• Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 12:00pm
• Monday, January 7, 2013 at 1:00pm

These sessions will allow prospective students to get a better understanding of the program structure and supportive online format. Application information will also be provided and options to receive Prior Learning Credit for work and volunteer experience will be explained. Participants will also have a chance to ask questions of the presenter.

Registration is now open. Register now by clicking one of the dates above and receive an email reminder before the meeting, as well as detailed instructions on how to join the webinar from your desktop or laptop computer.

The Bay Path Online Degree Completion Program is the only one of its kind in the United States specifically designed to meet the educational needs and leadership style of women.

“Bay Path is excited to offer the only online degree completion program in the nation specifically tailored to women,” said Dr. Carol Leary, president of Bay Path College. “We have developed this program to offer the flexibility of an online degree but with the same sense of support and leadership development that is a part of our highly successful One-Day-a-Week Saturday degree program.”

According to Dr. Emily Lewis, program director, unique aspects of the program include the curriculum structure and the incorporation of educator coaches. The Educator Coach will serve as facilitator and guide, so that students will develop work, life and educational skills and are less likely to lose focus or momentum. With each student, the Educator Coach provides instruction in a specific area of study and encourages the student to integrate this area of study into their career search exploration. Educator coaches are also available to assist with questions, concerns, and directions.

“In my experience, when you know someone really cares about you, that’s what keeps people in a program. You’re not just another number. You own your academic path, but we help guide you by really knowing you and listening to you,” says Dr. Sandi Coyne, lead educator coach.

Educator coaches are available for one-on-one interaction online or over the phone. They are trained to provide quality instruction as well as career and life coaching for an online environment. Small class sizes of approximately 15 students allow coaches to get to know the strengths, weaknesses and goals of each individual student.

All students will be required to complete an e-portfolio prior to graduation, as a way to connect academic experiences to the workplace.

“An e-portfolio is a wonderful way for students to keep a personal record of their achievements and be able to showcase their new skills to potential employers,” says Coyne.

All students enrolled in the Online Degree Completion Program for Women will be able to access Canvas, the school’s online learning system. Here, they can find informaton about their classes, communicate with their educator coaches and stay up to date on asssignments and grades. Students also will have the option of attending the annual spring Bay Path College Women’s Leadership Conference on the Longmeadow campus.

Detailed program information and an application is available at baypathcompletion.com or by calling the Bay Path College admissions department at 800-782-7284 ext. 1273.

Many women are unprepared to step into these leadership roles, not because they lack drive, intelligence or ability, but because they have never gotten the mentoring and career training that men have received. McKinsey & Co. conducted research that found that 62% of women occupy staff jobs “that rarely lead to a CEO role.” In contrast, the report found that 65% of men on the executive committee hold line jobs, which typically involve profit and loss responsibility for an operation.

The report suggested the use of coaches to help prepare women more fully for the complexity of business leadership. Joanna Barsh, a McKinsey senior partner who co-wrote the report, said companies need to spend more time coaching women and offering more leadership training and rotation through various management roles before their ambitions sour.

Because good coaching takes into consideration your work and life, your past skills and your future ambitions, it is often a much more successful way to build consistent and meaningful leadership. This is one of the main reasons why Bay Path College has incorporated educator coaches into our online program: so you develop more fully and are less likely to either lose focus or momentum.

When someone knows you – both your strengths and your weaknesses – they are more likely to be able to help you select a path that makes sense for you long-term, instead of a “quick fix.” And your education and career certainly need to be met with long-term solutions.

Learn more about Bay Path College’s educator coaches.