WESTERN AWARDED OKLAHOMA DISTANCE LEARNING AWARD

Lisa Greenlee, dean of arts and sciences; Carol Kendrix, dean of
technical education; Mark Dodson, WOSC Board of Regents chair;
and Kent Brooks, dean of information services and chief technology
officer, are pictured with the Oklahoma Distance Learning
Association’s special project award for nursing services.

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Western Oklahoma State College was recently awarded the Oklahoma Distance Learning Association’s Special Distance Learning Award for unique achievement in alleviating the nursing shortage in southwest Oklahoma.

The nomination for this special award reads as follows: “A unique public private partnership between Western Oklahoma State College and six Southwestern Oklahoma hospitals has increased the number of nursing graduates from 24 in 2003 to 70 in 2007. Using a team teaching approach, interactive television as the core, web technologies (including web 2.0 tools) and advanced instructional support, Western has used a teach teaching approach at a distance to expand the number of nursing graduates available in Southwestern Oklahoma. This program is now established in Lawton, Elk City and Duncan using financial resources from area hospitals, grants and local funds to develop a ‘high-tech high touch’ vision that has become reality. Additional paths for career advancement have been created for students in career tech LPN programs as well as increased collaboration with four-year nursing programs.”