ONLINE EDUCATION AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER THANKS IN A LARGE PART
TO WOMEN.
I LOVE THAT.
IN FACT, THEY MAKE US CLOSE TO 70% OF THE TOTAL ONLINE COLLEGIATE POPULATION.
NOT ONLY DO ONLINE EDUCATORS GIVE A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT BUT THE CONVENIENCE OF
ATTENDING CLASS FROM PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE FITS THE NEEDS AND SCHEDULES OF TODAY'S BUSIEST
GOAL ORIENTED WOMEN.
AND WITH US TO DISCUSS THE ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE COLLEGE EDUCATION IS DANA G. HOIT.
PRESIDENT OF SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY FROM ITS MAIN BRICK AND MORTAR CAMPUS WHERE
IT'S LOCATED IN HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS.
DANA WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU IN THE STUDIO THIS MORNING.
WELL, JULIE, I'M SO PLEASE TO BE HERE.
I'M FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION.
I LOVE THAT ACCENT.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
IT MAKES ME FEEL AT HOME AS A GEORGIA GIRL.
OK.
I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT EXPLAINS THE METEORIC RISE OF THE POPULARITY OF ONLINE EDUCATION?
WELL, IN TODAY'S WORLD EVERYBODY'S LIFESTYLES ARE CRAZY BUSY.
SO WHAT YOU GET WITH ONLINE EDUCATION IS ON DEMAND EDUCATION.
AT THE TIME AND PLACE THAT IT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.
AND THE WORKFORCE NEEDS MORE EDUCATED PEOPLE SO THE TWO WORK TOGETHER EXCELLENTLY.
THAT IS SO TRUE.
AND SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN EDUCATING PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN 135 YEARS.
SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERS HOW SAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED NOT ONLY A RICH TRADITION IN HUNTSVILLE, BUT
HOW IT'S CONTINUING THAT TRADITION GLOBALLY ONLINE.
WELL, I'M REALLY PROUD OF HOW OUR FACULTY AND STAFF HAVE EMBRACED ONLINE EDUCATION AS
JUST AN ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHOD FOR EDUCATION.
SO, WE STILL HAVE THE SAME TRADITIONS, THE SAME SUPPORT STRUCTURES, THE SAME EMPHASIS
ON QUALITY AND ON THE ACTUALLY THE FACULTY CONNECTION TO THEIR STUDENTS IN AN ONLINE
ENVIRONMENT THAT WE DO IF YOU TAKE A CLASS IN ONE OF OUR CAMPUS SETTINGS.
LET'S EXPAND ON THE FLEXIBILITY FACTORS.
WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS?
WHY SHOULD A BUSY WOMAN CHOOSE YOUR ONLINE SCHOOL, YOUR ONLINE PROGRAMS?
SAY AS OPPOSED TO OTHERS OUT THERE.
WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A FOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE
ALMOST 25 GRADUATE MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMS AS WELL AS A DOCTORAL DEGREE YOU CAN DO ENTIRELY
ONLINE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT VARIETY THERE IS SOMETHING THAT FITS YOUR NEED OR YOUR SCHEDULE AS WELL.
BUT I WILL THINK THE FLEXIBILITY, I WILL TELL YOU, I'M A CPA.
FOR YEARS, I HAVE DONE ALL OF MY CONTINUED EDUCATION ONLINE.
AND SO I'M DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS CHANGE THAT REALL
MANY WOMEN FIND FITS THEIR SCHEDULE SO WELL.
THAT'S SO TRUE AND IN THE INTRO THAT NEARLY 70% OF THE ONLINE POPULATION IS WOMEN.
WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT?
WELL, I THINK FIRST, OVER 50% OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM TODAY IS FEMALE.
SO, WHAT YOU ALSO SEE THEN, IS THAT THE DEMANDS FOR THEIR LIVES ARE SO, YOU KNOW, WITH WORK
AND CHILDREN AND EVERYTHING ELSE, MEANS THAT THEY'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF ONLINE EDUCATION
REALLY FITS THEM EXTREMELY WELL.
SO, YOU'LL SEE A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN THAT ENVIRONMENT THAN YOU DO MEN.
OK.
LET'S TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW COST AND FUNDING AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE IF YOU WERE AT THE BRICK
AND MORTAR CAMPUS.
ARE YOU PAYING A SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, AMOUNT TO GO TO COLLEGE?
ABSOLUTELY.
WE ARE A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.
AND SO ARE COSTS STRUCTURE FOR ONLINE EDUCATION IS VERY VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE FOR OUR
BRICKS AND MORTAR CAMPUS SO THAT THE COST STRUCTURE MAKES IT VERY COMPETITIVE FOR YOU
TO GO TO SAM HOUSTON VERSUS MAYBE A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
AND WHERE CAN WE FIND OUT MORE IF I WANTED TO LOOK AT SAM OR SAM HOUSTON ONLINE WHERE
DO I GO?
WELL, FIRST OF ALL YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE.
OK.
WHICH IS DISTANCE.SHSU.EDU.
OK.
REPEAT THAT FOR YOU.
DISTANCE.SHSU.EDU OR YOU CAN LOOK AT US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO TO THE WEBSITE.
THAT'S SO GREAT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ENLIGHTENING US TODAY BECAUSE SO MANY
WOMEN ARE SITTING AT HOME, THEY WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, AND THEY REALLY IF YOU DON'T
KNOW IT'S OUT THERE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE.
THIS IS REALLY BEEN GREAT.
NOW, I ALSO WANT TO SAY, GO BEAR CATS.
(LAUGHS) DANA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY THIS
STUDIO.
WE LOVED HAVING YOU TODAY.
WELL, THANK YOU JULIE.
ALRIGHT, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ONLINE EDUCATION YOU CAN ALSO
VISIT US AT THEBALANCINGACT.COM
OR EDUCATE US SHARE THOSE SOCIAL SKILLS AND YOUR QUESTIONS, EVEN YOUR ONLINE EDUCATION
EXPERIENCES AT FORWARD SLASH THE BALANCING ACT FANS.