A single working dad, Don Yusko doesn't have a lot of extra time on his hands. In February, however, Yusko decided it was time to go back to school and get his bachelor's degree.
While he lives in Woodbridge, Yusko works for a major defense contractor in Reston and the 31-year-old father of one needed classes that could fit his schedule. He had taken some courses at Northern Virginia Community College, but Yusko found some of those classes to be uneven and unsatisfying. Plus, the it was hard for him to transfer the credits towards his pursuit of a bachelor's degree in information technology (IT).
Instead of a traditional college or community college setting, Yusko turned to Reston's only university, the University of Phoenix. He was able to enroll in classes at the national for-profit institution that opened its doors last June. In February, the university, moved into its new 26,000 square foot 13-classroom campus on the second floor at 11730 Plaza America. On May 8, the university will officially christen their new "campus" with a grand opening celebration.
<b>FOR-PROFIT ACCREDITED </b>institutions, like Phoenix and DeVry, with their emphasis on adult education programs and flexibility have spread across the county and appeal largely to professionals, like Yusko, who are looking to bulk up their resume, increase their skills and finish their education at a time when the area's job market is so fragile.
The University of Phoenix was started in in Arizona in 1976 by John Sperling, a former San Jose State University economics professor. Though not the first of its kind, it is now the largest such for-profit institution, encompassing 126 campuses serving more than 152,000 students from coast to coast. It has recently added branches in Puerto Rico and British Columbia. More than 63,000 of the students take classes on the Internet through the school's on-line virtual campus.
While they have three schools in Maryland, the Reston campus marks the university's first venture into Virginia.
"Obviously, the attraction of being in the Dulles technology corridor was important for us," said Ruthe Brown, the school's campus director. "We are always looking for upscale locations near major interstate routes because our students are in a rush. Reston clearly fit that bill."
Because the nightly classes start at 6 p.m., most students live or work in or around Sterling, Reston and Herndon, Brown said. "With all of the traffic issues, we aren't getting too many people from other parts of the region," she said.
So when the University of Phoenix moved from its temporary digs at the Hyatt in Reston Town Center to Plaza America in February, Yusko was one of the first students standing in line. He wasn't alone. In less than a year, the Reston campus boasts 325 students and expects to add another 50 by the end of April, Brown said.
"It's great that we have made it out to the East Coast and Northern Virginia was just a natural next step," said company spokeswoman Ayla Guvnoz. "There are so many working adults who need options and crave flexibility. The University of Phoenix is just one more opportunity for them to further their education."
<b>ONE NIGHT A WEEK</b>, Yusko walks the short distance from his office to the Plaza America campus for his four-hour class. "It's been pretty demanding, so far," he said. "In addition to class time, we probably spend another five or six hours outside of class working on our projects."
Students take one class at a time and work with what school officials describe as a "learning team" in an average class of about 14 students. Professors hold a minimum of a master's degree and are called "faculty practitioners," and they must be currently working within their given field, Brown said. "They aren't academics," she said.
The school's library is entirely electronic, with a wide range of journals and papers available to students 24 hours a day.
Teachers rely on "teamwork, cooperation and self-efficacy." Guvnoz said. "At this stage in their lives and their careers, students don't want to be lectured to, that is not what we are about," the spokesman said.
Yusko says he has enjoyed interacting with his fellow students and the instructors. "They all come from varied backgrounds and experiences," he said. "Sometimes, once you are in a job, your interaction is limited by the people around you and it can get too narrow. Here, you can't help but meet and talk and network with people from lots of other backgrounds."
With one class a month, Yusko expects to finish his degree requirements in about two years.
Yusko's drive for his diploma is both personal and professional. "Without an education, this is not the region you want to live in," said Yusko, whose friend referred him to the program. "I started looking around and I realized I didn't want to be 40 or 50 years old and struggling to find work. Without that degree, you can't get promoted. I wanted to do this for myself."
The school offers four different degrees. In addition to a traditional MBA, graduate level students can also work towards an MBA in technology management. In July, Reston students will have the opportunity to get a master's in information technology.