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Success offered in alternate formats

Teresa Wright Herald Correspondent

VSC currently has thriving programs for distance education and concurrent enrollment. Designed to serve the needs of individuals who want to earn college credit in nontraditional ways, these programs will continue through UVSC’s change to university status. Administrators hope that university status will help the programs gain visibility and generate interest within the community. To ensure that these programs meet university-level standards, the departments continuously work to enhance their offerings. Concurrent enrollment, a program that allows high-school students to earn college credit, has become more popular over the past few years. Utah is a national leader in concurrent-enrollment programs, allowing students to earn both high-school and college credit at once. Tuition is waived for the high school students taking these courses. UVSC requires that concurrentenrollment instructors be qualified to teach at a college level, attend training meetings on UVSC campus and demonstrate their teaching in instructional settings. In 2005, the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) accredited UVSC’s concurrent-enrollment program. Spencer Childs, the program manager, says it’s common for people to worry that concurrent-enrollment classes aren’t on par with college standards. In Childs’s experience, the opposite is true. “In most cases, when I visit classrooms or talk to our instructors, our high-school students are actually doing more work,” he says. Concurrent-enrollment students also have additional scholarship opportunities. The state-sponsored New Century Scholarship is one example: If a student graduates from high school with a two-year associate degree, the state will pay 75 percent of his or her tuition at state schools.

Distance education is a popular option with people who want to earn college credit but cannot attend traditional classes. It appeals to people who work full-time or at odd hours. According to John Krutsch, senior director of distance education, “We have so many stories of folks who have come back ... otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to.” Distance education options include Internet and television courses as well as a high-tech option called Live Interactive, where a teacher broadcasts a regularly scheduled class from UVSC campuses to receiving classrooms throughout the state. Students in remote locations can respond and ask questions that the instructor can immediately hear and answer. UVSC’s distance-education program offers more than 150 courses. Online, students can earn college credit and even four-year degrees in some majors, along with two-year associate degrees and professional certificates, without ever attending a traditional classroom. The distance-education program is tied to the academic departments on campus, making an online degree from UVSC the equivalent of a degree earned directly on campus. “We have a staff of instructional designers on staff to ensure that coursework is at least as rigorous as if it was in the classroom,” says Krutsch. With the change to UVU, the distance-education program will continue to expand its courses and offerings. Plans for bringing more degrees online include an upcoming degree in technology management. Distance education also will offer courses that support the new master’s degree in education. Students are especially attracted to distance education and concurrent enrollment because they provide exceptional educational value and opportunity. Last year, about 6,000 students participated in UVSC’s concurrent-enrollment and distanceeducation programs. As a university, UVU will continue to advance and improve these programs.

Scavenger Hunt How many different restaurants are located in Centre Court in the student center?

UVUphoria

Getting ahead range from on-campus lectures to a trip to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, and even cross-country skiing. onors students at UVSC can “University status will open up the expect some changes as UVSC program to have more students, more becomes UVU. The honors faculty wanting to be involved. We’ve program allows motivated students to been able to see it really grow and expand their educational experience in mature into an exceptional program,” a supportive environment. In its new Nez said. The honors program started role within a university setting, with about 50 students. It is the program is increasing now home to about 300 stuWe both its offerings and its dents, and that number is expectations. know our steadily rising. While any student “We’re increasing students. ... can take an honors the academic excelclass, acceptance We know where lence of the program, into the program and we’re expandthey’re from. We requires a high ing the community know what classes level of academic engagement aspects excellence. Says they are taking. We of the program,” said Michael Shaw, know what they are Shaw. The number of director of the honColloquium activities ors program, “We interested in. on campus is expected to seek students that grow, and a community — Tiffany Nez are motivated by intelservice component is in the program coordinator lectual and other kinds works. of academic and creative Beginning fall semester, honors challenges.” students can participate in UVSC’s The ideal applicant for the honors first residential housing program at program is one “who is excited about Ventana Apartments, a five-minute challenging coursework; the one who walk from campus. Honors students is looking to be pushed in their classes are grouped together on the same floors and to work hard,” Shaw said. Howwith residential assistants, and rent ever, the honors program is not just is subsidized. This gives students the for students who get perfect grades. chance to live with peers who share A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required, their commitment to education and but a student’s extracurricular and community. community service activities also are The honors program has also strucconsidered. tured a first-year classroom program Students must take an average of for honors students, the Legacies proone honors course per semester to gram. Students are required to take remain in the program. In addition to two three-credit interdisciplinary coursgraduating with the honors designation, es, Ancient Legacies and Modern Legahonors students get priority registration cies. Capped at 15 students per class, dates for classes and one-on-one advisthe Legacies courses are staffed with ing and mentoring with professors. Tiftop faculty members from the various fany Nez, honors program coordinator, departments. The purpose, according says, “We know our students. We don’t to Shaw, is to expose the students to just recognize a face. We know where great thinking from various disciplines. they’re from. We know what classes “We don’t want to intimidate our they are taking. We know what they students,” he said. “We want to bring are interested in.” Honors classes have a them in and encourage them and teach maximum of 20 students. them how to succeed. It’s to show Students also can register for an them that they actually can do it, and honors colloquium, where they attend instill a great degree of confidence in planned cultural activities and outdoor their abilities. We have a very vibrant events for credit. These activities can program.”

Did you Know? UVSC recently introduced to students, faculty and staff the new fight song for Utah Valley University. Although it is similar to the old song, some of the lyrics and melody have been modified.

Teresa Wright

Herald Correspondent

Scavenger Hunt What is the name of the building on campus where the pendulum is located?