Support at Work Plays Role in Success of Online Degree Students

July 10, 2025 | by Heidi Wells, Global Campus

Everyone can use a cheerleader sometimes. Some students in online degree programs say support from others in their workplace helps on their path to success.

The average graduate student in an online degree program is 35 years old, and 81% work full time, according to the Global Campus annual report for fiscal year 2024. These working adults balance classes with work and family responsibilities.

A custodian at Ozark High School offers Jessica Culver a high-five every morning and calls her Dr. J, a little prematurely, she notes, with her graduation still a year away.

Krissy Lewis’ fellow professors at Pittsburg State University closely monitored her progress throughout the writing of her dissertation.

Connie Robbins talked with her supervisors before, during and after her graduate business degree program about how to use what she’s learning in class for her work.

The three women enjoyed support from their employers – and their students, in Culver’s case – as they worked their way toward earning graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas. Culver is two-thirds of the way through the Doctor of Education in Adult and Lifelong Learning, Lewis completed her Doctor of Education in Human Resource Development last December, and Robbins graduated this past spring earning an Executive Master of Business Administration.

The Adult and Lifelong Learning and Executive Master of Business Administration programs are both hybrids, meaning the course content is primarily delivered online but students come to campus for class once a semester and once each month, respectively. The Human Resource Development program is completely online.

Sharing with Students

Culver plans to finish her degree next spring, and her 11^th-grade students this year will also graduate in the spring of 2026. She has won several scholarships, including the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship awarded by the Global Campus at the U of A and the Parsons-Burnett Retired Teachers Scholarship. She received the scholarship from the retired teachers’ group several times.

But, her students’ support stands out as much as the financial assistance she received. They are so excited for her that there is no way she could disappoint them by stopping short of getting the degree, she explained. She teaches civics, economics and concurrent college credit history courses. In addition to her juniors, she also teaches seniors. She’s a first-generation college student who has a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees.

“It’s really exciting for my students to know I was just like them,” Culver said. “I was a first-generation college student, and I went all the way to a doctorate. I think they see themselves in me sometimes. That’s really cool. ‘If she can do it, I could do it.’”

Culver said her mother went to college and earned a degree after she did. Students can relate to her when they are struggling in class because she talks to them about times she has struggled, Culver said.

“Students are always asking me how it’s going,” she said. “They are staying on top of me and holding me accountable.”

Scholarly Work

Lewis teaches online as an assistant instructional professor for workforce development at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. She benefited from funds a generous donor gave her department to use for faculty members’ professional development. That money paid for half of her tuition. Also, because part of her performance evaluation as a faculty member is scholarly activity, she was able to use some of her time to work on her doctorate.

“The dissertation process weighs on you,” she said. “You think, ‘Can I get through this?’ I was fortunate to be at PSU surrounded by such a great group of people supporting me on my career. We definitely support any type of lifelong learning. As professors, you have to continue learning.”

That support from colleagues really kicked in, Lewis said, when she finished her coursework and began her dissertation. They checked in frequently, asking her where she was in the process, when she was doing her writing, how the chapters were coming along, how data collection was coming along and how much writing she got done since they last saw each other.

Lewis combined this support with help and encouragement from family and fellow students for a winning combination. She walked at the December commencement, made more special because she met for the first time a friend she made in her program.

“My support was above average,” she said, “but it came with work, too. This does not happen by itself. You can’t expect to get help if you don’t give help.”

Getting Down to Business

Robbins began working as associate director of accounting in the Sam M. Walton College of Business three years ago. She went to her supervisor when she was thinking of enrolling in the EMBA to ask for advice. Since then, she has talked with other employees in the Accounting Center about how to use the knowledge she was learning.

Her office celebrated her graduation in May by throwing her a party complete with a charcuterie board. She manages and coordinates staff procurement and travel.

She already holds two master’s degrees, so the demands of graduate education were not new to her. She got the go-ahead at work before enrolling and asked for advice about which of the six tracks available to follow for the EMBA. Based on that discussion, she chose the business analytics track.

“I asked if they had suggestions about the best one to take in my role,” Robbins said. “I am trying to apply everything I’ve learned to the job.”

She called upon her supervisor’s supervisor during the first summer course when she needed to get in touch with people in another area of the university for a project.

“She said she would be glad to help and paved the way for me to get what I needed,” Robbins said.

More discussions followed on how she could use what she has learned, and now she plans to use what she learned from a programming course to assist with reports her office is required to create.

Robbins keeps herself accountable but if she ever expressed doubt about a test or project or got discouraged, her co-workers spoke up.

“People said you can do it, you will do fine,” she said, “and in the long run, I did.”

Variety of Programs

The University of Arkansas offers more than 100 online programs that include degrees, licensure and certificates.

U of A ONLINE programs are designed by academic departments on the Fayetteville campus to offer students another path to earning a degree from a top-tier public research university. Online programs provide flexibility to balance family, work and school responsibilities. Students do not have to put their lives on hold while working toward a better one.

Learn more on the ONLINE website. The Global Campus also offers the service of online student liaisons six days a week to answer questions.

Photo of Heidi Wells

Heidi Wells

Content Strategist

Heidi Wells is the content strategist for the Global Campus at the University of Arkansas and editor of The Online Learner. Her writing spans more than 30 years as a communicator at the U of A and a reporter and editor at Arkansas newspapers. Wells earned two degrees from the U of A: a master's in 2013 and a bachelor's in 1988.

Wells can be reached at heidiw@uark.edu or 479-575-7239.

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University of Arkansas ONLINE programs are designed by academic departments on the Fayetteville campus to offer you another path to earning a degree from a top-tier public research university. Online programs give you the flexibility to balance family, work and school responsibilities. You do not have to put your life on hold while working toward a better one.

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