If you haven’t received your economic stimulus rebate check yet, I’m sure you will soon.

As you know, the government’s aim is to give consumer spending an extra nudge and jump-start the sagging economy. However, according to a recent survey, 45% of respondents said they plan to pay bills, 21% will use it for necessities such as gas and groceries and 18% will invest it.

Will you spend it, save it, or pay down existing debt?

Tammy Kassner

        

 
As we approach Mother's Day this weekend, I've been spending some time thinking about my mom. What a beautiful and wonderful person she is.

I will always remember the day I received my master's degree and the smile on her face. As a parent myself, I can appreciate how proud I made her. I could never have done it without her love, support and guidance over all those years.

Then I started thinking about my wife and mother of my children. I think about the sacrifices she made as I devoted hours of my free time to my studies. She altered her life to support me as I spent those long and lonely hours working through my economic modeling courses. To be honest - although she doesn’t know it - she is my inspiration; she gives me a reason to want to be the best I can be.

On this Mother’s Day, I say 'Thank you' to both my wife and my mom – how blessed I am to have both of you in my life.

Happy Mother's Day!

Don Kassner

        

From time to time, AJU gets a call from a graduate who's checking in. We recently heard from former AJU student Walter Graves - an MBA graduate from 2004 - and I wanted to share with you his experiences after he received his degree from AJU:

“Andrew Jackson University was a perfect fit for my life style,” said Walter. “Being in the military full time (Combat Arms Tank Unit) and trying to pursue an education was extremely difficult. However, AJU allowed me to take classes wherever I went.”

“This degree has held up extremely well in the military arena and also in my personal life. It helped me obtain my military goal of becoming an Equal Opportunity Advisor and has also allowed me to become Adjunct Instructor at two colleges. I worked for Central Texas College (Asian Division) while stationed in Korea for 18 months and I work for Elizabethtown Community & Technical College at the present time.”

In the future, Walter plans to retire from the military and become a civilian Equal Opportunity and Diversity manager.

When we asked him for advice for new and current AJU students, Graves had this to say:

“Hold on to your dreams, and become passionate about your education. AJU can make those dreams come true.”

Thanks to Walter Graves for his great comments. AJU is just as proud of him as he is of us!

Jarrod Morgan

        

AJU has many students who are connected to the military in one way or another.  To say 'thank you' for the accomplishments and sacrifices of our military students and/or their family members and friends, we decided to give back...not only to them, but to their spouses and dependants...by creating our Military Spouse Scholarship program.

Not only did we create our New Center for Military Spouses, but we did the research to find out which certificate and/or degree programs the spouses are interested in pursuing careers in.  

To check out AJU's New Center for Military Spouses, click HERE. Take a look at the website and let us know what you think.  Also, if you have questions about the scholarship or degree/certificate programs we have put together, call us at 1-800-429-9300. 

Have a great week!

Andrea Pierson

        

Since AJU started offering online proctoring via webcam in January, about 10% of AJU students have signed up. Most students who've tried it have found it easier, because they have only to worry about their own schedule and not the schedule of a proctor (or the possible headaches of traffic and a strange computer). I think it's great because I have the opportunity to greet our students face-to-face while administering the exam - even if it is only for a short while.

The online proctoring program costs $30 to get started; this includes a webcam and the cost of the first two exams. After the set-up fee, exams cost $15 each (and will never exceed $30 per course). I'm looking forward to seeing more AJU students give web proctoring a try; click HERE to visit the Student Handbook and download the setup form. If you have questions, please call me and we can talk more about the program.   

Mention code AAF on your web proctoring setup form and receive a $10 discount!                                         This offer expires July 1, 2008.

Amanda Findlay
205-503-5345

        

Sheila Stephens, a member of AJU's criminal justice faculty, recently wrote a very informative post at leelofland.com. It breaks down the technological innovations that have improved investigator's ability to conduct surveillance. The post reads like something out of a spy novel as it explains the different types of hidden cameras available to today's law enforcement community.

For those who don't know Sheila, she was the first female Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) special agent in the state of Alabama and one of the first in the nation. She teaches several criminal justice and investigation courses here at AJU.

To read Sheila's post, visit: http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/?p=580

-Jarrod Morgan

        

As we in admissions have been saying all along, distance learning is becoming increasingly accepted by employers, as recently suggested in a national survey. What the survey found is 83% of CEOs and small business owners who are familiar with distance learning believe that online degrees are as credible as those earned on a college campus. More than two-thirds of all US colleges and universities offer online courses. About 35% of schools, including us, offer degree and certificate programs that are 100% online. About 61% of the 1,500 CEOs surveyed were familiar with distance learning. About 50% said they would give more weight to a job candidate’s work experience; 46% said they consider experience and education equally when hiring. So when you ask, “will my degree be recognized by my current employer or my future employer?” The answer is a resounding yes! So what are you waiting for? Let’s get you started today!

-Tammy Kassner

        

I was thinking about our motto and what it really means. The world is changing everyday. Things are moving faster and faster. When I came to Andrew Jackson University in 2005, we were delivering “Education to your doorstep.” We were a correspondence college and everything was paper-based. My first year at AJU was focused on converting course materials to online delivery. During that process, I realized that we were way behind the times. Merely being online is not enough. Today’s technology is truly mobile….heck, I have the ability to travel without my laptop and be on top of all of communication via my handheld…yes, a Blackberry (or crackberry as my son so often points out….).

After further consideration, we realized that, to offer leading, top quality programs, we want to be where our students are, we want to be mobile…not just online. We are a mobile school not just an online school. While the technology is not perfected yet, try accessing your course through your handheld device (if it has mobile internet capability). You can view your course, assignments, and even submit some things through your handheld. Pretty cool stuff…mobile education!

Happy studying,

Don

        

   Hey AJU students and potential students!  I just wanted to take some time and introduce myself as your student services rep here at Andrew Jackson University.   My name is Andrea Pierson and I have been with AJU for almost a year now.   If you have any questions about courses or need any assistance with things such as retaking an exam, requesting to take an exam, Academic Extensions and Leave of Absences, please feel free to email me at studentservices@aju.edu or you can also get me by phone at 800/429-9300 ext. 103. 

Along with being a part of the student services department, I also work very closely with some military bases around the states in the effort to help spread the word about our New Center for Military Spouses at AJU.  This is something that we have just recently launched and are super excited about!  The concept of the center will help spouses further/finish their degrees.  We did a lot of research and found that the spouses were interested in a lot of the same programs and certificate specifications, so we decided to cater to wants and needs by creating programs and certificates that will help benefit the spouses and their families whether or not their  significant other was deployed.  For more information on the programs, certificates, and scholarships we offer to the military spouses, please visit http://www.aju.edu/partner/index.aspx?id=22.   

For the latest and greatest on updates on military spouses and student services information, please check out the blog every Wednesday for more information!

        

Welcome to the newest addition to our website: the AJU Blog!  Here you will find the latest updates and news directly from staff members, faculty and even some of AJU’s students.  In these blogs, you will find not only pertinent information regarding Andrew Jackson University, but you will also see a personal and light-hearted side of the university.  To start off our blog, I want to share some thoughts I recently had concerning education and how AJU can improve our students’ experience.  This blog will be continuously updated, so keep checking with us to stay informed about AJU and subjects that matter to you!

            I just returned to Birmingham from the Distance Education and Training Council's (DETC) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, where I had the distinct pleasure of awarding the 2007 DETC Outstanding Graduate to Richard (Rick) Francis.  Rick completed his Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice at Andrew Jackson University in late 2007.  

             Rick is employed with a sheriff's department in Florida.  He has received numerous awards including the State of Florida's Officer of the Year and the Florida Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.  While he has a impressive history of high achievement, he is even more impressive as a person.   When we reviewed the applications for the DETC Outstanding Graduate Award, we had many stellar candidates to choose from.   Overall, Rick's total body of work, including his commitment to his community, made the difference.  I didn't have the opportunity to meet Rick until the night before I presented him the award and I can tell you, as impressive as he is on paper, he is much more impressive in person!  We at Andrew Jackson University are extremely proud and honored to count Rick as one of our distinguished alumni.

            Switching gears a bit: while on the flight home from Boston, it occurred to me that Andrew Jackson University should do more to celebrate our graduates and their accomplishments.  Therefore, I am pleased to announce I have put together a graduation committee and have tasked them with planning and implementing an annual graduation ceremony.  I personally invite you to send your ideas to the committee by sending an email to gradcommittee@aju.edu.  Look for more details in the coming months.

 
Happy Studying!


Don Kassner
President