LITTLE ROCK – A diverse and accomplished group of faculty from across the University of Arkansas System will meet Dec. 17-18 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain to begin curriculum development for eVersity, the state’s first 100 percent-online university, and its initial slate of degree offerings.
Faculty teams comprised of UA System faculty will work in the areas of criminal justice, business, information technology and health care management to develop plans of study that will prepare students to enter the state’s workforce. The teams will develop certificate, associate, baccalaureate and graduate degree programs for eVersity, which plans to begin offering classes in Fall 2015.
The four selected degree areas are among the most popular with students and are aligned with workforce needs in Arkansas.
“Quality academic programs must rest on the foundation of strong faculty,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs for the UA System. tld domain list . “The eVersity is fortunate to have broad-based support from outstanding, experienced and diverse faculty across the University of Arkansas System who are willing to devote their expertise to building workplace-relevant degree programs. I am excited to be working alongside these teams toward our goal of providing Arkansans with opportunities they thought might have passed them by.”
Curriculum teams in the four identified degree areas include highly trained experts in their specialties, many of whom have decades of workforce and real-world experience in those areas. The following curriculum development teams have been selected:
Business Curriculum Team: The Business Curriculum team is comprised of faculty with experience in banking, financial management, business information systems, accounting, supply chain, transportation and human resources, among several others. The team includes Ashley Aylett, of the Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (CCCUA); Joon Park, of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB); Becky Phillips, of the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM); Brandon Renfro, of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH); Daniel Settlage, of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS); and Tom Tudor, of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR).
Criminal Justice Curriculum Team: The Criminal Justice Curriculum Team includes a former police captain with 34 years of law enforcement experience and 30 years of Police Academy training, a certified instructor with the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, an international and domestic terrorism expert and many others with law enforcement experience. The team includes Cheryl May, of the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI), Paul Kroutter (UAFS), Adam McKee (UAM), Cheryl Peterson, of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB), Brian Shonk (UACCB), and Sharunda Thrower (UAPB).
Health Care Management Curriculum Team: The Health Care Management Curriculum Team includes faculty with experience as a multi-state health system director, an occupational therapist, a dietician, and an emergency medicine expert who helped develop the state’s first online bachelor’s degree in the field, among many others. The team includes Patsy Cornelius (UAFS), James Davis, of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Ruth Eudy (UAMS), Tamla Heminger (CCCUA), Jennifer Hoelzeman (UAMS), Laura Meek, of the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM), Harold Shray (UAMS), and Crystal Sims (CCCUA).
Information Technology Curriculum Team: The Information Technology Curriculum Team includes faculty with extensive experience in web design, application programming, cyber security, systems analysis, a chief information officer and computer maintenance, among others. The team includes Carolyn Alexander, of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA), Tosha Bradley (UACCH), Matt Critcher (UACCB), Bryan Fendly (UAM), Lori Gibbons (UACCM), Rick Massengale (UAFS) and Karen Smith (UAMS).
The University of Arkansas System eVersity is a 100 percent-online university that will begin offering courses in October 2015. It will deliver high-quality, affordable, workplace-relevant degree programs intended for working adults.