“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.

• Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 1:00pm
• Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 1:00pm
• Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 1:00pm

This session 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 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.

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.

Your title is “lead educator coach” – but what exactly is an educator coach?

It’s a combination of a traditional instructor and a life coach. They create a customized educational experience by providing academic instruction, as well as practical career advice. Coaches provide a guided experience, helping students get to where they want to go: personally, professionally and academically.

What do you think students will like most about having educator coaches?

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, and you can’t get that experience in larger institutions. You own your academic path, but we help guide you by really knowing you and listening to you.

How will you get to know students in an online environment?

It’s not as hard as it might seem. Coaches are very accessible. In addition to an online interaction, we have “coaches on call” if a student needs additional one-on-one guidance or instruction.

It’s also a shared learning community, which creates an interdependent learning process. No one person has all the answers. We rely on each other for new insights and experiences, which only enhances everyone’s education.

Did you ever have a coach or a mentor?

I had a few mentors but never a formal coach until I trained to be a coach. It’s helpful to have someone listen to you objectively. Working with a coach also showed me that there’s never an end. You’re always a work in progress. There is something very exciting and freeing about that point of view.

How did you end up becoming a professor at Bay Path College? What influenced you in your own career decisions?

I never intended to be a professor. In my prior career I helped women who were on the edge of life: homeless, troubled, even desperate.

Eventually, I decided to transfer my skills to help students develop into business leaders. I like to see what people can do with their lives when they truly take charge. That’s how I look at Bay Path students. I like to think: “How can I increase opportunities for you?”

What do you like best about teaching at Bay Path College?

We transform lives. I can work with mothers who are working and raising kids at the same time because I can relate to that existence. It’s a struggle. It’s important to have someone there to guide and motivate you while juggling multiple priorities.

It’s also nice to work in a place that challenges the status quo, and where you are surrounded by like-minded women. We try new things to create a more impactful education for women.

What is the one thing that you want students to know about this new program?

You are not a blank slate: you come in with passion, purpose, and potential. We want to help you use what you already have inside you.