As our world continues to move forward at a dizzy rate of speed, we are all expected to change to keep up with the newest developments, hottest trends, latest "gizmos," and best practices within our professions. There are days that all of us may experience the thought "How will I ever be able to do all of this and learn all of these new things?" (I know I feel that way many days.) At a time in our history when we are asked to "do more with less," "be more efficient," and "focus on value-added activities," it is important to look at how we can make the best use of our time.

One way that the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is able to help you with making the best use of your time is through the courses and programs that are offered at a distance. For the past 20 years, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (print-based format) has been available to working adults throughout Wisconsin on an open-enrollment basis. We have been given permission to take this degree worldwide. Over the past two years, we have been developing additional degree programs in an online format, which will also be available to people throughout the world that have Internet access. 

These programs (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master of Science in Project Management, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and Master of Engineering) are described in further detail in other areas of the newsletter.  These programs allow participants to access their course assignments, discussions, and collaborative projects as they fit into their daily schedule and routine. 

Lastly, we offer a degree program of Master of Science in Education (Adult Education emphasis) on weekends, to various locations throughout Wisconsin, through full-motion video technology.

In all of the programs described above, we have removed time and/or place barriers to enable you to continue to work, raise a family, and pursue your educational goals. As new technologies continue to develop and new learner needs evolve, we will be looking at ways to combine these two areas to provide high-quality educational opportunities in a convenient format for you, the learner.

Beginning this fall, we will be looking at the many possibilities of serving the educational needs of state, regional, and national populations through a combination of distance technologies. Some of these opportunities will be in the form of certificate programs, employment training, preparation for professional certifications, and development of "virtual communities" to support people at a distance. We will be conducting needs assessments and environmental scanning to find the best ways of offering programs and finding an audience that needs our programs. You can help in this endeavor by letting me know if there is an educational need in your local geographic region or industry that is not currently being met. I will add your suggestions to the other information that we gather and see if there is a fit between what the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has to offer and how we can get the information to learners that cannot come to our campus.

It is an exciting time in our history. I look forward to serving you and helping you meet your educational goals through different forms of distance education technologies.

Please visit the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Distance Education Home Page frequently to keep up-to-date on new initiatives, course offerings, and information about our programs.