Education takes on nontraditional forms at University
Different options allow
students different
avenues to learning
By James Scripps
Oregon Daily Emerald
Imagine the future of higher ed
ucation — never having to go to
class, simply hooking up to the In
ternet to chat with other students
and turning in assignments via e
mail.
This isn’t the future, it’s the pre
sent. The Distance Education Pro
gram is one of many nontradition
al forms of education that are
offered at the University through
the Continuing Education Depart
ment.
Distance Education lets stu
dents who can’t get to a classroom
go to class — with their comput
ers.
This technological phenome
non is part of a growing field that
is expanding the definition of
higher education. Many classes of
fered are geared toward students
who want to circumvent tradition
al campus life but still get the most
out of the University.
Continuing Education is actual
ly a compilation of several specific
University programs: Distance Ed
ucation, Learning in Retirement,
Education 2000, Community Ed
ucation and the Applied Informa
tion Management Program.
“The classes that we offer are for
credit and often cover traditional
subjects, but are at a distance from
the classroom,” said Sandra Glad
ney, coordinator of the Distance
Education and Community Edu
cation Programs. "Basically it al
lows students who are away from
school to continue to work toward
their degree.”
Any student enrolled at the
University can take Distance Edu
cation classes. Postings of avail
able classes can be found in the
class schedule or on Duck Web.
Learning in Retirement, another
branch of Continuing Education,
was conceived in 1993 and serves
as an educational outlet for retired
Eugenians.
Most classes in LIR are taught at
the Baker Downtown Center (the
old Register-Guard building) at
the corner of 10th Avenue and
High Street.
Corine Hunt, director of the pro
gram, has been with LIR since its
beginning and has watched it ex
ceed everybody’s expectations.
"At the end of our first year we
had about 125 members,” she
said. “Since then the membership
has been up every year, and now
wehaveabout 387.”
Retirees interested in the pro
gram pay a membership fee of
$100 a year. Once they are a mem
ber, they are entitled to participate
in any of the classes offered.
Classes cover a wide array of
subjects, some with a local angle
and others with an international
angle. Past courses include the
History of Eugene, Old Testament
Prophets, American Women Com
posers and Basic Astronomy. LIR
students even have the opportuni
ty to take a bus ride down to Ash
land for the Shakespeare festival
March 10 and 11.
Most LIR classes are taught by
professors emeriti from the Uni
versity, with some current faculty
teaching a class now and then.
Education 2000, another Con
tinuing Education program, pro
vides training for Oregon teachers.
The program consists of several
workshops where teachers come
to the University to learn about
things such as modem techniques
in discipline, developing a read
ing assessment and helping stu
dents meet requirements for ad
vancement to the next grade.
“We try to find topics that teach
ers are interested in or concerned
about," program director Brooke
Belcher said. “Teachers who work
with K through 12 students come
to Eugene from all over the state to
participate in workshops that usu
ally last from one to three days.”
Classes are also available in
Portland through the Applied In
formation Management Program.
It gives students the opportunity
to receive a master of science de
gree from the University while
taking classes in Portland.
Classes emphasizing manage
ment in today's electronic and in
ternational context are taught by
faculty from several Oregon edu
cational institutions. A master’s
degree can be completed through
this program in as little as two
years.
The Community Education Pro
gram also provides the opportunity
to participate in classes without be
ing admitted to a degree-comple
tion program. Community mem
bers and anyone interested can
take these college-level courses.
The classes and requirements
are the same for community mem
bers, but they receive no college
credit.
Catharine Ketuiall/Emerald
Members of a Learning in Retirement class listen as anthropology department head
William Ayres gives a lecture titled ‘The Lost City of Nan Madol, Micronesia.’
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