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Student Spotlight: Alex Fitzpatrick Contracts Negotiator, Cisco Systems Corp. Distance Education: Analysis of a Decision Alex Fitzpatrick knows the ins and outs of completing a challenging curriculum while holding a fulltime position in the fast-paced world of high tech. He's just two courses short of completing his Master of Science degree in Management Science and Engineering (MS & E), with a concentration in Decision Analysis. "I grew up in this area and, like everyone else around here, I knew how great Stanford was; but I didn't know how I'd ever be able to afford to attend," says Fitzpatrick. "Taking Stanford courses through SCPD turned out to be a benefit offered at both Cisco and my previous employer, so I finally had the chance for a Stanford education—a chance I would never have had otherwise. I want to add, though, that I believe the caliber of education is worth every dime, no matter what." 
The opportunity for the broad interdisciplinary background offered in MS & E is essential to Fitzpatrick's career. "I do far more than negotiate contracts. It's one thing to have the tools; it's another to know how to use them. We have to offer our users viable options, then help them make informed choices and implement those choices to maximize the benefits. I deal with engineering drawings, quality assurance and business teams, so I need a variety of skills. The broad emphasis on management combined with the coursework I've done in risk and decision analysis are not only essential to my own work, but they're also applicable to almost any profession." 
"I've taken all but three or four courses online. I wish I could have taken more courses online," he says. "In fact, when I first began my coursework several years ago, my main concern was that there weren't enough courses I wanted in MS & E that were being broadcast for distance students. But the number of offerings have grown a lot in the last two years, so I've been able to take almost all of my required courses online." "Though I often had the opportunity to use the live interactive broadcasts for my courses, I rarely used it," says Fitzpatrick. "I preferred using Stanford Online. Most people who are self-motivated have no real problem accessing courses, and the flexibility is an asset." Fitzpatrick says that he had no trouble receiving his course materials, and that the quality of the online materials was outstanding. "Naturally there are advantages to interacting with students onsite—collaboration on project work can be tough to arrange," he continues. "I work in San Jose, so I can get to campus—I was able to get there for some team projects, and took some great MS & E seminars on campus. But even when I can't get to Stanford, the TAs are generally responsive via e-mail and have even hooked me up with project partners when no one else at Cisco was taking a course with me. It's been a satisfying experience and, frankly, nothing has gotten in the way of my learning." He remains an online learning fan to the core. Though he felt the on-campus seminars were invaluable, Fitzpatrick adds, "To me, it will be a great day when industry students can log on for live, interactive, online seminars." What further sets the Stanford experience apart from others, on-campus or off? Fitzpatrick answers, "It's the faculty/student interaction; Stanford professors and TAs interact with us as peers, without the slightest pretension. It is the best learning environment I have ever seen."
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