Starting next semester, The University of Memphis has plans tomake it easier for students to attend class on their own time.
Effective Dec. 31, 2003, The U of M will host the TennesseeBoard of Regents Online Degree Program servers and provide 24-hourhelpdesk services for faculty and students.
"The difference we'll see is in better access to the courses,"said Jane Sipes, assistant dean of Distance Education.
Contracting technical administration to a TBR institutioninstead of a third party provides for greater qualityassurance.
Currently, RODP is hosted on shared servers. The U of M plans tomove the program to its own dedicated servers, which will amount toless downtime and more accessibility for students, Sipes said.
The Regents Online Degree Program, which connects The U of Mwith two-year colleges, technical centers, and universities acrossthe state, including Austin Peay State University and MiddleTennessee State University, began in 2001 with 1,796 students --353 from The University of Memphis.
Currently, U of M students make up "a pretty big chunk" of RODPenrollment, Sipes said. Of 6,967 students, 1,160 come from TheUniversity of Memphis.
The program caters especially to non-traditional students whoseother responsibilities make attending class difficult.
"Most are working, 30- to 45-year-olds with families and busylives," Sipes said. "This is about the only way they can come backto school."
The online classes are also a good fit for people who don't likebeing tied down to a set schedule.
"I go when I want to," said 33-year-old theatre major CarlFuller. "I actually spend more time in (online) class than I do atThe University. I hate being set to a schedule."
RODP offers complete degree programs in information technology,organizational leadership, and interdisciplinary studies.
"Courses in a lot of different areas are now going online,"Sipes said.
General education requirements such as the fitness and wellnessrequirement, HMSE 1100, are available through the program, as wellas core courses for numerous majors.
Online class size is limited to 20 students per section tofoster easier communication between students and professors.
"It's interesting to see how class participation really works,"Sipes said. "A lot of good interaction goes on in theseclasses."
Courses taken in the program are treated as if they were takenat The U of M.
"Your instructor may be elsewhere, but your grade is from here,"Sipes said.
