Ashworth College Offers Career-Specific Education With New Vocational High School Program

/PRNewswire/ -- Ashworth College, parent company for Ashworth High School, announced today the addition of vocational high school curricula to its roster of high school programs.

The vocational program at Ashworth High School (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/programs/high-school) offers students the opportunity to match personal interests to a selection of career programs in one of three vocational tracks - computers, health care or skilled trades. Each track allows students to acquire career-relevant learning prior to entering the job market.

"Most everyone understands the importance of a high school diploma," said Dr. Milton Miller, Ed.D., Vice President of Education at Ashworth College. "However, not everyone chooses to immediately go on to college."

"There are many high school graduates out there who simply prefer to enter the workforce and start earning income," Dr. Miller added. "By providing students a practical, real-life education, Ashworth can help these students get a head start on their careers."

Vocational Career Tracks

Upon selecting a track, a student has the freedom to select two different career courses or to pair a career course with a business course.

"Through Ashworth High School's vocational career tracks, students can gain skills that are applicable across a variety of business types," said John Riser, Education Operations Director. "This educational experience will give many an advantage when looking for their first job."

Riser also points out that these courses are not merely overviews, but rather specialty concentrations.

"Our career programs are developed by working professionals, who are considered experts in their respective fields," he added. "Ashworth students are able to benefit from career-specific learning that is not always available in a traditional high school program."

Each of Ashworth High School's career tracks offer as many as ten career courses to choose from. Additionally, students also can choose from a list of six business courses. Available courses include:

-- Computers
-- Computer Programming with Visual Basic
-- Computer Network Security
-- Computer Network Technician
-- Graphic Design
-- PC Service and Repair -- A+
-- Web site Design
-- Health Care
-- Fitness and Exercise
-- Health Records Specialist
-- Massage Techniques
-- Medical and Dental Office Assisting
-- Medical Billing
-- Nutrition Specialist
-- Pharmacy Tech
-- Physical Therapy Aide
-- Skilled Trades
-- Auto Mechanics
-- Carpentry
-- Electrician
-- Gunsmithing
-- Heating and Air Conditioning
-- Home Inspection
-- Landscape Design
-- Locksmith
-- Motorcycle Repair
-- Plumbing
-- Business
-- Introduction to Financial Statements
-- Introduction to Sales
-- Online Business Management
-- Accounting
-- Computer Accounting
-- Small Business Management

About Ashworth College


Ashworth College, a leader in distance education, offers students worldwide more than 100 career-focused High School and Career online diploma programs; undergraduate and graduate online certificate programs; and Associate, Bachelor's and Master's online degree programs that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth also offers specialized programs to corporate partners, active duty military personnel, military spouses, and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a division of the US Department of Education. Ashworth High School is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For more information visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/programs/high-school

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Georgia State University and NCKU Signed a Memorandum of Cooperation

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prof. Mark P. Becker, the President of Georgia State University (GSU), U.S.A., and Academician Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, the President of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, together signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on Nov. 19th. Both of them wish to have a closer relationship in the future and to create a better environment with outstanding achievement in higher education.

They both agreed to establish and encourage mutually beneficial scientific, technological, educational and other relations, including exchange of academic staff members for the purpose of research, teaching and the presentation of special courses in their fields of specialization, student exchange and study abroad programs, establishment of joint research programs, collaboration on third party funded educational or economic assistance activities, exchange of postgraduate students for specific research projects or courses of interest and importance, exchange of scientific and educational literature produced by either or both parties, as well as the exchange of material on the most relevant and topical researches, and organization of conferences, seminars and symposia of mutual interest to the institutions.

President Becker said that Georgia State University is located in the south of US and there are many Chinese there. The weather over there is just like that of southern Taiwan, which will make Taiwanese students feel familiar and easy to adapt to if they go there to study. The University is strong in business, law, and health science. Though the GSU does not have a medical school, they have top research institutions specializing in neuroscience, biology, and disaster research. The GSU will collaborate with NCKU mainly in biochemistry. They have Chinese faculty members teaching biology, mathematics, and computer science, and it is because of their introduction that GSU seeks to extend their academic ties with NCKU and make this signing of MOC possible.

“I am also glad to sign this MOC today. It will be a good opportunity for NCKU to cooperate with GSU. I hope there will be more chances for our students to study in GSU,” said President Lai.

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HHS Announces Plans to Make $80 Million Available to Support Health IT Workforce

Grants Will Support Community College Training Programs, Curriculum Development, Additional Programs to be Announced in Coming Weeks

Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS' National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, today announced plans to make available $80 million in grants to help develop and strengthen the health information technology workforce. The grants that will be made available include $70 million for community college training programs and $10 million to develop educational materials to support these programs. Both programs will support the immediate need for skilled health information technology (health IT) professionals who will enable the broad adoption and use of health IT throughout the United States.

Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the grants are the first in a series of programs to help strengthen and support the health IT workforce. Additional details regarding the grant programs for these and other key resource and training areas will be
announced over the next several weeks.

"Ensuring the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), information exchange among health care providers and public health authorities, and redesign of workflows within health care settings all depend on having a qualified pool of workers," Dr. Blumenthal said. "The expansion of a highly skilled workforce developed through these programs will help health care providers and hospitals implement and maintain EHRs and use them to strengthen delivery of care."

The Community College program will establish intensive, non-degree training that can be completed in six months or less by individuals with some background in either health care or IT fields. Participating colleges will coordinate their efforts through five regional consortia that span the nation. Graduates of this training will fill a variety of roles that both assist health care practices during the critical process of deploying IT systems and support these practices on an ongoing basis.

The curriculum development program will make high quality educational materials available to the community colleges so these training programs can be established quickly to meet these workforce needs.

Any U.S. non-profit institution of higher learning currently engaged in providing training in health IT that is interested in drafting curriculum or establishing a consortium that includes community colleges may apply for the grants. Information about grant applications will be
available shortly at http://healthIT.HHS.gov/HITECHgrants.

"Critical to achieving the goal of the Heath Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and supporting meaningful use of health IT is the availability of a skilled workforce that understands the unique technology and management needs within a clinical setting," added Dr. Blumenthal. "These newly funded programs are designed to equip the most qualified and advanced IT workforce in the world with the tools they need to modernize our health system."

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Emory's Oxford College, Candler School of Theology Receive $4.25 Million in Gifts from Oxford College Alumnus' Estate

Oxford College of Emory University and Emory's Candler School of Theology have received gifts totaling more than $4.25 million from the Charles Edwin Suber Foundation.

Oxford College received a $3.35 million gift, the largest cash gift in the college's history, and Candler School of Theology received a gift of $903,177. Both gifts were unrestricted to be used for the most pressing needs of the schools.

The Suber Foundation was established by the estate of Charles Edwin "Ed" Suber. A 1942 graduate of Oxford College who passed away in November 2007, Suber attended Emory University and was retired from the Fulton County Superior Court system as court clerk.

A portion of the Oxford College gift, $100,000, will be used to establish a scholarship in Suber's name. The remaining $3.25 million will be used to support Oxford's building program, including a new science facility, which would replace the current facility built in 1965, and a new library, replacing the current 1970 building.

Stephen H. Bowen, dean of Oxford College, says, "We have needed a major gift to create momentum in raising funds for these building projects. This is that gift. When we look back after 10 years, we will recognize this as a pivotal moment in the development of Oxford College."

Candler School of Theology Dean Jan Love says she will assess where the gift can best be applied in light of funding needs for the second phase of Candler's building projects, as well as student support and faculty enhancement.

"The generosity of this lifelong United Methodist layman is overwhelming and will benefit the Candler community for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for this remarkable gift," Love says.

Suber was a lifelong resident of Atlanta's Ben Hill community, where his family owned and operated the C.P. Suber Grocery Store. He served in the Army during World War II.

Jim Campbell, executor of Suber's estate, says his first cousin was an ordinary man who has left an extraordinary legacy.

"Ed indicated a direction through the gifts he made through his will, and we followed through with that direction," says Campbell, who chose Oxford College and Candler School of Theology to receive gifts from Suber's estate. "He was very kind and he had a great sense of humor. He loved to travel and square dance. He lived a very simple life, but he was very generous to those people and causes he cared about. He was a great person, and his life will go on even if he is not here."

These gifts are part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fund-raising endeavor that combines private support and the university’s people, places and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world. Investments through Campaign Emory fuel efforts to address fundamental challenges: improving health, gaining ground in science and technology, resolving conflict, harnessing the power of the arts, and educating the heart and mind.


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Design showcase at University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus highlights students' multimedia projects

Graduate students in the learning, design and technology program at the University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus will present a Studio Showcase highlighting their multimedia projects at 5:30 p.m. on Dec.1.The showcase will be held in room 165 of the UGA Gwinnett Campus, located at 2530 Sever Road in Lawrenceville. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

The showcase will be co-sponsored by the Atlanta chapter of the International Society for Performance Improvement and will feature individual instructional technology projects covering a wide range of topics, as well as a joint volunteer service project for the National Gardening Association.

The heart of the learning, design and technology curriculum is an innovative learning community called The Studio, which meets on Tuesday evenings at the UGA Gwinnett Campus.The Studio involves students in multiple course levels creating various multimedia projects together in a shared learning space. The Studio courses provide an ongoing face-to-face anchor in a graduate curriculum where approximately half of the courses are conducted online.

Students in the two-year graduate degree program also are encouraged to pursue
professional networking opportunities, whether with K-12 education organizations or with business and industry groups more oriented toward training and performance, such as the co-sponsoring International Society for Performance Improvement (http://ispi-atlanta.org).

In addition to working on their professional knowledge and skills, members of The Studio community are also required to donate 10 hours of service to a non-profit organization where they can apply their technology expertise. This semester’s service project was conducted in collaboration with the National Gardening Association, a non-profit group devoted to education through working with plants. The NGA has two Web sites: one for everyone to learn more about plants (http://assoc.garden.org/) and the other targeted at people who teach kids (http://www.kidsgardening.com/).

The NGA previously did not have web-based play and learn experiences for children. Under the direction of UGA learning, design and technology program graduate Jennifer Lortz, the 29 students in The Studio each donated 10 hours of service to create the play and learn Web technology. Four different web-based activities were created. They can be used by the NGA to reach children and help foster greater interest in gardening and the care of plants. These four projects will be highlighted, along with other student multimedia projects, at the Studio Showcase.

For more information about the instructional design and development graduate degree offered at the UGA Gwinnett Campus, see http://www.coe.uga.edu/epit/idd or call Lloyd Rieber at 706/542-3986.

For more information on the UGA Gwinnett Campus and other programs offered there, see http://www.uga.edu/gwinnett/.

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Georgia Tech Creates School of City and Regional Planning

Georgia Tech has announced the creation of the School of City and Regional Planning with responsibilities including a Master of City and Regional Planning degree program, a Ph.D. concentration in City and Regional Planning, and research aimed at advancing the practice of urban planning in Georgia, the U.S. and across the globe.

The School of City and Regional Planning replaces the City and Regional Planning Program, continuing Tech’s work in support of the urban planning profession begun in 1952 when Howard Menhinick came to the Institute from the Tennessee Valley Authority to found the Graduate City Planning Program. In the years since, the Institute has awarded more than 1,100 graduate degrees in the field and now has planning alumni practicing in forty five states and twenty five countries. Nine alumni (and five current faculty) have been inducted as Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Seven degree program specializations are offered: Economic Development, Environmental Planning, Geographic Information Systems, Land and Community Development, Land Use, Transportation Planning, and Urban Design. Dual degrees and certificates are offered in conjunction with Tech’s schools of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Public Policy and with Georgia State University in historic preservation, law and real estate.

Georgia Tech’s Center for Geographic Information Systems and Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development support the School’s mission with interdisciplinary research. These Centers together with School faculty annually conduct in excess of $2.5 million of sponsored research for government, industry and third sector clients. GIS Center Director Steven P. French, FAICP, and Quality Growth Center Director Catherine Ross join School Chair Bruce Stiftel, FAICP, and PhD Program Director Michael Elliott as leaders of the forty teaching and research faculty.

The School’s Strategic Plan anticipates two new master’s degree programs, in Urban Design and in Geographic Information Systems; launch of a named PhD degree in City and Regional Planning; expansion of international focus and linkages; and leadership in designing sustainable cities of the 21st Century. In 2010, the School will host the annual PhD Workshop of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, and together with Sun Yet-Sen University, will organize the ninth annual conference of the International Urban Planning and Environment Association in Guangzhou City, China.

“The timing is auspicious and I am convinced the creation of the School of City and Regional Planning supports our ambitions to clarify and strengthen the character of the College,” said College of Architecture Dean Alan Balfour. “It matches the scale and reputation of the discipline and solidifies its identity within the designed and built environment professions.”

By Teri Nagel

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The Newnan Center set for growth

One of the University of West Georgia’s best kept secrets is receiving its due recognition. This semester, the Newnan Center property transferred ownership from the Coweta County Commission to the University System of Georgia.

In 1990, approximately 100 students attended the first classes in what was once the Georgia Power Shenandoah Environment and Education Center. Today, the 14-acre center has an enrollment of more than 3,400 and serves students from more than 46 counties.

Community leaders and organizations also use the center for meetings and trainings. In addition to core curriculum courses, UWG Newnan offers full undergraduate degrees in nursing and early childhood education, and graduate degrees in business administration, criminology and four education programs.

The educational facility is comprised of two occupied buildings with 10 rooms available for instruction. Two new lecture halls, a new nursing lab, classrooms and a biology lab have all been equipped with multimedia technology. With the transfer of property, the location is now able to expand and upgrade its facilities.

Easily accessible to I-85 and neighboring counties, the Newnan Center is located off Highway 34 east of Newnan at 7 Solar Circle. For more information, go to http://www.nc.westga.edu.

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Regents Approve 8 Percent Budget Reduction Plan for University System

As state tax collections continue to decline, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents today (November 17) approved plans to adjust the System’s budget from a six percent reduction ($135 million) to an eight percent reduction level, ($176 million) for the current fiscal year (FY2010). The Board’s actions call for new reductions to the System’s 35 public colleges and universities as well as implementing an additional mandatory student fee.

The increase in the mandatory fee for all USG students, which will be effective for the upcoming spring 2010 semester, has been set at $100 at research universities and six other universities, $75 at most comprehensive universities, and $50 at two-year and state colleges. The increase will be added to the current mandatory fee, which went into effect in January 2009. The total new mandatory fee thus will be $200/$150/$100.

In addition to the fee, the board approved a moratorium on student fee increases for FY 2011 and a sunset date of June 30, 2012 for the total mandatory student fee increase. The lone exception to the moratorium will be fees for public/private venture projects, such as residence halls, student-financed recreation centers and other facilities with a revenue stream or fees required under extraordinary circumstances and with significant student support.

Initially approved in concept and for planning purposes by the regents in August 2009, the eight percent reduction plan is designed to help preserve academic quality while having the least possible negative effect on students, Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs Usha Ramachandran advised the board. “We are striking that delicate balance between maintaining high academic quality and preserving affordability in these very tough economic times.”

While the additional student fee will generate $24 million in FY 2010, an additional $12 million in savings must also be realized in the budgets of the System’s 35 public colleges and universities, either through additional employee furlough days, the elimination of positions, employee layoffs or other program and structural changes. Including continuing cuts from FY2009 of $275 million as well as FY2010 reductions, USG officials are currently managing $410 million in state funding cuts, which were only partially offset by $148 million in formula funding received in FY 2010 as a result of significant increases in student enrollment.

To move from the six percent to the eight percent reduction level, the original August budget reduction plan called for no additional cuts to institutional budgets and a somewhat higher student fee, of $150 at the research universities and six comprehensive universities, $100 at most comprehensive universities, and $75 at two-year and state colleges.

“When the board approved the initial concept, we were working from data we had at the time on the economy and the state budget,” said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. “Since August, the situation has evolved. While the state’s budget situation has continued to decline, we were able to revise our eight percent reductions in a way that minimizes the financial burden on students as much as possible.”

Ramachandran noted that the overall Fiscal Year 2010 reductions spread the impact among faculty and staff, campus operations and students in a very balanced manner. “Approximately 86 percent, or $152 million of the reductions are being borne by our institutions and employees,” she said. “The student share of the cuts with the additional fee is 14 percent, or $24 million.”

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Athens and Albany medical campuses on target for 2010, accrediting body says

Resources are adequate for Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine to proceed with a four-year campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia and a two-year residential clinical campus in Southwest Georgia, the accrediting body for U.S. medical schools has confirmed.

"This is continued good news about steady progress at both campuses," School of Medicine Dean Doug Miller said about the Liaison Committee on Medical Education announcement. "We believe the LCME has pronounced both projects on track according to the timeline we have laid out."

The first class of 40 freshman students will start classes at the Interim Medical Partnership Building on Williams Street in Athens, one block from the main UGA Campus, in August 2010, says Dr. Barbara Schuster, campus dean of the MCG/UGA Medical Partnership. The LCME will receive a follow-up report at that time. The MCG School of Medicine has already accepted 60 students out of a class of 230 for next fall semester; 190 will be in Augusta. Inaugural students for the Athens campus will be assigned shortly.

MCG's first clinical campus, based at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, opened in 2005 and is on target to become a residential clinical campus in July 2010, housing students during their clinical- intensive third and fourth years of medical school. An LCME visit Dec. 2-3 will assess faculty and facilities to pave the way for its residential status. "Some of our most popular teaching sites in the state are in the Southwest region. The buzz is very positive from the students," said Dr. Linda Boyd, associate dean for regional campus coordination. The initial enrollment of eight to 10 students likely will grow to 40 in coming years.

Last year over 200 MCG medical students completed one or more clinical rotations in Southwest Georgia, working with physicians for four to six weeks per rotation in specialties including family medicine, pediatrics, surgery and obstetrics-gynecology. Residential campus status will enable students to spend a lot more time in a medically underserved area of the state, said Dr. Iqbal Khan, assistant dean of the campus which opened in 2005. "The medical community on our campus enjoys participating in student education and does an outstanding job educating future doctors. As Dr. Boyd says, there is a lot of enthusiasm here among the medical community and students alike. "

"Phoebe is committed to walking lockstep with MCG to provide the support necessary to ensure a first-class training environment that will attract the best and brightest MCG students," added Dr. Doug Patten, senior vice president of medical affairs at Phoebe. "We see this as a key component of our strategy to ensure the supply of physicians for the future needs of Southwest Georgia." A total of 12 hospitals from cities including Tifton, Moultrie and Columbus have signed on as clinical facilities for that part of the state.

In Athens, where 19 faculty are on board and more recruitment is underway, the focus is on fine-tuning the curriculum and generating enthusiasm to participate in medical education among area physicians and hospitals in Northeast Georgia. A recent open house at the new medical school building enabled Athens Regional Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital to spread the word to about 150 community physicians and hospital leaders; a few days later about 100 primary care physicians and colleagues toured the campus facility. On a recent visit to nearby Gainesville, Northeast Georgia Health System leadership also was updated on the medical campus developments. "You can definitely feel people getting much more excited," Dr. Schuster said

The campuses are part of an overall plan to increase the MCG School of Medicine's class size from 190 to 300 students by 2020 to help meet Georgia's need for physicians, according to Dean Miller, who also serves as MCG's senior vice president for health affairs. Georgia ranks ninth in the nation in both population and population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and ninth as well for physicians retained in the state after public undergraduate medical education. The state currently ranks 40th in the number of physicians per capita, according to the American Medical Association.

The statewide plan includes a second clinical campus, Southeast Georgia Clinical Campus based at St. Joseph's/Candler Health System in Savannah, which is slated for residential campus designation in coming years, Dr. Boyd said. The medical school class size will grow from 190 to 240 in Augusta and 40 to 60 in Athens. Facilities to accommodate the larger class in Augusta are under design.

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Proton Energy Systems Announces $1 Million Scholarship Program

/PRNewswire/ -- Global hydrogen energy leader Proton Energy Systems announced today it is launching a $1 million scholarship program aimed at high school seniors across the nation. The Proton Energy Scholarship will recognize and award high school seniors who demonstrate outstanding achievement, excellence and promise in the field of science or technology, and who plan to pursue higher education in this field.

The scholarship program is supported and funded by Tom Sullivan, owner of Proton Energy and founder of the national chain Lumber Liquidators. The scholarship will award four-year undergraduate scholarship prizes with a total value of up to $100,000 each. Honorable Mentions, Proton Energy Achievers, will be awarded $500 prizes. Sullivan has committed $1 million to the Hydrogen Education Foundation (HEF), who is administering the scholarship program.

"Proton Energy is committed to innovation and creativity, and it is our hope that through this scholarship, we can help inspire young people with an interest in science and technology," said Sullivan. "The cost of college can sometimes be overwhelming -- especially in this economy -- and we are proud to help alleviate this burden, while also encouraging new ideas among some of America's most promising high school students in a field that holds tremendous importance for the future."

Proton Energy is the world's leading supplier of onsite hydrogen generators utilizing PEM (proton exchange membrane) technology, which creates high purity hydrogen from de-mineralized water and electricity. The company has been developing and manufacturing world-class electrolysis systems since 1996, with more than 1200 units deployed world-wide, on every continent. Proton Energy has also been involved in more than a dozen hydrogen fueling stations currently in operation around the nation, and its commitment to innovation has been recognized with contracts from the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.

"We are thrilled that Proton chose the Hydrogen Education Foundation to administer this exciting new program," said Jeffrey Serfass, President of the HEF. "We look forward to identifying and awarding star students who will help us address the global energy and environmental challenges ahead."

The Proton Energy Scholarship, aimed at high school seniors, will play an important complementary role to two other HEF programs, the Hydrogen Student Design Contest and the H-Prize, which respectively hold competitions for university-level students and innovators seeking excellence beyond higher education.

Proton Energy Scholarship applicants will be evaluated on academic performance, strength of application, commitment to further education in a science or technology related field, financial need and demonstrated leadership, work ethic and community involvement. Deadline for applications is February 10, 2010. Winners will be announced on April 15, 2010.

For more information on the Proton Energy Scholarship, application guidelines, and to apply, visit www.ProtonEnergyScholarship.org .

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Georgia Tech Creates New Online Master’s Degree in Information Security

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The College of Computing today announced the creation of a new Master of Science in Information Security available online in a distance learning format, a flexible degree option for working information security professionals who want more than industry certification. Georgia Tech is the only university of its class certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education that offers the degree in an online format.

“Because of the growing sophistication of threats we face in cyber space, organizations that both build new security solutions and those that must utilize such solutions to protect their information technology assets will need qualified IS professionals with advanced knowledge of the field to address new security challenges,” said Mustaque Ahamad, Professor in the College of Computing’s School of Computer Science and Director of the Georgia Tech Information Security Center. “An organization’s reputation rests on its ability to safeguard its information and remain compliant with regulatory requirements. This requires a much broader, deeper understanding of the field than a certificate can supply.”

Georgia Tech is an established leader in the field of information security research and education, unique in its offering of a technical or policy specialization in the degree program. Close ties to the College of Management and the School of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts keep the policy track relevant while the technical portion of the degree is taught by faculty from a nationally ranked top ten computing program. Approximately 30 candidates per year are expected to be admitted to the distance program. Georgia Tech currently has over 25 faculty actively engaged in information security research.

“The rigor, breadth and depth of Georgia Tech’s MS in information security degree program comprehensively prepares students for the high level of accountability that information security leaders have in today’s environment”, said Christopher Rouland, CEO of Endgame and former CTO of IBM Internet Security Systems. Mr. Rouland, a recognized leader in the information security field, received the MS in information security degree from Georgia Tech in 2008.

The new online degree program offers the same course rigor and academic discipline that is found in the traditional on-campus curriculum. Each student is required to complete seven core courses and three additional courses in a self-selected technical or policy specialization. Core areas of study include Information Security, Applied Cryptography, Network Security, Secure Computer Systems, and Strategies and Policies. The technical specialization examines the dimensions of providing security for information processing systems, including secure operating systems and applications, network security, cryptography, and security protocols. The policy concentration focuses on the many non-technical possibilities of information processing and security, including domestic and international policy processes, organizational routines and innovation, risk perception, industry-government relations, and the constitutional framework for governmental actions. An applied research project must also be completed.

More information about the degree program can be found at http://www.cc.gatech.edu/infosec.

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Bad Report Card? Studies Show An Online Tutor May Be The Answer

/24-7/ -- November is report card month and parents across the nation are bracing for unpleasant results. Swine flu school closures and a slow implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have contributed to stagnant test scores and low grades.

According to David P. Driscoll, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board which sets policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),

"...the failure of our 4th-graders to make progress nationally is a cause for concern."

Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 125,000 American students in roughly 19 states have had their schooling affected by swine flu school closures.

These regrettable circumstances are disconcerting for parents. Research shows that tutoring is a viable solution.

According to Marzano (2003),

"...the typical student who receives tutoring will obtain achievement scores .50 standard deviations higher than the typical student who does not receive tutoring. This translates into a 19th percentile point gain."

Yet with the vast number of tutoring services and styles, parents are overwhelmed with choices.

Stuart Ackerman, founder of the online tutoring site, Tutorgiant.com, believes he's found the answer.

"It all comes down to basic skills. One cannot learn about fractions without knowing how to multiply and divide. A student cannot write an essay unless he or she is first able to compose a topic sentence and a paragraph. When a student misses school and/or lacks basic skills, it's time to seek help. Online tutoring, especially with videos, gives students the tools for mastery because they can work at their own pace."

According to Northwestern University researcher Greg Duncan in the journal of Developmental Psychology,

"We find the single most important factor in predicting later academic achievement is that children begin school with a mastery of early math and literacy concepts...Mastery of early math skills predicts not only future math achievement, it also predicts future reading achievement."

Ackerman, a certified school teacher with 14 years of experience and a Masters in Education from New York State, came up with the idea of launching a comprehensive archive of instructional videos, employing himself as the featured tutor.

"I have organized Tutorgiant in such a way that the lessons are organized from basic skills to more advanced." Ackerman explained, "and with the ability to watch video lessons on demand twenty-four seven, I believe I have given students a recipe for success."

The results are impressive. With an archive, to date, of over 400 videos and 500 worksheets in math and English which span the early elementary grades to high school, Tutorgiant.com offers a highly engaging online learning experience. With Ackerman front and center in each video, the website offers instruction aided by eye-pleasing graphics that effectively illuminate key concepts.

"I originally designed Tutorgiant for students who were falling behind and needed an English and math tutor, but I also realized that students who missed school due to sickness and other reasons had to get caught up on lessons. It's also a great tool for students who are lacking basic skills because they can get ahead by learning the lesson before it's taught in school."

For concerned parents and educators looking for an educational website that will engage students and provide the necessary skills and concepts, Tutorgiant may very well be the answer.

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