University of Arkansas Launches Website to Showcase Online Degree Programs and Courses

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The University of Arkansas now provides a single, student-centered website – http://online.uark.edu – as a portal to its growing number of degree programs, academic courses and offerings that are delivered completely or primarily online.

The website University of Arkansas ONLINE is an example of how the Global Campus is working with academic units to put students first, while developing and promoting online programs that further enhance the university's brand.
 
"Online.uark.edu makes it easy for students and potential students to find the online programs and courses they need to help them reach their academic and professional goals," said Javier A. Reyes, vice provost for distance education. "It serves as a link between students seeking more flexible, online options and the academic colleges and schools that offer these high-quality programs and courses."

Distance education offerings are provided by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; the Fay Jones School of Architecture; the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; the Sam M. Walton College of Business; the College of Education and Health Professions; and the College of Engineering.

The ONLINE website allows students to view snapshot information about online degree programs, see a list of online courses, click links to admission information, and send questions and requests via email directly to the academic colleges. In many cases, these inquiries go directly to the faculty members and coordinators in charge of the programs. Degree program information can be sorted by degree level or by academic college.

The new site showcases more than 25 programs that are completely or primarily online in agriculture, business, education, engineering, nursing and other disciplines. One of the newest degree programs is the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree-completion program from the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing in the College of Education and Health Professions.

"I think the ONLINE website will definitely facilitate potential students finding information about online programs and how to apply for the programs," said Thomas E.C. Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. "This is a great step forward in the university expanding its online programs."

The site went live without announcement April 26, giving academic units time to tweak and revise content. Since that time, the site's individual degree program pages were viewed more than 5,300 times, and more than 100 potential students used the site's forms to request more information about these online programs. People from 59 countries visited the site since the launch.

A special section of the website is devoted to connecting online students and prospective students to academic support services and resources provided by units across campus, including the Enhanced Learning Center, the Quality Writing Center, the university's library system and the Career Development Center.

"The University of Arkansas is enhancing and expanding our online offerings to provide distance education students with the same high-quality education and student services that are now offered to students on campus," Reyes said. "Online technology is now a part of the fabric of teaching and learning, whether this happens on or off campus. It is the norm, and it means that more students now have access to the university's educational offerings."

The Global Campus collaborated with units across campus to establish the new website. Academic units contributed content, made site architecture recommendations, and assisted with design elements.

For information about the site or to comment, contact Leonard Ridley, manager of Web design services, at lridley@uark.edu, or Kay Murphy, director of communications, at ksmurphy@uark.edu.