Grantham Wins Job Development Award

On December 8th, Grantham University was honored with a Job Development Award at the Platte County Economic Development Council’s annual luncheon, themed “Making our Mark.”

Over 370 people were in attendance for the presentation of the 2006 Community Business of the Year Award and the 2006 Job Development Awards.

Grantham University staff including: Joseph McHale, Criminal Justice Program Director; George Colon, Director of Student Progress; Michael Hooker, Admissions Support Trainer; Greg Garcia, Academic Dean; Joseph McGrath, Executive Vice President; Jerome Wilson, Director of Human Resources; Tatiana Castro, Human Resources; and DeAnn Wandler, Director of Admissions were on hand to accept the award and thank the Economic Development Council. Other winners of the Job Development Award were: the Eleven Five Hundred Building, MacDon, Tuileries Plaza and Weber Inc. Each company honored at the luncheon made a major investment in the Platte County community.

Celebrating 56 Years of Changing Lives

On January 2nd, Grantham University turned 56 years old. For over five decades, Grantham has been helping adult students change their lives and achieve their educational dreams.

Grantham University Partners with the Defense Acquisition University

This month, Grantham University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to accept educational credit earned through successful completion of DAU courses and programs as transfer or elective credit at Grantham University. This agreement allows DAU graduates to apply transfer credits from 63 different courses toward an undergraduate or graduate degree at Grantham.

“We’re extremely proud to partner with DAU,” said Tom Macon, chairman of Grantham University. “Grantham University has always been committed to providing a high quality education for working adults, and our partnership with DAU will provide their graduates with the opportunity to continue the education they have already started.”

The Defense Acquisition University, established in 1991, oversees acquisition training for 135,000 civilian and military employees. It provides professional development for the Federal Acquisition Technology and Logistics (AT&L) workforce within the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. DAU’s strategic partners include defense contracting industries, professional associations, government institutions (such as DISA, DLA and FAI), federal agencies, and colleges and universities that meet the needs of federal AT&L career fields.

Dr. Sutter Featured on PMI Panel

On December 19, 2006, the Project Management Institute – DC Chapter, hosted a panel discussion on the “Federal Acquisition Workforce Policy and Its Implications for the Project Management Community” at the Sheraton Hotel in Tysons Corner, VA. The panelists included: Dr. Gary Sutter, Provost of Grantham University; Karen A. Pica, Director of the Federal Acquisition Institute; and Scott Wortman, Director of the GoLearn Program of the Office of Personnel Management.

Dr. Sutter spoke about the benefits of acquisition management curriculum in higher education as well as Grantham’s upcoming Master’s degree in Acquisition Management.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a pioneer in the field of project management policy and training. Its membership represents a truly global community with more than 200,000 professionals, representing 125 countries. PMI professionals come from virtually every major industry including, aerospace, automotive, business management, construction, engineering, financial services, information technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and telecommunications. Currently there are over 250 chartered chapters. Chapters advance the mission and objectives of PMI by promoting professional standards and practices. Ongoing professional development is a key benefit to membership and is supported at the chapter level through activities, meetings, and educational programs.

Grantham University is a member of the PMI DC Chapter and actively participates in its local programs and initiatives.

Federally Employed Women offers Full Scholarship

The Federally Employed Women (FEW) Foundation for Education and Training is now accepting applications for one four-year scholarship in the science and technology career fields with Grantham University. The full scholarship includes tuition and the cost of required textbooks and software.

The FEW Foundation’s Scholarship Program was established to assist members of Federally Employed Women (FEW) and their immediate families who are looking to further their academic goals. FEW recognizes the value of a quality education and is committed to assisting members and their families in reaching their goals. While the intent of the Foundation is to award the full four-year scholarship to one individual, the Foundation reserves the right to divide the scholarship if it determines that it may better meet the needs of the individual(s) applying for the scholarship.

To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a member of FEW in good standing and demonstrate your participation with FEW for three years or more or be an immediate family member (spouse or dependent child) of same
• Complete an essay on the topic “Why I Should be Awarded a FEW Foundation Scholarship?” This essay should be no longer than two double-space pages and should speak to your goals and your interest in a field of study within the science and technology fields
• Submit three letters of recommendation, preferably from a Chapter President, Regional Manager, Community Leader, and/or Supervisor
• Have had a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in college/high school. Must maintain 3.0 GPA
• Submit a copy of all recorded grades: high school or college transcripts
• Mail one copy of the application form and other documentation to each member of the Scholarship Committee

Applications must be postmarked by March 19, 2007. Scholarship recipient(s) will be notified by May 1, 2007. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Download an Application.

Student Spotlight – PO2 Charles Clark

After six years in the Coast Guard, Petty Officer Second Class Charles Clark is scheduled to leave active duty service in May 2007. After his departure, he plans to apply for a direct commission in the Coast Guard Reserve and work as a civilian in law enforcement for the federal government. Those two career options wouldn’t be possible for PO2 Clark without his college degree. “I wanted a degree for the advancement opportunities it allows in the service, and the opportunities available in the civilian sector,” said PO2 Clark.

So, he started planning early, while he could take advantage of the military’s tuition assistance program. He enrolled at Grantham, and is using the Military Scholarship program; which when combined with his military tuition assistance, results in no out of pocket expenses. PO2 Clark chose Grantham because it is flexible, self-paced and geared toward service members, especially those who deploy frequently. “Not all distance learning is the same; some have required log-in times and others require you to have coursework submitted on a certain date,” adds PO2 Clark. “This is fine, unless you are deployed for a couple of weeks and just can’t do it.”

He is looking forward to graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice this month.

Grantham’s Student Holiday Party

On December 6th, 2006, students in the DC Metro area celebrated in style at Grantham University’s Holiday Party. Dr. Larry Phillips, an Aeronautical Engineer for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center and President of Blacks in Government Region XI, volunteered his time to speak about the importance of earning a college degree and being a life-long learner.

Everyone had a lot of fun networking, talking about classes and learning more about each other. Despite the traffic over 40 Grantham students, family members and guests attended. The Holiday Party wrapped up the Student Social gatherings for 2006.

Grantham’s Student Social Events are a great forum for you to meet one another, sign up for study partners, share experiences and let us know how we can better serve you. Keep your eyes peeled for Student Socials in 2007!

Your New Year’s Resolution Could Equal More Money and Better Career Opportunities

Each year, getting a better education falls within the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions. For those of you who have already made the commitment to earn your college degree, there is some great news for you. This fall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a study focused on job outlook by level of education attained. The study evaluated job opportunities by education level and highlighted occupations that are expected to be in demand.

While it is important to have a career that you love, it is also important to understand the overall job market and where the demand is for college graduates. For the last few years, the job outlook for college graduates has been great.

Key Points from the Study

• Between 2004 and 2014, about 55 million job openings will be filled, with 15 million of them going to someone with some college experience or an associate degree, and 14 million filled by those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• More and more people are returning to college to earn a degree. The number of people aged 25 and older who have a college degree increased from 37 million to 54 million between 1994 and 2006.
• In 2005, those workers with a bachelor’s degree earned $354 more per week than a high school graduate. Over the course of one year, that equates to an extra $18,000. In addition, these increased earnings are a long-term trend. The wages of college-educated workers have been rising faster than the earnings of other workers.
• Data consistently shows that, on average, college graduates earn more money, have less unemployment, and have more career options.
• Occupations with the most openings for college graduates are: general and operations managers, sales representatives, computer systems analysts, network systems and data communications analysts, and police and sheriff’s patrol officers, just to name a few.
• Career fields that show promise are: business, computers, engineering, education, sales and healthcare.

Making the decision to further your education was the right one. This New Year’s, make it a resolution to stay on top of your classes so you can graduate and reap the benefits that come from earning a college degree.

To view the complete study, please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics and search for Job Outlook by Education, 2004-2014.

Network, Get Career Advice and Search for Jobs with the Click of a Button

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