Welcome

The Center for Lifelong Learning would like to welcome all new and returning students to the Spring 2008 semester.  We hope all your hard work and persistence lead to academic success this semester!

Winter Commencement

Winter Graduation will be on Friday, January 25, 2008 at 6 pm in Lees Hall.  Please join faculty, staff, family, and friends in recognizing the accomplishments of our winter graduates.

Lifelong Learning May Graduates

At each commencement ceremony, a traditional student and a Lifelong Learning student address their fellow graduates.  If you would like to deliver the Lifelong Learning student address at May Graduation on Saturday, May 10. 2008, please submit a rough draft of your intended speech to the Center for Lifelong Learning prior to March 17, 2008.

New Student Orientation

All new students and their families are invited to attend one of two Lifelong Learning Spring 2008 Orientation sessions.  These will be held on Monday, January 7, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday,  January 12, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.  Students will receive their parking permits and photo ID cards and will have the opportunity to purchase their books at the College bookstore.  Campus tours will also be available.  Students are encouraged to take the tours in order to find the location of their classrooms and to become acquainted with the campus resources available to them.  The tours will include brief presentations in Academic Services, Information Technology, and the Rodale Aquatic Center.  To reserve a space, call the Center for Lifelong Learning at 610-740-3770 or email us at lifelong@cedarcrest.edu.

Casual Open House

The Center for Lifelong Learning is having a Casual Open House on Thursday, January 3, 2008 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 5, 2008 from 9:00 a.m.-noon.  All prospective students are invited to walk-in and meet with an advisor.  Anyone interested may bring copies of his/her unofficial transcripts for review.  Refreshments will be served.  Please let your family, friends and co-workers know about this great way to get more information about the programs we offer at Cedar Crest!

Celebrate with a Swim Party!

Join us for our 2nd annual Swim with Your Sweetheart Party!  The Center for Lifelong Learning invites you and your family to a swim party at the Rodale Aquatic Center on Sunday, February 18, 2008 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.  The party will include swimming, pizza, and games with prizes.  The cost of the swim party is $5.00 per family (up to 5 members per family).  To make a reservation, please call the Center for Lifelong Learning at 610-740-3770 or email us at lifelong@cedarcrest.edu.

From The Lifelong Learning Student Union

The Lifelong Learning Student Union is a forum and a voice for Lifelong Learning students.  They  would like to get your feedback on how best the group can meet your needs.  Would you like the LLSU to hold networking events, plan day trips or invite particular speakers to our campus?  If you are too busy to attend meetings, would you still be interested in receiving information regarding their planned events?  Please email your responses to Robin Schenkel at raschenk@cedarcrest.edu or Patti Leight at plleight@cedarcrest.edu. 

Discover the DaVinci Science Center

Have you discovered the fun, interactive exhibits at the DaVinci Science Center yet?  As a Cedar Crest College student, your admission to the Center is free!  This winter there are a number of exciting programs scheduled, including several featuring Cedar Crest faculty.
Here is the latest list:

Junior First Lego League
January date TBD

Fossil Fun Day
Mon. February 18, 2008, 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Tombs and Treasures
Saturday, March 1, 2008
12-3:00 p.m.
Dr. Larry Quarino, Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Forensic Science Program
Dr. Thomas Brettell, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Physical Sciences

Art & Science Meet-Dino Sculpture Program
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Time TBD
Nelson Maniscalco, Professor of Art

Bees, Birds and Insects
Saturday, April 5, 2008
1 and 2:15 p.m.

Space
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Time TBD

For more information about these programs and the DaVinci Center, visit their website at www.davinci-center.org.

Student Spotlight:  Sarah Taylor

Alpha Sigma Lambda is a national honor society for adult students with over 300 chapters.  In 2007 this prestigious group awarded just eight scholarships to outstanding students in the United States and Sarah Taylor, a Cedar Crest psychology major, was one of the recipients.

“I was absolutely astounded when I found out I had won such a selective scholarship.  I credit my husband with being my monumental support throughout my time here at Cedar Crest.”

Although Sarah grew up in Allentown and was familiar with the College, she did not pursue her undergraduate studies right after high school.  It was a Special Topics course on eating disorders that brought Sarah to campus years later and started her on a path to becoming a nutrition major.  Due to her own struggles and her husband’s physical disability, she eventually switched her major to psychology and has found her college experience enriching. 

For her psychology capstone, Sarah completed research on retention of students at women’s colleges.  Her study examined personality traits as predictors of whether students would remain in school.  She found that conscientiousness, a strong sense of identity and emotional stability were all predictive of retention.  Sarah hopes to have this research published in a psychology journal and believes it can be valuable for helping colleges retain their students.  “I didn’t attend college when I was younger because I didn’t have the confidence.  Through my relationship with my husband, I have gained that confidence.”

Faculty Spotlight: Ibolya Balog

Ibolya Balog, the newest faculty member in the Department of Business, Management and Economics, has a unique perspective on the field of accounting. 

“Accounting is a gateway to all areas of business.  The numbers always tell a story, and it helps if you understand that story and can decipher it for others.”

 For over twenty years, Balog’s knowledge of numbers has earned her a successful career as a certified public accountant.  Last fall she decided she would use her experience to help develop a new generation of accountants.  After seeing an advertisement for a position at Cedar Crest, she began teaching accounting classes here.  She is now an assistant professor and will be teaching Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting II, Personal Income Tax Accounting, and Auditing in the spring semester.  Looking ahead, she is very excited about  the job market for her students.

 “There will be great opportunities in the field of accounting in the near term, due to a large number of retirements in the next ten  years.”

Born and raised in the former Yugoslavia, Prof. Balog came to the United States when she was fifteen.  After finishing high school, she attended Lehigh University and majored in Psychology and Russian.   She worked in a variety of jobs after graduation and then decided to pursue her MBA at Temple University, where she discovered her interest in accounting.  After finishing her degree, she became the controller in a start up company in Bethlehem and then began her career in public accounting at Cohen & Rogozinski, an Allentown firm that later merged with Parente Randolph LLC. 

Prof Balog feels the small class size and the emphasis on writing for all majors are qualities that set Cedar Crest apart from other schools.  She believes that Lifelong Learning students, many of whom are already working in a facet of business, provide real life examples in class that complement the material being covered.

Numbers are not her only passion, however. Prof Balog has a strong commitment to the community as well.  She has served on the Board of the Allentown Symphony and the Lehigh County Conference of Churches.  She is the past president of the West Park Civic Association, the Allentown Rotary Club, and the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants.  In addition, she is currently the chair of the Committee on Professional Ethics of the PA Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a member of the CPA Journal Editorial Board.  In her spare time, she also enjoys golfing and watching films.