Fredrick Hurst, Northern Arizona University, Wins Award for Achievements in eLearning
Boulder, CO (PRWEB) November 15, 2013 -- The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies is pleased to announce that Dr. Fred Hurst, senior vice president for Extended Campuses at Northern Arizona University, has been honored with the Richard Jonsen Award at their Silver Anniversary annual meeting on November 15, 2013 in Denver, CO. The Richard Jonsen Award is given annually to a WCET member whose career has been committed to improving postsecondary educational programs and services through innovative uses of technology as well as for exceptional service to WCET.
Hurst, a long-time educator and innovator, is known for his leadership in a number of transformative initiatives in American post-secondary education. Most recently, he has led the administrative and faculty teams that have created a ground-breaking “university within a university” at Northern Arizona University through their new Personalized Learning Initiative. This program is one of four in the nation selected by the Higher Learning Commission to evaluate direct assessment alternatives for degree completion. Also under Fred’s direction, the Northern Arizona University Extended Campuses have developed an innovative accelerated degree program for adult students, growing Extended Campus enrollments to over 7,700 per semester.
His career in higher education and technology includes serving as the Founding Executive Director of the Florida Public Postsecondary Distance Learning Institute where he developed “Florida’s Campus,” a web-based electronic catalog of all of Florida’s public higher education distance learning courses and degree programs. In the late 1980s, Hurst and his colleagues helped establish the Educational Network of Maine, one of the country’s first statewide educational video networks that served higher education, K-12 education and libraries. Recently he was appointed by the U.S. House of Representatives to serve on the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. His service to WCET includes serving on the Steering Committee, Executive Council, and on the faculty for WCET’s Managing Distance Education summer programs.
“We have been so very fortunate to have had Fred Hurst be such an active member and supporter of WCET over the years. We directly and indirectly benefit from both his vision and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get things done. The new personalized learning program that Fred and his team have recently launched is a critically important new development in higher education” noted Ellen Wagner, executive director of WCET. “We are proud of his accomplishments and very pleased to acknowledge his contribution to our organization and to the field.”
The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) is a cooperative, membership-driven, non-profit provider of solutions and services that accelerate the adoption of effective practices and policies, advancing excellence in technology-enhanced teaching and learning in higher education. More information about WCET’s institutional membership resources, services and common interest groups can be found on WCET’s website, http://wcet.wiche.edu.
Cali Morrison, Manager, Communications, WCET, WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, http://wcet.wiche.edu, +1 (303) 541-0234, [email protected]
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