It’s not just faculty who are experts in their fields; at Colorado State University-Global Campus our staff are also excelling in higher education. CSU Global Enrollment Counselor, Vyacheslav “Stan” Khrapak, just won the 2016 Rising Star Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) for his contributions in the field of higher education. See what he’s doing to advance students both inside and outside the enrollment office.
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 Stan’s dedication to higher education is evident when you read his resume. At the University of Oklahoma he received his Master of Education with an emphasis in administration while working as a graduate assistant for the ACHE. Since 2014 he’s served as volunteer co-managing editor for the Journal of Thought, and for the past year, we’ve been lucky enough to have Stan at CSU Global as an enrollment counselor. I met with Stan at the CSU Global to learn more about his work in higher education and how that applies to our modern, adult students at CSU Global. Keep reading to see how Stan is making an impact in the changing world of higher-education. CSU Global: Congratulations on your Rising Star Award! Obviously you’ve been heavily involved with higher education in a couple different ways, but why do you think you won this award? SK: As the co-managing editor of the Journal of Thought, I’ve been privileged to read, edit, and contribute to a number of articles that have widened my perspective to make me a better researcher and enrollment counselor. Through this amazing publication I’m able to further advance new ideas, technological changes, and expanding fields in higher education. I think the ACHE took notice of my contributions to the Journal of Thought because it’s a volunteer position. Of course in my career I’m dedicated to higher education, but when you go above and beyond, and contribute to your field outside of a paying position, you’re telling people that this is your passion. The ACHE also knows my work and dedication internally from my time as operations associate and graduate assistant with the organization. Two letters of recommendation were also considered in my application for the award. Executive level leaders in higher education spoke to my passion and accomplishments based on our interactions. I’m sure that helped too! CSU Global: It sounds like you’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort to the Journal of Thought. What can you tell us about the publication? The Journal of Thought describes their organization as, “a biannual publication devoted to the reflective examination of educational issues and problems from the perspective of diverse disciplines. The journal welcomes scholars whose work represents varied viewpoints, methodologies, disciplines, cultures, and nationalities as it seeks to treat the most comprehensive issues and problems confronting education throughout the world.” It’s a great resource for anyone interested in education, regardless of your position. Ph.D. degree holders and other thought leaders contribute a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to a number of different areas. We really emphasize the importance of sharing ideas across cultures and disciplines to create a dialogue for advancing education worldwide. The Journal accepts original work that has not appeared in print previously, so if anyone is interested in contributing, please visit our Submissions page to learn more. We’re always looking for entries and I know CSU Global is full of thought-leaders.
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 CSU Global: As a recipient of the Rising Star Award, you get to represent CSU Global at the ACHE Conference next month in New Orleans. What are you looking forward to at the conference? SK: I’m really excited to represent CSU Global in a positive light as a leader in online education. There are a lot of brick-and-mortar universities trying to achieve what we have with our 100% online structure. As a society, we receive information differently now, and advances in technology have made online programs necessary for modern students. I look forward to discussing the insight, technology, and structure that we’ve developed at CSU Global with organizations just starting to grow their online avenues. I’m also looking forward to hearing the keynote speakers and attending the sessions related to continuing education, innovation, technology, and professional development. It really means a lot to me to be selected for the award among deans, directors, and other executive level professionals. This is definitely a milestone in my career. CSU Global: Most of your work prior to CSU Global was as a researcher. How has that education and experience contributed to your role now as an enrollment counselor? SK: My graduate research was based in adult education. I was investigating why adults return to school, what their motivation is, and how that experience differs from that of a younger person. Having this knowledge and insight has helped tremendously here at CSU Global. I talk to students all day with the goal of helping them achieve their own goals through high quality education. I’ve been able to apply what I learned in my graduate research to speak to the motivations of nontraditional adult learners. Because I have a good understanding of who these students are, generally speaking, I know what’s important to their success and what objections might be standing in their way. CSU Global: Based on your knowledge and experience, what are adult, modern learners looking for in higher education? SK: In my experience, adult learners are looking for security in a university. They want to earn a degree from a legitimate, accredited university with a strong name, without breaking the bank.  Students need to feel confident that their education will stand out on their resume and land them the job they want. Of course, you cannot talk about higher education without talking about finances. Affordability is a concern most students have, and they should. At CSU Global every student works with a tuition planning specialist throughout their education to make sure students can complete their degrees and are accessing all financial resources available. Stan’s commitment to advancing higher education for a bigger impact on adult students is obviously much larger than his role here at CSU Global. That’s why we as a university, and prospective students, are so lucky to have him as an enrollment counselor. Stay tuned for a follow-up article about Stan’s visit to New Orleans for the ACHE Conference, and his role as ambassador for CSU Global.