ASPEN UNIVERSITY WEB PAGE: FACULTY INTERVIEW

24/7 SERVICE

An Interview With Dr. Carmen Spears, Faculty Member at Aspen University

Dr. Carmen Spears is a veteran in nursing education and currently teaches the Nursing Capstone program at Aspen University. She takes pride in making herself available to her students 24/7. Dr. Carmen Spears has over 20 years of experience in nursing education, home health provision and critical care as a direct provider and manager with significant experience in education.

She has instructed and facilitated nursing and healthcare education as well as coordinated and formulated a home health agency. She has also introduced an effective corporate compliance program, implemented HIPAA changes and facilitated numerous state and federal surveys to insure compliance with minimal or no deficiencies.

What is the teaching experience like at Aspen?

I love teaching at Aspen University. The interaction with the students and my peers is exciting and dynamic.

What is the teaching experience like online versus a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom?

I enjoy the online experience because of the ability to interact on a flexible schedule. Online education makes earning a quality advanced degree possible for those who work or have family demands.

How do you make the student's experience a personal one?

I interact with the students on a one-on-one basis to encourage and facilitate learning. In Aspen’s learning environment, I try to help the students gain confidence and an understanding of their self-worth and abilities. Many come into the classroom feeling insecure and it is exciting to watch how the students grow in self-confidence and self-worth.

How have you connected with individual students?

I have made many friends during my time with Aspen University. A number of my students keep in touch with me even after graduation. The online environment means we can keep in touch even though schedules and life moves on.

How available do you make yourself for the students?

I am available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I tried setting office hours when I first started with Aspen over six years ago. However, I found that, since my students work jobs on many different nursing schedules, I needed to make myself available to them when their schedules permitted rather than asking them adjust to mine.

Do you have a specific example of how you've helped students’ progress?

I teach the Nursing Capstone. The time and effort expended in that process has provided some amazing experiences that have resulted in national recognition for my students. The students do remarkable work, and I love the opportunity to help them develop projects that are making a real change in the healthcare environment.

How would you rate the quality of the students and their work?

The students are incredible – they’re bright, intelligent and motivated. As I said before, the students I am working with are doing work that is at the highest level of healthcare research and development.

What has been the most interesting experience you've had teaching an online course?

I’ve had so many interesting experiences. However, earning accreditation [as an educator] with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) – a national accreditation agency – with 100 percent compliance and no recommendations for change was probably a highlight.

Why do you recommend Aspen University to potential students?

I’ve advised many nurses to look into the Aspen University experience – it is designed to be compatible with unusual schedules as well as helping them balance the need to work during their learning experience.