SAU Online Training – Faculty from the Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation Department at Southern Arkansas University discuss ways to streamline their department’s online course offerings, which is one of many ways departments and faculty members at SAU are gearing up for the University’s increase in online course offerings this summer.
Registration has begun for Southern Arkansas University’s most extensive summer course offerings ever, including 95 courses to be held on-campus and another 157 classes to be online, which is more than a 30% increase in online courses on the schedule over last summer.
Since SAU’s enrollment numbers have continued to rise over recent years, and recruitment has reached further and further into the region, across the country, and even around the globe, the administration recognized a need to offer more courses online for students planning to head home for the summer break. Flyers and other publicity materials can be seen around campus encouraging students to “go with who you know” to earn credits toward their degree, minor, or certificate program. More than 1,208 students are currently enrolled in online courses at SAU.
“We noticed over the past few years that students were going home for the summer and taking courses, mostly online, from other institutions,” said Dr. Trey Berry, SAU vice president for academic affairs. “We want our students to know that they can take online and in-class summer classes at SAU from professors they know and admire.”
Since the fall of 2004, online course sections have skyrocketed from only four options to 121 in the fall of 2012. Enrollment has similarly risen from 55 students taking online courses in the fall of 2004 to 1,214 enrolled in the fall of 2012. The SAU faculty members are prepared for this boom in online courses and enrollment as SAU’s commitment to quality education includes support for faculty ranging from individualized desk-side coaching sessions to campus-wide technology trainings and “Brown Bag Online Faculty Exchanges.”
These faculty exchanges provide opportunities for sharing of ideas, asking questions, and discussing problems and effective assignments, according to SAU Director of Online Learning, Kathy Cole. “We provide various professional development opportunities for faculty who continually seek to refresh, renew, and enhance the scholarship of teaching and learning,” said Cole.
Find out more about SAU’s online and on-campus course offerings for the upcoming two summer sessions.
