Learning from the past: The Post family history comes to life

Since joining Post University in 2004, I've had the good fortune to get to know Gary Post, grandson of Post University founder Harold C. Post and President of the Post College Foundation. Gary and his family are the reason Post University exists today, and listening to Gary speak about the University's 122-year history is as enjoyable as it is inspiring. As we plan for the future, a look back at the past is a welcome reminder of where we've been and where we hope to go. After all, our history is the foundation for our future.

In a recent audio interview recorded on our Waterbury campus, Gary discussed the University's growth from a one-building school in downtown Waterbury to our current-day, 58-acre campus in one of the city's loveliest neighborhoods. He shared personal stories of time spent on both campuses as a child, and later as a young adult. As I listened to the interview, I was surprised at how many parallels I discovered between the Post of the past and the Post of the present.

We have a rich history of embracing change, and finding new and better ways to meet the needs of students and the businesses that hire them. We are passionate about the power of higher education to change people's lives. We believe in growth -- both intellectual and economic growth because that is what makes our nation strong. And we believe in giving back to those who serve. For more than 60 years we have been offering unique educational opportunities to members of the military and their families.

CEO tells what it was like to earn his MBA degree online after 30 years in business

LEARNER FOR LIFE: Paul Caliendo
says it's a "privilege" to earn his MBA

Paul Caliendo is similar to many MBA students in that he began earning his degree after working and getting some business experience under his belt. But while most MBA students bring about three to 10 years of experience to their education, Paul brings 30.

And not just any 30 years of experience -- 30 years serving as president and CEO of six companies in the health care industry. His current position is President and CEO of a company he started called Preferred Medical Claim Solutions in Scottsdale, Ariz.

So you're probably wondering why an already accomplished entrepreneur, business owner, and executive decided to earn his MBA. Well, when he chose Post University's Online MBA Degree Program, so did we! We recently interviewed Paul, and we got his unvarnished perspective on

• The value of an MBA
• Why earning his MBA made sense even after decades of business success 
• The #1 benefit of choosing an online MBA degree program

Hit play to listen to our podcast with Paul, or scroll down to read the transcript.



Thanks for joining us, Paul.

---

Paul Caliendo's Entrepreneurial Background

Janelle: Greetings, everyone. Janelle Kozyra here for a Post University podcast. Today I am joined by an MBA student from Post University. His name is Paul Caliendo. Paul, it's great to have you with us.

Paul: Thanks very much for the invite.

Janelle: So, Paul, for everyone out there, is the president and CEO of Preferred Medical Claims Solutions which is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has spent the past 30 years serving in that same role -- president and CEO of six companies in the healthcare industry. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business finance from San Diego University and, like we said, he's now working toward earning his MBA from Post.

Higher education innovation cannot happen in a vacuum

No institution knows everything there is to know about the best ways to improve online higher education. Nor does any institution have every last bit of technology, staffing, and other resources to develop and implement every improvement needed to better meet students' needs.

That's not a criticism of our institutions and systems. On the contrary, it's why organizations specialize in certain areas and develop deep expertise in particular approaches, models, and infrastructures. It enables us as an industry to then combine our knowledge, experience, and resources through strategic alliances and partnerships, and create a rich, powerful nucleus to fuel positive change.

This was the major concept that panelists talked about during one of our Online Learning Conference 2012 sessions, entitled Shaping Collaboration, Alliances and Partnerships in Online Higher Education. Our panelists engaged in a great dialogue about the ways we can use partnerships and alliances to improve and implement online and hybrid learning models that are driven by student needs.

Their ideas are worth looking over, and shed light on some of the challenges and opportunities of working together through partnerships and alliances. If you missed the session, here's the video of the complete discussion.



You'll hear from all of our panelists, which included:

• Frank Mulgrew, President of the Online Education Institute of Post University
• D.R. Widder, Executive Director of Innovation at Philadelphia University
• Brian Joyner, Vice President of Marketing from Cengage Learning
• Ronald Black, Academic Program Manager for Higher Education at Post University

Or, you can read on for the transcript of the session. Here's a breakdown of the major topics covered, which we denoted with subheads to make it easier for you to read:

• Introductions
• The Roles Alliances, Partnerships, and Governance Are Playing in Higher Education
• Best Practices When Forming Strategic Alliances and Partnerships in Education
• How Partnerships Impact Educational Institutions' Organizational Cultures
• How Alliances, Partnerships, and Governance Can Enhance Academics
• How Educational Partnerships Can Help Us Meet Technological Adoption Demands

---

Introductions

Peter Chepya: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We're here for the closing session of the Performance Arts Center sessions. This session is entitled Shaping Collaborations, Alliances and Partnerships in Online Higher Education.

Post University men's golf team eyes national NCAA title

The Eagles stand proud after clinching a spot
in the national championship

Even though school's out for summer, exciting things are still happening within the athletic department at Post University! Following a fourth place finish at the Atlantic/East NCAA Super Regional last week, the men's golf team qualified for the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship, marking the first time in school history that the Eagles will be competing for a national NCAA title.

The Eagles will travel to Louisville, Ky., to vie for the title, playing three rounds of golf against a field of 20 teams from May 15-19 at The Cardinal Club.

If their determination during the regular season is any indication of their upcoming performance in Kentucky, the Eagles' momentum will be hard to slow. The team already overcame several adversities this season, including playing in the rain for the first two days of the three-day Super Regional, making its advance to the championship quite a feat in itself. Eighth-year head coach Pete Stevens seemed to think so as well. We captured his reaction after the Super Regional on camera:



If any Eagles fans are planning to make the trip down to Kentucky, tickets are available on site, and we'd expect that you show your Post pride on the course!

Solved: Detective Jay Pugliese talks about how a criminal justice degree can help your career

Detective Jay Pugliese

Detective Jay Pugliese handles criminal investigations at the Naugatuck Police Department every day. He's honed some of his investigative, crime-solving skills on the job through hands-on experience and the department's in-service training. But he attributes his ability to make "tough decisions" to the education he received when he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Post University.

That's due to several reasons, which Detective Pugliese told us about when we spoke with him for a podcast. One of the most important reasons he learned so much was because Post University's criminal justice degree program instructors are active duty and retired law enforcement professionals.

In fact, that's why the detective and I met. The Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Department often work closely together, and when Detective Pugliese came to Post as a student, we got to know each other even better.

Like a true law enforcement professional, Detective Pugliese told it like it is during our interview -- why he decided to attend Post University, how his bachelor's degree in criminal justice is helping his law enforcement career, and where he plans to go next now that he has his bachelor's degree under his belt. His honest perspectives are worth listening to.



By the way, if Detective Pugliese's name sounds familiar, he's the son of Waterbury's Director of Economic Development, Ronald J. Pugliese, who spoke at our Online Learning Conference 2012.

Thanks for joining us on our blog, Detective Pugliese.

We've also included the transcript of our interview below if you prefer reading. Enjoy.

---

Janelle: Greetings, everyone. Janelle Kozyra here for a Post University podcast. Today I am joined by Jay Pugliese, who is a recent graduate of Post. Jay, it's good to have you with us today.

Jay: Thank you. Good to be here.

Janelle: So, Jay, when did you graduate from Post?

Ex Post Facto

Here's a special cartoon to celebrate Post University's Commencement tomorrow. Congratulations to the Class of 2012!

Post University cartoon by Dave Blazek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

4 ways academic affairs can better meet campus and online students' needs

NOT ELEMENTARY: College and university academic affairs offices
are being challenged to better support campus and online students' needs

There's no doubt the needs of college and university students have changed with the introduction of online degree programs. Many online students are adult learners, for instance, who need higher education options with flexible scheduling. They demand an efficient and practical education, with classes that directly relate to real-world business situations. This in turn better serves employers, who seek employees with the right education, skill, experience, and talent mix to perform their jobs well.