Originally published May 8, 2015
By Daniel Perez
UTEP News Service
The University of Texas at El Paso launched its much-anticipated suite of fully online degree plans May 4 and the effort is being hailed as a milestone in UTEP’s institutional history.
UTEP Connect opened after an 18-month incubation with 12 fully online bachelor’s and master’s programs. Students from around the region, the state and even a few around the country signed up with a unique backstory for why online courses work best for them. All shared a common goal – earn a degree.
The portfolio of new degree plans contains bachelor’s programs in criminal justice, organizational and corporate communication, multidisciplinary studies, health promotion and pre-business, and master’s programs in nursing, defense and strategic studies, and bilingual and early childhood education. A certificate in technical and professional writing also is offered.
The first days were pleasantly uneventful as many of the online students began to log in to their classes and review homework assignments. The initial feedback for the new system has ranged from good to enthusiastic, said Cynthia De La Miyar, a UTEP Connect student success adviser, whose job is to motivate and advocate for the online students and serve as a conduit for campus information.
“It’s neat to see students taking charge,” said De La Miyar from her workstation at University Towers, 1900 Oregon St., Suite 402.
The UTEP Connect initiative was developed for nontraditional students, such as those in the military, who want a quality education but cannot always fit school into hectic schedules that include 40-hour jobs and family responsibilities.
University President Diana Natalicio said endeavors of this magnitude can be exciting and exasperating, but the benefits will be far reaching. She shared her message with more than 100 faculty members and campus service representatives during a recent prelaunch event in a Mike Loya Academic Services Building conference room.
President Natalicio shared a story of a UTEP undergraduate who visited her several years ago to share his decision to leave the University before completing his degree to train for the Olympics. She said he recently sent her an email in which he mentioned his intention to finish his degree through UTEP’s online programs because they fit his need and because of his connection with the University.
She said she meets many people of different ages who share similar stories where they start their higher education journey at UTEP, leave for various reasons, and later look for a chance to complete their degree.
“Maybe we ought to call it UTEP Re-Connect,” she quipped.
The University leader thanked UTEP faculty and staff who have been part of the process and highlighted the leadership of Mike Smith, J.D., Ph.D., dean of Extended University, the administrative umbrella organization that oversees UTEP’s nontraditional academic offerings, and his team who helped translate, adapt and mesh the cultures of UTEP and Pearson Embanet, one of the world’s top education service providers, so both could work harmoniously.
Smith said there had been a steep learning curve during the past 18 months but it has started to flatten out. He thanked campus leaders in academics, student affairs, business services and other areas who were part of the synergistic effort that will improve how UTEP students are served, whether online or face-to-face.
“We’re re-engineering how UTEP does business,” Smith said.
Part of the service includes a UTEP-based call center where enrollment counselors help with applications and admissions. One of those counselors, Corina Huante, said many of the prospective students are excited about the opportunity to pursue their previous degree plans at their former University.
“I’ve spoken with people who have roots elsewhere,” said Huante, who estimates that she has spoken to more than 1,000 potential students since she started in December 2014. “They have other options, but they have a special relationship with UTEP. I sense so much enthusiasm on the other end of the phone.”
UTEP Connect is poised for manageable growth, Smith said. He would like to see 400 students by the end of the first year and 5,000 new students and 25 fully online degree plans by 2020, to include a doctoral degree from the College of Education.
“We’re proud of what we were able to accomplish,” said Arathi Kylasam, Extended University marketing director. “This is huge for us.”
To learn more about UTEP Connect’s programs, visit online.utep.edu.