We all know knowledge is power, and education is the foundation of progress.
For those of you who want to advance, yet juggle so much in your lives, pursuing an
online degree is your saving grace.
But now what?
How do you choose the right school for you?
Well, first off, remember this.
All online programs are not created equal.
Among the very best online programs, one of them shines brighter than a Texas Lone Star,
and Dr. De'Arno De'Armond, love your name, from West Texas A&M University is here to
explain.
So great to have you on the set.
Thank you.
It's so wonderful to be here.
Okay, Doctor, you know, is it a stretch to say that online learning has been one of the
biggest game changers in education?
I think online education, I think, is one that has really been an impetus for change
within the dynamics of education.
Sure.
And I'm sure a lot of our viewers are still asking, "How's it possible to get the same
level of education when you're not in the classroom?"
I think that education has had many different changes throughout history.
I think that online education is one of those that has been very, almost disruptive, in
a good way for education.
So, at West Texas A&M, where I am, we definitely take advantage of technology, and we have
a President that's very forward-minded, Dr. J. Pat O'Brien, and he hired some really amazing
people.
One of those is a Chief Information Officer that was ranked in Computer World.
His name is James Webb.
So, together they worked to strategize, and then that propagates through the entire university.
You know you're a Business Professor, and you're also Director of Accreditations.
What can you tell us about accreditation?
It must be really important when you're checking online degree programs that are out there,
right?
It's so very important, and if I'm at home right now, and I'm thinking of maybe going
back to school, you're going to find that schools are accredited by something.
And what you really need to do is be aware of what that something is.
Do your homework before you actually go do your schoolwork.
And what you'll find is that different accrediting bodies will tell you different things about
schools.
For example, in our College of Business, we achieve AACSB Accreditation.
What does that mean?
What is that?
Right.
For the average person that means nothing, but what that actually means is it's a business
school.
It's in the top 10% globally.
Wow.
So when you see that...
That's really important information.
It is.
And then also if you look at other accrediting bodies that exist within those schools, and
at West Texas A&M we work really hard to achieve the highest level of accreditation in each
and every program that we have.
That's impressive.
Now, speaking of business degrees.
I've heard that getting your MBA online is probably one of the most popular.
Is that true?
I think the MBA, because of the AACSB Accreditation, and because we were ranked in US News and
World Report, it caught a buzz.
And if you've ever thought about people that have a Psychology degree, maybe for example,
and they're at home.
Maybe they're running their own little business, and they have this passion for the business.
And suddenly they think, "Well, why am I not learning more about how to run my own business?"
And so what they've done is they've gone back and they've looked and they see, "Wow!
An MBA."
And a lot of times people think that they can't earn an MBA is they're not a business
undergraduate.
Wow.
That's not the case.
Alright, Doctor.
Let's listen to one of your students who had something to say about that.
I own The Golden Light Cafe and Cantina, and it's a bar and restaurant in Amarillo, Texas.
When looking for an MBA program, I researched several different programs, but I ended up
choosing WT because of its accreditation and the quality of its program.
All at an affordable price that I could do at my own time at home while running my businesses
and having two children.
It was just amazing for me.
Ah-Ha!
So, you know, you've got so many diverse students.
You've got first-time students, entrepreneurs, working adults, people with degrees, people
in the military.
What else should these type of students be looking for?
I think something for everyone to understand is that the nature of the online engagement
and learning is very diverse.
You do see all types of walks in online education, and I think that's something that when you
look for that, "Is the school military friendly?", "Does the school help with tuition needs?",
"Does it have a tuition estimator available online?".
These are some of things that I think people should really be looking for.
And how do educators, like yourself, measure the success of online degree programs?
One of things that we're really concerned with at West Texas A&M University is the placement
of our students.
I always tell people, "Don't come to West Texas A&M University if you don't want someone
to care about you."
Love that!
And that's not just a cop-out.
What that is is that we really are an integral unit that really does care from the time a
person first steps on either virtually or on the ground, on the campus, and we try to
monitor and manage that throughout the life cycle of that student, and we do that through
active placement.
We do that through internships, experiential learning.
It's a lot of different things that we try to, no matter where you are or where you come
from, we try to get you engaged in what we're doing at West Texas A&M.
You know, I've got to say, I really like your philosophy.
It makes a lot of sense.
Keep up the good work, Doctor, will you?
Thank you, and definitely.
Okay, before we go, do I do this right?
I'm going to give a shout out to your mascot.
Is it "Go Buffs"?
It's "Go Buffs".
Oh.
Alright.
Thank you for coming in, and great to have you in the studio today.
Alright, and for more information on a great education that's affordable, too, log on to
wtamu.edu or TheBalancingAct.com, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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