News Release
Contacts: Robert T. Tad Perry, Executive Director
tadp@ris.sdbor.edu
Tracy Mercer, Information Research Analyst
tracym@ris.sdbor.edu

T: 605.773.3455
F: 605.773.5320
www.ris.sdbor.edu

ABERDEEN- The 2001 Summer semester distance education enrollment report was presented today to the South Dakota Board of Regents at its regular business meeting on the campus of Northern State University. The Regents were pleased to hear that enrollment continues to increase in distance education courses offered by South Dakota public universities.

"We want to ensure that everyone who seeks education has the opportunity to receive it," said Regents President Harvey C. Jewett. "Development of distance education courses is focused on those persons who are unable to attend traditional campus classes due to a conflict with location or time. Through distance courses we can serve those who are already settled into their life roles. The parent who wants to advance his or her education while still continuing to provide for his or her family or the teacher who wants to earn a masters degree while continuing to teach are both examples of the people who benefit from distance technology. The Regents realize the need for distance education in South Dakota is great and we have just begun to meet it," said Jewett.

The universities continue to increase the availability of distance education courses. During the 2000 Summer semester 82 distance education courses were offered by the regental universities. The number of courses offered in the 2001 Summer semester increased 37%, a total of 130 courses were offered. As the availability of courses increased so did the number of individuals taking courses. The number of individuals who took one or more distance delivered courses during the 2001 Summer semester was 1,295. This is an increase of nearly 20% from the previous summer.

"From this report it is clear that we are reaching the people who require education from distance technology," said Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry. "Eighty percent or 1,036 students who enrolled in technology delivered courses during the Summer 2001 semester were off-campus students. These students were not enrolled in any other courses on one of the university campuses," said Perry.

The Internet remains the most popular forum for distance education delivery as over 100 courses were offered in Summer 2001. A total of 672 students enrolled in these courses. Other methods of electronic delivery for distance education offered at the universities include: video conferencing, television, satellite, and video cassette.