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Syracuse University College of Professional Studies Announces First Full-Time Faculty

Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies continues to grow as it welcomes its first faculty cohort.

Stephen Wallace, D.Prof and Mirza Tihic, Ph.D. join the College of Professional Studies full-time faculty, bringing a plethora of professional expertise to the classroom. The College of Professional Studies aims to continue establishing a diversified faculty in order to support its evolving programs and course offerings.

“These two individuals bring a broad range of academic and practical experience to the College of Professional Studies,” says Ryan O. Williams, associate dean at the College of Professional Studies. “As our faculty of in-house experts continues to grow, so does the learning experience for our students.”

Stephen Wallace | Program Director and Professor

As the former program director for the Master’s in Information Systems at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies, Dr. Stephen Wallace brings exceptional knowledge of data analytics, software engineering, information security, and IT leadership. Wallace will serve as the program director for the BPS programs in applied data and predictive analytics, knowledge management, cybersecurity administration, and computer programming.

Additionally, Wallace’s leadership expertise offers a unique perspective into the ever-changing IT industry. Wallace is the founder and president of Bizlitics, a consulting firm specializing in business analytics, predictive analytics and machine learning. Prior to that, Wallace spent 30 years in information technology leadership roles ranging from IT director to vice president and CIO at multi-national companies. Wallace provides the knowledge needed to instruct and inspire the next generation of IT specialists.

Wallace received his doctorate of professional studies in computing from Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. He holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management, and a B.S. in operations management from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management.

Mirza Tihic, Ph.D. | Assistant Teaching Professor

Dr. Mirza Tihic joins the College of Professional Studies as an assistant teaching professor with a strong entrepreneurial and education portfolio. As the post-doctoral entrepreneurship researcher at the Whitman School of Management, Tihic manages the National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs, a joint effort of the Whitman School of Management, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Tihic previously served as the assistant director for the Office of Vice Chancellor for Veteran and Military Affairs. Tihic oversaw programs supporting veterans, military members, and members of military families on campus. Prior to that, Tihic served as the program manager for the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School of Management where he supported the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, inclusive entrepreneurship through Start-Up NY and SBA PRIME, the Syracuse Entrepreneurs’ Bootcamp, the Panasci Business Plan Competition, the South Side Entrepreneurship Connect Project, and the D’Aniello Entrepreneurial Internship Program.

Tihic has taught at the Whitman School of Management since 2010. Additionally, the Syracuse University alumnus received his doctorate in cultural foundations of education at the School of Education and his MBA in entrepreneurship and marketing at Whitman School of Management. He also holds an M.S. in neuroscience at the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Originally from Bosnia, Tihic planted roots in Syracuse where he operated Tihic Construction LLC, a residential remodeling company since 2002, and in 2009, he co-founded Syracuse’s North Side Learning Center, a family literacy center that helps immigrants and destitute individuals in the community.

“It is an honor to have Stephen and Mirza join us at a pivotal moment. As the College of Professional Studies rapidly evolves, it is vital our faculty aligns with our academic goals,” says Michael Frasciello, dean of the College of Professional Studies.

To learn more about the College of Professional Studies, visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu.

About the College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies is a global, inclusive and future-facing college, providing access to diverse students and learners seeking a Syracuse University degree, credential, certificate or education experience.

‘Start Now’ Grant Provides Tuition Discount for Online Undergraduate Credit Certificates

Starting today, all students admitted into a College of Professional Studies online credit certificate program who start in Fall 2022 will receive the Start Now Tuition Incentive Grant, resulting in a discounted tuition rate of $495/credit hour (a 28% reduction from the current per credit part-time rate). The grant will be available to matriculated students for up to 18 credits or upon completion of the certificate, allowing them to complete the entire program at the discounted rate.

The Start Now Tuition Incentive Grant will be applied to the following certificates:

Prior college course work is required for admission into the program. For more information about the grant or the certificate programs, contact our admissions team or visit our website.

To be eligible for the Start Now incentive, you must apply by Monday, August 8.

Digital Badges at Syracuse University: Recognizing and Authenticating Microcredential Moments in Higher Education

As higher education continues to anticipate and react to the needs of an evolving workforce, new programs and various modalities have been introduced to provide just-in-time learning opportunities that meet the needs of hard and soft skills sought by employers. Microcredentials give learners a pathway to quickly upgrade or enhance professional skillsets or interests in the form of short-form, topic-specific learning opportunities.

Female student sitting on couch with laptop smiling at camera.

Microcredentials: Filling Skill Gaps and Expanding Opportunities

Microcredentials play a unique role in helping students to upskill or reskill to be more competitive in the job market. By providing short and focused learning experiences, when and where students need it, microcredentials allow students to build a portfolio of demonstrated learning in a short amount of time, whether for professional advancement or personal interest.

The Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials within the College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University was launched in 2021 to expand the University’s portfolio of alternative learning credentials, including noncredit certificates, courses and workshops. Alongside the launch of this new office is the introduction of digital badges. While official diplomas issued by accredited institutions remain the gold standard for credit-bearing certificate and degree programs, digital badges are fast becoming a similar standard for marking the successful achievement of professional microcredentials.

The first digital badges awarded by Syracuse University were to completers of the ‘Leadership and Governance During Times of Crisis’ certificate program at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, which has for decades offered distinguished, non-degree offerings in short-course formats to domestic and international audiences.

“Microcredentials expand our ability to publicly recognize and certify qualifications our alums have earned,” says Daniel Nelson, director of Short-Courses in the Maxwell School Executive Education Program. “It’s a valuable tool for the School and representative of the ways we continually expand our offerings of flexible education pathways. Microcredentials are a great tool to support immediate learning objectives as well as offering opportunities to “stack” these achievements towards enrollment in and completion of a traditional Maxwell degree.”

Digital Badges: Validating Learning Experiences

Through our digital badging platform, Syracuse University will recognize successful completion and demonstration of learning by issuing digital badges at various learning levels such as foundational, intermediate and advanced.

“When a Syracuse University College, School or special other unit awards a digital badge for an achievement, it means the achievement has been assessed and is now being recognized by that College, School or unit,” says Arthur Thomas, executive director of professional acceleration and microcredentials.

Digital badges serve as more than just an icon that can be shared on social media platforms like LinkedIn. The earning criteria listed on the digital badge help external evaluators and employers determine how to value the achievement of a particular digital badge against their own competency expectations.

Each digital badge provides specific information about not only the type of digital badge awarded, who it was awarded to and the date it was earned, but also what was necessary to achieve it and the awarding organization. The result is an online validation of an authenticated learning experience.

“When clicked on, the digital badge icon takes the user to a dedicated page on the badging platform where that badge is amplified, and its unique background information can be seen and verified,” Thomas says. “The authentic validation that accompanies these digital badges allows these individual journeys to become more “readable” by the viewing public, empowering individuals to show details about what makes them truly unique.”

Powerful Packs of Learning: Personalized Learning and Stackable Badges

Individualized learning goals can be created, tracked and met due to the ability to pursue microcredentials at various levels and on different topics. Students can choose to customize their learning journey by pursuing one or multiple microcredentials that round out their skills for a specific career path or goal. Students may also take advantage of pre-designed pathways featuring courses of advancing depth, which allow for increased knowledge of a specific skillset or subject and earn more advanced digital badges.  

“The ability to assemble microcredentials into a combination that is unique for a particular individual serves to define their professional brand,” Thomas says. “A student can assemble a powerful portfolio of digital badges that tells the story of their academic journey.”

The Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials will work with all schools and colleges on the Syracuse University campus who want to issue digital badges to their students.

“We have an existing catalog of microcredential programs on campus that are currently recognized with printed certificates,” Thomas says. “We want to empower our students to not only pursue their lifelong learning goals but to also share their accomplishments with their networks. Digital badges allow us to give them that opportunity.”

In Summer 2022, a new and expanded catalog of microcredential programs will be launched alongside the integration of existing microcredentials into the badging platform.

To stay up to date on new programs and how to register, please visit the professional acceleration and microcredentials webpage.

About the College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies is a global, inclusive and future-facing college, providing access to diverse students and learners seeking a Syracuse University degree, credential, certificate or education experience.

College of Professional Studies to Honor Women of the University Community Sept. 29

History provides copious examples of women supporting women. This fall, Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies will honor a campus organization that has spent 94 years doing exactly that.                    

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Dean Michael Frasciello will present the Women of the University Community (WUC) with the Dean’s Lifetime Ambassador Award at the college’s Alumni Luncheon as part of Orange Central. The Lifetime Ambassador Award is the highest recognition bestowed on alumni and organizations annually for their support of the college and its students.

In 1927, some 57 years after the founding of Syracuse University, a group of formidable females formed WUC to provide friendship and fellowship among its members.

Fast forward 42 years to 1969 when the organization began holding fundraisers to assist women pursuing their education at Syracuse. WUC established three scholarships to support women who attend Syracuse University: the Ruth Tolley Award, presented through the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; the Mildred Eggers Award presented through the College of Professional Studies; and the Beverly Whaley Award presented through the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

More than $200,000 has been distributed over the last 50 years, with future support continuing through these endowed scholarships. “We are immensely grateful to the Women of the University Community for their unwavering belief in the transformational power of a college education, and their commitment to our shared mission of providing and supporting access to Syracuse University,” says Dean Frasciello.

The Mildred Eggers Award was established in honor of the wife of the late Chancellor Melvin A. Eggers in gratitude for her generous support of WUC. The award is presented to women studying part-time through the College of Professional Studies who are matriculated in a bachelor’s degree program and taking at least six credits the following semester. Recipients are selected primarily on academic merit, with financial need considered.

In the coming months, look for details about the Sept. 29 luncheon, to be held noon to 2 p.m. at Drumlins Country Club, as well as more about the history and significant contributions of this impactful organization that has supported women for nearly a century.

Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies Honors Class of 2022

Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies celebrated the Class of 2022 on Thursday, May 12, 2022 at Hendricks Chapel. Twelve students were individually recognized for completing a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree alongside 26 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree candidates who studied part-time at Syracuse through other schools and colleges on campus.

Dean Michael Frasciello began the night applauding the graduating class for their high achievements. Keynote speaker Siddhartha Bhattacharya, associate vice president of marketing and communications at Syracuse University, spoke about the wisdom adult learners bring to the classroom.  

Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud was in attendance to hear student, Victoria Baratta, a U.S. Army veteran, speak about how she earned her degree while working full-time as one of the first Black female police officers in the Syracuse Police Department. Chancellor Syverud recounted Barrata’s story on Sunday at the Syracuse University 2022 Commencement at the stadium, earning Barrata a standing ovation from the crowd, as her degree marked the completion of a 20-year journey.

College of Professional Studies Service Awards

Service awards were presented to those who serve as academic pillars in the Syracuse University community.

Dean’s Excellence Award

Jonah Fugo
Online Success Advisor, College of Professional Studies

Staff Service Award

Daniel J. French
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Office of University Counsel

Faculty Excellence Award

Patrick J. Neary
Instructor, Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program

Online Teaching Award

Susan M. Conklin
Instructor, Bachelor of Professional Studies Program