From the Academic Dean: Time to Shift Careers?

Many people will change or alter their career in a significant manner throughout their adult working life.  According to bizcommunity.com, people change their careers five to seven times in their lifetime.  This is a significant difference from previous generations where it was quite common for a person to work for the same company his/her entire career. 

Why do working adults shift careers so often?  There are two major reasons for adults switching careers.  The first is the common issue of budgetary changes.  For example, companies change directions, downsize, force retirement, merge or are acquired by other companies; these or any of the myriad of situations that arise because of financial reasons can force working adults to shift careers.  The other major reason people change careers is that they are no longer satisfied with their current challenges and working environments.  This could be a change in management that affects the workers’ conditions and general happiness, but often is because the adult worker is no longer challenged in his or her current job.  Most adults changing careers are ready for different challenges or ready to learn new things.  While money is certainly a driving force for many people in career choice and change, it is often not the main motivating factor.  Being adequately challenged is crucial. 

Are you ready for a career change?  If you have been contemplating this, the best advice is to research, research, and research your options.  Many career shifters will best be served by looking at higher education opportunities – many of which may offer slightly different degrees than were possible even ten years ago.  With the changing economy and changing world, new and different degree programs are constantly being developed or modified to meet society’s demands and needs.  It could be that your past experiences, education and skills could be enhanced by higher education.

 Angela L.E. Walmsley, Ph.D., Associate Dean – Academic

Northeastern-Seattle Dean Leads Regional Task Force on Technology Workforce Development

The largest challenge facing the Seattle region’s technology companies is the difficulty in getting the talented workforce they need to grow and prosper.  The success of the region in attracting companies is also its greatest challenge, as it creates a large demand for qualified workers in computer science, engineering and other areas.  Microsoft, for example, currently has 6,000 job openings nationwide, 3,400 of which are for software engineers, developers, programmers, and the like.  The same is true for other small, medium, and large companies as well as startups.  The Washington Technology Industrial Association (WTIA), with over 600 technology company members, has taken on this challenge and set forth a key Strategic Initiative on workforce development.  WTIA asked Northeastern-Seattle Dean Tayloe Washburn to chair its new Workforce Development Committee (WFD Committee).  The committee has regional leaders in academia, an array of technology companies and representatives from workforce nonprofits.

The  WFD Committee first hosted a meeting of higher education institutions in the state, which included the University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Bellevue College and Western Washington University.  In recent weeks many other institutions have agreed to help inform this advisory group of higher ed institutions, including Central Washington University and Eastern Washington University, and subsequently crafted a 12-18 month strategy to implement this initiative.  The WTIA Board of Directors last week met and approved the WFD Strategy.  It calls for 1) documenting the technology industry talent gap with precision, so all are working off the same data; 2) inventorying academic resources and identify possible gaps, areas for improvement or filling gaps, and identifying best practices which effectively address tech talent; and 3) inventorying and identifying the best practices of employers in this region in tackling the tech talent gap.

Other economic development groups, public officials and stakeholders in the region see this WFD Strategy as a key means to tackle this regional problem.  EnterpriseSeattle will kick off its 2013 Economic Forecast Conference by showcasing this iniative in January, and we will also involve the Technology Alliance in helping document the talent gap.  Those interested in more information and who would like to participate should contact the WFD Committee Chair, Tayloe Washburn of Northeastern University-Seattle at t.washburn@neu.edu or  206.419.3878.

From the Academic Dean: The Flipped Classroom

The expression “flipped classroom” is becoming a popular topic around education circles.  A flipped classroom in a traditional school is one where students listen to lectures and learn content outside of the classroom (at home via technology) and then use actual class time for involvement with the teacher, working on problems, interacting in discussion with each other, or completing labs.  Essentially what happens in a flipped classroom is that traditional teaching methods are moved to delivering instruction online and “homework” or activities are moved into the classroom when students and teachers come together.  This is a “flipped” or inverted model to what traditional education has been which is lecture based during class time.

The hybrid concept at Northeastern – Seattle is a graduate level model of the “flipped classroom.”  Students learn much of the content of a course on-line that was traditionally lecture driven in a classroom.  Students and the instructor meet on-ground in the hybrid model a few times a semester to work through problems, be involved in experiential exercises, and have group discussion that may be better face to face than on-line. 

A benefit of the flipped classroom which includes on-line learning in a hybrid context is that students are able to watch content multiple times before meeting together on-ground.  This makes their time face to face more meaningful because the time can be used to maximize their learning.

Angela L.E. Walmsley, Ph.D., Associate Dean – Academic

Commentary: Training our Workforce to Meet Demand

Partnerships between higher education and local businesses develop tailored curricula to meet workforce needs.

 Tayloe Washburn |   December 2012   |  FROM THE PRINT EDITION

Business and community leaders in Seattle and the Puget Sound region have built a strong foundation for a diverse economy, but developing a vibrant economic base is not enough. Making it sustainable is critical. In order to maintain the regional competitive advantage we have built, we must deepen our local talent pool to support the businesses that create new, innovative jobs.

An increasing number of those jobs require advanced education and training in critical sectors. In fact, Washington needs to add 9,000 graduate degrees per year in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields through 2019 to keep up with employer demand. Seattle, like Boston and San Jose, has a bachelor’s degree attainment rate of nearly 25 percent. However, when comparing graduate degree attainment, Seattle has a rate that is only two-thirds of those cities. It would take more than 100,000 graduate degrees to reach the per capita rate of Boston and San Jose.

Further highlighting our needs in higher education, Seattle ranks comparatively low when it comes to availability of part-time graduate degree programs that can support the schedules and goals of our region’s working professionals. Per capita, Seattle’s supply of part-time graduate degrees is less than half of cities with similarly high attainment levels of bachelor’s degrees.

Read more here.

Northeastern president Joseph Aoun predicts massive online courses will bring a shakeup of higher education

Boston Globe, November 17, 2012

By Joseph Aoun, President, Northeastern University 

As President Obama develops his second-term agenda, his administration will no doubt focus on a range of higher-education priorities, including affordability, attainment levels, and career preparation. Yet as important as these issues are, something more fundamental is happening: We’re witnessing the end of higher education as we know it.

This transformation is being brought on by “MOOCs” — massive open online courses being offered for little or no cost through entities like edX, Coursera, and Udacity, which aggregate classes from multiple universities onto a single computer-based platform. Millions of people are already utilizing them to tap into higher learning.

In the process, they’re spurring a shakeup of higher education — with dramatic implications.

Most significantly, MOOCs are causing higher education to shift from a vertically integrated model to a horizontally integrated one. For centuries, higher education has been a vertical enterprise: Its core functions — knowledge creation, teaching, testing, and credentialing — all have been housed within colleges and universities. MOOCs disrupt this model by decoupling teaching and learning from the campus on a mass scale.

Read full article here.

From the Academic Dean: Work-Life Balance? Where Does School Fit in?

Work-life balance?  Now I’m thinking about adding school into the mix?  What can I do?  

I am a teacher, I am a mom, I have older parents I must assist, and I don’t have time to cook dinner….how will I have time for a higher degree?

I am an engineer, I travel a lot with my work, I coach my son’s baseball team….how will I have time for a higher degree?

The answer:  Northeastern Seattle

With Northeastern Seattle’s focus on on-line and hybrid graduate education, busy adults who have a desire or need to pursue a higher education degree can be successful.  With high quality programs that provide flexibility in scheduling and learning, you can do it.  Need to jump start your career or want to move in a different direction?  Northeastern Seattle is making it a possibility with high quality, flexible, and convenient programs.

Still worried about the challenges of juggling it all? 

Try these four steps to balancing work and graduate school, according to Forbes on-line: 

1)   Get Prepared

2)   Research Financial Options

3)   Add Some Strategy

4)   Don’t Forget Yourself

Work smarter by choosing a program that complements your job or can enhance your job opportunities; or even one where you can solve problems or complete tasks within your job with school opportunities. 

And remember the motto, “if you need something done, ask a busy person.”  The motivated student is often the busy professional, parent, and volunteer.

Angela L.E. Walmsley, Ph.D., Associate Dean – Academic

MS Regulatory Affairs team attends RAPS Conference

Representing NU’s MS Regulatory Affairs at the 2012 RAPS conference are Program Manager Seth Robertson (left) and Assistant Director of Co-Op Steve Rando (right). The annual conference was held this year at Seattle’s Convention Center.

Northeastern University’s MS Regulatory Affairs team sent four people from our home campus in Boston to the national Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS) conference, which was held this year in Seattle, including Senior Assistant Dean and Director of MS Regulatory Affairs Eric Kupferberg and Faculty Member Steve Amato.  RAPS was well attended this year and we made numerous connections with not just potential students but also future instructors and co-op providers.  In addition to the conference the regulatory affairs department hosted a reception at the WBBA facility in Seattle announcing Northeastern’s presence in the area.  We also took part in the annual Regulatory Educators Summit where educators from around the country discussed their experience in the growing field of regulatory affairs education.  We look forward to next year’s conference back in Boston!

The Regulatory Affairs program within the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University began with 13 courses in 2004; the program has expanded to 43 courses, each touching on a critical aspect of the field. The core of the program is based on the central regulatory challenges of drugs, medical devices, and biologics, with additional emphasis on clinical trial ethics and conduct as well as the legal decisions that are constantly being revised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory bodies. In addition, the program has developed over thirty elective courses focusing on the advanced aspects of regulatory work.

The program derives its inspiration for new courses from several sources, including: review of new FDA guidelines and rulings; legal actions and court challenges; industry product trends; industry expert suggestions; global regulatory developments; and, examples of increasing market importance of emerging economies. In response to the identified need for more business/marketing-oriented regulators, the program introduced a category of courses which deal with the marketing, strategic business, and project management needs of the field.  In conjunction with developing regulations governed by the European Union (EU), China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO [DCGI]), Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), Australia, Japan, Canada, and others, a number of courses detailing regulations in global areas were created. Additionally, the curriculum has been expanded to include courses such as emerging product categories (to cover up and coming regulations), generic medications, quality management systems (QSRs), and supplier-risk management.

Our curriculum is intensely practical, with six courses on regulatory documentation processes and a capstone practicum course.  It is also current; covering such topics as post-market surveillance, pharmacovigilance, and managing international clinical trials.  There are three areas of program distinction for NU’s regulatory affairs curriculum.  Among the handful of graduate programs in the United States offering a Master’s  degree, most offer three or four courses on medical devices: NU offers fourteen.  Most of the competing programs will offer two or three courses on international topics; NU offers thirteen.

Most instruction in regulatory affairs, whether delivered by a private commercial entity or university, focuses on regulatory compliance.  In contrast, NU’s program in regulatory affairs emphasizes the belief that decisions involving which products to develop and how to develop them are both strategic and regulatory in nature.  Regulatory considerations can inform a company’s plan to create a sustainable competitive advantage.  As such, our curriculum and instruction provide regulatory professionals with the language and understanding needed to effectively interact with a company’s strategic planners.  Courses in this area include:  biomedical intellectual property management; strategic planning and project management for regulatory affairs professionals; advertising and marketing biomedical products; regulatory considerations for start-ups; and, product development from concept development to market success.

NU’s regulatory affairs courses are offered both on campus and online.  Students can complete their degree entirely online, as each of the programs forty-three courses are offered at least twice a year online.  All of the six required core courses are offered every term online.  As a result, the program features students from across the United States and from thirty-four foreign countries.

NU is a global leader in online learning.  With more than two decades of experience in delivering distance education, NU maintains the highest possible standard for online course development, course delivery, and faculty training.  NEU is committed to the principle that online courses can and should meet the same standard of academic rigor as any face-to-face class.  Our online courses are asynchronous, meaning that no single student needs to online at one particular moment.  Instead, our learning platform allows students to participate any time of the day, with the requirement that they be logged-on for a 60-90 minute period per day.

NU believes that graduate training in regulatory affairs is ideally suited for online learning.  Our online courses are highly interactive, allowing students to interact with the faculty and their fellow students on a daily basis.  To learn more about the Seattle Campus Master of Science Regulatory Affairs, please contact Gina Takasugi at g.takasugi@neu.edu.

From the Academic Dean: Is on-line learning for me?

On-line learning is a great option for working adults who want a high quality program with flexibility.  If you cannot attend courses regularly or in a traditional time or format, on-line courses could be for you.  Students who might be new to on-line learning may believe that taking an on-line class is less time consuming than a traditional on-ground course.  Most of my students would tell you the opposite is true.  However, many students prefer on-line learning because of the flexibility in time and coursework they experience. 

In order to take advantage of the flexibility of an on-line course, you as a student must be good at your own time management.  You must also be disciplined to work many hours on-line outside of class times that might be set for the course.  You will experience both collaborative and individualized learning activities designed to promote learning in your course.  As an adult learner, you have many demands on your time and life.  On-line learning (and possibly some hybrid learning) may be for you.  If you are dedicated and committed to furthering your education, and can make time for learning (outside your normal working and “life’ hours), then a program at Northeastern Seattle is for you.  Northeastern Seattle’s offers both on-line only and hybrid courses depending on the specific program of study.  Please check out the academic degrees offered at the Seattle Graduate Campus or contact Dr. Walmsley at a.walmsley@neu.edu for further information.

November 5: The Emergence of Personalized Medicine: A Revolution in Healthcare

Dr. Leroy Hood developed the automated DNA gene sequencer, which paved the way for the successful mapping of the human genome. A leading advocate of P4 Medicine, Dr. Hood’s research aims to revolutionize individualized patient care by integrating biology, technology and computation to understand complex biological systems. 

Join us for a discussion with President Aoun and this acclaimed innovator who has founded more than 14 biotechnology companies. Earlier this year, Dr. Hood was featured on an episode of “NOVA” entitled “Cracking Your Genetic Code.”  

Monday, November 5, 2012

2p.m Pacific/5 p.m. Eastern

The event will be streamed live on Northeastern Facebook page and via the video stream webpage.

Submit questions through social media for the Q&A session via Twitter using #NUSpeakers and facebook.com/northeastern. 

This event is part of the Profiles in Innovation Presidential Speaker Series.  To learn more about this series, click here.

NYTimes: In Seattle, Virtual University Will Have a Physical Campus, Too

By KIRK JOHNSON

New York Times: October 29, 2012

SEATTLE — With name tags clipped on and PowerPoint at the ready, officials from Northeastern University invited prospective students in one night last week for a peek at a new extension campus, 2,500 miles from the school’s home in Boston and about as far northwest as you can get in the lower 48 without swim fins. It is a trend that many colleges and universities have embraced in recent years — remote campuses to extend the brand and the flow of tuition checks.

But there was more going on here. And all the new dean, J. Tayloe Washburn, had to do to demonstrate that was walk to the bank of windows in the meeting room where the prospects and the staff had congregated and throw wide his arms: the headquarters buildings of the tech giant Amazon.com filled the view under a gray Seattle mist.

“We’re very aware we’ll be sitting across the street from 12,000 Amazon workers,” said Mr. Washburn, a prominent Seattle lawyer and former chairman of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. 

Read the full article at NYTimes >>