By Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth
Program Director, Government Contracts and Acquisition at American Public University
What would you tell your mom, or even the waitress serving you lunch, about what you like about being an online student?
One student, we will call Elizabeth, says, “I enjoy the collaboration and interaction with the other students. It is amazing to me how students build such a strong connection with each other in an online environment. When I first started the program I never imagined the program would be so rewarding and filled with challenges and rigor in the coursework. \It may be an online program but the rigor and level of critical and analytically thinking is necessary just as it is in a traditional classroom.”
We could say that online education allows us to eliminate borders and connect students, faculty, and staff from around the world in one place for one common purpose. We could say our professors are experts in their field that bring the real-world to the classroom. They have the academic credentials and are professionals, which makes for an exciting and enjoyable classroom.
Is that enough?
To truly understand what online education is about, look to the APUS mission.
To provide quality higher education with emphasis on educating the nation’s military and public service communities by offering respected, relevant, accessible and affordable, and student-focused online programs, which prepare them for service and leadership in a diverse, global society.
The mission summarizes the full potential of attending American Public University. To get the most from your online education — and to answer questions your mom or the occasional waitress might have — understand and live the mission.
About the Author
Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth is the program director for Government Contracts and Acquisition at American Public University (APU). He is the former program director of Reverse Logistics Management and Transportation and Logistics Management. Prior to joining APU, Dr. Hedgepeth was a tenured associate professor of Logistics and chair of the Logistics Department at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His book, RFID Metrics, was published in 2007 by CRC Press and is in revision.
Comments are closed.