https://www.fordham.edu/academics/center...an-action/

Interesting curriculum.  Like a hybrid between a Master in International Affairs and a Master in Disaster Management.  
  
Credit hours: 30 credits
Cost: $19,500
Duration: Two years

Fordham has a good reputation in NYC, frequently known as the 3rd best school next to Columbia and NYU.  Because of their location, they probably have good links with the UN and other humanitarian and international organizations.  Also, a certain US President studied at Fordham.  

This cost is suprisingly low for a NYC university so this would be considered a good deal for New Yorkers.

George Fox University Wrote:George Fox University has launched two new self-paced, free short courses for the public – AI BASICS: Fluency & Discernment and AI ADVANCED: Leadership & Wisdom.

The two online courses are designed to empower people ranging from tech novices to organizational leaders and provide a comprehensive toolkit for navigating the AI revolution. The curriculum goes beyond technical skills to address the ethical, social and theological dimensions of this rapidly evolving technology.

Both courses are delivered through the George Fox online learning platform, making them available to working professionals, students and lifelong learners. Each course consists of five modules, requiring approximately one hour per module to complete. Every module features an engaging video presentation, an automated quiz, hands-on learning activities, and curated supplemental resources.

While the courses do not give university academic credit, students who successfully complete all five modules in sequence will earn a Certificate of Completion from George Fox University to display on their résumés and LinkedIn profiles.

The AI BASICS: Fluency & Discernment Course is an introductory program designed to build a foundational understanding of generative AI tools and establish a framework for their responsible use. Participants will learn how large language models function, identify major industry players, and develop competence in creating and refining multimedia content through effective prompting.

Additionally, the course emphasizes critical evaluation by teaching students to identify AI risks – such as bias, hallucinations and privacy concerns – and to navigate broader ethical and social controversies with balanced judgment. Ultimately, the curriculum integrates these technical skills with a faith-based framework, aligning AI usage with Christian theology to guide wise, responsible decision-making in both personal and professional contexts.

The AI ADVANCED: Leadership & Wisdom Course is a strategic program tailored for individuals ready to move beyond basic prompting and focus on organizational integration, sophisticated workflows, and technological leadership. Participants will learn to orchestrate complex, multi-step AI agents and automations, while responsibly customizing specialized AI platforms to fit specific organizational or domain needs.

The curriculum also prepares leaders to guide institutions through change management and AI governance, while critically analyzing the technology's broader impacts on labor, power, creativity and truth. Grounding these advanced practices in a faith-based perspective, the course integrates Christian theology and reflection to foster wise, long-term leadership in an evolving technological landscape.

The courses are designed to give professionals a distinct advantage – combining cutting-edge technical workflows with the deep, values-driven discernment our world desperately needs right now. “This is one of the only high-level, organized courses of this type infused with a Christian faith perspective,” said Brian Doak, vice president of digital programs and academic innovation. “We're so excited to offer this expert content, for free, to our local community and also to the entire world.”

Just got this email. I am curious to what their equivalencies will be.

Quote:[b]Data Literacy:[/b] Work with real data in spreadsheets and CSV files. Ask a question your data can answer, clean it up, and recognize the limits.
[b]Healthcare Career Exploration:[/b] Explore clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers. Learn how the U.S. system works, what employers expect, and what schooling and licensure require.
[b]Social Psychology:[/b] In this upper division course, you’ll learn how social psychologists test their ideas, and apply that thinking to first impressions, persuasion, bias and conflict.

Any recommendations for an online, 7-8 week long courses for a Master of Science in Finance? Preference is for a regionally accredited state or private university.

China has seen its auto exports explode in just five years, with exports now projected to reach roughly 10 million vehicles in 2026. To put that in perspective, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker by production, produces around 10 million vehicles globally each year.

Something drastic needs to be done to slow this landslide. In the U.S., I think we should consider bringing back the $7,500 EV tax credit while balancing it with something like a $1,000 carbon tax on the purchase of new gasoline-powered vehicles. That would create a stronger incentive for consumers and manufacturers to move toward EVs.





How This Car Got So Good It's BANNED In America





One interesting point raised in this video is that China used Tesla’s entry into its market to help develop its own EV supply chain and manufacturing capabilities. Perhaps the U.S. could take a similar approach. We could allow BYD to enter the U.S. market, but require it to manufacture vehicles here, source a significant portion of its parts from U.S. suppliers, and help build out a domestic EV supply chain. CATL is already pursuing battery-manufacturing partnerships in the U.S. through licensing arrangements, so there is some precedent for this type of model.

The larger point is that we need to wake up soon. China has built an enormous lead in EV manufacturing, batteries, and the broader supply chain. Simply trying to keep Chinese companies out may not be enough. We also need a serious strategy for rebuilding and expanding America’s own EV manufacturing base.

Thoughts?

Colleges Are Quietly Backing Away From Speech Restrictions. Here’s Why
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottwhite/...heres-why/

Any surprises on the red, yellow, green light list? Are these lists accurate or necessary? Are these lists political?
https://www.fire.org/research-learn/spot...codes-2026

This College Now Verifies Students’ Real-World Skills To Help Them Get Jobs

A good idea?

For the new GLO [C], I was wondering if anybody had any guesses as to what the easiest natural science course would be.

I was looking at the course descriptions, and from my armchair QB POV, it seems like BIO 205 - Complex Adaptive Systems might be the easiest based on the description. However, it says that course won't be available until Spring 2027.

So, from the following courses that are available in YourPace, does anybody have any guesses on how they would rank from easiest to hardest? We know from previous student feedback that BIO 105 - Biology for Everyday Life was difficult.

YourPace Natural Science courses:
BIO 105 - Biology for Everyday Life
BIO 203 - Human Health, Immunity, and the Microbiome
BIO 205 - Complex Adaptive Systems
GEY 112 - Fundamentals of Geology

This is fascinating and problematic.

It is not my intent to set off a political flame war.

Perhaps the first lesson is Lord Acton's observation regarding absolute power. 

Government schools provided for the children of Active Duty military should not become [ insert whatever bad guy name here] Youth Camps.  I think Secretary  Hegseth is influenced by James Hankins. I think of him as a education culture warrior. I will have a look at his thoughts on my own. In some ways his book "the Golden Thread" book parallels what I am reading in the Basic Program.

"The Department of Defense Education Activity operates about 160 schools across 11 countries and educates roughly 70,000 students who are children of active-duty military or civilian service members. Conservatives have eyed the schools — which, unlike most public schools, are run by the federal government — as a testing ground for reshaping education.

The Western civilization course planned for this fall will use a textbook published by Encounter Books, a conservative publishing house. Titled “The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I: The Ancient World and Christendom,” it includes suggested lesson plans created in partnership with Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan."

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-news/2026/08/schools-serving-us-military-families-put-new-emphasis-on-western-civilization-and-christianity-2/

Hi all, 

I am very confused and in the process of trying to untangle the mess, but I need a little bit of clarification. 

First let me say that I have been accepted into the YourPace program, and plan to start August 31. I have a ton of credits from multiple school experiences in the past but no four year degree. Recently I decided to change that but I wanted to be efficient and the program needed to be economical. Hence, UMPI's YourPace. I had someone map out the best major and minors based on what they thought would transfer to UMPI, and I had a path to a degree with ten classes at UMPI. And then all these changes came about. 

My plan prior to the changes was to get a BLS with minors in management and project management. Because of the overlaps, it would take 10 classes, and I was hopeful I could complete them in one term. However, my admissions specialist said I needed to take 13 classes for this degree, in addition to some general education courses. What? I have been emailing back and forth with her to try to figure out what I'm getting wrong, but it's taking time, and if I need to take more classes at Sophia, etc. before I start at UMPI, I need to get rolling!

So - My understanding is that I can use the old or new GEC since I am enrolled for Fall1. Is this correct? On the student portal, it has the new requirements, and appears as though I need to complete 5 general education classes. I emailed the enrollment specialist and she confirmed I could choose new or old. She attached a What-If report with the old requirements, and everything looks pretty good to go there. 

Next, regarding majors and minors - do I have the option to use the previous minor requirements (the minors I chose had a decent amount of overlap), or do I have to use the new ones? This is where I'm now confused. I was initially under the impression I had to use the new minor requirements. However my enrollment specialist is saying I can minor in management, even though it's not in the fall catalog. And while project management shows up in both catalogs, the previous catalog shows 18 credits (some of which overlap with the management courses), while the new catalog shows 24 credits (with only one course overlapping I think). I guess my thought was that if I am allowed to pick minors from the previous term, I should be able to use the requirements under said term. But is that completely wrong?

And then finally, can any of the credits that I use for my minor fulfill the upper level courses I need to take to satisfy my BLS major? It's my understanding I need to have 24 upper level credits, and currently I believe I have 9 that have transferred in, none of which are courses that will fulfill any minor requirements. However, when I take the upper level courses at UMPI for whatever minor(s) I choose, do they satisfy the upper level course requirement for the BLS or do I need to take more in addition to the classes needed for the minors? 

Sorry if this is confusing or redundant. I really just want to be as proactive as possible and make the best decision for myself that I can. While I think the changes are ultimately a good thing (at least for GEC) I wish it had happened at a different time! 

Thanks!
Laura