Ball State’s online and distance education program helps students feel included, even if they don't live anywhere near campus.
Chad Kline, a sophomore business administration major, is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree online. Kline said he has had a positive experience with the online program and the professors, and feels involved in the school, even as a non-traditional college student.
“I feel that what sets Ball State's distance education programs apart is that you aren't just an online student, you are student like all the rest at Ball State,” Kline said.
Ball State’s online and distance education program continues to grow in popularity with a 14.9 percent increase in enrollment since last year, according to a university press release. Nearly 10,000 students are enrolled in one or more online courses, with half of those students fully online.
Marilyn Buck, associate provost and dean of university college, said the popularity of the online education program is due to marketing efforts. In addition to newspaper and radio advertisements, she said the university plans to have a billboard to help people recognize what Ball State does for online and distance education.
Buck said another important factor in keeping online enrollment up is maintaining the quality of the courses and faculty. This fall, online majors in criminology and criminal justice were added to the program. Buck said there are plans for future majors, but the process to develop the programs needs approval from the state.
“You have to have good people that understand what it takes to do a great job in terms of building a program,” Buck said.
Kline said he has many opportunities to be engaged with the university, and these have contributed to his success. Kline is a part of the Online Student Ambassador Program, which helps online students seek advice or encouragement as well as assists with new online programs. He said the resources that are available to online students, such as the Writing Center and the library, are easily accessible.
“Ball State's online programs allows a person like me, a working adult with work and family commitments, to still seek a degree to better yourself and your career,” he said. “The opportunities for advancement are limitless with the ease of online classes.”
Buck said another feature that sets Ball State apart is the review process the online courses go through. Classes are peer-reviewed by Quality Matters, an organization that strives to promote and improve the quality of online education and student learning, according to its website. Buck said Ball State is one of the few universities in the country to have the Quality Matters certification.
Wendy Gumbel, a graduate student studying business administration, said the online and distance education program offers a number of online engagement tools, such as webinars and live casts of on-campus events. She said she is able to participate in discussions and be as involved in a class as an on-campus student would be, which is one of the things that drew her to Ball State.
"The fact that Ball State works so hard to include online and distance students in campus life puts them above and beyond other programs,” Gumbel said. "The online students are as much a part of the classroom discussions as in-class students, not just an afterthought.”
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