Plexus

November 2007

Platteville Extending to Us

Inside:
UWP Graduate Receives Top Award for Project Management

Scholarship Applications Due February 15th

UW-Platteville Receives 10 Year Reaccreditation

UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center

INSIDE
november
PROGRAMS
Master of Science in Project Management....................................8-10
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.............................11
Master of Science in Criminal Justice..........................................18-19

IN EVERY ISSUE
Online Course Listings..................................................................12-13
Student Advisory Board Update......................................................14
Ask A Librarian...................................................................................15
Letter From the Director.....................................................................16
Lost Alumni.........................................................................................16
Alumni Advisory Board Update.......................................................20 PLEXUS is the University of
Alumni Spotlight.................................................................................21 Wisconsin-Platteville distance
Contact Information for Online Courses.........................................23 learning newsletter, published every
April, July, and November. PLEXUS
PLUS is available online at:
www.uwplatt.edu/disted/edp/plexus.
Scholarship Applications Due.............................................................3
You Spoke; We Listened.........................................................................3 Distance Learning Center
UWP Receives 10 Year Reaccreditation.............................................4 B12 Karrmann
UW-Platteville
New Tools Added to Online Courses.................................................4
1 University Plaza
Getting to Know Your Student Services Representative.................5 Platteville, WI 53818-3099
Improving Student Retention..............................................................5
Recommended Online Resource: Nitvibes.........................................5 Phone: 608.342.1468
Toll-free: 1.800.362.5460
An Effective Learner.............................................................................6
FAX: 608.342.1071
Out Students Become Headliners.......................................................6 E-mail: disted@uwplatt.edu
More New Staff......................................................................................7
National Distance Learning Week.....................................................10
Understanding the Financial Aid Guidlines.....................................14
Tutoring Resources Not Used At High Levels................................17
UW–Platteville
Recruitment Roundup........................................................................20
Announcements..................................................................................22 D L C
Distance Learning Center
Tools to Assist with Avoiding Plagiarism........................................23
2
Distance Education Scholarship Applications Due February 15
It’s scholarship time! We encourage
our distance education students
to visit our distance education
scholarships page at www.uwplatt.
edu/disted. You will find a list
of scholarship search engines
and information on loans and
scholarships. Place your cursor
on “Apply Now” and “Financial
Assistance” and “Scholarship
Resources.”
Following are the scholarships that
are currently available to distance
learning students:
The Dawn Drake Excellence in
Distance Education Scholarship
Criteria: The recipient must have
completed nine credits toward
his or her degree with plans to
continue with his or her education.
The recipient must also have a
minimum grade point average of
3.0 (4.0 scale).
Dawn Drake, the executive
director of alternative delivery
systems at UWP, established
this annual scholarship in 2005.
This scholarship is to recognize
the important role that distance
education has played in her life,
both personally and professionally.
The Walter Longacre Memorial
Scholarship
Criteria: Students in any of the
distance education programs
are eligible to apply. One must
be a Wisconsin resident. This
scholarship is available to students
You Spoke; We Listened
The Distance Learning Center
recently compiled the summer
2007 Faculty and Course
Assessment results. A common
theme expressed by students was
the need for online courses to
include a diversity of instructional
tools such as PowerPoint slides,
chat rooms, and video/audio
integration. In response, Dawn
Drake, the executive director of
alternative delivery systems at
at any point in their education.
Students must have a cumulative
grade point average of 3.0 (4.0
scale). Financial need is not a
consideration.
The Walter Longacre Memorial
Scholarship was established in
2005 by Alan K. Langeteig to
honor his father-in-law for always
encouraging him to complete his
degree.
The College of Business, Industry,
Life Science and Agriculture
Scholarship
Criteria: The recipient must be a
degree-seeking student enrolled in
the Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration distance degree
program. The recipient must have
successfully completed at least 15
credits through UW-Platteville’s
distance business program and be
planning to continue with the UW-
Platteville’s Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration distance
education program.
The Project Management
Professional Development Award
Criteria: This is a one-time only
$500 scholarship award to be used
by a UW-Platteville matriculated
Master of Science in Project
Management student to defray
the expense of attending any
PMI Global Congress offered in
the calendar year of 2008. The
recipient must provide a copy of
the registration to the event prior
to the scholarship award.
UWP, kicked-off the Drums and
Cymbals Project. The aim of this
project is to study and integrate
more advanced technology in
UWP’s online courses to ensure the
programs remain on the cutting
edge and to demonstrate to you,
our students, that not only do we
listen to your feedback, we take
action to improve the programs.
The feedback from the surveys
is what helps us to improve our
3
The scholarship applications are
in PDF format that can be filled
out online by clicking on each line.
A separate application should be
completed for each scholarship.
Applicants and winners of the
2007 scholarships may apply
again if they currently meet all
criteria. The application, resume,
and a personal statement are
due to scholarship chair Sara
Davis by February 15, 2008.
Please direct any questions to
Sara Davis at siegerts@uwplatt.
edu. The scholarship recipients
will be announced at the annual
UW-Platteville distance education
commencement banquet, to be
held on Friday, May 9, 2008.
Area Grant Available
The Kubly Family Foundation
is offering grants to students
continuing with their graduate
program with the requirement that
the professional live or work in
Monroe, Wis., after graduation.
The goal of the Kubly Family
Foundation is to increase the
quality of life in Monroe, Wis., by
increasing the number of highly
educated individuals living and
working in Monroe.
For more information, visit www.
kublyfamilyfoundation.org/
grant_information.html.
courses and services, pinpoint
trouble spots, and resolve them;
therefore, we ask you to please
continue to provide us with
open and honest feedback. Your
support will help UWP’s distance
education programs to continue to
grow.
Further information about this
project can be found on page 8-9.
UW-Platteville Receives 10 Year Reaccreditation
During 2006, UW-Platteville
went through the final stages of
reaccreditation, by submitting a
self-study and hosting reviewers
from the Higher Learning
Commission (HLC). When
the accreditation team left the
campus, they identified numerous
positive aspects of the campus.
However, it wasn’t until late in the
spring 2007 semester that official
documentation was received
from the HLC, indicating that
UW-Platteville had been granted
a full 10-year reaccreditation.
As indicated by UW-Platteville
Provost Carol Sue Butts at the fall
convocation, “While 85 percent of
schools are granted provisional
reaccreditation and receive follow-
up visits from the reaccreditation
team, UW-Platteville is in the 15
percent of schools that were not
required to have follow-up visits.”
In 2005, the distance learning
programs went through a focused
visit for accreditation and received
very high reviews as a part of
this process. During the 2006
accreditation visit, a member of
the HLC team spent an entire day
reviewing the distance learning
programs, teaching, policies,
procedures, and support features.
The following comments were part
of the final accreditation report:
1. The Distance Learning Center
provides outstanding support to
students and faculty engaged in
New Tools Added to Online Courses
The DLC and the UWP Karrmann
Library have made available two
new tools to online students.
Links to these services appear in
the navigation bar of your online
courses. The first is RefWorks, the
online research management and
bibliography creator service. This
tool assists you in research and in
citing the documents you use in
your papers. Check the RefWorks
page (www.uwplatt.edu/library/
refworks.html) for instructions,
distance learning. The Center
provides a single point of access
for student learners where they
receive administrative and
technical support, and access
to student services, library
resources, and course materials.
The Center assures that best
distance education practices
are implemented across the
curricula it supports and seeks to
constantly improve the e-learning
environment for students.
2. UWP actively engages
constituents of its distance and
continuing education programs in
planning and assessment. Student
and Alumni Advisory Boards
evaluate and provide feedback on
all aspects of distance education
programs. Faculties involved in
distance education programs are
fully engaged with professional
societies and organizations that
oversee certification standards
in their respective disciplines.
Quality and relevance of service
to distance learning communities
and check the DLC library
resource page (www.uwplatt.edu/
disted/started.html?libAcc) for an
archived online presentation that
introduces RefWorks. While on the
DLC Library Resource page, take
the time to review the archived
library orientation presentation.
The second new tool is Turnitin,
an online plagiarism detection
and avoidance service. This
online tool checks submitted
4
is adequately assured through
active engagement of appropriate
constituencies.
In addition, the following
comment was made as a part
of the accreditation team’s exit
interview:
“The Distance Learning Center,
with its student services and
complete degree programs online,
serves as a model for the nation.”
So, what does this mean for
you, our alumni and students?
For some of you, it means that
you will be able to get tuition
reimbursement from your
company because UW-Platteville
continues to be an accredited
institution. For others, it is a
sense of pride for being part of an
institution that is being recognized
in a positive way. For everyone,
it can help ensure you that UWP
takes its commitment to quality
education in a very serious
way. This reaccreditation is the
acknowledgement that UWP has
met and exceeded the standards
that a national, external body
has deemed appropriate for an
institution of higher education.
If you are interested in obtaining
more information about the
accreditation process, self-
study document, and planning
team, visit www.uwplatt.edu/
hlcaccredit/index.html.
document against a large database
of web documents. The tool can
be utilized in different ways.
Availability of this tool to students
will be left up to the instructor
to decide. Some instructors may
make the tool available to their
classes, others may not. More
information on this tool will be
available on the Distance Learning
Center’s current student pages, on
the RSS feed, and the blog.
Getting to Know Your Student Services Representative
Your student services
representative is an expert in
admissions and registration for
your specific program. He or she
works very closely with your
advisor to ensure that you are
getting the quality education and
service that you deserve. If you
have any questions about whom to
contact and for what, contact your
student services representative,
who will be happy to point you in
the right direction.
Who is your student services
representative? Following is
Questions
608.342.1468
800.362.5460
disted@uwplatt.edu
a list of the student services You may also reach your student
representatives by program: services representative by calling
toll-free at 800.362.5460.
Undergraduate
Business Administration If you are a new student or an
Travis Courtney experienced distance learning
courtnet@uwplatt.edu student, you need to communicate
with your student services
Criminal Justice representative. He or she will
Amy Griswold be able to guide you through
foleya@uwplatt.edu the registration process for your
first course (you should always
Graduate communicate with your advisor at
Project Management the beginning of the registration
Sara Davis period to talk about what courses
siegerts@uwplatt.edu you wish to register for) or will
guide you through the graduation
Criminal Justice process.
Joyce Williams
williamsjo@uwplatt.edu Your student services representative
wants to ensure that you succeed
Engineering at being a distance learning
Sara Davis student. He or she also wants to
siegerts@uwplatt.edu help you reach your educational
and career goals.

Improving Online Student Retention Recommended Online

One area that the Distance
Learning Center (DLC) is focused
on improving is its online student
retention rate, which is the
number of students who
successfully complete their
online courses.
In an effort to achieve this
objective, the DLC’s
student service re-
presentatives will
be contacting
students who
dropped a course
this fall term to
ask why that
decision was made.
It is clear from
national and inter-
national research on
online student retention
that students decide to
leave a course before
completion for a variety of
reasons. Finances, work-life
balance issues, and simply not
enough time are common reasons.
However, given the diversity of
distance learning programs and
the students that UW-
Platteville serves, we must
assess our students
to determine their reasons
for dropping a course,
because the information
we obtain might be
different from
the data obtained
from studies
currently in the field.
We would like
to help our students
successfully complete
courses, and your
feedback will aid
us in this effort. The
DLC will compile these
results and perform
analysis to determine
if solutions to students
leaving a course before
completion are available.
Resource: Netvibes
An online resource that you
may find very helpful is
Netvibes (www.netvibes.com),
a personalized web portal
page. It lets you assemble
all of your favorite websites,
blogs, rss feeds, e-mail
accounts, social networks,
search engines, photos, videos,
instant messengers – practically
everything that the world wide
web has to offer – in ONE
PLACE. Netvibes helps you
manage your virtual life and
share it with friends and family.
It is completely customizable
and contains no annoying ads
or logos. At a glance, you can
see if you have new e-mail or if
new articles have been posted
to your favorite websites, or
check on the weather forecast
or sports scores. Check it out!

5
An Effective Learner
By Shayla Neal
The beginning of each semester
is an important time for students.
Student expectations are likely
to affect course performance.
Successful students are effective
learners. Effective learners take
on the responsibility for their
own learning. They possess
certain characteristics that come
from years of refining their own
methods of learning. This can
be hard work, but it pays off.
Effective learners must determine
their course schedule and if they
are resourcefully progressing
toward degree completion. Plus,
they read their learning materials
carefully and take time to learn the
university policies. It is important
for effective learners to be able to
navigate academia and understand
their course registration and
expectations. It is necessary
to continually revise strategies
and techniques. In other words,
students must make the techniques
their own. Active learners master
strategies and techniques that
work for them. Students need
to carefully concentrate on what
areas they need to improve. This
is substantial to their achievement.
Generating a list of ideas on how
to incorporate changes in habits
Virtual Orientation
Before you begin your spring
and develop a plan of action
semester courses, be sure to
will further advance the active,
complete the UWP virtual
effective learner.
orientation at www.uwplatt.
edu/disted/orientation/index.
Proactively communicating with
html or visit our homepage
advisors is a significant part of
and click on the virtual
the active learner’s process in a
orientation link. This site will
distance learning program. One
provide important resources
of the main implementations
for being a successful distance
of academic advising is to help
student.
students realize the educational
benefits available to them. It is
imperative that students consult
with their advisor before enrolling
in their spring 2008 courses.
Students should, at minimum,
contact their advisor each
It will also offer tips and
semester to notify her about what
information on:
courses they plan to register for
online. The Distance Learning
• Prioritization
Center staff will be reviewing
• Motivation
their registration information at
• Learning Styles
various points in the program
• Memory
as well. Taking a proactive lead
mitigates and further develops
There are also downloadable
the learning process. I hope that
timetables for you to utilize in
these approaches will foster
developing a study schedule
and augment students’ previous
that works for you. Don’t
knowledge acquired through
miss out on this valuable
education and experience.
opportunity!

Our Students Become Headliners

By Sue Fager
The UW-Platteville distance
education homepage (www.
uwplatt.edu/disted) has dedicated
the prominent space on its
website (front and center) to the
people that matter the most — the
students. With the title “Telling
It Like It Is,” we present the
comments, trials, and tribulations
of distance education students. We
give you a “teaser” quote, hoping
that you will click into the article
to get more details. Once in the
article, click “All Profiles” to see
a complete list. (The home page
rotates through the list randomly,
but only with those students who
have sent us their photograph to
use.) In addition, a faculty profile
list is available.
We hope that you enjoy reading
through the profiles, with the
current students being encouraged
by those who have gone before
you and the prospective students
emboldened by others who have
made distance education work
within their personal obstacles of
time and space.
Current students, we encourage
you to be added to our list by
filling out an online form found
at www.uwplatt.edu/disted/
general/consent.html. There
you will find instructions and
contact information for sending
us your testimonials and program
information.

6
The DLC Welcomes a New Admissions Representative
The UW- tative. He will be assisting our chance to work for an organization
Platteville current admissions representative, with a reputation such as UWP’s is
Distance Kim Maier, in our efforts to help an excellent opportunity. I hope I
Learning potential students through the can help others have as great of an
Center is initial information gathering experience as I did,” says Nemitz.
pleased to and application process. Nemitz Nemitz sees online learning as the
welcome was selected from a large pool of primary option for adult and non-
Clint applicants for the position and traditional students in the future.
Nemitz brings an incredible knowledge of “Working adults don’t have the
as the the UWP advantage. flexibility in their schedules to go
new ad- Nemitz is a 2006 graduate of to class during rigid times. They
missions UWP’s on-campus program and need the ability to go to class on
represen- is well aware of UWP’s history their own terms,” says Nemitz.
of educational excellence. “The

Online Undergraduate CJ Program Gets a New Coordinator

In August
2007, Amy
Nemmetz
joined
UW-Platte-
ville’s
Criminal
Justice
Depart-
ment to
serve as
the coor-
dinator
and academic advisor for the
online undergraduate Criminal
Justice Program. Although Dr.
Susan Hilal enjoyed her role
immensely as coordinator of the
program, she opted to take a
position with another university to
be closer to friends and family.
In addition to teaching for UW-
Platteville, Nemmetz has also
fulfilled wide-ranging roles in
the criminal justice field. While
completing her undergraduate
degree, Nemmetz worked with
UW-Platteville’s Campus Police as
a community officer, Platteville’s
Police Department as a dispatcher
and 911 telecommunicator, and
completed an internship with
probation and parole. Further,
after graduation, she had the
opportunity to work with
juvenile offenders at a group
home, criminal offenders in court
ordered transitional housing, as an
interim director for Volunteers in
Probation, and as a licensed social
worker for Dane County Court’s
Alternatives to Incarceration
Program with jail diversion clients
in bail monitoring, drug court, and
electronic monitoring.
Subsequent to her position
with Dane County Courts, she
transferred into a child protection
intake unit, where she conducted
child maltreatment investigations.
“This was the most emotionally
challenging position I held in
the criminal justice field,” said
Nemmetz.
With the investigations, Nemmetz
engaged in forensic cognitive
graphic interviews with child
victims of abuse, teamed with
law enforcement on perpetrator
interviews, participated in a
multi-disciplinary team at a child
advocacy center, took emergency
custody of abused children, and
participated in the court process
– testifying, writing petitions, and
preparing court reports.
In addition to Nemmetz’s
impressive employment track
record, she completed her
undergraduate and graduate
degrees at UW-Platteville. Further,
Nemmetz obtained a Master’s
of Science through the Distance
Learning Program. As a result,
she understands firsthand that
studying at a distance is rewarding
yet challenging.
“Occasionally life can get a little
chaotic. You may have family
commitments, social outings,
professional demands, and
education deadlines all at the
same time,” said Nemmetz. “I can
honestly tell you that, everything
will balance out. Taking your
courses at a distance helps you
maintain a sense of normalcy
because, for the most part, you
get to choose when to access your
course and work on assignments
each week.”
Additional words of wisdom
from one of UWP’s Distance
Education alumas is that any
anxiety you may have about the
“juggling” process or the “road to
graduation” will quickly pass as
you develop positive relationships
with your peers and your
instructors.
Nemmetz is looking forward to
joining criminal justice students
on their educational journey and is
happy to assist in any way that she
can. So do not hesitate to give her
a call or e-mail her with questions,
comments, and/or suggestions.

7
project management
n w es
UWP Graduate Receives Top Award for Project
Management
By Scott Skelly
The Project Management Institute
(PMI) Educational Foundation has
recognized 2007 UW-Platteville
Master of Science in Project
Management graduate Tonya
Peterson as Student Paper of the
Year Award winner.
Peterson is the first student
from UWP to win this award.
Academic staff member Ginger
Levin advised Peterson with the
preparation of this paper. Peterson
began her work on this paper as
a student in Levin’s Interpersonal
Skills for Virtual and Co-Located
Project Teams class.
Levin encouraged Peterson to
enter her work in the contest.
Peterson created an abstract of
her paper and submitted it for
competition. In June, she was
informed she was a finalist and
then submitted her complete paper
for the competition.
Her paper covered many topics
of project management such as
improving team performance,
working with different
management styles, common
mistakes project managers
make, and how to continually
improve team performance. She
also included a number of tables
and charts that can be utilized
by a team manager. “I try to be
conscious of the mistakes that
many project managers make.”
Peterson presented her paper at
the PMI North American Congress
in Atlanta in October. She covered
the main points of her paper in
a one-hour presentation. The
PMI will make her entire paper
available online to the public.
“(The PMI Congress) is considered
the premier learning event
for project managers in North
America,” said Bill Haskins,
program coordinator for the
Project Manager Program at UWP.
Haskins joined both Peterson
and Levin at the congress. After
teaching Peterson in the online
classroom, Levin was looking
forward to meeting her in person
for the first time.
Peterson is not stopping with her
paper. She is currently in the final
stages of writing a book for project
managers, which has already
gained the interest of publishers.
“She has always been a person to
go beyond the requirements,” said
Levin. “She is the type of person
we could see in a chief executive
officer position.”
She recently also started with
Kohl’s Corporation in the project
management office. In this
position, she will “guide project
methodology, analyze project
performance metrics, implement
process improvement, train
(information systems) department
on the project lifecycle, mentor
project managers, and support
troubled projects.”
In addition to the opportunity to
present her paper, Peterson and
Haskins received paid trips to the
congress. Peterson and the UWP
Project Management Program also
received a $500 cash award.
Current students will benefit from
Peterson’s recognition and the
8
Tonya Peterson
Project Management Graduate
spotlight UWP received. “This
raises the visibility of UWP in the
project management community,”
said Haskins.
This award is an annual contest.
Current students can get involved
by talking to course instructors
or by contacting Haskins. More
information about the contest is
available online at www.pmi.org/
pmief/scholarship/award-ispa.asp.
Drums and Cymbals
Project
In our last issue of PLEXUS,
we introduced the Drums and
Cymbals technology enhancement
project. The project will test
technology enhancements in five
courses this fall, three next spring,
and two in summer 2008. In each
course, we have determined a
particular module, subject area, or
assignment that could benefit from
a technology enhancement. These
technology enhancements will
be assessed, using feedback from
students and the instructors to
determine if the enhancements had
a positive impact in the courses.
Fall Semester
Ginger Levin PM 7060
Advanced Tools and Techniques
Utilization of “Flash” to design
and interactive plagiarism tool
Phil Micech ENGRG 7830
Advanced Cost and Value Analysis
Use of “Audacity” to provide
audio feedback to students
Cont. on page 9
Drums and Cymbals Project
Cont. from page 8 Pat Bromley PSYCH 7230 Crisis based upon outcomes on student
Intervention Theory performance, student and
Ryan Melbard ENGRG 7070 instructor satisfaction, and time/
Tony Munos
Optimization with Eng. Apps. cost efficiencies.
PM 7020 PM Techniques II
Use of “Camtasia” to provide
demo for excel solver tool Summer Semester Each instructor involved in
Amy Nemmetz BJ Reed this phase of the project will be
CJ 7430 Victimology COMM 5010 Business Comm. mentoring two other instructors,
Progressive utilization of who will in turn assess technology
Susan Hansen enhancements in an identified
“webquests” to maximize use of BSAD 1300 Global Business
Internet resources course. Our assessments will be
ongoing as we continually seek to
Patrick Montgomery ACCT It is imperative to the success of improve learning outcomes and
2010 Financial Accounting this project that students enrolled increase student satisfaction in the
Utilization of “whiteboard” to in these courses provide feedback distance learning program.
present course material on their use of the technology.
This first year of the project will Your participation as a student
Spring Semester lay the groundwork for future is key to our success. As the title
Tom Kershaw ENGRG 7840 coursework. The technology states, “Together we can make
Systems Engineering Management enhancements will be evaluated beautiful music.”

Levin Sets Record for Certifications in PM

Ginger Levin,
lecturer
in project
management
at UW-
Platteville, has
something on
her resume
no one in the
world does.
She is the only
person in the world to hold every
certification offered by the Project
Management Institute (PMI).
Levin’s certifications are certified
associate in project management,
project management professional,
program management professional,
and assessor and consultant
organizational project management
maturity model. Levin worked
from November 2003 to June 2007
to obtain her certifications. The
process for earning the certifications
included having years of
experience, going through rigorous
training, and taking exams. She
will be featured in one of the PMI’s
professional publications, the first
time anyone from the UWP Master
of Science Project Management
Program has been featured in any
of the publications.
“I feel privileged and honored
to have these certifications. It
was difficult to achieve, but the
certifications are important to
be a thought leader in project
management,” said Levin.
According to Levin, the
certifications have enabled her
to keep up with her profession
and provide her with continuous
learning and recognition.
Additionally, they have enabled her
to help UWP in obtaining approval
for its project management courses
for the Project Management
Institute. In order for the courses
to be approved, they must be
evaluated by someone certified by
the Project Management Institute as
a project management professional
to ensure they meet the institute’s
standards.
Levin was always interested in
the planning and management
of projects, even though when
she graduated from high school,
project management was not yet
recognized as a career and there
were no degrees offered in the
field. Levin got her doctorate
in public administration at the
George Washington University in
9
Washington D.C., and has been
working in project management for
41 years.
Levin began teaching at UWP
as part of the distance education
program in 2002, after a friend
recommended the program. She
likes the caliber of students and
their dedication, as well as the
interesting courses and the quality
of her colleagues in the project
management program.
“Dr. Levin is one of our stars. She
is very active in the program and
committed to its success,” said Bill
Haskins, coordinator of the Master
of Science in Project Management
Program.
Levin encourages students to get
certifications from the Project
Management Institute, along with
their master’s degree. She said
having certifications opens the
door for students to get promotions
and become well recognized in the
field, and according to Haskins,
a master’s degree in project
management is an effective way for
students to differentiate themselves
from others in the field.
PM Instructor Travels to Abu Dhabi to Teach
UW-Platteville’s distance learning
programs enroll students from
countries all over the world --
from Canada to China to South
Africa and the Middle East.
International students are able
to participate in online courses
because of the flexibility in time
and location that is inherent in
distance education programs.
In a global and “flat world,” the
diversity of ideas, customs, and
values that international students
bring to online courses are not only
assets to the distance education
programs, but also to the students.
As a result of the physical location
of international students, they
rarely have an opportunity to
meet fellow classmates or course
instructors face-to-face. Recently,
however, a partnership with the
Chicago Training and Consultancy
Company allowed Tony Munos,
an instructor for the Project
Management Program, to teach a
face-to-face course to international
students in Abu Dhabi in August
2007.
According to Wikipedia, the city of
Abu Dhabi is the capital of one of
seven emirates that comprise the
United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi
is on an island that borders the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (south),
National Distance Learning Week
Distance Education hits the
national spotlight during National
Distance Learning Week (NDLW)
Nov. 12-16.
Sponsored by the United States
Distance Learning Association
(USDLA), NDLW “seeks to
promote and celebrate the
tremendous growth and
accomplishments” of distance
education programs. Organizers
hope to bring a greater awareness
to the general public about the
fastest growing segment of the
education system.
the Sultanate of Oman (east),
the Persian Gulf (north), and the
emirate of Dubai (northeast). Not
only is Abu Dhabi the wealthiest
emirate within the United Arab
Emirates, it is also the richest city in
the world.
When asked what his immediate
thoughts were when he landed in
Abu Dhabi, Munos replied that the
city is “modern, upscale, beautiful,
and opulent. Most of the areas
are brand new.” Munos’ initial
assessment of the city is a reflection
of Abu Dhabi’s booming economy.
Below are some facts about Abu
Dhabi’s fast-growing economy:
• Each of Abu Dhabi’s citizens is
worth $17 million.
• More than $1 trillion worldwide
is invested in the city alone.
• The Gross Domestic Product per
capita is $63,000.
All levels of distance education
from K-12 schools to graduate
level programs will be recognized
through this special week.
Currently more than 2.5 million
college students are involved in
distance education and more than
700,000 high school students take
at least one online class.
10
• In 2006, the per capita income
grew by nine percent.
While in Abu Dhabi, Munos
taught an introductory project
management course called
Tools and Techniques. Twenty-
two students, most of whom
were employed by the police
department, military, or other
government agencies, participated
in the five-day course. Munos
described the students as very
interested and eager to learn the
course materials despite a few
challenges. Some students lacked
a full command of the English
language and struggled with the
course materials, which were
culturally based on Western policies
and idea.
Munos believes that there are
numerous career opportunities in
Abu Dhabi, given their growth.
For people interested in working
in Abu Dhabi, Munos offers the
following advice:
1. Be aware and respectful of local
customs.
2. Get to know the culture and be
respectful of it.
3. Make a good attempt to learn the
language.
4. Try the food.
5. Be sociable with the citizens
“Online learning programs are
invaluable because they provide
a segment of our population
with critical literacy and job-
related skills as well as the means
necessary to take their education to
the next level” states United States
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
Kennedy supports distance
learning programs because they
help students to reach their
educational goals.
To learn more about NDLW, visit
www.ndlw.org.
business administration
n w es
Business Administration Program to Phase Out Annual Service
Agreement Fee
In an effort to serve you better,
the Distance Learning Center
has implemented significant
improvements to the fee structure
associated with taking courses via
the print-based delivery format.
Starting Nov. 1, 2007, we will
phase out the Annual Service
Agreement (ASA) Fee, which
was assessed yearly, regardless
of ongoing enrollments in print-
based courses. More efficiently,
a University Services Fee will
be assessed on each Contract
Enrollment Plan.
Specifically, for degree-seeking
students enrolling in one course
on a Contract Enrollment Plan, a
University Services Fee (USF) of
$60.00 will be assessed; the USF for
two or more courses per Contract
Enrollment Plan will be $120.
These fees entitle the student to the
same services administered under
Student Profile: Toni McCutchin
After becoming a successful wife,
mother, and working professional,
Toni McCutchin decided to
complete her bachelor’s degree
in early 1999. Introduced to
UWP’s Business Administration
Program at a distance by a friend
and co-worker, McCutchin began
her distance learning studies at
UWP with print-based courses, but
gradually transitioned to taking
online courses. She quickly grew
to appreciate the set, yet innately
flexible schedules the online courses
offered. The online format allowed
her to arrange her school work
around her many other roles in life,
yet still helped her feel like she was
progressing toward her degree.
the Annual Service Agreement
(i.e., university administrative
support services and academic
guidance and counseling). Equally
important, payment of this fee
exempts the student from paying
segregated fees for the business
administration distance program
courses.
Students who enroll in the
business administration distance
program are subject to the university
degree requirements that are in
effect at the time of their admission
to the university. Students who
do not show academic progress
toward meeting their degree
requirements may be required to
reapply for admission under the
catalog in effect at the time.
Students with Active Annual
Service Agreement:
Students with an active Annual
“I have learned to prioritize what
needs to be done in regards to
my work and family life. I have
learned to juggle a busy schedule
of work, school, and my sons’
sporting activities. I have had to
sacrifice time with my husband
and two sons, but they are behind
me 100 percent,” said McCutchin.
McCutchin admits that the
completion of her degree and
always finding time to assume her
many roles have not been easy.
She will tell you about times that
she has had to do coursework in
the car while waiting for her son’s
sporting event to start, studying
through lunch breaks at work, or
11
Service Agreement will not be
assessed a University Services Fee
until their ASA expires; however,
after the expiration of the Annual
Service Agreement, the USF will
be assessed on all future Contract
Enrollment Plans.
Students with Inactive Annual
Service Agreement:
As stated above, students who
have not shown academic
progress toward meeting degree
requirements may be required to
reapply for admission. The USF
will be assessed on all Contract
Enrollment Plans.
New Students:
The USF will be assessed on all
Contract Enrollment Plans.
staying up long after the rest of the
family has gone to sleep.
“To still find the time for my
family, I have spent hours after
they have gone to bed studying for
a test and/or finishing up course
work,” said McCutchin.
Although she would have liked to
start down the path of completing
her degree earlier, through what
Toni describes as “determination
and discipline,” she has stuck
with her program and is currently
scheduled to graduate next spring.
The DLC staff and faculty all look
forward to seeing her at spring
commencement!
Spring 2008 Course Registration Information
ONLINE COURSE REGISTRATION TIMELINE
Oct. 13, 2007 Registration opens for spring 2008 online courses.
Dec. 19, 2007 Attention: Financial Aid Applicants—last day to register and choose the financial aid payment option.
Jan. 1, 2008 Last day to register and choose mail-in payment option.
Jan. 8, 2008 Last day to register (with credit card payment) and payment deadline for those who sent in payment by mail.
Jan. 8, 2008 Last day to cancel your enrollment and have the administrative fee refunded.
Jan. 22, 2008 First day of classes.
May 16, 2008 Last day of classes.
Please refer to our website www.uwplatt.edu/disted for changes to this spring 2008 online course listing and fee schedule.
Courses that count toward certificates are also listed on the website. All courses are three credits unless otherwise noted.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

BSAD 3740 Consumer Behavior
ACCT 2010 Financial Accounting
BSAD 4200 Employee Recruitment and Selection
ACCT 2020 Management Accounting
BSAD 4630 Marketing Management
BSAD 1300 Global Business
BSAD 4840 Business Policy/Strategy
BSAD 2630 Introduction to Marketing
*BSAD 4950 Portfolio Development
BSAD 3030 Human Resource Management
CJ 1130 Introduction to Criminal Justice
BSAD 3130 Legal Environment of Business
CJ 2230 Correctional Philosophy
BSAD 3340 Management, Gender and Race
CJ 3130 Criminal Investigation
BSAD 3530 Organizational Behavior
CJ 4230 Community-Based Corrections
BSAD 3540 Quality Management
COSC 1830 Microcomputer Applications
BSAD 3620 Financial Management
ECON 2230 Principles of Microeconomics
BSAD 3720 International Marketing

*Contact advisor for prior approval and registration instructions.

You may register for undergraduate print courses for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration any working day of the
month. Contact us for information.

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
CJ 1130 Introduction to Criminal Justice
ACCT 2010 Financial Accounting
CJ 2230 Correctional Philosophy
BSAD 1300 Global Business
CJ 3130 Criminal Investigation
BSAD 2630 Introduction to Marketing
CJ 3900 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
BSAD 3030 Human Resource Management
CJ 4230 Community-Based Corrections
BSAD 3130 Legal Environment of Business
CJ 4330 Criminal Procedure and Evidence
BSAD 3340 Management, Gender and Race
*CJ 4500 Directed Individual Studies (1-3 cr.)
BSAD 3530 Organizational Behavior
*CJ 4880 Internship in Criminal Justice (8 cr.)
BSAD 3540 Quality Management
*CJ 4930 Criminal Justice Seminar
BSAD 3620 Financial Management
COSC 1830 Microcomputer Applications
BSAD 3720 International Marketing
ECON 2230 Principles of Microeconomics
BSAD 3740 Consumer Behavior
BSAD 4200 Employee Recruitment and Selection
BSAD 4630 Marketing Management

*Contact advisor for prior approval and registration instructions.

You may register for undergraduate print courses for the minor in business administration any working day of the month. Contact us
for information.

12
Spring 2008 Course Registration Information
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
BSAD 5030 Human Resource Management *CJ 7880 Criminal Justice Internship
BSAD 5340 Management, Gender and Race *CJ 7920 Seminar Paper Research
BSAD 5530 Organizational Behavior *CJ 7980 Independent Study in Criminal Justice
CJ 6030 Criminal Law (1-4 cr.)
CJ 7030 Criminal Justice Systems *CJ 7990 Thesis Research (3-6 cr.)
CJ 7330 Law as Social Control PSYC 7230 Crisis Intervention Theory
CJ 7530 Criminal Justice Administration PSYC 7430 Abnormal Psychology in a Dangerous
CJ 7730 Evaluation and Program Analysis World
in the Criminal Justice System *PSYC 7980 Independent Study in Psychology
(1-4 cr.)
Master of Science in Engineering
BSAD 5720 International Marketing
ENGRG 5000 Engineering Communications
ENGRG 6050 Applied Statistics
ENGRG 6230 Structural Steel Design with LRFD Applications
ENGRG 7070 Optimization with Engineering Applications
ENGRG 7270 Advanced Deep Foundation Design with LRFD Applications
ENGRG 7280 Geosynthetics Engineering
ENGRG 7310 Control Systems Engineering
ENGRG 7340 Digital Control Systems
ENGRG 7520 Design for Manufacturability
ENGRG 7550 Product Design and Development
ENGRG 7830 Advanced Cost and Value Analysis
ENGRG 7840 Systems Engineering Management
ENGRG 7850 Taguchi Method of Designing Experiments
*ENGRG 7930 Special Topics in Engineering (1-3 cr.)
*ENGRG 7980 Independent Study in Engineering (1-3 cr.)
PM 7010 Project Management Techniques I
PM 7020 Project Management Techniques II

Master of Science in Project Management

ACCT 7000 Managerial Accounting PM 7010 Project Management Techniques I
BSAD 5030 Human Resource Management PM 7020 Project Management Techniques II
BSAD 5340 Management, Gender and Race PM 7030 Project Risk Management
BSAD 5530 Organizational Behavior PM 7040 Interpersonal Skills for Virtual and
BSAD 5540 Quality Management Co-Located Project Teams
BSAD 5620 Financial Management PM 7070 Managing Multiple Projects
BSAD 5720 International Marketing PM 7080 Project Scope Management
BSAD 5740 Consumer Behavior *PM 7840 Project Management Capstone
BSAD 6200 Employee Recruitment and Selection *PM 7980 Independent Study in Project
BSAD 6630 Marketing Management Management (1-4 cr.)
BSAD 7540 Advanced Quality Management *PM 7990 Thesis Research
COMM 7330 Organizational Communication
ENGRG 6050 Applied Statistics
ENGRG 7830 Advanced Cost and Value Analysis
ENGRG 7850 Taguchi Method of Designing Experiments

*Contact advisor for prior approval and registration instructions.

13
Student Advisory Board Recruiting New Members
As 2007 draws to an end, the
Student Advisory Board is once
again recruiting new members for
the group. There are a number
of people on the current SAB
membership who will be leaving
for a variety of reasons. Several
will be graduating. We are looking
for at least two members from each
program to serve for one year with
this group. To review the purpose
of the group and the activities in
which the SAB has been involved
with during the past year, go to
its website at www.uwplatt.edu/
disted/studentcent/sab/index.
html. This group meets monthly
(no meetings in May or December)
for 90 minutes via phone or
web conference in the evenings.
Meeting times are determined once
a new group is formed. If you
are interested in being considered
for membership with this group,
please contact Dawn Drake at
drake@uwplatt.edu.
The SAB is an extremely important
group associated with distance
education. They truly serve as the
“voice of the student” in so many
Understanding the Financial Aid Guidelines
All students
who wish
to use the
financial aid
payment
option for
online course
registration
need to make
sure they
adhere to the following guidelines:
1. You must work closely with the
UW-Platteville Financial Aid Office
to make sure that you submit all of
your financial aid paperwork on
time. If you aren’t sure whether or
not you’ve done this, contact the
Financial Aid Office (800.616.0412
or 608.342.1836) and ask about
ways throughout the year. During
the past year, the current SAB has
been involved in the following
ways:
• Provide input on the “Top Ten
Things Online Instructors Can
Do in Their Classes”
• Review information associated
with the accreditation report
• Assist with promotion and
recruitment ideas and activities
for the programs
• Make suggestions for changes to
the program advising sites and
encourage students to use the
sites
• Provide a student perspective
on adding new technologies to
online classes
• Participate in writing entries for
the distance education blog
• Review the changes made to the
new distance education website
• Serve as a reference point
for prospective and current
students
• Respond to requests from
current students regarding
changes in the online
environment
your status. Your financial aid
paperwork should be in order
before you register for courses.
2. Students must be admitted and
matriculated with UWP and must
be enrolled in at least six credits
for undergraduate students, or five
credits for graduate students, to be
eligible for financial aid. If you are
combining any online courses with
other delivery mechanisms (i.e.,
on-campus courses, print-based
courses, capstone courses, etc.),
ALL credits must be processed
within the same term for aid to be
considered.
3. You need to plan to purchase
your textbooks for your online
courses with your own funds so
14
The list could continue on and
on. As you can see, this group
is involved in a wide variety of
activities, and these items change
each year. As a new SAB is
formed, one of the responsibilities
of the group will be to develop
a list of agenda items to discuss
and act on in 2008. The input that
this group provides is extremely
valuable in making plans for
distance education at UW-Platteville.
So, if you would like to be
involved with charting the
future development of distance
education, you are encouraged
to apply to be a member of the
SAB. Feel free to talk to current
members of the SAB to get
additional information about being
a member.
A special thanks goes out to all
the SAB members who have
been active with the group this
year. Best wishes to those of you
who will be going on to other
endeavors. Please know that your
input has been extremely valuable.
that you have them at the time that
classes begin. Financial aid is not
disbursed until after the start of
the semester, and you need to have
your textbooks for the course prior
to the time that your aid will be
awarded. Your financial aid may
help you cover the costs of your
books, but you should not wait
until it is disbursed before you
order your books.
If you do not have all of your
financial aid paperwork in order
by the registration deadlines, you
will need to pay up front to secure
a spot in your courses. Please
contact your advisor, the Distance
Learning Center, or the UWP
Financial Aid Office if you have
questions on this process.
Ask A Librarian
By John Leonard-Berg
My name is
John Leonard
Berg, and I am
a librarian at
the University
of Wisconsin-
Platteville. I
have been
at UWP for
10 years,
where I also
hold the
position of
coordinator of public
services for the Karrmann Library.
My major responsibilities are to
provide daily assistance to patrons
at our public service desk, to select
reference materials essential to
the teaching and research mission
of the university and to provide
training to students using the
library. One way to best help
students is by writing about library
services and that is the purpose of
my column in PLEXUS.
The Karrmann Library has a long
tradition of providing quality
information to university students,
faculty, and staff. As UWP expands
its initiative to provide new
courses and new degree programs
on campus and at a distance, the
library staff is examining how to
best serve all students. I would like
to explore some of the resources
and services currently available to
everyone at UWP.
Our library homepage (www.
uwplatt.edu/library/index.html)
is a great place to begin searching
for general library material or
specific information relating to
subjects like criminal justice,
project management, engineering,
education, and business. Here you
will discover some of the finest
scholarly tools and resources
available on the Internet.
You can find many items in the
“Library Catalog.” The electronic
library catalog is easy to use.
Using the search strategies of If you need help using the
author, title, subject or keyword, Karrmann Library or its services,
you can search through the records select the “Ask-A-Librarian” link.
of 300,000 books and audiovisual You will be prompted to submit
materials housed in the Karrmann a reference question. Librarians
Library and across the university check the electronic reference
campus. Be sure to take a minute account several times an hour
to read the help screens on the to provide a quick and accurate
selected page before beginning response to your research query.
a search. In the event that the It should be noted that questions
library does not own the title submitted in the late evening hours
in which you are interested, try or weekends will be answered by a
universal borrowing or contact librarian early the following day.
the interlibrary loan staff and they
will happily locate and obtain your These are just a few of the services
desired item. available to you when employing
the Karrmann Library. Please don’t
If you need to access periodicals hesitate to call the reference desk
or newspapers, select the “Journal at 608.342.1688 or use our toll
Indexes” link and begin exploring free number at 888.450.4632 for
the 150 general and subject-specific immediate assistance with your
databases. Each database is briefly research.
annotated for your convenience.
(Note: A first-time researcher
may want to choose “Resources
by Academic Discipline.” For
example, criminal justice and law
Every
will introduce all the electronic
databases appropriate for that
specific subject and a whole lot
journey begins
more!) Many of the electronic
databases are full text.
with a
“Reference Resources” is a
mega site connecting you to
single step.
professionally reviewed library
information such as online
dictionaries, electronic journals,
Internet search engines, media
reviews, and citation guides. Just
recently, several new distance
education students contacted me
about locating information about
improving general writing skills.
They were searching for a site that
would review the fundamentals
of grammar and general writing
principles. Writer’s Resources
at www.uwplatt.edu/library/
reference/writers.html is the
perfect resource. “Reference
Resources” is actually a virtual
reference desk, complete with
hundreds of links and services
right at your fingertips.
15
What Motivates You?
Dawn Drake
Executive Director of
Alternative Delivery Systems
As you read PLEXUS, you are
probably thinking to yourself, “I
have only a few weeks left in the
semester. How am I ever going
to get the remaining work done
in my courses, keep up at work,
stay connected to my family
and friends, participate in my
community activities, and still
keep my sanity?” As these various
“worlds” collide and we continue
to get busier and busier, it is
important to remember that there
are only 24 hours in a day – and
some of that time needs to be used
for rest, relaxation, and recreation!
Sometimes when you are the
busiest is the time when you really
need to STOP and review what
motivates you. Typically speaking,
people are internally motivated
by what is important to them.
And if we listen to that internal
“voice,” it is normally easy to
keep on task and move forward.
However, there are lots of external
motivators that creep into our
daily routine that can derail us
from our goals. These external
motivators can come in a variety
of forms, are different for every
individual, and many times are
outside of our control. Assuming
that you are not planning to throw
everything away and start over
in a different environment away
from everyone (i.e., moving to
a secluded island or an isolated
mountain top), we all need to
figure out what we can do to keep
the internal motivation driving our
daily routine.
As you focus on getting through
your courses, be sure to keep
in mind the ultimate goal that
you have. Each of you chose
to continue your education for
an individual reason -- this is
typically an internal motivator in
your life. Write that reason down
on a piece of paper and put it
someplace that is easily accessible.
When you are up late studying
and thinking “I can’t do this any
longer,” pull out that paper that
explains why you are continuing
your education. This should help
you continue to stay motivated
to get your courses finished and
move one step closer to your
educational goal.
At the same time that you are
working toward your educational
goal, try to identify those external
motivators that have kept you
from achieving this goal on a daily
basis. Are you still trying to be
“all things to all people in your
life?” Have you given up any
time commitments since starting
your degree that you can work
on again once you’ve obtained
your educational goal? Are you
constantly trying to defend your
decision of continuing your
education to your family and
friends? These are just a few of
the external motivators that can
detract you from staying motivated
to reach your educational goal.
After identifying these external
motivators, take some time to
determine if there is anything you
can do about them and take action.
Again, write down the strategies
that you can use to lessen these
forces and keep it in an easily
accessible area. The next time
you find yourself again feeling
overwhelmed, pull out the list
and see what you can do to help
bring things back into alignment in
your life. Although we can never
completely rid our lives of external
motivators, when they become
the driving force of our daily
routine, it is extremely difficult to
be successful at school, at work, or
in life.
So, ask yourself the question
“What motivates you?” Then
work toward making the internal
motivations the biggest part of
your day!

Lost Alumni
If you have an address or contact information on any of the alumni listed below, please contact the
Distance Learning Center at 800.362.5460 or disted@uwplatt.edu.

Susan Case, ‘88, BSAD Jody O’Kane, ‘04, BSAD

Paul Czarapata, ‘01, BSAD
Barbara Decker, ‘88, BSAD
Jennifer Diener, ‘05, CJ
Brenda Hart, ‘97, BSAD
Lisa Larson (Schwarze in PS), ‘98, BSAD
Jeffrey Nabarek, ’93, BSAD
Alice Rosenthal, ‘91, BSAD
Rajesh Sankaralingom, ‘04, PM
Kenneth Seidner, ‘86, BSAD
Joan Shutter, ‘99, BSAD
Allyn Watson, ‘97, BSAD

16
Tutoring Resources Not Used At High Levels
Two years ago, the Distance
Learning Center received a grant
to develop numerous educational
assistance components (i.e.,
tutoring mechanisms) for a variety
of online content. The decision
regarding which courses should be
used for testing various forms of
tutoring was based on four criteria:
1. Which courses had the highest
drop rate
2. Which courses had the lowest
grades
3. Which course instructors
identified a specific area in their
course, in which a large portion
of students struggled with the
content or assignment
4. Requests from students for
tutoring assistance
After reviewing this information,
six areas of content were identified
for the project. In reviewing
each area, the tutoring committee
identified the type of “tutoring
mechanism” that would be tested
in each area. This information is
found below:
• ENGRG 5230 Linear Algebra:
Utilized UW-Platteville Math
Learning Center tutors for online
students. Students could call
a tutor during select weekend
or evening hours and/or e-mail
questions to tutors, with responses
made within 24 hours.
• ACCT 2010/2020 Financial
and Management Accounting: A
special online tutoring service
“Smartthinking” was contracted
with to provide tutoring
opportunities in a similar format
to the items listed above. Students
could set up specific times to
“meet” their tutor online and/
or send in questions and expect a
response within 24 hours.
• ENGRG 6050 Advanced
Statistics: An online tutorial and
quiz was developed and made
available to students to participate
in before signing up for the class.
This helped students determine
if they needed some additional
refreshers before taking the class
or might need additional help once
getting into the class.
• ENGRG 7070 Optimization with
Engineering Applications: An
online review session was held
three times during the class to
review content in a real-time web
conference with the instructor.
• Library Orientation: A live
web conference was developed to
review the resources and services
of the library. This information
was archived and is made available
to students on the library website.
• Online Writing Resources: Our
initial plan was to develop online
writing assistance for distance
students, but this did not come
to fruition. Instead, a website of
online resources to assist with
writing problems was developed.
This information was developed
during the first year of the grant
and tested in the classes during
the second year of the grant. The
following results were obtained
during this time frame:
• Students did not take advantage
of the specialized tutoring in the
ENGRG 5230 or ACCT 2010/2020
classes. There were 148 students
in these classes during the test
time and only three students
participated in the tutoring options.
• Students have participated in
the refresher module developed
for the Advanced Statistics course,
and this information continues
to be made available to anyone
interested in using it.
17
• The participation in the online
review sessions for ENGRG 7070
got high marks from the students
that used it, but only about half
of the class participated in at least
one of the sessions.
• The library orientation materials
have continued to be used and
updated since implementation. In
addition, a new online training
session was developed to help
students use Refworks.
• Additional work has not been
conducted regarding online writing
resources. However, we know
this continues to be a concern of
both students and faculty. This
will be reviewed in the future
to determine if there are other
resources that can be developed.
As indicated from the above
summary, it appears that the
resources that had the biggest
impact and were used the most
by students were the items
which are available online that
the students can access at their
leisure. However, this does not
give students the opportunity to
ask questions and get immediate
responses, which was cited as a
detriment by the students. Also,
students have not been active in
completing evaluations for the
various tutoring mechanisms to
truly tell us what worked and
didn’t work for them. When
students who dropped classes or
failed classes were contacted to
find out why they hadn’t used the
tutoring mechanisms available,
most indicated that they did not
have time to ask for this extra help.
At this stage, the tutoring
committee has made the
recommendation not to develop
additional tutoring mechanisms
because they were not heavily
utilized. We will continue to
prepare self-paced modules for
certain areas that may be useful in
a broad area of study.
criminal justice
n w es
Attention Department of Justice Students
By Joyce Williams
It is time to look forward to the
beginning of another semester
of online course registration. To
make this semester as smooth as
possible for you, I will outline all
the information you will need to
have a successful semester.
Spring semester registration
for both First-Line Supervisory
and Leadership in Police
Organizations online courses
will open on November 5, 2007,
and both courses will close on
January 4, 2008. To register go
to www.uwplatt.edu/disted and
under the heading “Professional
Development,” select “Online
Criminal Justice Training.” On the
next page, choose the course you
want and click on “Registration.”
Scroll down to the registration
box (in gray) and click on the
registration tab. You will receive
detailed information on how to
register for the course.
In response to the hard work that
students have put forth to earn a
certificate of completion from our
non-credit online courses, the CJ
Department offers credit for life
experience for a Criminal Justice
degree. All this simply means
is that students who complete
both the certificates in First-
Line Supervisory Training and
Leadership in Police Organizations
can be awarded nine electives
toward the Bachelor of Science
in Criminal Justice degree. We
are extremely proud of this
achievement, not only in what it
means to us, but what it means
for you. This opportunity allows
you to maximize your efforts by
earning professional certificates
and getting college credit at the
same time. To see details on this
fantastic opportunity, go to www.
uwplatt.edu/disted and under
the heading “Undergraduate
Degrees,” select “Bachelor of
Science in Criminal Justice.”
Then select from the column on
your left hand side “Credit for
Life Experience.” On the next
page, choose the course you are
in and you will receive detailed
information about the credit for
Life Experience program.
If you have some free time and
would like to read up on the
latest issues in the criminal
justice world, visit http://
policechiefmagazine.org. This
online magazine is awesome, and
I would recommend it to anyone
who is interested in keeping up
to date with the hottest topics in
criminal justice.
Last, please see the contact
information below if you wish to
discuss anything about our non-
credit online courses, or if your
interested in receiving information
on how these programs can
provide you with formal
leadership training.
Joyce Williams
800.362.5460 EXT 116
williamsjo@uwplatt.edu
18
Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller
Director
New Instructor
Teaches in the
Master of Science in
CJ Program
Welcome
to Dr.
Brian
Johnson,
the
newest
adjunct
instructor
teaching
in the
Master of
Science in
Criminal
Justice
Program. Johnson holds a Ph.D.
and a master’s in criminal justice,
as well as a master’s in labor
and industrial relations from
Michigan State University. He is
currently a professor in criminal
justice at Grand Valley State
University in Grand Rapids,
Mich. Johnson served as a police
officer in Wisconsin, and also
served as the assistant director
and interim director of a regional
police academy in Michigan. He
is the author of two textbooks
(The Mangement of Security
Personnel, Crucial Elements
of Police Firearms Training)
and a forthcoming book in safe
travel. He has also published
several articles in policing, police
management, and training and
security. Johnson currently teaches
CJ 7030 Criminal Justice Systems.
“Oh, the People You’ll Meet ...”
By Amy Nemmetz
One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books
is titled “Oh, The Places You’ll
Go.” As the coordinator for the
online undergraduate criminal
justice program, I’m not only here
to tell you about the “places you
can go” with a Bachelor of Science
degree in criminal justice, but also
about the “people” you will meet
along the way!
Introducing Your Criminal Justice
Fall 07 and Spring 08 Faculty
Instructor
Ken
Wiegman,
Teaching CJ
1130 Intro-
duction to
Criminal
Justice
Wiegman
completed
his graduate
and
undergraduate work at UW-
Platteville. He has worked in the
area of law enforcement to include
patrol, jail, and dispatch duties.
To compliment his work in the
criminal justice field, Wiegman
pursued his interest in the field of
computer development. He has
conducted secondary research
in the area of technology and
crime with a specific focus on
digital piracy and identity theft.
In addition to being employed
full-time at UW-Platteville as
an academic computer support
specialist and as an adjunct
instructor for the Criminal Justice
Department, Wiegman is also a
member of the Wisconsin National
Guard with more than 20 years of
service. He is currently a master
sergeant in the 115th Fighter Wing,
Air National Guard in Madison,
Wisconsin. Wiegman seems to
truly “wear many hats.”
Instructor Michael Ahrens,
Teaching CJ2230 Correctional
Philosophy
Ahrens completed his Doctorate of
Psychology
and his
Master of
Arts in re-
habilitation
counseling
at the
University
of Northern
Colorado
and his
Bachelor
of Science in criminal justice at
UWP. Ahrens has more than
35 years of experience working
with correctional clients in state
and federal institutions across
the nation. He has provided
services to clients in minimum
and maximum security settings to
include psychological evaluations,
crisis intervention, alcohol and
drug treatment, group therapy,
training, and administration. You
can only imagine that the saying
“there is never a dull day” rings
true for Ahrens.
Instructor
Gary
Apperson,
Teaching
CJ4130
Police
Comm-
unity
Relations
Apperson
holds a
Master of
Science in criminal justice from
UW-Platteville and a Bachelor of
Science in criminal justice from
Wayland Baptist University in
Alaska. Apperson is a licensed
airplane pilot with 4,000+ hours
of pilot-in-command time and
has completed the FBI instructor
development training program.
Apperson recently retired from
the Anchorage Alaska Police
Department with more than 25
years in policing. His experiences
included senior patrol supervisor,
FBI special operations participant,
police aircraft pilot, and instructor
19
for Police Patrol Procedures
and Report Writing. Although
Apperson retired from the
Anchorage Police Force, he seems
to be busier than ever. In addition
to teaching at UW-Platteville,
Apperson teaches at Wayland
Baptist University and develops
several criminal justice courses.
When Apperson has free time, he
and his wife like to go flying in the
beautiful Alaskan skies, as well as
hiking and snow-shoeing in the
gorgeous mountains!
Instructor
Deborah
Rice,
Teaching
CJ3630,
Juvenile
Justice
Rice is
a UW-
Platteville
alumna. She
completed
her Bachelor and Master of Science
degrees at UW-Platteville. She also
obtained a Master of Science in
management (with a government
emphasis) from Florida Institute of
Technology. In addition to these
degrees, Rice is also a graduate of
the Army Command and General
Staff College. Rice’s experiences
stretch all the way to Germany.
Rice has worked with adults and
juveniles while holding positions
with the Wisconsin Department
of Corrections (probation and
parole) and Wisconsin State Parks
before joining the U.S. Army,
which eventually landed her in
Germany. Rice’s accomplishments
in the armed forces include a rank
of first lieutenant, taking command
of the battalion headquarters and
headquarters detachment, and
administering the Uniform Code
of Military Justice (UCMJ). After
eight years on active duty, Rice
transferred to the Army Reserves
then later to the Wisconsin Army
National Guard, where she retired
in 2004 as a lieutenant colonel.
Alumni Advisory Board to Become Official Alumni Chapter
Once again, your Alumni Advisory
Board (AAB) has had another
very active year. Although this
group has only been in existence
for two years, it has made a huge
difference with the input it has
provided to UW-Platteville. In
an ongoing attempt to bring
more recognition to the distance
programs, the group has made
the decision to apply to become
an official constituent chapter
of the UW-Platteville Alumni
Association. The group is in
the process of developing a
constitution and bylaws, and will
be presenting this information to
the parent Alumni Association
Board of Directors in January 2008.
The group will continue to
operate in a similar manner to
what has occurred during the past
two years. A couple of changes
Recruitment Roundup
that will occur are selecting an
executive committee for the group
and developing sub-committees
to assist with special projects.
In addition, when alumni from
the distance programs pay their
alumni membership dues, a
portion of those dues will be made
available to the AAB to pay for
activities associated with distance
alumni. The group is very excited
to move to this next step in the
evolution of the organization.
Because more than 100 students
graduate from programs offered at
a distance each year, it is important
that there be a recognized
organization that is supporting this
group of alumni.
So, if you are interested in being
a part of the AAB, either as a
member of the Board or working
on an individual sub-committee,
Happy fall/winter to everyone. As
the warmer weather begins to fade
away, it’s important to take note
of everything the marketing and
recruitment cell of the Distance
Learning Center has accomplished.
As always, we’ve been roaring
along at breakneck speed with
events and process improvements
to accomplish our ultimate goal: To
give people an opportunity to go to
school without giving up all of their
work and family commitments.
A major accomplishment for us
is the implementation of a new
contact management strategy
and updating of corresponding
materials. We have added more
personalized touch points with our
future students to ensure that they
have all of the information they
need to make an informed buying
decision.
Our marketing efforts were also
updated to reflect a 21st century
marketing plan. Our FY2008
marketing plan now is very close
20
please contact Dawn Drake at
drake@uwplatt.edu. There
are ample opportunities for
participation at various levels,
which can match your time
schedule. The board typically
meets monthly via phone or web
conference. To obtain additional
information about the group,
review their website at www.
uwplatt.edu/disted/alumni/
aab/index.html. Also, you are
encouraged to contact members
of the AAB to discuss their
participation.
A special thanks goes out to all
active members of the current AAB
for their work and dedication.
Your commitment to UW-Platteville
is truly something to be proud of
and will continue to assist with
improving the services available
for distance students and alumni.
to 50 percent online and 50 percent
print/face-to-face, allowing us to
reach our target audience more
effectively. One piece of this is
a distance education group on
Facebook.com, where current and
former students can go to discuss
their experiences and questions
outside of the “classroom.” I am
also hoping to get additional audio
and video information pieces on
various websites (including our
own) to show the world the UW-
Platteville advantage.
Moving forward, we will be joining
the rest of the Distance Learning
Center in the new building this
winter. The new office will serve as
an outstanding base of operations
for developing our corporate and
educational relationships.
I, Les Hollingsworth, wish to thank
the Alumni and Student Advisory
Boards for their input into our new
branding message. Their valuable
insight will help us to maintain our
focus on providing an outstanding
product at an incredible value.
Alumni Spotlight
Alumnus Helps Others Reach Their Goals
In 1994, Peter Dishaw started his
coursework with the Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration
Program at a distance. He
transferred in a number of credits
from another institution and
was hopeful that he would have
the drive and determination to
complete his undergraduate
degree. As with most adult
students who are working full-
time and juggling numerous other
commitments, Dishaw questioned
if and when he would complete
his degree. There were numerous
“bumps” along the way, but also
success. Dishaw graduated from
UW-Platteville in 2001. He was
also hopeful that by completing his
degree, new opportunities would
become available to him.
Fast forward to 2007, Dishaw has
not only changed jobs, but also
changed careers. He has also
completed his MBA from Baker
College in Flint, Mich., and has
become a certified workforce
development professional.
He currently works for the
Hannahville Indian Community
on a grant from the Administration
for Native Americans (ANA)
under the direction of Carol
Bergquist, Ph.D.
The Hannahville Indian
Community is a federally
recognized Indian tribe residing
in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
with a membership of 755 people.
Current figures from the tribal
database show that the overall
unemployment rate of tribal
members and descendants who are
We would like to hear from our other alumni as to what you have been doing since graduation.
Please fill out the brief online form at www.uwplatt.edu/disted/general/alumniSurvey07.html
19 years of age and living on the reservation is 40 percent, although there are
more job opportunities than there are tribal members.
As outlined in the grant’s objective work plan, workforce development
staff begins by conducting recruitment efforts to unemployed and
underemployed tribal members and descendants 16 years of age and older.
Eligibility screenings, employment
Alumni history, an educational achievement
information is gathered from each
individual. If a candidate is found
eligible for the program, staff evaluates
each applicant’s career interests,
achievements, work habits, and
potential through an individually
designed vocational assessment,
resulting in a written report, which
is shared with the applicant. Once
a tribal member or descendant is
enrolled in the program, workforce
development staff, in conjunction with
the participant, creates an individual
career development plan (ICDP) detailing goals, objectives, activities and
timelines. Using the information from the ICDP, the workforce development
staff and the participant begin the process of exploring options for them
to reach their stated goals. The workforce development program offers a
variety of job-related skills development, including certification programs,
apprenticeships, GED or high school completion, career development
workshops, customized training, and on-the-job evaluation to empower
participants to prepare for their selected employment or career goal.
The workforce development staff offers on-going counseling, supportive
services, and regularly scheduled appointments to discuss any concerns
or issues the participant may have. All services, milestones, and outcomes
are recorded in the workforce development database, which is then used
to prepare internal and external reports and to conduct formative and
summative program evaluations. The workforce development program,
which is funded by ANA, is currently the only program of its kind in the
United States. A comprehensive program evaluation is currently being
conducted to document the effectiveness of this program.
The Distance Learning Center staff salute Dishaw for his accomplishments,
and more importantly, for his work with other individuals who are using
education and training to make a difference in their lives.
21
Announcements
Distance Learning Center (DLC)
to Move Offices
The DLC will
be moving to
a new location
on campus in
late January.
Students can
still continue
to address any
written correspondence to the DLC
and it will get to the office.
Financial Aid Reminder
Financial aid money does not get
disbursed until after the semester
begins. If you are planning to use
financial aid money to cover the
costs of your textbooks, you need
to make alternate arrangements
for buying the textbooks and then
paying off the bill when your
financial aid is received. It is the
student’s responsibility to have a
textbook by the time the course
begins.
Problems with Your Advising Site?
If you have problems with your
username and password access
for the library and advising site
(remember, this is where you can
view your grades), please contact
John Vieth at 800.362.5460.
Don’t Delay Registering for
Spring Semester
If you are planning to take an
online course, it is important for
you to register early for the spring
semester. As we continue to grow,
we are not able to accommodate
all of the late registrations that we
are getting. During the fall 2007
semester, nearly 100 students did
not get the classes they wanted
because they waited until the
last minute to register. Don’t get
locked out of the course you want.
REGISTER EARLY!
UWP Distance Education Comes
to Facebook
UWP’s DLC is now on Facebook.
com! Come join us to connect with
classmates, prospective students,
and alumni. Whether you are curious
about what students are saying
about a course/instructor or just
want to connect with alumni, this
is your one stop shop outside of D2L.
Independent Study, Capstone,
Seminar Paper Research, Thesis
Research, Internship, Special
Topics Courses
If you are planning to take an
independent study, capstone,
seminar paper research, thesis
research, internship, or special
topics course this spring, you need
to communicate with your advisor
immediately! Remember, your
course topic needs to be approved
before you may register for these
courses, so please allow extra time
for the registration process.
Also, if you are a financial aid
applicant and are planning to
use any of these courses to count
toward your eligibility, be aware
that the deadline for the financial
aid registration/payment option is
December 19!
Attention Undergraduate Students!
If you are planning to take online
classes with UW Colleges, please
note that the registration and
financial aid deadlines are earlier
than the deadlines posted for UW-
Platteville. Contact your advisor
and get registered early.
December and May Graduation
If you are planning to graduate
in December and haven’t yet
completed the paperwork and
submitted the fees associated with
graduation, contact your advisor
22
and the DLC (800.362.5460) to get
this process finalized.
If you are planning to graduate
in May, you should notify your
advisor in December of your intent
to graduate in the spring. Include
your full name, degree, and month
and year of anticipated graduation.
All of your paperwork must be
completed by mid-February.
We will once again be honoring
distance education graduates on
May 11-12. Additional details will
be sent to graduates in March
about the activities that are being
held. If you are planning to
attend the graduation festivities
in May, you should make hotel
reservations no later than January.
Hotel rooms fill up quickly in
Platteville. To find out more about
the city of Platteville, and for links
to lodging facilities, visit www.
platteville.com.
Attention DOJ
Students!
If you are currently
enrolled in the DOJ
course and you are admitted to the
Bachelor of Science in Criminal
Justice program, remember to
fill out the credit for life request
form. The form can be found at
www.uwplatt.edu/disted/pdfs/
crlifeform.pdf.
Be a UWP Distance Education
Spokesperson
The Distance Learning Marketing
Team is in need of student
photos and quotes to use in our
advertising and brochures. If
you would be willing to be a
spokesperson for UWP distance
education, please contact Christal
Swigart at swigartc@uwplatt.edu.
Changes to Tuition and Fees for
Online Courses
Effective Spring 2008
Cost per Credit - (regardless or
residency)
Undergraduate - $325
Graduate - $575
Tools to Assist with Avoiding Plagiarism
In the last issue of PLEXUS,
we published an article about
plagiarism and the negative impact
it has on the individual, course,
program, and fellow students. As
plagiarism has been identified
and students have been warned
about it, there are typically two
responses:
session was made available at
the beginning of the semester,
describing how to use this system
and the archive of this session is
now available in all online classes.
Additional information about this
system can be found in Chuck
Christison’s article in this issue of
PLEXUS.
3. As part of the Drums and
Cymbals project, an interactive
tutorial and quiz about plagiarism
was developed and is being
tested in a course during the fall
semester. As we receive feedback
from the students’ regarding this
product, we will update it and
make it available in a broader scope.

1. I didn’t realize that what I did
was considered plagiarism.
2. I didn’t think I could get caught.
I won’t do it again.
In response to the first statement,
UW-Platteville has identified three
resources to help you determine if
what you are submitting would be
considered plagiarism and/or the
appropriate citation to use to give
credit for others work.
1. RefWorks is a service that is
available to all students affiliated
with UW-Platteville. It can
assist you with correctly citing
your sources and developing a
bibliography. An online training
2. TurnItIn is a plagiarism
detection service that is only
available to faculty teaching
online classes. This service allows
a faculty member to submit a
student paper to the TurnItIn site
and obtain information about
which portions of the article are
likely plagiarized and a link to
where the information is located.
Again, additional information
about this system can be found in
Chuck Christison’s article in this
issue of PLEXUS. We are testing
this system in the online courses
and, if found to be beneficial, will
be considered for purchase for the
campus and made available to all
faculty and students.
In addition to the items listed
above, there are numerous online
sites that provide additional
information about what constitutes
plagiarism. Links to many of these
sites can be found on the UW-
Platteville library and distance
education websites. Also, be sure
to use your faculty member as a
resource. If you have reviewed
the documentation that has been
made available to you and you are
still uncertain about something
you are writing and if it would be
considered plagiarism, ASK! With
all of these tools at your disposal,
“I didn’t realize that what I did
was considered plagiarism” is not
a good excuse.

UW-Platteville Program Coordinators

Contact Information for Business Administration (online)
Susan Hansen

Online Courses Phone: 608.342.1436

E-mail: hansens@uwplatt.edu
Business Administration (print)
Technical Support - UW Learning Innovations
Marge Karsten
Direct questions that relate to problems getting access to the course (e.g., passwords,
Phone: 608.342.1749
login name) and/or other hardware/software problems that you encounter when
E-mail: karsten@uwplatt.edu
navigating through the course.
Toll-free: 877.724.7883 Project Management
E-mail: techsupport@learn.uwsa.edu Bill Haskins
Phone: 608.342.1961
Learner Services - UW Learning Innovations E-mail: haskinsd@uwplatt.edu
Direct questions that relate to billing, registering in an online course, ordering exams,
Criminal Justice (undergraduate)
nominating proctors, refunds, and problems with receiving textbooks from the online
Amy Nemmetz
bookstore.
Phone: 608.342.1494
Toll-free: 877.895.3276
E-mail: nemmetza@uwplatt.edu
E-mail: info@learn.uwsa.edu
Criminal Justice (graduate)
Student Services - UW-Platteville Distance Learning Center Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller
Direct questions that relate to admissions information and status, course grades, Phone: 608.342.1652
financial aid, transfer of credits, general questions about programs offered at a distance E-mail: banchoc@uwplatt.edu
from UWP, information about policies and procedures associated with each online Engineering
program. Lisa Riedle
Toll-free: 800.362.5460 Phone: 608.342.1686
E-mail: disted@uwplatt.edu E-mail: riedle@uwplatt.edu

23
 What our graduates
are saying!
“Since I have two small children and work third shift, I feel the

distance education program is much more convenient for my

schedule,” she says. “I was able to do my work when I

decided instead of having to attend a class at a

predetermined time.”

Laura Palmer, 2007 Graduate

REMINDER
Course/faculty evaluations will be available in the online courses during the first week of December. Please take the
time to complete this evaluation. The results are used in very important decisions for the future of the online programs!

UW–Platteville

D L C
Distance Learning Center