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How Continuing Ed Can Revitalize Local Communities

via Illumination by Modern Campus

Continuing education can act as a gateway for the public to access a college or university. It’s crucial for CE leaders to understand and engage with people who live in the area, feel the beat of the community and respond accordingly with programming that the residents find valuable.  

Continuing ed can be the bridge between a community and an institution.  

On today’s episode of Illumination, Michael Frasciello, Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University, talks with host Amrit Ahluwalia about how CE units can help their institutions achieve their mission and attract partnerships with local employers. 

The demand for experts in continuing ed has grown since the start of the pandemic, Frasciello says. Colleagues of his are being asked for advice on how institutions can better use their existing infrastructures to better accommodate distance learning.  

“For years, continuing ed divisions have been ‘those guys down there at the other corner of campus,’” he says. “But now we’ve seen people leaning into what continuing ed can do, how we do it and the expertise around staffing and frameworks.” 

This newfound attention is not a short-lived phenomenon either. The demand for conversations around how CE develops programming at Syracuse has been continuous. Online program management demand has also skyrocketed in the last few years.  

Universities are beginning to understand how crucial it is to build infrastructures that can accommodate the demands for CE and distance learning.  

“I hate to say it, but this might not be our last pandemic,” Frasciello says. “It may not be the last external exigency that requires universities to pivot quickly and staff up to be able to deliver services that are not on the ground full-time.” 

It’s unfortunate that it took a global catastrophe for senior academic leaders to see the value in CE, Frasciello says, but at least it’s happening.  

Part of the reason CE is such a successful endeavour for so many institutions is that CE puts community engagement is front and center. CE is making the area more appealing to those who surround the campus, especially for in-person classes. 

For example, Syracuse’s College of Professional Studies spearheads community engagement for the entire university. Each Thursday since 1959, the college has hosted a roundtable of local leaders.  

The investment of a college campus is in fact an investment of its surrounding community. There is so much more to a campus than just classrooms and libraries; it’s a place for ideas to permeate and for people to collaborate. 

“We are the gateway to the university for the community,” Frasciello says. “Many of our students are part time, and all are either online or commuter. Those commuter students are coming from a 90-mile area around the university, but they know Syracuse University through us, through the continuing education unit.” 

That connection extends to employers as well.  

Upskilling and reskilling services can have an enormous impact on the surrounding area’s ability to attract employers. 

“Large cities have been able to really leverage everything to those schools,” Frasciello says. “They can transform an entire city.” 

With nearly 4,000 faculty and staff, Syracuse University is the largest employer in its region. 

“Not only is there an obligation for the school to do good for the public, but it’s in our best interest to do that,” Frasciello says. “The people that work here, live here.” 

Developing partnerships with businesses is also essential for the continuing ed division, as businesses can really spotlight what employers are looking for in the school’s recent grads.  

 Syracuse is only eight miles from an Amazon warehouse. Those employees can attend the university at a significant discount for part-time certificates, degree and non-credit credentials. The idea is to make the university accessible to a larger number of people in the same area, while at the same time learning what they need from those who they spend the most time with: their employer.  

The new skills are provided by the university; the information and students are provided by the business. It is a symbiotic relationship in which both parties benefit.  

Listen to the interview

College of Professional Studies Launches XR Certificate Programs in Partnership With Circuit Stream

The College of Professional Studies has partnered with the extended reality (XR) educational provider Circuit Stream to offer project-based training in AR/VR/XR courses through the University’s Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials, giving students industry-recognized certification and skills in the rapidly growing 3D technology industry.

As the leading provider for XR education and Unity learning and certification, Circuit Stream has educated over 40,000 professionals and organizations through a range of interactive workshops, courses and other online resources.

“We’re very excited about this partnership,” says Circuit Stream CEO Lou Pushelberg. “By working with Syracuse University, we are hoping to broaden the knowledge and understanding of immersive technologies for professionals to accelerate and train the XR workforce, having a direct impact on surrounding industries.”

Two 10-week XR certificate programs will be offered starting in April. In the Interaction Design and Prototyping for XR certificate program, participants will learn to design new experiences for AR/VR/XR technologies, gain best practices and build a fundamental toolbox to create intuitive and immersive user interfaces.

The XR Development With Unity certificate program teaches participants to create AR and VR applications using Unity, C# and industry-standard tools for developing extended reality XR applications. XR Development program students will also receive a voucher to take the Unity Associate Programmer certification exam.

The problem-based learning challenges in these programs give students the opportunity to apply patterns of design to immersive environments and XR application and help them build a portfolio of projects demonstrating their understanding of AR/VR technology and industry best practices. Both programs are offered completely online with two 1.5 hour online live sessions during the week, along with optional evening drop-in office hours Monday through Friday.

Upon course completion, students will earn a certificate and a digital badge from Syracuse University and Circuit Stream, receive lifetime access to project material, resources and lectures, and gain membership to peer and professional networks through Circuit Stream’s XR Community.

“We’re proud to partner with Circuit Stream to make these courses and certifications available to our wider community. The College of Professional Studies is committed to offering the best online instruction in these rapidly expanding areas, and we feel that Circuit Stream’s course design, hands-on practice and instructor guidance are key ingredients for the success of our participants,” says Arthur P. Thomas, executive director of the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials in the College of Professional Studies. “With a growing demand for these skills and certifications within multiple market areas, the connections that participants can make within Circuit Stream’s network of employers is a win for everyone.”

Learn more about the certificate programs.

Syracuse University to Hold First Reception for Post-Traditional Alumni

Sean O’Keefe Announced as Special Guest for Alumni Event in Washington, D.C.

The College of Professional Studies is partnering with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Syracuse University in DC for a night of alumni networking on April 26, 2022, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

“Over the past four years, the University has dramatically expanded its commitment to access for nontraditional learners. We’re excited to share with our Washington, D.C., alumni and friends how this expansion extends our mission and positions the University to provide global access and transformational education opportunities,” says Michael Frasciello, Ph.D., dean of the College of Professional Studies.

From 6:30 to 9 p.m., alumni and friends can enjoy an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. There will be a brief program with remarks from J. Michael Haynie, Ph.D., Syracuse University’s vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, and Frasciello. University Professor Sean O’Keefe, one of only 17 Syracuse University faculty members to hold this designation, will be the evening’s special guest.

O’Keefe previously served as a presidential appointee during his time leading NASA as secretary of the Navy, as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, as deputy assistant to the President and as comptroller and CFO at the Defense Department. He currently holds the position as the Howard and Louise Phanstiel Endowed Chair in Leadership at the Maxwell School. Moreover, his achievements also include honorary doctorate degrees from five higher education institutions, as well as the Department of Navy’s Public Service Award.

The event provides the opportunity for post-traditional, online and executive education alumni and students to connect in Washington, D.C.

“Engaging post-traditional alumni is a priority of Syracuse University,” says Jeffry Comanici, executive director of post-traditional alumni. “Working with partners from across campus, we have identified over 340,000 post-traditional alumni and are excited to include them in the Orange Family.”

To register for the reception, please visit: cc.syr.edu/april26dc

For questions or more information, contact Comanici at jjcomani@syr.edu or 315.443.1409.

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.

Developing Strengths for Women in Leadership Workshop to Donate Proceeds to Nanhi Kali

Join the College of Professional Studies and the Nanhi Kali Syracuse University chapter for Developing Strengths for Women in Leadership, a virtual workshop designed to help you use your natural talents to feel empowered and unlock your potential.    

With help and guidance from Liz Green, executive director for Online Student Success at the College of Professional Studies, and your pre-workshop CliftonStrengths assessment, you will explore how your top five strengths can help you support, engage and advocate for yourself and other women in leadership. The cost of the workshop supports Nanhi Kali’s initiative to raise funds for uniforms, school supplies and tuition costs for girls in India who are otherwise unable to attend elementary or middle school on their own.

Two Zoom workshop options are available and open to all on April 1 or April 8 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. The cost is $52 to attend.

Advocating for women in leadership, this workshop will donate 100% of the profits to Nanhi Kali, “an organization initiated by Mahindra in India with a goal to educate underprivileged girl children,” says Ruchita Harsora, Nanhi Kali’s Syracuse University chapter president.

“The workshop will encompass multiple avenues for self-reflection and engagement activities for participants to better understand their individual Top 5 Strengths and communicate with others about their strengths,” Green says. “CliftonStrengths provides a common lens for us to share and connect with our colleagues, coworkers and friends, and provides a foundation for us to effectively advocate for ourselves and others.”

As a registered graduate student organization, the Nanhi Kali Syracuse University chapter aims to raise awareness about the importance of educational access, Harsora says.

“This specific opportunity helps us give back to the community one of the essentials – education. Education is the steppingstone to success in any field and it’s a golden opportunity for us to give something back to an underserved community,” Harsora says. “We get a chance to give the privilege of education to the generation that is going to shape our future.”

To learn more or register for the workshop, visit here.

 

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.