Insider recently sat down with JIU's Dean of Undergraduate Programs,
Dr. Debby Telfer, to discuss the exciting new changes at JIU designed to boost student success, in and out of the classroom.
Q: We understand that JIU recently introduced two new “success courses.” Can you tell us more about them?
A: JIU is committed to ensuring you have a successful journey throughout your career here at JIU. Two success courses, ENG 100 – “Communication and Learning Strategies” and SOC 100 – “Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving in Organizations and Society,” have been developed to provide the framework and tools to help you achieve success. The skills that you learn in this class will not only help you in your other classes at JIU but in your personal and professional life.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for “success courses”?
A: These classes are the brain child of Suzanne Ray (Instructional Design Manager) and Richard Thompson (Dean, School of Business), who wanted to better prepare our students, up front, by offering two prerequisite classes that allow students to develop skills and plans for continued success in the rest of their classes. We recognized that some of our students have been out of school quite a while or were not exposed to courses that prepared them to think critically, make sound decisions, creatively solve problems, effectively communicate in many different mediums, and understand their unique learning style and the strategies to support that style. These classes are designed specifically to develop these skills in students, thereby helping them fulfill their goal of graduation and their long-term career aspirations.
Q: What sets these courses apart from other classes offered at other universities?
A: ENG 100 is truly unique compared with a traditional English Composition class because it provides our students with the relevant, essential tools they need to succeed in their college career – good study habits, solid writing skills, research competence, and the ability to create a quality visual presentation. In addition, students will complete a self-assessment of their preferred learning style so they are more aware of how they best organize and retain information for optimal learning in the JIU environment. Students then work on developing and strengthening their writing skills for completing their assignments, including Forum discussion postings, short essays, and short and long reports. Students also learn how to effectively use JIU’s e-global library® to conduct research and to synthesize their findings into essays and projects. ENG 100 also assists new students in developing skills related to the following JIU’s institutional outcomes:
- Communicate effectively using a variety of methods and disciplines.
- Leverage information and technology to amplify personal and organizational achievement.
SOC 100 radically differs from a traditional Critical Thinking class as it also stresses effective leadership and successful teamwork in all organizational and social environments dependent upon well-developed critical thinking, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability for reflective self-analysis. In this course, students explore what it takes to become a critical thinker and creative problem solver. By honing these important life skills, they will become a more successful student and employee. Throughout the course, students apply a wide range of critical-thinking and problem-solving strategies to a team project. SOC 100 also assists students in developing skills related to the following institutional outcomes:
- Think analytically, critically and systemically to prepare for a life of learning and accomplishment.
- Communicate effectively using a variety of methods and disciplines.
- Think and act like global citizens with personal integrity and ethical behavior.
JIU degree makes world
of difference to Texas grad
Think your life is hectic with just one job and an on-the-go family?
How about three jobs, one wife, three children, seven grandchildren and a penchant for golf, books, bird hunting and fly fishing?
To say Layne C. Bradley is a dynamo is understating fact.
Yet this applications solutions manager for a global IT company, adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University and executive coaching entrepreneur has found a blissful balance that teaches all of us something about discipline, passion, and the love of learning.
A drive to expand his horizons pushed Bradley to go back to school despite his jam-packed schedule. However, with an MBA from Texas Christian University earned many years ago, he was unsure of what educational direction to take.
Flexibility was key for the ultra-busy Bradley; an online degree was his only option.
“I didn’t really think a doctorate was where I wanted to go at this point in my life so I started looking online at various programs and schools to see what interested me,” said the 59-year-old Texas native.
Because of his natural talent for communications – he had been pegged as a marketing guru by his peers – Bradley was intrigued when he found that Jones International University offered a Master of Arts in Business Communication with a specialization in Leadership and Influence.
“When it popped up, I thought instantly, ‘This is it.’”
In addition to core communications curriculum, the program focused on leading with a global perspective, change management, innovation, and technology – all of which had direct application to his various professional roles.
Through his research, he found that JIU was a pioneer in online education. In fact, it was the first fully online university in the U.S. to be granted regional accreditation – an important factor for Bradley.
From the outset, he found his courses to be highly relevant and his interaction with professors and fellow students from around the globe nothing less than stimulating.
The first couple years, his employer provided tuition assistance. However, when Bradley left the company, he was faced with funding his own education.
“I found my program of such value that I didn’t hesitate for a moment to pay for it out of my own pocket,” he said.
Bradley put together an entire corporate communications plan and gained a fundamental grounding in leadership and management within a global context – skills he incorporated directly into his work life and as an educator.
In his own management information classes at Dallas Baptist University, Bradley, who graduated from JIU in 2005, models the same kind of environment he had at JIU, where content was centered on real-world work projects, project teams and exercises that cultivate critical thinking and group interaction.
“I have tried to replicate the collaborative, project-oriented learning environment for my students that I enjoyed at JIU,” he said. “In fact, I was so excited about what I was doing in the MABC program, I was asked to create four communications courses at DBU that I modeled after JIU. Not a day goes by that I don’t apply something I learned at JIU into my work.”
He adds: “I’m a total believer in the global business model. Our ability to communicate and work together opens up the world to every one of us.”
