The Global Campus at the University of Arkansas is celebrating National Distance Learning Week by highlighting students and graduates who are using online education to expand their opportunities in life. They are making their communities, workplaces and families stronger by staying in their hometowns all over Arkansas while they further their education.

National Distance Learning Week, which is sponsored by the U.S. Distance Learning Association, runs from Nov. 4-8 with free virtual webinars available on the event website. The theme is Top AI Issues Impacting Distance/Digital Learning in the Year 2024. In its 18th year, the weeklong educational programming is meant to generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance/digital learning; spotlight applications in K-20, telehealth, corporate and government/military; discuss current issues and emerging trends; highlight best practices; and recognize leaders in the field.

The Global Campus collects stories about the experiences of students and graduates of online programs offered by U of A academic colleges to show prospective students what studying online is like and how to be successful. It also showcases services the Global Campus provides to augment the services available to all students and innovative practices of U of A instructors that boost learning and benefit students in other ways.

The Online Learner blog is in its third year of publishing weekly. Stories range from how processes work to inspiring portraits of graduates who have overcome multiple challenges to achieve their life goals. Just a few of these graduates:

• Heather Wilson-Vinson of Eureka Springs had a successful career lasting more than 20 years when she lost a contract because she didn't have a bachelor's degree. She earned one by studying online while continuing to travel internationally for her business. And, she got that client.
• Rob McCloud of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is an Army veteran who didn't want extra hoops to jump through. He earned a master's degree online to improve his teaching at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
• James Milner of Lowell oversees millions of dollars in construction on the University of Arkansas campus, but he still made time to complete two online master's degrees. Serving as a role model to his two teenage sons was one of his motivations.
• Susan Ferguson of Jonesboro was a first-generation college student who persisted to earn the terminal degree in her field, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, delivered online. She focuses on educating patients with diabetes about how to take care of themselves as well as educating future generations of nurses.
• DeeDee Layson of Rogers secured a position with Tyson Foods as a senior HR specialist after completing a human resources degree online. When the large retailer she previously worked for closed, Layson concentrated on finishing the degree to open doors for her future, leading her to the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork.
• Houston Garner of Dallas traveled the world as a member of the Texas Air National Guard while earning his bachelor's degree in supply chain management. His only in-person class came through the U of A's study abroad program in Rome.

Stories of graduates honored the past three years on the Razorbug Diploma Tour organized by the Global Campus are also online, and the Global Campus features winners of its W. E. Manning Memorial Scholarship on the Student Stories page.

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, which is located on the downtown Fayetteville square, 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.

Services also include providing additional resources to instructors, helping prospective students navigate enrollment, helping online students find all the resources they need to be successful including how to build community with their classmates and instructors, and increasing awareness of online education across the state and beyond.

For people who want to advance their careers or start a new one without earning a degree, the Global Campus division of Professional and Workforce Development offers many non-credit courses and certifications. More information is available on the website.

The Online Learner also features success stories of people who received funding to take courses through the Reimagine Arkansas Workforce Project grant.

You can watch videos, see pictures and read stories about graduates and students of online degree programs and workforce training courses on social media: Facebook for ONLINE, Facebook for Professional and Workforce Development, Instagram for ONLINE, LinkedIn for ONLINE and LinkedIn for Professional and Workforce Development.