LITTLE ROCK – University of Arkansas System faculty, staff and administrators will gather on Friday for a symposium about online learning and distance education. Several members of the UA Board of Trustees are expected to attend as well.

The symposium will include presentations from UA System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt and Dr. Myk Garn, director of educational technology at the Southern Regional Education Board. The event will also feature three panel discussions on distance education from the perspectives of UA System students, faculty and administrators.

The event will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) building on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Click here for a full agenda. All symposium events are open to the press.

“This symposium will be an excellent opportunity for faculty, staff and administrators across the university system to share ideas, insights and challenges related to distance learning,” Bobbitt said. “I’ve shared with our faculty during recent visits to each campus my belief in the value and importance of utilizing technology to improve access and efficiency while maintaining quality in the higher education experience. This event will offer a chance to further that conversation.”

The symposium will be hosted by the Collaborative Distance Learning Council of the UA System, an inter-campus and inter-unit group set up by the Board of Trustees to promote collaboration in distance education.

Chaired by Dr. Dan Ferritor, vice president for academic affairs of the UA System, the council is comprised of representatives from each of the system’s academic institutions and meets several times a year to discuss distance academic programs and encourage collaboration.

Parking for the event is available at the Stephens Center or in a parking deck adjacent to the Donaghey Student Center at UALR. Click here for a parking map.