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Go"Undergrad and Graduate Degree Colorado State University - Global Campus"
I began with CSU-GC in October 2008, the first semester that the school opened and I lived in Colorado. Since then, I finished my undergraduate degree and also completed my graduate degree. I have seen a few erroneous statements on this site about CSU-GC, so I thought I would clear these up. Each semester at CSU-GC is divided into three, 8 week sessions. As an example, when you sign up for classes, you will sign up for Spring 2011 - Session A. This is one "session" of the semester. You can also sign up for Spring 2011 - Session B, and Spring 2011 - Session C. Each of these is a separate 8 week session that does not overlap with any other session. If you aren't really motivated, this allows you to take one class at a time, but get in 9 credit hours each semester. However, if you are like me and want to actually finish school...you can take multiple classes each session. The school's administration will allow you to take 2 classes during one session without much question...however, they will not allow you to take more than this unless you finish up the 2 classes with decent grades and good participation during the session. I was lucky enough that during my time, I was able to take up to 4 classes during a session, and still keep my 4.0 GPA. However, I was watched closely to see if my performance tapered off during the session...not just by the professor, but even Dr. Takeda-Tinker, the school's president. Expectations for the courses include a lot of interaction using the Blackboard system, quizes in the undergrad program, and writing assignments during the week and at the end of the course. Expectations for student writing and critical thinking gets progressively more intense as the a student progresses through the courses toward's their chosen degree. New students need to be prepared to prove their writing abilities early. The use of APA in all writing is an expectation that the school WILL NOT negotiate. Anyone expecting to go to CSU-GC needs to buy the latest APA manual and spend time learning the format. Don't argue about it, just do it...your life will be easier. Interaction with everyone at the school is outstanding, from Admissions, to Finance, to even the school's leadership. As a student, I have had telephone and email interactions with Dr. Bellum and Dr. Takeda-Tinker, and I always felt I was being treated appropriately and with respect. Depending on your situation, the next bit of information is either going to be good or bad. Don't try to argue about it...it "is what it is". Most of the students at CSU-GC have a significant amount of "real-world" work experience. On the occasion that someone without a clue of how the real-world works gets into a class, the other students can typically tell due to the format and expectations of the discussion boards. If you have never worked anyplace other than McDonald's or The Gap, I do not suggest that you sign up for CSU-GC's program. You will struggle to keep up with the discussions, and everyone will see that you have little practical experience. You will not be treated well by the rest of the student body, although the instructors will work with you. Most of my classmates, and myself included, are all in our late 30's, early 40's, and have been in professional careers for a number of years. If you don't have this experience, you may consider another venue. The financial staff at CSU-GC were great to me. I am a veteran, but my GI Bill benefits expired years ago. I was able to lock in my course rates when the school first opened, and I kept those rates throughout the program. When I moved to Alaska, there was not change in rates due to my residency change. I did not want to get into debt with student loans, but I also couldn't just pay off my tuition immediately. The financial staff worked with me to create a payment program where I paid a $200 a month, and I made extra payments when I could. I never received an erroneous bill, never got nasty emails where someone wasn't aware of my payment plan. The only expectation was that all tuition had to be paid-in-full prior to graduation. I was able to meet that expectation, finishing up both my undergrad and graduate degrees without taking out a single loan or having a penny of credit card debt. Hopefully, this review gives you some clarity about Colorado State University - Global Campus (CSU-GC). If you have any questions, you can go to my personal website and contact me. That website is at http://itpodcast.org/blog . As I said previously, I started with the school in October 2008, graduated with my Bachelors degree in Spring 2010, and finished my Masters in April 2011.
