UTA Magazine Online

Jim Hartless needed resources of a different kind.

Three years ago, he made a pact with his wife. She’d support the family financially while he pursued a college degree — but only if he finished as fast as he could. So at age 35, Hartless began an intensive academic journey that culminated in May when he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics and a minor in history.

“I think I took one-half of one summer off,” said the nine-year Navy veteran and father of two daughters.

Not even the Christmas holidays could slow his breakneck pace. Hartless took three courses during Wintersession, a three-week miniterm between the fall and spring semesters. He added another short course, this one during Maymester between the spring and summer sessions, giving him 12 credit hours in 12 weeks.

“That’s a whole semester worth of courses,” he said, the fruits of his labor finally sinking in. “These compressed semesters are great if you’re in the right subject and have the right instructor.”

Minisemester offerings have grown from a handful of courses in winter 1998 to 70 in the most recent Maymester. More choices attract more students: Enrollment has increased 50 percent to almost 1,500.

“We’ve experienced growth with each term,” said Dunn, who proposed the idea after conducting a survey among liberal arts students. “It’s been an overwhelming success. I think it’s one of the most positive things we’ve done over the past several years.”

Although he didn’t realize it when he registered, one of Hartless’ Wintersession courses was a distance education offering. He watched taped lectures of political science Associate Professor Michael Moore’s American government class, read the chapters and took the tests — all from the comfort of his Arlington home.

“I loved it because I could work on it any time I wanted to,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times it was 11 or 12 at night, everybody else was in bed, and I’d go watch a couple of lectures. It was cool.”

Distance education, a major factor in UTA’s enrollment surge, includes not only Internet offerings but also video teleconferencing, videotape/broadcast TV and face-to-face instruction away from the main campus. Total enrollment in distance education courses has increased steadily, with the greatest gains coming via the Internet, where course selections and enrollment have doubled in the past two years.

“Internet-based education has assisted in enrollment increases every semester since 1998,” said distance education Director Pete Smith. “Distance education is popular due to its incredible flexibility. Students study when they want, where they want and in ways that meet their study abilities and schedules.

“Our farthest-flung student this semester is in Micronesia. So, in fact, UTA’s influence extends around the globe.”

The University offers more than 60 Internet courses, and 10 degrees can be completed entirely online. Recent additions include a master’s in public administration, which begins this fall, and a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice.

And there’s quality along with quantity. U.S. News & World Report has named UTA online graduate programs in engineering, business and education among the nation’s best.

An overall increase in degree programs — both online and the traditional on-campus variety — has created more options for students. Over the past five years, bachelor’s degree offerings have increased 53 percent, master’s 22 percent and Ph.Ds. 36 percent. In all, the University offers 192 degrees.

“We are an evolving comprehensive research institution,” Dunn said. “As such, we want a full range of academic programs at all levels.”

That range includes recent graduate degrees in physiology of exercise, interdisciplinary science for teachers and music education, as well as undergraduate additions in software engineering and communication with a technology focus. A nursing Ph.D. will be added this fall.