OA-Spring 2023

SECOND DISTANCE AM IN THE NATION

return to school.” She tried some distance learning courses in Texas, but it was too difficult and constraining. “I was at a library in Texarkana, Texas, and picked up a brochure about the WED program at SMWC,” Wilkinson said about discovering The Woods. She applied to the program and was accepted. Wilkinson was still determining how she would pay for it, but the people in the WED office told her to come to orientation and they would figure out a way for her to attend. It took her a while to finish as she was raising her family, but she finally completed her undergraduate degree in 2008. “My degree from The Woods allowed me to get the job and career that I really wanted,” a director of operations for an English as a Second Language (ESL) program. From there, she earned her Masters of Leadership Development degree from SMWC, followed by both a Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. in education. She is presently an adjunct professor in SMWC’s education department and has operated her educational consulting firm for 17 years. As the internet evolved and email became a prominent method of communication, more institutions were creating online programs that did

task of creating access to WED courses online. “The world was changing, and the number of online programs available

structure. Students can be full-time by taking two classes every eight weeks throughout the year. This change is helping students complete the program faster. Sara Boyer ’02, ’13G ,

to students was growing,” Hagemeyer reflected. “In order to stay competitive, the program had to change. More students were requesting not to have to come to a residency.” In 2005, the program was renamed the Woods External Degree program and began enrolling degree-seeking men, and in 2011, the program name was changed again to Woods Online. “When we went online, our faculty wanted to keep the interaction with their students, but wanted to create interaction between the students like the residency programs,” said Hagemeyer. Another change which has made Woods Online competitive is the eight-week class “We continue to focus on the value of the education that a Woods Online student receives. Building relationships is a focus of the institution.” — Sara Boyer ’02, ’13G

executive director of student success, emphasizees that although technology and

the delivery method has changed over the past 50 years, the program’s quality has remained intact. “We continue to focus on the value of the education that a Woods Online student receives. Building relationships is a focus of the institution. We can still do that with Woods Online students through our professional advisors and instructors who are constantly communicating with students throughout their journey.” Since 1973, thousands of students have been in the WED/WOL program, helping them realize dreams they never thought would come true. In the last 50 years, almost 3,500 degrees have been conferred, and an additional 1,800 certificates have been awarded. Boyer

not require residencies. Gwen

Hagemeyer ’09G became director of WED in 2008 and took on the

Hagemeyer

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