With multiple meals to plan and guests coming in from out of town, the holidays can become hectic for most hosts. But thankfully, there are products out there that offer stress-free meal preparation – like Simply Potatoes.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/51800-simplify-the-holidays-with-simply-potatoes
Your employer’s health care benefits enrollment packet has arrived and the deadline for your decision may be looming.
If you’re like many Americans, this process of weighing benefits and costs isn’t among your favorite tasks. And even though you’d rather spend time doing something else, the decisions you make will affect your family’s health and pocketbook for at least the next 12 months.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52085-cigna-tips-how-to-choose-health-plan-during-open-enrollment
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of premium scented candles, announced today its new limited-time collection, “My Favorite Things,” just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. Inspired by the song “My Favorite Things,” this collection brings together a fun assortment of six new fragrances: Rain Drops On Roses, Bright Copper Kettles, Warm Woolen Mittens, Crisp Apple Strudel, Moon On Their Wings and Blue Satin Sashes to fill the season with a nostalgic sense of enchantment. “My Favorite Things” are available in large classic jar candles, small tumbler candles and a beautifully packaged storybook-like box that includes 12 Samplers® votive candles, two of each fragrance. This new collection is available for purchase immediately at Yankee Candle retail stores, specialty retailers and gift shops across the U.S. and via www.yankeecandle.com.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52096-yankee-candle-launches-limited-time-my-favorite-things-collection
On this year’s World Polio Day (October 24, 2011), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a global community of partners are calling for increased commitment and greater accountability from political leaders to end polio, and for supporters around the world to lend their voices to the fight.
“We have an extraordinary opportunity to eradicate polio but we need greater global commitment, leadership, and funding,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “We work with exceptional partners like Rotary, FC Barcelona and the Global Poverty Project to help keep polio a priority.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/gatesfoundation/49365/
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the original 1936 Skyliner Model Jacket, the cornerstone of the Eddie Bauer outerwear legacy. To commemorate the occasion, Eddie Bauer has re-launched the 1936 Skyliner Model design in updated fabric choices for men and women. “We intend to continue our legacy for decades to come, creating the most innovative down apparel on the market, just like Eddie himself would have done,” commented Damien Huang, SVP of Outerwear at Eddie Bauer.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52704-eddie-bauer-re-invents-down-outerwear
Carol Baldwin-Moody of Wilmington Trust describes the challenges that are present in her line of work as senior vice president and chief risk officer. There is a strong legal backing to every major issue in today’s society. Baldwin-Moody has come across several scenarios that aren’t covered by the dated constitutional law in effect today. In past years, a risk officer was thought to be a management concept that would be useful, but not worth the investment. Lately, a risk officer career has become an indispensible resource in the corporate world.
The law plays an important role in every aspect of our lives. Even something that seems simple, like the ability to send a text message and donate money to a charitable organization, requires contract law to come into play. If a career as a compliance officer is of interest to you, an online legal studies degree from Kaplan University could be the first step in working toward that goal.* A legal studies degree allows students the unique opportunity to grow into a field that is constantly changing and evolving.
*Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“Social media, the first amendment, privacy; the law is so far behind in that trend. Blogs and all of that, that is a constant challenge for me today because everybody wants to talk the way they want to talk and in my job, I’m required to actually surveil peoples’ e-mails; I’m required by law. I look for certain words; well, that was ok when people used words. Now when they use ‘r u,’ I can’t surveil that. The privacy issue with kids and MySpace, that whole area of law, think about it; constitutional law was what we learned. There’s nothing in constitutional law that we learned 30 years ago, so if you’re into that, there’s going to be a lot of time. We need that because it’s evolutionary.
Globalization—if you think about what happened in the financial markets, the meltdown, it’s because there’s so much connection and therefore there are a lot of things going on in that arena where every country’s financial rules, they’re looking at them and comparing them. That’s another area- comparative law. Comparative law when it comes to the environment and financial services; those are two big things.
Health—the whole health debate; you may be thinking just about the politics but there’s a lot of law behind that. HIPA, all those rights, and think about the things they’re talking about from a political perspective—there’s a lot of law behind that.
Those are just three areas that are not only specific in terms of thinking outside of the box, but they actually go back to a lot of the fundamentals that are part of the law. Those are just three; that social media one, I don’t even want to tackle that one; I’m assigning that to my kids. Just think about it—it’s out there before anything has been screened. You think about the things that go on—it’s called the social media. There used to be the 6 o’clock news; there’s the 24 hour news, there’s the instant news now.
I think some of it’s great, I think some of the positive things about the technology, I just learned this, the fact that you could text five digits on your phone and the money was in Haiti instantly. But, a lot of people don’t realize how much legal work was behind the contractual agreement between the phone companies. There was a lot of legal work that was done in order for that to happen but yet young people, my daughter was one of them, it’s like, ‘ok mom,’ and then I start thinking; well I know what really happened. They had to get into a contract about that, but those are the kinds of things that at the end you see the result is phenomenal. Think about that 20 years ago—could not have happened.”
Lisa Nichols, contributing author of The Secret and one of the great inspirational speakers of our time, believes the best way to stay motivated when continuing your education is to “begin with the end in mind.” Pushing forward through challenges is what makes accomplishment so gratifying. Every accomplishment leads to personal growth. Nichols believes that making the completion of your degree “non-negotiable” means that you will not settle for anything less.
Kaplan University’s online degree programs cater to the busy lifestyle of today’s working professional. The distance learning programs available at Kaplan University could help you further your career, potentially lead to advancement opportunities, and assist in creating a different lifestyle for you and your family.* Nichols relates her own life experiences as a single mother working full time in this inspirational video that address the challenges Kaplan University students may be facing. She encourages students to recognize how important pursuing a degree can be to their professional success. Perhaps one of the most powerful messages Nichols relays is to focus on the positive outcome continuing education can bring. She urges students to “stay motivated by not checking into how difficult it might be” but to “check in with how sweet it gets to be.”
*Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“I would say to a Kaplan [University] student, ‘You’ve really made a decision to take your life by the reigns, to give yourself a second, third, fourth, fifth chance. That this season is your season and that you’ve served everyone else and this gift is a gift for you.’ When you serve yourself you allow yourself to then begin to serve everyone else from your overflow. But one of the things I would mainly say is that when you’ve been good to you, this is a gift, when you’ve been good to you then you’ll serve with more gratitude to everyone else so hold on to this. Hold on to this moment; carve out time. There’s never enough time. There are a hundred people that are going to pull at you- carve out this space for you. Say, ‘You know what? I’ve nurtured everyone, I’ve served everyone, this is my moment. This is my time to shine. This journey with Kaplan [University] is super important to me and it’s non-negotiable.’
When you say ‘no matter what,’ graduating should be ‘no matter what.’ ‘No matter what’ means I’ve removed every other option off the table. Graduating and taking advantage of this opportunity is something that nothing else can happen but this; this is non-negotiable. When you move everything else off the table other than making it, the only thing left is making it and so I would say to the Kaplan [University] student, ‘you’ve already jumped in, now say ‘no matter what’.’
I think one of the ways to stay motivated is to begin with the end in mind. See yourself on graduation day, see yourself with a certificate saying, ‘I completed. I did it. It’s done.’ See yourself in the lifestyle that this accomplishment will award you to have. When you being with the end in mind and you get so viscerally and emotionally connected to the outcome. Steven Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, says, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ See it, believe it, taste it, walk it, talk it, feel it and then go every day just getting to that feeling in reality. Have such a barometer to show you where you’re going and know what it looks like to be there and then become non-negotiable on it.
Stay motivated by not checking into how difficult it might be, check in with how sweet it gets to be. I believe that my life today is a result of hunkering down and seeing myself in a place where I wasn’t; seeing myself in a lifestyle th
A degree in nursing from Kaplan University addresses the challenges and scenarios real nurses work through on a daily basis. Kaplan University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN program) is based on relevant material to help ensure our students are prepared for their careers. Our online nursing degrees are based on flexible coursework; students enrolled in the Kaplan University School of Nursing program are already nurses and there is no easier way to cater to the ever-changing schedule of a nurse than attending university online.
We offer our students the courses to help develop their career through program offerings such as an RN-to-MSN option and nurse practitioner certificates.* Nurses don’t just work in hospitals. At Kaplan University, we understand the different capacities in which nurses work and have developed our nursing school online to accommodate all capacities of nursing.
We see our nurses follow through with their training in programs that help students progress from their RN to an MSN program online. After years of hard work, our nurses look back at their time spent with Kaplan University and know it was a key element in getting them where they wanted to be.
* At this time, the nurse practitioner certificates are available only in the following states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Vermont.
“It’s important to Kaplan [University] to make sure that the students have the skill set and the abilities to function well in the world of nursing. We want our graduates to be considered the employees of choice so if they’re in a position or applying for a position, when the employer looks, ‘Oh you graduated from Kaplan [University].’ They know there is a certain currency and a certain relevance to the information and the knowledge they’ve gained. All of our online students are already nurses so they’re out there working in a variety of fields all over the country. We ask our nurses, we ask our students that are in our bachelor’s and our master’s program, what do they think? What’s important to them?
We try to think outside the box. Not all nurses work in the hospital. Nurses in the community, nurses in informatics, nurses in education—because when you find something that you’re passionate about, that’s when you’ve learned.
Their method of teaching was phenomenal. It was so phenomenal that when I went to take the boards I knew I passed the board. Why? Kaplan [University] taught me how.
What makes the Kaplan [University] School of Nursing so unique is the ability to offer the beginning nurse Vocational Nursing diplomas, Practical Nursing diplomas, and then to be able to be with them all throughout their career as they advance and progress with additional diplomas, certificate and degree programs to meet every need.
We give them opportunities to build their own professional portfolio throughout the nursing program we encourage the students to hold on to the things that they did well and to refine their skills. All of that are things that are absolutely embedded in the curriculum because we’re all about students’ success. Our students are challenged; they are working adults, they have families, and they have responsibilities, perhaps for children or older relatives. The personal touch is when the students know that the faculty care about them, that the advisors care about them and that people follow up.
I initially went with Kaplan [University] because I had a lot of returned calls from them and a lot of encouragement. Being that it was an online school I was nervous about, “What if I need help?” “What if I have a question?” All of the instructors that I had said call me if you have a question, email me if you have a question; I really needed that extra little push to get me started.
Our students feel like they really develop a personal relationship with the faculty. We see that when they graduate they’re always interested, if they
An information technology degree from Kaplan University could be the first step towards a potential information technology career.* Earning an IT degree online can seem like a daunting task, but Kaplan University faculty and staff are available to students through email, instant messaging, and phone calls as well as weekly online seminars.
Kaplan University students who have completed their online information technology degrees have gone on to work at major corporations including Microsoft and Ticketmaster. The IT degree program offered by Kaplan University presents students with real-world scenarios and offers the support to learn in an interactive environment. Constant communication and extensive resources positions Kaplan University among the top online universities.
Completing a university degree online allows the student to continue working full time while being able to take classes that fit into their busy schedules. Even in a difficult economy, a degree from Kaplan University is an investment in your future. Technological advances are not slowing down and those who can manage information technology and all that an IT degree encompasses could have a relevant career ahead of them.
* Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“The Information Systems and Technology programs at Kaplan [University] are very real-world and very relevant. Kaplan [University] teaches its students skills that are really necessary in today’s work place. One of the things we do for an incoming student at Kaplan [University] is we provide them very early on with some diagnostic testing that helps them identify not only their academic strengths and opportunities for learning, but also helps them identify their areas of interest and their strengths outside of the academic setting. From the first day the student virtually steps on to the campus they’re empowered to be successful.
Every day our faculty talk with students and help them think about how they can accomplish what they need to accomplish in order to be successful at school. They want to make sure that the students are comfortable in their environment and students will tell you that they can get a hold of anybody just about any time.
All of the faculty members have instant messaging and email capabilities and they have office hours where you can contact them or you can email them and they’ll always get back to you.
I have well over 300 students on my messenger list so there’s still a lot of that personalization and we try to get in there and really help the students succeed.
The support I got from my teachers and advisors was tremendous. They were caring and they seemed like they were really interested in what was going on.
We’re very serious about our work so that our students are learning and growing and when they graduate they’re prepared for what they’re doing. In the classroom we’re relaxed and we talk to each other.
I was very surprised; I actually met a lot of wonderful people online and I’ve made lifelong friends with them.
We have a seminar every week online where you meet with the instructor and all the students; it’s like a chat room. It involves an audio feature so they can hear the instructor speak. It allows for much more interactive questioning and dialogue so the student gets much more out of the seminar experience. We want to connect talent to success, to career and job success.
Now, with my education, I’ll be able to make better money which means better opportunities for my kids, my family and a better quality of life. The quality of education that I received at Kaplan University was superb. It was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
One of my former students has al
At Kaplan University, our main focus in developing our online MBA programs is career development. We believe the time and effort that is required to obtain a master’s degree online should be apparent the first day the student begins their new career. Earning an MBA could be a step in the right direction towards a fulfilling and satisfying career.*
Kaplan University’s Master of Business Administration online offers students the tools to understand the relevant knowledge and proficiencies, and to apply what they have learned in class at work. Our unique distance learning MBA program is designed to accommodate students that work full time. You can attend class virtually anywhere you have an Internet connection, and the coursework material is available to you at any time. Students can pursue their goals and complete their MBA online for a brighter future.
Kaplan University strives to put our students first. We have our fingers on the pulse of what is going on in the business world and integrate that knowledge into our courses. At Kaplan University, we are proud to offer our students resources to help them succeed in their pursuit of continuing education. Our instructors care about their students and are available to answer questions or offer support.
* Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“We’re very proud of our MBA program. The MBA Program enables students to develop a portfolio of practical, resume building experiences while they’re still in school. What they can do with that is really demonstrate that they know what business is about and they know how to manage and lead projects.
I think one of the things that we’ve worked very diligently toward is to build a curriculum that provides students with real world experience so that they’re able to that the skills that they’re earning in the classroom, learning in the classroom and carry those immediately into the workforce.
The one thing that I would have to say that Kaplan [University] afforded me that other programs I looked at did not afford me is the practical use of every course and I can take it right from the classroom right to my work every single day.
We have specializations in marketing, management, finance, entrepreneurship which is very popular, international business.
An emphasis in International Business with all of its aspects from Human Resources to International Finance, International Projects, and International Marketing; that is something that I think will help me greatly especially in the consulting field.
What they’re able to say with the MBA is that they’ve got areas of expertise in Finance and Economics and Accounting and that they’ve got the skill set that goes beyond what somebody with a bachelor’s degree would have.
All of a sudden my supervisor is realizing that I’m being underutilized, so now I have more responsibilities that are more challenging.
The challenge is there for sure, but it’s the tools like the Writing Center, the Math Center- the things that make a student be able to succeed.
You will find help and assistance from the beginning. Your academic advisor, the financial advisor, and every step you will always have somebody that will be there right by your side.
I’ve had many students contact me years after they’ve completed their degree and say it was because of having earned my MBA I’m now working in a different capacity; working in a leadership role, working as a VP, working as a CEO at a small corporation. Or many students go off and start their own business because they got the confidence of the skills that they’ve gained.
If you want your MBA, I can just tell you- Kaplan [University] is your first choice, it is. The structure of th
Carol Platt was caught in the middle of the economic downturn with no backup plan. Searching for a stable job in an unstable economy proved to be difficult without a college degree. Her work history and past successes were overlooked. It had always been a dream of hers to complete her degree; after a failed first attempt, she was unsure of her ability to follow through. She began researching online education options and felt that Kaplan University stood out; she decided to complete her college degree online. Carol enrolled in Kaplan University’s School of Business and Management and earned her bachelor’s degree online, focusing on business with an emphasis in human resources.
The adult continuing education program at Kaplan University is designed for working professionals who seek to further their career or, like Carol, want to earn their university degree online.* Students can complete assignments on a schedule that fits their lives. It’s this type of flexibility that helps prepare Kaplan University online students for success. Even if you already have an established career, it’s never too late to consider online business school to further your knowledge and update your skills. Increase your marketability with one of Kaplan University’s online bachelor degree programs without taking time off of work to attend class.
* Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“I grew up in Graham, North Carolina. My parents both worked for the textile mills, both had fourth grade educations and my mom always wanted me to get an education. When I graduated from high school it was my dream to go to college. I failed the first class of my life which was my chemistry class. I was just overwhelmed so I left after about a year and half, got a job and kept trying to go back to school. For me it was personally devastating. It really bothered me. I felt like I was failing. I had one shot and I blew it.
When Jenna left for boarding school I couldn’t even open the door and go in the room and I was almost 52. All of that coincided with the downturn of the market. I had almost $6 million dollars in contracts waiting to close and they all fell through—every single one of them. I thought, ‘now what? I don’t have a degree, there are no jobs.’ It doesn’t matter what I had done or how much success I had, the requirements are to have a degree. Not only that, I had to walk back in the door competing with people half my age and many of them had MBAs.
It was just a matter of figuring out how to do it—so that’s when I started to check into what were the institutions, what was the cost, how were they respected. Kaplan [University] had a degree in business with a specialty in human resources. As I started narrowing the options down, it made it into about the final three. I took those three finalists to my traditional education friends and I said, ‘I want to know what the most respected online degree would be if someone was coming into your office looking for a job.’
The IT Dean, the Computer Science Dean, felt like Kaplan [University] had the best online delivery program that was out there. The Academic Dean’s advice was that this is a respected degree that you’re not going to have people questioning whether you were competent when you came out. Everything that you take there will be accepted if you go on to a master’s [program] anywhere so that was a very good recommendation. When I sat down at graduation, 31 years later, and I’m looking up at the podium and it says, ‘Kaplan University: a Different School of Thought’ that was probably more me because I do think a little differently. I’m willing to work on things that innovate and I think that’s more of an opportunity for me and many students like me.~N
Kaplan University master’s degree graduate Onica Browne obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on international business. In her case, this Kaplan University online program offered a unique learning experience to collaborate with students in other countries, enriching the learning process.
Kaplan University offers online degree programs including an MBA distance learning program designed to foster thought leadership, innovation, and corporate social responsibility on a global scale. Upon completion of the MBA program students could have the opportunity to pursue several career paths.* An MBA is one of the most sought after university degrees online as it can be applied in almost any realm of the business world and is often of interest to students looking to advance in their field.
Kaplan University’s online MBA program is designed for the working student. Our classes are flexible and the courses are designed to be closely related to what students will encounter in their career. More employers seek the knowledge and discipline that is relevant to completing graduate school. An MBA degree could help create value in an employer’s eyes and set you apart in today’s competitive business environment. We strive to set ourselves apart by continually developing and enhancing our curriculum to help prepare our students to succeed in their careers.
* Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
“I had my undergraduate degree in international business for just about seven years and I have always wanted to get my master’s degree. When I looked at other universities and selected Kaplan [University] for my master’s degree, Kaplan [University] gave you the most ‘bang for your buck.’ I met professors that were actually in the industries that they taught. This was not purely an academic setting. Everything that we do in international business is all about relating to other people and everything we do at Kaplan [University] is about how you relate to other people and how that relation allows you to do better.
I met people who were from China, who were from Japan, who were from the Middle East; I met a gentleman who was a program developer for Microsoft based in Shanghai. I had one of my classmates in Iraq at the time and we would collaborate on different projects while she was in Iraq and I was in the United States.
That’s the beauty of Kaplan [University]. We share and we learn from each other and then you can go back to work the next day and apply the same information that you learned in class. I work for the US Small Business Administration. Because I have my Master’s Degree from Kaplan [University] I actually was able to obtain the job that I have right now where I’m helping small businesses. Without my master’s degree from Kaplan [University] I would not have even been considered for the position so my degree is allowing me to touch people outside of me and allowing them to touch people outside of them so it’s almost like paying it forward.”
