By Tatsuya Hidano, junior

Two of the Friends University online degree programs began for the first time on March 1: the Bachelor of Organizational Management and Leadership (OML Online) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA Online).

“Anywhere, anytime,” Jay Johnson, MBA program director, said of the online classes.

Fifteen students enrolled in the MBA Online program, which is close to the number of MBA students on-ground, he said.

Many of the students enrolled in the programs have obligations outside school, such as traveling for work, he said. Because they cannot physically come to the campus during the hours classes are offered, the new programs will benefit the students.

During the past few years of offering some classes online, a need for online full degree programs through the University grew, and about a year ago the University initiated a process to realize it.

“We have been very successful over the years in what is our service area,” said Mark Sanborn, online director.

The University’s reputation led to many requests to offer more online and to reach students who cannot physically attend the school, he said.

“It was time for Friends University,” Sanborn said. “We're embarking on a very neat venture here.”

He added that one of the appealing things about the programs online is that international students can take the Friends courses while saving the time and trouble of moving to the U.S.

Friends faculty teach the classes, but Johnson sees a possibility from a management side that the University could find qualified professors anywhere in the world.

“It's just a real flexible program for us,” he said.

While the Learning House, an online education solution company, hosts the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the online programs can offer a pure form of education in which students can set their own goals and pace their learning, Johnson said.

This program, however, is not for everyone. He said some students may perform better in the classroom than online.

“It's hard to replace that classroom interaction,” he said. “But the majority of meaningful, deep learning comes from what they do for themselves.”

The University’s real challenge is to make sure that it gets the right students in the right place rather than trying to fill up seats in the classroom or online, Johnson said.

“Our curriculum is strong,” he said as he is satisfied that the University has made a commitment to online education in addition to what it offers on-ground. “We’ll be fine.”

A Masters of Arts in Teaching degree and a Management Information Systems degree are scheduled to launch in June.

For information, call 295-5300 or send an e-mail to learn@friends.edu.