An Exclusive Interview with Anne W. Foster, Executive Director Parents For Public Schools, Inc.

The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator presents an exclusive interview with Anne W. Foster, Executive Director, Parents For Public Schools.

With an unwavering belief in public education and exuberant energy to change her community, Anne W. Foster founded a local nonprofit organization, Realtors Supporting Richardson Schools, to help thousands of students in the Richardson Independent School District (RISD) community. As a public education advocate and former elected school board member, she has profound respect and commitment for supporting parents across the country in diverse public education systems. She believes that in order to have quality public education, it takes support from all parts of the community. Parents are a vital part of that support. Parents must be involved, and schools must welcome them.

Most recently, Anne served as the first executive director of Raise Your Hand Texas (RYHT), a public education advocacy organization. While establishing the organization’s office in Austin, Anne coordinated lobbying efforts for RYHT’s legislative agenda focused on public school improvement and reform. Under her leadership, the organization’s membership expanded to nearly 20,000 members. Determined to enhance statewide advocacy efforts, she developed a 200-person Speaker’s Bureau. Anne traveled and spoke frequently throughout Texas about key education reform issues, creating a new statewide accountability system, and improving funding for pre-kindergarten.

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. James Earl Lyons, Sr, Secretary of Higher Education for the State of Maryland

The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator presents an exclusive interview with Dr. James Earl Lyons, Sr, Secretary of Higher Education for the state of Maryland.

Dr. James Earl Lyons, Sr. became Secretary of Higher Education in March 2007. Before assuming this position, he was President of California State University, Dominguez Hills. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, he received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in student personnel from the University of Connecticut, where he also earned his doctorate in Professional Higher Education Administration. In the spring of 2000, he received the Neag School of Education “Distinguished Alumnus Award” from his alma mater for his significant impact on education, his inspiration on others in their field, and for his considerable accomplishments and continuing level of achievement.

Lyons brings to the Maryland Higher Education Commission a wealth of experience and a personal touch to his presidency, having served in numerous arenas, from the Peace Corps and the classroom to executive offices and boardrooms. His inclusive style of governance means drawing on diverse elements of the community to develop and implement policy. Lyons has written and spoken extensively on myriad issues facing public education, and he has been a consultant to various agencies, boards, and commissions through the years on matters ranging from assessments of college presidents, analyses of magnet schools, busing and desegregation to the collective bargaining process and corporations reaching out to minority-owned franchises.

Before assuming the Dominguez Presidency, Lyons served education in a range of positions. He was President of Jackson State University (MS); President of Bowie State University (MD); Vice President, Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Education, Barber-Scotia College (NC), Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Director of Summer School at Fayetteville State University (NC). He also held key administrative positions at Kentucky State University and at the University of Connecticut.

Part One of a Two Part Exclusive Interview with Dr. Susan Aldridge

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Susan Aldridge
President, University of Maryland University College

In a two part series, Dr. Susan Aldridge, President of the University of Maryland University College responds to eight questions from Education The Natural Bridge (ETNB).

ETNB: Dr. Aldridge, how long have you served as President of University of Maryland University College?

Dr. Aldridge: I just celebrated my fourth anniversary as president of UMUC. I came to UMUC in February 2006 after serving as vice chancellor for Troy University’s University College and eCampus in Alabama.

ETNB: What makes UMUC a unique learning experience for students?

Dr. Aldridge: At UMUC, our mission is to provide adult students with high-quality, affordable, flexible educational opportunities that meet those students’ individual needs. Whether courses are taken on-site (at one of our more than 150 locations around the world), online, or in a hybrid format that combines online and on-site study, UMUC offers students a variety of options to meet their education needs. Even if a student pursues a degree solely online, we offer many platforms for student and professor interaction. So while they are not face-to-face, online students still feel engaged through course forums and blogs. The vast majority of our degree programs can be completed completely online through our virtual campus, where students are able to access their classes from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additionally, our faculty members are typically scholar-practitioners who are currently working in the fields in which they teach, bringing the real world into the classroom.

UMUC also has a rich history of providing higher education to our nation’s military personnel for more than 60 years, with operations in Europe and Asia. Our university provides on-site courses to service members worldwide, including places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

ETNB: What is the enrollment of UMUC?

Dr. Aldridge: UMUC is the largest public university, serving approximately 90,000 students worldwide and offering 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs online and on-site. While most of our students choose to take at least one course online, UMUC also offers face-to-face instruction at 21 locations throughout Maryland and in 27 countries and more than 150 locations worldwide. Additionally, UMUC has alliance agreements with all of Maryland’s 16 community colleges, and nearly 20 community colleges throughout the country, allowing students to transfer seamlessly from a two-year to a four-year degree.

ETNB: How has technology been used to enhance student enrollment, student services, and student learning at UMUC?

Dr. Aldridge: As one of the largest providers of online higher education in the nation, we have made it our mission to offer our online students the same high-quality education that students enjoy in our on-site classrooms. Having the highest quality of technology enables UMUC to efficiently deliver courses, make the transfer processes seamless, and the classroom experience comfortable and easily accessible.

UMUC hosts virtual open houses each semester, offering potential students the opportunity to be introduced to the university from the comfort of their own home, with advisors, staff, and faculty on hand to answer questions about degree programs, the application and registration process, and financial aid.

Once students enroll, our proprietary course-delivery platform, WebTycho, allows them to access UMUC anywhere they have Web access, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The software facilitates course delivery and provides an interactive classroom where students have direct and convenient access to professors, course syllabi, assignments, study and discussion groups, and the university’s online library, which boasts access to more than 100 premium databases of books, periodicals, and research, many of them full-text.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR. DIANNE LYNCH, PRESIDENT OF STEPHENS COLLEGE

The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator presents a three part discussion on the historical role and contributions of women only colleges and universities with three remarkable Presidents of these amazing institutions. Part two of this extraordinary conversation is with Dr. Dianne Lynch President of Stephens College located in Columbia, Missouri.

Dianne Lynch, Ph.D., became the 24th president of Stephens College on June 2, 2009. Founded in 1833, Stephens is the second-oldest women’s college in the nation. Dr. Lynch previously served as dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College (in Ithaca, New York), a school of approximately 1,400 students and 60 full-time faculty.

She is a former Fulbright Senior Specialist in new media technologies and learning; a member of the national accrediting council for schools of journalism and mass communication; and a member of the national Journalism Advisory Council of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Prior to becoming dean at Ithaca College in 2004, Dr. Lynch was a faculty member and chair of the Department of Journalism at Saint Michael’s College in Burlington, Vermont, a private liberal arts college of approximately 1,800 students. In that capacity, she won local, regional and national awards for teaching, including recognition in 1999 as the national Journalism Teacher of the Year. Dr. Lynch was the founding executive director of the national Online News Association. In that capacity, she was the editorial director of the first national study of the credibility of online news. She wrote a biweekly column about women and technology, “Wired Women,” for ABCNews.com from 2000 to 2003, and a weekly column on new media ethics for the Christian Science Monitor from 1998 to 2002.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA McGUIRE, PRESIDENT OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY

The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator presents a three part discussion on the historical role and contributions of women only colleges and universities with three remarkable Presidents of these amazing institutions.

Part one of this extraordinary conversation is with Patricia McGuire President of Trinity University located in Washington, DC. Patricia McGuire has been President of Trinity since 1989. Before coming to Trinity, Ms. McGuire was the Assistant Dean for Development and External Affairs for Georgetown University Law Center, where she was also an adjunct professor of law. Earlier, she was project director for Georgetown’s D.C. Street Law Project. She was also a legal affairs commentator for the award-winning CBS children's newsmagazine "30 Minutes" and the Fox Television program "Panorama" in Washington. President McGuire earned her Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Trinity College and her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. She is currently a member of the boards of directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Washington Hospital Center, the Women's College Coalition, the Washington Metropolitan Consortium of Universities, the D.C. College Success Foundation, Goodwill of Greater Washington, the National Defense Intelligence College, the American Council on Education, the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, United Educators, and the UNIFI Mutual Holding Company.