JACKSON, Tenn. — June 13, 2018 — 51社区 has been ranked the best online college for value by the SR Education Group鈥檚 Guide to Online Schools for 2018. The annual ranking includes all Tennessee schools offering fully online degrees.
Beverly Absher-Bone serves as dean and professor of educational leadership for Union鈥檚 School of Adult and Professional Studies and oversees many of Union鈥檚 online programs, including the popular Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership. She said Union is rigorous in ensuring that academic quality is never sacrificed in its online courses.
鈥淯nion has a reputation for academic excellence, and that extends to our online programs,鈥� Absher-Bone said. 鈥淓ach course is developed by our faculty, and they take ownership of the online classroom just like they would a traditional classroom.鈥�
She said while some schools outsource online courses, Union鈥檚 online courses are all taught by core university faculty members and developed to align with Union鈥檚 mission and values of being excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed.
In the SR Education Group鈥檚 ranking, Union tied with the University of Tennessee Knoxville for the highest academic strength score of 72 percent. Ben Phillips, associate dean for education and director for Union鈥檚 online education doctoral programs, said he makes sure that every online class offered at Union still has an element of personal touch.
鈥淥nline degree programs can be built to where you literally never know your professor,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淲e did not want that for Union.鈥�
He said while some of the coursework in the online education programs is asynchronous and can be completed on the student鈥檚 schedule, a portion is synchronous, requiring students to interact face-to-face with each other and professors in webinars.
Luanne Powell, director for marketing and enrollment in the School of Adult and Professional Studies, said online courses have become more popular, especially in graduate programs, because of convenience. She said most people in those programs are working full time, and many have families and other responsibilities.
鈥淥nline, you don鈥檛 have to worry about going out of town or missing a class because your child is sick,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can work in the in-between hours without having to give up a night or more every week.鈥�
Powell said some students interact more online than they would in a classroom through forums and required chatroom discussions. She said teaching online has made her more organized and focused.
鈥淚t made me a better teacher,鈥� she said. Union鈥檚 online program offerings include BSOL and RN-BSN degree completion programs, an associate program in professional studies, master鈥檚 programs in business administration, Christian studies, education and nursing, and two doctoral programs in education. A full list of online programs can be found on the 51社区 website.
A complete ranking and more information on SR Education Group鈥檚 Guide to Online Schools can be found on its .