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Cossatot Community College |
CCCUA Sets Open House for Human Resource Degree From
UA-Fayetteville
15 July 2004
DE QUEEN - The Division of University Transfer at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas has announced that a University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Human Resource Development Open House will be held at the College on Thursday, July 22, at 7PM in Room T-12 of the Donn Allison Technology Center at De Queen, and at the interactive video classrooms at CCCUA's extension sites in Nashville and Ashdown. The HRD plan of study enables full-time working adults with as few as 40 hours of transferable credit to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in as little as two years. Up to 30 technical credits may be awarded for job knowledge arising from work experience or vocational training.
UA-Fayetteville program liaison Phil Gerke said, "The HRD plan of study, which has been approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, provides the 'people' skills and professional strategies leaders use to improve workplace performance. Students explore many aspects of HRD, including factors important to successful adult learning, group behavior dynamics, and professional development strategies. Often, a concept covered in class can be applied on the job the following week." He added, "HRD classes are designed specifically for full-time working adults."
"The HRD distance learning classes originating from Fayetteville use both compressed video and web-based technology," Gerke explained. "Weekend HRD classes meet Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, minimizing the impact on family life. The courses are squeezed into a nine-weekend footprint because few working adults can go 16 weekends without a scheduling conflict. For the first eight weekends, students attend classes on a CCCUA campus. On the final weekend of each semester, students from all sites around the state gather in a single location for face-face interaction." Live teleconferencing is just one way for HRD students to connect with their instructor, Gerke said; the Internet is the other. "Web-based instruction can happen at a time of the student's choosing. You don't have to physically be at the meeting."
Gerke described how the HRD plan of study accelerates degree completion. "The HRD plan of study enables working adults to earn college credit for the job knowledge they've gained from experience, such as technical or military training, or from professional certifications. When a student earns 20 to 30 credits this way, it cuts a whole year out of the academic calendar."
Gerke summarized the programs benefits, saying, "HRD weekend classes have condensed semesters. Material can quickly be applied on the job. HRD students can network with other adults around Arkansas, while staying close to home and family." Other HRD classes are Web-based, allowing students to work at their own pace within the normal academic semester schedule. "It's a great way to earn a degree from a reputable university and it opens the door to promotion opportunities."
According to Gerke, "HRD is a golden--make that Cardinal--opportunity for local Razorback fans. While they are students, they are eligible for student prices for Razorback sporting events. When they are seniors, they qualify for the new class ring featuring Old Main. After graduation, HRD students have their names added to Senior Walk on the Fayetteville campus."
Gerke estimated that 160 working adults at a dozen sites in Arkansas are actively pursuing this bachelor's degree by distance learning from the U of A, Fayetteville. “The HRD concentration started in 1996 with 43 students at four sites, and has expanded because it is a mutually beneficial relationship for the University and community colleges. HRD's upper-level learning builds upon the educational foundation provided by CCCUA's Associate of Arts Degrees," he said.
Prerequisites for entering the HRD classes are: 40 hours of credit applicable to the degree plan, at least five years of full-time work experience, and current full-time employment. More information on the HRD plan of study is available at http://www.uark.edu/hrd .
For more information about the HRD Open House, call Becky Guffey at 800-844-4471.
Cossatot Community College offers both technical certification
and Associate's degrees in a wide range of fields on its campus at De Queen,
at extension sites at Nashville and Ashdown, and at cccua.edu. It has an enrollment
of more than 1,100 students, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
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