| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | | | | teaches special education at the Secondary |
| CONTACT: Anna Martinez | | | | Reassignment Center in the Irving Independent |
| Tuesday, June 16, | | | | School District near Dallas, is enrolled in Lamar’s |
| | | | | online Education Administration program. She said she |
| Phone: 214.438.4155 | | | | likely would not have been ableto pursue the degree |
| DALLAS – An article in the April 3, 2009, edition | | | | without the online option. |
| of U.S. News and World Report told its readers | | | | “I wouldn’t be able to get out of my home |
| something that Higher Ed Holdings and its university | | | | that often,” she said. “It would be too much |
| partners already knew: Online degree programs can | | | | time away from my family.” |
| expand a university’s reach and make education | | | | Lamar student Judy Weir, a first-grade teacher for |
| more cost effective. | | | | 20 years who is now at Pebble Creek Elementary |
| The article by Kim Clark states that more than 4 | | | | School in the College Station (Texas) ISD, said the |
| million people enrolled in online courses in the fall 2008 | | | | cost was a major factor in her decision. |
| semester. As distance-learning competition expands, | | | | “Maybe I could afford (an on-campus program), |
| public and private colleges and universities are | | | | but only after my own children finished college and |
| offering more programs in response to inroads made | | | | their loans are paid off,” Weir said. “I |
| by for-profit, Web-based universities. | | | | seriously probably never would have gone back, |
| Clark’s article mentions Lamar University in | | | | primarily due to the cost.” |
| Beaumont, Texas, which provides master’s | | | | The U.S. News article quoted Harvard Business School |
| degree programs in education delivered through | | | | professor Clayton Christensen as saying the best |
| Higher Ed Holdings’ online platform. The | | | | online courses are of the same quality as classroom |
| Dallas-based company provides the online platform | | | | classes. The courses provided through the Higher Ed |
| – including high-quality production, discussion and | | | | Holdings platform are designed by the university |
| interactive chat-room capabilities to deliver the | | | | professors, who also maintain complete control over |
| university’s courses. | | | | the content. |
| “The online platform makes it extremely | | | | As demand for online education continues to grow, |
| accessible; a lot of teachers cannot take on-campus | | | | and state universities find no quick and easy solutions |
| courses for a variety of reasons, but they are able | | | | to rising tuition rates, Higher Ed Holdings has |
| to take them online,” said Dr. Ann Cavallo, a UTA | | | | prominently positioned its state university partners to |
| College of Education professor and director of the | | | | provide unlimited and affordable access to their high |
| master’s program for science curriculum. | | | | quality degree programs. |
| Donna Lewis, a 14-year teaching veteran who | | | | |