Benedictine brings acclaimed business, education programs to Rockford area
6/19/2009

Phil Brozynski, Media Relations Manager
(630) 829-6094
pbrozynski@ben.edu

Benedictine University, a leading provider of educational programs for adults, is bringing its undergraduate business, M.B.A. and Master of Education programs to the Rockford area.

Benedictine will begin offering an Associate of Arts in Business Administration (A.A.B.A.), a Bachelor of Arts in Management (B.A.M.), a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and a Master of Education (M.E.D.) with either Leadership and Administration or Reading and Literacy endorsements through partnerships with local school districts and labor unions.

“This difficult economic period is creating career uncertainty for many people,” said Michelle Koppitz, Director of Adult Accelerated Learning Team Programs at Benedictine University’s Moser College of Adult and Professional Studies. “However, education has always been and will continue to be a smart investment.

“People who are worried that their job may disappear, that they will become unqualified for advancement, or that someone with more education and training will replace them can enhance their job security with a degree from Benedictine,” she added.

The A.A.B.A. degree program challenges the adult learner to develop knowledge, skills and personal values through a well-planned, sequenced curriculum. This curriculum integrates increasingly advanced cognitive skills, awareness of self and of others, individual creativity, respect for the liberal arts, ethical practices and technology as life-long learning tools.

The B.A.M. program focuses on skill development in the areas of management and leadership, group behavior, accounting and economics, marketing and project management, while the Benedictine M.B.A. is designed to meet the growing global need for knowledgeable, principle-centered leadership of organizations.

The Benedictine business programs will be offered through a partnership with the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #364 while the University looks for permanent office space in the Rockford area.

The A.A.B.A., B.A.M. and M.B.A. programs operate on the learning team model. All students in the learning team start the program at the same time. All students take each course of the curriculum in sequence, eliminating the need for students to scramble for required courses. Most of the courses are completed in five weeks, with class meetings one night per week for four hours.

Meanwhile, Benedictine is partnering with Rockford School District 205 to offer a field-based master’s program in education.

The M.E.D. in Leadership and Administration capitalizes on the processes, experiences and relationships that must be present for effective leadership. The M.E.D. in Reading/Literacy program is committed to developing teaching practices that apply an understanding of the complexity of literacy development and assessment across language contexts.

“Throughout Illinois there is an ongoing need for teachers in the areas of reading and literacy and for qualified administrators,” Koppitz said. “Benedictine provides a quality program that meets the needs of school districts while enhancing the classroom experience for students of all backgrounds.”

For more information about Benedictine’s business and education programs in Rockford, contact Beth Ziolkowski, Enrollment Manager, Adult Accelerated Learning Team Programs, at (630) 829-6370.

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