MADISON, Wis. – As part of a strategic effort to grow the number of degree holders in the state, the University of Wisconsin System today announced the launch of the UW System eCampus, a new website that provides greater access to online education. The announcement comes during National Distance Learning Week, a week dedicated to creating greater awareness and appreciation for online learning.
Designed as a gateway to more than 70 online degree and certificate programs offered across the UW System’s accredited campuses, the new eCampus enables residents and students to search for specialized programs and locate advisors, an application, or registration information through a single website.
“Online learning presents an opportunity for nontraditional students to access college courses and degree programs that might otherwise be difficult, due to jobs, family obligations, or other life commitments. Expanding access in this way will help us produce more graduates for Wisconsin, and move the state toward a more competitive economic position,” said UW System President Kevin P. Reilly.
“Through this website, we offer students a very unique value proposition – incorporating both the convenience of online learning and the UW System’s world-class academic reputation,” said Reilly.
In Wisconsin, one in four adults holds a four-year college degree, slightly below the national average and well below levels in Minnesota. To close this gap and boost Wisconsin’s economy, the UW System is working to increase the number of degrees granted by UW campuses by 30 percent over the next 15 years, creating 80,000 more college graduates in the process. The UW System eCampus website offers new convenient options for potential college-bound citizens who will contribute to that goal.
“The landscape of learning has substantially changed,” said David Schejbal, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Continuing Education, Outreach, and E-Learning (CEOEL) division. “The UW System eCampus provides flexible, convenient, and diverse learning opportunities online to help today’s students succeed.”
“We’ve already seen significant increases in demand for many online UW programs, and eCampus will make it easier than ever before for students to find the program that fits their needs,” said Rovy Branon, interim associate dean of Online Learning and Technology at UW-Extension’s CEOEL division.
According to Eduventures, an industry leader in higher education research, enrollment in online degree programs is expected to grow nationally by 1.8 million students over the next five years, reaching 3.9 million online degree students by 2014. By 2014, online students are expected to represent 20 percent of the overall higher education enrollment.
The UW System eCampus is managed by the UW-Extension’s CEOEL division on behalf of the 13 two-year and 13 four-year campuses of the University of Wisconsin System. The UW System eCampus offers online access to certificates, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates.
For more information, or to view this announcement, please visit ecampus.wisconsin.edu.
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Media Contacts:
Colleen Howes
UW-Extension
Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning
608-261-1117 (office)
colleen.howes@learn.uwsa.edu
David Giroux
UW System
608-262-4464 (office)
608-575-6973 (mobile)
dgiroux@uwsa.edu