Virtual student takes real steps to get degree
By RYAN CHRISTNER
For many Fort Hays State University graduates, getting to the commencement ceremony on Saturday was as easy as driving or walking a few blocks to Gross Memorial Coliseum. For many students, however, a trip to Hays spans a much greater distance.
The FHSU Virtual College, which allows students anywhere in the country to take advantage of the school's courses from anywhere there's a working Internet connection, accounts for roughly half of the total student population.
On Saturday, FHSU saw a record number of students cross the stage, handing out 2,385 associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees. Nearly 1,200 of those were from the Virtual College.
One of those among the mob of black gowns and colorful tassels was Jason Green, a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy.
Green made the cross-country journey with his wife from King George, Va., in order to attend the commencement ceremony in person, not that Mother Nature didn't do her best to keep that from happening.
Due to delays and nasty weather in the Wichita area, Green didn't arrive in Hays until 4:30 a.m. Saturday, rather than 11 a.m. Friday.
"We didn't even unpack," Green said of his arrival into town. "We just laid down on the bed."
But Green didn't travel more than 1,000 miles to sleep.
After just a few hours of much-needed rest, Green joined 65 other Virtual College graduates at a breakfast in the Robbins Center.
"So far today, it's been great," he said during the event. "It's definitely worth it."
The 37-year-old Green, a native of Kent, Ohio, said he looked into the distance program after being encouraged by a co-worker who was also an FHSU alumnus.
Four semesters later, he was able to finally see the fruits of his labor.
Green received a Bachelor of General Studies degree, with a concentration in electrical and mechanical technology. That degree, he said, will serve him well in his current job as a gunner's mate with the Navy, and later as a civilian -- he is retiring from active duty next month and plans to seek a career in safety engineering.
As a method of learning, online education is becoming increasingly more popular.
At FHSU, attendance in the Virtual College has been rising at a rate of nearly 10 percent per year, according to Director Dennis King.
"The Virtual College is always kind of growing and evolving," he said.
Online students are typically different from on-campus students. While there is an exception to every rule, King said those seeking their education from a distance are generally a little older, might already have a full-time job or otherwise aren't able to allow for regular visits to a campus.
Many of the students in the Virtual College, he said, live in other cities, states or countries or are in the military, like Green.
Students' ability to attend classes at their own pace through a computer, then, allows a great deal of flexibility.
It was that flexibility that most appealed to Green.
"It was perfect," he said. "I set my schedule. If I didn't feel like doing anything, if the kid had a basketball game to go to, I didn't have to do anything that night.
"It's a challenge, because you have to manage your own schedule. But if you can do that and you can allot enough time per week so you can stay on top of your studies, it's perfect."
Green said the typical classroom experience did not fit his learning style. For him, being able to go through the material by himself made the process much easier.
"It was very easy (to learn online)," he said. "I'm trying to think of an instance where it was a little more difficult for me, and I can't think of anything.
"The flexibility that you have with scheduling your classes, it means the world to me, because stuff comes up all the time."
Green plans to work towards a master's degree at some point in the future, and said FHSU's Virtual College could help him meet that goal as well.
For now, however, he's content to revel in the accomplishment that was so widely celebrated Saturday.
"We will always claim you," FHSU President Edward H. Hammond said during the commencement ceremony, "and we hope you feel the same way."
For Green, that sentiment was well received.
"My name is Jason Green and I am a tiger," he said.