Year 3
The University of Arkansas is passionate about our land-grant mission to serve our home state and its people. Online degree programs make education accessible to those who cannot leave their hometowns to come to Fayetteville.
In May 2024, more than 690 students applied for graduation after studying in online degree programs. In June 2024, the Razorbug Diploma Tour traveled across Arkansas for a third year in a row to deliver framed diplomas to 16 Arkansans who studied online while living and working in their hometowns. Graduates shared their individual journeys and explained what it’s like to study online.
"I happened into social work by talking with some friends. I stayed on this path as I learned that I could make a difference for people in the classroom or school setting without being a teacher. I feel like this path has given me the opportunity to support families in work and the personal time to spend with my loved ones."
"Take your time and be sure you know that this is something you want to do. Don't go in there and think that it's going to be very easy, and you're going to breeze through it. Be sure you're dedicated to this program, and you will do wonderful."
"I could come and go as I wanted. I put aside a certain time to do my assignments. That was convenient, especially while working. I moved back home to be around family and friends."
"It is the most desired degree in this discipline. I thought, why not become a master of one of the emerging issues in law? Who knows what I will get to do? I'm ready!"
"We cover every aspect to manage your home, whether for individuals or families. Each county has a person to assess the needs of that community. We try to improve quality of life using research-based information based on whatever people need. We tailor everything we do to today's needs. We wear a lot of hats but it's a lot of fun."
"Part of what I do is programming, and the majority of my co-workers are electrical engineers. When working with electricity, I wanted a deeper understanding of what I was doing. With Dr. McCann, I was really able to dive into the mathematics behind the programming I do. If I wanted to pursue more advanced processing controls, I have more understanding. The degree opens doors to future opportunities."
"What we have encountered with our students is that many fell through the cracks of school systems because they had an undiagnosed learning disability. We found ways to help them create accommodations for themselves, even without an official diagnosis. We cannot provide a diagnosis for them, but we can direct them to helpful resources and practitioners who can."
"It's a blend of business with engineering that addresses skills you need in management, including decision-making and risk management."
“I was first interested in the homeland security graduate certificate that took 12 hours. I thought, why not take the operations management degree for 30 hours? It was well worth the work to get the full degree.”
32
Counties Visited
2,250
Miles Traveled
8
Days of Presenting
14
Academic Presenters
5
Front-page
Newspaper Stories
2
Television Reports
Presenters
Phil Jones |
Magazine Russellville |
Kay Murphy |
Nashville Magnolia El Dorado |
Tim Killian |
Camden |
Donna Graham |
Arkadelphia |
Mitchell Dowden |
Little Rock |
Alishia Ferguson |
DeWitt Searcy |
Kerry Melton |
Lonoke Bono Paragould |
Patty Milner |
Wilson Blytheville |
Collaborators
Academic Colleges |
Presented the diplomas |
Office of Admissions |
Loaned us the Razorbug |
Office of the Registrar |
Printed diplomas |
U of A Bookstore |
Ordered the diploma frames |
University Relations |
Helped promote the tour |
Video |
Kris Katrosh |
Global Campus |
Multiple Teams: Graduation data, travel arrangements, media production, information technology, photography |