Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program

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Student Testimonials

What Planning, Policy and Development Professionals say about BOCEP

"I find myself employing the information I gained in the urban design program a year after the classes ended. The classes were structured in such a manner as to provide real-world applicability, but also to spark the interest of the student to continue self-education. A year removed from my last BOCEP class, and I am still utilizing skills and information daily that I garnered in the classes. I am a better economic development professional as a result of BOCEP and my clients are better off as well. I have recommended BOCEP to many and I will be back for more classes--I would be foolish not to!"

Chuck D'Aprix
Principal, Economic Development Visions
Washington D.C.

"I have recently taken the course 'Land Use Laws in New Jersey.' The level of discussion and the fact that others participating online work on a daily basis on issues relevant to the course made the experience well worth it. I have certainly recommended Bloustein Online to colleagues; it provides a flexible environment to explore and enhance skills and knowledge."

Nicolas Ronderos
Associate Planner, Regional Plan Association
New York, New York

"The bottom line is that you did a fabulous job in structuring and teaching the course and I found the entire experience (readings as well as comments from my fellow classmates) to be immensely educational. Thanks much."

Donald A. Aridas
Senior Planner, Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates
New York, New York

"Very well done. I'm hoping to have other members of my staff take these courses on the next go around. This really fit in with my very busy schedule and gave me the opportunity to think a lot and learn more that I would have if the only choice was an on location course."

Arthur Ientilucci
Director of Zoning, City of Rochester
Rochester, New York

"I really enjoyed the Neighborhoods and Brownfield Redevelopment class, and I learned quite a bit about what my counterparts in the DC Office of Planning have to go through and consider when contributing to the redevelopment of DC neighborhoods. Plus, my knowledge concerning brownfields has been taken from zero to a point where I can speak at least somewhat competently on the subject."

Christopher E. Earley
Project Manager - Residential and Community Services
Department of Housing and Community Development
Washington, District of Columbia

The BOCEP Student Experience

Here below are findings from the BOCEP Spring/Summer 2005 course evaluations (38 responses):

BOCEP members had generally positive experiences in their class and with their program. Although they spent a significant amount of time in their classes, several students wanted more. Everyone who completed a course evaluation said the class met at least some of their expectations; that is, no one said their course met few or none of their expectations. About 42% said their class met or exceeded their expectations.

A large majority of students said the choice of assigned materials were "right for this course" (82%) and the amount of reading was "about right" (74%). A significant percentage (18%) said there was not enough material assigned for their courses.

Two of the most telling statistics are the percentages of students who would recommend their course or program to their peers and supervisors. A high percentage would recommend BOCEP to mid- and senior-level planners.

Figure 2: BOCEP students who…
would recommend the program to:	(n=33)	would recommend their course to:	(n=34)
Junior-level planners	79%	Junior-level planners	59%
Mid-level planners	91%	Mid-level planners	71%
Senior-level planners	91%	Senior-level planners	61%
Your supervisor	72%	Your supervisor	42%
Planning officials	75%	Planning officials	67%
Elected officials	69%	Elected officials	63%

Figure 3: Detailed Assessment of BOCEP Student Experiences
	% Agree or Strongly Agree	% Disagree or Strongly Disagree	% Not applicable
The instructor was prepared for class and presented material in an organized manner	94%	6%	0%
The instructor responded effectively to student comment and questions	93%	7%	0%
The instructor generated interest in the course material	86%	14%	0%
The instructor provided timely feedback	93%	7%	0%
The instructor had a positive attitude toward assisting all students in understanding course material	93%	4%	4%
The instructional methods encouraged student learning	74%	19%	7%
I learned a great deal in this course	74%	26%	0%
The online discussions with my colleagues helped me learn the material	82%	14%	4%
The eCollege environment is easy to use	96%	4%	0%
The eCollege environment is reliable	93%	7%	0%
The eCollege system allowed me to get my class materials quickly	100%	0%	0%
	% Agree or Strongly Agree	% Disagree or Strongly Disagree	% Not applicable
The instructions I received before the class started helped orient me to the class	86%	7%	7%
The online orientation was useful	70%	7%	22%
The technical support staff were knowledgeable	39%	4%	57%
The technical support staff responded to my questions in a fair amount of time	36%	4%	61%
The technical support staff fixed or helped me fix a technical problem	32%	4%	64%
The BOCEP staff were helpful	70%	0%	30%
The BOCEP staff responded to my questions in a fair amount of time	74%	0%	26%