Kati Williams Named Global Campus Employee of the Quarter

Kati Williams has been named employee of the second quarter by the U of A Global Campus for her work last fall including launching an app for a social media forum serving students studying online.

"I'm really proud to receive this award," Williams said. "I take a lot of pride in the work that I do. We all know we're not going to get rich in higher education, but the work I do is so rewarding. To the person or persons who nominated me, thank you."

Williams, who serves as the online student support coordinator on the Innovation & Online Student Experience team at Global Campus, was nominated for, among other things, her work on creating and activating the app for the Online Student Union, including launching it on the Apple store and arranging for it to soon launch on Google Play. This project required working with Global Campus' Innovation & Online Student Experience and Marketing & Communications teams, as well as with the U of A's IT Services.

"This [launching the apps] is a big step forward in meeting students where they are and offering them opportunities to engage outside their virtual classroom," a colleague of Williams said.

Another project for which Williams has received significant praise is her role as co-lead on the graduate orientation project, created in response to a need for orientation for graduate students in online programs. Most graduate students in online programs are non-traditional students who cannot attend an on-campus orientation. Williams helped design and launch the new online graduate orientation program as a way to give the distance-learning students information and details about resources, about using Blackboard and about how to navigate online learning at the U of A.

Her typical work as the online student support coordinator in Innovation & Online Student Experience at Global Campus primarily involves any task that supports both the coaching and the orientation teams.

"No day is like the day before," Williams said. "Depending on the time of year, it depends on what our students' challenges are and things like that. I don't think that many people realize how much we actually talk to students and build relationships with students. We know a lot of our students, a lot of stories. We know about their successes and their challenges. We've built a relationship with our online students and see impacts of the hard work that other units in Global Campus do, like our media team and the instructional designers. I don't know if they know how much we appreciate them doing the work that they do so that we can create the relationships and rapport with our students."

Williams has worked off and on the U of A campus in various positions going as far back as 2007. She came to Global Campus in 2016, left briefly but soon returned. As supervisor for the online student coaches, a large portion of her workday is spent in support of her staff.

"I would say I fill a support role," Williams said. "I jump in and support them when they need me, collecting data, doing research on best practices. I give my team the tools that they need to be successful. One of my mottos or the way I do my job and the way I approach my job as a supervisor is that I tell my team that we're all in it together. If you're in the trenches, I'm in the trenches with you. I don't want my team to ever feel like they're not supported and that they're alone trying to fight the good fight alone."

Colleen Whitman, online student support manager, serves as Williams' immediate supervisor.

"Kati continuously improves how Global Campus helps our students be successful in their academic goals," Whitman said. "In 2025, Kati led her team in multiple projects whose timelines coincided. Undergraduate and graduate orientation, prep courses for College Algebra, Finite Math or Chemistry, hiring and training a new coach and working across campus departments to develop Apple and Android apps for the Online Student Union. Kati regularly volunteers when Global Campus needs an extra hand for events like the graduation celebration or the Razorbug Tour. Kati really takes pride in her work and leads her team with a positive attitude and a 'happy to help' mentality."

Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education and head of the Global Campus, recognized Williams as the employee of the quarter at a January staff meeting.

"It has been really exciting to see Kati's professional growth over her time at the U of A," said Patty Milner, assistant vice provost for Innovation & Online Student Experience at Global Campus. "She really leverages her own experience as a first-generation non-traditional student to thoughtfully design and execute support programs for our online students. We are very proud of the work she and her team are doing to help our students reach their goals, one student, one program, one innovation at a time."

The Global Campus awards the employee of the quarter to recognize outstanding achievements and accomplishments that relate to the unit's goals and the U of A mission. The award recipient receives a commemorative certificate and a monetary award. The four quarterly awardees may then be eligible to become the Global Campus Employee of the Year.

Other second quarter nominees:

• Gabriel Del Carmen, learning resources developer

• Ray Orrin, online student liaison

The Global Campus supports the U of A academic colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online degree programs and courses, and workforce development programs. This unit provides instructional design services, learning technology support, media production services, and assistance with financial administration, recruitment and marketing.

The Global Campus also supports the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship, which is open to undergraduate and graduate students studying in online degree programs.