By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
Students looking to further their education after an undergraduate degree visited St. Bonaventure’s graduate information session on Tuesday in the Doyle Hall Trustees Room.
“At the grad level, because the students already have an area they’re focusing on, the questions tend to get deeper into curriculum and requirements,” Bruce Campbell, director of graduate admissions at St. Bonaventure, said.
The session brought in what the faculty involved deemed an “average” turnout of mostly juniors and seniors, as well as a smattering of sophomores. The directors representing each program discussed what the specific courses entail, what times they’re offered, credit requirements and answered whatever specific questions students had.
St. Bonaventure offers 17 master’s degree and certificate programs, seven of which were represented at the information session by Dr. Rich Lee, director of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Program; Joseph Zimmer, dean of the School of Education; René Hauser, the director of the Differentiated Instruction Program; Daniel Ellis, director of the Master of Arts in English Program; Paula Kenneson, director of the Masters of Education in Adolescence Education Program; Karen Wieland, director of the Masters of Education in Childhood Literacy Program; and Brian McAllister, Master’s in Business Administration director for the School of Business.
“I was happy a couple students came out who were interested in the program,” Lee said. “I’m basically describing the IMC program to students, what we offer, what its advantages are, where our graduates go, what types of jobs they get and what they need to complete their programs.”
Lee noted that the students he met with “seemed enthusiastic” due to their interest in options pursuing graduate studies. These options include taking classes online or partaking in the university’s “4+1” program, which allows students to begin graduate coursework as seniors.
“[The students] get to ask very specific questions and get them answered rather than having to search for the answers online,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer talked with a student during the session—a sophomore interested in counselor education. He presented her with an in-depth description of a school counselor’s daily routine and advice on how to enter the profession.
“Sitting down and talking to a professor or a dean is, I would hope, a little bit impressive to them that we care about our students enough to come out to these things and talk to them,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer compared the information session to test-driving a car.
“You can go online and buy a car, but if you’re not familiar with the institution, it’s always good to go and talk with the people to see if you’re a good fit for the program,” Zimmer said. “You want to hear what this university is providing and see if it’s a good match for your goals.”
Graduate programs are administered on the St. Bonaventure campus and the university’s Buffalo Center, which is located on the Hilbert College campus in Hamburg. Strategic Leadership is an exclusively online program, while IMC also offers online courses.
Classes can be taken Monday through Thursday, while the Buffalo Center offers classes on weekends. All applications can be completed online at www.sbu.edu.
Hauser talked with students about how long it takes to finish the program and the certifications needed to become more marketable.
“It’s nice from my perspective because I can talk to multiple students at once rather than just one-on-one,” Hauser said.
The university holds about five of these sessions each year, along with specialized presentations for specific programs interspersed at various times throughout the year. The exact dates are not determined yet.
“[The session] is important because it provides that face-to-face contact for students,” Campbell said. “Our own undergrads will meet with program directors at other times, and I’ll meet with them sometimes. I connect them with directors if they have questions, and this is a good opportunity for students to do that.”
