The NonProfit Times - February 1, 2008 - (Page 6) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Execs And Staff Going Online For Continuing Ed Flexibility filling up cyber classrooms By Marla E. Nobles R esponding to the marketplace -- longer work days, longer commutes, less time in general -- more universities are offering increased flexibility in the way working adults can continue their professional education. Regarded as one of the fastest mainstreamed offerings in higher education, online distance learning has evolved, and in many cases is on par with traditional higher education. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University,for example,has seen enrollment in its Executive Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies program, a good portion of which is completed online, double during the past decade to reach 60 students. And the school’s seven-year-old Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, which is entirely online, has 54 students currently enrolled and quickly fills up every semester. “With the right technology support, which I think is the key, the online (distance learning program) has really become favorable,” said Dwight Burlingame, associate executive direc- Dwight Burlingame tor and director of academic programs at the Center, and a professor of Philanthropic Studies and Public and Environmental Affairs. “It can be as good (as face-to-face instruction) as long as that online portion has the capability in it” for interaction. Online-course enrollments now account for about a fifth of all continuingand professional-education enrollments at the typical college or university, according to a 2006 report completed by Eduventures Inc., a research and consulting firm.Moreover,the report,based on a survey of 43 nonprofit institutions, predicts that online continuing-education enrollments will grow by about 20 percent each year for the next few years. A separate report, Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, found that 62 percent of chief academic officers surveyed believe the quality of online instruction is “as good as or better” than that for face-to-face instruction. This is up from 57 percent in 2003. According to results of the new The NonProfit Times’ 2008 Salary Survey (see page 19), of the more than 1,450 responding nonprofit organizations, 742, or roughly 51 percent, said they support professional development education. Just fewer than 350 responded that they provide tuition reimbursement. Those are promising numbers for a sector that, according to experts, generally trails when it comes to financing outside of programs and services. “Nonprofits are generally not as generous in awarding tuition reimbursement for their employees,” said Stephen Gambescia, assistant dean and associate professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, at Philadelphia’s Drexel University.“The budget does not allow for it.” However, the larger and more mature the nonprofit, he said, the more likely it will offer some tuition reimbursement. Gambescia,author of several studies on online degree programs, said another reason nonprofits are less generous in this area is they “might believe that the turnover is too high or unpredictable, and consequently do not want to ‘invest’ in formal staff continuing education if these employees will simply take their credentials and run.” A separate salary survey found that a quarter of the nonprofit respondents described their employee retention for 2007 as “poor” or “fair.”The study, completed by nonprofit search firm Professionals for Nonprofits (PfN),also showed a slight decline in the percentage of organizations that provide staff with professional development, down from 57 percent in 2006 to 51.4 percent last year. Those that offer tuition reimbursement fell from 32 percent in 2006 to 30.6 percent last year. According to Gayle A. Brandel, president of PfN, which has offices in New Professional Development, page 8 ONE PAYCHECK AT A TIME Continued from page 1 portunities, too. Little, who said that he earned a degree in music performance from California Polytechnic State University, landed a part-time gig teaching music at Lockerbie UMC.A trained carpenter living at the mission built a cof- blocks from Indianapolis’ largest homeless shelter. “Our starting point is that every person is created by God … no one’s beyond redemption. We try to focus on what it is that homeless people have to offer,not just what it is they need.” That’s what Little and his col- Mark Little and One Paycheck Away have a newsletter and are working on entrepreneurial ways of generating income for the group and its members. fee bar for what has become Earth House Coffee + Books, another enterprise there staffed almost entirely by homeless or formerly homeless people and coordinated by OPA. “Our church is a place of encouragement,” said the Rev. Chad Abbott, pastor at the urban ministry located 6 leagues want other organizations to see -- the value that the homeless perspective could bring to service providers and policymakers alike.“Part of our job is to help the system along,” he said,“to tell them what’s working and what is needed in the future.” Despite its early progress, OPA still FEBRUARY 1, 2008 has a long way to go to get a seat at the table with decision-makers. The organization is not widely known among local homeless advocates, let alone the community at large. For example, after six months on the job, Kimberly Wize, executive director of Indianapolis’ Coalition for Homeless Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), has only a vague idea of what OPA does and didn’t feel comfortable answering questions about the organization. Still, she agrees with Little’s assertion that nonprofits should seek input from their patrons. That’s why CHIP has tried to include someone who is or has been homeless on many of its task forces, she said. “That gives you some grassroots information, first-hand knowledge of what that population might be needing,”Wize said.“I think it’s happening more than you might think.” Indeed, Indianapolis day center Horizon House has had at least one formerly homeless person on its board since 2001. Engaging those who have experience with homelessness keeps the organization on track, said Executive Director Carter Wolf. “I don’t think it has changed us, but it has certainly reaffirmed that we’re doing the right thing,” he said.“You cannot serve people if you’re not listening to what they have to say,” which isn’t to www.nptimes.com say that it's easy. Some organizations might recognize the importance of the input but not know how to go about getting it. After all, people who don’t have fixed addresses aren’t always easy to reach, said Kirsten Gronbjerg, who holds Indiana University’s Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy. It’s even more difficult for a group like OPA to make inroads, she said.“It’s an uphill battle, I think,” Gronbjerg said.“They don’t control the funding and many organizations might not know what to do with them.” Little is undeterred. He’s taking nonprofit-management classes at Ivy Tech Community College and is in the early stages of reorganizing OPA in hopes of incorporating it and seeking tax-exempt status, which he thinks will help fundraising enough to get the effort out of the red. “They’re only as effective as the degree to which we support them in their work,” said Wright, the IU professor who has led research on the homeless.“If it’s going to be really effective, we need to find ways to support them financially. That’s not an easy task.” NPT Andrea Muirragui Davis is an associate editor at the Indianapolis Business Journal in Indianapolis, Ind., and focuses on the charitable sector. THE NONPROFIT TIMES http://www.nptimes.com
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