When Carel Duplessis became a student at Indiana University, he had already retired from a successful career in business. He held postsecondary degrees in business administration and psychology and was certified as a senior professional manager in human resources. He traveled frequently and served as a mentor and career coach to young business professionals.
Still, one thing always nagged him: He did not hold a degree from an accredited university. “Although I consider myself well educated, I felt a sense of dissatisfaction, or disappointment, from not completing my bachelor’s degree at a regionally accredited university,” said Duplessis. “I dropped out of college in favor of a work career. I eventually earned a master’s in psychology and a doctorate in business administration, but they were from an unaccredited institution. I wanted to earn a degree from an accredited university to add value to my other educational achievements.”
In addition, Duplessis craved mental stimulation. He wanted studies that would be interesting and improve the quality of his life experiences. Some of his favorite courses included Introduction to Computing, Professional Writing Skills, Personal Finance, and Women in Philosophical Thought. “These courses added value to my life experiences and expanded my personal knowledge in technology, writing skills, and investments,” said Duplessis. “Most of all, the Women in Philosophical Thought course gave me a new attitude toward the treatment of women, so that I could be a better and stronger man.”
Duplessis was impressed by how his courses were designed, as well as by the information about additional books and research avenues that his instructors included. “I received a gold mine of useful knowledge from the resources they provided,” said Duplessis.
According to Duplessis, the most valuable aspect of his IU education was the quality of his instructors and their willingness to provide positive feedback. “Instructors are the most important aspect of learning,” said Duplessis. “Instructors such as Julia Story and Jill Wilson come to mind. While I was sometimes disappointed in myself when I read their comments and received my grades, their comments were always positive, encouraging, and helpful to my improvement.”
Now that Duplessis has his degree, he doesn’t anticipate that his day-to-day life will change much. He’ll continue on, traveling and volunteering. Only now he will do so with the added satisfaction of holding an accredited IU degree. “My IU experience provided confirmation of my personal belief that learning, continued throughout life, leads to a successful and productive life and the achievement of goals.”
