Webster defines the word “satellite” as “an attendant body, revolving about a larger one.”
While The University of Memphis is certainly not in competition with NASA, it does have an established satellite system, which administrators said is likely to grow in the near future.
Off-campus class locations are springing up around the Mid-South in an effort to boost enrollment and increase access to higher education. Online courses are consistently providing new curricula with the potential to alter the landscape of higher education.
In addition, The U of M is breaking new ground and stretching its educational prowess further than ever before by acquiring 11 more satellite locations, including several Shelby County Schools, The Brooks Museum and Patriot Lake.
“In a community like Memphis, with all its suburbs, satellite campuses are very important for enrollment,” said Bill Akey, assistant vice provost for Enrollment Services.
Samuel Brackstone, assistant vice provost of Extended Programs, said there are 4,073 students enrolled in off-campus classes and extended programs. There are also 354 students from The University of Memphis enrolled in the Regents Online Degree Program.
The Board of Regents Online Program allows students to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree without setting foot on a college campus. The courses usually last 12 weeks and are conducted entirely online. The degrees and courses are fully accredited and transferable among the participating colleges and universities.
The U of M first offered off-campus classes during the 1995-96 school year. The first off-campus location was at the Agricenter International. Since the introduction of off-campus classes, enrollment at The U of M has grown 20 percent each semester, said Brackstone.
“The University of Memphis has graduates all over the world because of online courses,” said Dan Lattimore, vice provost of Extended Programs.
Extended programs like online courses, off-campus classes and the Regents Online Degree Program help The University reach out to traditional and non-traditional
students. Non-traditional students, according to the Census Bureau, are students over the age of 25.
“Off-campus classes do two things,” Brackstone said. “They give existing students more options when choosing what classes they can take and they allow people who have never had the opportunity to go to college a chance to take classes that are convenient with their schedule.”
“I chose to take a class off campus because it is so convenient,” said Kelly Person, a senior psychology major at The U of M.
“I think allowing students to take classes off campus will definitely increase the flexibility of scheduling,” Person said. “I also think online courses are a wonderful opportunity for students with busy lifestyles.”
There has even been a slight increase in the average course load of U of M students since the introduction of off-campus and online courses.
Statistically, though, there are more drops in online courses than other courses.
Younger students who take online and video assists courses tend to drop the courses, according to Lattimore.
“The younger student doesn’t know exactly what they are getting into,” Lattimore said. “Older students tend to be more focused on their goals, so they tend to work harder to achieve a good grade.”
The biggest benefit of online courses, according to Lattimore, is the convenience of technology. Students can access the material anytime, anywhere.
“This is a huge benefit for people who travel or work a full-time job,” Lattimore said.
Another benefit online courses offer is a shift in learning style. Rather than passively listening to a lecture, students are able to see and read the lecture on their computer screens. The students also benefit by having more interaction with the professor.
The new technology can also be a challenge in online courses, especially if students are unsure how to use it or do not have the right equipment to access available information.
But with the face of the future becoming ever more technological, the challenges of learning to take courses online may be a learning experience as valuable as the courses themselves.
