The University of Nevada, Reno educational landscape is constantly evolving, and recently, the demand for digital learning opportunities has increased as more students look for accessible ways to take classes and find resources. In response, the University has developed a new department called Nevada Online that recently officially launched. Carley Ries, the new vice provost of Online Learning, spoke about the program and the possibilities it brings to students everywhere.

So, what is Nevada Online? Ries dives into this exciting initiative, and how it will impact the way students find online courses and faculty create course content online. 

“Nevada Online is a new unit specializing in supporting faculty with online course development and delivery,” Ries said. “This full-service department is a vital resource for faculty seeking to expand their courses into a fully online modality. Instructional designers, technologists, multimedia, videography and more are available to support faculty with online course delivery and best practices. Nevada Online eases the lift of developing online courses as we help faculty upload course materials and offer cutting-edge learning tools. In the near future, the unit will also be supporting both prospective and current students with information, support and the like to ensure we are catering to our online learner audience.”

By giving faculty the ability to create courses and upload class content, students will now have access to a broad set of academic opportunities that fit their schedules. Students who work full-time, who are located outside of Reno or even who want to get an extra certificate while completing undergraduate courses will now have the opportunity to study without being tied to a specific class schedule.

“Nevada Online’s mission is to offer flexible online educational opportunities to students who may be time/place-bound,” Ries said. “By offering additional courses, programs and fully online degrees, the University of Nevada, Reno is able to expand its footprint to learners who are unable to attend on-campus University programs for a variety of reasons. In essence, Nevada Online is meeting the needs of a diverse learner audience by coming to them within a modality that fits the learner’s schedule.”

Since launching, Ries and her team have worked to create holistic, interdisciplinary programming encompassing many fields and degrees. Throughout this project, they have identified popular degrees, certificate programs and courses from which students can benefit, whether out of a need for education for their career or a general curiosity to keep learning outside of school.

“Within the few months Nevada Online has been in existence, it has been working feverishly to ensure additional online opportunities are available to a variety of learners,” Ries said. “Numerous minors, more Silver Core courses, certificates at the graduate and undergraduate level, and fully online bachelor’s and graduate degrees are all coming online beginning in fall 2024 and beyond. A new website will be developed to indicate all online programs, degrees and courses offered.” 

Ries has been working in higher education for over 26 years and has personally seen how the educational landscape has dramatically shifted. Looking to the future, she hopes to expand course opportunities for students and to offer a flexible learning option. Eventually, the hope is to have a curriculum for anyone interested in using education as a tool in a way that may open new doors to new avenues in their lives.

“Over the past 10 years, higher education has transformed where online learning has increased with both students enrolled and institutions offering online courses and programs to meet the needs of non-traditional and working learners,” Ries stated. “Even traditional on-campus students occasionally need the flexibility to further their education and take an online course to stay on track to degree completion. Many students have jobs and personal life demands that may interfere with course offerings. Nevada Online expands the educational reach to all!

“Over the next decade, the number of opportunities will most likely expand, and online opportunities will continue to take all forms as many institutions are trying to meet the needs of the adult learner by creating stackable, bite-size options. The best part is that online learners do not all need to take the same pathway. Some online learners may be seeking skills, credentials, upskilling for promotions or full degrees. There is no one pathway that fits all adult learners. Thus, the University of Nevada, Reno must stay abreast of the various adult learner needs and meet them where they need the University most, on their schedule.”

Her aspirations extend beyond the classroom and into the workforce. Ries hopes that as course offerings expand, the Nevada Online team will be able to work with local organizations to share opportunities for employees to extend their knowledge and further their careers with the support they need.

“Nevada Online hopes to partner with many industry leaders to ensure companies are supporting their employees’ educational needs, not only offering such opportunities to their employees, but financially supporting such needs to ensure their employees further their education while they complete their educational pathway debt free. The goal of Nevada Online is to increase and expand our Wolf Pack Family throughout the state and beyond.”