I don't know how it happened, but somehow we're here: 16 months since my last post and only 1 final thesis project to go before I finish my degree at Notre Dame. I heard a saying once (or saw it on a t-shirt or a needle-point pillow) that went something like, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." That feels relevant to my Notre Dame experience somehow, which, considering it's been almost 2 years since I received my acceptance letter, has strangely flown by in a bit of a whirlwind.
I suppose if only for my own edification, I should try to recap what has happened since August 2013. I took 2 online courses in fall 2013, one in spring 2014, and the final one this fall. These were my first online classes, and my initial take-away is that online education should never replace at least some traditional on-campus courses. Part of that opinion is likely grounded in my work at a traditional residential college, but I also feel like I gained more from the on-campus coursework, even at Notre Dame where one class is smashed into an incredibly intensive 1 or 2 weeks. I will say that the Notre Dame online courses are far better than the experiences I've heard from other online learners - our classes met for a full 16-week semester at an assigned day and time each week for live discussion, much like you would in a traditional graduate program, but you just did it from some combination of your phone/computer... it could be like a webinar with a live conference call and on-screen presentation, just a conference call, or even a chat room, circa 1998. The web conference method was pretty effective - much like an in-person class with powerpoints, lecture, and discussion (we could even raise our hands)... the only exception being that we couldn't see one another. The chat room seemed the least effective method of delivery in terms of stirring class discussion and participation, but it was still more effective than a non-live forum-based class might have been.
The electives in this program are wide and varied, depending on expressed interest and availability of adjunct teaching faculty. I took courses on social entrepreneurship, research methods and program evaluation, and a general survey course of the nonprofit sector. I learned that I am probably not ever going to be a social entrepreneur, but I have tremendous respect for the people who generate innovative ideas to support a given social cause or solve a social problem. I learned that program evaluation is an incredibly boring but necessary element of nonprofit work, and understanding its role will be increasingly helpful as nonprofits are asked to prove their worth. And finally, I learned so much about the scope of nonprofit work and how, even in widely varying branches of the sector, we face many similar challenges and have similar goals in serving to meet social needs.
In summer 2014, I returned to Notre Dame for 6 weeks. I joined a few of my classmates to present the student orientation for the new cohort, which was a lot of fun. We spent the first weekend settling in, getting to know the new group, and waiting for our cohort to return. If the first summer was intense, this summer was that x 10. The course content was a bit more difficult, and unlike last summer, the grouping of courses really didn't feel like it had as much mental balance (numbers/science versus words/humanities) until we got through the first few weeks. We took finance and microeconomics in the first block, statistics and business ethics/management in the second block, and the third block was a glorious reprieve of only one, albeit challenging, course in strategic planning and policy. I did find that my schedule was more regular this summer, with pretty much every class night lasting until midnight, but a pretty steady bed time of 12:30 to 1am. Last summer, it was much more erratic - some nights were finished early with reasonable bedtimes and many others lasted until 2 or 3 (or beyond) in the morning. I'm fairly certain that I didn't go to bed before midnight until the 5th week on campus this summer, but at least I didn't have to stay up almost all night more than once or twice.
The thing about the second summer is that it can be split into 3 blocks over time, so it could technically be your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th summer... this flexibility is wonderful for working professionals, but it also means that you don't finish with your entire cohort intact. All but a couple of us returned for the 1st block this summer, but we had to say goodbye to more and more of our group as the summer progressed. We got the benefit of having people from previous cohorts join us as well, so at least there were some new faces to balance the experience. I leave the experience feeling so incredibly grateful to have started the program when I did - I can't imagine a better group of people than the Bang! cohort, but it was great getting to know a few other folks and expand my Notre Dame family a bit more.
Now that I've finished my last courses, the only thing remaining is my final field project. This requirement is a project that we complete for our employer or a nonprofit of our choosing. It is foremost a way to synthesize much of what we've learned into a single practical application of the coursework. And for most of us, this is also a way to give something back to our organization for being supportive of the time we take away from being in the office in order to be on campus at Notre Dame. Unlike so many projects, this one will be a direct component of my daily job, so it will benefit my regular work along with fulfilling the final requirement of my degree program. While the amount of work seems daunting at the moment, I'm actually pretty excited about doing it. After submitting it in April, I should be making my way across the graduation stage in May. What an amazing journey it has been so far, and I'm sure that even when it's over, it will just be the beginning of another new and more amazing journey.
