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Paul in PA
PS, you have one from me.
As Rankin indicated, I graduated last May and would be happy to answer questions as well. Contact me if you need help. Byron is a great guy and the program has many good points. Obviously being an online program, it will have some things that aren't going to be as good as brick and mortar. But being able to get a degree while working anywhere in the country, is a positive cost effective option for many.
Kurt
TxSRVYR, post: 374242, member: 11744 wrote: Has anyone graduated from or been taking classes at Great Basin College? I will be enrolling there in the Fall with an associates from OSU OKC and want to ask some questions about their online Surveying Progam.
I have been enrolled in the program for several years, and I am just a few credits shy of graduation. About the only problem I have with the school at this point is the availability of classes that you need to complete the degree. Ie. Calculus seems to never be offered online when I want to take it. Having said that, the program is excellent. I give credit to the program entirely for helping me pass my FS exam last year, and helping my pass my NYS State specific this year. I did not pass the PS, but that is because I was juggling Physics and that exam at the same time, and even with that, I got a 67 on the PS exam. It is a great program for those who do not have the time to physically show up for class because of other engagements, but they will definitely make you work for it. I took a few classes with Kurt, I believe he recently graduated. Talk to Byron Calkins, he is the head of the department over there. He is a solid teacher and a great guy to deal with.
Have you had any bad experiences with GBC. Do they get back to emails very well? For the most part OSU OKC's online program was great, but some of the teachers didn't respond to emails well or set up quizzes and exams over things we had not been taught. Did any of you experience things like this? Also, I have been using Desire2Learn as a web platform for my classes. Byron tells me they use Canvas. Is that a pretty easy to use program to navigate and keep up with assignments?
TxSRVYR, post: 374453, member: 11744 wrote: Have you had any bad experiences with GBC. Do they get back to emails very well? For the most part OSU OKC's online program was great, but some of the teachers didn't respond to emails well or set up quizzes and exams over things we had not been taught. Did any of you experience things like this? Also, I have been using Desire2Learn as a web platform for my classes. Byron tells me they use Canvas. Is that a pretty easy to use program to navigate and keep up with assignments?
I've used both programs. D2L for the calculus classes I need. Found canvas much easier to use
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Scotland, post: 374464, member: 559 wrote: I've used both programs. D2L for the calculus classes I need. Found canvas much easier to use
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Hey Scott, where did you end up taking your maths? I can never find the maths that I need online... as you probably already know this.
rmsiepel, post: 374483, member: 11553 wrote: Hey Scott, where did you end up taking your maths? I can never find the maths that I need online... as you probably already know this.
CCCONLINE.COM - it is Colorado community college online.
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TxSRVYR, post: 374453, member: 11744 wrote: Have you had any bad experiences with GBC. Do they get back to emails very well? For the most part OSU OKC's online program was great, but some of the teachers didn't respond to emails well or set up quizzes and exams over things we had not been taught. Did any of you experience things like this? Also, I have been using Desire2Learn as a web platform for my classes. Byron tells me they use Canvas. Is that a pretty easy to use program to navigate and keep up with assignments?
Just like any program, company or government agency; you will have great teachers, mediocre teachers and lazy teachers. Byron and a few others handle all of the survey classes and most of them are very responsive to emails and keeping on top of grading homework; even they have good weeks and bad weeks. The whole program for me took 4 years of averaging 8 hours per semester and many other classes; GIS, statistics, Calculus, Physics, finance, business management, personnel management and a few others that I am forgetting and they all varied in substance and instructor involvement and interest. All in all, the whole program was a worthwhile experience for me. Some courses were extremely difficult (calculus and physics) especially without sitting in a class and YOU must be willing to work hard and keep yourself on top of things, even while working 40-60 hour weeks like most of us currently do as surveyors.
The survey courses usually have a weekly 1 hour lecture/discussion, but many of the other courses do not have this one-on-one weekly meeting. Most instructors are very good at answering email, providing help and having group projects at times. I would do it again, knowing what I know. You will have many surveyors in your classes with years of experience and being licensed in many states taking classes alongside who are happy to help out in various ways. There really is no reason to ever stop learning and this program enables that to happen for those already practicing.
TxSRVYR, post: 374242, member: 11744 wrote: Has anyone graduated from or been taking classes at Great Basin College? I will be enrolling there in the Fall with an associates from OSU OKC and want to ask some questions about their online Surveying Progam.
I graduated from the GBC program in May 2015 and passed the Texas exam in October 2015. The program went through a major transition during the 3 years I attended. The program creator, James Elithorp, left the college and Byron Calkins came in and saved the program from extinction. There was one semester during the transition during which GBC did not have instructors for several of the classes, so I attended the online programs at Wyoming and Oregon Institute of Technology for two courses. I thought the GBC program compared favorably to the others. The Wyoming course consisted of recorded video lectures and a weekly conference call. The OIT course was recorded video lectures but the instructor went AWOL half way through the semester.
As of early 2015, the GBC program was still using the Elithorp curriculum. The main source of instruction was recorded video lectures and the web conferences served more as a check-in. I know Byron had plans to update things, but I'm not sure what has changed since I attended.
Off topic, I would highly recommend the study sessions hosted by Halff Associates in the DFW area for anyone studying for the Texas exam. They have a Yahoo group- Texas RPLS Study Group.
BEING FLEXIBLE, I SEE AS THE KEY.
Because there is no true uniformity in surveying education or state board requirements throughout the US, no program I am aware of is perfect. I have looked at a majority of surveying curriculums especially the ABET ones and always seem to find something missing, While such programs are strong on calculation skills some are lacking in Law, especially the background of legal thought that covers every law and ruling. For instance "Repose" is not just a term that refers to Survey Law. Junior/Senior rights can be applicable to business contracts. survey proportioning flows from "Equity". What is most lacking are Survey History courses. How can one propose to follow in the footsteps without knowledge of how and why those footsteps were first made. Some programs want to follow the highest engineering standards including Calculus, while others consider it a technical, let's get it done, type program and stick with more basic math. Some programs require a 4 credit statistics course, some only a 3. Some programs understand that the statistics required for survey adjustments is more advance that the statistics for marketing and population studies, and offer a 1 credit addition statistics course. I took a course where the instructor saw fit to spend the first few weeks of an advanced survey course doing that exact statistics add on. Some programs have a "Highway Surveying" course, for others it is an option and some give it slight coverage. Some programs give 4 credit hour intro courses and some cover the same material in 3 credit classes. I graduated Lehigh University with a BS CE in 1973. At that time Lehigh was one of the last few Civil Engineering schools requiring survey camp for all civil engineers. Since colleges left out before high schools there were always camps available in early summer to readily put on such a program. Lehigh's was three 6 day weeks at a church camp in he Poconos. Three 3 hour lab classes Monday to Friday and classes on Saturday. Lots of field work time. It is difficult if not impossible to get that field work done in a once a week class lab on a campus, mush less through a distance learning course.
In the course of my later survey education I took a very flexible approach. Northampton (my home) County Community College, AutoCAD, I learned on Version 2, Business Law courses, County College of Morris in NJ, 2 advanced Survey courses, Middlesex County (NJ) Community College Legal Research and Warren County NJ Community College, across the River from home, Real Estate Law. Then I applied to NJIT for the balance of survey courses. Earlier I had checked out the Penn Sate Wilkes-Barre campus program and found it to set up for typical on campus students and too far to drive for several days a week. While speaking with Professor Chuck Ghilani there I Learned about the Morris County college courses and looked into that. I could drive to CCM and later Newatk (NJIT) in half the time of Wilkes-Barre plus both were set up for evening classes to accommodate working students.
Please note I took more classes than I had to and would advise any student on the flexible route that he will find for whatever reason that an extra course or two will eventually be required to meet somebodies graduation criteria. To make your goal to get a degree with the absolute minimum of classes is to lose sight of your true goal to get a thorough education. If you do manage to take the exams with the absolute minimum.of education and experience do not complain if you fail to pass the first time.
For those who have been working and gaining experience and now wish to get their education on line, be prepared to be flexible and to have to even jump around to ultimately meet their state's requirements.
Finally, congratulations to those who have wended their way down this long and winding road.
Paul in PA
Thanks Chris. That is very helpful. I heard this weekend that UT Tyler will let me finish my BA there online, so im trying to weigh the pros and cons.
I will def. Look into the Halff and Assoc. I live Denton so thats pretty close.
rmsiepel, post: 374483, member: 11553 wrote: Hey Scott, where did you end up taking your maths? I can never find the maths that I need online... as you probably already know this.
LSU continuing education has all the math and calculus you'll need. I took 24 hours of surveying courses online at the University of Wyoming. Instructors cover alot of material and will help you if need.
