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According to an article in the August 18, 2015 Education Advisory Board Daily Briefing  nearly 3 million jobs added during the economic recovery following the Great Recession are “good jobs” that pay at least $53,000 a year—and nearly all of those are going to college graduates, according to a new report from Georgetown University‘s Center on Education and the Workforce.

Released August 17, the study found that 44% of the 6.6 million jobs created from 2010 to 2014 were good jobs—and 97% of them went to college graduates.

For the report, researchers used census data to group jobs into 485 occupations—rather than industries—calculated the median annual earnings, and divided them into three tiers. The top earners were the “good jobs.”

Many of the new jobs created were in managerial, STEM , and health-care professions.

And while many college-educated individuals were unemployed or underemployed during the recession, those levels were much higher for people with just a high school degree or less, says Anthony Carnevale, lead author of the report.

“We don’t have enough jobs yet and that means that the college graduates are first in line and they’re bumping out the people who aren’t college graduates,” Carnevale says. “If you’ve got a high school degree and you had a good middle-skill job you were very much at risk.” 

Syracuse University recently introduced two part-time degree and certificate programs that provide the skills employers seek when hiring new employees. The Creative Leadership and Knowledge Management programs can be completed entirely online or through a combination of online and on-campus classes. The certificate programs are comprised of five classes that can later be folded into the degree program. New York State residents may be eligible for scholarships worth 50 percent off tuition.

More than 150 additional degree programs are available at SU, many of which can be earned on a part-time basis.

For more information about part-time study opportunities at Syracuse, University, call 315-443-3261, e-mail parttime@uc.syr.edu or visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu.

According to an article in the June 2, 2015, Education Advisory Board Daily Briefing , when students are asked why they decided to go to college, the overwhelming response is mostly about money. It was reported that in a recent survey, students age 16-40 were asked about their reasons for going to college. The three most common responses were:

1. Improved economic opportunities (91 percent)
2. Make more money (90 percent)
3. Get a good job (89 percent)

The article also states that adult students over 30 were more likely to say that their decision to attend college was driven by a desire to set a good example and build a better life.

Affordability and availability of financial aid are also important when deciding which college to attend.

Syracuse University wants to help you improve your economic outlook while sharing your concern about the cost of continuing your education. SU recently introduced a new scholarship worth 50 percent off the cost of tuition for New York State residents who matriculate into the part-time Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree or certificate programs through University College.

Or, if you want to enroll in a class or pursue a different degree, the University College Incentive Grant provides funding for 50 percent of the cost of one course for up to three (3) semesters. New and qualified returning students are eligible for the grant.

For more information about funding opportunities for part-time students at Syracuse University, contact a financial aid officer: Call 315-443-3261, e-mail parttime@uc.syr.edu, or visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu.

University College (UC) of Syracuse University won gold at the 2014 University Continuing Education Association Marketing and Publications Awards Competition. The awards recognize the best marketing practices and promotional pieces in the field of professional, continuing and online education. UC’s Winterlude Microsite was the winning submission in the category of Miscellaneous Interactive Media. The object of the microsite was to have a single point of reference that provided consistent communication to students and housed pertinent information related to course offerings, registration and enrollment information.

“The Marketing Department consists of a team of committed individuals who work together to provide creative messaging that reaches a variety of audiences—both external and internal,” says Dean Bea González. “It is a testament to their collective ingenuity to see their work recognized on a national level.”

Nichole Henry, student recruiting manager at University College, accepted the award at the conference held in Atlanta  Nov. 5-7.

Jessica Whisher-Hehl G’09 knows that being surrounded by educators at home and at school ignited her desire to study science and engineering. Her father was a guidance counselor at Saranac Lake High School and her mother was an elementary teacher in the same district.

“My mom really instilled in me the importance of learning,” says Whisher-Hehl. “She sat down with me each night and did her school work as a teacher while I did my homework.” Whisher-Hehl says she didn’t have just one favorite teacher in school because all of her teachers were passionate about the subject matter they taught.

Whisher-Hehl, who lives in Manlius, received an undergraduate degree from Clarkson University in civil engineering with a minor in environmental engineering. She worked as an engineer for a local environmental consulting company, but decided to leave that job and pursue an advanced degree in engineering.

“I received an NSF Fellowship in which I was required to work with science teachers at Fowler High School to implement real-life environmental issues into their existing science curriculum,” says Whisher-Hehl. While working at Fowler she realized her passion for teaching and decided to pursue a master’s degree in science education instead of engineering. Whisher-Hehl completed her master’s degree at Syracuse University in July 2014.

Now a Ph.D. student in science education at the University, Whisher-Hehl says that she felt well supported through both her master’s and Ph.D. efforts. “As a Ph.D. student, I value the faculty I collaborate with who not only work on their own research projects, but have the time to support, inspire and help me improve my own knowledge and abilities,” she says.

This summer, Whisher-Hehl had the opportunity to share her passion for science with 40 middle school students from around Onondaga County through the 22^nd annual Science Horizons Program. The weeklong science adventure, which ran July 7 -11, is fully funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and administered through University College of Syracuse University.

Whisher-Hehl says the program was enhanced by the number of Syracuse University graduate students, professors and staff members who volunteered their time to allow the middle-school students to experience a variety of science and engineering disciplines in a hands-on manner.

While the middle-school students explored the fields of engineering, chemistry, biology and the environment, Whisher-Hehl says she learned a lot herself, especially during the field trip to Bristol-Myers Squibb. “I learned the science behind biologics,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see these professional scientists and engineers from Syracuse University, SUNY-ESF and Bristol-Myers volunteer their time to share the knowledge and excitement about science with their students.”

Whisher-Hehl appreciates the opportunity that Bristol-Myers Squibb has given middle-school students for the past 22 years by fully funding the science camp. “They’ve given students exposure to authentic science and engineering disciplines,” says Whisher-Hehl. The students visited real laboratories and participated in hands-on authentic tests and investigations. They had the opportunity to talk to various professionals about their own backgrounds and heard actual scientists and engineers explain about their jobs and how they achieved their goals.

Whisher-Hehl says that the framework for the Next Generation Science Standards is firmly grounded in a “science for all” approach.

“We need to develop a citizenship that understands what science is and can engage in evidence-based reasoning,” she says. “So much of our world now is science based—global climate change, personal nutrition and health decisions, and community issues such as the Onondaga Lake cleanup project. We look at science as a career, but science is around us all the time, and all of us should all have some level of science literacy.”

The Science Horizons program gives students the authentic experience that helps them see and better understand the science in their life as well the cutting-edge science and engineering that is prevalent locally.

 

Nancy Rothschild, associate dean of admissions and Geraldine de Berly, senior associate dean of University College participated in the fifth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C., in June on behalf of Syracuse University. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the EducationUSA Forum brought together 550 university representatives with over 60 EducationUSA regional educational experts and advisers from around the world to discuss strategies for helping international students to study in the United States and promoting U.S. Study abroad.

The EducationUSA Forum offers practical information and strategies to help internationalize U.S. campuses. Workshop sessions, led by international education experts, U.S. higher education representatives, and government officials presented unique and valuable information on recruiting international students and supporting diversity in international education.