Focus on the Student Event

Grantham University would like to extend a great big thank you to those students who attended our Focus on the Student Event on June 7th and 8th. This event is one of many that we hope to have at Grantham in the years to come.

We invited nine students and their guests to attend the event in Kansas City, MO. The students were chosen through faculty recommendations and student inquiries. Participants were selected based on their degree program, time at Grantham, and type of employer. We had every degree program represented, a multitude of employers including the military and the federal government, and various lengths of tenure ranging from two months to eight years.

The event began on Thursday evening with a cocktail hour at the Sheraton Hotel. Students and their significant others had the opportunity to mingle and meet a few Grantham team members over drinks and appetizers. This was a great opportunity for the students to become comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions before the meetings on Friday.

Friday was a busy day for our students and guests. The Marketing team met with them, and then students and their guests participated in a catalog and handbook session, where they reviewed the Fall 2007 editions and discussed sections that needed more clarification. Next, the students took center stage at Grantham’s Quarterly Town Hall Meeting to share their stories and provide valuable feedback. After a quick tour of the University, the event culminated with a wonderful dinner at Em Chamas where students had the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with their Admissions and Student Progress Representatives.

During the time we spent with our students, they were very upfront with their comments, opinions and suggestions, which is exactly what we were looking for. We learned about what Grantham is doing right and areas where we can improve.

When asked the question, “If you were in charge of Grantham, what would you change first?” we received some great responses:

• Improve communication
• Have a graduation ceremony
• Make course chat room hours mandatory for faculty
• Provide more advertising at military bases

They also provided some new ideas for the future, including:

• Have Grantham.edu e-mail addresses for all students
• Give tassels to graduating students
• Provide an option for electronic textbooks that can be downloaded to IPODs or PDAs

Over the weeks and months to come, you will see a number of changes as we implement some of the ideas and improvements suggested by our student focus group participants.

AU-ABC Initiative Announced for Air Force

Grantham University has partnered with the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) in support of the Air Force’s Air University Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative Program (AU ABC). This program allows CCAF to partner with military friendly academic institutions, such as Grantham University, who will accept all CCAF degree program credits in one or more of its bachelor degrees.

“We want to stay front and center with all of our students, including those in the Air Force,” said Greg Garcia, EdD, Grantham University’s Academic Dean for Military Programs. “Our goal is to continue providing the highest quality programs that truly represent a premier online experience.”

Grantham University was one of ten schools that tested the concept, and CCAF accepted four of its degree programs, Electronics Engineering Technology (EET), Computer Science (CS), Business Administration (BA), and Criminal Justice (CJ) for this initiative. Approved Grantham University AU-ABC programs fulfilled the following requirements:

• Met specific accreditation standards
• Required no more that 60 semester hours after the AAS degree for a bachelor’s degree
• Delivered instruction via distance learning
• Maximized application of military credit
• Related degree programs to Air Force specialty

To learn more about the program, airmen can log into the Air Force portal and browse through the available degree programs.

“As both Grantham and the military education and training communities move forward into the 21st century, we’re excited about the revolutionary new ways we can cooperatively bring the highest quality education programs to our students – both locally and globally,” adds Garcia.

Important Announcement: Grantham LMS Not Compatible with Office 07

Over the last few weeks, we have had several reports of students experiencing difficulty when submitting documents to their instructors through Grantham’s Learning Management System (LMS) because of Microsoft Office 2007’s new document file format (.docx). If you are using Microsoft Office 2007, please follow the directions below to make your document compatible with previous versions of Microsoft Office.

1. After you have completed your document, click on the Office Icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen. This will produce a menu.
2. From this menu, select “Save As”.
3. Set the file type as “Word 97-2003 Document”. This will change the extension of the file from .docx to the traditional .doc extension.
4. Submit your document through Educator as you normally would.

Adhering to these directions will prevent miscommunication and failed transmission of the document between you and your instructor. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these directions, please contact your Student Progress Representative by calling 800-955-2527.

Graduate Spotlight - Thomas Narak

Master Sergeant Thomas Narak serves as a Radar Systems Test Manager with the United States Air Force. MSgt. Narak was interested in pursuing his college degree, and found out about Grantham University through the Internet. He decided to enroll at Grantham because it was accredited and offered an “invaluable” military scholarship. Grantham’s military scholarship combined with the tuition assistance MSgt. Narak received from the Air Force allowed him to pursue his education with no out of pocket costs. Because he didn’t have to spend any income on his education, he was able to save money to pay for his three children’s college educations.

In January 2005, MSgt. Narak earned an Associate of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology (EET), but he didn’t stop there. In August of 2006, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering Technology and is now pursuing an MBA at Grantham in the field of Project Management. In addition to his Grantham degrees, he also holds two associate degrees, one from the Community College of the Air Force and one from the Oklahoma City Community College.

MSgt. Narak chose Grantham’s EET program because it applied directly to his job in the Air Force. “My education allows me to engage in detailed conversations with other distinguished members in the engineering field,” said MSgt. Narak. “It affords me an outstanding knowledge base which I can rely on to make intelligent decisions.”

Distance learning worked well for MSgt. Narak because it allowed him to study on his own time, whether at home, TDY or while traveling throughout the United States.

When he isn’t working or studying for his next exam, MSgt. Narak enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. He is also an avid golfer (11 handicap) and likes to fish, read and walk his two dogs.

Partnership Formed with SAIGE

At its 2007 National Training Conference the week of June 24th, the Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) announced that it has entered into a partnership with Grantham University.

“SAIGE and Grantham University are joining forces to offer accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs to help meet the education mission and requirements of many federal agencies,” said Tom Macon, Chairman of Grantham University.

Along with special tuition grants, Grantham University is also providing SAIGE with a full four-year scholarship to be awarded to one of its members.

SAIGE was formed in 2001 to serve the needs of American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) federal employees. It is SAIGE’s mission to promote the recruitment, hiring, retention, development, advancement and equitable treatment of AI and AN employees in the workforce. For more information about SAIGE, visit: http://www.saige.org.

Inaugural Welcome Home Celebration a Big Success

On Saturday, June 2, 2007, Grantham University participated in the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Welcome Home Event honoring returning combat veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. This celebration was the first-of-its-kind and will serve as a model for VA Welcome Home Celebrations nationwide.

With a focus on outreach and education, the event offered enrollment and eligibility services, health and mental health screenings, benefits advice, and a wide variety of other services to military personnel and veterans residing in the metropolitan area who recently served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Global War on Terrorism (GWT) theaters of combat. In addition to offering a wide variety of services, the day featured live bands, food, and children’s games.

“It was amazing to see hundreds of volunteers come together with one goal in mind, to assist those who bravely serve our nation,” said Johanna Altland, Grantham University’s Director of Communications. “The Welcome Home Celebration was a wonderful opportunity to give back to those who have given so much.”

Nearly 500 combat veterans registered and began receiving VA services at the event, many of whom were Marines who served in the Ready Reserve. The success of this event was due in large part to the participation of the Marines who held an Administrative Muster concurrent with the festivities.

Ball Held in Honor of Army’s 232nd Birthday

On Saturday, June 16th, the Greater KC Chapter of AUSA partnered with the Henry Leavenworth Chapter to host a military ball in celebration of the Army’s 232nd Birthday. Nearly 300 guests attended the ball at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City including spouses of deployed Soldiers, citizens of the community, veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, as well as active duty and reserve troops from both the Army and Marine Corps. Grantham University showed its support by purchasing two tables for the evening.

“This was an outstanding evening for the community,” said Col. Mike Neer (U.S. Army, Ret.), the chapter president for the Greater KC Chapter. “We had a wonderful evening showcasing the contributions of Soldiers past and present to the security of our nation.”

The guest speaker for the evening was Brig. Gen. Mark E. O’Neill, acting commandant of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS. Distinguished guests honored included local resident and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Col. Roger Donlan (U.S. Army, Ret.) and his wife Norma; Maj. Gen. Robert Shirkey (U.S. Army, Ret.), a WWII Alamo Scout, and his wife Carol; and Cpl. David Wilkerson, a member of the Army Air Corps during WWII, and his wife Marjorie.

Also recognized were spouses of Soldiers deployed to Iraq and other operational areas. Each of these spouses received weekend getaways compliments of some of Kansas City’s finest hotels.

New Identity Theft Scam Targets Military Families

By: ACCESS Fraud Alert

There is a new identity theft scam targeting military families; specifically those families that have loved ones serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. These families are receiving calls notifying them that their loved one has been seriously injured.

The person placing the phone call claims to be from the American Red Cross. Victims are told that in order for their loved one to receive treatment, certain paperwork must be filled out. The victim is asked to assist by providing a variety of information including home address, date of birth and Social Security Number; everything required to commit identity theft.

The Red Cross discovered the scam when the Pentagon alerted them to a call that a potential victim received in late May. Another similar call was reported in early June by a family in Pennsylvania.

Although the American Red Cross does assist military families, it is never responsible for providing them with notification of death or injury. These notifications are handled by the armed forces 100% of the time. Families of military personnel need to be aware that medical services will never be withheld from soldiers because of incomplete information on admittance forms.

Both the Pentagon and the Red Cross are urging anyone receiving a call like the one described here to contact law enforcement. It is a federal crime for anyone to fraudulently claim that they are with the Red Cross for the purpose of receiving money. This includes anyone who is attempting to defraud or commit identity theft.

Upcoming Events

July 16th - 20th: Federally Employed Women's National Training Program, Washington, DC

July 19th - 20th: Visit to Fort Riley

July 23rd - 24th: Visit to Whiteman AFB

July 25th - 26th: Visit to Fort Leonard Wood

July 26th: Visit to Andrews AFB Education Center - 11am until 2pm

August 15th: National Guard Family Picnic, Washington, DC