ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On March 2, 2009 at 11:30am, Herzing College located in Winter Park, Florida will become Herzing University at a sign-changing event at the campus. The school will be selling commemorative T-shirts and donating the profits to the American Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Awareness, according to Campus President, Heather Antonacci.
This event represents the 44-year evolution of a small computer training institute founded by Henry Herzing, a former missile test officer for the U.S. Navy, and his wife, Suzanne. From a class of 12 students in a 7-month computer course, the institution expanded geographically and programmatically under the same leadership for those 44 years to encompass 13 campuses in the U.S. and Canada. The 9 campuses in the U.S. are regionally accredited and offer diploma, associate degree, and bachelor's degree programs in the fields of technology, business, health care, design and public safety.
"Most recently, master's degree programs in Management, Technology Management, and Health Care Management have been added, prompting the name change to university," said Campus President Antonacci. With the critical need for nursing instructors and managers, a master's degree in Nursing is planned to be added this summer.
President Antonacci stated, "As a university we will continue our institutional tradition of emphasizing the values of student service, ethical behavior, and respect and fair treatment of students, faculty and staff - a tradition that will be maintained by Renee Herzing, the founders' daughter, who will become President/CEO of the Herzing Educational System on March 1."
Herzing University will be one of a few unique universities in the United States established with the changing needs of students in mind and their varying abilities to access education after high school and into adulthood. President Antonacci related, "A student can progress seamlessly from a diploma program to an associate degree to a bachelor's degree, and now to a master's degree, stopping anywhere along the line and then resuming when the time, need, and ambition of the student warrant. And the student can choose the method of instruction that fits his or her time commitments and learning style - from all resident to EdFlex (part resident, part online) to entirely online."
"Career-focused - Convenient - Caring" education is the motto of the University. The caring is an integral part of the culture and faculty, and staff are hired as much for that characteristic as for their credentials and experience. The convenience is illustrated by not only the student choice of resident, hybrid, or online options, but by block scheduling of classes so there is no wasted time between classes. All the programs are career-focused and the University has, as one of its important goals, a high percentage of its available graduates working in their career field within 90 days of graduation - typically more than 90 percent.
"As a university we will continue to remain focused on our students' ability to quickly obtain well-paying jobs in fields with high demand for skilled employees. Our teachers do not have to conduct research so they can do the teaching that students come here to receive - instructors and professors are recognized for their teaching success, not their research. The latter may help bring prestige to an institution but often does little to help a student learn their career field," said Campus President Antonacci.
Herzing's drive to educate and prepare workers for high-demand fields led it to offer nursing training starting nearly three years ago. The Winter Park campus has positioned itself to help meet the critical need for nurses in the area. Unfortunately, only a limited number of nursing students can be accepted each year because of the clinical time required in various hospital departments.
Herzing has been in the Orlando area since 1995 and in addition to the campus' nursing program, it currently offers degrees in Radiography, Surgical Technology, Therapeutic Massage and Physical Therapist Assistant. While the School of Health Care continues to be the majority of the student population, the Winter Park campus also offers diplomas and degrees in Business and Technology.
President Antonacci and staff invite you to be a part of the celebration on March 2 and share in the festivities with students, alumni, faculty and administration as they officially become Herzing University.
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