University Spotlight
Meet Purdue Global Professor Bea Bourne: ‘I Was an Adult Student, Too!’
As a professor for the MBA program and senior lead for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) within Purdue Global’s School of Business, Bea Bourne shares the why behind her work.
I started at AT&T right out of high school and moved up through the ranks. The job I enjoyed most was as a corporate trainer for sales. It’s where I discovered what I’m intended to do: teach. There’s nothing like experiencing a learner’s lightbulb moment and seeing someone connect to a concept. It led me to Purdue Global, where I teach in the MBA program and serve as the senior lead of DEIB for the School of Business and Information Technology.
I wanted to work with adults from the start. I completed all my degrees — my bachelor’s, my master’s and my doctorate — as a working adult. I know the work; I know what it’s like to balance being a student, parent and working professional. Read more about Bea.
PG News and Updates
Indiana Launches First Statewide CPL Model Policy Guidance
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced Indiana’s first statewide policy guidance for credit for prior learning (CPL). The state CPL model policy guidance supports the utilization of CPL across Indiana’s higher education institutions.
In Indiana, nearly 2 million adults do not have a credential beyond a high school diploma, and nearly 40 percent of those ages 25 and above have some college, but no degree. Through awarding credit for college-level learning gained through knowledge, skills, and competencies earned outside of a formal classroom setting, CPL helps Hoosier adults further their education and training beyond high school. A big thank you and congratulations to Allegra Fowler, Executive Director, Center for Prior Learning Recognition, and Ron Maggitt, Senior Analyst, Center for Prior Learning Recognition, for their work on this project and contributions to its authorship. Read the full press release.
March Madness, Stay Secure
According to a recent report from Nord Security, education has become the fifth most targeted industry for data breaches, with U.S. schools experiencing a sharp increase in hacks in recent years.
What is social engineering?
Social engineering is the art of manipulating people so they give up confidential information. The types of information these criminals seek can vary. When individuals are targeted, they usually try to trick you into giving them your passwords or bank information or secretly accessing your computer to install malicious software. As technological defenses become more robust, cybercriminals increasingly use social engineering techniques to exploit the weakest link in the security chain: people.
Types of Social Engineering Attacks
Baiting: Attackers entice victims into inadvertently compromising their security, for example, by offering free giveaways or distributing infected devices.
Scareware is a form of malicious software – usually a pop-up that warns that your security software is outdated or that malicious content has been detected on your machine – that fools victims into visiting malicious websites or buying worthless products.
Watering hole attacks: Watering hole attacks work by infecting websites that a group of users is known to frequent.
Reverse Social Engineering: In this social engineering scheme, the attacker convinces a target that they have a problem or issue and then positions themselves with a solution. The target then contacts the social engineer, believing they can solve their problem.
Pretexting: This tactic is more commonly associated with the term social engineering. With pretexting, an individual impersonates a representative from a trusted organization to acquire sensitive information. This social engineering technique relies heavily on gathering research before contacting the target.
These are only a few types of social engineering, so we want to remind you to Be Aware, Be Alert, and Report it.
Grammarly Updates
Support for the Grammarly Editor for Windows and Mac will be discontinued in the coming month. You can continue to use the Grammarly Editor and access documents through a web browser.
All of your documents will remain secure and unaffected by this change. You can continue to access them at any time by visiting the Grammarly Editor through your web browser at https://app.grammarly.com.
The Grammarly Editor in your browser now offers access to Grammarly’s generative AI assistance. Learn more here.
Grammarly also integrates smoothly with your favorite desktop apps, including Microsoft Word, Pages, Notes, and more—no copy or pasting required. Install Grammarly for Windows and Mac to use Grammarly where you work.
Purdue Global employees must adhere to the policies outlined in the Employee Handbook and the IT Acceptable Use Policy. Please review the university’s Generative AI Statement for information about the use of AI tools.
Additional information about Purdue Global Grammarly accounts and resources can be found on the CTL site.
PGLA Fast Facts as of March 22, 2024
Weekly update regarding the usage and engagement of the Purdue Global Learning Assistant (PGLA).
Across the University
CAEL Announces 2024 Ambassadors
Allegra Fowler, Executive Director, Center for Prior Learning Recognition, has been selected as a 2024 member of CAEL's (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) Ambassador program, a volunteer leadership opportunity for highly engaged CAEL members willing to contribute their time, expertise, and passion to deepen CAEL’s impact. CAEL Ambassadors help catalyze strategic interaction among educators, workforce organizations, and employers. Congratulations, Allegra!
CTL Sponsors 2024 TCC Online Conference Attendance
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is proud to sponsor registrations for the 2024 TCC Online Conference on April 16-18. Registration is available, and all Purdue Global employees are welcome to attend.
Congratulations to the faculty and staff who will be presenting at the event. If you are presenting at the 2024 TCC conference and would like us to share your presentation information, please reach out to askctl@purdueglobal.edu with your presentation title, date and time of presentation, and names of any co-presenters.
Check the TCC program for dates, times, and other presentation information. Purdue Global employees may report participation in this event as professional development using the CTL Activity Reporting form.
New Workshop Focuses on Crafting the Perfect Prompt
CTL051AI Alchemy: Crafting the Perfect Prompt is now available for all Purdue Global employees. This workshop expands upon the information William Ashley Johnson, Full-Time Faculty, English & Rhetoric Department, shared in his 2023 Purdue Global Village presentation about employing prompt engineering to impact the results returned from generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The CTL would like to sincerely thank William Ashley Johnson, Stuart Collins, and Jody Land for their work in creating this workshop.
Visit CTL Workshop Central to see all of the available learning opportunities.
Comeback Profile: Abby Steiner
“I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Always wanted to. I’ve dreamed of it.”
To Abby Steiner (BS communication), becoming a professional writer seemed unattainable. It was a career goal she had always thought about but never believed she’d have the chance to achieve.
While she’d had good jobs over the years, Steiner finally decided she was done settling for work that didn’t excite her.
“I got to the point where it was like, why settle for good when you could find amazing?” she says.
That’s when she decided to go for her dream job. It all started with Purdue Global. Learn more about Abby's comeback.
Self Care - A Note From GetSet
Check out this week's post from GetSet, a student-facing virtual community where our students can network, interact, and support one another. This is a great example of our students' hopes and dreams and a reminder of why we do what we do.
Upcoming Events
Check out more information about upcoming events on the Purdue Global Calendar.
Monday, March 25
11:00 am ET
Join this Purdue Global-wide meditation session to help foster self-care to better serve your family, students, and colleagues. Meditation sessions are open to all at Purdue Global; experience is not required. Students may access the link to enter via announcements in PG411 Help! Student Success Connection.
Tuesday, March 26
12:00 pm ET
Maximizing Impact: Crafting Effective Course Announcements
Join this interactive session to explore crafting effective course announcements in Brightspace. We'll also share tricks and tips for streamlining the announcement process.