New reason why you should complete your college degree

WORKING ADULT: Our Integrated Leadership degree
completion program will help you finish your bachelor's degree

The U.S. economy will generate 55 million job openings by 2020, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Of those, 65 percent will require some training beyond a high-school education. And at the current rate of college completion in the U.S., the Center predicts 5 million jobs won't be filled because workers will lack required post-secondary credentials.

To help bridge this gap, we're introducing a new program this fall to help working adults finish their bachelor's degree and advance in their careers. Our Integrated Leadership degree completion program is for students who already have college credits and want to complete their degrees quickly. Students can complete their degree in as a little as a year, depending on transfer credits and academic course load.

This program is ideal for students who have a minimum of 45 college-level credits with a grade of C or higher from a previously attended college or university. In total, students have the opportunity to apply up to 90 college level credits toward their degree. The program will be available in accelerated eight-week courses, and will have six start dates throughout the year. Courses will be offered on campus or online, so you can choose what best works with your schedule and responsibilities.

If this sounds like a fit for you or someone you know, visit our website for all the information, including how to apply. We also issued a press release today with all the details. Our Admissions Office is always available to answer any questions at 888.467.3472, ext. 9000, or info@peirce.edu.

The step you should take to advance your career

CAREER ADVANCEMENT: How a master's degree can help
you become a better leader and manager

Career advancement typically involves taking on more sophisticated leadership and management responsibilities. These responsibilities require you to sharpen a skill set you might not yet have fully developed through your work experience.

For example, say you’re a CPA working at an accounting firm and you want to become a Senior Manager. This position requires you to have extensive technical knowledge, but also requires you to provide the accounting staff with counseling and career guidance, as well as formulate strategic and organizational plans. Earning a master’s degree that focuses on building your soft skills (such as the four Cs -- communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration) can help bridge this gap.

This is the cornerstone of the Organizational Leadership & Management program that Peirce is launching this fall. In this type of broad-based program, students typically take courses in areas such as finance, marketing, human resources, communication, teaming, and motivation. These are areas that any successful leader should be agile in, whether you’re just starting out in your career or have 20 years of experience.

Today we wanted to provide insight into how a degree program like this can help you, no matter where you are in your career.

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Find out how you can earn your college degree at a Peirce Open House

We love the few times each year when we swing open our doors for our open houses to welcome people of all ages who are considering earning their college degree. And with Session 1 right around the corner, our August Open Houses are fast approaching!

Join us, or invite someone you know to join us, at 1420 Pine Street, Philadelphia, on the following dates:

Thursday, August 8       OR        Saturday, August 10, 2013
Registration: 5:30 p.m.                  Registration: 10:30 a.m.
Presentation: 6 p.m.                      Presentation: 11 a.m.

Attendees will have the chance to talk one-on-one with our counselors about financial aid and scholarship options, and get an on-the-spot evaluation of their transcripts. They'll also be able to find out about all of our degree program options.

To give you a little preview of what awaits you at our open houses, check out this virtual tour of the College:



The best part is that the application fee to apply to Peirce will be waived for all attendees. Be sure to RSVP online or call 888.467.3472, ext. 9000, to speak with a Peirce Enrollment Representative.

We hope to see you there!

Commencement 2013 was a night to remember

We’ve heard from many of our alumni that graduation is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. But we want each year’s graduates to have those memories at their fingertips whenever they want to relive it. So below is the official video of Commencement 2013 with all of those special moments!



The video includes all of the night's festivities, including our announcement of The Patricia A. Rucker Graduate Studies Award for Academic Excellence, which was named after recently retired Senior Vice President, Academic Advancement & Provost, Dr. Pat Rucker.

If you don't have time to watch the full video, see the timestamps below so you can jump to your favorite section:

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Lighting up the grill to give back to the Pennsylvania National Guard

The warm days of summer are here, and for many, that means spending time outdoors grilling with friends and family. We wanted to take that summer spirit a step further, so we recently hosted a BBQ to thank members of the Pennsylvania National Guard for their service!

Fort Indiantown Gap serves as an active training center and headquarters for the Pennsylvania National Guard. So we drove to the Pennsylvania National Guard Education Center at the Gap on July 19 to serve burgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings to over 100 military members during their lunch break.



Peirce has worked with the Pennsylvania National Guard for years, and many of its soldiers have earned their college degrees from Peirce. As we spent time with attendees at the barbecue, some had questions about continuing their education, which we were happy to answer. Others inquired about the military benefits Peirce has, our enrollment and academic support, and the annual full-tuition scholarship we offer to a military member or spouse each year.

Thanks to Steve Bird, Paul Ballentine, Denise Kerr, and the entire staff at the Pennsylvania National Guard Education Center for putting the event together!

You are not the student you were when you entered Peirce College: Recapping our 2013 FYI Reception

FIRST CLASS: Our FYI Reception recognizes students who've
completed their first year at Peirce

Many things happen during your first year at college. You take new classes, meet different people, and undertake a fresh set of responsibilities. Through it all, you transition from being new and maybe a bit overwhelmed into a full-fledged college student.

We created our First Year Initiative Program to support students in this transition. We offer academic advising, tutoring, and financial aid support, and hold a reception at the end of the year to recognize our first-year students’ accomplishments. This year’s reception was held on June 25. Here are some photos we snapped of the event:



We also want to share highlights from two speeches that were given that night because we thought they contained some great advice for first-year students. The first was given by Beverly Diggins, a 2010 alumna of the College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Beverly held a work study position during her time as a student and because of her enthusiasm and work ethic, she now holds a full time position in our Guided Peirce Services department as an Enrollment Associate. Beverly went on to receive her master’s degree in Education and she is currently working toward her doctorate. Read on for snippets of her advice for current Peirce students.

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Helping Philadelphians access the next step in their careers

On June 26, through our partnership with the Mayor’s office and PhillyRising, Peirce donated eight computers to Berean Baptist Church’s new community center. The computer lab at the Lydia M. Edwards Community Center, located on 26th and Cambria streets in Philadelphia, helps local Philadelphians have greater access to the Internet.

The center opened its doors on July 10, and is operated as a faith-based organization providing educational, social media, sports activities, and spiritual support for children between the ages of 6-19. In addition, all community members are welcome to use the computers, and the center plans to offer classes to help attendees prepare for new careers.

Hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and extended hours will be offered depending on the needs of school children and community members. Some programs included are homework assistance, nutritional education and snacks, cultural activities and trips, tutoring, mentoring, computer training and safety, as well as activities for area youth and seniors.

We’re very happy to help all Philadelphians get access to the tools they need to move forward in their careers. And it was an added bonus when we saw that the Philadelphia Daily News covered this donation, and what it will mean for community members. Be sure to read reporter Morgan Zalot’s article for more information about the donation.

How an adult learner leads by giving back

EXTRAORDINARY LEADER: Dessaree Johnson-Young is the recipient
of the 2013 ACBSP Outstanding Student Leadership Award.
From left, Dr. Rita Toliver-Roberts, Dessaree Johnson-Young,
Prof. Michael Schirmer, Dr. Charlene Glenn, and Dr. Michael Bentil.

We have many strong leaders among our Peirce students and alumni and recently, one of our outstanding Business graduates was recognized for these skills. Dessaree Johnson-Young, who just graduated with her bachelor's degree in Business Administration, has been named the recipient of the 2013 ACBSP Outstanding Student Leadership Award.

This award is special because members of the College select their recipient and award a student who has illustrated strong leadership skills when interacting with peers, colleagues, and faculty. We selected Dessaree because she has demonstrated exemplary academic commitment and leadership over the past year. She served as chapter president of Delta Mu Delta and has done a great job representing the organization and Peirce.

As chapter president, Dessaree assisted in leading the DMD Induction program, led the community service event (Walk Against Hunger), and supported the Business Division Conference held in April. She did all of this while working full time as a Collection Representative Supervisor for the City of Philadelphia and maintaining a 3.2 GPA.

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Be the first to know about breaking news from Peirce College

IN THE KNOW: Sign up for PEIRCE ALERT to receive messages
from the College in case of emergencies and weather closures

We’ve been working over the past few months to provide a new offering to students, faculty, and staff at the College: PEIRCE ALERT, a new text messaging service. We will use this service to notify you quickly about emergencies and weather closures. There’s no fee to sign up, although standard text messaging rates may apply.

Here’s how to sign up.

• If you’re a current Peirce student, log in to my.peirce.edu and click on the My Info tab. Enter your cell phone number in the box indicated and check the option that says: I would like to receive PEIRCE ALERT text messages.
• If you’re a Peirce faculty or staff member, log in to my.peirce.edu and click on the Intranet tab. Enter your cell phone number in the box indicated and click the option that says: I would like to receive PEIRCE ALERT text messages.

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Why it’s important to join professional organizations in college

LEARN MORE: Join professional organizations to
broaden your knowledge in your subject area and
network with peers

There’s a lot more to earning a college degree than attending your classes and taking your tests. We also recommend joining professional organizations to increase your knowledge in your subject area; network with peers, professors, and professionals in your field; and enrich your overall college experience.

Case in point is Nelida (Nellie) Otero, one of our Peirce students who’s a good example of what you can achieve by being a part of a professional organization. Nellie, currently enrolled in our Associate in Science degree program in Health Information Technology, is part of the Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association (PHIMA). PHIMA is dedicated to improving the quality of health information by uniting professionals to exchange ideas and information about the health care profession.

Nellie was recently selected to represent Peirce on the PHIMA Student Committee. The PHIMA Student Committee serves as the link between health information management students and PHIMA’s regional associations. It’s composed of one student from each Pennsylvania school with an accredited Health Information Management (HIM) or Health Information Technology (HIT) program.

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Highlighting accomplishments among paralegal professionals and students in Philadelphia

SETTING THE BAR: Peirce paralegal students and alumni are
making great strides in their industry in Philadelphia

Lately, we've seen many new and soon-to-be paralegals in Philadelphia make great strides in their industry. Several of them are students and alumni of Peirce College, and we wanted to extend a round of applause for some of the achievements they've accomplished recently. Here's a roundup of some of their milestones that are helping to strengthen the paralegal industry in Philadelphia.

Top honors 

• Soheila Nikpour, a student in our Paralegal Studies post-bachelor certificate program, has been awarded the South Jersey Paralegal Scholarship for 2013. The South Jersey Paralegal Association is one of the oldest and most active paralegal associations in the area, and the scholarship will go toward Sohelia’s education here at Peirce. 
• In April, we welcomed 24 Peirce students into the National Paralegal Honor Society. They joined the Peirce chapter of the organization -- Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) – which now has 120 members. 
• Nataly Nguyen, a student in our Paralegal Studies bachelor’s degree program, was named one of the 2013 national scholarship winners in the LEX Essay Competition. 

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The latest news out of Peirce College

If your life has been anything like ours, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind! Between Commencement, summer vacations, and end-of-the-school-year activities, you might have missed some of the latest news coming out of the College. Here are a few news stories that Peirce faculty members and students were featured in during May and June.

Prestigious 17 are the head of the class. Metro reporter Julia West profiled Jennifer Boone and Carla Bell, two members of our Parent University graduating class. They spoke on how Parent University has changed their lives, and what's next for them after earning their college degrees. We did a full profile on Jennifer and Carla as they were preparing for Commencement, so be sure to read our post for even more details about these outstanding students.

5 tips to help you cope when you have two part-time jobs. Uva Coles, Vice President, Student Services, spoke with reporter Kathryn Tuggle from TheStreet.com about how to find balance if you’re working two different jobs during the summer months. Uva’s most important tip is to prioritize your time, and dedicate yourself to the tasks that are most important to you and your family.

How college grads can improve money management skills. Developing money management skills is an essential part of your career after you’ve earned your college degree. Chanel Greene, Manager of Financial Aid, provided reporter Emily Driscoll from FOX Business tips on how to get a handle on your finances. One piece of Chanel’s advice is to keep a financial journal to establish what kind of habits you have already started and help to head off bad ones early on. Be sure to read the article for the rest of her advice.

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