Act 48 reporting
If you want to receive Act 48 credit, at the beginning of each course email Mrs. Eileen Jolls (jolls001@gannon.edu ) the following information: your name, your current mailing address, your PPID, the course number, name, and section, and the beginning and ending dates of the course. Use Act 48 as the subject line in the email. Without this information, your course will not be reported to PDE.
Registering for courses
Once you apply and are accepted into the program, contact Dr. Carmella Covell or Mrs. Eileen Jolls to schedule your first semester of courses. You may check your schedule anytime on GUXpress. If you have any concerns about your schedule, please contact the graduate secretary at 814-871-7242. Semester bills are sent electronically to your Gannon email. After the first semester, Dr. Covell will authorize permission for you to self-register online via GUXpress.
Transferring Credits
The credits considered for transfer must be on an official graduate transcript from an accredited institution, must have been graded as “A” or “B” (Pass/Fail courses are not considered eligible for transfer), and must not be older than 5 years at the time of the request. If the credits you are considering meet these qualifications, send an email to Mrs. Eileen Jolls (jolls001@gannon.edu) with the course number and title, a brief course description of the course and its method of delivery (face-to-face, hybrid, online). Correspondence courses or self-directed courses are not acceptable. If the course is approved for transfer, you will receive a copy of the transfer form for your records when the transfer process is completed.
Textbooks
Textbooks can be ordered online by accessing www.gannon.bkstr.com or by calling 814-871-7421. Have the following information available when ordering textbooks: department code which is GEDU, course Name, Course Number, and Course Section. This information can be secured at the course specific Blackboard site.
Completion of the ESL Specialist Certification Program
Once you have completed the final course in ESL Specialist Certification Program and have a valid Instructional I teaching certificate, you are able to apply for certification as an ESL Specialist at https://www.education.pa.gov/Educators/Certification/Pages/default.aspx
We advise you to do this without delay since certification requirements are subject to change at any time and any changes may result in additional coursework for you. There is no Praxis test required for the Pennsylvania ESL Specialist Certificate.
Graduate Writing
As graduate level learners, the use of academic or scholarly writing is expected within all aspects of written coursework, including discussion forums. Academic or scholarly writing is clear, concise, and direct. Word choice is intentional and precise. Thoughts are logically organized with accurate use of grammar and conventions (spelling, capitalization, and punctuation). Transitional words and phrases help to establish continuity and support overall flow of writing. Biased language, repetition of words and ideas, jargon, and colloquial expressions should be avoided. Scholarly writers often follow the “less is more” approach. The role of the scholarly writer is to clearly and effectively communicate essential ideas in an interesting and engaging manner (American Psychological Association, 2010).
The American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines are, “… a conventional way of presenting information that is designed to ease communication” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 11). It is the responsibility of authors within the social sciences to use APA guidelines in order to maintain ethical and legal principles, protecting the intellectual property of others (American Psychological Association, 2010).
Effective scholarly writers:
- Organize ideas ahead of time
- Set aside drafts for a short period of time, returning to review/revise
- Intentionally read documents aloud to assess fluency, style, and formatting
- Invite colleagues to read/review writing
Accurate APA formatting is expected within all Gannon graduate level coursework. While this may be a new formatting style for some, the following resources should be consulted to ensure correct usage of APA:
Important contacts
- Dr. Carmella Covell 814-871-5534 / covell006@gannon.edu
- Ms. Eileen Jolls 814-871-7242/ jolls001@gannon.edu
- For billing questions: Student Accounts Office 814-871-7425
- For financial aid questions: Financial Aid Office 814-871-7337
- Please have your student ID# when you call.
Questions
Please contact Mrs. Jolls at jolls001@gannon.edu (814-871-7242) or Dr. Carmella Covell at covell006@gannon.edu (814-871-5534) if you have any questions or concerns not addressed here.