Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) president David G. Behrs, Ph.D., has announced that the College received approval from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to launch Woods Online, a new, fully-online undergraduate degree program. This new program will give students all over the world the opportunity to earn a degree from The Woods completely online.

“In these economic times, having a college degree is so critical to getting ahead and building a career,” Behrs said. “Woods Online will give students from all over the world an opportunity to connect - in an accessible, convenient way - to the high-quality faculty and education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. The online format will empower them to earn a college degree or complete a degree that they have already started.”

The College's first distance education program, the Woods External Degree (WED) program, was introduced in 1973 to allow students to set their own pace and work individually in a highly-personalized degree program. SMWC drew on its 35 years of experience in distance education to develop Woods Online, which uses interactive technology and a virtual classroom environment to provide peer support and feedback. Accelerated 8-week sessions allow students to attend college full-time and graduate in four years or less. The program is open to both women and men.

Two majors, business administration, and computer information systems, will be available through Woods Online in January 2010, and majors in accounting, digital journalism, human resource management and marketing will be launched by August 2010. For all majors offered through Woods Online, the general studies classes will be taught with an overarching theme of “Leadership for Environmental and Social Justice.” Through this themed general studies program, students will collaborate in meaningful ways through a curriculum that integrates environmental and social justice problems from the 21st century.

“Within the themed general studies are seven themes that have been developed from ‘The Earth Charter,' ‘The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,' and ‘Themes of Catholic Social Teaching,'” said Jennie Mitchell, Ph.D., director of the Woods Online program. “The themes range from promotion of peace and responsibility toward sustaining the environment to elimination of discrimination and the right to fair compensation. These are the types of issues and problems that leaders will need to solve in the 21st century on a global scale, so we felt it was important to find a way to incorporate these themes into the curriculum.”

The theme of responsibility toward sustaining the environment is even applied to the way the Woods Online program is delivered. Because the program is completely online, the program format eliminates the need for students to commute to campus or the College library, reducing each student's “carbon footprint.” In addition, electronic textbooks are included in tuition, and the online quizzes and collaborative Internet projects keep the program paperless.

The College is also working to make higher education affordable. SMWC offers a variety of grants and financial aid for distance students, including the Corporate Connections discount, a 10% tuition discount for employees of Corporate Connection Partners; Ivy Tech Grants, grants available to Ivy Tech graduates continuing their education in our distance programs; and the Military/Veteran Spouse Grant, a $3,000 grant award to the spouse of military service members who have served on active duty or are currently serving in the reserves. In addition, the College recently announced that it would be participating in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program on the undergraduate and graduate levels. Effective August 1 for the 2009-10 school year, SMWC's participation in this program is made possible by the passage of the new post 9/11 GI Bill.

Applications are being accepted now for Woods Online. To apply or learn more, contact the SMWC Office of Distance Education Admission at 800-499-0373, 812-535-5104 or distance@smwc.edu. More information is also available online at www.smwc.edu/woodsonline.