The Razorbug is hitting high gear again this summer as it travels the state on the Razorbug Diploma Tour presenting diplomas to U of A students who studied online for their degrees.

A team from the U of A Global Campus is in south Arkansas this week for the start of the tour celebrating graduates of online degree programs in southern, northern and eastern Arkansas. A U of A faculty or staff member presents the framed diplomas to graduates of bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs. 

Visit the Razorbug Diploma Tour website to see where the team is every day through the rest of June. Video, photos and stories about last year's graduates are archived on the website.

The tour will cross the state all the way to Camden and El Dorado in the south and all the way across northern Arkansas to Paragould and West Memphis on the eastern edge:

• Camden, June 21
• El Dorado, June 22-23
• Green Forest, June 26
• Jasper, June 27
• Yellville, June 27
• Mountain Home, June 27
• Norfork, June 28
• Batesville, June 28
• Evening Shade, June 28
• Paragould, June 29
• West Memphis, June 30

Last year, U of A staff traveled 2,000 miles from Fayetteville to Pocahontas to El Dorado and Hope and a lot of places in between. The purpose was to celebrate the success of U of A graduates who studied in online degree programs. These people stayed in their hometowns and pursued higher education while working full-time jobs and taking care of their families. They strengthened their communities — places such as Earle, DeWitt and McGehee throughout the Arkansas Delta. They served as role models for their children in the small towns of Brookland, Booneville and Clarksville. One earned a job promotion in El Dorado, and one started a new career in Fort Smith — and those are just a few of the success stories.

You can learn more about these Arkansans, now U of A alumni, and see photos and videos of their diploma presentations on the tour website.

More than 550 students graduated from online degree programs this spring.

The U of A offers more than 90 online degree, certificate, microcertificate and licensure programs. They can be viewed at U of A ONLINE. The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.