Graduate Programs @ Lasell College

A Valuable Experience with Dr. Madkins

2010-06-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone:

In the Summer I Session, I have Human Resource Management with Dr. Madkins. Dr. Madkins is one of the best professors that I met at Lasell College.

There are five students currently enrolled in the hybrid human resource management course. We meet online and every Tuesday on campus from 6:30 to 9:00 P.M. In class, unlike the traditional teaching style, Dr. Madkins shares a lot of his previous working experiences in human resource management in military services. Those real-world experiences make us think about the knowledge and theories beyond our textbook. Dr. Madkins also encourages us to do a case study exercise every class. He works closely to us to understand the concepts and applications of the case. His student-centered teaching style is really the key for students to understand and learn effectively.

Moreover, on the Moodle website, Dr. Madkins always encourages us to share our working experiences with our classmates. Last week, we talked about how can listening and communication skills influence an effective manager in the decision making process. He asked us, “Without good listening skills, how can you understand the needs of your subordinates and co-workers? How can you create an effective teamwork? How can your co-workers and subordinates follow your direction?” With Dr. Madkin’s explanations and suggestions of human resource management, I have acquired a skill set to become an effective manager in the near future.

Furthermore, Dr. Madkins owns a BBQ restaurant. Sometimes, he combines some human resource management and hospitality management concepts together. Two of my classmates who work in the hospitality field were able to contribute to the conversation which expanded the discussion and made the classroom experience more effective.

I am going to have Dr. Madkins again in Summer II section. Honestly, I am so excited to take Ethical Theory Management with him. As mentioned, human resource management is my concentration. This is a very valuable experience to work with Dr. Madkins closely to figure out all the applications in the field.

Sincerely,

Luis

My First Graduate Course Experience

2010-04-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

This week, I want to talk about my personal experience in the Master’s degree program at Lasell College. The Master's degree program at Lasell College is very flexible for all working professionals, full-time, and part-time students. I am a full-time student in the Management program, and I work 15 hours weekly. Honestly, it is a big challenge to commute from my home to college each evening. However, the graduate courses at Lasell offer an easier way to me to access my courses.

A good aspect of Lasell’s graduate courses is some are offered on a six-week basis. But for some traditional learners, the college offers regular fifteen-week semester courses. Another good aspect is that half of the courses are offered online. Working professional students are able to take a course online at home or anywhere at their convenience. I work fifteen hours weekly, and take 4 courses a semester. This online format is a perfect way to fit my busy schedule.

I also want to talk about my course instructors in the graduate program. Most of the instructors have worked on their field for decades, and bring a lot of their real-world experiences in class for sharing and discussing. In my last six-week course Fundamentals of Executive Management, I worked with Professor Jane Ives in her field of international management. Dr. Ives is an adjunct professor with decades of Asian international business experiences. In her class, she discusses about globalization, expectations of oversea entrepreneurship, international business leadership in Asia, and the importance of being an effective manager in business organizations.

Moreover, Dr. Ives brings guest speakers to class each week to talk about their work experiences in the business field. Once, we visited Village Bank of Newton to meet with the IT leader Mr. Jeff Tuckers. Mr. Tuckers presented a lot of innovative ideas about internet attractions to their customers, such as online banking, and social networking website problems. Honestly, this course is not a classroom taught course, It is also hands on experiences, and innovations of domestic and international business.

Furthermore, Dr. Ives invited us to the Women in Business Conference at Harvard Business School. It was a remarkable experience to listen to the female speakers talk about their experiences as a director or CEO.

I learned a lot of managerial issues and international business concepts from Dr. Ives. I also learned valuable knowledge from the management program at Lasell College. Again, Lasell College’s Graduate and Professional Studies are perfectly fitted for every one who wants to enhance their managerial skills. I hope my personal experience can help you to learn more about the program at Lasell College.

This is the class picture I have taken at Harvard Business School.

Sincerely,

Luis

Newcomer to Lasell College’s Graduate and Professional Studies

2010-04-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

My name is Luis dos Santos, and I started my graduate degree in Management with Human Resources Concentration in Lasell College Spring 2010. As a newcomer to Lasell College, and to the United States, it is a joyful challenge for me to improve myself. About 4 years ago, I left my hometown—a previous Portuguese colony named Macau located in Southern China, and came to the United States for high school and lived with a host family. Later, I enrolled in University of Massachusetts Amherst to pursue my undergraduate education in Asian Language and Literature, with a minor in Sociology. Living on campus I grew to admire and enjoy the learning environment of the American education system. Unlike many Asian universities, American education offers me chances to access and learn about subjects that interest me. After I graduated from UMass Amherst, I decided to start a different living and learning environment for my graduate education.

During the last semester in the University of Massachusetts, I started to collect graduate school information from a variety of colleges and universities in the United States and Britain, and I slowly narrowed my choices. I visited the Lasell campus and met with some personnel in the graduate admission office when I was still an undergraduate student in UMass Amherst. I was impressed by the location, courses, and opportunities in this community. After that, I knew this is the experience that would be right for me, so I decided to attend Lasell College’s Graduate program for my next step of my education. For the first semester, I enrolled as a full-time student taking 4 courses: Fundamentals of Executive Management, Human Resource Law, Financial Management and Conflict and Negotiation solution (some courses are 100% online, some courses are on campus).

Lasell College is a small campus with wide opportunities for students to learn about themselves. Unlike some very large state universities in the United States, Lasell College has successfully built up a strong interpersonal connection between faculty, staff and students. I know almost everyone in the computer lab, library, and the academic achievement center. Every time when I come by, people smile and have time to talk with me.

In my newest role as a work study student for the Office of Graduate Admission, I look forward to sharing my experience with you!!

Sincerely,

Luis

A Graduate’s Summer

2009-08-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Taking summer courses at Lasell has been a change from my regular experience with college courses or even summer courses at other institutions. Classes are flexible, in the evening, and only six weeks long. The flexibility of the classes allows students to choose either a hybrid course or a course that takes place entirely online. I’m still a fan of traditional courses, but I am enjoying the versatility of Lasell’s graduate courses.

I’ve also recently learned that the college now has a small portion of housing set aside for graduate students! Although I am no longer in need of housing, I think this will solve a lot of boarding issues and be beneficial to students who have recently completed undergrad and are accustomed to on-campus housing.

In other news, work at Citizens Energy is going well. I’ve been having a busy summer learning about the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would amend the National Labor Relations Act to make it easier for unions to organize employees. I’ve also written three articles of which I’m waiting for the last to be published. Our most recent project is organizing an action day in the fall, to have students from all over the state weatherize the homes of low-income senior citizens.

I’m looking forward to my fall courses and working with Lasell on the weatherization project I’m a part of in the fall!

Until next time,
Melissa

OBAMA!

2009-05-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

This picture of Michelle and Barack Obama was taken on May 26th, 1996 while the couple was doing an interview with Mariana Cook. Cook was compiling a project on couples in America, and the Obamas were featured.

When my mother showed me this picture one Friday morning, I was immediately taken aback. Seeing our President and the First Lady plainly sitting on their couch, almost 13 years ago, before they had children, in their Chicago home as regular African-Americans, took me right out of my element!

I would've gone into an episode of bawls if I didn't have to sit in front of a row a people wondering what my issue was so early in the morning, while riding the train to work.

Each and every time I see Michelle, I feel a rush of confidence. It's almost like my adrenaline starts pumping as though I were experiencing the excitement going on in her life. She exudes Encouragement. Motivation. Pride.

To see such a beautiful, unadorned, intellectual African-American woman in a high position reminds me why the Rev. MLK fought and died for the respect of the black "race".

The Obamas are my motivator to all young people, not just African-American, who need to see positive role models showing that with will and perseverance, you can do and be anything you want in life.

The Obamas are my motivator. They show me that no matter what this life puts me through, hard work will take me where I strive to be. So every time I feel like school and work are just too much, I turn on the television, or YouTube “Obama” and I feel much better.

This is my silent cheer to the Obama Family. Can you hear it?

-Melissa

“The Black List”

2009-03-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

Sooo... I was invited to the East Coast Screening of HBO's "The Black List" Volume II... and of course, I was in attendance.

"The Black List" profiles some of today's most fascinating and prominent African-Americans, who in the documentary, speak about childhood ambitions that have shaped their lives and the impact they have on the world today. Volume I included Russell Simmons, P. Diddy, Toni Morrison, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Al Sharpton, Keenan Ivory Waynes, Zane, and many more.

Volume II includes:

Majora Carter
Angela Davis
Suzanne De Passe
Laurence Fishburne
Barbara Harris
T.D. Jakes
Deval Patrick
Tyler Perry
Charley Pride
Patrick Robinson
Maya Rudolph
RZA
Melvin Van Peebles
Kara Walker

The entrance to Boston's Strand Theatre was a sight I'm unsure I've ever seen. Mayor Menino's renovation of the urban-stationed theatre is magnificent. Once you hit Columbia Road, you could see the shooting blue lights lace the sky in their criss cross motion. BPD lined the street directing traffic around and away from the theatre. As I walked toward the entrance, I was graced with flashbacks of the "Strand Party" days when high schoolers dancing and having fun, lined the lobby walls. This was a tactic used to keep Boston's young off the streets on the weekends and in a safe, supervised place.

People stood in the lobby chatting and greeting each other. I spotted my boss who handed me my bright yellow wristband which I neatly and securely placed on my tiny left wrist.

In a fuzzy rack focus I spotted the red carpet that trailed from a set of grand stairs to a separate entrance. Through that entrance came the first high-profiler of the night. Boston’s Mayor Thomas M. Menino. Menino’s long-time love-affair with the city has made him quite the celebrity, at least to us.

Next came the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick. Patrick is the second elected African-American to hold such a title in the United States. The man is a historic figure before his history is even made. He was the highlight of the night, so of course my boss got him to take a picture with me. As I shook his hand and greeted him, I felt the heat of his gaze. His eye contact radiated knowledge, respect, and power; he has such presence.

As producer Tommy Walker, Deval Patrick, Mayor Menino, and the documentary's creator Timothy Greenfield-Sanders posed for the press, I snapped a side shot from my end of the room.

Upstairs, during the reception, as everyone mingled, greeting old and new friends, I was busy meeting the Founder/President of the The Color of Film, which is the one of the companies that coordinate the Roxbury Film Festival. I’ve been wanting to get involved with this festival for years now, but never had the chance to figure it all out. So you can only imagine how excited I was. Deval Patrick was the highlight of the night. This was the highlight of my night.

There were a few quotes I took note of:

“As a black artist you can paint a wall of smiley faces, and they’ll ask “why are you so angry.” -Alice Walker

"Our Presence as people has always been there, it was just buried under a lot of sand.” -RZA

“The little boy that I was, made it through, so as a man, I have the obligation to keep going.” -Tyler Perry

“I don’t remember a single word that was said at the MLK speech. But I remember how I felt.” -Deval Patrick

“God may not come when you call him, but he’s always right on time.” -Melvin Van Peebles

“The Black List” Volume II premieres Thursday, February 26th, exclusively on HBO.

-Melissa

What a week...

2009-02-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

Immediately following the New Year, well in "work week" terms, the excitement at work began. I missed that first day back, but upon my return, I stumbled into a completely empty office. After being asked if I was in an induced coma for the past few days, I found out that everyone, except for the Executives, had been laid off. So since I'm only 22 and not the Executive of anything, you're wondering what I was doing there, right?

Well, I didn't get the memo.

Considering we are a non-profit organization running an oil/heat program that provides qualified low-income households with 100 gallons of free oil, funded by CITGO; if they don't fund us, we don't have a program.

Well, on the programs launch date, guess what they do?

Pull funding. Yes, I said pull it. Withdraw, you know, fast cash. It was blamed on the state of the economy, which is reasonable because who has money to give away these days anyway?

Monday was a pretty emotional day from what I heard. Aside from the televised press conference, the mood in the office was not a happy one. As I looked through the newspaper and watched the news, I relived the day:

As Joseph P. Kennedy stood and announced that 17 states along the East Coast, from NY as far as VA were going to be left out this winter, employees stood by in disarray, as if a part of their bodies were being dismembered. T'was a sight to see.

So, as I sit in front of the 15" plasma (I actually had work to do) wondering when someone would ease my discomfort and serve me my fate, J.P.K walks in face flushed as if he'd just been sprayed with liquid pink blush, announcing that CITGO was going to fund us after all. The program was back on!

The commotion began and a reporter from every news station in the city was there on that Wednesday afternoon.

We all lined up in front of the conference room watching J.P.K and the President of CITGO tell the media the program would run after all. Low-income families once again have hope in surviving the winter cold.

What a week!

Loving life at CE,

-Melissa

Another Semester Begins

2009-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

I began the first class, of my second semester as a graduate student this past Tuesday. Marketing Communications, my Tuesday class, is taught by Professor Arons.

This semester shouldn’t be that hectic. I only have two classes, compared to my last semester's three. I’m also learning to “take it easy,” slowly, but surely.

The other class I’m taking is Conflict Resolution and Negotiations. It’s taught by Dr. Barrett, who is also the Chair of the Communications Dept. I know Dr. Barrett well because I often visited her as an undergrad, with questions, comments, and pretty much anything I pondered about. She gives great advice, trust she will never steer you wrong! Dr. Barrett was also my Media Relations professor last semester, and one of the reasons I switched back to the Communications concentration.

I began to realize that although Business was interesting and I had learned so much thus far, it wasn’t a subject I ever took much interest in. As a matter of fact, I intentionally avoided taking any Business classes as an undergrad, because that was how much I was not interested. When our Media Relations class had our end of the semester dinner with Dr. Barrett and I expressed my concerns about how my lack of passion for the subject might affect me, she advised that I retreat back to Communications. She said that if Communications was what I knew and loved, then that’s what I should do. She was also concerned that she wouldn’t be able to help me much because most of her contacts were in the Communications field. She is actually the reason I am at Citizens Energy now, helping out in their Communications Dept. I’m learning so much!

I’m excited and looking forward to exploring what the Communications program has to offer. I will be one of the first in the program, so I’ll try to give as many details as I can.

Until next time,

Melissa

Lasell College Graduate Programs

2009-01-12T06:57:00.001-08:00

By Melissa Fuller, Lasell Graduate Student

As a recent graduate of Lasell College, I am well aware of Lasell’s surroundings, institutionally and socially. My name is Melissa Fuller and I began my tenure at Lasell in September, 2005. When I found myself unable to choose between my two loves; studying the mind and writing down what was on it, I decided to major in Communications and minor in Psychology. My initial intention was to focus on Journalism, but was diverted when I learned about the production side of Communications. Knowing that I would always love writing whether I studied it in school or not, I chose to concentrate on TV & Radio Production. Graduating this past May with a BA in Communications, I am relieved to have completed the first chapter, in my endeavor towards my life goals.

Unable to completely pull myself away from the Lasell community, I decided to enroll in Lasell’s Graduate Program, with plans to start off in the Business Management program, and then switch to the Communications program once it became available. As we speak I am taking 3 classes: Fundamentals of Executive Management, Business Strategy, and Media Relations. I am working part time for Citizens Energy Corporation, the Boston-based oil/heat company ran by Joe Kennedy. I am also working as a graduate work study student in Student Accounts and the Graduate Admissions offices.

Blogging for the Graduate Program (among many others) is my newest venture! I’m excited so bear with me as I spill my guts!