ECU Online Degree Programs Enhanced with New Partnership

ADA, OK (01/10/2019) East Central University has entered a partnership which should enhance online degree pursuits for students.

In an attempt to meet the growing need to build, launch and scale in-demand online degrees, ECU will partner with the Learning House, a leading online program manager, to provide more online options.

Learning House will support ECU to deliver transformative online education aligned with employment and careers that improve the lives of the students. ECU will leverage Learning House's full suite of student lifecycle and faculty-centric services, resulting in further expansion of existing online programs, plus the launch of future programs in market-driven industries.

ECU currently has online graduate programs in library media, educational leadership, educational technology, sports administration and water resource policy and management.

The university will partner with Learning House to bring new undergraduate programs online in education, business, social work, nursing and kinesiology.

"Having these additional online degree programs will enable students to work toward their educational goals without sacrificing their current responsibilities," said ECU President Dr. Katricia G. Pierson. "We found that there are many who would like to continue their education but are unable to do so because of work and family obligations. This is an avenue they can explore."

ECU Associate Provost and Graduate Dean Dr. Adrianna Lancaster and Dr. Kate Lang, dean and professor of ECU's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, will work closely with faculty and staff as the process moves forward.

"Of the four online program management companies investigated last spring, The Learning House most closely aligned with our mission, core values and commitment to academic excellence and student success and we had quality interactions with Learning House executives and staff," said ECU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Carol Linder.

Among the quality highlights of the partnership are shared commitment to best-practices in delivering online education, shared commitment to preserving faculty freedom and comprehensive faculty support for instructional design and curriculum development. The partnership will also take into account the changing demographics of the region that ECU has traditionally served.

"We're thrilled to welcome East Central University to the Learning House family," said Todd Zipper, president and CEO of Learning House. "We are proud to bring our research-backed, tech-enabled solutions and services to deliver affordable and accessible education that is aligned to workforce demands."

Learning House, a Wiley brand, helps people improve their lives through education. As a compliment to the technology-enabled education solutions offered by Wiley Education Services, they partner with more than 60 institutions across the United States, Europe and Australia and support over 600 degree programs.

Wiley is a global leader in research and education. Wiley's online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals and its digital learning, assessment, certification and student-lifecycle services and solutions help universities, academic societies, businesses, governments and individuals to achieve their academic and professional goals.

To access the Wiley company website go to www.wiley.com or to see the Learning House website go to learninghouse.com/.

-ECU-