I began a web - based search to explore where a student majoring in Organizational Leadership major might go post graduation. What kind of jobs are out there? How is field perceived?  What kind of salary should I expect?  Well, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this degree holds some substantial creditability within the job sector and allows for candidates to have a great variety of job options when schooling is complete. The curriculum seems to cover everything from practical skills in organizational finance to leadership theory.  Organizational leadership gives students skills and knowledge necessary to serve in a multitude of leadership or management roles.

What is this degree?
Organizational management involves the strategic leading, organizing, planning and team supervising of companies, firms, businesses and organizations in many job industries. Management can involve leading an entire organization or supervising specific departments, such as human resources, information technology, finance and marketing.

What skills are necessary to become successful?
To become an effective organizational manager, you'll need to develop excellent interpersonal skills, understand human behavior and know how to develop credibility with colleagues and employees.
Also, one has to be be a critical thinker with ability to make decisions and develop strategies. Many companies will seek advice and guidance on how to improve their bottom line and streamline their operations; lucrative job skills for organizational leadership candidates.  On the job, professionals must confront problems or issues, develop and meet business goals, and ultimately  build a company culture that is high-performing. 

What's the pay & job outlook?
Justin Davis outlined in his College Advice Blog: "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, general and operations managers earn an average of between $63,000 and $137,000 annually, while upper level executives earn significantly more. CEOs and top level management at major corporations can earn salaries of well over $1 million each year. Of course, how much you earn depends largely on your organization and industry."

Depending on the degree level you pursue, you can find management positions for small companies, large corporations, government agencies and schools. Organizational management professionals wishing to pursue the education sector can work for a school's development office, registrar's office, school administrative unit or charter school association. With a bachelor's degree in organizational management, you could become an entry-level manager for business departments, such as human resources, operations, marketing and information technology.  Other examples of management positions include:  community services manager, health services manager, information technology manager, general manager or management consultant.

If you have already selected this as a career path I foresee a beautiful future. 

by Karen Lingrell, Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs and Career Genius



Sources:
http://emajor.usg.edu/degrees/organizationalleadership/organizationalleadership.php

http://www.collegeadviceblog.com/2012/06/what-is-job-forecast-for-2013-in.html

Additional Resources:
VSU Career Services:  http://ww2.valdosta.edu/career/
O-NET: http://www.onetonline.org/
Degree Directory: http://degreedirectory.org

career

5:34 PM

One can expect to learn about war and conflict in a college US History classes. It is, however, quite unusual to take a history course in 2012 with a World War II and Korean War veteran as the instructor.

Dr. Ray Broussard, retired University of Georgia professor of history, has been teaching online history courses for the University System of Georgia’s eCore program for about 10 years. Born in 1926, and clearly a member of the “Greatest Generation,” Broussard grew up long before television, frozen food, and electric stoves - let alone the internet.

Today, at 86 years old, he logs in every day except Sunday, to interact with his online students. “He far, far exceeds the expectations of an online instructor, posting up to 150 times a week. He is a precious and rare jewel, and his courses fill up rapidly,” says Dr. Melanie N. Clay, Dean of USG eCore and Executive Director of Extended Learning at the University of West Georgia.

In one of his recent responses to a student, he wisely explained the nature of history, “There are two types of information we deal with in History. One is factual information and that cannot change because it is truth. The other is interpretative information and that changes constantly. That is why History is so fascinating, for we have to rewrite it every generation as our values change.”

Raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Broussard attempted to join the Navy at the age of 15, but was denied because of his eyesight. After another attempt with another doctor at the age of 17, he was in. He was assigned to fleet postal work in the South Pacific near New Guinea. After the war ended, he completed college and started graduate school at the University of Texas, where he joined the Naval Reserve.  He admits that one of his main motivations for participating in the Naval Reserves was to earn “dating money.” He had recently met his future wife, and used his earning to take her to the movies “every now and then,” he says.

When the Korean War broke out, he was among the first called, he remembers. After driving from Houston to San Diego, he failed another eye test. However, he recalls that the doctor had him move closer and closer to the chart until he could see the numbers clearly. He remembers that the doctor wrote “20/20” on his chart.

He was assigned as mailman on the “old USS Blue 80744,” which experienced combat in Korea, and earned a battle star. President Truman extended Broussard’s service for an extra year, and he was discharged in 1952. Interestingly, on the ship, he experienced a form of distance learning in that he worked on a graduate assignment – translating a book from Spanish to English. In 1952, he got married, earned his master’s degree, and got his first teaching job at Southwest Texas Junior College on an old airbase.  His starting salary was $2700 a year.

By 1959, he had completed his Ph.D. and got a job with the State Department of the United States as a director of a Bi-National Cultural Center in Cartagena, Columbia. After a two-year stint there, he left to take a job as an assistant professor at Mississippi State University. He recalls teaching very large classes in Latin American, US and English History and established the Latin American Institute. He remembers with pride convincing Mexico’s former President Miguel Aleman to attend the conference. Though he had a young family including two sons, and a low income, he recalls these years as among the happiest of his life.

In 1966, he started teaching for the University of Georgia. He taught lecture courses, and relished standing in front of a classroom. After retirement, he was asked to teach an online eCore course in 2002. He responded, “that’s impossible; you can’t teach history on a computer. You’ve got to talk to the students. You’ve got to mix it up with them, and you can’t do that on that computer.”  Early eCore administrators worked with him, and he said that, “dang nab bit by Golly,” – it could be done.

Today, he longs to be able to see his students, but feels that he knows them better than his traditional students in many ways.  He says he has discussed this phenomena with students, and many have told him that they feel less “apprehensive about speaking their minds” in the online environment.  He particularly enjoys the chance to work with adult learners, who are so dedicated to learning and succeeding, while balancing work and young children.  Being in his 80s is an advantage for him because “the older you are, the more life experience you have.”When asked about the future of America, Broussard’s response was simple. “Never ask a historian about the future. They do a terrible job of predicting the future, but they can tell you a lot about the past.”    

Faculty Highlights

5:22 PM

Kendra A. Hollern is a Lecturer in Political Science at Valdosta State University and teaches eMajor classes.

I teach in our Legal Assistant Studies program which is housed in VSU's Political Science Department.  We have been moving our program from strictly face to face to online.  I enjoy the flexibility and challenge of being able to teach online.  I have taken online courses myself when I completed my LL.M. in Elder Law.  It is great to be able to conduct classes from home or on vacation!

Outside of the eMajor delivery system, I try not to do anything differently.  I encourage open discussions in my face to face courses and have translated that into my onine dicussion boards.  I am very interactive with the students in my online courses so that they get the same feedback as my face to face students. I am very active on my discussion boards so the students can get feedback.  But in the online environment you do need to be more careful in your communications as emails/postings can be interpreted in more than one way.

In the past to change things up I have taken away exams and use alternative assessments.  I give real world based projects that students can expect to get in a law office.   Our clients have been Kermitt Frogg and Under Dog.

An interesting event that happened on a trip was at the Special Needs and Trusts Conference in St. Pete Beach in October.   This is conference that is hosted by Stetson College of Law where I got my LL.M. in Elder Law.  I ran into my Ethics professor and she asked me to help critique her Moot Court students who were about to go to competition.  Moot Court is appellate brief writing and oral arguments.  It was fun to watch and reminded me of my law school days...and how I sometimes miss the courtroom.

Funny job story (aka things we do for money): When I was in high school I worked at a grocery store called Hy-Vee.  The Nabisco representative couldn't come every week so he "hired" me to help him make sure his stock was full on the shelves the weeks he wasn't there.  But, then one day he wanted to do a promotion that involved handing out cookies...and I had to dress in a Ernie the Keebler Elf costume...and I am a short woman...I stand about 5 foot 1.   My co-workers called me Keebler for 6 months after that.  I still won't eat those darn cookies.

*eMajor students have access to great faculty like Kendra Hollern who teach great classes and as you can tell from her story is not afraid to go above and beyond for her students. Take a look at eMajor to learn more.

Faculty Highlights

10:38 AM

José Gomez is an 18-year cancer survivor. In 1994, at the age of four, he was diagnosed with leukemia. After chemotherapy and treatment, he did well until the cancer came back in 1999. José then received a bone marrow transplant from one of his three siblings, and his cancer was gone again. Little did he know that his health battles were just beginning. José began to experience lung complications as a result of the bone marrow transplant. In 2007, he received the first of two double lung transplants. 

José began taking traditional college courses in the Fall of 2009. By Thanksgiving of that year, he was hospitalized and unable to finish his coursework. In Fall 2010, José began taking eCore classes, as his doctors felt he was not physically able to attend regular campus classes.

Today, José is a full time eCore student. He says that if not for eCore he would not have been able to continue his education. He hopes to eventually attend and complete medical school.  

Jose explains that he likes being able to take work in his classes any time of the day. While he usually prefers doing his coursework in the afternoon, he works late at night if he has trouble sleeping.  He says that he also really likes the resources available to eCore students, particularly tutoring. 

When asked his age, Jose says, “With the beard I am 21. Without the beard I am 12. And when I go to Golden Corral I am definitely 12!”  Jose actually celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this week (November 6).

Jose has been an inspiration to all who know him, including eCore staff who have interacted with him. A Facebook friend of Jose's recently posted an original Jose quote on his wall: "Never talk defeat, for if you do, you can talk yourself into accepting it."

Real Student Stories

7:43 PM