Todd Montgomery’s hospitality management courses range from vacation property management to online marketing and reputation management, and with the use of a diverse mix of engaging and interactive content, Todd says his unique methods cultivate a more humanized learning experience and ultimately will lead to a greater return on investment for students.
“I never thought I would have the opportunity to learn outside of a classroom. Ecampus learning opens up doors for flexibility,” says business administration OSU Ecampus student Chris Clarke.
Oregon State University’s online learners do what many say can’t be done: form genuine connections in the digital classroom. Ecampus alumni from the Class of 2018 shared how their interactions with peers and instructors went far beyond the computer screen, providing the opportunity to polish their communication skills and collaborate with others in their fields.
Like all good dads, Todd Van Hess wants the best for his three children. He knows that their best chance to lead successful lives is for them to earn college degrees when the time comes. And like all good dads, Todd knows that if he’s going to hold his kids to a certain standard, he needs to lead by example. Last June, he supplied the best example possible when he walked across a stage at Oregon State University’s annual commencement ceremony and accepted his diploma after earning his degree online through Oregon State Ecampus.
Twenty years into her career as an accountant, Lisa Frasieur felt like she was a peg below her peers. Truth be told, she was. “The first time I sat with our auditors, they asked me where I went to school,” she says now. “I didn’t have a degree, and it was embarrassing.”
Ask most college students and they’ll tell you their future career plans are up in the air. But for Hannah Thelen, her current career is – literally. Hannah is an airborne cryptologic linguist in the United States Air Force. By pairing the extensive skills she gains through her business administration degree with the steadfast determination of serving in the Air Force, she has big plans to work in marketing or accounting for a large Pacific Northwest company that aligns with her passion for the outdoors.
As an increasing number of Portland-area professionals are doing, Maria Sar turned to Oregon State University Ecampus for the opportunity to maintain career stability while pursuing a degree that would yield upward mobility. Even before completing OSU’s hybrid (online/in-person) MBA in Organizational Leadership program, she accepted an offer from Nike to be a global procurement analyst.
The corporate ladder quickly runs out of rungs for many people like Patric Papabathini who haven’t graduated from college. His lack of a degree prevented him from applying for management jobs that he was confident – after four years of working at Microsoft – he could thrive in if only given the chance. The message, however, was loud and clear. “Without a degree, I had no chance,” he says.
The map arrived in Lindsay Caplan’s mailbox, having traversed nearly 3,000 miles from Oregon State University to her home in Maryland. It was part of a wilderness excursion for a class in Oregon State’s fisheries and wildlife sciences online degree program – a hands-on learning activity that helped Caplan develop a strong connection to the university despite living on the opposite side of the country. Now, several years later and without ever setting foot on campus, she’s among a record-setting 1,065 students who will graduate Saturday, June 16, after completing degree requirements online through OSU Ecampus.
There should have been no doubt that Nikki Brown’s career would revolve around business. Her childhood was marked by one clever business venture after another. From lemonade stands to selling lottery tickets (seriously), she was a one-kid start-up machine. Now she is an expert on marketing and consumer behavior who teaches courses online for Oregon State Ecampus on those very topics.
