Journal of the American Planning Association, August 2026
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers impose the same externalities on local communities that hydraulic fracturing did a decade ago: massive water consumption, continuous noise, construction road damage, thin permanent employment, and fiscal mismatches that leave municipalities bearing infrastructure costs while states capture revenue through tax abatements.
Drawing on field work with municipal planners across five Marcellus Shale states, I argue in this Viewpoint that planners should treat data centers as heavy industrial uses and apply the targeted regulatory tools that fracking communities developed through hard experience. Outright bans invite state preemption; targeted regulation has proved durable. The analogy has limits, but the governance playbook transfers.
Whether you’re applying for a new job, working toward a promotion, or entering the workforce for the first time, strong communication skills can help you stand out. For English language learners, building English proficiency isn’t just about learning a language, it’s about gaining the confidence to contribute, collaborate, and grow professionally.
In today’s global workplace, employers value professionals who can communicate clearly across multiple teams. Cultivating greater proficiency in English is a significant investment in your continued professional development.
How English Language Skills Support Career Growth
Strong English language skills can make everyday tasks at work easier and open the door to new opportunities. Whether you’re writing emails, speaking with customers, leading meetings, or sharing ideas with coworkers, clear communication helps you build trust and demonstrate your expertise.
Improving your English can help you:
Communicate confidently with coworkers, supervisors, and clients
Build stronger relationships across cultures and teams
Prepare for interviews, networking events, and leadership opportunities
These aren’t just language skills. They are professional skills that employers value in every industry.
Why Employers Value Strong Communication Skills
Professional development often focuses on technical knowledge, certifications, and specialized training. Whether you’re collaborating with colleagues, presenting ideas, or building relationships with clients, strong communication helps you work more effectively and grow professionally.
Across industries, English communication skills help professionals in:
Healthcare: Collaborate with care teams and communicate clearly with patients and families
Business: Build client relationships, lead meetings, and present ideas with confidence.
Technology: Explain complex ideas, collaborate across teams, and contribute to global projects.
Education: Engage students, communicate with families, and share knowledge effectively
Law: Advise clients, prepare legal documents, and communicate effectively in negotiations, court proceedings, and professional settings.
For English language learners, developing strong communication isn’t about speaking perfectly, it’s about communicating clearly, confidently, and effectively in the workplace.
Develop English Skills for Career Success
Building confidence starts with practice. At the English Language Institute (ELI) at Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies, students strengthen their English through interactive discussions, presentations, collaborative projects, and real-world communication activities.
Learners develop practical skills in:
Speaking and conversation
Professional writing
Presentations and public speaking
Listening and comprehension
Cross-cultural communication
Whether you’re preparing for your first job, advancing your career, pursuing higher education, or looking to communicate more confidently, ELI provides the support and hands-on learning to help you reach your goals.
With experienced instructors and a welcoming community, you’ll gain practical English language skills that prepare you for success in the workplace and beyond.
In today’s competitive job market, completing your bachelor’s degree can be one of the most valuable investments you make in your future. Whether your education was paused because of work, family, finances, or other responsibilities, earning your degree can help you unlock new opportunities and achieve both your career and educational goals.
Degree completion isn’t just about finishing what you started. It’s about gaining the knowledge, skills, and credentials that can help you grow professionally and prepare for what’s next.
Why Degree Completion Matters
1. Advance Your Career
A bachelor’s degree remains a valuable credential across many industries. Employers often look for candidates with a completed degree when hiring for leadership roles, promotions, and specialized positions.
Completing your degree can help you qualify for new opportunities, increase your professional credibility, and demonstrate your commitment to personal and career growth.
2. Increase Your Earning Potential
While every career path is different, research consistently shows that earning a bachelor’s degree can lead to higher lifetime earnings and greater career stability.
Completing your degree can position you for roles with increased responsibility, stronger benefits, and long-term career growth.
3. Build Skills Employers Value
A bachelor’s degree develops skills that extend beyond the classroom. Throughout your coursework, you’ll strengthen abilities that employers seek across industries, including:
These transferable skills can help you adapt to changing industries and succeed throughout your career.
How Degree Completion Supports Your Educational Goals
Prepare for Graduate Study
Many graduate and professional programs require a completed bachelor’s degree for admission. Finishing your degree can open the door to advanced education, specialized certifications, and new career pathways.
Support Lifelong Learning
Education doesn’t end with graduation. Completing your bachelor’s degree builds a strong foundation for continued learning and professional development throughout your career.
Achieve a Personal Milestone
For many students, earning a bachelor’s degree represents more than an academic credential. It is the achievement of a long-term goal and a reflection of perseverance, resilience, and determination.
Why Now Is the Right Time
The workforce continues to evolve, and employers increasingly value professionals who demonstrate adaptability and a commitment to learning.
Completing your degree today can help you:
Qualify for new career opportunities
Prepare for leadership roles
Strengthen your professional skills
Increase your earning potential
Continue your education with confidence
Every credit you’ve earned is a step toward your future. Completing your degree allows you to build on that progress and move closer to your personal and professional goals.
Take the Next Step
Whether your goal is career advancement, graduate study, or achieving a personal milestone, degree completion can help you get there.
At Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies, flexible degree pathways help adult learners and working professionals finish their bachelor’s degree and move forward with confidence.
For Shayne Turo ’26, community and education are synonymous. As a nontraditional student balancing work and school, choosing a part-time path at Syracuse University meant staying committed to a goal while navigating real life.
Along the way, it was the support from family, friends, mentors, and classmates that made the difference. Those connections provided encouragement during tough moments, accountability when it mattered most, and a sense of belonging that kept everything moving forward. In the end, this experience wasn’t just about earning a degree, it was about being lifted by community, growing in confidence, and realizing that you don’t have to do it alone to succeed.
In this Q&A, Turo shares how purpose, meaningful connections, and a strong sense of community shaped his educational journey.
Driven by Purpose: Balancing Work, Education, and Long-Term Goals
What motivated you to pursue your degree as a part-time student?
Having just graduated from Onondaga Community College, I knew I wanted to continue my education. However, as a nontraditional student having to maintain a full-time job, I knew going to school part-time was my only option. It was always a goal of mine to enroll at Syracuse University, so when I learned about the part-time opportunity, I took advantage of it.
How did your degree program and academic pathway reshape what you thought was possible for your education and career?
Being able to successfully navigate the path to my bachelor’s degree through its ups and downs has given me the confidence to pursue a master’s degree.
Being an African American Studies major allowed me to not just learn about my history and culture, but it allowed me to feel grounded. I feel grounded in the fact that even though I am still learning who I am, I have a deep understanding of where I come from.
What would you say to someone who’s interested but unsure whether an online and/or part‑time program is right for them?
Going part-time gives the flexibility you need to pursue your academic goals while being able to navigate life at the same time.
Finding Connection in a Nontraditional Path
How did community show up for you during your part-time journey?
My support system is second to none! With God first, I knew all things were possible. My family and friends were truly there for me when times got hard and “life got to life-ing” as they say. Without them, I am not sure I would be standing where I am today.
How did peer relationships impact your academic success?
I found it important, and almost necessary, to create study groups. Being able to connect with classmates and build a sense of community allows your learning to soar exponentially.
What role did faculty or advisors play in building that sense of community?
My advisors and professors truly helped me to navigate the academic journey. This journey felt like a roller coaster, but with the guidance of Mr. Wright and Dr. O’Reilly, I was able to stay on track.
Advocate, Connect, Succeed: Why Flexible Learning Makes Education Possible
What advice would you give to future online/part-time students?
Always, and I mean always, advocate for yourself.
Lastly, it is important to meet with all your professors during their office hours within the first two weeks of class. This gives you a chance to let them know who you are, how you take your education seriously, and that you are dedicated to your goals.
Why would you recommend your degree program and academic pathway as a part-time student?
I would recommend my journey because it made me who I am. I am an intelligent, educated, strong, confident Black man with integrity. My African American Studies degree program allowed me to see and understand the importance of being just who I am today: an intelligent, educated, strong, confident Black man. It is for these reasons and more that I would not only recommend my degree program, but the journey I took as well.
Ready to take the next step? Explore part-time learning and create a path that fits your life.
