Graduation For Online Students - American InterContinental University

FALL / WINTER 2008
Graduation for
Online Students
CONTENT
2
From the Desk of the
Alumni Association
AIU Hosts Physical
Graduation for
Online Students
AIU Online Distinguished
Alumni Award Recipients
News From You!
2008 Virtual
Commencement Speaker
AIU Alumni Newsletter is a
publication of AIU Online
AIU Online
5550 Prairie Stone Parkway, Suite 400
Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192
Editor: Betsy Balachandran,
Director of Career Services
Submit story ideas and comments to:
bbalachandran @ aiuonline.edu
Visit our website at: www.aiuonline.edu/alumni
© 2008 All rights reserved. Printed in USA
CEC2233521 45-19103P 10/08
FROM THE DESK OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Greetings and welcome to the Fall/Winter
issue of the AIU Online Alumni
Newsletter. The Alumni Affairs Board has
been working diligently on several
exciting projects this past year, from the
Distinguished Alumnus guests to the
first-ever AIU Online physical graduation
ceremony. We also wanted to share some
areas for YOU to participate in with your
fellow alumni from AIU Online.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Do you have unique professional and
personal accomplishments as a result of
earning your degree from AIU? You can
share your success and submit an
application for the AIU Online
Distinguished Alumni Award. Twice a
year, an AIU Online Distinguished
Alumnus is selected to receive the
prestigious award. To be considered,
summarize in your online application how
receiving a degree from AIU Online has
enabled you to improve both personally
and professionally, and how your
education has allowed you to impact the
lives of others in your community.
Submissions should include a current
résumé and letter of recommendation
along with the application. The award
recipient will be flown for an all-expense
paid trip* to Hoffman Estates, Illinois (AIU
Online’s home office) to receive the award
from University leadership. To complete
your application, please visit
www.aiuonline.com/alumni.
*Covers coach-class travel, hotel accommodations for
two nights, and meals for the graduate and one guest.
Student Ambassador Program
As a successful graduate of AIU Online,
you have the opportunity to share your
experiences with prospective AIU Online
students about what it's like to attend the
university. Many students considering
enrollment would like to hear directly
from a graduate why you chose AIU
Online, what you liked best about the
Virtual Campus, and how much time you
devoted to your studies. These are likely
similar to questions that you had before
enrolling at AIU. Hearing from an
alumnus is a valuable service and you can
become an AIU Online Student
Ambassador by simply completing the
form at www.aiuonline.com/alumni.
SPORT YOUR
AIU SPIRIT!
Did you know the AIU Online store
features a variety of AIU Online
merchandise? Whether you're a
student, parent, or alumnus, you're
sure to find the AIU hat, shirt, or
sweatshirt you are looking for. Also,
just in time for the holidays! Need
the perfect gift? We can ship directly
to you or to the doorstep of anyone
on your list.
www.cudaapparel.com/aiuonline.php
Local Alumni Chapters
AIU Online is investigating the possibility of
establishing alumni chapters throughout the
country. If you would like to be a member,
are interested in running a chapter, or have
ideas on what sort of activities your local
alumni chapter could do, please contact us
at Alumni@aiuonline.edu. We would love to
hear from you!
Lastly, stay tuned for updates and
enhancements to the AIU Online Alumni
Website, www.aiuonline.com/alumni
Contact information for the AIU Online
Alumni Association:
Career Services
5550 Prairie Stone Parkway Suite 400
Hoffman Estates IL 60192
877-701-3800 ext 15060
Alumni@aiuonline.edu
www.aiuonline.com/alumni
CAREER WEEK
IS COMING!
NOV. 3RD-6TH
AIU Online is proud to announce its
very first Career Week Event,
“Extreme Makeover Job Edition!”
This five-day event will offer a series
of 35 career-related virtual
workshops. Students and alumni are
encouraged to log-in and join us for
the kick-off event and continue on to
participate in any, and all, of the
virtual workshops throughout the
week. Sessions will be held during
both the daytime and evening hours
to accommodate the schedules of
our busy students and alumni.
More information on the Career
Week schedule of events and
workshops will be emailed to
students and alumni.
For information on how to log in,
visit the Virtual Campus Careers tab
or contact Career Services at
877-701-3800 ext 15195 or email
careerservices @ aiuonline.edu.
FALL/ WINTER 2008 AIU ALUMNI NEWSLETTER 2
AIU HOSTS PHYSICAL GRADUATION FOR ONLINE STUDENTS
This summer AIU Online hosted its very
first physical graduation ceremony for
students graduating in the first half of
2008. Due to the enormous response
from students and the demand for tickets
it was necessary to hold two ceremonies.
Both ceremonies – held on July 27 - had
approximately 500 graduates participating
and 2,500 guests in attendance.
The graduation ceremonies were held in
the historic Navy Pier Ballroom, at Navy
Pier in Chicago, Illinois. The ballroom had
once been used to train more than 60,000
naval recruits and proved to be a very
3 AIU ALUMNI NEWSLETTER FALL/ WINTER 2008
impressive venue for the out-of-town
graduates and guests. While a good
number of graduates were from the
Chicago area, about three quarters of
graduates traveled from out-of-state to
attend. There was a representation from
almost every state in the country and even
some graduates and guests attended
from the Bahamas and the Middle East!
This was a wonderful opportunity for the
University staff to meet the student body,
witness them accomplish their goal and
also to experience the excitement from
friends and families in the audience.
If you graduated from your AIU Online
degree program and did not have the
opportunity to experience a physical
graduation ceremony it’s not too late! If
you would like to speak to someone
regarding the next AIU Online graduation
ceremony, please contact us at
graduation @ aiuonline.edu
Congratulations
to AIU Online
Graduates of 2008!
Meet Brent Messer:
From Bachelor's Degree to Boss
AIU Online's third Distinguished Alumni
Award winner had his pick of jobs around
the country before even graduating with his
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual
Communication with a concentration in
Digital Design. While Nevada, Texas, and
New York were intriguing, Brent Messer
opted to stay in his home state of Florida. It
turned out to be a great decision; within a
month of his June 2005 graduation from AIU
Online, Messner was hired as the Web
Services Supervisor for the Florida County
where he lived.
Soon after, he was awarded a promotion to
Applications Division Head. In his new
position, Messner is responsible for a team
of 25 designers, engineers and supervisors
charged with creating web sites for the
county and also for engineering and
designing software for various county
officials and offices. Since working for
Alachua County, Messner often finds himself
communicating with Alachua County elected
officials and he and his staff have been
nominated for several design and
management awards.
Now that his career is on fast-forward,
Messner laughs at the days when he feared
he would never escape the dead-end jobs of
his life before he earned a college degree. “I
had a great set of skills and I wanted so
much out of life, but without a college
degree my options were limited,” he says.
“After graduating high school and getting
out of the Army, I attended a few brick and
mortar schools, but I always had difficulty
managing my time effectively. Sometimes I
felt like I would never be able to finish my
degree. Family and work responsibilities
kept getting in the way of sitting in a
classroom.”
“There is no way I’d be where I am now,
doing the things I dreamed of, without my
AIU Online degree.” Having already
accomplished so much, Messner is looking
forward to earning a Master’s degree. “I
have no doubt that I will go back for my
Master’s at AIU Online. If AIU Online ever
creates a Ph.D. program, I’ll probably go
back and get that degree too.”
“You never stop learning. The more I learn,
the more I have to share with my
community,” he says.
AIU ONLINE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
Read about the past year’s Distinguished Alumni award recipients - Brent Messer and Michelle Bartlett. If you
are Distinguished and would like to submit an application for this prestigious award, please visit the AIU Online
Alumni Website to review the requirements and submit your application.
www.aiuonline.edu/alumni/distinguished_form.aspx
The recipient selected to be the American InterContinental University Online Distinguished Alumnus will be
flown for an all-expense paid trip* to Hoffman Estates, Illinois to receive their award from University leadership.
*Covers coach-class travel, hotel accommodations for two nights, and meals for the graduate and one guest.
Meet Michelle Bartlett:
Building her Education
In May of 2008, Michelle Bartlett was flown
to Chicago to receive AIU Online’s
Distinguished Alumni Award. A panel of
judges selected Bartlett based on her
community involvement, academic and
professional achievements, and her
dedication to education. She has co-founded
a company and is just months away from
earning her Ph.D.!
Bartlett had just a high school education
when she decided start a family. At the time,
higher education wasn’t an option. “It wasn’t
that I doubted my ability – I always tested
well and knew that I had the intelligence, but
I rarely applied myself and I didn’t think I
would have the time.” She didn’t have much
confidence that, with all of life’s
interruptions, she could earn a college
degree.
As a stay-at-home mom with four small
children, Bartlett decided she wanted to
earn enough money to support her family if
she had to. “I knew that a college degree
would be a step toward a better life. At the
time my youngest was one year old and I
made it a goal to earn a degree by the time
she was in kindergarten.”
The more she learned about AIU Online, the
more she knew she had found the right
school. She didn’t have to worry about
leaving her kids anywhere and she enjoyed
the fast paced sessions. “The accelerated
schedule was difficult, but definitely worth
it.” Bartlett graduated from AIU Online’s
AABA program in 2004 and the BBA
program in 2005.
Bartlett’s goal is to finish her doctoral
research in Educational Leadership in
Higher Education with a cognate in
Statistics. She plans to graduate with a
doctorate from Clemson University in May
2009. “While I was still at AIU Online I
realized I wanted to be a teacher. My
instructors at AIU were so influential and
motivating; I would like to have that same
impact on other students.”
In addition to working towards her Ph.D.,
Michelle is also co-owner of a consulting
organization that conducts Human Resource
development and online survey research
(www.hrdleader.com). “My AIU Online
instructors set a good example in being part
of both the academic and the real worlds.”
Recently she presented a paper at an
Academy of Human Resource Development
conference and won a Best Paper Award at
the 2007 College Teaching & Learning
Conference.
FALL/ WINTER 2008 AIU ALUMNI NEWSLETTER 4
NEWS FROM YOU!
The AIU Online Alumni
Association wants to hear from
you! We would like to hear about
the exciting changes and events
in your life! Whether you have
been promoted, been published,
received an award, or have been
recently married or become a
new parent …it’s all great news
to share! Send us a digital photo
along with your personal update
and it may be selected to appear
in the next AIU Online Alumni
newsletter!
AIU Online is also hosting a
photo contest for the best photo
of 2008. Submit your news,
updates and/or photos to
Alumni@aiuonline.edu and you
could win an AIU Prize!
Here are some ideas for news
and for photo submissions. You
can submit long or short pieces
or just photographs.
• Photo for contest
• Comic strip or art
• Travel you would recommend
• Food for thought story or
commentary
• Big news: (job promotion,
career change, awards,
community activity, wedding,
baby)
• Job openings in your
organization you would like
other Alumni to know about
With over 50,000 alumni, we
know there are plenty of good
news stories to share. Submit
your news and photo today!
News from fellow AIU Alumnus:
Keith Pounds Announces Release of
New Books!
AIU Online Alumnus Keith Pounds
announces the release of two new books,
one of which he authored himself and
one on which he served as editor and
book agent.
5 AIU ALUMNI NEWSLETTER FALL/ WINTER 2008
Keith Pounds is a Lebanon/Grenada-era
military veteran having served as a
Hospital Corpsman with the U.S. Navy and
Marine Corps. During his military career,
Keith served as a Senior Corpsman in the
Internal Medicine Department, Naval
Hospital, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina;
as a combat medic with the 4th Marine
Division, New Orleans, Louisiana. He also
managed the Medical Department
onboard the USS Joseph Hewes (FF-1078)
and served with the 101st Naval Hospital
based out of Charleston, South Carolina.
As a civilian, Keith has spent several
successful years in restaurant and
hospitality management.
After his honorable military discharge and
several years of business management
experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in
Human Resource Management, Pounds
earned a Master of Business
Administration degree with a
concentration in Organizational
Development and Psychology from
American InterContinental University.
The book “Articles from
War” (Infinity Publishing)
was released in August,
2008. It was written by
Lt. Colonel Bill Connor,
J.D., who returned from
combat operations in
Afghanistan in May 2008.
This book highlights Lt.
Col. Connor’s service
with South Carolina’s 218th Infantry
Brigade commanding U.S. advisory efforts
in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This
was the largest deployment of South
Carolina troops since World War II. The
book also highlights Lt. Col. Connor’s
combat duty alongside Prince Harry,
making him one of the only Americans to
have ever served in combat with an
immediate member of the Royal family.
The author has announced that his
proceeds from the book will be donated to
private Christian schools in South
Carolina. Pounds worked as the book’s
editor and compiled the many articles
included. He also functioned as agent,
scheduling book signings and managing
other marketing efforts.
Keith is also the author
of the soon-to-bereleased “The
Psychology of
Management: Different
Ways on Different Days”
(iUniverse Publications
due out in October,
2008). In this book, he
highlights a “systems” approach in
exploring the many forces working within
all organizations. He shows how to
prevent the inevitable “friction” caused by
the inadequate management of these
often unseen and immeasurable forces.
Readers will also come to better
understand and work with the array of
employee personalities encountered in
the workplace and gain a fascinating look
at varying management styles and how
they are best put to use.
As Pounds is quoted in The Psychology of
Management, “all organizations have
pretty much the same access to the
resources needed to be successful. They
have access to the same computer
systems, same telephone systems, same
raw materials and same marketing
analyses. While organizations may have
access to the same demographics of
potential employees, the employees that
are actually in the organization are what
set each and every organization apart
from the other. This is why I am adamant
in saying that people are our most
important asset!”
Pounds currently serves as the Science
Specialist Assistant for Orangeburg
Consolidated School District Five in
Orangeburg, South Carolina. In this
capacity, he works with over 100 public
school science teachers in 13 separate
schools helping to ensure that they meet
state mandated science curriculum. In
addition, his articles and commentaries
appear often on the editorial pages of his
hometown newspaper The Times &
Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.).
AIU ONLINE 2008 VIRTUAL COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER - JOHN WOOD
AIU Online was pleased to work with John
Wood for the AIU Online Virtual
commencement ceremony key note
speech this year. John made an
exceptional decision to leave an executive
career at Microsoft Corporation to pursue
his passion of bringing books to children in
poverty stricken areas of the world. He
also formed a non-profit organization
called “Room to Read,” to help more than
one million children break the cycle of
poverty through the power of education.
Wood’s inspiration came from his own
education which set the foundation for his
future. His goal is to spread the foundation
he received to children in the world’s
poorest places.
Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read
has helped open more than 280 schools
and 3,600 multi-lingual libraries in
developing nations around the world.
Room to Read has distributed more than
2.8 million children’s books, and supports
more than 2,300 young girls with
scholarships. And this is just the
“iceberg’s tip” as Room to Read plans for
20,000 libraries and schools serving at
least 10 million children.
John Wood describes his journey in
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, a
book described by Publishers Weekly as
“an infectiously inspiring read.” His book
has been translated into 10 languages, and
appeals to entrepreneurs, philanthropists,
educators, and internationalists. It was
voted a Top 10 Non-Fiction Title of 2006 by
Hudson’s Books.
Among several awards and honors Wood
has accumulated for his accomplishments,
he was a recipient of Time magazine’s
“Asian Heroes” Award which recognizes
“20 People under 40 who have done
something brave, bold, or remarkable.”
ALUMNI
ACCESS TO
THE VIRTUAL
CAMPUS!
John Wood recording his virtual ceremony
speech in our recording studio.
Remarkably, he is the only non-Asian ever
chosen for this honor.
Room to Read currently operates in eight
countries in Asia and Africa, ranging from
Cambodia to Nepal to South Africa and
Zambia.
For more information on Room to Read,
visit www.roomtoread.org
Did you know that, as an alumnus of
AIU Online you still have access to the
Virtual Campus? There are regular
updates and new information and
announcements. The Virtual
Commons hosts presentations from
industry professionals and AIU’s
Career Services department offers a
wealth of career information and
workshops. You can continue
accessing the shopping page and your
official university email account.
Can’t remember your password?
Contact Technical Support at
877-701-3800 ext 13400 or
support@aiuonline.edu for password
re-set. They will send a new password
to the personal email address you
have on file with AIU. Make sure you
confirm this email address with
Technical Support.
https://mycampus.aiu-online.com
If you have changed your personal
email address, you will be transferred
to Student Records to update your
official contact information. You’ll also
need to verify your identity and then
they will update your file. Technical
Support cannot send a new password
to just any email address but, once
your new email address is on file,
contact Tech Support so they can send
a new password which will allow you
to log back in.
FALL/ WINTER 2008 AIU ALUMNI NEWSLETTER 6
CONTINUING YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH AIU ONLINE
Remember that continuous learning and education
can help you grow career opportunities and increase
salary potential. Plus, you may be eligible for an AIU
grant if you are thinking about continuing on for an
additional degree. Please contact your Admissions
Advisor or call 877-701-3800 to speak with someone
about continuing your education at AIU Online.
Do you know someone who could benefit from an
AIU Online degree? Make a quick visit to the Alumni
website and you can provide us with that person's
contact info. One of our Admissions Advisors will
then contact your friend or associate to discuss the
University and it’s the many benefits of online
studies. To recommend someone, visit
http://www.aiuonline.edu/alumni/
University grants or scholarships are based on
established criteria as published in the University’s
catalog and are awarded after verification that the
conditions of eligibility have been met.
5550 Prairie Stone Parkway, Suite 400
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192