Defiance College continues participation in distance learning initiative
August 26, 2016
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College has been approved to continue its participation for another year as part of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). SARA is a nationwide initiative to make distance education courses more accessible to students across state lines.
SARA is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by post-secondary institutions based in another state.
The initiative is overseen by a national council and administered by four regional interstate education compacts. Participation is entirely voluntary for institutions.
"As we move into the future, improvements in technology allow many courses to be taught very effectively either as fully online or using a hybrid format which mixes traditional and online instruction," said Dr. Tim Rickabaugh, interim academic dean. "Strategic use of distance learning courses can help non-traditional, part-time, and working professionals to pursue degrees or professional development with the required flexibility to fit within their daily schedules."
Rickabaugh continued: "Additionally, online instruction over the summer can help our residential students, living away from our campus, to take DC courses instead of transferring them in from other colleges or universities. The SARA membership allows us to teach students in most states thus reducing geographic constraints for distance learning."
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
