Ashland Press Release

August 9, 2005

Contact: Clare Hintz, Evening Degree Program Coordinator, (715) 682-1492

Local Employers Offer Financial Support for Northland College Evening Degree Program

Ashland, WI - Todd Reynolds began his college experience at Northland College in 1979. Now, nearly 30 years later, he is completing it through Northland’s evening degree program. Todd is just one of 31 students enrolled in the Evening Degree program.

As Director of IT at Memorial Medical Center in Ashland, this degree gives Reynolds invaluable background about the industry. “It gives me a better understanding of health patient care and where we need to be going,” Reynolds said. The Health Care Administration major exposes adult students to theories and practices used by managers in the health care field.

Reynolds considered the evening degree program for years but decided to attend when Memorial Medical Center offered financial support. Human Resource Director Kathy Carlson says the hospital offers support because they recognize the value of higher education and it benefits the hospital. “In healthcare, employees often rise through the ranks because of their technical expertise. MMC believes that staff in leadership roles benefit from the broader perspective and skills that a four-year degree provides.” She says they reach out to community as well by offering the Howard Sandin Memorial Scholarship which employees and members of the community can apply for.

The lessons learned in the classroom apply to life as well. “It has gotten me a lot more organized. The program has taught me about time management. I have homework to do along with all of my work responsibilities. I make family a priority but I also have to make time for my school work. For my family, I’ve found we plan a lot better. We don’t do as many things at the last minute,” Reynolds said. He also says it encourages his sons, ages 4 and 10, to do homework. “Especially with my 10-year old boy. He sees dad doing homework and knows he needs to get his done as well.”

Reynolds finds being dad, working and attending school full time a balancing act that will pay off in the long run. Things are made easier by Northland’s willingness to be flexible. “They are very flexible in homework and understand if you need to miss a class for family reasons,” he said. “They understand that adults learn differently that young adults and are willing to work with that.”

When Reynolds graduates, he hopes to continue his connection with Northland College through teaching some of the Evening Degree courses part time. Northland College also offers Evening Degrees in management and nursing.

Northland College is an environmental liberal arts college located in Ashland, Wis., near the shores of Lake Superior. The college has been recognized as one of the top colleges in the nation for science and mathematics, as a model environmental campus for the Lake Superior Basin, and as one of Wisconsin’s true liberal arts colleges. Founded in 1892, Northland now enrolls more than 750 students from 45 states and 13 other countries.

Contact Information

Clare  Hintz    
Evening Degree Program Coordinator
Email: adultlearning@northland.edu
Phone: (715) 682-1492