quality, care & commitment
Central Michigan University
ProfEd Annual Report
2007-2008
quality, care & commitment
Dear CMU Community,
When I wrote to you last year, I was new to CMU and we were just
launching our inaugural annual report. That seems like yesterday. The
2007-08 academic year has gone by in a flash with a flurry of new
activities and changes around CMU and ProfEd. In the fall, we
welcomed Dr. Peter Ross to ProfEd as our associate vice president–
academic programs. If you haven’t communicated with Dr. Ross, I hope
you have the opportunity in the near future. He is travelling to many
of the centers and quickly getting his arms around the inner and outer
workings of our programs, faculty, staff, and operations and creating
a positive impact in setting our future course. In addition to Dr. Ross,
ProfEd and CMU at large have added the resources of a new executive
vice president/provost, Dr. Julia Wallace, and a new vice president–financial and administrative
services, Mr. David Burdette. Both of these leaders are strong supporters of CMU’s nontraditional
learners and the ProfEd mission. We are certainly fortunate to have them on our team.
We spent much of this year aligning our operations with our mission. The largest focuses of the year
have been on reworking the financial model, implementing a customer relationship management
(CRM) solution, and developing an integrated online learning environment. The new financial model
ensures a stream of funds from ProfEd is returned directly to the academic units for professional and
academic program development. This means the tuition our students pay goes directly back into
building their programs, and we have the resource system in place to continuously develop these
programs, ensuring they never lose their relevance and rigor. The new CRM allows our student support
staff to better communicate with all our students from inquiry through graduation. With CRM, we can
ensure students receive the right information at the right time in the right format. And, we can make
sure that information is available to all the right people within CMU so our students do not need to
continuously retell their story as they work with various staff members. Furthermore, the CRM will track
our marketing and communication campaigns to help us make the best decisions on reaching our
students. Finally, the integrated online learning environment (OLE) has established a tripod of
accountable teams, working closely together to cover the areas of service, delivery, technology, and
quality assurance. This new collaborative environment is critical to making sure CMU is able to address
the 15 to 20 percent annual growth we are seeing in online enrollments.
In addition to aligning resources, we have been developing additional funds to support our students. I
am very excited to share the significant increases in our fund-raising efforts. This year we accomplished
our largest endowment generation to date. General Dynamics Land Systems decided to support our
nation’s service members and their families with a $100,000 endowed scholarship; the Rogers Family
is helping single parents enrolled in Off-Campus Programs make a difference in their futures with another
$100,000 endowed scholarship; the Joyce and Gary DeWitt $100,000 endowed scholarship will support
students enrolled in the Grand Rapids area; and the Morris family is making a difference in the lives of
CMU students with a $25,000 endowed scholarship. Further, the overall dollar amount and the number
of participants in our annual faculty and staff campaign exceeded last year’s by more than 40 percent.
These types of gifts reflect the strong belief our stakeholders have in the mission and vision of ProfEd.
We have also been very busy at ProfEd rolling
out new programs and opening new centers. The
2007-08 academic year brought with it the online
Master of Business Administration degree, the
online Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Systems
(SAP), the Master of Public Administration degree
to state employees at Cadillac Place in Dearborn,
the online Master of Arts degree in Educational
Leadership with an emphasis in Charter School
Leadership and continued growth in the Master of
Arts degree in Education. In addition to all the new
programs, we opened new centers at Auburn Hills,
East Lansing, and DeKalb County, GA. Currently,
negotiations on new Washington D.C. and Grand
Rapids locations are underway, and we are starting
an expansion of our Southfield location.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the 2007-08 ProfEd
Annual Report and share in the excitement that is
brewing across the organization. The gains we are
making are only possible with the continued
support of all our constituents. As such, my
appreciation goes out to those who work in our
centers and main office, teach our classes, support
our students with financial resources, lead our
university and academic colleges, and otherwise
do their part to make the lifelong educational
journey possible. Let’s look forward, together, to
another successful year in 2008-09.
Merodie A. Hancock, Ph.D.
Vice President/Executive Director
ProfEd
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quality, care & commitment
Collaboration and Partnership
Since joining CMU’s ProfEd as associate vice president–academic
programs in October 2007, my time has been spent strengthening longstanding partnerships and developing new relationships with campus
departments, schools, and colleges to ensure we continue to offer high
quality, innovative credit and non-credit programs to adult learners. In
addition, time has been spent helping align all units within ProfEd to
focus more directly on our core academic mission.
Several changes have been made within the Academic and Professional
Programs unit to enhance our communication with campus departments,
schools, and colleges. The roles of Al Zainea, director, Off-Campus
Undergraduate Programs, and Jennifer Cochran, director, MA in Education,
have been expanded to include academic liaisons to facilitate collaboration with colleges in the
delivery of new and existing programs to our students. The roles of academic liaison have been further
enhanced with Stephanie Bechtel filling the newly created position of assistant director, Off-Campus
Academic Programs.
To further enhance collaboration between CMU’s on- and off-campus units, a ProfEd Advisory Group,
consisting of myself and the associate deans of the six academic colleges, was created. This group
provides a forum for the sharing of information affecting the operation and delivery of off-campus
programs and is a valuable arena for joint problem solving and the sharing of new ideas. The work of
the ProfEd Advisory Group combined with increased interaction and discussion between ProfEd personnel
and college deans and department chairs has fostered an environment of mutual cooperation and a
shared commitment to the future growth of ProfEd offerings.
Several specific collaborative endeavors have been achieved over the past year. In addition to those
mentioned in Dr. Hancock’s letter, in May ProfEd partnered with the Faculty Center for Innovative
Teaching (FaCIT) on The Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Civic Engagement held in Mt. Pleasant.
The overall conference theme was “Engaging the Learner” and focused on ways learners can be
engaged in the learning process inside and outside of the classroom. The event was attended by 82
CMU on- and off-campus instructors as well as 69 instructors from other colleges and universities. A
similar event is planned for May 2009 with an emphasis being placed on building bonds between
off-campus instructors and the departments, schools, and colleges that house the courses they teach at
our off-campus locations and online.
Additional collaborative projects include the integration of the on-campus Student Opinion Survey into
the ProfEd End-of-Course Survey instrument. This integration allows for a seamless comparison of data
on instructional quality furnished by on- and off-campus students.
ProfEd is currently working with all six academic colleges to develop new courses and academic
programs for future delivery. CMU Online and the Center for Instructional Design worked with 31
faculty members to start developing 27 courses for online delivery. ProfEd collaborated with the
College of Business Administration to launch the online MBA and the Graduate Certificate in Enterprise
Systems (SAP) and with the College of Education and Human Services to offer the first cohorts in the
online MA degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Charter School Leadership. Also
ProfEd is working with the College of Graduate Studies and the Master of Science in Administration
program to launch a new core curriculum in Fall 2009.
“The College of Education and Human Services is proud of its long
tradition working with ProfEd to serve off-campus students. Departments
throughout the college offer an array of courses and programs, both
undergraduate and graduate, including graduate programs in Nutrition
and Dietetics, Reading and Literacy, School Principalship, and School
Counseling and an undergraduate Elementary Education completion
program. Increasingly, courses and programs are provided fully online
to address the changing needs of the contemporary college student
for education on demand. CEHS will continue to work with ProfEd to
maintain existing programs and to develop new programs to provide
opportunities for professional growth to a very diverse body of students
in professional programs.”
s
Dr.
Karen
Adam
D e a n , C o l l e g e o f Ed u c a t i o n a n d H u m a n S e r v i c e s
A final collaboration worthy of note is the continuing success of the partnership between ProfEd’s Educational and
Professional Development unit and the Colleges of Science and Technology and Education and Human Services to
offer highly successful, non-degree professional development credit courses across the country.
As I write this letter, I am genuinely excited by our collaborative efforts with campus departments, schools, and
colleges. I am looking forward to our continued success in partnering to further enhance our existing off-campus
offerings and to working on the development of new high quality educational opportunities for adult learners. I
thank all our staff, on-campus partners, and our off-campus faculty for their continued dedication to CMU and our
students and for helping make my first nine months with ProfEd very rewarding.
Pete Ross, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President –
Academic Programs
ProfEd
Table of Contents
Letter from the Vice President/Executive Director.................. 1
Letter from the Associate Vice President-Academic Programs..... 3
CMU Online.................................................................... 5
Customer Relationship Management.................................. 7
Map................................................................................ 9
Student Life Cycle........................................................... 11
Fiscally Sound Program................................................... 13
Scholarships and Military................................................ 13
Educational and Professional Development....................... 15
The Road Ahead............................................................ 17
I Didn’t Know That.......................................................... 18
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quality, care & commitment
CMU Online
CMU Online is growth. In only nine short years, from the 1999-00 academic year to the 2007-08 academic year, enrollments
have almost tripled, course registrations have gone from roughly one thousand to over ten thousand, and the number of
course sections offered has skyrocketed over 460%. ProfEd has met the challenges of serving this rapidly increasing online
student body with new technologies, dedicated service, and a vital new collaborative outlook on online learning we call the
integrated Online Learning Environment.
CMU Online Enrollment Growth
CMU Online Course Section Growth
New Technologies
Wimba Live Classroom, a real-time virtual classroom, was
implemented this past year. Moving far beyond the old chat
room, the Wimba system allows uploading of presentations
and employs real-time audio, video, white board, and chat
technologies to fully leverage interactive capabilities for our
online learners.
While Wimba improved the online interactive experience,
the upgrade to Blackboard 8.0 created a more technologically
advanced environment for all classroom activities and
administration. Both the Wimba and Blackboard 8.0
upgrades were done in concert with main campus and were
received as significant advances by faculty and students alike.
One of our biggest changes this past year, especially from
the online student’s perspective, was the move from paperbased exams to online proctored exams. In the past,
students identified a proctor, we mailed the exam to the
proctor, and the student took the exam. Now exams can be
placed in the student’s course shell on Blackboard and the
proctor observes as the student takes the test online. An
additional plus for our students is quick grading.
Service, the Personal Touch
While all the new technologies are exciting, at ProfEd we
are known for our caring service to our students, many of
whom are taking online courses for the first time. As the
number of online students continues to rise, several new
service-oriented practices were initiated this year to ensure
the continuation of our close staff/student relationships.
Online students who are geographically close to one of our
centers will now be assigned to that center. For example,
an online student in Texas may have our staff at Fort Polk
in Louisiana as his/her virtual program administrator. The
assigned staff will make sure that the student participates
in the online orientation, talks to an advisor, and gets
registered for classes. Retention efforts will also be taken on
by the center staff. The new virtual program administrator
program was piloted this year at our Grand Forks, Minot,
Camp Pendleton, Fort Polk, and Fort Meade centers.
With more and more cohorts being offered online, the need
for a central contact for students has become apparent.
Staff at certain centers are being trained to answer the
questions common to students in a given program. The
first challenge has fallen to Haylee Dass, our program
administrator in Grand Forks. She is the first contact for
students in the new online MA degree in Educational
Leadership with a Charter School Leadership emphasis.
Haylee currently works with about 50 students in two
cohorts. “Dr. Whale handles the academic questions,” says
Haylee. “I’m a real voice they can talk to when they haven’t
been in school for a while and need help with financial aid,
textbooks, and administrative questions. I’m often on the
phone with a student several times a day when they are
starting out.”
“By working together, the College of Business Administration and
ProfEd have achieved a great deal in a remarkably short amount of
time. In just over a year from initial approval by the Academic Senate,
we successfully launched: two cohorts in the new online MBA degree
with an emphasis in SAP, one cohort in the online SAP Graduate
Certificate program, and one cohort in the online MBA for the Value
Driven Organization. Without our partnership with ProfEd, we would
not have been able to realize the success we have achieved. I am
impressed with the expertise that ProfEd has brought to the table. The
College of Business Administration will continue to grow our
partnership with ProfEd. It will help us to more quickly deliver innovative
programs that meet the needs of today’s global business community.”
s
Dr.D eD.
Michael
Field
a n , C o l l e g e o f B u s i n e ss Ad m i n i s t r a t i o n
Online Learning Environment
The main goal of the new Online Learning Environment (OLE) is to ensure quality and service in all online programs. In creating this
model, the procedures for creating online programs are now in place and designed to foster cooperation and coordination between ProfEd,
the Office of Information Technology, and Academic Affairs. By pooling the talents of these three teams, we can work together to create a
quality online program able to respond quickly to our students’ needs with relevant material, compatible technology, and expert service.
6
quality, care & commitment
Customer Relationship Management
On April 28, 2008, ProfEd implemented Phase One of a fourphase Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project.
That seemingly innocuous sentence was made possible by a
massive effort on the part of ProfEd, the College of Graduate
Studies, The Office of Information Technology, Undergraduate
Admissions, International Admissions and the College of
Business Administration. The objectives of this first phase
of the project were many:
Implementation of all four phases of the CRM is aligned
with ProfEd’s student life cycle: the first phase focusing on
prospects and inquiries, the second on applications and
admissions, the third on enrollment and retention, and
the fourth on grades and graduation. When all phases are
up and running, we should be able to record, retrieve and
analyze information on all aspects of our relationship with
our students and use that information to better serve them
and understand their future needs.
•Capture and maintain accurate inquiry data
Early benefits from Phase One implementation include
•Target highly qualified prospects
the ability of staff members to view all communications
•Reduce manual input of information by the
with each prospect and to create ad hoc queries and
Call Center and center staff
reports. ProfEd marketing is now able to access fast,
•Create workflow and task lists for inquiry contact staff
accurate data regarding the recruitment status of open
•Implement a consistent follow-up process
cohorts. The CRM has also
across Call Center and
automated the repetitive tasks
center locations
associated with prospect follow•Track cohort versus open
up, freeing up Call Center staff
What is CRM?
enrollment students
to focus on personal contact to
Customer (or Constituent)
•Reduce elapsed time
convert prospects into students.
Relationship Management (CRM)
between inquiry and
involves managing all aspects
application
of a customer’s relationship
A project of this scope could not
•Increase accessibility and
with an organization to increase
succeed without the sponsorship
consistency of information
loyalty and retention, and the
of our Vice President/Executive
for students, staff, and
organization’s profitability.
Director, Merodie Hancock, the
management
support of her directors, and the
CRM is not just technology.
•Analyze cost, timing, and
active participation of many staff
It’s a strategy, process, and
conversion information
members who are experts in
business goal.
•Determine effectiveness of
how ProfEd serves its students.
marketing campaigns
Special recognition goes to
•Track cohort launch status
Project Manager, Karen Juday,
•Decrease duplication of effort
the technical team including Lisa Benic, Brian Dempsey
After over six months of identifying requirements and
investigating available CRM products, Talisma’s CRM for
Higher Education was selected on the basis of functionality,
technical platform, and cost. ProfEd, with the involvement
of the Office of Technology and the College of Graduate
Studies, led the CRM implementation. The College of
Graduate Studies will follow and build on the foundation
created by ProfEd’s CRM configuration.
and Dan Rademacher and the many end-user
representatives from marketing, the centers, and the Call
Center who gave their time and input to the project.
“The College of Graduate Studies has worked
extensively with ProfEd on curriculum,
diversity, and technology. Online education
is our combined future, and we continue to
forge new partnerships and opportunities
for our students and faculty. Our long
history with ProfEd has been rewarding
to the College, affording us the means to
offer our programs to students across the
U.S. and throughout the world.”
Co
s
Dr.I n tRoger
le
e r i m D e a n, C o l l e g e o f G r a d uat e S t u d i e s
Overview of CRM Phases
Phase 1: Marketing, Inquiry/Recruitment
•Replace proprietary Inquiry Tracking system
•Feed Web forms directly into CRM system
•Capture and display all inquiry interactions
•Automate recruitment workflow, including first
contact, info packets, pre-admission calls, and
registration reminders
•Automate reporting
Phase 2: Application, Admission,
Advising, Orientation
•Feed application/admission status into CRM
•Manage correlation between inquiries
and applicants
•Capture orientation status and survey data
•Automate application/admission workflow
including notification of admission status and
“missing information” follow-up
•Provide knowledge base on Web for FAQ self-service
Phase 3: Registration/Withdrawal,
Retention
•Feed registration/drop/withdrawal information
into CRM
•Automate student retention workflow, including
first time enrollee follow-up, stop-out/drop-out/
no-show follow-up, drop/withdrawal management
Phase 4: Graduation
•Feed graduation data into CRM
•Automate graduation workflow including
graduation registration reminders, graduation
audit information
8
quality, care & commitment
A Global Presence
In the 2007-08 academic year, ProfEd continued to reach out to new
student populations. Interest in our programs has come from
countries as small as Vatican City and as large as China.
Recognition ceremony
in Hawaii, May 2008.
New DeKalb Ce
opened, July 20
Proud graduates in
Atlanta, May 2008.
John A. Denson,
MSA student at
Ft. Riley deployed
in Iraq.
New center in East Lansing
opened January 2008.
enter
007.
– Countries with ProfEd
students
– Countries with Web
inquiries from potential
students
Col. Joseph F.
Thompson,
currently in
Afghanistan. Master of Science
in Administration degree.
Some interesting statistics from 2007-08
Unduplicated enrollments...............................10,172
Military students............................................... 6,327
Credit non-degree participants ........................1,230
Graduate non-degree applications......................595
Unique visitors to Web site........................1,234,501
Number of countries with Web inquiries................196
10
quality, care & commitment
Student Life Cycle
The Student Life Cycle was developed over the past
academic year as a way to identify, attract, and retain more
qualified candidates for our programs. The combined goal
of the Student Life Cycle and the CRM is to ensure that the
right applicants are matched with the right programs to
achieve their academic goals in a timely manner.
At each step in the Student Life Cycle, processes have been
put into place to identify and nurture students, make sure
they maintain their focus, and provide access to resources
to help them successfully complete their degree.
Student Life Cycle Funnel
Suspect/Prospect
Inquiry
Applicant
Admitted Student
1st Time Enrollee
2nd Time Enrollee
Retained Student
Graduate
Alumni
Suspect/Prospect
Initiating meaningful first contact with prospective students
can be the hardest part of recruitment. With the integration
of marketing campaigns into the Customer Relationship
Management system, we can now pull hard data on the type
and quality of response to various media and messages.
Google Analytics also help us identify programs of
interest to the public and click-throughs on electronic
media advertising.
Inquiry/Applicant
Our Call Center processes inquiries from all over the world
and funnels all information into our centralized databases.
This past year we have reached out to prospective
students on the Pacific Rim with a Call Center
Representative based in Hawaii.
By extending use of the CRM to center staff as well as
the Call Center, gathering of student information
remains consistent. Inquiries to our
toll-free number and walk-ins to our
centers receive the same prompt and
knowledgeable response.
Thanks to the efforts of our marketing
people, Web department, and Call
Center, many students now attend a
virtual information session or Webinar
to learn more about our programs.
These are live interactive sessions where
prospective students listen to a brief
presentation and staff can answer their
questions immediately.
Matching students with the programs that fit
their needs begins with our enrollment staff
and continues with our advisors. Advisors are
assigned to students in certain geographical
areas, allowing the advisor to become familiar with issues
and topics of concern to the local population.
“The College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral
Sciences offers many courses through ProfEd; both faceto-face and online. The Department of Political Science
offers its Master of Public Administration degree program
to cohorts in Michigan, Virginia and Georgia. The MA in
Humanities, an interdisciplinary degree program housed
in the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral
Sciences, is also offered in a cohort format through
ProfEd. Efforts are nearing completion to offer all
necessary courses in an online format for completion of
an undergraduate major in Psychology.”
s
o
Dr.
E.
Gary
hapir
Dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Admitted Student
Getting information promptly to admitted students is one of our
main service goals. This year, we added a Wimba-based orientation
for the online MBA. With this system, students don’t need a CMU
Global ID to access the orientation. If they are still in the admission
process, we can still get them access. A new online briefing
presentation for Prior Learning Credit was also initiated this past year.
Students who can’t make it to a center for a face-to-face presentation
can now find out about this valuable opportunity from home.
First Time Enrollee/Second Time Enrollee
A surprisingly low-tech solution has helped many ProfEd students
stay on track to graduation. Advisors or center
staff have their students write their educational
goals on postcards before their first class. They
mail the postcards to students after they have
taken a few classes as a reminder to keep their
goals in sight.
Retained Student
Many of our students credit the dedication of
our center-based and online staff for their success. These tireless ProfEd employees hold
hands, help with scheduling problems, offer encouragement, and
smooth over what often feel like insurmountable obstacles to their
students. Many students develop such a strong bond with our staff members
that they still stay in touch no matter where their travels take them.
Graduate
In 2007-08, 2,132 degrees and graduate certificates were awarded.
ProfEd holds graduation recognition events at most of our centers
for students who are unable to attend their graduation ceremony
in Mount Pleasant. For those who can make it, we host a dinner
the Friday evening before graduation in May and December. These
are emotional events for both students and staff as they are often
meeting face-to-face for the first time.
Alumni
The new CMU Off-Campus Career Services Web site went live this
past year with job postings; career transition information; and
links to CMU Career Services, ProfEd professional development
opportunities, and degree and certificate programs. But events for
our alumni aren’t all about work. There are plenty of opportunities
for reestablishing Chippewa Pride.
Off-Campus Programs Alumni Relations and Development hosted
or participated in over 20 alumni events during the 2007-08
school year, including:
•Saginaw, Midland, Bay City, Michigan
Tri-Cities Golf Outing Dinner
•Military alumni reception prior to the CMU
vs. Army football game
•Metro Detroit Alumni Association
monthly meetings
•Flint, Michigan alumni meetings
•Greater Toronto Area, Off-Campus
Programs alumni reception
•Automation Alley S.E. Michigan quarterly
networking sessions
•Alumni reception and Mudhen’s baseball
game, Toledo, Ohio
•Women’s Connection dinner and presentation, Metro Detroit
•Baysox baseball game and alumni gathering, Bowie, Maryland
•Health Professions alumni reception, Chicago, Illinois
•Education alumni reception, Atlanta, Georgia
•Alumni reception, Washington D.C.
12
quality, care & commitment
Fiscally Sound Program
How the dollars are spent
ProfEd ended the 2007-08 fiscal year in a sound financial
position. We met our annual university contribution of $3.7
million to the general fund and transferred an additional
$2 million dollars to various academic departments and
service centers. These funds are used across the university
as a whole to improve student-supporting infrastructures,
services, and the overall experiences of CMU students.
Over the past year, ProfEd has invested significant resources
to ensure our student learning centers provide a quality
environment for teaching and learning. This was done
through site renovations, updated furnishings, and
equipment. We are also proud to continue our ongoing
support of the CMU Writing Center and the nationally
known and respected Off-Campus Library Services. ProfEd
is committed to the highest quality customer service and
these are just two examples of value-added services that are
available to CMU students.
In fiscal year 2007-08, ProfEd continued to enhance
relationships with our colleagues on campus and cultivate
As we take time to reflect on the happenings of the past year, we
social capital that will better prepare us for even stronger
are all proud of our accomplishments, but we will always strive
program offerings in the future. ProfEd staff worked with
for continuous financial improvement in the years to come.
campus staff to design and implement a responsibility
centered management budget model. The new
budget model will go into effect for the 2008-09
ProfEd Student Dollar Breakdown
fiscal year. Under the new budget model, the
University Reinvestment...................................... 15%
colleges within the university will have greater
Course Expenses, Instructor Salaries and Benefits....24%
incentive to offer innovative, new programs
Staff Salaries and Benefits.................................. 32%
through ProfEd. This will provide CMU the
Student Services Support.................................... 21%
opportunity to expand its national prominence,
Learning Center Facilities Costs............................ 8%
reach more students globally, and grow the
university as a whole.
Scholarship Awards
ProfEd experienced a fruitful year with respect to the student
scholarship program. In addition to awarding scholarships
ranging from $1,160 to $2,418 enabling twenty students
to work toward their degrees, four new scholarships were
created. These new endowed scholarships will be awarded
beginning with the Fall 2009 session and, over time, will
provide significant increases in available scholarship funds.
New Endowed Scholarships
The Joyce and Gary DeWitt $100,000 Endowed Scholarship
Off-Campus students from West Michigan, enrolled in
courses conducted in the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan
area will be eligible to apply.
The Kenneth & Jane Rogers $100,000 Endowed Scholarship
For this scholarship, preference will be given to single
parents enrolled in Off-Campus Programs conducted in
Southeast Michigan.
The Morris Family $25,000 CMU Endowed Scholarship
This scholarship will rotate between the College of
Business Administration, the College of Communication
and Fine Arts, and ProfEd every third year. Members
of the Morris family have earned a total of five degrees
from Central Michigan University and established this
scholarship to assist students from the two colleges
and ProfEd. Off-Campus students with at least a 3.2
GPA and have successfully completed a minimum of
12 graduate level credits will be eligible to apply.
The General Dynamics Land Systems Military Scholarship
This $100,000 endowed scholarship will assist
U.S. military active duty personnel and/or members
of their immediate family enrolled in OffCampus Programs.
“Increased public interest in health and the rapid
advances in technology make this a very exciting time to
be in health care. Our most successful distance learning
programs, offered through our collaboration with ProfEd,
include the online Doctorate in Health Administration
and our Health Services Administration concentration for
the MSA degree offered at many sites across the U.S. In
addition, plans are underway to increase our offerings at
both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This is truly
a time for growth for our College and our partnership
with ProfEd.”
STERSON JR.
Dr.
THOMAS
j.
MA
Interim Dean, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions
Serving Those who Serve our Country
ProfEd is proud of its long-standing commitment to the military
community and our reputation for delivering quality education
programs to military members, veterans, and their families. For
over 35 years, thousands of active duty personnel have taken
advantage of our programs offered nearby or on their assigned
military bases. More recently, military personnel are completing
their degrees via CMU’s online courses. Our current military
graduates include 79 Air Force generals, 29 Army generals, 10
Marine Corps generals, 4 Navy admirals, 1 Coast Guard admiral,
and the former Chief of Staff of the Army.
For the sixth consecutive year, CMU has maintained a cap on the
military tuition rate for its off-campus graduate and undergraduate
programs. This reduced tuition rate is extended to all active duty
and reserve U.S. military members, DoD personnel, U.S. veterans,
and their eligible spouses
and dependents. CMU
In 2007, Central
continues to serve as a
mentor institution for the
Michigan University’s
GoArmyEd military
continued dedication
education portal, which
to the military
serves over 600 active
community resulted
duty soldiers pursuing
in our selection by
their education around
Military Advanced
the globe. This year, CMU
Education magazine
also became an inaugural
as one of its Top 30
member of the newly
Military Friendly
implemented Marine Corps
Colleges and
AeX Education Portal.
Universities.
In recognition of all of our
military students, past and
present, ProfEd dedicated
its newly constructed flag
pole this past year in honor
of all the CMU military
community who are
serving or have served in
harm’s way. The CMU Army
ROTC unit
conducted the initial
flag raising on
November 15, 2007.
While Central Michigan
University is proud of our
past support, we continue to
strive for improvement. During the 2007-08 school year we
redesigned our U.S. Armed Forces Scholarship, resulting in
additional available funds for our military students. In addition,
beginning with the Fall 2009 session, the General Dynamics Land
Systems U.S. Military Scholarship will provide funding for
active duty personnel as well as their immediate family members
enrolled in Off-Campus Programs. The University is grateful to
General Dynamics Land Systems for their generosity.
14
quality, care & commitment
Educational and
Professional Development
Educational and Professional Development (E&PD) is an integrative department in academic and professional programs
within ProfEd. With jobs in jeopardy and new technologies, more and more people are finding continuous education a
modern necessity. Accountants and members of law enforcement enroll in our Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation
certificate course. Military spouses take our online Gatlin courses to improve their skills. Alumni take courses in Northern
Michigan or enjoy educational trips through Elderhostel. Our Summer Band Camp experience offers extended on-site
exposure to CMU during the high school years. E&PD is a vital, growing part of ProfEd and the entire CMU community.
Beaver Island Programs
For over 30 years, ProfEd has partnered with the College
of Science and Technology’s
Biology Department to offer
a unique blend of summer
courses at the CMU Biological
Station on Beaver Island in Lake
Michigan. Under the guidance
of Dr. James Gillingham, a variety of field science and art programs that take full advantage
of the local environment are
available to undergraduate and
graduate students.
Sharon Horgan, Executive
Secretary for E&PD, is an inspiration to
us all. If you ever want to meet a living
embodiment of the “can-do” spirit, just
stop by Sharon’s office. ProfEd has had
the honor of calling Sharon one of its
own for over 43 years. According to her
boss, Mary Starnes, “Sharon embodies
the character, talent, and tenacity to
bring an idea from concept to delivery
and has a unique ability to maximize the talents of
others to bring programs to fruition.”
Elderhostel Programs
With evaluation comments such as “exceeded expectations,”
“a rare gem,” and “couldn’t be better,” it is no wonder that
the affiliation between E&PD and the internationally
recognized Elderhostel organization has lasted over 20
years. This past year
alone, 640 participants
from across the U.S.
participated in CMU’s
Elderhostel programs
on Mackinac Island
and cruising
Lake Michigan.
Sharon was instrumental in the success of the first
Make a Difference Day program in 2003 and continues
to keep us all on track with this important community
effort to get books into the hands of local children. She
is also a member of the campus Accessibility and
Disability Advisory Committee as well as on the
Disabilities Awareness Month committee of Isabella
County and CMU. It was no surprise to anyone at
ProfEd when in October of 2007
Sharon was awarded the Donald E.
Morrison Productive Citizen Award
“The Center for Excellence in Education at Central Michigan University provides ongoing
professional development to K-12 educators throughout the state. Collaborating with
E&PD so that we are able to offer graduate credit for educators’ work has provided
added value. The staff from ProfEd have been extremely responsive and willing to work
with us to provide quality programming to teachers. When teachers engage in
professional development, it is often their first experience with Central Michigan
University and projects a positive image for our institution.”
Patricia Benson, Director, Center for Excellence in Education
“The College of Science and Technology offers four programs through
ProfEd: the BS degree with majors in Vehicle Engineering Design
Technology and Information Technology, the Integrated Science major
in the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, and the MSA degree in
Vehicle Design and Manufacturing Administration. New concentrations
in Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Data Mining are being
developed for the online MBA degree. All departments offer some
courses through ProfEd and increasingly those courses are available
online. In 2007, nearly 30% of CST’s ProfEd courses were offered
online, and we are committed to working closely with ProfEd to increase
access to the College’s many outstanding programs and courses.”
so
Dr.D e aIan
Davi
n
n, College of Science and Technology
Highlights of E&PD’s 2007-08 accomplishments
Credit Programs
•Launched partnership with the Department of
Educational Leadership to provide a credit-course
option for the Michigan Leadership Improvement
Framework Endorsement (MI-LIFE). Over 300 school
administrators at 10 locations statewide are involved
in this 18-month professional development cohort
program. With successful completion of the program,
school leaders will earn a Michigan Leadership
Improvement Framework Endorsement.
•Began partnership with the Department of
Mathematics and Texas Instruments to provide a range
of credit options for many of the Teachers Teaching
with Technology (T3) professional development training
programs offered by Texas Instruments. Participants
enrolled for online and/or site-based courses have
come from many states including Washington,
Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, Illinois,
Arizona, Kansas, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia,
Nebraska, Tennessee, Oregon, and Florida.
•Expanded District-Designed Professional Development
Program to Georgia, along with promoting online
professional development credit courses as teachers in
Georgia need hours toward certificate renewal.
Non-Credit Programs
•Delivered two successful sessions of the Forensic
Accounting and Fraud Investigation Certificate Program in
partnership with the College of Business Administration
and the School of Accounting. At the events in Troy and
Grand Rapids, Michigan, participants earned
Continuing Professional Education Credits.
•Provided registration services with CMU’s American
Council on Education (ACE) Conference Planning
Committee for the ACE Michigan-based conference
held June 9 and 10, 2008.
•Offered open enrollment sessions for the Certificate
in Online Instruction with the Center for Instructional
Design. The course provided an opportunity for
educators to experience both instruction and learning
online and prepared them to teach in that format.
•Served as higher education sponsor for two continuing
education CEU leadership institutes: Michigan
Municipal Clerks Institute in March ’08, and the
Michigan Municipal Treasurers Institute in April ’08.
•Exceeded year one commission projections for Gatlin
online non-credit courses by 39%.
•Participated in the election of one of our E&PD staff
members as the chair-elect of Automation Alley’s
Workforce Development Committee.
16
“Technology has rapidly changed how people communicate, acquire
information, and function in the workplace. The College of Communication
and Fine Arts is moving in new directions to meet this ever changing
technology landscape. Broadcast and Cinematic Arts launched the
first online course exclusively for on-campus students, and plans are
underway to make this course available to off-campus students. Music
is developing Music in Society (MUS 110) online as part of the general
education program, and Communication and Dramatic Arts will debut
Advanced Intercultural Communication (COM 667) online as part
of the MSA program. It’s an exciting time in our college as we move
towards innovative online learning experiences.”
Dr.
Sue
Ann
Martin
D e a n, C o l l e g e o f C o m m u n i c at i o n a n d F i n e A rt s
The Road Ahead…
The recurring themes in all our work this past year have
reaching out to new student populations, and creating
been service to our students, technological advancement, new international programs.
and working in collaboration with all of
the colleges, schools, and departments at
As we look ahead, the future is limited
...the future is
CMU. This will not change. ProfEd is
only by our vision, and right now, with
limited
only
by
committed to building on the foundations
continued collaboration and financial
our
vision...
we have established by continuing the
stability, the view stretches to the horizon.
expansion of our program offerings,
17
From January to December 2007, the Off-Campus Library Services:
•Processed 27,663 requests for delivery of articles and books
•Answered 5,422 reference questions
•Presented on-site or online instruction to more than 148 classes across
the U.S. and Canada
On average, the Call Center
staff receives 1,070 calls per month.
The Commanding General
of Marine Corps Installations-West
(including Camp Pendleton where we have
a center) is General Michael R. Lehnert,
a CMU graduate.
There are 200 ProfEd employees including 40 staff members
at 28 centers across 6 time zones.
During the 2007-2008 academic year, 99 portfolios were submitted through Prior
Learning with a total of 1,693 credits awarded.
ProfEd was created in 1971 as the Institute for Personal and Career Development.
Over the years we became the School of Continuing Education and Community Services, the School of Extended
Learning, the College of Extended Learning, and finally
ProfEd, also known as Off-Campus Programs, in 2004.
Dr. Norma Bailey, Academic Program
Director of the Middle Level Endorsement program offered through ProfEd, was
named the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement
of Teaching 2007 Michigan
Professor of the Year.
Anne Marie Casey,
CMU’s Associate
Dean of Libraries,
was named the 2007
recipient of the Haworth Press Distance Learning Librarian Conference Sponsorship
Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries Distance Learning
Section. In 2006, Monica Craig, a librarian for CMU’s Off-Campus Library Services in
Metro Detroit, won the award.
quality, care & commitment
“I didn’t know that…”
Central Michigan University
ProfEd
802 Industrial Drive
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(800) 950-1144
cmich.edu/offcampus
Central Michigan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. CMU, an AA/EO institution,
strongly and actively strives to increase diversity within its community (see www.cmich.edu/aaeo). cmuoffcampus@cmich.edu 23779 9/08
Paper for this annual report is made of recycled materials with 30% post consumer waste.