WSU Online launches psych degree

     Washington State University is expanding its online degree program this fall with a new bachelor of science in psychology. 
     "We foresee a considerable demand,” said Professor Rebecca Craft, right, chair of the psychology department. "Not only does this fulfill the land-grant mission of reaching out to students across the state, nation and world, but we also expect a lot of interest from on-campus students with scheduling issues.”
     WSU Online receives many inquiries regarding a psychology degree, said Communications Coordinator Vicki Schulhauser, who fields requests from prospective online students. "There’s a lot of interest,” she said. "Until now, the closest students could get to a psychology degree was to choose psychology as a concentration area and earn a degree in social sciences.” More...     WSU’s psychology degree offers a comprehensive understanding of basic psychology and knowledge of scientific methods. The degree is also excellent preliminary preparation for graduate work in psychology, social work, education, law, medicine and business.
     The U.S. Dept. of Labor Statistics projects the employment outlook for psychologists to grow faster than average, by 22 percent from 2010-2012. Previous graduates of WSU’s psychology program have found employment in such professions as health and human services, business, management, research and development, and sales, as well as in administrative positions.
     The new degree will appeal to military members and veterans, said Judy Monhollen, a 2003 WSU Online graduate who counseled troops and family members as a Family Readiness Support Assistant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
     "I've talked to so many people who expressed interest in studying psychology,” she said, "due to the mental strains placed on soldiers because of deployment and their opportunity to witness the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder firsthand.”
     The deadline to apply for fall semester is July 13, and all transcripts must be sent by July 27.

‘Army brat’: WSU Online means quality

Judy and Paul Monhollen. “There’s just something about being a Coug that you can’t match at any other university!” Judy said.

     She calls herself an “Army brat.” On the Internet, she goes by “wsuarmywife.” Her father was a soldier, she’s married to a soldier, and she was born at Fort Lewis.
     It’s safe to say that Judy Monhollen knows a lot about life in the U.S. Army. She shared that knowledge as a family readiness support assistant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash.
     “Because I was a person outside the soldiers’ chain of command that they could just talk to, we often talked about their goals in life,” she said. “Many expressed a desire to complete a degree, and most wanted to do it before they got out of the military to set them up for success in civilian life.”
     Judy understands the difficulties of earning a diploma while balancing work and family obligations.
     In 2002, she was finishing up her history degree at WSU Pullman when her younger brother was killed in a car accident. He was 18. The crash was two weeks before his high school graduation. More...     “It became increasingly difficult to concentrate on school,” Judy said. “I moved back home because I needed to be around my family in Western Washington to work through my brother’s death.”
     In 2007, she married Paul Monhollen, who did two tours in Iraq and is now a staff sergeant assigned to HHC, 4^th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2^nd Infantry Division. The couple is expecting their first child in September.
     After getting married, Judy decided to finish her history degree. She enrolled in WSU Online and graduated in December of that year. She looked back on that experience when soldiers wanted to talk about earning their degrees.
     “I told them that, for me, WSU Online was the best of both worlds. Professors and Ph.D. candidates who are teaching at the physical university are also teaching the online courses, so you get world-class minds teaching your classes. In addition, you’ll be receiving an education from a Pac-12 school, which truly means quality.”
     Some were swayed by her reasoning, she said, and others got swept up by her enthusiasm.
     “They knew what a big WSU football fan I was, so they caught on to the Coug experience, especially around the Apple Cup,” Judy said. “There’s just something about being a Coug that you can’t match at any other university!”

By Richard H. Miller/WSU Online

Grad photos now on Facebook

If you haven’t checked out our Facebook page, now’s a great time. We’ve posted photos from our two spring graduation parties, including our first Seattle event. Congratulation to all our amazing graduates!

New Global Campus includes WSU Online

WSU President Elson S. Floyd makes announcement in today’s Perspectives column.

Grad starts first endowed scholarship

Nancy Krook is one of WSU’s first distance graduates.
Only a rare Seattle blizzard could delay her from becoming a Cougar. And not for long.
     Leaving Washington State University Pullman to follow her husband to the West Side was a mere hiccup. Nancy Krook took classes at Skagit Valley College, then enrolled at Western Washington University.
     The 30-mile drive to Western didn’t deter her. Neither did having courses at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.  Neither did raising two small daughters. She even convinced the administration to let her apply her credits toward a WSU diploma.
     “Nancy was determined and stubborn—some say from her Norwegian heritage—so we set up baby-sitting and arrangements,” said her husband, Frank Krook, “and I arranged my schedule so we could undertake the challenge together.” 
     But that was 1969, Seattle’s snowiest year ever. A series of blizzards dropped a total of 67.5 inches of snow on the region. During one snowstorm, Nancy’s car broke down on a bad stretch of Interstate 5 near Lake Samish. She tried to flag someone down. No one would help. She got out, began to walk on the icy shoulder through the wind-whipped snow. The editor of the local newspaper stopped and gave her a ride—along with a lecture about the perils of walking beside the freeway. More...      The Cougar plan was put on hold, but not forgotten. In 1993, Frank was on the WSU alumni board and attended a meeting on WSU’s new “Extended Degree Program.” He asked the presenter to check Nancy’s eligibility. He didn’t tell Nancy. A few months later, the phone rang.
     “Unbeknownst to be me, my husband had signed me up for information on the new program in social sciences,” Nancy said, “and thus began my pursuit of a much-coveted WSU diploma.”
     The Extended Degree Program involved watching videotapes, a far cry from the interactive experience of today’s WSU Online. But the quality of the faculty made up for the low-tech delivery method.
     “The professors were outstanding and extremely interesting, which motivated me to finish the 18 required credits and graduate with the first class of 1994,” Nancy said.
     Both Frank and Nancy work in real estate, and are active in the Coug Nation. Frank was director of the Skagit, Island, and Whatcom counties district of the alumni association for two terms and, in 1999-2000, served as president of the Washington State University Alumni Association. Nancy serves on the Alumni Association advisory board.
     “Nancy knows what a special feeling exists among Cougars and alumni of Washington State University,” Frank said. “And, because Nancy was one of the first graduates of the program, we felt that we should be the first to endow a scholarship to assist future students.”
     In 2011, the Krooks created the Nancy and Frank Krook Scholarship, a $25,000 endowment that supports an annual $1,000 scholarship.
     Brian Gass of Bellingham, Wash., received the first $1,000 scholarship this spring. Gass works setting up oil exploration equipment on ships. When he’s not at sea, he volunteers in his children’s elementary school, and has helped the Lummi Tribe manage grant money. His goal is to become a CPA.
     “I have three children and a wife with multiple sclerosis, so this scholarship was a godsend,” he said. “It will allow me to graduate a semester earlier.”
     Nearly 20 years ago, in Nancy’s last WSU term paper, she wrote that someday she’d find a way to give back to the distance program.
     “We are thrilled now to offer a scholarship that helps further someone’s education and career,” Nancy said. “WSU’s program opened the door for me to finish my WSU educational career.  Without it, I would not have been able to accomplish that dream.”

     To help a WSU student, please visit WSU’s Campaign Page.
     For information about applying for the Nancy and Frank Krook Scholarship, please contact Deanna Hamilton, 509-335-5454.

Another accolade for WSU Online

Washington State University Online’s bachelor’s degree in criminal justice has been ranked in the nation’s top 10 by the SuperScholar website.

SuperScholar cited WSU’s "outstanding academic reputation” and noted that graduates of the online program receive the same degree as traditional WSU students.

"Washington State has the second-oldest criminal justice program in the nation, founded in 1945, and that long tradition continues with its online degrees,” SuperScholar said in announcing the seventh-place ranking. "Washington State’s faculty consult with and aid law enforcement professionals and bring real-world expertise to their instruction.”

Only regionally accredited colleges and universities listed in the National Center for Education Statistics database were eligible for the rankings. Programs were ranked based on market reputation, academic quality, student satisfaction and cost, SuperScholar said.

The accolade follows several other top-10 rankings:

• Earlier this month, SuperScholar ranked WSU’s online bachelor’s degree in business ninth in the nation, saying the university’s online business degree programs "are among the best in the world.”

• In January, U.S. News & World Report ranked WSU Online sixth for student services.

• In the same rankings, WSU’s online MBA program was ranked first in admissions selectivity and third in student engagement and accreditation.

• Also in January, the 2012 Guide to Online Schools ranked WSU Online sixth for supporting the military.

• In Dec. 2011, the SuperScholar website ranked WSU Online fourth among the nation’s top five online degree programs.

Sport Management master's set for fall

Applications for fall admission will be accepted until June 1. Later applications will be considered for January 2013 admission. Here's the story in WSU News.

New course: Philosophy in Film

If Rick chooses love, he’ll be helping the Nazis.(“Casablanca.”) If Cypher chooses pleasure, his life will be an illusion. (“The Matrix.”)
     WSU Philosophy Professor Joseph K. Campbell uses a dozen of these cinematic quandaries to create “thought experiments” in his Philosophy in Film course. Campbell is interim director of WSU’s School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs. He created the course in 1998 because students can be resistant to reading.
     “But they do have a pretty good background in films—as opposed to philosophy books, and books in general,” he said. “I thought they’ll watch the movies, then we’ll have a common text.”
     Campbell is now re-creating Philosophy in Film as a six-week online course for summer semester. It will be his first time teaching online, and he was hesitant. More...      “I’m very old-school, a traditionalist in a lot of ways,” he said. Then he ran into an old friend, a philosophy instructor who often teaches online.
     “The fact that he was enthusiastic about online teaching made me feel more at ease,” Campbell said. Campbell also realized working with WSU Online would help him learn technological skills he can apply to on-campus courses.
     “I’ve always enjoyed teaching,” he said, and pointed at the WSU Marian E. Smith Faculty Achievement Award on his office wall. “But I haven’t utilized the technological resources of the classroom as well as I could. The more I can learn about it, the better.”
     Campbell earned his 1983 B.A. in philosophy from Rutgers University—ignoring friends who worried about his job prospects—and his master’s and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Arizona.
     Despite his friends’ concerns, Campbell went on to build a solid academic career. He taught at Kent State and Boise State, and has been at WSU since 1996. He helped create WSU’s film studies minor. He’s served on dozens of WSU panels and committees, as well as the boards of the Moscow (Idaho) Civic Association and the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow.
     But what if there are students who don’t want to become professors. Why should they study philosophy?
     Campbell pointed out that philosophy develops a powerful combination of writing skills and quantitative skills, like logic and reasoning. He mentioned that philosophy majors earn top scores on graduate exams, such as the LSAT and the GMAT. And, he said, philosophy just plain makes you smarter.
     “Once you can think about the philosophy of time,” he said, “thinking about everything else is a lot easier.”

By Richard H. Miller/WSU Online

Missiles are tough; being a dad is tougher

     "I can’t go into too much detail,” he says.
     “Nuclear warheads?”
     “We don’t talk about that.” He tilts his head back and slightly to the side. His eyes slant bright behind rimless glasses.
     “It’s on Wikipedia.”
     Andrew Zander smiles, says nothing.
     “Tell me about a typical day at work.”
     “We have an explosives handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap. The submarine pulls up inside. A huge crane takes the missiles on and off the sub. I watch the sailors and make sure they don’t make any mistakes.”
     “Mistakes? Doing what?”
     “The maintenance is often with the warheads. Certain components require replacement because they have a half-life.”
     “A half-life?”
     “Yes.”
     Zander smiles again, says nothing. A WSU Online student walks by, heading toward the banquet room at the Tacoma Marriot. She holds a baby in her arms. The baby has a crimson and gray cap. The student is wearing blue jeans, and a red CyberCoug T-shirt over white thermal long underwear.
     “Oh. I see. So how did you get this job?” More...     “I enlisted in the Navy as a missile technician. I was doing patrols on submarines for eight years, then I worked for Lockheed Martin doing maintenance on ordnance, then got a government quality assurance job. So now I watch the handling and servicing of the missiles. They’re the Trident II D5.”
     I’d heard of Zander before: Lives in Silverdale, Wash. Used to be president of the online student government. Left WSU Online in 2008 because of a sick baby. Re-enrolled in 2011. When I found out he would be at the March 24 Tacoma Rendezvous, I arranged a meeting.
     I ask about the baby.
     Maya was born with tracheoesophageal fistula, Zander says.
     “Her esophagus didn’t connect to her stomach. It formed a pocket. When we tried to feed her, she’d spit it up. And the pipe coming up from her stomach actually connected to her trachea, so stomach acid was going into her lungs.”
     After a feverish morning of worry, panic and despair, Maya was operated on at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Fort Lewis-McChord.
     “Everything is connected right now,” Zander says. “Except for some scar tissue that causes her to choke if she takes too big of a bite of food.”
     Maya is 4 now, and says cute things that Zander posts on Facebook: “Look at my toes, they're magic,” she said recently. And once, when they got lost, Maya meant to say, “We need GPS.” Instead she said, “We need CPS.”
     I ask Zander what I always ask students. Why did you choose WSU’s online degree program?
     “Credibility,” he says, and stops. I wait for more. He says, “Who in Washington state hasn’t heard about WSU?”
     And why major in social sciences with an emphasis in developmental psychology?
     “Mainly so I can be a better father,” he says. “I grew up without a father so I never had any sort of positive role model to emulate. So the next best thing was to figure out how people learn and develop.”
     “And that actually works with Maya?”
     “I’ve never had to rely on physical discipline,” he says. “I’ve always been able to just reason with her. Using reasoning and talking calmly seems to avert a lot of child meltdowns.”
     I can’t help but ask: “Does that help when you argue with your wife?”
     He laughs. “A little bit. As we’re having an argument, she’ll say, ‘You’re so cold and aloof.’ No, I’m just rationally thinking things out.”
     Rationality, I say, is a good quality in someone who deals with missile warheads. Especially the kind of warheads that have a half-life.
     He says nothing. Just tilts his head and peers down through his glasses and smiles.

--By Richard H. Miller/WSU Online

WSU launches new online sessions

David Cillay: “These options let students earn their degrees faster and more efficiently.”

     Washington State University is launching several new online options to help students accelerate their educations.
     The Intersession allows students to earn three credits in three weeks, and runs July 28-Aug. 19, between summer and fall semester.
     Two new six-week online sessions will be offered during summer semester, in addition to the regular 12-week courses. The sessions run from May 7-June 15, and June 18-July 27. About 40 six-week courses will be offered.
     “These options let students earn their degrees faster and more efficiently,” said David Cillay, assistant vice provost and executive director of the Center for Distance and Professional Education, which includes WSU Online. “It’s important that we provide flexibility for those whose lives don’t fit into a traditional academic schedule.” More...     The new sessions are open to both on-campus and online students. Priority registration for the sessions opens April 9. Summer registration is available in zzusis. Registration for the new Intersession is at intersession.wsu.edu.
     WSU’s first launch of an accelerated online session came in December 2010, when the University piloted a three-week online Winter Session. The popularity of that session led to its expansion in 2011.
     “Delivering courses over the Internet removes geographic barriers,” Cillay said. “Expanding beyond season-based semesters removes scheduling obstacles—and both help fulfill our land grant mission of increasing access to a WSU education.”

Tacoma photos now on Facebook

Our photo booth pictures are now available on our Facebook page. If you're in a picture and want to share it with your Facebook friends, just tag yourself.

A full menu at Tacoma Rendezvous

There was a box of teddy bears for a Pierce County food bank. A resource fair. A long table full of food with a carving station at the end. And, just outside the hotel banquet room, a photo booth where visitors had a great time striking poses to dance music as they were egged on by the irrepressible Butch T. Cougar.

Nearly 100 students, family members, and WSU Online staffers gathered Saturday for the annual Tacoma Rendezvous at the Marriott hotel. Some students discovered they were sitting next to a classmate. Others met their academic consultant for the first time or swapped tips about raising teenagers or networked about career opportunities.

If you live on the West Side and missed this fun event, please come next year. If you’ll have already graduated by then, don’t worry. We’re planning several graduation parties, including our first party in Seattle.

Select this link for a list of upcoming events, and we hope to see you at the next one.