"As we begin the celebration of the 25th anniversary of distance education at UW-Platteville, it is extremely exciting to see all of the changes that have occurred during that time," said Dawn Drake, Executive Director of Alternative Delivery Systems at UW-Platteville. "It is equally as humbling to see all of the work that has gone into the last 25 years of making distance education what it is today."

The concept of offering a degree at a distance was first created by University of Wisconsin System administration in the early 1970s, in an effort to extend educational opportunities to adult students throughout the state of Wisconsin who were unable to attend a traditional on-campus program. In May 1976, the University of Wisconsin System Regents approved the establishment of four different "extended degree" programs, each to be offered at a different campus in the University of Wisconsin System. UW-Platteville was chosen to offer an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and began to enroll students in 1979.

In 1996, the distance education program at UW-Platteville extended its reach nationwide, accepting enrollments from students throughout the United States. In 1999, the program furthered its reach worldwide and began offering online graduate degrees in Project Management, Criminal Justice, and Engineering, in addition to its undergraduate Business Administration degree.

UW-Platteville currently serves more than 1,500 students each year through its distance education programs. Last year students from 46 states and 6 countries were served.

"This year will be used as a time to remember our accomplishments of the past, celebrate the current activities associated with distance education, and plan for the future endeavors that we will pursue," said Drake. "While we don't know what format distance education will take in the next 25 years, there is no doubt that the need for alternative forms of education will continue to grow. I am thrilled to be part of an organization that understands and provides for the needs of non-traditional learners. I hope everyone will have the opportunity to participate in some facet of the 25th anniversary activities that we have planned."

One facet of the anniversary celebrations in which UWP distance learners may soon participate is a specially designed anniversary web site that will highlight the successes of UWP¹s distance learning programs and their students. The 25th anniversary web site will launch in the coming weeks and will be accessible from the UWP distance learning home page.