Re-Post of First Story edited

WSU’s Distance Degree Program

A Washington State University degree no longer needs to be earned on campus, the Distance Degree Program is giving students the opportunity to live where they may and still get a diploma.

DDP is WSU’s extended learning program designed to give students the opportunity to get a degree while not living in Pullman. The program used to say that they helped students who were “time and place bound,” but many students are choosing to live in their communities while they further their education. DDP offers flexibility with online classes and degrees for students who are traveling or have busy lives and families. The program is easy to use for all circumstances.

The DDP is nationally known for its excellent student services. The directors and the dean of the program have been invited to speak at conferences about the effectiveness of their services. “The quality of the program as a whole enhances WSU’s image. More than 2000 Washington citizens can get a degree that they couldn’t get before.” said Janet R. Kendall, Ph.D., Director of Distance Degree Programs.

DDP sets itself apart and above other school’s distance programs with the all-online program technology and with their faculty devoted solely to distance students. DDP has its own staff at WSU that is progressively getting larger and more advanced as the program does. Some instructors teach both at WSU and through DDP, while some are only Distance instructors. DDP students get more interaction with faculty, and their success is built on outcomes. Students can easily reach Student Services when they have questions about their work, and their instructors when they have questions directly related to their classes.

Kendall mentioned that DDP will be growing in the future and that the new president wants to see it become a “Global Campus.” Kendall said, “This means we will increase the number of degrees and certificates that we offer and broaden the areas of study.”

Students taking online courses through DDP may never attend the Pullman campus, but many students need to leave Pullman and do not want to stop progressing in their education. “DDP allowed me to continue my education with WSU while I was at home in Seattle, so I didn’t miss a beat,” said Jade A. Sepolen, marketing major at WSU.

Many students taking DDP courses are returning to their education, other students like Sepolen attended the Pullman campus and want to take a break while still taking classes. “I like that it was flexible, I was able to work at the latte stand at any hours and still able to come do my school work anytime,” said Sepolen.

Some things Sepolen mentioned that she liked about the program were the user-friendly website and webct access, facilitating group activities with blackboard and the extra multimedia provided with certain classes. Sepolen also commented on the interaction with the faculty and instructors being very timely. “Feedback wasn’t always instant, but it was frequent.”

WSU’s Distance Degree Program can offer students an alternative to Pullman living, and can help build our campus across the nation.