OA-Spring 2023

direction. “WED was all about personal relationships, so it was vital to carry that

As the world was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, SMWC created a task force that oversaw sending the students home in March of 2020 for the remainder of the semester. “The task force was very intentional and comfortable about the decision to move online. The College was already utilizing the learning management system with students in our campus program to post syllabi, class resources and to turn in their assignments. Our comfort level in our Woods Online Program truly assisted everyone in this emergency transition to give students a positive classroom experience for the

weeks and from the beginning, we were told that we were ahead of the curve. We weathered COVID-19 better academically than we could have imagined, and we owe a lot of that to the solid foundation created through Woods Online.” This year, Woods Online had a boost to its enrollment for Spring 2022-23. Much of the growth is owed to offering the new Paramedic Science to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (PM to BSN) Program – just one of two programs in the country. In addition to the unique programs of WOL, the Music Therapy Equivalency Distance (MTED) program is the only program of

high-touch approach into the new Woods Online

program. Our faculty continue to

have the student

centered approach,” shared Sara Boyer ’02, ‘13G , executive director of student success.

“I chose WOL because of the flexibility to work full-time and still pursue my education while being available for my family’s needs.” — Jamie Carman ’16.

In 2017, the College transitioned all online classes to eight-week formats. Boyer explained that this format makes it easier for the College’s professional advisors and students to project a path to graduation. “Our professional advisors focus on the students and their goals by asking questions and learning about them. This allows them to create a feasible course timeline to fit a student’s life.” Although the program has evolved through the years, Woods Online and the campus program remain transfer-friendly to students with previous college credits. WOL also offers students with real-world skills opportunities to earn credit for courses by presenting portfolios through Prior Learning Assessments (PLA) or by taking College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. “These assessments and programs really allow students to get credit for their experiences,” Boyer said.

remainder of their school year when other institutions may have struggled,” said Janet Clark, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs.

its type offered in the United States and continues to drive strong enrollments in WOL. Woods Online offers options for 21 bachelor’s degrees, three associate degrees, seven graduate degrees, three certificates and five licensures. There are also 17 minor choices to pair with degrees. As the College celebrates 50 years of leading distance education, it serves as a reminder that SMWC continues to make strides for the future. “The Women’s External Degree program was created to meet the needs of our society in 1973. Its mission has never changed! Woods Online continues to provide access to a world-class education to students with no geographic or time barriers. Grounded in a liberal arts core, the courses are designed and taught by full-time faculty members of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College,” said President Dottie L. King, Ph.D.

Although the pandemic presented many challenges to higher education institutions, SMWC was able to offer students final letter grades in May 2020, whereas other institutions had to use a “pass” or “fail” system. Boyer shared, “We met with representatives from our online learning platform, D2L Brightspace, for several

9