PhD graduate of online university earns award

PhD graduate of online university earns award

More than 4.6 million students nationwide were enrolled in online courses during the 2008 academic year, according to a recent report by the Babson Survey Research Group and the Sloan Consortium.

One such learner, Kathleen Schiefen, earned her online PhD from Capella University. The Alma recently received recognition for her thesis, Entrepreneurial Orientation of Community College Workforce Divisions and the Impact of Organizational Structure: A Grounded Theory Study, from the The National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE). She was given the James Jacobs Award for her scholarly contributions in the area of workforce education.

Schiefen said that she hopes her contributions have made a positive impact on the way community colleges develop workforce campaigns on their campuses. She added that it is an honor to have her academic research and theory recognized by the NCEW.

Schiefen earned her online degree in Leadership for Higher Education from the university's School of Education.

According to the Babson-Sloan report, more than one in four students are enrolled in at least one online course.

By Mark Danson