University of Phoenix Promotes Lifelong Learning
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” More than 30 years ago, University of Phoenix imagined that higher education could look differently and that knowledge didn’t have to come solely from a textbook.
Learning is at the core of the University’s mission and it’s at the heart of who I am. Like many of my students, I too started my academic career as a nontraditional student. During my first year of college I got married. By the time I was 19, I had my first child. Eventually, I went back to school and completed my bachelor’s degree six weeks before giving birth to my second child. I had my third child prior to earning a master’s degree. Today, I have a Ph.D.
So, I understand the challenges of going to school while working and raising a family. It takes tenacity and a willingness to improve yourself no matter the obstacles or how many hats you wear: mom, dad, soldier, CEO. It’s important to keep moving forward and not take a break. You’ll eventually find a rhythm. It does get easier.
When I was finishing my dissertation, working full-time, and teaching two classes, I was probably at my ultimate level of productivity. When I look back to that time, I wonder how I ever managed. But for me, being a student while working and teaching offered the opportunity to grow in all three areas at the same time and stretched me to grow in ways I never thought possible.
During my tenure with the University, I’ve taught more than 250 classes online and I’ve often wondered what my students looked like. Last year, I decided to also start teaching classes at the Detroit campus. This June, I’m looking forward to watching my students receive their diplomas and have the satisfaction in knowing that I played a role in helping them realize their educational goals.
Learning is enhanced through experience and the opportunity to share your knowledge with others. The University of Phoenix model works so well because students have access to instructors who have professional experience working in the fields they teach. Students get the benefit of their instructors’ college education as well as the real-world lessons they’ve learned day in and day out in their jobs.
In addition to the wealth of knowledge instructors have to share with students, students also have a lot to learn from one another. Classes are designed to encourage student discussion whether it’s in a physical classroom setting or an online forum. And because students are often working learners themselves, they can also offer relevant insights into certain fields.
The diversity of students is one of the things I love most about teaching at University of Phoenix. I have had the opportunity to meet students from all over the world and the experience has truly enriched my life; as students learn, so do the instructors.
The student-centered approach that the University takes in helping students to achieve their dream of earning a college degree is admirable. As the first member of my family to graduate from college and having watched my three children graduate from college, I know firsthand how one college degree can change a family.
We’ve given them the knowledge, what they do with it is up to them. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.
This article originally appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education, UOPX Campus Viewpoints section. To review our current faculty articles, visit: https://chronicle.com/campusViewpoint/University-of-Phoenix/29/.
