Juggling job and classes

As a fulltime Carolina employee, Kasha Ely ’14 enrolled in a master’s degree program in digital communication through the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and got an immediate payoff. The public communications specialist in the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science developed skills that made her more effective on the job.

“I started at the Odum Institute as a videographer with a small project five years ago, then got the opportunity to build Odum’s communications program from the ground up, thanks in large part to my experience in the master’s degree program,” she said.

Like Ely, Carolina employees who enroll in graduate-degree programs while working fulltime also find their classes enhance their job skills. That’s not the only thing they have in common.

Many take advantage of the University’s Tuition Waiver Program, which waives tuition charges for up to three courses per academic year at Carolina and UNC System institutions. That means employees can consider courses from the thousands that each institution offers every semester. The program excludes some offerings  such as MBA@UNC and study abroad courses that are primarily receipt supported. The program helps make earning an advanced degree more affordable and convenient.

“It’s great for employees to take courses toward a degree or just to better themselves in some way,” said Rob Stevenson, senior consultant in Benefits and Leave Administration. “The Tuition Waiver Program and Tuition Assistance programs help many do this and, as a result, Carolina can benefit from employees who learn new skills and expertise that they use on their jobs.”

Every new Carolina employee learns about the tuition waiver and tuition assistance programs during an orientation session as they begin a job.

Employees, of course, have different experiences. Some prefer online classes; others prefer attending class in person. Some weave coursework into a flexible work schedule; others work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then hit the books. Some take one class per semester over years, while others commit to an intense two years to earn a degree.

Matthew Belskie.

Matthew Belskie ’01, ’12 (MSIS), an educational technology coordinator in the Office of Arts & Sciences Information Services, is a doctoral student in the School of Information and Library Science. As an undergraduate, he worked in the Information Technology Services 962-HELP call center and began forming career plans. “I knew then that I wanted a strategic leadership position in higher education,” he said. “So I earned a master’s degree from the School of Information and Library Science.” He cites classes that focused on contemporary issues in information technology organizations or included guest speakers such as chief information officers, who talked about campus-wide technology implementations.

He’s also getting practical experience from the inside-out. “I’ve been an undergrad, a staff member, a master’s student and now a PhD student, and am already getting my feet into teaching,” he said. “Medical students do rotations. I’m doing the same kind of thing and learning about the type of organization I want to be a leader in from as many relevant perspectives as possible.”

Shane Brogan.

Shane Brogan ’05, ’19 (MS), teaching lab manager in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, began working at Carolina shortly after his undergraduate commencement. Last summer, four years of classes culminated in a master’s degree in material science.

Beginning in 2006, he used the tuition waiver almost every semester, whether it was for classes in his master’s track or for personal enrichment. “I had a minor in Russian literature, so I used the waiver to take some classes I couldn’t fit in during undergrad like Dostoevsky, Soviet science fiction and Soviet lit. One of my favorite courses was on science policy from the public policy department, which was useful in learning how science policy is developed and implemented.”

Through his material science courses, Brogan gained skills in project management and technical proficiency with laboratory equipment that help him at work.

Katie Cartmell.

Katie Cartmell, senior associate director for the Academic Advising Program in Undergraduate Education, graduated Nov. 9 with an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Evening Executive program. She said that the evening program’s structure fit her life at the time as mother of a 10-month-old baby. Plus, it cost considerably less than the other MBA programs she considered.

“I sat with my classmates every Monday night, saw my professors in person and developed more relationships that way,” she said. “I don’t know how I would have done this without my husband, not only his willingness to care for our daughter but the unspoken support that he wasn’t questioning my commitment to the program.”

When Cartmell researched online MBA programs, she noticed that about 90% of the Evening MBA curriculum at Carolina consisted of things she could immediately apply at her job. From discussions on leadership and group decision making, she learned to be more aware of decision-making bias, to foster an environment that promotes information-sharing over competition and to explore multiple solutions to problems. “Some class assignments allowed her to think about issues at work and apply theories discussed in class to a controlled environment,” she said. “While the solutions weren’t always feasible, it was nice to have the space to visualize positive change.”

Ely, whowill defend her thesis this month, transferred to Carolina through the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, which taps qualified students from 14 community colleges across North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on photojournalism. “I realized a couple of years after being an undergraduate that I wanted to do something a little different,” she said. “I found out about the tuition waiver and used it. I know that if I were not working at Carolina, I wouldn’t have pursued a master’s degree.”

The MADC program is online, with two classes each semester. “It’s perfect for someone who’s working full time because you can continue to work and still get the degree,” Ely said.

Ely found that three other students in her cohort also work on campus. “It makes a huge difference just being able to walk across the quad and up and talk to a classmate if there’s some confusing issue that I’m having trouble with,” Ely said. “I much prefer to talk to people face to face.”

Michael Kunz.

Michael Kunz, a conversation ecologist at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, is a doctoral student in the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program. He started the program in 2017, taking one course per semester.

A specialist in rare plants with a background in plant ecology and a master’s degree, Kunz said that he knew about the program for a long time and had talked with supervisors about pushing his daily work to a higher level by earning another degree. Through his courses, he found new tools and techniques that he’s applied to work projects.

“I’m involved in a collaborative project through an organization at the garden called the Center for Plant Conservation,” he said. “In reassessing what we know about how to collect seeds from rare plant species, having a greater knowledge of statistics and population biology has been helpful.”

Kunz, who uses the tuition waiver, said that Carolina’s high academic reputation is one reason to consider taking classes, whether in a formal degree program or for personal enjoyment.

“It’s an amazing resource and something that I wish I would have taken advantage of sooner,” he said.

Jonathon Page.

Jon Page ’09, a document delivery supervisor in the Davis Library circulation department, takes one class each semester toward a master’s degree in information technology at the School of Information and Library Science.

“After working a few years, I realized that a graduate degree could help me expand my job opportunities and expose me to interesting things to do,” Page said. “I like taking classes in person. I like the human contact and it’s easier for me to talk than to write email back and forth.”

Page said that the combination of supervisors providing some flexibility in work and Davis Library’s location just a few steps from his classes in Manning Hall helps tremendously. The courses benefit Page, the library and the University.

“I learned Python (the coding language) and wrote a program that helped our staff find books when a construction project required us to move them to temporary storage,” he explained. “When people requested an item, it was easier to find.”

Jack Rodenfels, assistant marketing director in the Carolina Office for Online Learning, will defend his thesis for a master’s degree in digital communication at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media on Dec. 9.

Jack Rodenfels.

“I chose the MADC program because it tied to my career aspirations. As a marketer in higher education, I knew I could use the skills from the MADC program and directly apply them to my work,” he said.

Rodenfels had earlier completed the school’s online graduate certificate program, which he says is organized in a way that helps master’s degree students.

“Because the certificate program includes two classes offered in the master’s program, those two were transferable and I had a lighter workload that first year,” he said.

He joins fellow employees who see immediate on-the-job uses for what he learned in class.

“Being in an online program helps me in my job of marketing all our programs,” he said. “I can see whether a course is designed well. I also have more empathy for people who design online courses and program. I’m lucky to work in a unit that encourages continuing education and sees value in that and the value that what we learn can translate to the job.”

“The Tuition Waiver and Tuition Assistance programs are definitely perks we highlight,” Stevenson said. “A lot of new employees may have just graduated or want to advance themselves, and these two programs can help them.”

For these employees and many others, enrolling in graduate courses can do more than just lead to another degree. “Taking classes is one of the best ways for people who work at the University to remember it’s a place of learning,” Belskie said.