New at Penn State
Penn State Intercom......July 12, 2001

University, Microsoft help
state officials join digital revolution

Picture a Pennsylvania attuned to the digital age, one that makes better use of taxpayer dollars, provides better constituent service, and is, in the phrase of the Commonwealth's chief executive, "friction free."

That's the goal of a series of seminars being delivered in Harrisburg by the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), Microsoft Corp. and Penn State Harrisburg.

With support from the state offices of Administration and Information Technology, the University and Microsoft have created a program to meet the individual needs of government professionals as they prepare for the new opportunities afforded by the digital revolution -- opportunities that ultimately benefit the state's citizens. Tracks are specifically designed for executives, project managers and information technology developers. Successful completion of the program earns the participant a Penn State "e-Government Specialist" certificate.

James B. Thomas, dean of IST, is helping to conduct the seminar series along with these IST-affiliated experts: Cole Camplese, director of education and training solutions; Shawn Clark, director of business solutions and assistant professor of information sciences and technology; Lee Giles, holder of the David Reese Professorship in IST; Jan Mahar, assistant director of business solutions; and Steve Sawyer, associate professor of information sciences and technology and associate professor of management science and information systems.

Working with the IST team is John Bagby, professor of business law with The Smeal College of Business Administration, and Steve Wyant, an adjunct faculty member at Penn State Harrisburg.

Partnership allows military
personnel to pursue academic goals

When Tom Scheidemantel was stationed at a U.S. Coast Guard post in Duluth, Minn., Penn State distance education courses were a welcome break from the long winters.

Scheidemantel started working toward a bachelor's degree in physics when he first shipped out. The distance education courses allowed him to continue to learn while he served in the Coast Guard.

A new partnership between the University's World Campus/Distance Education, the Army National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard will make it easier for other military personnel to pursue their academic goals.

Through the new agreement, the University has been named a partner institution in the provision of distance education to soldiers, their spouses and civilian employees in the Army National Guard and Coast Guard communities. The University will work with the Army National Guard Institute and the Coast Guard Institute Voluntary Education Program to deliver college courses anytime, anywhere. Students will participate in the courses from around the world through the World Campus and Independent Learning programs, earning the same degrees as those who attend campus-based programs.

Penn State DuBois business
program offered in St. Marys

Elk and Cameron county residents can now earn a certificate in business leadership and an associate degree in business administration from the University through a new program starting this fall in St. Marys.

Penn State DuBois will offer courses for the certificate and associate degree at the Community Education Council located in the Marienstadt Center in St. Marys. Students who enroll full time can complete the associate degree in business administration with management option in two years. Classes begin Aug. 21.

The Business Leadership Certificate is designed to teach the critical management skills that business and industry leaders need to function effectively in today's workplace. "Two computer courses are also integrated into the curriculum so entry-level as well as experienced leaders can expand and update much-needed technical skills," said Tricia Lukehart, community outreach coordinator for Penn State DuBois.

Students can complete the certificate in two semesters by taking two courses in the fall and spring.

Students who complete the core certificate and want to increase their own marketability may pursue a specialized certificate in one of three areas: human resources, marketing management and industrial business management.

Students also may pursue an associate degree in business administration with management option. In this option, students learn how to write a business plan, develop marketing strategies and improve their communication skills, Lukehart said.

Applications for the fall semester are being taken now. For information about the new program, financial aid or scholarship opportunities, visit Lukehart at the Community Education Council, Marienstadt Center, 4 Erie Ave., Suite 200, St. Marys, or call (814) 834-3593.

Competency credential
offered in sonography

Practicing sonographers can earn a Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound) Competency Credential, work toward a bachelor's degree, or receive noncredit instruction through an initiative this fall at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Those taking the course work for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Competency Credential can transfer the credits they earn to the applied health studies bachelor's-degree program offered by the college's School of Health Sciences. Noncredit programming will be offered through Penn College's Technology Transfer Center.

The classes will be scheduled primarily on weekends, and distance-education and Web-based learning options will be available. Participants who complete all six content areas with 208 hours of instruction and 13 credits, and who have the requisite 1,200 hours of documented clinical practice, are eligible for a competency credential, which prepares practitioners to take their certification exams.

To be eligible for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Competency Credential, applicants must document 1,200 hours of clinical practice, be a registered radiographer, a practitioner of sonography seeking certification eligibility or a senior student in the radiography program.

Sonographers preparing for ultrasound registration may wish to consider attending the ultrasound registry review sessions being offered July 13, 14 and 15 at Penn College. All registry review courses have been approved for continuing medical education credits.

For information about the registry review or to register for noncredit, continuing education courses in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, call (570) 327-4775 or send e-mail to ttcemail@pct.edu.

For information about the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Competency Credential and/or credit courses, call Robert Slothus, director of the Department of Radiography, at (570) 320-8007; e-mail rslothus@pct.edu; or check the Web at http://www.pct.edu/schools/ultrasound.

Innovative program aims
to identify learning disabilities

Learning disabilities are most commonly diagnosed in children at the elementary or secondary school level. But with increasing regularity, college students are found to suffer from the same problems.

An innovative effort at Penn State Harrisburg and its sister campus, Penn State Schuylkill, is providing testing and intervention for students who suspect they, too, may have some type of learning disability.

A new effort, initiated by Thomas G. Bowers, associate professor of psychology, in conjunction with the college's Student Assistance Center, is now lending a diagnostic hand to students who believe they may be suffering from a learning disorder.

While the concept of diagnosing and treating young people for learning disabilities is relatively new at the college level nationwide, the Harrisburg and Schuylkill campuses are incorporating ways for a select number of its qualified graduate students to help with the necessary testing and diagnosing, gaining valuable and practical career experience in the process.

At the two campuses, any student feeling he or she has a learning or attention disorder or personality problems having a negative impact upon academic functioning is encouraged to contact the Student Assistance Center and make an appointment with a counselor.

For more information, check the Web at http://www.hbg.psu.edu/studaf/sac.htm.

Penn State Beaver helps
low-income youth DARE2XL

Among Pennsylvania school districts, the City of Aliquippa ranks second highest in the percentage of school-age children living in poverty. According to the latest Pennsylvania State Data Center statistics, this Beaver County district has a 43.2 percent child poverty rate in K-12 schools, nearly three times the statewide total of 15.7 percent.

With such high levels of poverty, many Aliquippa children face greater risks of depression, drug and alcohol use and low scholastic achievement, but an award-winning partnership between Penn State Beaver, the Housing Authority of Beaver County and TAME Inc. helps students overcome those risks and go on to develop excellent academic performance.

The program, called DARE2XL, was designed by TAME Inc., and Penn State Beaver implemented and coordinates the after school program in the community. DARE2XL -- which stands for Dream, Aspire, Reach and Excel -- provides comprehensive prevention, intervention and treatment activities designed to have a positive impact on the public housing communities of Linmar Terrace, Griffith Heights and Linmar Terrace Extension of the City of Aliquippa.

Donald E. Sheffield, director of Diversity Outreach Programs, assistant to the associate vice president for Outreach and Cooperative Extension and affiliate professor of education at Penn State Beaver, developed and directs the program.

In the DARE2XL program, local youth interact with teachers, professionals and Penn State Beaver education and sociology undergraduates trained in good study practices and high-performance techniques. According to Sheffield, this supervision of their study encourages them to do their best and helps them to learn in effective ways.

The involvement of education majors through Sheffield's "Early Field Experience" course (C&I 295) has benefited both the children and their Penn State tutors.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/News/.

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