My A.T. Still University Experience : background

Happy Belated Birthday, Mahatma Gandhi

SteveFoerster — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:23:00 GMT

“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

The second of October was the 140th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, best known for leading India in its nonviolent campaign of resistance to British rule and to the independence of modern India, and for promoting the principles of ahimsa, or nonviolence, and satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance to oppression. He is revered as a national hero in India, and has had profound influence internationally as well, for example, his writings and tactics inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. during the American civil rights movement. His birthday is observed in India as Gandhi Jayanti, and is recognized worldwide as International Day of Non-Violence. And while he never received the Nobel peace prize, it is widely understood that the reason the prize was not awarded in 1948 was that it is not awarded posthumously and Gandhi had been assassinated before his selection could be announced.

Gandhi resonates with me because he understood that one cannot be truly committed to nonviolence without also being a stict vegetarian. It's not that animals should have the right to vote, or are the equal of people, and I don't see any reason why well-treated animals shouldn't be used for things like plowing, horseback riding, etc. (although there are some animal rights activists who disagree). But all of the research I've done for my dissertation has reaffirmed that there's no nutritional need for animal products, even for kids, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and others with more delicate nutritional needs. Given the lack of need, meat is nothing more than a lifestyle choice — and it's a choice of violence.

I also appreciate Gandhi for being a philosophical anarchist. He thought that the less government there was the better, hoping that people could become sufficiently enlightened to resolve conflicts nonviolently on their own, making government unnecessary. While he was famously opposed to the partition of India into Hindu and Muslim countries, he preferred largely autonomous communities to gigantic bureacracies. He had experienced firsthand the power of government to oppress, and did not wish that India would followin that tradition. I find that this too is an inspiring political philosophy, and while realization of it may seem far away, one cannot progress toward a destination, even a distant one, without knowing what it is.

To tie all of this back to my A.T. Still experience, ultimately these beliefs tipped tha balance on why I chose that institution. I was pretty firm when it came to my ethical motivation, but I wanted to be a bit stronger when it came to the health aspect of things. ATSU gave me the leeway I needed to incorporate that unusual interest within their program.

I only wish it weren't so unusual. Anyway, happy belated birthday, Bapu!

Tomorrow I'll explain what took me so long to get this particular entry online, but to give you a hint, I have come to dislike my local phone company, but the real enemy are the squirrels.

Add to:

The Founding of A.T. Still University

SteveFoerster — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:49:00 GMT

“I have no desire to be a cat, which walks so lightly that it never creates a disturbance.” — Andrew Taylor Still

A.T. Still University was founded in 1892 by a physician named Andrew Taylor Still who had lost three children to disease and dedicated the rest of his life to finding alternatives to the medical science of his era. Dr. Still founded an alternative medical approach called osteopathy. This approach focused on the wellness of the whole patient rather than just treating the symptoms of disease, and its centerpiece was a set of techniques called Osteopathic manipulative medicine that involved manually moving patients' bodies to help the body overcome musculo-skeletal problems, which Still saw as the primary cause of ailment.

Or at least that's how I understand it. But I have to admit that I don't know much about it. ATSU may have started out as the first osteopathic medical school, but 117 years later they're a large diverse institution whose programs also include dentistry, audiology, health sciences, physician assistant, physical therapy, and even my program of health education. I only knew a little about the difference between osteopathic physicians, who earn a DO degree, and “normal” physicians who earn an MD.

What I do know is that while Dr. Still's theories were kind of kooky, that was a long time ago, and since the second world war DOs have become mainstream, learning all the same evidence-based medicine that MDs do. While DOs still also take a course or two on Still's theories for tradition's sake, in surveys most say they don't ever use them. DOs practice medicine alongside MDs in every U.S. state, compete for the same residencies, and so forth. Meanwhile, physicians from MD programs have come around on what was originally an osteopathic idea of looking at the wellness of the whole patient rather than just looking at symptoms as diagnostic puzzles to solve on their own. So to me, they've pretty much met in the middle.

Anyway, when I first looked at ATSU I read a bit about this because I wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything kooky about it, that I wasn't going to a school with medical theories that aren't supported by scientific evidence. But at the same time I was attracted to the holistic approach that osteopathy emphasizes. If anything, I wish my program could find a place for a course on a holistic approach to wellness and health education!

Next up, my wife explores her distance learning options for law school.

Add to:

Motivations and Goals, Part I

SteveFoerster — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:02:00 GMT

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus

I was recently asked, “I read about the Doctor of Health Ed and agree it sounds like an interesting program. What do you plan on doing with this degree and do you see this degree as interchangeable with an EdD for your future goals?” I thought I may as well answer here.

For several years I have wanted to set up a distance learning university that is primarily available to students in the developing world. I believe that I already have the skill set to do this, I’ve worked in a variety of staff and now administrative positions in higher education, I’ve taught courses online, and I have an advanced degree in Educational Technology Leadership. However, I also recognize that one of the cornerstones of any new educational institution is credibility, and rightly or wrongly, I believe that a doctoral degree is necessary to carry that sort of credibility, and that this program is a good route to it.

More than that long term goal, however, this program is also letting me do better at the job I already have. My program is in health education, but the coursework is the same as one would expect in a straight higher education management program. The health aspect is solely in the research one does to complete the dissertation aspect, and while that’s not directly related to my current position, the university where I work does have a number of health profession programs, and I work with them pretty closely, so there’s also a synergy there.

I suppose that also answers the question about whether I consider it interchangeable for a Doctor of Education program (EdD). In a way it’s better, because many EdD programs are specifically meant for K-12 public school administrators, and I’m happy for it not to be confused with that. I am also not at all sorry that my resume will reflect a level of expertise with health issues in addition to education and technology.

All that said, I realize that no program is good for everything. Had I been interested in a tenure track faculty position, this program probably wouldn’t have been a great choice. But for my particular goals, I think it’s very well suited.

Continue on to Part II.

Add to:

Assessment Colleges

SteveFoerster — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:11:00 GMT

“If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” – Benjamin Franklin

Many times, people ask on the forum about getting college credit for life experience, or ask about what they should do when they’ve already earned a lot of credit at one or more different colleges, or have received a lot of training in the military. Because of this, I’m going to take a slight detour today and talk about assessment colleges.

The three schools that I’m referring to are Charter Oak State College in Connecticut, Excelsior College in New York, and Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey. These regionally accredited colleges, sometimes called the “Big Three”, are unique in allowing students to transfer in up to 100% of the credit used to earn the degree there.

They’re helpful in that they offer transfer credit for military training (even for basic training), or any other training or certification that’s ACE evaluated. That includes IT certifications, such as MCSE from Microsoft.

They also happily accept credit by examination, such as CLEP. These testing programs are ideal for those who either already know a lot about a particular subject, or who are good at learning about a subject quickly and independently. If you weren’t troubled by the SAT or ACT exam when you were in high school, then CLEP might be right for you.

And then there’s life experience. It’s unfortunate that this term has been sullied by degree mills who offer “life experience degrees” in exchange for nothing more than a check, because the reality is that more learning happens outside school than inside, and there should be ways to validate that. This is done at assessment colleges through portfolio evaluation, the student puts together evidence of learning outside the academic setting that corresponds with the material offered in a particular course, and if that portfolio is acceptable, the student is awarded transfer credit. It’s not an easy process, however, and in my own personal case I didn’t bother with it, finding that CLEP tests and even courses were a more efficient way to demonstrate that prior learning.

So what’s the catch? Well, this method of degree completion isn’t for those who need to be told what to do and then simply follow directions. As a student at one of these colleges you’ll need to take responsibility for designing your own program, not just a major or concentration, but also determining how you’ll fulfill general education requirements. Will you take courses offered by the college itself, or will you take courses somewhere else, such as a low cost community college, and transfer it? Will you CLEP out of a general education subject you already know well? Keep in mind that you’re responsible to come up with a plan, but that doesn’t mean you can just do anything, as you’ll have an academic advisor who will have to approve that plan.

Sometimes people say, sure, all of that sounds really convenient, but how well respected are their degrees? That’s one I can answer personally, since my Bachelor’s is from Charter Oak State College. Not only have I been hired for jobs in higher education, but I’ve twice been admitted to graduate school based on my Charter Oak degree. They’re solid, and for self-starting independent people, I recommend these schools as a way to complete a useful degree as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

Next up, a little discussion on the importance of motivation and goals.

Add to:

I’m Attending the Graduation Ceremony!

SteveFoerster — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:36:00 GMT

What better place to start than at the very end?

Wow, that was fast, wasn’t it? I haven’t even started my program, and already I’m going to talk about graduation! Am I crazy? Well, maybe, but if so hopefully there’s a method to my madness.

One of the things that can fall by the wayside when doing a distance learning program is the sense of completeness that comes from hearing your name be called and walking across the stage to pick up your degree. I started my Master’s just weeks after finishing the requirements for my Bachelor’s, in fact since Charter Oak State College only has one ceremony a year, my ceremony would have been eleven months after I was done, and by then I was half done with my Master’s, and it would have seemed like a step backward to go. Besides, it was in Connecticut, and by then I was in Northern Virginia, so it would have been a real hassle, especially to take the kids. I was going to get another chance anyway soon enough (or so I thought), and that would be just across the river in D.C., so I didn’t think twice about skipping it.

But then when it came time for my Master’s graduation ceremony, I was just so busy! I was working hard to complete all the degree requirements, and I didn’t want to have to take more time to fill out forms and make arrangements. I decided I wasn’t going to this one either, mostly as a way to have one less thing to think about at a difficult time. And I thought, hey, I’m doing a doctorate, right? I’ll skip this one and just go to that one.

So I’m putting it in print now, way back here at the start of this thing. When I complete my program at A.T. Still University, I’m going to my graduation ceremony, even though it means putting my mom and wife and all the kids in the car and driving them to Missouri and back. It will be nice for the kids to see it, to reinforce that they should take education seriously, and especially since it’s the highest academic level it will give me a nice sense of closure on the student part of my academic life.

Coming up, finally, it's time for day one of my program!

Add to: