University Corner: Upper Iowa University - Extended University

MAE 2009 Volume: 4 Issue: 1 (January/February)

A: In 1973, Upper Iowa launched an external degree program, one of the first and most successful in the United States. During the 1990s, Upper Iowa University established offcampus learning centers on several military installations. These locations included Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Fort Polk, La.; and, prior to Hurricane Katrina, at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans. In 1999, Upper Iowa began online program delivery utilizing eight-week terms. We recently approved a 10 percent tuition discount for all actively serving members of the military. This benefit extends to their spouses and for military retirees and their spouses.

Q: How is Upper Iowa University unique in the benefits and programs it offers military servicemembers through activities such as its military learning centers?

A: Upper Iowa University applies progressive transfer policies for previous college credits and credits awarded through CLEP/DSST/ Excelsior College and/or ACT-PEP examinations. UIU recognizes and awards maximum credit from military schools and military occupational specialties with ACE credit recommendations. Overall, we accept up to 78 lower division transfer credits.

Staff at our military centers work continuously with the military education officers and other on-post institutions to ensure term dates are synchronized, schedules are coordinated and prerequisites are met in order to maximize student convenience and learning goals.

Q: What online degree and certificate programs does Upper Iowa University offer?

A: Online degrees include Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration and a Master of Higher Education Administration. Our bachelor’s degree programs include accounting, human services, business administration, finance, human resources management, management, marketing, technology and information management, criminal justice, emergency and disaster management, health services administration, interdisciplinary studies, psychology, public administration— general, public administration—law enforcement emphasis, public administration— fire science emphasis, social science.

Certificates include emergency and disaster management, human resources management, marketing, organizational communication, organizational leadership, and technology and informational management.

Q: Please talk about Upper Iowa University’s independent study program and how it serves military students on deployment or otherwise unable to attend traditional classes.

A: The independent study program offers one of the most comprehensive lists of complete degree programs offered through this type of delivery. The program provides maximum flexibility with a six month enrollment period and the option to extend when necessary. Deployed military members can work via the U.S. mail or e-mail, depending on their access and location. The program affords the student the option to work at their own pace using the entire six month enrollment period, or finish as quickly as their schedule allows.

Q: What are some of Upper Iowa University’s main goals in meeting the future challenges of online and military education?

A: We are continuing to invest and integrate new and emerging technology to better serve the global student population represented by the military. We continue to improve and enhance our various course management systems to better serve students at a distance. Additionally, our plan is to establish real-time video-conferencing instruction between our learning centers and our main campus at Fayette, Iowa.

Upper Iowa University’s vision is to be recognized and respected as an exceptional and ascending institution of higher learning, developing global citizens who become lifelong learners prepared for leadership within society. To this end, our university will continue to support and meet the educational goals of the men and women in America’s armed forces.

Q: What haven’t I asked you about Upper Iowa University’s approach to educating members of our armed forces?

A: Upper Iowa University is a proven military-friendly school. The university is a core member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, a consortium of over 1,800 institutions pledged to be reasonable in working with servicemembers trying to earn degrees while pursuing demanding, transient careers. Upper Iowa University is a member institution in GoArmyEd, the virtual gateway for soldiers on active duty to request tuition assistance online.

Upper Iowa University is a partner institution in the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership. Upper Iowa has also established an educational partnership with the Coast Guard Institute and the Army National Guard Support Center. We also recognize the work completed in the Community College of the Air Force [CCAF] and currently has an articulation agreement established to award credit-based CCAF courses. Additionally, UIU evaluates training received in the U.S. Marine Corps.

For more information, visit www.uiu.edu. ♦