Grantham University Relocates to Kansas City in Aftermath of Katrina

While Hurricane Katrina dealt a devastating blow to Gulf Coast communities, businesses, residences and institutions of higher learning from Alabama to Texas, Grantham University weathered the storm. According to the American Council on Education, over 100,000 college students in the New Orleans metropolitan area have been displaced by the storm and more than 30 colleges and universities in the Gulf Coast region have been affected in some way by Katrina. To date, 22 colleges and universities in Louisiana and Mississippi will remain closed until at least January 2006.

Just days after the storm hit our main campus in Slidell, Louisiana, destroying approximately eighty percent of our facilities; a dedicated number of employees had Grantham University up and running again in temporary offices in Kansas City, Missouri. Many of them drove day and night to make the 900 mile journey to Kansas City. As Kristie Tran, Director of IT for the University said, “It is crucial that that Grantham be operational at all times if it is to serve the needs of its students.”

Grantham is fortunate to be an online university because the IT and functional components required to run the institution, from academic affairs to the Registrar’s office and student services, like coursework, testing and professor support, are accessible anytime and anywhere Internet access is available. This distributed IT infrastructure proved to be the critical element in the University’s recovery success because while Katrina’s destruction forced the closure of Grantham’s Louisiana campus, Grantham’s administrators, academics and staff were able to go into action and move the University from the New Orleans’ suburb of Slidell to Kansas City virtually overnight.

So far, over 140 people including employees and their families have relocated. Tom Macon, CEO and Chairman of Grantham University, said, “We care deeply about our students, our employees and their families. They are all a part of the Grantham family. Grantham as a company is committed to do what it must to make certain the transition for all is made as easy as possible. The kindness of the people of Kansas City has truly eased the transition, and their generosity has made it possible for our employees and their families to begin to rebuild their lives.”

Students may notice some temporary slowdowns related to textbooks, email requests, and grade reports, but all such delays are being resolved as quickly as possible. Because the University bookstore and its entire inventory was destroyed by Katrina, University officials are working with textbook publishers to ship books directly to students. Mail delivery to the University has been suspended by the postal service so students may notice a delay in proctored exam delivery and grading. Additional bandwidth and a phone system large enough to handle Grantham’s enormous capacity is currently being installed, and until installation is complete, our staff members are working from back-up communications equipment with limited functionality. As such, inbound calls and emails are being handled as efficiently as possible but response time is slower than usual.

“Our students have been incredibly supportive over the past few weeks,” said Roy Winter, President of Grantham University. “We fully understand that the hurricane will soon be a distant memory, and students will expect the same level of service that they have received in the past. You have my assurance that Grantham is alive and well and working day and night to restore those service levels. Thank you for your patience as we continue the relocation to Kansas City.”

Grantham University Announces 2005 Scholarship Winners

Grantham University, in conjunction with the USAWOA Scholarship Foundation, is proud to announce the first time award of two Grantham University Online Scholarships. These 5 course scholarships have a value of approximately $5,000.00 based on 5 – 15 credit hour courses, books and fees.

This year’s scholarship winners were Sommer L. Crean, daughter of CW4 Edward Crean of Rineyville, KY. and John R Meier, son of CW4 John P. Meier, APO AE 09165-1300.

The USAWOA hopes to have a much bigger field of candidates next year for the online scholarship program. Grantham has made a commitment to provide one – four year scholarship to the foundation each year. Grantham offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees and provides a wonderful opportunity for students to receive a college education. Visit the foundation Web site at www.usawoa.org/woasf to review the Grantham course catalog for more information regarding the various programs offered.

To learn more about distance education and the many programs available to military personnel, prospective students should contact their base education office. More information about Grantham’s programs is available at http://www.grantham.edu/ or by calling 1.800.955.2527.

AUSA Annual Meeting Largest Ever!

As the provider of online education to The Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Grantham University is participated in the 2005 Annual Meeting, October 3-5, 2005, at the Washington Convention Center.

The AUSA Annual Meeting, known as “the free world’s largest land warfare forum and exposition,” attracted over 32,000 attendees including members of the AUSA, defense industry executives, U.S. soldiers and U.S. and foreign military leaders. This year’s meeting kicked-off on Monday, October 3rd, with the 21st running of the Army Ten-Miler which featured teams from several army divisions and international teams from Canada, Brazil, Australia, Romania and more.

With the Army actively engaged in many operations around the world including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, its leaders, both military and civilian, gathered to brief attendees at this year’s meeting. These presentations focused on the defense budget, future combat systems, and frequent deployments and how families can cope with them.

Highlights of the 2005 AUSA Annual Meeting included a speech by the Hon. Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States of America; the presentation of the John W. Dixon Award to Dr. Joseph Kampf, President and CEO, Anteon; and the George Catlett Marshall Reception and Dinner during which Tom Brokaw, former anchorman and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News”, received the 2005 George Catlett Marshall Medal in honor of his lifetime contributions as a journalist, reporter, editor, broadcaster and author.

Helpful Links for Veterans and Military Spouses

Select the Right Career Path       By James Gonyea Contributing Writer, Monster.com

Are you wondering which career direction is right for you? Whether you're a college student preparing for graduation or an established professional unsure about a midlife change, deciding upon a career can be difficult. To select one, you must know something about yourself, the world of work and how to find occupations that are suitable for you -- this is no easy task.

Your decision may have lifelong ramifications; for example, your choice of career can play a major role in determining your income, status within your community, opportunities for success, circle of friends and even your choice of a spouse. The career you choose helps shape your identity and sense of self-worth.

One of the great benefits of life in America is the freedom to choose your line of work. To respond to this opportunity as well as the challenge it presents, many career guidance professionals have developed systems or programs for helping you select a career path.

After 30 years of counseling people in career planning, this is what I've come up with:

1. Begin with a Thorough Self-Assessment.
   Through the use of personal-awareness techniques, peer-assessment surveys, professional testing or counseling, your first objective should be to identify your interests, skills, values, needs and behavioral traits. Check out our Career Fit Indicator to help you determine the best fit for your personality, values and work style.
   
2. Time for Research.
   Using what you've learned about your interests, review various sources of occupational information to identify occupations you feel best match your interests. Many career "crosswalk" systems have been developed that identify occupations related to interest patterns. You will more than likely find several occupations that match your interests. Use these jobs to form your list of career possibilities.
   
3. Learn More.
   Now research job titles on your list to learn more about each option. Gather such information as duties, entrance qualifications, training options, salary and benefits, advancement opportunities, and positive and negative working conditions. This information can be obtained through printed literature or actual conversations with workers. Or check out Monster's job profile database.
   
4. Make a Tentative Career Decision.
   Based upon what you know about your interests and matching occupations, select an occupation to pursue. Don't worry about making a bad or final decision at this point. Just make the best decision you can.
   
5. Test Out Your Decision.
   It's often impossible to determine if an occupation is right for you without trying it out, and there are several ways to do this. You could take a related course, work as a volunteer, shadow a professional worker for a day, interview several people working at the job or take a part-time job within your chosen field. Do something to get a feel for the real job. Test all your career options before moving onto the next step.
   
6. Make a Final Career Decision.
   Based upon what you know about your personality and the world of work, select an occupation you feel is the best match for you. If you experience difficulty with this step, consult a professional career counselor for assistance.
   
7. You're Almost Done.
   Finally, if appropriate, complete any necessary training to develop the recommended qualifications. Upon completion of this step, you should be ready to seek a position in your chosen field.

Naturally, no short article, including this one, can truly take you through a complete career-planning program like the one illustrated above. But hopefully you'll be inspired to start the process. Whatever career you elect to pursue, make sure you first give it careful consideration. Your future will thank you.