Thanks to COVID-19, the percentage of time Americans spent working from home mushroomed from 5 percent before the pandemic to 60 percent by spring 2020. As we adjust to a new normal, nearly half of employees plan to continue working remotely at least some of the time, a shift that impacts collaboration, productivity, inclusion, mentorship, burnout, family life and a host of other factors.

Honors students from a wide range of disciplines will study the future of work in an Honors College Forum, Out of Office, led by Phil Libin, founder of mmhmm and All Turtles and cofounder and former CEO of Evernote, and Matthew Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and founder of two companies.

Libin started and grew two companies during the pandemic and states that "the first rule we have at our companies is that no one is remote. … Remote means that other people are gathered somewhere in an office and being productive and having fun, but you're not." A better term for today's workforce, he proposes, is "distributed," which opens new opportunities.

"Being distributed gives organizations superpowers — like, for the first time in the history of the universe, hundreds of millions of people can choose to work where they can have the best job and live where they can have the best life," said Libin, who recently relocated from the Bay Area to Bentonville. "And that's pretty profound. That's going to change everything!"

These heady freedoms also create challenges that will shape discussions in the honors seminar.

"Walton College is committed to exploring the leading edge of business trends, not just business practices past and present," Waller said. "This class will explore key questions connected to the growing distributed workforce so that students can understand the implications, address the resulting organizational challenges and be prepared to implement those solutions in their careers."

As one might expect from a course on the distributed workforce, this seminar will be taught in a distributed fashion. Course work will take place asynchronously, synchronously and in person. Students, for instance, will watch videos independently and in small groups, gather for question-and-answer sessions and meet for supper club discussions. Libin and Waller will also bring in guest speakers who will relate their experiences as leaders of organizations that deploy a distributed workforce.

Seats in this Honors College Forum are limited to 15 students. Honors students pursuing degrees in all disciplines are encouraged to apply by filling out this online form. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29.

"We're always delighted to partner with our friends at Walton College," said Honors College Dean Lynda Coon. "Students from all disciplines relish the opportunity to meet business leaders and discuss cutting-edge trends in the workforce."