Judy Charles (MAIS, 2007) is a journalism professor at Humber College in Toronto.

"The director and associate director of the master of arts in integrated studies program were the first academics to consider my work of 25 years and life experiences as part of my education, and I came to discover how their innovative approach created an educational experience that was greater than the sum of the parts. I worked with a rich diversity of classmates who were living around the world and whose unique personal and professional experiences enhanced the coursework to a degree I never imagined possible.

"I was surprised at how much I loved the online learning - the virtual classroom! I loved being able to read and reflect on the readings, then to discuss with my classmates at whatever time of day I could. Naturally everyone was doing the same thing, and I had visions of people in dozens of time zones sitting bleary-eyed at their computers in the wee hours of their mornings, posting assignments and talking about important and profound ideas.

"I loved the flexibility of the program, I loved all the courses and I loved (in retrospect) the rigour of it all. The interdisciplinary approach worked really well for me because I have so many interests, and the program allowed me to explore them and bring them all together. I have nothing but the highest praise for my professors - they were personable, intelligent, stimulating and very encouraging.

"Maybe the biggest surprise about the program was its impact on me. From the first day in the first course, I used the learning. It changed the way I thought about distance learning; it opened my eyes to other teaching methods; it broadened my perspective on education in general and gave me real insight on being a student so I could better understand my own students. As well, the critical thinking, the deep readings - synthesizing, analyzing and responding - enhanced my work as a news writer and producer at CBC Newsworld.

"I continue to teach full-time in the journalism faculty at Humber College and work on a relief basis at CBC Newsworld. I encourage my undergrad students to complete their degrees at AU."