You Are Supported: What APPLE Learners Can Count On

One of the most common concerns adult learners carry into a new program is a quiet worry that they will be on their own. They might assume that the flexibility of online, competency-based learning means navigating challenges without a net. In APPLE, the opposite is true. From the first term to graduation and beyond, learners are surrounded by a network of support designed to help them succeed academically, spiritually, technically, and professionally.

Academic Support

The foundation of academic support in APPLE is the faculty mentor relationship. As we have described in earlier posts in this series, your faculty mentor is your ally, your tutor, your writing support, and your academic advisor. Your faculty mentor is a consistent, invested presence throughout your time in the program. When coursework is challenging, when an assignment needs a second look, or when you are not sure how to approach a resubmission, your faculty mentor is your first and most important resource.

APPLE learners also have remote access to MLC’s library resources and databases, giving them the same research tools available to on-campus students. The library staff is available to help with research support, making the library a genuine academic partner for learners working on coursework from a distance.

Technical Support

Technology is the infrastructure of online learning, and when something is not working, it matters. APPLE learners have two clear channels for technical help. Questions and issues related to D2L Brightspace are handled by MLC’s LMS Administrator. All other technology questions — Google and access to campus systems — are supported through MLC’s IT Services Helpdesk. Knowing who to contact before a problem arises saves valuable time when one does. Information on how to connect with the Technical Support resources is included in the online orientation.

Spiritual and Community Support

APPLE is not simply an academic program. It is preparation for a calling, and MLC takes the spiritual formation of its learners seriously. One of the most distinctive expressions of that commitment is a one-on-one virtual meeting with the President of MLC during a learner’s first year. It is a personal and unhurried conversation because every learner at MLC is a known and valued member of the MLC community.

Learners also build meaningful connections with faculty through the Theology Minor, which most learners complete during their first year of study. These courses are among the most community-rich in the program, featuring weekly activities, discussion boards, and synchronous class meetings. The relationships formed with theology faculty during that first year often extend well beyond the courses themselves, providing a source of ongoing encouragement and spiritual conversation throughout the program.

MLC’s daily chapel services, streamed live during the fall and spring semesters, are open to all APPLE learners. Special services and events from MLC’s on-campus chapel are also streamed and available to the broader APPLE community. These are invitations, not requirements, but many learners find that connecting to the rhythms of chapel life at MLC deepens their sense of belonging to something larger than their individual coursework.

Ultimately, the primary source of spiritual support and pastoral care for APPLE learners is their home congregation and pastor. The program is built on the understanding that the learners in this program are already rooted in the church they serve, and that the spiritual community surrounding them at home is itself a gift and a resource throughout their studies.

Professional Support

Support in APPLE does not end when coursework does. As learners approach graduation, they receive guidance from their faculty mentor and through the formal processes embedded in their student teaching term to prepare for the call process. APPLE graduates who are not already serving in a call at the time of graduation are considered call-eligible and will be assigned to their first call as an elementary school teacher in the WELS.

And the support continues even after the call is received. All APPLE graduates are encouraged to participate in MLC’s New Teacher Induction program — an experience that pairs new teachers with experienced mentor teachers for ongoing professional guidance and encouragement as they step into their classrooms for the first time as called workers.

From your first term to your first call, APPLE is designed to make sure you are never without the support you need to thrive.