Official Newsletter for Charter Oak State College

WHAT'S INSIDE?
40th Anniversary .................. Apply for Graduation .......... Cap and Gown Info .............. New Graduation Dates ........ Confirmation Letters ............ Senior Legacy Fund ............ Registration Help ................. Summer Registration ......... Featured Instructor ............. If you get sick ...................... Course/Graduate Survey ..... Student Association News .................................... Cross Registration ............. Meet Up Groups ................... Testing Information ............. 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 9

From the Desk of the Provost

Where to begin??? The good news is that unlike many other colleges and universities, Charter Oak had increased course enrollments for Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Registration for our two summer terms will open on March 20th. Check out the new courses being offered on page 7. At the system level, we are still in transition. As you will remember, Charter Oak, the 12 community colleges and the four state-universities were consolidated under one Board of Regents (BOR). Currently the BOR is searching for a new president, and I have the privilege of serving on the advisory committee to the search committee. The BOR hopes to have a new president in place by July or no later than the start of the fall semester. The new general education articulation agreement has been approved. This agreement is between the Connecticut community colleges, the four-state universities, and Charter Oak. The only impact on Charter Oak is that we will need to change our science requirement to two coursesone with a lab. This will go into effect July 1, 2014, but will only impact those students who matriculate after that date. Budget talks are also underway. We do not know yet what the increase in tuition/ fees will be for next year, but we do know that there will be an increase. We have been investigating the world of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and have developed a process for accepting them for credit providing there is an assessment component as well as a student authentication process. There is a great deal of publicity lately regarding the $10,000 bachelors degree. Although it seems to be catching on in a number of states, one could always earn a bachelor of liberal arts degree at Charter Oak for under $10,000 through a combination of exams, courses, portfolio, etc. To make even more options available to our students, agreements have been executed with Excelsior College, the Saylor Foundation and StraighterLine.

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For those of you who are completing your final degree requirements this academic year, commencement is less than 3 months away! You can find more UPDATE is edited by information about how to participate in the June 2nd ceremony elsewhere in this Gale Terrill Commencement issue as well as in your Charter Oak e-mail account. I hope to see many of you Coordinator and Assistant to the there!
Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies

Shirley M. Adams

Charter Oak State College celebrates 40th Anniversary

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Charter Oak State College (www.CharterOak.edu) is proud to be at the forefront of 21st century higher education, serving as Connecticuts only public online college. In 1973, the Connecticut General Assembly created the Board for State Academic Awards (BSAA), a degree-granting constituent unit that offered an alternative approach for adults who wanted to complete college. In 1980, the BSAA received authorization to designate its degree program as a college, which was named Charter Oak College. In 1992, the name was changed to Charter Oak State College, recognizing that the College was part of the state system of public higher education. Charter Oak State College is now governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. Until 2012, Charter Oak only offered AA and AS and BA and BS degrees with concentrations. In 2012, Charter Oak introduced its first subject area major, the Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management, after extensive market research showed that this was one of the fastest-growing fields today. Over 12,000 people have graduated from Charter Oak over the past four decades, including prominent Connecticut residents like news anchor Al Terzi, Connecticut Science Center President and CEO Matt Fleury, and the State of Connecticut Comptroller Kevin Lembo. What makes us special is that we recognize that our students come to us with a myriad of college-level learning experiences, said President Klonoski. We were founded to validate and award credit for this prior learning through testing and portfolio and credential assessment. Today that approach is called competency-based learning and it is a new trend. So Charter Oak is 40 years oldand new again. The College will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the Charter Oak State College Foundations annual Shea Lecture Health CareThe Next 40 Years. It will be followed by a fundraising reception at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford on November 14, where 40 of the Colleges key faculty, students, alums and leadership will be highlighted. For those of you who cannot attend, but would like to help the College celebrate, please visit www.coscf.org to make a donation. I offer my congratulations to the College, to our current staff and students, to our 12,000 alums, and to all those who helped grow this wonderful institution over the past 40 years, said Klonoski. Heres to 40 more.

Commencement is June 2, 2013

Are you planning to complete your degree in May? You Wont Be Invited Unless You Apply! Graduation Application

AVOID the $10 Late Fee!

Order your cap and gown by April 14, 2013

If you wish to participate in Charter Oaks annual graduation ceremony you must purchase a cap, gown and tassel.
To order the cap, gown and tassel package OR a tassel and pay by credit card it must be done online no later than SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013. Your cap and gown will be sent directly to Charter Oak. You will receive an e-mail in May on where and when to pick up your cap and gown on graduation day. If you order only a tassel, it will be mailed to you after the ceremony.

Go to Cap and Gown Order Form ONLINE Complete the form and click Jump to Secure Payment Form at the bottom of the page. After you complete the payment you will be able to print or email your receipt and your cap and gown order will be complete.

To order your cap, gown and tassel package and pay by check. Go to Cap and Gown Order PRINT & MAIL Complete the Name and Address Block (w/phone number and student I.D. number) Height and Weight (to insure a proper fitting gown) Cap, gown and tassel package ($35) Please make check payable to Charter Oak State College. Mail the check and measurement/order form to:

Charter Oak State College Attn: Gale Terrill 55 Paul Manafort Drive, New Britain, CT 06053 no later than SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013. If you are not planning on attending the ceremony, you can order a tassel for $10.00. Please check "Tassel Only" on the order form and enclose a check for $10.00. It will be mailed to you after the ceremony. If you are planning to attend the ceremony and already have a black cap and gown, you must purchase a 2013 tassel AND inform Gale Terrill of your intent to participate.

More information can be found on our web site at: http://CharterOak.edu/Graduation Gale R. Terrill, Commencement Coordinator, gterrill@charteroak.edu
More answers to your questions can be found on our web site at:

Graduation Frequently Asked Questions

Reminder! Graduation Dates & Deadlines

Charter Oak awards degrees three times a year (on May 31, August 31, and December 31). Diplomas will also be issued three times a year, 4-6 weeks after the May, August and December conferral dates. Please note that your degree will not be awarded if you have an outstanding balance on your account. To receive your diploma, you must also have completed your financial aid exit interview (if applicable). If you have any questions, please contact Paul Morganti, Associate Registrar, at pmorganti@charteroak.edu. The annual commencement ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2013.

Criteria for Letters Confirming Your Graduation

We receive a number of requests from students asking that a letter be sent to a college or to an employer verifying the date of their graduation. We are more than happy to honor this request. However, you should not make the request unless the following criteria have ALL been met: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Your concentration plan of study has been approved. You have submitted your graduation application and survey (see deadlines for submission). You have completed all academic requirements (contact your academic counselor). All of your transcripts have been received by Charter Oak. All fees have been paid (including the graduation fee). All financial aid requirements have been completed.

When you have met the above criteria, requests should be made in writing to the Associate Registrar, Paul Morganti, 55 Paul J. Manafort Drive, New Britain, CT 06053, or email pmorganti@charteroak.edu. The request should include the name, title and address of the recipient.

Senior Legacy Fund

What is the Senior Legacy Fund? The Senior Legacy Fund unites the Charter Oak State College senior class in a fund raising effort. All donations are part of the Charter Oak State College Foundation Annual Fund and are used to support Charter Oak State College students through grants and scholarships. Why participate? Donating to the Senior Legacy Fund allows the graduating class of 2013 the opportunity to say Thanks! to an institution that has made a lasting impact on their lives. What will you get for your gift? For a minimum contribution of $20.13 to the Senior Legacy Fund, students, their parents and other family members and friends will have an opportunity to place a tribute in the back of the commencement program book. Often there are people in the graduates life who wish to congratulate them for their accomplishment. An example might be, Congratulations, Sarah! We love you. Mom and Dad. While the minimum gift to place a tribute ad will be $20.13, larger gifts will be accepted and appreciated. EVERY gift to the Senior Legacy Fund is important, no matter its size.

DONATION FORM

Enclosed please find a check in the amount of $20.13 (minimum for tribute listing) or other $ payable to The Charter Oak State College Foundation Please charge $20.13 or $ to Visa MasterCard Amex Discover
Signature

Account Number Name on Card: Expiration date: Student Name (Print): Dedication (15 words) PRINT :

Security Code Phone:

RETURN TO: Charter Oak State College Foundation Attention: Angela Chapman 55 Paul Manafort Drive New Britain, CT 06053

Undergraduate Program News

Things to keep in mind during registration
As you know, registration for spring classes is now open, and summer registration begins on March 20. Youll find all the available courses on the Charter Oak Course Search page. Please keep in mind that each registration is carefully reviewed by your Academic Counselor. Please take the time to fully consider your options before enrolling in a class. Multiple registration attempts result in more delays for all students awaiting course approvals and can increase the odds of an error being made. Course registration reviews can take up to 48 business hours to get through our system- slightly longer over holiday and vacation times. The counselors are automatically notified of your approval request, so no need to call or email. Your Academic Counselor has more than 300 students to assist each semester, so while we aim to serve each of you quickly, at busy times there can be a slight wait for review of your file. If your Counselor is away for an extended period of time, all their students course requests will be reviewed by another Counselor in the office. Your registration wont be forgotten! We appreciate your patienceas Charter Oak grows, we will be working out ways to increase our efficiency. As always, please feel free to contact the Academic Counseling Office if you have any questions or need assistance. Best of luck in the next semester! Academic Counseling Office

Select your Summer courses NOW!

Thinking about taking an online course this summer? Registration begins on March 20th, but you can view the offerings now. Only payment at time of registration will secure a seat in your course. We recommend that you register early to avoid being closed out of the course you want. To view a listing of summer courses, click on http://acorn.charteroak.edu. On the right side of the screen, click on the Course Search option and choose Summer 2012-2013 from the drop down menu. New summer courses EDU 102 Exceptional Learner/Paraprofessional HIM 315 Health Care Statistics

Faculty Spotlight on Daryl Capuano

Daryl Capuano has been an important part of Charter Oak for over 12 years since he first developed the online line course The Modern Presidency in 2002. In addition, he has developed and taught Controversial Trials and the Criminal Justice System, Constitutional Law and Controversies in Law and Politics. He also taught sections of Ethics in International Relations and American Government. Daryl continues to receive outstanding evaluations from his students. Daryl graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University, where he graduated number one in his concentration and was named the Outstanding Student in his department. Daryl simultaneously earned two graduate degrees: a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was named to Who's Who in American Law Students, and a masters degree from Penn's Fels Center of Government. Daryl also earned a prestigious Equal Justice Foundation Fellowship, for which he served at The Brookings Institute, the nation's top think tank. After Penn Law, Daryl was appointed an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia where he worked on high profile homicide appeals. Thereafter, Daryl moved to Washington, DC and served the United States as enforcement attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission where he led the investigation into one of the largest financial frauds in history. After serving as an associate with one of the nation's largest law firms, Daryl became Vice-President and General Counsel for Mindgrow, an A&E television-funded new media-education company. In order to pursue his interest in education and to focus directly on helping students reach their potential, Daryl founded The Learning Consultants in 2000 which is currently one of the fastest growing companies in Southeastern Connecticut. He is a business consultant and expert on the for-profit education industry. Daryl focuses on strategic consulting, business development and legal counseling for companies and organizations in the education industry. Clients come from across the US and from across the world including in Australia, India and Malaysia. Recently named to Who's Who In America, Daryl has been featured in national magazines such as Business Week and Online Learning and local media such as The Hartford Courant, WMRD Radio and the local NBC affiliate. Daryl has also published numerous articles in national magazines on various educational issues as well as authoring his recent book How to Motivate Your Son.

What if I get sick?

Part of the upside to being an online student is the lack of physical barriers to class attendance, but sometimes things happen. A student can encounter an illness, a family emergency, or other matter that would mean a stretch of more than a day or two of time away from the computer. Should you find yourself in this situation, please contact your instructor, your Academic Counselor, and the Registrar right away. They will let you know if you may need to provide documentation for your absence and the policies that may apply to your situation.

Course Evaluation Survey

Students overall ratings of their courses and instructors were positive this past Fall term 85% of students rated the overall effectiveness of their instructor as High or Very High, and 83% of students rated the overall effectiveness of their course as High or Very High. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness would like to thank students for continuing to make the online course evaluation system a success. The purpose of course evaluation at our institution is to provide: 1) information for the individual faculty member to use in assessing his/her instruction, 2) data that may assist in making curricular and course content decisions, 3) data that will assist in improving the online delivery system, and 4) the student body with a voice in developing and maintaining an effective faculty and curriculum. The insights that students provided played a significant role this past year in helping Charter Oak continue to enhance its courses while preserving the things that the school does best. We would like to remind students that the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will email links to the online course evaluation survey during the final week of instruction in each sub-term. If you have any questions about the course evaluation system, please contact Cris Dittrich, Research Associate for the office of Institutional Effectiveness at cdittrich@charteroak.edu.

Graduate Survey
Students are asked to complete a survey upon their graduation. When asked about their employment status 90% of associate completers identified themselves as currently employed, and 88% of bachelor completers identified themselves as currently employed. Of those students that are employed, 88% responded in the affirmative when asked Did your Charter Oak experience enhance your job skills? When asked How satisfied are you that Charter Oak helped you meet your program outcomes?", 100% of associate degree completer respondents and 99% of bachelor degree completer respondents replied in the affirmative. When asked What is your overall level of satisfaction with Charter Oak: 100% of associate degree completer respondents and 97% of bachelor degree completer respondents replied in the affirmative. Through the graduate survey responses we gather vital information from students who have had the full Charter Oak experience. This helps us to improve our programs as well as a student's experience at our institution. This includes but is not limited to the availability of courses, programs, advising, and employment assistance. Alumni are encouraged to complete the graduate survey to help future students. If you have any questions about the graduate survey, please contact Cris Dittrich, Research Associate for the office of Institutional Effectiveness at cdittrich@charteroak.edu.

Student News and Services

New Student Advisory Committee Representatives to the Board of Regents
Congratulations to Holly Palmer who has been elected to represent Charter Oak State College on the statewide Student Advisory Committee! Holly lives in Bristol, CT and is employed at ESPN as Associate Director, Audio Business Technology. Previously she was Director of Operations for IDT Media, WMET in Washington, DC. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Organizational Leadership at Charter Oak. Holly also has a son attending Tunxis Community College in CT and is a passionate advocate for higher education. As the voice of Charter Oak students on this committee, Holly needs to hear from you on issues that matter to you. She can be reached at studentrep@charteroak.edu. Watch for blogs that Holly will be sending following the monthly meetings. Thanks also to our current representative, John Thomas, who will move to the position of Alternate Representative until he graduates in May.

Hartford Consortium for Higher Education Cross-registration Program

Charter Oak State College offers its students the opportunity to register for courses at other local institutions. There are courses available in many departments. Many of the courses are offered at Trinity College in Hartford and the University of Hartford in West Hartford. A shorter list of selected courses is also available at the Hartford Seminary, Capital Community College, Manchester Community College, Central Connecticut State University, University of Saint Joseph, Goodwin College, Rensselaer, and the University of Connecticut in West Hartford. Courses are available on a space- available basis. Full credit is available and generally there are no extra fees. Your advisor will have to give approval and you will need to complete the Consortium Registration form in the Registrar's Office. There are certain eligibility requirements that students must meet to enroll in courses at other campuses. Full-time COSC students are permitted to take courses in fall and spring, up to 4 per year, but are limited in the types of upper division courses they can take. Students must check with the COSC registrar before undertaking any cross-registration. For a list of the courses available for cross-registration and for the list of requirements and restrictions go to the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education website: http://www.hartfordconsortium.org/ Home.aspx

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Meet Up Groups

The Student Association, with assistance from the Alumni Association, is initiating the formation of Meet Up Groups to focus on careers and connecting with fellow students and alums. We need your help to make this a success. Are you interested in changing careers? Have you just made such a transition yourself? Are you interested in assisting or mentoring others who may be seeking a career change? Are you looking for a way to connect with other students?

Everyone has something to contribute and we would be pleased to have your assistance. One of the most effective ways of finding a new job is through networking! The Plan is to form a few groups who will choose to meet locally, in person, on a fairly regular basis and then move some groups to the online environment. Any interest in joining or forming a group? If so, please contact fellow student, John Thomas at jthomas@charteroak.edu or Linda Larkin at the College at llarkin@charteroak.edu.

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Test Administration Schedule March 2013 August 2013

CLEP & DSST Exams are held at 85 Alumni Road in Newington, CT Pathways/Early Childhood Exams are held at the main office at 55 Paul Manafort Drive
MONTH CLEP (R) 7 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 8 (11:30 a.m.) (S) 9 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 15 (11:30) (S) 23 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 5 (11:30) (S) 6 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (R) 11 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 12 (11:30) (S) 27 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (S) 4 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 10 (11:30) (R) 16 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 17 (11:30) (S) 18 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 7 (11:30) (S) 15 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (R) 13 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 14 (11:30 a.m.) (S) 29 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 12 (11:30) (S) 13 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 19 (11:30 a.m.) (R) 25 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 26 (11:30 a.m.) (S) 27 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 2 (11:30 a.m.) (S) 3 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (R) 15 (10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.) (F) 16 (11:30) (S) 17 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) (F) 30 (11:30) (S) 31 (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.) DSST/DANTES (R) 7 (10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 8 (11 a.m.) (F) 15 (11:00 a.m.) (S) 16 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (F) 22 (Public Speaking Only) (F) 5 (11:00 a.m.) (R) 11 (10:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 12 (11:00 a.m..) (S) 13 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (F) 26 (Public Speaking Only) (F) 10 (11:00 a.m.) (S) 11 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (R) 16 (10:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 17 (11:00 a.m.) (F) 24 (Public Speaking Only) (F) 7 (11:00 a.m.) (R) 13 (10:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 14 (11 a.m.) (S) 22 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (F) 28 (Public Speaking Only) (F) 12 (11:00 a.m.) (F) 19 (11:00 a.m.) (S) 20 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (R) 25 (10:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 26 (11:00 a.m.) (F) 2 (11:00 a.m.) (R) 15 (10:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.) (F) 16 (11:00 a.m.) (S) 24 (9 a.m. & 11 a.m.) (F) 30 (11:00 a.m.) COSC Pathways (S) 9 (2:00) (S) 16 (2:00)

March

April

(S) 13 (2:00) (S) 27 (2:00)

May

(S) 11 (2:00) (S) 18 (2:00)

June

(S) 15 (2:00) (S) 22 (2:00)

July

(S) 20 (2:00) (S) 27 (2:00)

August

(S) 17 (2:00) (S) 24 (2:00)

All CLEP & DSST/DANTES are administered at 85 Alumni Road in Newington, CT. Pathways exams are administered at the main office, 55 Paul Manafort Drive, New Britain. ( R) Thursday (F) Friday (S) Saturday

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