SREB's Electronic Campus

Atlanta, Georgia

DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM

The Electronic Campus provides detailed and common information about distance learning courses and programs offered by participating colleges and universities. The goal is to provide enhanced educational opportunities for adult e-learners as well as traditional and nontraditional students in a method that removes many of the barriers that have long hindered access to higher education.

DELIVERY MEDIA

Courses and programs are available in a variety of delivery formats. The predominant delivery method is the World Wide Web. Courses and programs are available via the Web in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. Other delivery formats are videotapes, satellite, CD-ROMs, compressed video, and open broadcast. Information on the delivery formats for each course and program is available on the Electronic Campus Web site at the address listed in the Contact section.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The Electronic Campus provides access to more than 450 regionally accredited academic programs in higher education. Programs are available in a variety of disciplines and majors at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Certificate programs at various levels are also available. More than 9,000 credit courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, all offered electronically, are available and fully searchable on the site.

All courses and programs available at the Electronic Campus meet SREB's Principles of Good Practice and undergo a review at the institutional, state, and regional levels. The Principles are the quality cornerstone of the Electronic Campus. Courses and programs must meet a variety of requirements: the course or program must provide appropriate interaction between faculty members and students and among students, quality faculty members must provide appropriate supervision of the program or course that is offered electronically, and academic standards for all programs or courses offered electronically must be the same as those for other courses or programs delivered at the institution from which they originate.

In February 2004, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) launched a more robust Electronic Campus, establishing a regional "learning network for the South." The Electronic Campus now provides a set of regional-level information and online services and connectivity across the sixteen SREB states, colleges, and universities and builds on and adds significant levels of functionality to the original Electronic Campus. The "learning network" is targeted at the unique needs of adult and e-learners and is designed to help them get the education they need for the demands of this century's workforce. The Electronic Campus now helps adults and e-learners find courses and degrees, secure career information and guidance, locate financial aid, and complete the admission process online.

The Electronic Campus is a comprehensive source for information about higher education opportunities in the South, whether traditional campus study or e-learning. With the focus on adult and e-learners, it provides a simpler, friendlier one-stop place for adults to learn about and understand educational opportunities, to select campuses and/or e-learning opportunities that best match their needs, and to apply online and enroll in courses or programs.

SREB's original Electronic Campus functioned as an "electronic marketplace" of courses and programs from hundreds of participating colleges and universities from the sixteen member states. Established in January 1998, the Electronic Campus has grown from 104 courses to more than 9,000 courses and over 450 degree programs from colleges and universities throughout the South. New courses and programs are added continually.

The Southern Regional Education Board, the nation's first interstate compact for education, was created in 1948 at the request of Southern business, education, and governmental leaders. It was designed to help leaders in government and education work together to advance education and to improve the region's social and economic life. The SREB member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

The Teacher Center is a "subportal" of the Electronic Campus. It is designed to address the needs of educators, both new and experienced, in meeting career goals. The Teacher Center is a "one-stop shop" of online resources designed to help educators find information relevant to the teaching profession and to aid them in meeting the continuing education requirements of their state or district.

The Teacher Center includes: online courses and programs, professional development services, financial aid and scholarship information, state licensure and certification information, alternative routes to teaching, highly qualified teacher information, testing information and services, and job search services.

The Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus program enables a student in the SREB states to get a waiver of out-of-state tuition if certain conditions are met. Those conditions include: no public college or university in a student's home state (state of residence) offers a degree program in the chosen field of study; the program is available in another SREB state participating in the Academic Common Market; the program is available through distance learning; the home state adopts/accepts the program for its residents; the student meets admissions requirements; and the student can be certified as a resident in their home state to participate. Several degree programs are now available through the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus.

FACULTY

Many of the SREB region's most respected professors have courses and programs on the Electronic Campus. The faculty members respond to students' questions and often list times that they can be reached by telephone in their campus offices. Students often say communication with online professors is as effective as or even more effective than in a classroom setting.

ADMISSION

The offering college or university handles admission to the degree programs. Students can access this information from the Electronic Campus Web site. Many institutions allow potential students to complete the application for admission online, which can be completed by clicking on a few links from the Electronic Campus Web site. Students who wish to enroll in a course may be able to do so without formal application and admission. The enrollment procedure and requirements are outlined for all colleges and universities participating in the Electronic Campus and are available on the Web site.

TUITION AND FEES

The college or university offering the courses and programs sets tuition and fees. Tuition and fee charges are available at the Electronic Campus Web site.

A growing number of colleges and universities in the Electronic Campus are offering courses at a single or "electronic or e-rate." These rates apply to students enrolling in e-rate courses irrespective of their residence. These courses are clearly marked when searching at the Electronic Campus site and help more students to access and afford these learning opportunities.

FINANCIAL AID

Participating colleges and universities coordinate financial aid. Specific information on financial aid is available from colleges and universities; general information is available on the Electronic Campus Web site.

CONTACT

Mary Agnes Larson
Associate Director, Electronic Campus
Southern Regional Education Board
592 10th Street, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30318-5790
Telephone: 404-875-9211
Fax: 404-872-1477
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.electroniccampus.org

APPLYING

Anyone with Internet access may search courses and programs available through the Electronic Campus. There is no charge for accessing or using the services available at the site. A simple registration can be completed when visiting the site, which also provides access to more than thirty-five Mentor™ systems across the country. Creating an account (registration) allows users to use (and reuse) data in completing online applications, save searches, establish e-mail and personal calendars, and other services described at the Electronic Campus site.