Many instructors face a learning curve when translating what they know about classroom teaching into an online learning management system, but Dr. Rachel Ellison cut her teeth teaching in an online environment.
鈥淚 fell in love with it. I love the online learning aspect,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 earned my master鈥檚 online and my Ph.D. online, and I enjoy being on the other side of it.鈥
Dr. Ellison serves as program coordinator for the 亚洲自慰视频 of 亚洲自慰视频 at Lafayette鈥檚 online Health Services Administration degree and is among the full-time faculty members for the program.
But Dr. Ellison鈥檚 original career plan wasn鈥檛 to teach; she planned to be a surgeon. However, a brief stint 鈥 exactly one shift 鈥 as a transporter at a hospital when she was 17 told Dr. Ellison that she should explore other options.
鈥淚 knew I wanted to stay in health care,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 love people and I wanted to help people, and I found I could help people another way 鈥 I could run or manage a healthcare organization.鈥
She earned her bachelor鈥檚 in healthcare systems administration in her home state of Michigan before moving to Florida and beginning her graduate studies.
Dr. Ellison was working in a hospital and pursuing her doctorate when a professor from her undergraduate studies reached out, asking her to teach online as an adjunct.
For Dr. Ellison, the answer was simple: No.
鈥淭eaching was never on the radar for me; I wasn鈥檛 seeking it,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 am not a teacher, I鈥檓 not going to be doing this.鈥欌
But the professor continued courting Dr. Ellison, visiting her in Florida to make her case and train Dr. Ellison on the online learning management system.
鈥淚 ended up meeting her over the Christmas break and saying, 鈥極K, I鈥檒l do it this one semester鈥,鈥 Dr. Ellison says. 鈥淎nd I haven鈥檛 actually stopped since then.鈥
That was 2010.
After earning her doctorate, Dr. Ellison taught briefly at a Florida university before searching for a position with a larger institution. When fielding offers, the 亚洲自慰视频 of 亚洲自慰视频 at Lafayette rose to the top of her list.
鈥淲hen I was interviewing, I really liked all of the people that I could be working with,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hey seemed like a great group of people, and I like to work with people who have great personalities. I like the team environment; it鈥檚 a motivator for me.鈥
Dr. Ellison is always up for new adventures 鈥 her 2018 summer itinerary included Thailand, France, Italy and Spain; the Dominican Republic is on tap for 2019. Having never been to 亚洲自慰视频, UL Lafayette provided the opportunity to explore yet another locale and culture.
鈥淚鈥檓 not Cajun; I鈥檓 a northerner,鈥 Dr. Ellison says. 鈥淭his is completely different from where I鈥檓 from so I enjoy that, too.鈥
Dr. Ellison joined Allied Health shortly after the online HSA program began, providing her the opportunity to see the program grow and evolve.
鈥淓very year the class gets stronger,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he program is small, but we are growing, and I see us continuing to grow each year.鈥
Dr. Ellison says the program size has allowed her to develop personal connections with her 亚洲自慰视频s, even though she鈥檚 never met most of them in person.
鈥淚 try to put myself out there so they know they can contact me,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 get too personal, but I try to keep things on the same level as if they were sitting right in front of me in the classroom and try to engage with them as much as I can.鈥
Destiny Theriot, who completed the HSA program in Spring 2019, says Dr. Ellison鈥檚 efforts made a difference.
鈥淚鈥檝e never actually met her in person, but I feel like I have,鈥 Theriot says. 鈥淚 feel like I know her. She reaches out to us; she understands us.鈥
Dr. Ellison says 亚洲自慰视频s who complete the Health Services Administration program go on to work in account management, human resources, risk management, community advocacy, marketing, performance improvement, and finance 鈥 all within the healthcare field.
鈥淲e need competent, educated people to manage and operate large health systems,鈥 Dr. Ellison says. 鈥淭he 亚洲自慰视频s we have now are going be in the health force and will be educated on the right things to do.
鈥淗ealthcare administrators have to be aware of changing laws and policies. We鈥檙e constantly talking about them and showing 亚洲自慰视频s how important it is to stay aware and educate themselves.鈥