I chose to pursue my graduate social work degree online because it afforded the flexibility of attending graduate school and working full-time. I selected the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work because of its renowned reputation in the academic community and the long tradition of quality instruction recognized in the industry.
The faculty and academic advisors are exceptional. They are flexible, accommodating and supportive. They have guided and challenged me to meet the highest academic standards and develop my skills beyond my expectations.
I look forward to applying all of the theory and knowledge I have gained in the Master of Science in Social Work online program at Kent School as I advance my career as a professional social worker. My experience has been the best!
I am a third-year online student in the Master of Science in Social Work program at the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville. I am also an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Army. As I prepare my transition from a full-time military career to a career in Social Work, I find that the online graduate program at Kent School affords me a unique opportunity to obtain a high quality education while I continue to serve.
I have found the MSSW curriculum to be challenging and motivating, instructive and even inspirational at that same time. The program has allowed me to explore and improve my communication skills, which I anticipate will be paramount to my success as a social worker. The staff and faculty have been supportive and understanding of my need for flexibility and have gone above and beyond my expectations all throughout the enrollment process and leading to my practicum placement.
For me and my family, the MSSW online program at the Kent School has proven to be the most valuable resource for a bright and successful future.
Corporations should focus on HOW work gets done – instead of the standard HOW MUCH work gets done. It’s all about engagement, according to Dr. Brad Shuck an assistant professor in the Organizational Leadership and Learning Program at the University of Louisville, and a pioneer in employee engagement research.
Reflecting on his own past experience with less effective work environments, Dr. Shuck points out that the places he worked at were not bad companies, but they were filled with bad managers, “People,” he says, “were being promoted into positions with responsibilities they were not ready for. These managers only wanted to know how much I could get done, not how I was getting it done.”
Dr. Shuck’s research focuses on employee engagement to help design organizations where corporate leaders learn to increase engagement to reduce turnover and meet business objectives. Results suggests that people who rate themselves as being more engaged at work experience less exhaustion, have a higher sense of personal accomplishment and practice better collaboration in their workplace.
Dr. Shuck’s employee engagement model is called “Think it, Feel it, Do it.” and determines the employee’s level of engagement in three steps:
“Think it” stage — employees encounter situations everyday and ask themselves whether the work is a) meaningful, b) safe and c) offers the right resources. A ‘no’ answer to any of these questions makes engagement levels plummet.
“Feel it” stage – If employees make a positive appraisal from the first question, then they emotionally commit.
“Do it” stage — employees change their behavior.
“Worldwide research shows that only 30 percent of workers go to work every day fully engaged. I am looking to reach out and partner with the Louisville community so we trump that figure,” he says.
Dr. Brad Shuck is an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Leadership and Learning (OLL) Program at UofL. The OLL Program offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees to foster leadership, learning, and performance. Programs are available 100% online and on campus.
This article was adapted from an original piece about Dr. Shuck’s research, written by Dr. Denise M. Cumberland, Assistant Professor in the OLL Program at UofL.
Computer Science Professor spotlight: Roman Yampolskiy
2013 Online College “Professor of the Year” Nominee
Roman Yampolskiy
Assistant professor Roman Yampolskiy has been teaching computer science courses at the Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville since 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science combined degree in computer science from Rochester Institute of Technology and earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo.
An active computer scientist, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and had his research featured by the BBC, MSNBC, ACM, Yahoo, New Scientist, and LiveScience.com. In his online courses Yampolskiy’s policy is to “use, but not overuse” online tools so to not overwhelm students responsible for learning advanced engineering concepts with having to learn complicated tools just to participate in the course.
Maybe this is why he was chosen by students in the Master of Science in Computer Science and the Computer Engineering and Computer Science department as “Professor of the Year” in 2012 and students university wide as a “top 11 in 2011 and “Faculty Favorite” in 2010. In the last year alone, Yampolskiy has been recognized for several accomplishments, including EEWeb Featured Engineer, and 3rd place in app development competition at SU-NASA Ames.
Obviously a class favorite, he is described by his students as an exemplary teacher who is a driving and inspiring force, always willing to go the extra mile, and sticks to strong academic expectations and standards.
But perhaps Yampolskiy says it best himself:
“I am a dedicated educator and I believe that online students are not just ID codes on Blackboard, but human beings who are looking for knowledge, camaraderie, excitement and challenge. They are already doing something extraordinary – trying to get their education in a previously non-existent virtual world and they deserve to have the best digital pedagogy practices and tools available to them.”
We wish professor Yampolskiy good luck and continuous success in his teaching endeavor at UofL Online.
