I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for all of our dedicated and professional faculty. CMU programs thrive because of the educational quality we bring to each and every learning experience. Our combination of theoretical and applied faculty bring our students the best of a traditional academic experience with the added texture of real world application and knowledge. We believe this combined learning opportunity places CMU programs above all others – and our students continuously reinforce that belief as they complete our programs and move through very successful careers. As a faculty member you may not always get to hear their appreciation years later, but we do and we want to pass it on to those who deserve the thanks.

Like many of you, I have been involved with adult, military, and non-traditional education for many years, including extensive teaching in classrooms (some nice some not so nice) and online. Over the decades we have seen significant advances in this industry as distance learning matured from those awful “virtual” sessions (that looked like we were all teaching in a disco lounge with strobe lights) to the days of ITV, IVAN, and more recently to  synchronous and asynchronous online options. In addition, the numbers and types of providers and programs has expanded exponentially and left many students more than a bit confused on how and where to continue their education. 

I am very pleased to say that at CMU we have stayed consistent in providing our students solid programs through solid delivery channels, while still embracing new technologies that can enhance learning. We work with industry and employers when developing new programs to ensure they meet the needs of our students today and tomorrow. We thoroughly test out new teaching and delivery methods and do not use them until we have the confidence that they will provide the high level learning experience our students know and expect. We also invest heavily in a team of student services and learning support professionals to make sure CMU students are able to focus their energies on a first-rate learning experience and not on administrative processes. I tell you this because all of the “behind the scenes” work is what allows your efforts with our students to shine.

Again, please accept my appreciation for the dedication, experience, and knowledge you bring to our classrooms – in each and every format. You are the face of the CMU experience and it is because of you that our students do so well in their academic and professional endeavors.

Sincerely,

Merodie A. Hancock, Ph.D.

Vice President and Executive Director

Off-Campus Programs

Central Michigan University