Walden University Introduces Master’s Program in Addiction Counseling
New online master’s degree program prepares professionals to meet growing demand for addiction counselors

Minneapolis—August 16, 2012—As the number of individuals dealing with substance abuse and addictive behavior in the United States continues to grow, the need for qualified addiction counselors is also on the rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors is projected to increase by 27% through 2020. To help meet this growing demand, Walden University’s School of Counseling and Social Service is introducing the M.S. in Addiction Counseling online degree program that can help prepare qualified professionals to treat individuals with these disorders.

“Addiction has many faces and can affect anyone, regardless of occupation, income level, race or gender. In fact, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, one in four Americans will have an alcohol or drug problem at some point in their lives. Many others will face addictive behavior exhibited through activities such as binge eating, pathological gambling and hoarding,” said Dr. Savitri Dixon-Saxon, associate dean of Walden’s School of Counseling and Social Service.

In Walden’s M.S. in Addiction Counseling program, students focus on a range of addiction and behavioral disorders and learn how to provide treatment intervention and develop case management strategies for a broad range of clients. The online program features five specializations: Addictions and Public Health, Child and Adolescent Counseling, Family Studies and Interventions, Forensic Counseling and Trauma and Crisis Counseling. Students in this program can prepare for a career in a wide variety of settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, employee assistance programs, the juvenile justice system, drug courts and private practice.

Depending on the state in which they intend to practice, students can prepare to become counselors with a specialization in addiction counseling and to qualify to sit for the Examination for Master Addictions Counselors (EMAC).

The new M.S. in Addiction Counseling program joins a suite of related online degree programs in the School of Counseling and Social Service, including the CACREP-accredited M.S. in Mental Health Counseling; the M.S. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling; the M.S. in Career Counseling; and the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. For more information about Walden’s counseling programs, visit www.WaldenU.edu/counseling.

About Walden University
For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 48,500 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 60 campus-based and online universities in 29 countries.

Walden offers more than 65 degree programs with more than 330 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

School Overview
Texas Tech University is a public university located in the west Texas city of Lubbock. Founded in 1923, it has grown to a student population of more than 30,000. Texas Tech offers 150 undergraduate programs, 100 master level programs and 50 doctoral degrees through 11 academic colleges. Strong with tradition, the Red Raiders are committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

Problem
Texas Tech University – Student Business Services is a student focused department that concentrates on providing accurate and timely billing of tuition and fees for the University, including processing of waivers and exemptions.

With a growing student population, TTU – Student Business Services needed a way to enhance their communication to the university’s students. “While we use direct email and message board postings, we needed a solution that would allow us to reach a large audience in a short amount of time” said Bradley Martin, Manager of Communications & Collections for Texas Tech – Student Business Services, “while delivering a consistent message.”

Solution
Following a referral to Call-Em-All by another Texas university, TTU – Student Business Services began making automated phone calls for the summer semesters of 2012. TTU – Student Business Services was able to quickly create voice broadcasts to notify the students of upcoming payment deadlines and cancellations.

After just a short period of usage, “Call-Em-All has already altered our approach to contacting students,” said Martin. We have seen “cancellation numbers for the summer semesters among the lowest on recent record.”

Call-Em-All’s automated phone broadcasting service allowed TTU – Student Business Services to reach out to a targeted group of students. No longer having to rely on oneto- one direct email or posts to message boards that may or may not get read by students needing to know improtant information.

More Benefits of Text Message Blasts

With the reporting that Call-Em-All features for each voice broadcast, TTU – Student Business Services is able to see who has answered the phone live to listen to the message. Also, they are able to determine if a phone number they have for a student may not be correct. “It has been a breeze to use and we can definitely see results. I wish we would have had it years ago.” said Martin, when speaking to how quickly they are able to contact students.

In the future, Texas Tech University – Student Business Services see potential of additional usages of Call-Em-All’s automated messaging service to reach out to their student body regarding other pertanant information.

NEW YORK, (Aug. 16, 2012) — McGraw-Hill Education today announced the appointment of Stephen Laster as the company’s chief digital officer. Laster will lead the company’s digital initiatives, including creating compelling digital learning experiences for students and inspiring creative innovation across all aspects of the organization. The appointment of Laster is the latest representation of McGraw-Hill Education’s transformation from a provider of print-based education materials to a developer of digitally-based products and services.

Laster joins the company from Harvard Business School, where he served as chief information officer since 2006. In that position, he transformed the school’s technology organization and delivered critical new systems and services, while establishing the school’s first educational technology group focused on digital learning product development.

Laster will report to Lloyd G. “Buzz” Waterhouse, McGraw-Hill Education’s president and chief executive officer, as the process continues to establish McGraw-Hill Education as an independent, digital learning and education services company later this year.

“The digitization of education provides our company with a major opportunity to make learning more accessible, engaging and effective,” said Waterhouse. “Stephen is the ideal choice to lead our digital initiatives going forward as we continue to leverage technology innovations and capabilities and create breakthrough teaching and learning experiences.”

Said Laster, “McGraw-Hill Education has extensive expertise and decades of experience with instructional design and has invested substantial resources in the digitization and online delivery of programs and platforms that engage students, help them learn concepts and skills, and study more effectively. I have spent most of my professional career developing and enhancing digital learning programs at virtually all levels of education, and I am very excited to join this world-renowned organization and contribute to such an important endeavor.”

During his time as Harvard Business School’s CIO, Laster also served as president of Intelligent Solutions, a consulting firm he founded, which provides guidance to C-suite executives on IT strategy and digital learning. At the firm, he developed a digital learning product framework and successfully assisted with the rollout of several large-scale digital learning programs. From 1998 to 2006, he held a number of leadership positions at Babson College, including chief technology officer for the school’s digital learning company, and director of curriculum innovation and technology. Laster, a member of the board of directors of the Sloan Consortium of Online Learning, holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a MBA from Babson.

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About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions, which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 65 languages. For additional information, visit www.mheducation.com.