Range Rider

RANGE RIDER | FALL-WINTER 2017 25 undergraduate life, but want to gain credentials and training that fit their busy working schedules. “We’re following the footprints where we see God leading us in higher ed,” said Dr. Scott Hamm, Director of Online Education and Assistant Professor of Education. “Students can get a degree anywhere, but they can’t get the HSU difference anywhere else. We offer students more individualized attention. That’s the big part of being smaller.” Dr. Hamm and other administration officials recently decided to dramatically lower tuition rates for the online KSPR and MBA programs for the 2018-2019 school year – far below those of most competing universities. Costs per hour will drop from $750 to $495 next year, making HSU’s programs fantastic values in addition to providing the family culture unique to Hardin-Simmons. With new innovations like VoiceThread and Flipgrid, students and professors can record audio and video responses instead of just text posts. This technology allows professors to more personally encourage students in an online setting. “The professors don’t just leave a grade for you,” said Ronald Hill ‘16, online KSPR student. “They always leave comments and send you emails to help you do better. You don’t have to seek them out. They seek you out.” Dr. Hamm is confident that Hardin- Simmons will continue to grow its online programs as a part of its Christian mission. “In Acts 1:8, Jesus commands his disciples to take the good news to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” he said. “Notice that he said you take it to them, not necessarily that they come to you. Online education allows us to take the Christian difference of HSU into the world, giving access to people who live beyond the Forty Acres.” The Kelley College of Business offers “THE PROFESSORS DON’T JUST LEAVE A GRADE FOR YOU— YOU DON’T HAVE TO SEEK THEM OUT. THEY SEEK YOU OUT.” Dr. Scott Hamm, Director of Online Education, Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Jennifer Plantier, Program Director for Masters of Business Administration, Associate Professor of Business and Marketing Chaluza Kapaale, Undergraduate Programs Chair, Assistant Professor of the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing