Volume 1, Issue 4

September/October 2009

From a Distance...

Online Newsletter for Arkansas Distance Learning

Survey -- DE Coordinator Contacts
by Karen Liebhaber

Only eight people responded to the DE Coordinator Contacts. Higher ed is at a distinct disadvantage in that distance education is not centrally coordinated. I knew the communication between higher ed DE administrators was limited, but until I attended the ARDLA conference and visited with Cathi Swan, DL Coordinator for the state of Arkansas, I had no idea how limited our communication was.

Below is an attempt to gather some insight into how distance education is administered at the various higher education institutions around the state.

Job Titles	Department	Time Devoted to DE	Total Salary Range

Arkansas Tech University
Director of Technology Center	Technology Center	Fulltime, 12 month
University Help Desk	Campus Help Desk	Fulltime, 12 month
Technology Center Administrative Assistant	Technology Center	Fulltime, 12 month
Classroom Support Specialist	Technology Center	Fulltime, 12 month

NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Director of Distance Learning	DL Department	Fulltime, 12 month
Instructional Designer	DL Department	Fulltime, 12 month

Southeast Arkansas College
Moodle Distance Learning Carl Perkins Coordinator	Library & Distance Learning Division	Fulltime, 12 month 40% for DE	$40,000-$60,000 from DE budget
Library & Distance Learning Division IT Specialist	IT Department	Fulltime, 12 month 10% for DE	Classified

Southern Arkansas University Tech
Vice Chancellor for Information Technology (serves as director for DE)	IT Department	Fulltime, 12 month 50% for DE	$60,000-$80,000
Blackboard Administrator	IT Department	Fulltime, 12 month	$20,000-$40,000
Blackboard Technical Designer (and website)	IT Department	Fulltime, 12 month	$20,000-$40,000
Computer Support Specialist	IT Department	Fulltime, 12 month 25% for DE	$20,000-$40,000

ASU-Beebe
Distance Learning Director	DL Department	Fulltime, 12 month	$40,000-$60,000
Secretary	DL Department	Fulltime, 12 month	Grade 13
Multimedia Technical Controller (WebCT server admin)	DL Department	Fulltime, 12 month	Grade 16
Technical Support Technician	DL Department	Part time

University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service
Instructor - Instructional Design	Program and Staff Development Department	Fulltime, 12 month 75% for DE

Black River Technical College
DE Coordinator (director) Blackboard/Moodle System Administrator English Instructor	Academics	Fulltime, 10 month 40% for DE	$40,000-$60,000
DE/Blackboard Program Coordinator Blackboard/Moodle System administrator	Academics	Fulltime, 12 month	$20,000-$40,000

About the Author

Karen Powers Liebahber Karen Powers Liebhaber is the Distance Education Coordinator, Blackboard and Moodle System Administrator, and an instructor of English and literature at Black River Technical College. She earned a Master of Arts in English from Arkansas State University. She lives in Pocahontas with her husband and two children.