A GROWING CLASSROOM

Central Penn Business Journal, Jul 30, 2004 by Schottler, Kelly

In these days of downsizing, right-sizing, outsourcing and offshoring, it takes a lot for working professionals to be competitive in the job market. Employees are increasingly turning to so-called "distance education" programs to further their skills and education, and enhance the career options.

Lehigh University in Northampton County and the Franklin County Career and Technology Center (FCCTC) in Chambersburg recently formed a joint distanceeducation partnership that will allow students in the Franklin County area to earn a Lehigh University, master's degree while attending classes at the FCCTC. Classes will, be transmitted via satellite from the Lehigh campus beginning this fall.

Degrees to be offered through the partnership include a master's in business administration and several engineering-related degrees. A certificate program in supply-chain management also will be available.

The partnership began when Lehigh surveyed major corporate employers in the region to see if there were enough graduate-level engineering programs in Franklin County, said Lisa Moughan, Lehigh's marketing coordinator. Many thought the option of earning an engineering master's degree locally would be valuable. Lehigh alumni employed at Ingersoll-Rand, an engineering company in Shippensburg, Cumberland County, expressed interest in conducting the courses. They would use the facilities at the FCCTC due to its technology capabilities, she said.

Franklin County has been trying to put itself on the map for adult secondary education, and Lehigh saw an opportunity. Lehigh has 50 partnerships with other institutions and corporations across the country and saw an untapped market in the engineering sector of the Chambersburg region, Moughan said.

The FCCTC previously did not offer graduate-level programs. That will change once the Lehigh courses are available.

According to James Duffy, administrative director of FCCTC, the partnership with Lehigh benefits both the FCCTC and the Franklin County community. "With Lehigh being a leading institution in engineering, it provides a way for the local community to access Lehigh without travel," he said.

Chuck Sioberg, vice president of Martin and Martin Engineering in Chambersburg, is excited about the partnership.

"It's a terrific opportunity to get an engineering education from a top-lying engineering school," Sioberg said. "A Lehigh diploma carries a cachet with it."

Martin and Martin does civil engineering, an area not offered through the partnership. Sioberg hopes the program will expand in the future to offer a civil engineering degree.

Lehigh is known around the world for the quality of its engineering programs. Lehigh officials hope the partnership will serve as an attractive alternative for the working professional in the Franklin County area, especially in the engineering sector.

Gary Miller, associate vice president for outreach at Penn State University in State College, sees distance-education programs such as Lehigh's as a key development in work-force training.

"Distance education is about access, flexibility and convenience," Miller said. "It's about providing people with the access they need."

The partnership will offer several benefits. Franklin County employers will be able to use it as a recruitment and retention tool. Employees will have access to learning they can use throughout their careers.

Distance education can make an institution more competitive. Depending on the institution's mission, the programs can reinforce an institution, said Judith Boettcher, former Penn State director of education technology services. Boettcher does consulting on higher-education learning and trends in technology education.

"The institution needs to build on its strengths," she said.

The programs also allow Lehigh to collaborate with other institutions, Moughan said.

Educational frontier

Satellite programs are not the only avenues for distance learning. Starting in the mid-1990s, there was significant growth in graduate-degree programs offered through the Internet. Those programs have made it easier for working professionals to complete courses at their own time and pace, Miller said.

Lehigh is one of several universities participating in distance education. Millersville University offers online courses. In the fall, the campus plans to launch online degree programs in science, wellness, sociology and nursing, said Bili Mattes, director of professional training and education. The university is expected to offer three degrees via online education by the end of next year.

"Distance education is not just about geography. It's also about accessibility with more and more students needing that flexibility in terms of access because of work schedules," Mattes said.

Duquesne University, which has its main campus in Pittsburgh, offers a number of master's degrees that can be obtained online. Local, national and international students participate in the programs, said Kelley Maloney, director of marketing and communication. The university also has videoconferencing capabilities, allowing students at the Capital Region campus in Harrisburg to attend a class in Pittsburgh and vice-versa.