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[ The Elmhurst Scene ]
A Real-World Take
‘One of our key goals as a college is to combine liberal learning with professional preparation. In a concrete way, that’s what graduate study does here,’ says Dean of Graduate Study John Bohnert.
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The fall of 1998 marked the start of a new era at Elmhurst, when the College welcomed its first class of students pursuing a master’s degree.
The graduate program started small, with fifty-two students pursuing degrees in four programs—each selected to capitalize on a particular curricular strength of the College. From the start, graduate study at Elmhurst took a practical approach, offering master’s degrees that led to specific career opportunities. Today, the College offers nine distinctive programs leading to the master’s degree.
We recently sat down with John Bohnert, the College’s dean of graduate study, to talk about what ten years of graduate study has meant to Elmhurst and to the community at large.
What distinguishes graduate study at Elmhurst?
From the beginning, our graduate programs were intended to return students to the workplace with enhanced skills and confidence. We did not design a program where the focus is on preparing students for doctoral programs, with a heavily academic approach to learning. In contrast, we’ve focused on fields where a master’s degree is both a terminal degree and an entrance card into a profession.
The professional accountancy program, for instance, was developed specifically to prepare students for the cpa exam at a time when new state requirements mandated a certain number of credit hours beyond the standard bachelor’s degree. At the same time, graduate study here has high academic standards and relies on highly qualified, full-time faculty. Many institutions rely primarily on adjunct faculty to teach the bulk of graduate course work, which can undermine the rigor of a program. At Elmhurst, the core of our courses at the graduate level are taught by full-time faculty members who are eager for the stimulation and depth that graduate-level study offers. Certainly some courses are taught by part-time, working faculty, and the program is enriched by the perspectives and work experience that those professionals bring to the classroom. But our core full-time faculty provides a cohesive, challenging experience.
How have the graduate programs changed over the years?
The most noticeable change, of course, is in the scope of the program: since launching graduate study ten years ago, we’ve more than doubled the number of options available to graduate students. But we’ve also evolved in many ways to meet the changing needs of today’s students. The program in computer information systems, for example, which began as a traditional, on-campus course of study, is now offered in a “hybrid” format, combining on-campus course work with an online component to accommodate students’ hectic work and travel schedules. Students can participate in that program from anywhere. We have a student in that program who lives in Tennessee.
How does the graduate program support the College’s overall mission?
One of our key goals as a college is to combine liberal learning with professional preparation. In a concrete way, that’s what graduate study does here. By focusing on fields where the master’s degree is an entrance card to the profession, we’re providing the practical preparation a student needs to advance in a career. At the same time, each program incorporates the critical thinking and analytical skills that are the hallmark of both a liberal arts education and a successful leader.
Graduate study also speaks to the part of the College’s mission that fosters lifelong learning. Many of our undergraduates are first-generation college students who may not have considered going on to earn a master’s degree. Then they come here, where they meet graduate students, or take a graduate class—and suddenly graduate study doesn’t seem so far out of reach.
Finally, a graduate program confers a certain amount of prestige on a college. Among the civic organizations and the general public in our community, colleges that other master’s-level education command a high level of respect. Each of our graduate programs has a good reputation in its field, too, which further enhances our status.
How do graduate programs enrich the undergraduate experience at Elmhurst?
Most of our graduate students are working professionals, so they bring a broad, real-world perspective to campus. Our graduate students in the education department, for example, are full-time teachers who have a wealth of classroom experience to share. Our undergraduates who interact with these teachers learn more about what they’ll encounter in the schools. What’s more, our own faculty gain a new perspective on the material they’re teaching.
Likewise, some of our graduate business students work in management positions in local businesses and organizations and offer a real-world take on classroom theories. They also become excellent resources for our undergraduates—offering internship opportunities, access to information about the current business environment, and so on. Our MBA alumni group, which fosters professional connections and networking, has recently opened its membership to undergraduate alumni, giving them access to a wide array of networking and professional opportunities.
We also enjoy a greater awareness of Elmhurst College among potential employers because our graduate students and adjunct faculty are out there. Employers already know about us, in many cases through our graduate programs, which gives us a distinct advantage in getting internship and job placements for our undergraduates.
What’s the future of graduate study at Elmhurst?
We’re constantly looking at ways to refine our programs to make them even stronger and more responsive to student needs. For example, we’re talking about introducing an MBA segment that would admit students directly out of college, because we see a market for a program that doesn’t require years of work experience.
Our graduate enrollment currently is close to 300 students, which, for a college of our size and mission, seems about right to me. And several of the programs are fully enrolled. Early childhood special education, for example, is always at capacity; as of September 2008, we already had nine positions filled for Fall 2009.
Finally, would you say the graduate program here has an impact on the larger community?
Certainly. For one thing, every year we turn out qualified students with credentials who get hired and make a difference in local companies and organizations. Particularly in the service fields—teaching and nursing—we make a significant impact on our surrounding communities by sending well-prepared nurses and teachers into area hospitals and schools. We’ve heard a constant flow of stories detailing in concrete ways how our graduate programs have improved teaching in our area.
That’s not all. Before they even graduate, our students engage with the wider community as part of their course work. A recent class in industrial/organizational psychology, for example, conducted a survey for a local chamber of commerce. Another class set up a development training center for Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. These are projects that make a tangible difference in the way our community functions. |
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