Al-Ashkar helps students with concerns about academic performance and how to balance work and academic responsibilities, among other things. Program director Pferdehirt feels that having a counselor dedicated to just MEPP students is both a boon and a distinguishing feature of the program. Karen s personal, proactive care for students concretely expresses to students our commitment to their success and our commitment to removing roadblocks and distractions from their learning. The MEPP program appeals to students who are either not near a campus where they would wish to earn a graduate degree, or who can't accommodate the time and distance of commuting. The master's program is designed as a fixed, two-year curriculum with no electives at this point.
Students enter as a cohort and progress through their coursework together.
Entering MEPP classes are limited to thirty students, ensuring that class discussions do not become unwieldy and that a glut of students does not diminish individual attention. Courses are taught using a variety of tools, from WebCT to weekly synchronous teleconferences via Placeware, traditional textbooks, course study guides, and CD-ROMs. Things are running smoothly in MEPP's second year of operation. The original cohort is slated to graduate in May 2001, with the second MEPP class enrolled to capacity. The spring 2001 semester will include two new courses that were run as pilots in fall 2000.