Contact: Jennifer Rees, (512) 499-4409

Date: May 16, 2001

UT System News Release

MBA Online from UT TeleCampus is Named Best in Distance Learning

AUSTIN - An online MBA degree program offered by eight business schools in the University of Texas System has been named the best such program in the nation by the U.S. Distance Learning Association.

The association awarded first place for Excellence in Distance Education Programming to the UT TeleCampus, the U.T. System's centralized support center that facilitates the collaborative degree program.

The MBA Online is available from eight U.T. campuses, with students selecting which partner university they wish to apply to, and ultimately graduate from. Over the course of the degree program, students will take courses from all eight partner campuses and will receive exposure to a larger, more diverse selection of expert faculty than any one campus could provide.

Participating campuses in the MBA Online are U.T. Arlington; U.T. Brownsville; U.T. Dallas; U.T. El Paso; U.T. Pan American; U.T. Permian Basin; U.T. San Antonio, and U.T. Tyler.

Dr. Darcy Hardy, assistant vice chancellor in the U.T. System and director of the TeleCampus, says her staff is aware of more than 100 distance-delivered MBA programs in the nation and is proud that the U.T. program was selected by the Distance Learning Association for its excellence award.

Hardy attributes the program's success to its faculty, the interaction in the course, the scrutiny and guidance of the deans and faculty that comprise the Academic Advisory Committee, and the support services of the UT TeleCampus.

The flexibility provided to the online learner can be substantial, with no set times of day to attend specific locales. The virtual web-based classroom is always open. Students access the UT TeleCampus for everything from the virtual classroom to group discussion areas, digital library resources, and hundreds of support services designed for the distance learner.

"The MBA students are telling us very clearly that as business professionals, they need the flexibility that online courses offer," Hardy says. "MBA students often travel extensively with their jobs, and with this program, their classroom travels with them. For many of them, this kind of delivery is the only way they can complete their master's degree."

TeleCampus-based courses emphasize interaction between faculty and students and take extra care to engage the student via the creative use of technology.

The majority of students completing surveys at the end of a course report that the technology used to promote interaction adds interest to the course. To further ensure interaction, course sizes are limited. In his business law class, for example, Dr. Joe Zavaletta of U. T. Brownsville engages students in mock trials with authentic role playing and in-depth discussion. He uses video snips and Internet resources to add interest. He also offers the camaraderie of his B-LAW Cybercafe for more casual conversations than the serious content discussed in class.

Prospective students can examine course listings, descriptions, faculty profiles, or contact an advisor by visiting the UT TeleCampus website, calling toll-free for information at 1-888-TEXAS-16 (1-8888-839-2716), or by e-mail.

Note to media:

UT TeleCampus Student Snapshot

The United States Distance Learning Association is a nonprofit organization promoting distance education. It represents 2,000 members from pre K-12 through higher education.