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To work as a nurse in Montana, you must become a registered nurse (RN). To do so, you need to finish a minimum amount of schooling, gain on-the-job experience, and pass the NCLEX-RN.

But if you want to increase your chances of finding a high-paying job, the best thing to do is earn a bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN). A BSN leads to licensure as an RN, though nurses with a BSN earn nearly $30,000 more than RNs without a BSN.

Choosing the right program to become an RN and earn a BSN can impact your career, too. Better nursing schools often have connections with renowned hospitals, and these connections could help you land a job coming out of school.

Fortunately, Montana has plenty of nursing programs with great student outcomes.

Because nursing careers take different forms, the top 10 Montana nursing schools are ranked in no particular order.

City College of Montana State University Billings

Total In-State Tuition: $11,745 | Total Out-of-State Tuition: $18,020 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 91.89%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: No

The City College at Montana State University Billings offers programs that lead to high-employment fields, nursing included. However, anyone interested in a nursing degree won't have a BSN as an option -- instead, City College offers an associate of science in nursing (ASN). This two-year program is incredibly affordable, especially for in-state students. Also, with a high NCLEX pass rate for recent grads, this program is an excellent way to become an RN at a low cost. Graduates can always enter an RN-BSN bridge program after completing the ASN.

Montana State University

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,565 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $18,475 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 91.56%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

Based in Bozeman, Montana State University is home to nearly 17,000 students, only 7,800 of which are from MSU is also one of the most important public schools in Montana and offers the only generic BSN in the state. Aside from the traditional BSN, MSU has an accelerated BSN, master of science in nursing (MSN) and doctor of nursing practice (DNP). NCLEX pass rates for MSU grads are impressive, and any Montana residents interested in nursing can earn an excellent BSN at a low tuition cost.

Montana Technological University

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,440 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $22,500 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 100%

Traditional: Yes

Online: Yes

Accelerated: No

Bridge: Yes

Originally the Montana State School of Mines, Montana Tech has since absorbed multiple colleges and schools. Today, Montana Tech has a nursing program with two options for students: a traditional, four-year degree and an RN-BSN. The traditional BSN has incredible outcomes, and the past two years have seen every student pass the NCLEX on their first try. Current RNs can enroll in the RN-BSN and online program that can be finished in as little as a year. However, RN-BSN students must have an ASN.

University of Providence

Annual Tuition: $29,190 | NCLEX Pass Rate: N/A

Traditional: Yes

Online: Yes

Accelerated: No

Bridge: Yes

Based in Great Falls, University of Providence is a private, Catholic school. As a private school, all students are required to pay the same tuition rate, although many University of Providence students get some form of financial aid. University of Providence doesn't disclose the Division of Nursing NCLEX pass rates, but the program is well-respected. Students can enroll in the traditional BSN or an online RN-BSN. Current RNs enrolling in the RN-BSN completion program instead pay $483 per credit, making it an affordable program for nurses that just needs a few more credits.

Carroll College

Annual Tuition: $36,182 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 100%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: No

Consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the region, Carroll College is another Catholic school. Based in Helena, Carroll College is a bit more expensive than other schools on this list. However, students receive an average financial aid package of over $28,000, and the nursing program is well worth the cost. The 2018 class aced the NCLEX on their first try, and Carroll has a direct-entry option for students still in high school. An accelerated BSN is also available for students who already have a bachelor's degree, though this program hasn't yet received accreditation.

Helena College

Annual In-State Tuition: $3,440 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $9,400 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 93.94%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: Yes

With a small student to faculty ratio of 12:1 and an average class size of just 11 students, Helena College offers a focused education. The attention to students could be part of the reason every nursing program graduate who took the NCLEX passed on the first try (according to the school's 2019 data). While Helena College doesn't have a four-year program, students can enroll in the ASN, a two-year program that leads to NCLEX readiness and nursing licensure. Afterward, students can always choose one of the RN-BSN programs offered elsewhere in Montana.

Missoula College

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,948 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $14,434 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 85.19%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: Yes

Missoula College is a two-year college that only offers associate degrees, so nursing students won't be able to complete their BSN. However, the RN program only takes four semesters to complete and leads to RN licensure. Only 18 students are admitted to the RN program each semester, so admissions can be competitive. However, any students that get accepted can get an affordable two-year degree and follow up with an RN-BSN at another school.

Great Falls College

Annual In-State Tuition: $3,417 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $10,309 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 77.27%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: No

Founded in 1969 as a vocational school, Great Falls College is now one of the main two-year schools in Montana. Like every other two-year college in Montana, Great Falls College doesn't have a traditional BSN program. Instead, students complete an ASN and are prepared to sit for the NCLEX and become RNs. Completing an ASN satisfies prerequisites for an RN-BSN program, so this can be a fast route to becoming a nurse and earning a BSN later.

Montana State University Northern

Annual In-State Tuition: $5,955 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $18,664 | NCLEX Pass Rate: N/A

Traditional: Yes

Online: Yes

Accelerated: No

Bridge: Yes

With campuses in Havre and Great Falls (and an online campus), Montana State University Northern has perhaps the least traditional route to a BSN of any school in Montana. Earning a BSN consists of two steps: first nursing students need to complete the ASN. After, they can enroll in MSU Northern's RN-BSN, available both in-person and online. MSU Northern's recent NCLEX pass rates were officially 0% -- only one student took the exam -- but prior years had pass rates as has as 89.83%.

Salish Kootenai College

Annual In-State Tuition: $5,076 | Annual Out-of-State Tuition: $10,260 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 86.67%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: No

Salish Kootenai College is an incredibly small school with just 801 students currently enrolled. Despite the size, Salish Kootenai's Nursing Program graduates more Native American RNs than any other school. Currently, SKC only offers an ASN, though they're retiring the program to introduce a traditional four-year BSN. The new BSN program will begin accepting students in Spring 2020. It's also worth noting that Native American students and Native American descendants receive even lower tuition than in-state students.

Keep in mind that colleges and universities reserve the right to change tuition rates at any time. The yearly tuition rates listed here will vary for each student depending on various factors including,

Check with the specific school for current tuition rates.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),

While the national mean wage for nurses is $75,510, Montana has a relatively low cost of living, so the lower wage extends further than in other states. Montana also has a higher mean wage than neighbors Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

According to the BLS, Montana has a location quotient of RNs of 1.07. Any number larger than 1 means that more nurses are employed per 1,000 workers than the national average. This data essentially means that Montana is a relatively high employer of nurses per capita.

With a national nursing shortage already affecting hospitals and healthcare facilities around the country, it's an encouraging sign that Montana employs more nurses than most other states.

After reviewing potential colleges and nursing programs, you'll probably be interested in a few options. Before jumping in and sending applications, here are some steps you'll want to follow to increase your chances of getting accepted into your program(s) of choice:

Contact each schools admissions offices. The admissions office runs admissions, and they can tell the difference between a good and subpar application. If you have any questions about what you need to do to get accepted to the school, contact the admissions office.

Check to see if you meet the nursing school requirements. Just because you've been accepted to a college doesn't mean you've been accepted into the nursing program. Get connected with someone working for the nursing program to find out any requirements.

Submit your application(s). Once you've learned more about each school's admissions process and gotten in touch with the nursing school, the final step is to gather your materials and submit your application(s).

In your application, be prepared to submit:

No two schools are alike, and you may find yourself struggling to pick between two (or more) schools. Fortunately, as long as each school is accredited, there is no "wrong" choice. Focus on picking the best school for your personal wants and needs.

Here are things to consider when comparing schools:

Accreditation is a way for colleges to verify their academic quality. The best accreditation a school can earn is regional accreditation, and the regionally accrediting body for Montana is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. On top of regional accreditation, the best programs (including nursing programs) have programmatic accreditation.

The two nursing accreditation organizations to look for are

If you earn a degree from an unaccredited school, you may have trouble securing federal financial aid and finding work as a nurse after graduation.

Montana is part of the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact (eNLC), a group of states that have standardized licensure. This means that becoming licensed is relatively straightforward, so long as you studied at an accredited school.

Along with becoming NCLEX-RN eligible, you'll need to:

With plenty of mountains and wide-open spaces, there are few places in the U.S. like Montana. While the wages earned by nurses in Montana aren't the highest, the low cost of living and high employment rates make Montana a great place to enjoy a nursing career. There are plenty of quality nursing programs in Montana, and if you're from the state you can take advantage of in-state tuition. As part of the eNLC, licensed nurses in Montana can easily move to most other states.

Methodology

This is a panel-reviewed selection based on a number of factors including,

Nurse Panel

Our selection panel includes 4 Registered Nurses with over 55 years of combined nursing experience and 7 nursing degrees.

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Education Top 10 Best Nursing Schools in Montana - Nurse.org

Questions about how to best implement breast density notification laws and their overall efficacy have been swirling over the past few years. What do women need to know, whats the best mechanism for informing them, and what language should be used?

To date, only 38 states have breast density notification laws, and they are all different. That means women nationwide arent receiving the same information in a uniform way. This variation resulted in several recent investigations, analyzing whether this type of legislation is effective.

Research Shows a Lack of Efficacy

A study published in the Jan. 8 Journal of General Internal Medicine revealed the laws and the notification letters are falling short of their intent to increase womens understanding of why breast density is important in catching and combatting breast cancer.

In a survey of nearly 2,000 women, investigators evaluated a womans reported history of increased breast density, her knowledge of the increased breast cancer risk accompanying dense breasts, her understanding of how dense breasts can hide cancers on mammography, and her anxieties over the disease.

According to results, dense breast notification laws did succeed in helping some women understand they have dense breasts. The impact was seen most among women who post-high school education.

However, they didnt improve womens understanding of the dense breast-breast cancer link or that dense breasts reduce mammographys detection capability. In fact, among participants, only 23 percent of women located in both states with and without dense breast notification legislation reported understanding that increased breast density is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Sixty-eight percent understood the dense-breast effect on mammograms.

Investigators pointed to the disparity in education as a potential culprit for the limited impact of notification legislation.

We know that women with less education are less likely to receive high-quality breast cancer screening and treatment, said senior author Cary Gross, M.D., a Yale University professor of medicine and member of the Yale Cancer Center, in a press release. Our study underscores one potential mechanism for this disparity. Ensuring that notifications are written in simple language may help improve understanding of breast density for all women.

Additional research also points to another contributing factor. In a recently published study in Academic Radiology, investigators report that online patient education material focused on breast density is largely written at a level too difficult for more patients to fully comprehend and process.

The American Medical Association currently recommends patient education materials be written at a 6th-grade reading level. But, this study of 41 websites dedicated to providing patient-focused, breast-density information including academic, non-profit, commercial, and government sources identified the sites were written at levels ranging from an 8th-grade to advanced-college. Eleventh grade was the average level. Nearly half included diagrams, and very few offered video content to aid in explanations.

The result, researchers wrote, is that patients arent able to find resources online to help them further understand any breast density notifications.

Readability of currently available online patient-education materials on breast density may be written at a level too difficult for the general public to comprehend, which may represent a barrier to educational goals of newly passed federal breast density legislation, they wrote.

A Different Patient Path to Information

JoAnn Pushkin, executive director of patient information website DenseBreast-info.org, disagreed. Instead, she said, the researchers reviewed sources that werent created with patients in mind.

While the challenge of balancing patient readability with the necessity of including medical terminology is one which we appreciate, Pushkin said, the study included and analyzed content from industry publications and manufacturer content which was not necessarily developed for a patient audience.

The conundrum surrounding the efficacy of these patient education websites likely centers on the vernacular researchers used when evaluating resources. Instead of the term breast density, which investigators used to select sites, she said, patient notification letters include the terms dense breasts or dense breast tissue. Consequently, women could be searching for and accessing breast density information differently.

Ultimately, though, she said, patients and providers should not rely solely on online materials and notificaiton letters to ensure women fully understand the risks associated with having dense breasts. They are only part of the solution to educating women about breast density.

While inform laws were intended to raise a womans awareness about dense breasts, they were not intended to be a substitute for a conversation with her provider, Pushkin said. They do, though, result in a need for medically sources, patient-friendly resources to educate and inform that patient/provider conversation.

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Breast Density Laws: Are They Working? Do Online Education Resources Help? - Diagnostic Imaging

Improving Your Study Techniques from the University of Groningen. Learn to be better at learning with this class from a Dutch university.

Happier Employees and Return-on-Investment Course from the University of Texas at Austin. Co-taught by famed CEO coach and author Marshall Goldsmith, this class aims to show how happiness can make you more successful.

Fundamentals of Statistics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Statistics is the science of turning data into insights and ultimately decisions,"says the class description, and this course will give you the basics to get started.

Hacking Exercise for Health. The Surprising New Science of Fitnessfrom McMaster University. This one promises "hacks to get fit and strong (and healthy!) in less time than you ever thought possible,"

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) from IBM. A primer on one of the hottest topics around for the complete beginner.

The Language of Design: Form and Meaning from the California Institute of the Arts. Designed to give novices the vocabulary and concepts necessary to talk effectively and offer feedback about design.

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking from Harvard University. Learn how to change minds with your words from instructors at one of the world's best universities.

The Future of Work: Preparing for Disruption from the World Bank. Technology is replacing more and more jobs. How can you thrive in this new world? The World Bank offers some ideas to help you think through change and prepare.

Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work from the University of California, Berkeley. "80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help learning how to manage it,"says the course description. "This course offers research-based strategies for building resilience to stress."

Managing People: Understanding Individual Differences from the University of Reading. Bone up on personality and learning differences so you can get the most out of all of your people.

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills from the University of Michigan. "We all negotiate on a daily basis," points out the course description. "Discover and practice the four steps to successful negotiation, and learn strategies to do it better."

Ethical Hacking from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Learn to think like a hacker so you can better protect yourself and your company.

Data Analysis: A Practical Introduction for Absolute Beginners from Microsoft. Know nothing about data but want to learn more? This course might be for you.

Critical Thinking: Reasoned Decision Making from Tecnolgico de Monterrey. Learn to think clearly and without bias (or at least with less bias) in a complex world.

Agile Leadership Principles from the University System of Maryland. Command-and-control leadership is going the way of the dinosaurs. This class will bring you up to speed on what's replacing it.

The Neuromarketing Toolbox from Copenhagen Business School. Just asking consumers what they like is so last century. This course will introduce you to more advanced ways of determining what motivatesthe people who buy your products.

Empowering Yourself in a Post-Truth World from the State University of New York. Clearly (and sadly) self-recommending in our current world.

Introduction to Self-Determination Theory: An Approach to Motivation, Development and Wellness from the University of Rochester. Self-determination theory "is an empirically based theory of motivation and psychological development that is especially focused on the basic psychological needs that promote high quality motivation and wellness,"explains the course description. Sounds fascinating.

Developing a Systems Mindset from the University of Colorado Boulder. Working on a complicated project with many stakeholders and interlocking factors? This course aims to help you make sense of it all.

Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition from Deakin University. Learn how to eat better to feel better, not just physically, but mentally too.

The rest is here:
20 Online Courses That Will Make You More Successful in 2020 - Inc.

Alison Yin/EdSource

UC Berkeley students at the campus student union.

UC Berkeley students at the campus student union.

Californias public colleges and universities would receive more state funds to help improve graduation rates, expand online education for older students and lower textbook costs under Governor Gavin Newsoms budget plan for 2020-21 unveiled Friday.

However, Newsom offered higher education significantly less than its leaders sought and notably did not propose any large financial aid increases to help pay students housing and food costs. As a result, months of lobbying for more money and legislative negotiations are ahead.

The governor proposed 5 percent increases for the basic operating budgets for each of the states university systems: the ten-campus University of California and the 23-campus California State University. That would amount to $217.7 million more than last year for UC and $199 million more for CSU.

Those additions were less than half of what the two universities were seeking. But Newsom noted that the increases would total more than 12 percent over two years if his plan is approved by the State Legislature. That, he said, was not too bad and would be the largest amount over any 24 months in recent memory.

As a member of the two university governing boards as governor and, before that, as lieutenant governor, Newsom said that he knew the appetites of my colleagues and former colleagues at the UC regents and the CSU board of trustees in wanting more state money. But he signaled that they should be happy with his plan.

Newsom proposed an increase of 3.9 percent to the community college systems general fund well short of the 7.5 percent increase requested by the systems governing board. Among other items, the community college system had requested $250 million in extra financial aid to help students cover non-tuition costs. Newsom did not include that.

Unlike last year when he was adamant that UC and CSU tuition should be kept flat, Newsom on Friday did not explicitly mention tuition levels. However, his budget insists that the state funding is provided to improve or maintain college affordability, access and improved graduation rates for all students, especially underrepresented groups such as African-Americans. When asked whether the governor would flatly rule out even a modest tuition increase, his budget staffers Friday, during a briefing with EdSource, emphasized the importance of keeping college affordable and said they would wait to see what the two universities propose.

Online programs for adults to complete their bachelors degrees and professional certificates won special attention from Newsom. He offered $4 million in one-time funds for UC and $6 million to CSU for such efforts at extension and continuing education programs that will help adults improve their long-term economic and social mobility, the budget document said.

Newsom specified that he expects CSU, which enrolls about 410,000 students, to continue with its efforts to substantially improve graduation rates by 2025. CSU recently announced that 27.5 percent of those who began as freshmen graduated within four years, up two percentage points over the previous year but still well short of the 40 percent goal. The six-year graduation rate was 62.1 percent, up one percentage point, closer to the 70 percent goal.

For UC, Newsoms budget noted that a funding boost last year would continue to allow enrollment to grow in 2020-21, by 1,600 in-state undergraduates from the current 185,600. (Those Californians comprise 82 percent of the undergraduates, with students from other states and nations the rest.)

The budget comes at a time of considerable uncertainty about the leadership of Californias public higher education systems. Both UC president Janet Napolitano and CSU chancellor Timothy White have said they will be leaving their posts later this year and searches for their replacements are underway.

Leaders of UC and CSU thanked Newsom for the proposed increases yet clearly indicated that they hope more will be forthcoming as budget talks stretch out over the next five months.

UCs Napolitano and UC Regents Chairman John A. Perez said in a statement that they will continue to work with the governor and Legislature for funding to improve on-time graduation rates, particularly for students who are low-income or first in their families to enter college. UC appreciates the governors strong continued support of higher education and looks forward to our ongoing partnership, their statement said.

While appreciating the additional funding, White, in a statement, pointed out that it covers a portion of the universitys needs. As the budget process continues, we look forward to joining with students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders to advocate on behalf of the CSU. Newsoms plan contains an additional $31 million for CSU retirement benefits costs.

For community colleges, the budget proposal includes significant investments in apprenticeship programs as well as spending to improve faculty diversity, establish food pantries, lower textbook costs and provide extra support services for immigrant students.

On financial aid, Newsom proposed an additional $21.6 million in aid to parents who are students at a community college or public university building on last years budget that included $96.7 million in aid for those students. Newsom also proposed $5 million to convene a workgroup that would study student loan borrowing patterns and educate student borrowers about their loans, lending practices and repayment options.

However, the governor proposed no significant boosts in aid to help students with non-tuition costs such as housing and food, disappointing advocates who have called for a reform of the Cal Grant system to address the total cost of attending California colleges and universities.

It is disappointing that the Governor did not take this opportunity to provide a meaningful down payment on an urgently needed expansion of the Cal Grant, said Jen Mishory, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, in a statement. We hope the legislature will recognize this shortfall and work to include greater student aid in the final budget.

Newsoms budget proposal notes that the California Student Aid Commission has convened a workgroup that is studying the states financial aid programs and will soon make recommendations to the Legislature to better address the total cost of attendance. Newsoms education staff said they are eagerly awaiting the report.

Newsoms budget does propose significant investments in apprenticeship programs: $83.2 million to create and support programs in such fields as advanced manufacturing, hospitality and life sciences across the community college system.

The governor also proposed spending $15 million for a pilot fellowship program aimed at improving faculty diversity at community colleges and $10 million to support office hours for part-time faculty.

Newsoms other community college proposals include $11.4 million to support food pantries on campuses, $10 million to lower textbook costs, $10 million to provide immigrant legal services on campuses and $5.8 million for other support services for immigrant students.

Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the chancellor of the states community college system, said in a statement that the proposed budget represents a strong start for the California Community Colleges and the students we serve.

Newsom also proposed an additional $17 million to support the Fresno Integrated K-16 Education Collaborative, an initiative that helps students in the Fresno region go to and graduate from college and get jobs in fields such as accounting and nursing. That investment is part of a larger $50 million investment by Newsom to improve economic mobility in the Fresno region.

The budget plan also contained $50 million for UC Davis to expand its veterinary programs over five years to provide expertise, support and local assistance to help communities develop no-kill animal shelters that would ensure that any adoptable or treatable dog or cat would not be euthanized.

Originally posted here:
Newsom proposes funding boost for colleges and universities but education leaders wanted more - EdSource

This Insights article was contributed by Dr. William Sackley, Director of BB&T Center for Global Capitalism and Cameron School of Business Professor of Finance Last summer my colleague, Dr. Adam Jones, Chair of the Department of Economics and Finance, and I finally got serious about a project that we had contemplated for quite a while the development of an online course in Personal Finance. We are both passionate about the strong need existing for enhanced exposure to these topics. We speculate and certainly not because we are the developers that this could easily be the course which provides the most value added during a college career.

The online aspect of this course was for two reasons: 1) the rapid growth in demand for online offerings, especially for courses not in the students area of concentration, and 2) the desire to make the course more convenient to all students as opposed to those only in the Cameron School of Business. We launched the course during the now completed Fall Semester. Certainly, we have many revisions in order to improve the course, but our opinion is that students received precisely the exposure we had hoped for within the multitude of topics covered under a basic course in personal finance. This could be the end of the story and, if so, Dr. Jones and I would be very happy with the outcome. But we incorporated one more aspect into the course design, and we could not be more excited with the results. Under the premise that some variety in course delivery could help students retain their enthusiasm for the course, we attempted wherever possible to bring practitioners as well as other experts into our fairly sophisticated Cameron Recording Studio. The School of Business also has shared access to a (very) professional film editor. Mr. Jack Horn has worked on numerous television programs during his career, and he can make anyone look good on video (I am testimony to that!). Dr. Jones and I called upon several of our contacts, asking them to consider becoming an integral component in the delivery of course material. While each of them would be considered an expert in their area, few if any were initially comfortable with offering lectures or being video recorded. We developed and offered initial scripts to each of the guests, with the intention of guiding their initial direction while welcoming personalization of content, thanks to the experiences of all our guest speakers. What message do I attempt to deliver with this narrative? For some of the practical-based courses offered in a university, the potential may exist for partnerships with professionals from within the community. The Cameron School of Business prides itself on engagement with the Cape Fear business community. This includes placement of students with local companies and opportunities for business leaders to come to campus in guest teaching roles. Even though the impact of guest lecturing in an online environment might not be immediately perceived, the end results can be very rewarding. Wilmington definitely has its share if not more than its share of true professionals who have something to offer in augmenting the educational process in distance learning courses.

Robert T. Burrus, Jr., Ph.D., is the dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, named in June 2015. Burrus joined the UNCW faculty in 1998. Prior to his current position, Burrus was interim dean, associate dean of undergraduate studies and the chair of the department of economics and finance. Burrus earned a Ph.D. and a masters degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a bachelors degree in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University. The Cameron School of Business has approximately 60 full-time faculty members and 20 administrative and staff members. The AACSB-accredited business school currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate students in three degree programs and 200 graduate students in four degree programs. The school also houses the prestigious Cameron Executive Network, a group of more than 200 retired and practicing executives that provide one-on-one mentoring for Cameron students. To learn more about the Cameron School of Business, please visithttp://csb.uncw.edu/. Questions and comments can be sent to[emailprotected].

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Collaborative Education In An Online Setting by Robert Burrus | Sponsored Insights - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Disney Aspire, The Walt Disney Company's 100% tuition-paid education plan for more than 94,000 hourly employees and Cast Members, welcomes Purdue University Global and Southern New Hampshire University to its network of schools. Eligible employees and Cast Members can now pursue a degree in Cloud Computing, Digital Photography, Legal Studies and Higher Education Administration, among others. This is in addition to the more than 300 programs in the current Disney Aspire network offered by universities and education providers, including University of Arizona, University of Central Florida, Valencia College, Brandman University, University of Florida Online, University of Denver, Wilmington University and Bellevue University.

"We are committed to providing our employees every opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams at the workplace and beyond," said Jayne Parker, senior executive vice president and Chief HR Officer, The Walt Disney Company. "We are excited to add Purdue University Global and Southern New Hampshire University to our best-in-class Disney Aspire program, which now offers even more choices for our employees to create the futures they imagine for themselves."

About Disney AspireDisney Aspire is the most comprehensive education investment program of its kind, offering more than 300 degrees and programs at 13 educational institutions nationwide in concert with Guild Education. The Company has committed $150 million to fund Disney Aspire over the first five years of the program and will add up to $25 million more each year after that. Disney Aspire is designed to remove key barriers to enrollment and support working adults in a multitude of ways, including:

Since Disney Aspire's launch in August 2018, more than 12,000 students have actively enrolled in classes and more than 500 have completed programs and graduated.

Purdue Global, part of the Purdue University system, delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of working adults. Southern New Hampshire University was named one of the nation's Best Regional Universities by US News & World Report, ranking as the Most Innovative School in the northern region.

"Disney Aspire continues to lead the way as one of the most comprehensive employee education programs in the country and we are proud that SNHU's workforce-relevant degree programs will now be available to Disney employees and Cast Members," said Paul LeBlanc, university president and CEO, Southern New Hampshire University. "Our collaboration with Disney will expand access to education for thousands of Disney employees and will allow them to further their career and personal ambitions without taking on any debt."

"We are proud to work with Disney, an organization known for its commitment to quality in everything it does," said Dr. Betty Vandenbosch, chancellor of Purdue University Global. "We look forward to supporting Disney employees on their personal path to a degree with a student experience that combines relevant real-world knowledge, learning flexibility and a strong online community."

For more information or to sign up, eligible Disney employees can visit Aspire.Disney.com.

Follow the conversation at #DisneyAspire.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY COMPANYThe Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $69.6 billion in its Fiscal Year 2019.

ABOUT GUILD EDUCATIONGuild Education is on a mission to unlock opportunity for America's workforce through education, with a double bottom-line business model that does well by doing good. Guild partners with leading Fortune 1000 employers to help them provide education benefits to their frontline workforce. To do so, Guild partners with the nation's top universities focused on serving working adults. Through these partnerships, 400,000 working adults have begun exploring their path back to school with Guild. Guild has been named a Fast Company Most Innovative Company, Top Woman-Owned Business of the Year, Employee Initiative of the Year and was one of only three female-led companies listed on the Forbes Cloud 100 2019 List.

CONTACTS:Michelle Bergman The Walt Disney Company michelle.bergman@disney.com

Gregory Ten Eyck Purdue University Global gregory.teneyck@purdueglobal.edu

Lauren Keane Southern New Hampshire University l.keane@snhu.edu

SOURCE Walt Disney Company

http://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

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Disney Aspire Adds Purdue University Global and Southern New Hampshire University to its Network of Educational Providers - PRNewswire

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Only about a quarter of adults in the United States believe that higher education is affordable, according to a new poll.

A Gallup poll asked more than 1,000 adults living in the United States if they believed higher education was available and affordable.

About 27% of U.S. adults report that education beyond high school is affordable -- a rate that is fairly consistent since Gallup began asking this question in 2012.

More than half of U.S. adults (60%) believe higher education is available to anyone in the country who needs it. This percentage has remained consistent since the last time Gallup asked this question in 2015 -- but has declined since its high of 71% in 2011.

Those numbers differ when Gallup analyzed the data based on age. About 46% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 said education beyond high school is available to those who need it -- compared to the 60% or higher among those in older generations.

Only 22% of people ages 18 to 29 said higher education is affordable, compared to 31% of people ages 30 to 49, 23% in the 50 to 64 age bracket and 31% among those ages 65 and older, according to Gallup.

The percentage of U.S. adults reporting higher education is affordable and available has remained stable since Gallup last asked the same questions in 2015, according to Gallup.

This may seem like good news given Americans declining confidence in higher ed -- but perhaps not, given the proliferation of online degree-granting programs and the expansion of degree alternatives such as digital badging and micro-credentialing, Gallup said about the poll. These programs were designed to improve access to education beyond high school for millions of Americans interested in upskilling and reskilling -- unfortunately, public opinion about availability appears stagnant despite these changes.

In May, U.S. News & World Report ranked New York State 15th for the best state for higher education.

The site ranked the best states to receive a higher education by weighing several factors, including: the number of citizens in each state who have college degrees; the time it takes students to complete both two- and four-year college programs; the cost of in-state tuition and fees; the burden of debt of college graduates.

Heres a breakdown of how New York ranked on each individual factor for higher education.

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Is higher education affordable? Heres what one poll found. - SILive.com

HONG KONG, Jan. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (NetDragon or the Company, Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is pleased to announce that Huayu, NetDragons education subsidiary, and National Center for Educational Technology (NCET) signed a cooperation agreement to jointly bolster the development and promotion of virtual experiment teaching system in primary and secondary schools. According to the agreement, with the support of the National Public Service Platform for Educational Resources, the two sides will integrate their respective advantages and build a Virtual Experiment Teaching Service System, in order to improve the quality of experiment teaching and laboratory construction of certain related subjects in primary and secondary schools.

Huayu and NCET will conduct collaborative research and development around experimental resources, software and service systems in this cooperation. The first is the development of a virtual experiment teaching database for primary and secondary schools, which will comprehensively cover supporting experiments including physics, chemistry, biology of junior and senior high schools and science disciplines of primary schools, including experimental videos, 3D interactive courseware, VR simulation interactive courseware, 3D/VR simulation testing and other forms of experiment teaching resources. The second is the development of a virtual experiment teaching software system for primary and secondary schools, including basic and optional software such as experiment teaching systems and experiment testing systems. The third is the development of a supporting service system for virtual experiment teaching for primary and secondary schools, with functions including backstage management, integrated user management, resource management and data analysis. The system will be introduced progressively, based on the development progress of experimental resources. The system will first select some qualified primary and secondary schools for trial, and after successful trial, this system will then be rolled out to primary and secondary schools all over the country.

In recent years, the construction of the virtual laboratory teaching system has received great attention from education departments and schools. In November 2019, the Ministry of Education issued the "Opinion on Strengthening and Improving Experiment Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools", which requires junior high schools to include experiment operations in the academic examinations by 2023. Qualified provinces with sufficient resources can include physics and chemistry experiment operations in senior high school academic exams. The opinion also emphasizes innovative experiment teaching methods. For experiments with results that are difficult to observe or control, and dangerous or destructive experiments, they can be presented with the support of AR and VR technologies. The release of this opinion shows that AR and VR technologies are officially adopted in the field of experiment teaching.

Leveraging on its internet DNA and innovative mindset, NetDragon has taken lead in deploying "VR + Education", and has applied VR technologies to the field of education and become a pioneer in the VR industry. Meanwhile, NetDragon also builds core educational technologies through self-development, investment, mergers and acquisitions, as well as integrating high quality global education resources through cooperation with world-renowned educational institutions, publishers and top-notch universities. The Company hopes to integrate its strengths to improve the level of experiment teaching in primary and secondary schools with modern information technology, in response to the countrys policies and initiatives. At present, NetDragons education business footprint extensively covers over 2 million classrooms in more than 190 countries and regions, benefiting over 100 million users.

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include Chinas number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and Chinas most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China.

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of managements vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the classroom of the future to every school around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.netdragon.com.

About National Center for Educational Technology (NCET) NCET operates directly under the Ministry of Education and focuses on basic education and vocational education. Its main responsibilities include development of multi-media teaching materials, establishment of research, communication and service work on those materials, and the development and construction of educational and teaching resources. Furthermore, NCET trains personnel in modern distance-education engineering projects in primary and secondary schools, organises R&D and experiments of education technologies in schools, information technology education theory and application, development, transformation and promotion of related research results, and the development of various educational technology training work etc. It provides an important foundation to the construction of basic education informatisation.

For investor enquiries, please contact: NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited Ms. Maggie Zhou Senior Director of Investor Relations Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8390 2825 Email: maggie@nd.com.cn Website: ir.netdragon.com

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NetDragon's Huayu and National Center for Educational Technology Collaborate on Virtual Experiment Teaching - GlobeNewswire

One of the unanswered questions of the past decade is how and why (and, perhaps, whether) the levels of stress and anxiety experienced by many have grown so significantly.

This is often discussed in the context of students, who can easily find themselves isolated at just the wrong moment for their mental and sometimes physical well-being.

But it has become clear that something is also happening, or more likely a number of things are happening in combination, to supercharge levels of stress and anxiety among university staff.

It is highly likely that some of this is down to changes to our lives and the world that have nothing to do with the inner workings of higher education.

Our 24/7 digital lives, for example, and the impact of social media and instant communication; the effects of a decade of economic turmoil; social and family pressures as more of us care for both children and elderly, ailing parents; concern about a world facing the existential threats of climate change. You will have your own worries to add to a list that could go on and on.

But it would be too convenient to put all this baggage outside campus walls.

In our news pages this week, we have the latest study pointing to a serious deterioration in the well-being of academics in the UK, which is new only in so far as it benchmarks levels of workplace psychological risk against official standards set by the UKs Health and Safety Executive.

The studys conclusion is that universities are failing staff on almost every measure indeed, the only HSE category in which universities do not fall below the acceptable level is the control that scholars feel they have over their work.

However, even in this area, which has been core to academic life and which is often seen as a pressure valve for the profession, academia is found to have deteriorated over time.

This, for the authors of the study, is a particularly worrying finding, since academics have often told themselves that although your job demands are high, your time control and autonomy are also very high and this has acted as a buffer between job demands and psychological distress.

Anyone who reads Times Higher Education regularly will be aware of the anecdotal evidence to be found almost weekly that supports the findings, and demonstrates that it is a monster with many heads.

The breakdown in collegiate relations is one aspect that is documented regularly in these pages (and the HSE study finds evidence of a significant decline in workplace relationships over time).

Our most-read article in 2019 was a bitingly satirical take on how to get ahead in academia, offering 10 rules for upward toxicity. Universities sing the song of meritocracy but dance to a different tune. In reality, they will do everything to reward and protect their most destructive, abusive and uncooperative faculty, wrote Irina Dumitrescu, professor of English medieval studies at the University of Bonn.

Her experience clearly struck a chord with the tens of thousands of people who read and shared it online.

In another recent opinion piece, a contributor described the decline of their mental health as their employer failed to deal with a bullying manager. Our university boasts of being committed to harmonious working practices, but our bullys boss frequently enabled rather than questioned their behaviour, they wrote. We also found our universitys reporting procedures woefully inadequate, [relying] on mediation. We should, in short, meet with our bully to sort things out.

I mention these because they are the tip of the iceberg. Article pitches along similar lines come in to THE with greater frequency than perhaps any other topic and far more than they once did.

Managers may dismiss some of the complaints as unfair some no doubt are and will have their own views about issues of fierce dispute, such as the ongoing question of pay and pensions. It is also undoubtedly the case that universities are not a homogeneous lump, nor are managers or leaders.

But the evidence that all is not well in the state of academia mounts up and is not going to disappear simply by waiting for people to get used to the new normal, or for some notional old guard to move on.

john.gill@timeshighereducation.com

See the article here:
Monster with many heads - Times Higher Education (THE)

Behavioral-biometrics company TypingDNA announces that it raised a $7 million Series A round led by Gradient Ventures, Googles AI-focused venture fund. Other participants include EU-based fund GapMinder, Techstars Ventures and other prior investors.

TypingDNA has developed proprietary artificial intelligence algorithms to authenticate users based on how they type. Through a simple training process of watching user keystrokes, TypingDNA can recognize further attempts from a specific user by matching them against their known account.

This technology, known as typing biometrics, will enable existing applications such as authentication, fraud detection, password recovery, and online education assessment to fingerprint users more securely than traditional forms of two-factor authentication.

Advancing the research and distribution of typing biometrics is of global importance. Keyboards are incorporated in almost any device today, making typing behavior the most widely available user biometric. This round of funding will allow us to further our mission to provide user-friendly, non-intrusive biometrics and increased security to people around the world, said Raul Popa, CEO and Co-founder at TypingDNA.

TypingDNAs Authentication API accepts user keystrokes in a standardized and open-sourced format allowing simple and easy integration into any desktop or mobile application.

Developers can implement TypingDNAs API as a passive two-factor authentication option, password recovery method, or simply to ensure inputs are matched to a given user. TypingDNAs mobile developer SDK also currently supports the latest version of iOS and Android applications.

TypingDNA is currently ACE compliant for verifying students online, and European Banking Authority considers typing biometrics to be compliant for SCA regulation (2FA in banking and payments in EU), as a consequence the company is experiencing great demand from the industry.

TypingDNA plans to use this new investment to expand its developer support network and offer more tools to integrate their API with existing website development platforms.

Were excited about TypingDNAs developer-first approach to enable people to authenticate securely based on how they type, said Darian Shirazi, General Partner at Gradient Ventures.

With global regulation impacting face-recognition-based authentication and hackers targeting SMS-based two-factor authentication, typing biometrics is the best form of identifying people without compromising privacy or security.

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TypingDNA raises $7 million to advance the research and distribution of typing biometrics - Help Net Security