DETC 86th Annual Conference
April 15-17, 2012
The Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa * Maui, Hawaii
Navigating DETC Accreditation
Tuesday, April 17th *
8:00 - 8:45 a.m. * South Pacific Ballroom
Presented by:
Mr. Paul McDonald, American Graduate University
Dr. Leslie Gargiulo, Ashworth College
Dr. Karen Smith, Columbia Southern University
Ms. Janet Perry, Weston Distance Learning
Complete an online session evaluation!
Is your institution considering DETC accreditation? Do you have questions about your upcoming reaccreditation? Attend this informal breakfast session and have the chance to talk with institutions of various scope and size who have successfully navigated DETC accreditation. The Panel will highlight core education and business standards, developing the Self Evaluation Report, site-visit, and federal government regulations and compliance requirements. The panel discussion is designed for institutions new to accreditation or for institutions that have not been successful in securing accreditation. The panel will provide insight into their various experiences and share tips on what to do and what to avoid, as well as answer questions from attendees.
Download a copy of the presentation! (PPTX)
Download a copy of the handouts! (PDF)
Mr. Paul McDonald is President and Director of Education for American Graduate University (AGU) in Covina California. He has been with AGU, and its founding organization Procurement Associates, Inc., since 1968. Mr. McDonald has been involved in the distance education field since 1970. He has led the development and delivery of AGU’s distance education degree and certificate programs. He has experience as an administrator, course developer and instructor. In addition to his administrative duties, he serves as a faculty member for both the University’s distance education programs and classroom training courses in the areas of program management and contract management. Mr. McDonald is the author of Program Management and Federal Government Contracting published by AGU Press. He is a member of Executive Advisory Board the National Contract Management Association and currently serves as the vice chair of DETC’s Business Standards Committee. Mr. McDonald’s military service was with the U. S. Army Special Forces. He holds a Master of Business Administration for American Graduate University.
Dr. Leslie Gargiulo is Vice President of Education and Product Development at Ashworth College. She manages all curriculum, instruction and accreditation matters. Since 2003, Dr. Gargiulo has been an integral administrator and faculty at three accredited online universities. She was instrumental in building a new online university achieving national accreditation through the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), and was a principal architect in achieving eligibility for WASC regional accreditation. She led an education consulting firm working with state university systems, community colleges, and school districts on program evaluation and data analysis, and brought international exposure through comparative studies. Dr. Gargiulo earned her Ph.D. in comparative education from the University of California, Los Angeles, Masters in philosophy from University of California, Riverside, Masters in physics from San Jose State University, and Bachelors in chemical engineering from University of Illinois.
Serving as Vice President for Institutional Research, External Compliance, and Accreditation, Dr. Karen Smith has worked with Columbia Southern University for ten years, including service as a faculty member teaching Organizational Theory. An interdisciplinary professional, she has worked as a consultant to business and industry, university clients, and corporate groups with specializations in international comparative higher education, political economy, and university, government and industry partnerships, most recently with Raytheon Corporation.
Karen also has worked with business executives from closed regions in China following entrance into the WTO, with government officials and young professionals working for multinational corporations in Vietnam, and with the former Soviet Union, Hong Kong, and Botswana, utilizing sport as a political neutral forum for international relations and economic development. Her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University centered on the study of organizations with competitive division of labor, and prior training was in physiology, and Karen’s research interests include international comparative higher education systems and the influence of foreign direct investment.
Ms. Janet Perry has 20 years of experience serving adult students in non-traditional education settings. After completing her adult education practicum, she taught pre-college reading, writing and math skills as well as leadership courses to the U.S. Army's enlisted members and non-commissioned officers. She also served Front Range Community College as a GED instructor and Mannheim Correctional Facility as basic skills instructor. Her experience includes writing and preparing individualized learning objectives, plans and curricula for use in her college prep classroom. Janet also has a strong background in student support functions, including registrar, student services and enrollment services. She has 17 years of experience in Compliance, most recently serving as the Compliance Manager for Weston Distance Learning.
Janet's education, student support and compliance background assist in her current role as Director of Education and Compliance for Weston Distance Learning. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Weston's education functions—course development, instruction, desktop publishing and compliance. Janet earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is currently working toward her Distance Education Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
