Academic Partnerships Selected by University of Arkansas System to Expand Degree Programs Online

University of Arkansas System plans participation in the global higher education market

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Feb 05, 2013, 10:00 ET

DALLAS, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Arkansas System (UA System) today announced that it will be collaborating with Academic Partnerships (AP) to deliver undergraduate and graduate degree programs online. Academic Partnerships, one of the largest representatives of public universities online learning in the United States, will use its expertise in online delivery of instruction and its global marketing and recruiting capabilities to extend the UA System's brand and increase access to higher education for qualified students in Arkansas and beyond.

The UA System includes five four-year universities, five community colleges, an academic health sciences university, a presidential graduate school, a mathematics and sciences high school and units related to agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. The partnership will give UA System institutions the opportunity to work with Academic Partnerships to deliver new and existing online courses and programs.

"Today's technology allows students to access our high quality curriculum through dynamic and innovative digital environments," said Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, President of the University of Arkansas System. "We are excited to work with Academic Partnerships—a company with an excellent track record and a commitment to quality—as it assists us in achieving the System's expansion of online academic offerings while maintaining the University's rigorous, robust academic standards."

"The University of Arkansas System has a very creative and progressive vision for using technology to scale its quality, reach underserved populations and compete for the top students around the world," said Randy Best, founder and chairman of Academic Partnerships. "The System is anxious to meet the expectations and needs of 21^st century educational consumers by being an innovator in online learning."

Academic Partnerships has helped more than 40 public universities expand access and scale the delivery of their high quality online degree programs. AP has assisted more than 750 professors convert more than 1,500 traditional courses into an electronic delivery format and recruited thousands of students into online degree programs for its U.S. and international partners.

About the University of Arkansas
Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state's 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas's premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; five community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. The individual entities of the UA System maintain cooperative strength as well as diverse offerings that exhibit unmatched economic and social impact to the state.

The UA System provides communities in Arkansas with access to academic and professional opportunities, develops intellectual growth and cultural awareness in its students and provides knowledge and research skills to an ever-changing society. The system enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs over 17,000 employees, and has a total budget of over $2 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state's economic, educational and cultural advancement.

About Academic Partnerships
Dallas-based Academic Partnerships partners with universities to deliver students full degree programs online. The company was founded by social entrepreneur Randy Best, an 18-year veteran of developing innovative learning solutions to improve education. Academic Partnerships helps universities increase access to high-quality education by providing the technology, student recruitment and faculty support necessary to serve online students. Academic Partnerships is guided by the principle that the opportunities presented through distance learning make higher education more accessible and achievable for students in the U.S. and globally. For more information, please visit http://www.academicpartnerships.com.

Contacts:
University of Arkansas
Ben Beaumont
501-686-2951
[email protected]

Academic Partnerships
Jaquelyn Scharnick
214-438-4144
[email protected]

SOURCE Academic Partnerships