The October 11, online student's Annual Event and evening with the Faculty was a huge success. Thank you to all of our wonderful faculty members who gave so generously of their time to chat with our students and share their insights on coursework and capstone projects. One of the key takeaways from the evening is that your capstone is about "will and skills". Selecting a project that is of great interest to you and making sure you have (or are willing to acquire) the necessary skills to implement the project are the two most critical things when making your capstone choice. All of the faculty encouraged online students to reach out to them with questions "inside" and "outside" of class. They also encouraged students to read prolifically and volunteer with organizations in the field to build skills.
Thank you, too, to all who attended. Your valuable input will help us provide better service to the online community. For example, we are investigating the idea of an NRES social media group where students can share biographical information and work experience as well as derive support through networking opportunities for the online M. S. program. We will also be looking for ways to better describe course pre-requisites, so students can determine before enrolling if they have the foundation to be successful in a course.
I you were unable to attend the Annual Event and would like to view the recording, please contact Renee Gracon at gracon1@illinois.edu.