www.eVersity.com

AnnualReport

2019

“College should be hard, but going to college should not be.”

- Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer at eVersity, on simplifying the business end of attending college so students can focus on coursework.

eVersity.edu

Contents

Index

Our Story: ..................................................................................................................... 02UA System leadership saw an opportunity to serve the more than 356,000 Arkansans with some college but no degree Our Values: .................................................................................................................... 03Staying true to our original four values continues to serve us wellOur History: .................................................................................................................. 04Running a state-of-the-art, fully online institution out of a mid-19th-century log cabin? Sure, why not? Our Mission: .................................................................................................................. 05No matter what we’re doing, our mission has a seat at the table Our Vision: .................................................................................................................... 05Providing accessible, relevant, affordable and high-quality educational opportunities Our Degrees: ................................................................................................................ 06Five in-demand degree programs for students to choose from Our Greetings: ............................................................................................................... 07A message from Dr. Michael Moore, chief academic/operating officer at eVersityOur Leadership: ............................................................................................................. 08See who’s helping shape the institutionOur Feature: ................................................................................................................. 10What’s new in 2019? We became more self-sufficient, for one thingOur Students: ................................................................................................................ 11Success stories about our hardworking students is what keeps us going Our Savings: ................................................................................................................. 12We save our students more than $1 million per year in tuition, fees and books Our Coursework: ........................................................................................................... 13Winning national awards for producing engaging coursework is what we doOur Numbers: ............................................................................................................... 14This is how we know what we’re doing is workingOur Hope: ..................................................................................................................... 16To continue to fine-tune our creative business model to better serve studentsOur Contacts: ................................................................................................................ 17How to reach out to us if you have any questions or comments about what we do

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Our Story The University of Arkansas Sytsem eVersity is an accredited, 100 percent-online institution geared specifically toward providing a world-class student experience

The eVersity Difference The University of Arkansas System eVersity embraces the opportunity to seriously rethink education. This involves rethinking how to develop and deliver programs for adults who seek a chance – or perhaps a second chance – to earn a higher education credential that will improve their lives and change their futures.

Students are at the forefront of all decisions at eVersity. The curriculum, support services, admissions and academic advising are designed to maximize the chance for student success. Each student has a unique story, which requires understanding and customizing support to help students make progress on their individual academic journeys.

The programs offered by eVersity are intentionally aimed at filling employer demands for qualified workers with demonstrated competencies. The curriculum is designed with stackable, latticed credentials. Instruction is delivered in a 100 percent-online format that provides learning flexibility with built-in resource support. Courses are developed using pedagogical and support strategies shown to increase the success of adult students.

About eVersity eVersity is a fully online university within the University of Arkansas System. It is the only public university in the state and one of few in the nation exclusively offering online programs with a full complement of customized online student support services.

It is approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board (AHECB) to offer degree programs and is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor of institutions of higher education. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) also recognizes the DEAC. This recognition affirms that the standards and procedures of accrediting organizations meet the academic quality, institutional improvement, and accountability expectations CHEA has established.

We’re proud to be one of the most affordable, highest-quality online institutions in the country aimed at providing an opportunity for adult working learners to earn a college degree.

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In support of its mission and vision, eVersity is committed to four core values:

High QualityFaculty from across the University of Arkansas System set learning expectations, develop the courses and teach the classes at the same high level as they do on campus. eVersity provides 100 percent-online support needed by students to succeed.

AccessibleStudents can access courses 24/7 and courses last six weeks and are completed 100 percent online. As students move from one credential to the next, they do so without losing any credits and with the full support of skilled academic support staff.

AffordableCost of attendance is considerably less than that of most universities nationwide and without hidden fees. Since delivery and support are 100 percent online, students do not pay for health clinics, campus police, manicured grounds or athletic fields. Tuition covers the cost of course instruction and academic support services designed specifically for online learners. In addition, courses make use of open educational resources where possible, to eliminate the expense of textbooks.

RelevantHigh-demand, workplace-relevant degrees that deliver the skills employers require for students to be successful in today’s competitive marketplace.

Our Values

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Our History About Us

Cabin Life Since the late 1990s, the University of Arkansas System colleges and universities have offered fully online courses and degree programs as a function of their institutional mission, available resources, faculty participation and student demand. These online programs meet the definition of “distance education” as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. The online offerings of University of Arkansas System campus-based institutions typically serve students within the institutions’ campus-based populations who choose online courses as a more convenient scheduling option. However, a large population is not served by the online offerings of campus-based institutions. The Lumina Foundation estimates there are 325,000 Arkansans that have some college, but no college degree. Many of these individuals are unable to attend a traditional college campus due to time, distance, or situational restrictions; they need a 100 percent-online alternative to complete a degree.To address this need, the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas passed a resolution in March 2014 to establish a fully online university. Long-term sustainability of online public education to serve the post-traditional learner was the driving force behind eVersity’s creation. In October 2014, the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board (AHECB) approved eVersity to offer degrees in collaboration with and under the authority of the existing institutions in the University of Arkansas System while eVersity sought independent accreditation. Arkansas Act 306 of 2015 acknowledged eVersity as an “entirely online institution of

the University of Arkansas System, which may offer certificates and degree programs in a manner that recognizes a systemic change from the traditional model for higher education.”During the inception stages of eVersity, the University of Arkansas System launched a series of focus groups

around the state led by Michael Moore, University of Arkansas System vice president for academic affairs and Daniel Ferritor, then the University of Arkansas System vice president for learning technology. The aim of the focus groups was to align eVersity’s program offerings with employer needs and economic opportunities. The focus groups were held on

all University of Arkansas System campuses and included faculty, students, community representatives and employers. Feedback from the focus groups and analysis of market research resulted in the development of the eVersity programs of study in Business, Information Technology, Healthcare Management, Criminal Justice and University Studies (an interdisciplinary degree). The courses that make up eVersity’s programs of study have parallel courses offered on the campuses of University of Arkansas System institutions. All eVersity courses are taught by faculty who are, or were, associated with the University of Arkansas System.When accreditation was obtained in 2018, independent degree-granting authority was vested in eVersity, and the intstitution awards students degrees upon completion following every six-week term and will host its own ceremony for the first time in June 2020.

We began taking

applications in Fall 2015

and launched courses in

January 2016

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Our Vision

Our MissionAbout Us

Preparing students to complete their educational goals by developing a personal strategies framework.

Reducing the administrative work generally required of students to attend and complete college, thus freeing them to focus their efforts on learning.

Reducing the cost of education by using open educational resources (OER), whenever possible.

Linking students to technology and learning resources.

Providing proactive individualized academic support based on student learning analytics.

Nudging students to higher levels of academic achievement based on individual performance and progress measures.

Continually improving teaching and learning through innovative practice.

The mission of the University of Arkansas System eVersity is to provide high quality, accessible, affordable, online education relevant to the modern workplace. Qualified faculty develop and deliver rigorous certificate and degree programs that utilize rich data analytics to enhance student success and achievement. The university is committed to continual improvement of the craft of teaching through practice and scholarship and to serving our public communities by providing timely, interesting and useful educational material.

eVersity seeks to achieve its mission of optimizing online learning for adults by:

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Our Degrees

The mission of the University of Arkansas System eVersity is to provide high-quality, accessible, affordable, online education relevant to its Degree Programs.

eVersity offers associate and bachelor’s degree programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Health Care Management, Information Technology and University Studies. Students who select plans in Business, Health Care Management and Information Technology can choose from either the professional or academic degree path. The professional path includes embedded certificates so that students earn relevant credentials as they progress toward degree completion.

Students who choose to complete a bachelor’s degree in any program area will be awarded an associate degree upon completion of eVersity’s academic and residency requirements if they don’t already hold an associate degree.

eVersity is approved to award Certificates of Proficiency (CP), Technical Certificates (TC), Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees, an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, Associate of Science degrees (AS), Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Certificates are not stand-alone programs, they are embedded in the Professional Associate and Bachelor’s degrees and are milestones along the path of degree completion that our students love to see as motivation to keep progressing.

Healthcare Management

Criminal Justice

Business

Information Technology

University Studies

In the rapidly growing and dynamic field of healthcare management, careers in clinic management and healthcare leadership are within reach with your eVersity education.

Through a multi-disciplinary approach, eVersity equips criminal justice graduates with marketable job skills in police practice and management, juvenile justice and the legal system.

From ownership of a small business to employment at national and international businesses, eVersity will help you obtain skills in areas such as accounting, marketing, management, and economics, among others.

With a career-oriented curriculum covering everything from computer maintenance to development and data mining, eVersity can open doors to a wide range of opportunities in information technology.

For students seeking a well-rounded general education suitable for a variety of careers, eVersity offers University Studies. Develop the skills most important to employers such as critical-thinking, communication and problem-solving.

5 In-Demand Options

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Michael Moore, Ph.DOur Greetings

Chief Academic/Operating Officer, eVersity

Welcome to the University of Arkansas System eVersity. Founded in 2014 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, we were challenged to rethink the way a college should operate. We’ve answered that call by building a university from the ground up, and had perhaps our most significant year yet in 2019.

As you’ll read more about later in this report, we relied on friends within the UA System to help us get off the ground and become a fully accredited institution. While our students were getting most of the eVersity experience that we aim to provide through things that were in our control, there were still other areas we were not able to offer in-house. I’m proud to report that we now offer all of our student support services, payment, financial aid processing and enrollment efforts on our own. My team has worked incredibly hard to make this happen, and I’m very pleased that we can now focus on providing the best possible experience for students from application to graduation and beyond.

Earning a college degree requires a great deal of work. Our nationally award-winning courses, which you’ll read about us winning again in 2019, are taught by qualified faculty and are rigorous and well-put together. Our students can expect to be challenged to reach their full potential. We want 100 percent of their effort to be placed on learning. To foster a focused learning environment, we have removed the bureaucratic obstacles that too often frustrate and derail students. In short, we believe, “College should be hard. Going to college should not be.”

Our highest priority remains helping students reach their educational goals. We happily acknowledge that we are different from other universities. You cannot move forward by standing still. We have embraced the rare opportunity to build a new university to create a special place for serious adult learners who are willing to work hard to achieve their educational goals. Our commitment to students is to continue to use innovative methods to improve their chances at academic success to pave a path to a better way of living.

Michael K. Moore, Ph.D.Chief Academic/Operating Officermmoore@eversity.edu

In 2019, we brought all of our student support services, financial aid processing and payment in-house. It’s just one more way we can help continually improve the student experience.

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Our Leadership

Meet the Team

From the ground up, we have designed eVersity with students in mind. Our programs of study are affordable, accessible, and prepare students to advance in many of the most vibrant industries in our economy. Get to know the Executive Leaders devoted to student success.

Kim BradfordDirector of Institutional Assurance As the leader of accreditation and regulatory compliance, Kim shepherds eVersity’s mission, vision, core values and objectives through continual alignment of processes based on the institution’s quality assurance framework. A seasoned administrator with a broad background in public and private higher education spanning 35 years, Kim ensures that quality indicators from all areas are used to guide institutional response and innovations for student success. Holding degrees in education from two University of Arkansas System institutions, Kim is recognized as the first female and youngest college president in the state. Kim has served national and regional accrediting bodies as a peer reviewer.

Jay ParkerDirector of TechnologyJay is an information technology professional with more than 20 years of experience. His career has included IT leadership positions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Mississippi State University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. Outside of higher education, he has also worked at a Wall Street investment bank as a professional services consultant for Red Hat, one of the world’s leading open-source software companies. On a daily basis, he’s a technology “jack of all trades,” helping the eVersity staff deal with its many unique challenges.

Alexandra TubbsDirector of Financial Aid Alex joined eVersity in 2014 and helped it launch in the fall of 2015. She loved the idea of being a part of building a 100 percent-online institution from the ground up and having the ability to think outside of the box to streamline the financial aid process for students. Alex has been instrumental in eVersity gaining the regulatory green light to uniquely process financial aid packages for students and provide opportunities for working adults who need her help. With more than a decade of experience in her field, she earned a bachelor’s degree at Henderson State University and a Master’s in College Student Personnel from Arkansas Tech University.

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Adam DavisDirector of the Student ExperienceAdam joined eVersity in 2015 with an extensive history in higher education and online learning. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Western Kentucky University (WKU) and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. He’s also a proud military veteran, having served in Iraq. Adam’s daily contact with students and his leadership of the eVersity advising team have been instrumental to the institution’s extraordinarily high rate of student success.

Steven HowellDirector of Student Onboarding and RecordsAn Arkansas native, Steven’s focus is student-centric through his work guiding students from the first steps of the admission application to watching them walk across the stage with their diplomas. Steven obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) and a Master of Science from Colorado State University, Global Campus. Steven came to eVersity in late 2014 from a background in serving both traditional and non-traditional student bodies with more than 10 years of experience in the student services division of UALR and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Dan ShislerDirector of MarketingDan has more than 19 years of experience in the area of communications, digital marketing and analytics. In his prior position within the UA System at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Dan led the oversight of the institution’s website redesign and directed several of its innovative digital enhancements. Dan brings a positive, entrepreneurial and innovative spirit to the eVersity team and its goal of identifying the more than 356,000 Arkansans with some college and no degree.

Nate HinkelDirector of CommunicationsAs director of communications for the University of Arkansas System and eVersity, Nate has been a part of helping craft eVersity’s message from the early planning stages through its launch in September 2015 to present. From his early days as a reporter and editor at several newspapers and magazines, and through his many years spent in the Office of Communications and Marketing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Nate draws on all of those previous experiences to help communicate “The eVersity Difference” to internal and external audiences.

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In 2019, eVersity began providing all of its own student services, transitioning financial aid and offering a new payment portal

Building a brand-new institution from the ground up requires hard work, a strong vision and a little help from your friends. An initial partnership to help launch the University of Arkansas System eVersity in 2015 with our friends at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) came to an end in 2019. The friendship helped us offer some vital student support and processing functions while we gained our own accreditation. Today eVersity is a one-stop shop that handles all of its own processes and allows a more seamless and efficient way to provide a world-class student experience. “From the time we launched, we’ve been committed to meeting the needs of students with their success

in mind,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer at eVersity. “We thank UAM very much for the initial support, but it’s always been our intent to be able to handle everything in-house and we’re very

excited that we’re now able to do so. I think the student experience is now enhanced in ways we initially envisioned when we made the commitment to make going to college easy so students just have to worry about their coursework.”

Last July, eVersity began providing library access and disabilities accommodations, while also transitioning financial aid students in-house. Launching a payment portal where students can make and receive payments was also part of the improvement effort. “The most common request from our students was for improvement in the processes for financial aid and course payments,” Moore said. “We’re very fortunate in that our students always respond to us with valuable feedback and want to be a part of making this a special institution as we mature. We listen to them, and this is another example of how we’re growing to make our student experience unique and, most importantly, successful for them.”

We Got It All in 2019

“I think the student experience is now enhanced in ways we initially envisioned ...”- Michael Moore, Ph.D.

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Our Students Karen grew up thinking that school was out of reach. Life in the working world soon made it clear that higher education would be needed to advance, so she earned an associate degree in general studies at a local college.“I had two kids, a husband,” she said. “We just bought a house and I started a new job, so things were a little bit crazy.” The opportunity to move to Northwest Arkansas

with her work closed that chapter of her post-secondary education, seemingly for good. That is until Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer of the University of Arkansas System eVersity, made a presentation at the company (Tyson Foods Inc.) about the new institution.. The opportunity awakened a burning desire to finish what she’d started. Schmarje enrolled in early 2018 and immediately

found eVersity played to her strengths as an online learner. One of the best features of eVersity, she said, was its flexibility in allowing her to take one accelerated class at a time while still raising

a family. In July 2019, Schmarje graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business. She said her driving force was to set an example for her three daughters.

As a pastor, Cai matches the energy of the young people he’s tasked to lead, sometimes through faith and sometimes through music. You’d never know the Alabama native is not far removed from sitting around with few options to succeed in life. A turning point was watching his wife, Dominique, pursue her dreams of completing law school. Something stirred within Cai to do the same. Lane said he found a custom fit at eVersity.“I just love it. I’m motivated to keep going. It’s awakened the student in me.”

People often say they’d go a million miles for what they really want in life. Robert proved that’s true. While not technically traveling a million miles, his journey to a long-awaited degree covered four states, more than two decades and a handful of professional jobs. Gillum didn’t abandon his dream of finally finishing a degree and that drive led him to discover eVersity. Having spent thousands of dollars on other online options that dead-ended, he was immediately impressed by eVersity’s affordability, figuring he was risking nothing to try the program. He hasn’t looked back since.

“When I started at eVersity, I was like, ‘OK I’m doing this. I’m not stopping,’” he said. Gillum completed his long-awaited associate degree and has continued to find success with eVersity while working toward his bachelor’s degree. “Education is something that no one can ever take away from you,” he said.

Karen Demunn Schmarje

Robert Gillum

Cai Lane

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Our Savings

Report

eVersity’s Innovative Business Model Has Saved Students $5.7 Million Since Courses Launched

No Application Fee: $220,000 Affordable Tuition: $1.3 Million No Books: $1.4 Million No Fees: $2.8 Million

The University of Arkansas System eVersity’s innovative business model has saved students more than $5.7 mil-lion since classes launched in 2016 through Jan. 2020.

In a time when the average price of tuition and fees is continually on the rise, eVersity has proven itself as an affordable and accessible answer for hardworking adults looking to find the time, money and strategy to finish their college degrees.

“We set out to change the way online learning is deliv-ered and it’s proving to be the deciding factors in help-ing people make the choice to go back and finally earn their college degree,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer at eVersity. “We’ve worked

extremely hard to identify all of the barriers that were making it hard for people to go to college it’s making our students very happy.”

Savings are passed on to eVersity students through its innovative business model of not charging students for application fees ($220,000), not requiring expensive books for its coursework ($1.4 million), keeping its tuition at one of the lowest rates in the country ($1.3 million) and never charging any additional student fees on top of tuition ($2.8 million). The savings versus the conservative national average in those four areas totals more than $5.7 million in total costs saved by students who have enrolled in at least one course at eVersity since courses launched in January 2016.

Being Part of the Solution Feels Good

$5.7 Million

By the Numbers

*

***

1212Totals based on the institution’s enrollment versus reported national averages.

Our Coursework

A University of Arkansas System eVersity instructional design and faculty duo were one of a small handful of educators worldwide recently honored with an international Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP) Award.

Ramesh Muthukumarana, senior instructional designer at eVersity, and Caitlin Howe, an eVersity faculty member, teamed up to win the award. This is the second time Muthukumarana has been recognized with the international award since eVersity’s launch in 2015. The ECP Award recognizes faculty and course designers from schools, colleges and universities around the world who develop engaging and innovative courses that represent the best in technology and learning.

“At the core of our approach to instruction is the conviction that online learning should be innovative, drive student engagement, help students excel and stimulate learning,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer at eVersity. “I’m very proud that we’ve been able to utilize the strengths of our instructional design team and faculty from across the UA System to consistently win major awards in course design. The high-quality of our courses is reflected and measured in

how satisfied our students are and how successfully they perform, which are both off the charts.”

Muthukumarana and Howe were selected as winners for their course, “Introduction to Public Health Principles and Practices,” which is a survey course that is an introduction to basic and contemporary issues of public health.

The course demonstrated excellence in each of the award’s four areas: course design, interaction and collaboration, assemssment and learner support.

“Courses recognized by the program

are seen by their peers as setting the bar for engaging learners and maximizing academic outcomes for students,” said Lee Blakemore, chief client officer & president at Blackboard. “We’re proud to honor instructors who work tirelessly to improve their practice and students’ online learning experience.”

To be considered for the honor, applicants must use Blackboard Learn or Blackboard Open LMS learning management systems.

Submitted courses are evaluated by other course developers, instructional designers, teachers, and professors using the ECP Award Rubric.

#WinningeVersity Instructional Design Team Wins another Major Award in 2019

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Our Numbers

eVersity.edu

Take a closer look at what makes us unique as an institution

Demographically DiverseWe pride ourselves on providing opportunities for everyone, and our numbers show we’re succeeding. For example, our 26.8 percent African-American rate is nearly double that of its population margin in the state of Arkansas.

Appreciation of Diversity

Age Isn’t Just A Number

Girl Power

Working Adults DominateWe built this institution with working adults with families in mind. How do we break down the barriers to make it easiest for them to come back and earn their degrees? Well, it’s working. Nearly 60 percent of our students are between the ages of 30 and 49.

Hear Them RoarFemales are traditionally the ones most likely to have to leave college to care for loved ones, raise families and tend to other responsibilities. We think we’ve created a great path for them to come back and finish what they started as they nearly double the males in our student population.

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80 %

With earning accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), eVersity continued to launch its marketing efforts outside of the state of Arkansas. It received applications from nearly half the states and now has more than 150 enrolled students from outside of Arkansas.

Our Numbers, Continued:

Nationally Known

Student Success

92.6 %91.5 %

Completion Rate

Passing Rate

100 %Graduates WhoWould RecommendeVersityto aFriend

*Numbers according to eVersity enrollment

data and graduate surveys in 2019..

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Graduates who will continue their education beyond the initial degree we helped them earn

Our Hope

eVersity.edu

The possibilities for the future provide us great inspiration to innovate and improve

After another year of great growth and improvement, both in the numbers of students we’re reaching and within our internal processes, the University of Arkansas System eVersity is energized to keep pushing forward. One overarching goal from the time we conceived Arkansas’s first 100 percent-online institution was the emphasis that needed to be placed on customer service. In a time when consumers are being offered so many state-of-ther-art conveniences through multi-media applications, it only makes sense to try to translate that in some ways to the higher education space. “Our target audience has proven to be working adults with some college and no degree; many of whom have multiple jobs, families, and many other obligations outside of going to school,” said Michael Moore, Ph.D., chief academic/operating officer at eVersity. “That demographic is accustomed to taking advantage of modern conveniences that make their lives easier, from shopping to setting appointments to being pushed to exercise and stay healthier — there’s no reason why finishing their degrees can’t offer the same experiences.” Whilte there are already many instances where our students experience this with us, there is also room for improvement and growth moving forward. “We’ve already made it easier to get into college, with no

application fees, a simple application, not having to buy books or pay fees, and offering extremely high-touch student advising and award-winning coursework,” Moore said. “But we can really start to be innovative in ways that not only prod students to keep moving forward, but that also reward them for doing so.”More goals for the immediate future include hosting the institution’s first-ever graduation ceremony, promoting ways to foster more community with our students through improved internal communications and building an alumni effort to keep students in the family following graduation.

Continued Innovation on the Horizon

“(Today’s students are) accustomed to taking advantage of modern conveniences that make their lives easier, from shopping to setting appointments to being pushed to exercise and stay healthier — there’s no reason why finishing their degrees can’t offer the same experiences.”

— Michael Moore, Ph.D.

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Our Contacts

Contact Us

Questions or Concerns? We’d Love to Hear From You

Mail Us:UA System eVersity2402 N. University Ave.Little Rock, AR 72207

Call Us:(844) 837-7489

Email Us:info@eVersity.edu

Administrative Hours of Operation:Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.— 5:30 p.m.

Academic Advising Hours of Operation:Monday and Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

University of Arkansas System eVersity

@UAS_eVersity

@UAS_eVersity

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