18 May 2004 Regional Education a Win-Win Opportunity

Flexibility – along with goals, achievement and personal growth – is one of the big buzz words connected with Lincoln University's Regional Education Programme.

Regional Education offers students tremendous flexibility about where, when and how they study towards tertiary qualifications," says Programme Manager Dr Lynette Hardie Wills.

"Today's busy life style means not everyone can take time out to be a fulltime, campus based student, and yet the need for tertiary qualifications has never been stronger. Promotion, advancement, career development in most professions and businesses are today dependent on having appropriate qualifications.

"Lincoln University's Regional Education Programme is tailor made for the sort of part-time study that can be fitted into a busy working life. The subjects are exactly the same as those taught on campus, and the same applies to the assessment process, only the method of delivery is different. The learning materials – modules – are specially designed for part-time self-study and discussions facilitated by a Learning Co-ordinator rather than the traditional method of lectures and tutorials."

Illustrating the flexibility of the programme are numerous employees in a wide range of businesses and professions who are combining after-hours part-time tertiary study while holding down busy daytime jobs.

Graham Black of Christchurch, Field Services Manager with IT and computing services company Gen-i Limited, is an example.

This semester he's doing his seventh paper through Lincoln's Regional Education Programme, working towards a Bachelor of Commerce and Management degree. He's studying the 300-level paper Project Planning and Management and says that the evening study groups work very well for his circumstances.

He can leave work and go just across the road to the premises of the Canterbury Innovation Incubator (one of several study centres around Christchurch used by Lincoln) or if he can't get to one of those weekly sessions in person then there is always the flexibility of using the special teleconferencing facility that Lincoln has in place for those who can't make it to a study centre.

Graham finds the tutors very supportive and says they strive to keep everything relevant and on track for everyone's needs.

He is one of two staff members from his company doing Lincoln University papers through the Regional Education programme, and it is a win-win situation for them both and the company as they demonstrate an enthusiasm for professional development and work towards the personal goal of university degrees.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand