and Fall 2011, the percentage of online class sections offered nearly doubled from 2.7 percent to 5.6 percent. Forty class sections were available fully online in 2007 and increased to 93 sections fully online in 2011.
“Online classes work very well for me, and I think WCC’s dedication to them has improved my online education,” said Bob Palmer, a 45-year old Liberal Arts Transfer major from Greenville.
Popularity and convenience is one thing, but it is unwise to assume that an online class is going to be inherently easier than a traditional physical class.
“Online classes require a lot of responsibility on the part of the student to get a good grade,” said Leah Kaisler, 17, of Tipton, a student at Washtenaw Technical Middle College.
Instructors also find value in online classes as an alternative to face-to-face classes.
“As with everything, what a person puts into an endeavor is reflected in what they get from it – this applies to students and instructors,” said Stephanie Wichmann, a WCC English instructor.
She has experience teaching both standard online classes and blended classes that merge both online and classroom segments in the same course.
“I think that the key to successful online courses is to keep students and instructors engaged, foster open communication, and inspire performance,” Wichmann said. “It is possible for students to do well in an online course, but students need to realize that it is still a lot of work to complete the course successfully.”
Online classes are well-suited to many students because of the ability to schedule their own time, view recorded lectures and materials more than once, and take breaks as necessary.
“I was living an hour away from WCC when I started taking online classes,” Palmer said. “I found that not having to make that drive that far and deal with the weather and traffic – not to mention the parking lot – I was able to get more into the classes. I can pick up the computer anytime I want to work on some homework.”
Again, the same things that matter to students are just as important to their WCC instructors.
“I chose to teach online classes to see how the online educational world functioned,” Pinkelman said. An instructor since 2009, he has experience in five online and one blended class.
“I also have two kids, and like all kids, they get sick occasionally and stay home from school or daycare. That is a bit more stressful when you need to show up for a face-to-face class.”
Not everything about online classes is seen as positive by students and instructors, however.
“I wish that there were a more diverse course offering, but overall, online courses are a wonderful way for a student to be able to take classes at their own speed and on their own timeline,” Palmer said.
Online classes are sometimes a frustrating thing for Wichmann, who prefers to be more actively involved in the methodology of teaching the subject.
“I prefer traditional classes because I’ve seen that the outcomes are much more positive for students in face-to-face classes. In most cases, online instructors are not allowed to alter course content, assignment instructions, grading rubrics or any other course components. Many instructors who I’ve talked to feel that their role is as a facilitator rather than as a teacher in an online course.”
To aid students in going online for the first time, WCC offers training in Blackboard, the software architecture used by the campus to host and facilitate the online learning process.
Although it was her first time using Blackboard, Debra Cross, 56, a Photographic Technology major from Dundee caught on quickly and found blackboard to be user-friendly.
“Even though at first I didn’t know how the assignments were entered and how tests were given, I absolutely think Blackboard is a good product for the online classes,” Cross said.
For Palmer, it was what Blackboard didn’t provide that mattered.
“What I have found, is that instructors who don’t use Blackboard much have a real problem getting all the needed info in the right places. Like this semester, I have a class and the instructor can’t seem to put everything on Blackboard,” Palmer said. “Because of this, I missed three assignments, and he refused to open them up so I could complete them.”
Instructors of online classes often hear complaints because they are the front-line contact for the students in their classes.
“For the most part I’ve had an easy time logging on and accessing everything,” Pinkelman said. “I have gotten a student every now and then that’s written something like ‘I hate Blackboard!’, but I’m never clear about what is frustrating them, though.”
Wichmann has heard a lot of complaints from instructors and students from time to time, but realizes that most of the issues are eventually resolved.
“WCC has a team of staff members who act as Blackboard support people for faculty and students. They run free training sessions year round, and provide phone and email support until late at night.”
With Christmas right around the corner, many Washtenaw Community College students are either getting, or are hoping to get, a smartphone or tablet in their stocking this year.
Part of the fun of using such a device is downloading cool or useful apps to increase the item’s functionality. As a student, how better to make the most of a new tool, or convince a loved one of the value of such a present in your college career, than by outlining the many helpful apps available to strengthen your educational experience.
The various iPhones and iPads are designed to only use apps made for and placed in the Apple App Store, while Android phones and tablets (including some Blackberry models and the new Kindle Fire) only function with apps available through the Android Market. Although some apps are strictly platform specific, many developers now create both Apple and Android versions concurrently.
Below are a handful of useful apps that can make a smartphone or tablet ideal for use at WCC:
Mobile WCC
This app is created specifically for smartphones and is available free for both Apple and Android systems. With content formatted for a phone’s limited screen size, it is easier to locate specific information than by using a phone’s browser to access the full WCC site. It also avoids heavy image use and extraneous content that will slow browsing.
Jared Angle The Washtenaw Voice
The WCC app in action on a smartphone
Jared Angle The Washtenaw Voice
The WCC app in action on a smartphone
Jared Angle The Washtenaw Voice
The WCC app in action on a smartphone
Jared Angle The Washtenaw Voice
The WCC app in action on a smartphone
The Washtenaw Voice
The WCC app in action on a smartphone
iAnki Flashcards
This free app is ideal for students who need to learn a lot of information quickly or simply prefer studying with flashcards. It’s easy to create flashcard decks on the phone. Cards can be marked once memorized so that they will not appear again, but can be activated again as necessary. The app supports creating multiple decks for use with many different classes, and is available for Apple and Android Devices.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
Look up lengthy and accurate definitions from this respected dictionary quickly and easily for free on Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Additional features include access to synonyms, antonyms and example sentences. You will always have the right word when needed to finish that paper, homework assignment or just to improve your vocabulary and spelling.
Blackboard
Mobile Learn
Available for both Android and Apple devices, it allows students to access their Blackboard account in a way that is formatted for smaller viewing sizes and uses the existing username and password. Blackboard Mobile Learn gives students and teachers access to their courses and content, including viewing grades, post to discussion forums or viewing attached documents in a number of different formats. The app is enabled to work for the WCC campus version of Blackboard, but at present is only free for use on the Sprint Network.
Evernote
This versatile note taking app is perfect for capturing lectures in class. You can create written notes, take photos and link them to notes and record voice memos that enable you to go back and review parts of the lecture later. Notes are accessible from an easy-to-understand user interface and may even be synchronized to a PC for further modification. Evernote is available free of charge for Apple, Android and Windows Mobile devices.
eBook Reader
Download free apps for any device operating system to enable reading of Kindle, Nook, or other eBook reader content. All major readers have apps to access free or purchased book and magazine content. Whether you want to just read a novel to pass time between classes, or research something for an upcoming class, you will have access to a wealth of content at any time.
The thought that Friday is better than Monday may well be a thing of the past. At least one weekend a year.
Although many retailers continue to offer online deals on Black Friday to capture the stay-at-home customer, the real hot shopping day for the online community is the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday.
The term “Cyber Monday” was first used in November 2005 by Shop.org, and the concept quickly became popular with both retailers and shoppers alike. Online sales have grown steadily over the last several years as awareness increased.
ComScore, a research company specializing in digital marketing intelligence, reported that the 2010 Cyber Monday total shopping revenue reached a record $1 billion, an increase of 16 percent over 2009. This one-day shopping total was bigger than either Black Friday or the following weekend sales and showed average buyer spending to be growing.
Many retailers often pull out their best deals and offers while hoping for impressive sales numbers on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and several now include an online component to their Black Friday sales to capture elusive stay-at-home shoppers.
Toys-R-Us heavily promotes its sales for both online and in-store sales. Many other stores do the same thing, including Walmart, Meijer, Target, and Best Buy. While the stores still offer door-busters, perks, free add-on products or other incentives to get people into the stores, many retailers make purchasing online an inviting alternative.
Retailers know who has the power on this day, and understand it’s just not going to make it worth the early hours and crushing crowds for some shoppers. For this reason, they’ve made it easy for customers to just stay in.
While not as widely known by the public, Cyber Monday is gaining ground on its more popular Friday sibling. Also, with the increasing use of mobile shopping via smart phones and tablets, Cyber Monday may one day surpass Black Friday in popularity.
In general, stores position different items for the Cyber Monday crowd and avoid simply rehashing the same Black Friday deals. Many retailers promote their sales in advance on CyberMonday.com, and this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in shopping on that Monday.
ComScore also noted that nearly 50 percent of Cyber Monday sales came from work computers, indicating that a large number of shoppers are still willing to continue shopping started over the holiday weekend, regardless of the fact that they are at work.
Looking out at a banquet room full of benefactors and his peers, Justin Bogrow reflected on the tribulations that had brought him to this point, and the considerable help he’d received from the Washtenaw Community College Foundation.
“This scholarship makes my education possible, and without my donor, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Bogrow, 18, an early childhood education major from Tecumseh.
Bogrow was a student speaker presenting his story at an emotion-filled luncheon between a diverse group of student WCC scholarship recipients and several donors last Tuesday in the Morris Lawrence building.
While thanking all donors, Bogrow told the story of his enrollment at WCC and how low grades left him unaccepted at other schools. Those low grades were the result of the distraction of several untimely personal family issues.
“Everywhere I went I was seen as just a lazy student because of my grades,” Bogrow said. “Once I was accepted to WCC, I realized the real problem was how to eventually pay large student loans back on a preschool teacher’s salary.”
The event celebrated the latest scholarship recipients, but in many ways it was as much recognition from the students to the donors. The nearly filled, 29 circular tables held a mixture of students and their donors who chatted and shared their individual stories.
At times, it became emotional, and many thankful and occasionally tearful students were happy for the opportunity to express their gratitude over what the scholarship funds made possible for them.
“I’m grateful to the donors because they changed my life by making it possible to fulfill my goals,” said Elana Elkin, 28, of Ann Arbor, a natural science major who was recently accepted to the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“Having a chance to meet them personally is highly rewarding for me,” Elkin said.
Monique Friedrichs, 43, a nursing major from Ypsilanti, agreed.
“I began volunteering in an emergency room after working in business most of my life,” she said, “and I realized that was what I really wanted to do.”
Already holding a business degree and employed full-time, Friedrichs understood that affording classes while still working would be financially difficult.
“The Foundation Scholarship helps me take an extra class or two, and I am thankful for the opportunity the donors gave me,” Friedrichs said.
The many donors in the room agreed that help is crucial for many students in college.
“We believe in education, and since some don’t have the chance to easily go to college without help, it’s important to have things like this available,” said Carmen Miller, an Ann Arbor resident and Foundation Scholarship donor with her husband Jack since the mid-1990s.
“I went to college on the G.I. Bill, and helping students go to college and avoid ending up in debt is the right thing to do,” said Jack Miller.
The Foundation Scholarship is awarded to students attending WCC and typically provides between 700-800 scholarships totaling nearly $500,000. WCC Alumni and friends of the college provide funds for this important endeavor, and needy students can apply through their MYWCC portal.
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