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Institute of Global Education Special NGO consultant to the United Nations Economic and Social Council Department of Integrated Ecology Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director Chair: Akamai University Applied Ecopsychology Faculty: Portland State University Extended Studies P. O. Box 1605, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 1-360-378-6313 www.ecopsych.com nature@interisland.net     INTRODUCTION TO THE GRADUATE STUDENT COOPERATIVE The information below is for - students who have completed their Graduate Student Cooperative Contract - students who have completed their Degree Program Applications - inquirers seeking further information.   To all Applicants and Participants in the Akamai University Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology program and Graduate Student Cooperative. Thank you for your interest and participation in our cooperative education, distant learning degree program. Following the procedures in this introductory material will guide you through the degree program application and enrollment process so that you may start your coursework at your earliest convenience. There are 2 forms linked to this letter/page. They are action forms that you will use to help yourself and others administer your degree program. Save them as email templates in a place you can locate. Whenever you need one of these forms, duplicate the template and complete it. You may also cut and paste the form from a webpage into an email, complete it, and mail it as instructed. If you did not receive the emails as letters, you may cut and paste them from the following webpages: 1. Student Cooperative Payment Form http://www.ecopsych.com/iupsformpay.html 2. General Contract Multipurpose form http://www.ecopsych.com/iupscontractform.html THE LEARNING COOPERATIVE ADVANTAGES AND OPERATION: In cooperation with Akamai University, the Institute of Global Education Department of Integrated Ecology has constructed a student cooperative. It produces a "learn by teaching" process that utilizes our professional and experienced students to increase the collective quality of the Cerification, M.S. or Ph.D.program. This not only decreases the cost of the program's administration, it makes financial assistance for it available to those who need it. We have done this because the deteriorating state of Earth and its people demands that we offer training and degrees to qualified individuals interested in learning and teaching the Natural Systems Thinking Process. The Cooperative has been come to be known by two names: the IGE Graduate Student Cooperative (GSC) or the Graduate Webstring Support Group (GWSG). The latter name stems from the Web of Life construct that you are required to become familiar with. It is a core model for the degree program. The best overview of requirements and procedures is at http://www.ecopsych.com/iupsprocede.html The Institute of Global Education (IGE) services Akamai University degree program students and others so that the cooperative form of interactive education becomes available to each student and faculty member. The Director of the Integrated Ecology Department at IGE , Dr. Michael J. Cohen, is also the lead faculty for the Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology program at Akamai University and other higher learning distance education programs The MS program total tuition is presently $7,500 and the Ph.D. is $9,500. Tuitions are reduced as much as 50% by validating and transferring in prior coursework, training and experiences and qualifying for available grants, work/study and financial assistance. The Certificate program is also an excellent option. To greatly reduce administrative costs, Akamai Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology students participate in administering the voluntary, self-governing program. This has made financial aid programs possible. Our address and telephone number above applies to : -applying to, and being accepted for the program, -enrolling in courses, -obtaining waivers, course transfers and prior learning evaluation. -being given instruction, guidance and facilitation, -paying tuitions and fees, -receiving work/study and other financial assistance when appropriate, -completing the first 75% of your coursework (22 MS credits or 33 Ph.D credits), All this parallels the Akamai University Program and other programs and is done in consulation with them. It enables the IGE Graduate Student Cooperative (GWSG) to additionally design and customize the program and courses to fit each student's educational goals. It also enables GWSG, as a non -profit organization, to accept donations and be of help to those who deserve financial assistance. When you have completed the first 75% of your course work in the Cooperative, you automatically proceed online with your training and research for your thesis, project or dissertation at Akamai, or elsewhere, in conjunction with the Dean and Dr. Cohen in the Department of Social Science. If you have, or are taking, GWSG course work and are not presently interested in the degree program, the cost of your non-degree course work with us will be deducted from the course tuition costs if you come into the program in the future and applied now to the Certification Program. There may be minor additional transfer fee's involved. Several GWSG Doctoral Students have for the past two years participated voluntarily in a GWSG coordinating committee. They are making part of their doctoral program a research project with Dr. Cohen regarding how to further cooperatively organize, operate and administrate GWSG online and in locale,too. Upon graduation, they may continue in this role professionally. You may opt to join them on the coordination committee as you gain expertise in GWSG. As part of your degree program education, we invite you to participate in GWSG through learning projects that assume some of the responsibility of sustaining the quality education of GWSG and Akamai University. There are opportunities as part of your program to be co-facilitators, guides, mentors, researchers, grant writers, public relations personnel, course instructors, special project administrators and ambassadors. This will further help us bring NSTP to the public as well as increase program excellence and financial assistance to those who deserve it. To knowledgeably proceed with your degree program, select the topics from the menu below that are of interest to you. Ongoing students who have registered before 2001 will follow these updated and improved procedures but will remain at their original tuition rates. It is important that all students understand them as we are each guides for each other in the cooperative. Please be aware that the greatest opportunities and lowest costs are available through the Certificate program option. Be sure you are familiar with it. http://www.ecopsych.com/ecocertificate2.html For your convenience, a link to the Index below is found on most pages of the IGE Cooperative information. It looks like this: LINKS TO INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL Visit: http://www.ecopsych.com/iupshomepage.html