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RN-to-BSN Program’s Revised Curriculum Results in Cost Savings

By admin | March 25, 2015

Saving future nursing students nearly $5,000 is one benefit of the University of Louisville School of Nursing’s revamped RN-to-BSN online program that reflects the evolving nature of health care. Some courses have been restructured and others, such as population health and nursing leadership and health policy, are new to the program.

“In Kentucky, only 33 percent of the nursing workforce is baccalaureate-prepared. The Institute of Medicine has recommended that 80 percent of nurses receive a bachelor’s degree by the year 2020,”said Marcia J. Hern, Ed.D., CNS, RN, dean, UofL School of Nursing. “It is well documented that baccalaureate–prepared nurses have decreased patient deaths and better outcomes in caring for patients with complex diseases.”

The online RN-to-BSN program provides a flexible, cost-effective opportunity for nurses with an associate’s degree or a nursing diploma to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at their own pace. Students can finish the program in as few as 16 months, although they may take more time if needed.

Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the RN-to-BSN program requires 31 core credits plus 30 portfolio credits. The portfolio consists of a resume, goal statement, professional development documentation, and other materials to support practice as a professional nurse. These 30 tuition-free credit hours count toward graduation requirements – a value of more than $14,000 in tuition costs.

“The affordability and convenience of the online education platform combined with the strong support of award-winning faculty and access to all university support services makes the online RN-to-BSN program ideal for nurses seeking a baccalaureate degree,” Hern said.

There’s still time to apply for this summer! In addition, July 1 is the application deadline for fall classes, along with December 1 for spring classes.

Learn more about UofL’s 100% online RN-to-BSN program here.

University of Louisville — A Military Friendly School for 2015

By admin | October 22, 2014

For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Louisville (UofL) has been recognized by G.I. Jobs as a Military Friendly School. G.I. Jobs, operated by Victory Media Inc., is an extensive web resource and monthly magazine that helps veterans make the transition from military service to the civilian workforce.

The list identifies the top 20 percent of U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools for their success in providing quality services, creating smooth processes and making education affordable for active duty and veterans who want to start, advance or complete their college education.

Victory Media, which was founded by a U.S. Navy veteran in 2001, says UofL helps veterans and their families find financial aid, works with them to make sure they receive full transfer credit and assists them when they have to withdraw from classes (or resume classes) due to deployment. Veterans attending UofL are eligible for free job counseling and discounted child care, as well.

Among other programs called out by G.I. Jobs in the announcement was the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning, one of several programs at UofL available online.

“To be honored by G.I. Jobs as one of the military friendly schools, year after year, is a great testament to the collectively devoted efforts to ensure that our students who have served our country get the best education for the career they want at an affordable cost.” said Laura Dorman, marketing manager for online learning, at UofL. “Our online community of learners is much enhanced as a result of the experience, talent and skills that military students bring to the classroom and share with our civilian students. Their leadership and motivation continuously raise the bar for all learners.”

Military students consistently cite the availability of online education at UofL as a factor in their school choice, because they can attend online classes and online programs from any location in the world. Whether pursuing a career in criminal justice, nursing, organizational leadership, HR or engineering, they appreciate the innovative learning methods, schedule flexibility, career-relevant curriculum and the extensive expertise of the faculty leading the learning journey.

To learn more about the military benefits offered at UofL, visit our dedicated page http://louisville.edu/online/military. To view all available online programs at UofL, visit http://louisville.edu/online.

Engaging Your Workforce — A Three Stage Model

By admin | September 29, 2014

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

By Laura Dorman | September 29, 2014

2013 Online College “Professor of the Year” Nominee

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.

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