Online Education - News - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Balances Service, Family, and School

Justin Bates — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Balee Pennington is raising two children, balancing military life, and using every spare moment she has to pursue a college degree. This spring, the first-generation student will graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and plans to begin a master’s program this summer.

Pennington is originally from Eagletown, Oklahoma, and later moved to Prescott, Arkansas, her husband’s hometown. When choosing a university, flexibility mattered most.

“I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because it offered a flexible online program that fit my life,” she said. “It allowed me to pursue my degree without putting my responsibilities as a Marine and a parent on hold.”

For Pennington, who is earning a degree in middle childhood education, graduation is about more than academics.

“It means breaking barriers, creating opportunities, and giving my family something to be proud of,” she said. “I wanted to show that you are not defined by your past—you can break generational cycles.”

Balancing military service, family life, and school required structure and discipline. Her days were focused on her duties in the Marine Corps, followed by time with her children in the evening. Once they were settled, she turned to schoolwork.

“My weeks were all about time management, planning ahead, and staying disciplined,” she said. “I often reminded myself that you can’t pour from an empty cup—and that hard work pays off.”

There were challenges along the way, especially trying to manage everything at once.

“There were times when it felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day,” she said. “I stayed organized, set priorities, and reminded myself why I started. The support from my husband and my own determination kept me going.”

In addition to completing her degree, Pennington earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and maintained a high GPA.

“Consistency and discipline were key,” she said. “My biggest motivation was being someone my children would be proud to call their mom.”

She said her experience in the Marine Corps shaped how she approached school.

“It taught me discipline, resilience, and accountability,” she said. “Those values carried into my education and helped me stay focused.”

As she looks ahead to graduate school at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where she seeks a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, Pennington is ready for what’s next.

“I’m excited to keep growing and building on everything I’ve worked for,” she said. “I also want to show my children that learning never stops.”

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock Ranked Among Top 10 Most Affordable Online Management Degree Programs

Samantha Koros — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:02:44 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s online management degree ranks among the nation’s top programs, according to .

This ranking evaluates programs based on affordability, accessibility and academic quality. This recognition highlights the university’s efforts to provide a comprehensive and accessible education for students across Arkansas and beyond.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock offers both in-person and fully online, providing options for both traditional students, working professionals and all those in between. The program emphasizes practical business skills such as strategic planning, organizational behavior and people management, preparing students for leadership roles across a range of industries.

“This ranking highlights the strength of our commitment to innovative, career-focused education,” said Yue Zhao, chair and associate professor of management, marketing, and technology in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Business. “Our online management program combines academic rigor with practical application, preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing, technology-driven business environment. We are proud to provide flexible pathways that support both professional advancement and social mobility.”

This national recognition shows the university’s commitment to delivering value, promoting academic excellence and relevant education to all. The management program provides students with a broad perspective on management in today’s evolving business environment, shaping them into problem-solvers and decision-makers. As the program and university continue to innovate and expand opportunities, they solidify their reputation as a destination for high-quality, accessible education.

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock Earns National Recognition in U.S. News 2026 Online Graduate Rankings

Justin Bates — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:18:51 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s online graduate criminal justice program ranked No. 38 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Programs rankings.

In the 2026 rankings, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock also rose to No. 38 (tied) in Best Online Master’s in Information Technology Programs, up three spots from No. 41 the previous year.

These rankings highlight ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible education to students nationwide.

“This ranking underscores our commitment to delivering high-quality online graduate education that’s both accessible and career-relevant,” said Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, associate professor and chair of the Department of Information Science. “We’re proud to represent Arkansas with a program that competes nationally, giving students in Little Rock and worldwide the skills they can apply immediately in the workplace and the foundation for long-term growth.”

The information technology ranking assesses online master’s degree programs in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, and information technology. For ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, this ranking includes the online Master of Science in information quality and Master of Science in information science programs. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has earned a spot on the list for the past four years.

The online master’s degree in information quality is a 33-hour program that can be completed in as little as 18 months. The program is designed to prepare students for industry and government careers as well as advanced doctoral studies. Developed with support from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Quality Program, the curriculum balances information quality theory with industry best practices using state-of-the-art technology.

The online master’s degree in information science is a 33-hour program designed to familiarize individuals with the advanced knowledge, skills, and technologies for working with large amounts of complex data. Students learn how to compete in an industry with an ever-present demand for new innovations in data science and analytics, advanced information systems design and development, and emerging information technologies. Both degrees serve as a stepping stone for other advanced graduate degrees, such as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Ph.D. in computer and information science.

The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology (SCJC) offers an online Master of Science in Criminal Justice that equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to excel as practitioners and supervisors in the criminal justice system.

SCJC has also been ranked 89th out of 683 colleges in the U.S. for criminal justice programs by Niche, placing it in the top 13% nationwide.

U.S. News & World Report evaluates programs based on data from institutional surveys and peer assessments. Rankings are determined by performance across five categories: student engagement, services and technologies, student excellence, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinions.

You can find out more about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s varied online education opportunities at .

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Former Trojan Wrestler Sets Sights on Olympic Glory

Justin Bates — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

From a young age, senior ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student KJ Miley had Olympic-sized ambition. Now, he’s working to turn that ambition into reality as he trains to make the U.S. World Teams in 2026 and 2027, with the ultimate goal of earning the 97-kilogram spot at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The rigors of training for international competition are only part of Miley’s journey. While preparing for the sports world’s biggest stage, he is also completing his business management degree online through ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and plans to graduate in May. It’s a commitment he believes has strengthened him as an athlete by sharpening his time management skills and mental approach to competition.

The Olympics have always represented the pinnacle of the sport.

“From a young age competing in wrestling, I always looked at the Olympics as the prime-time show,” Miley said. “There are world championships every year, but nothing compares to the Olympics. College wrestling always felt like the next step for me, and I was fortunate to find a great home at Little Rock. They sharpened my skills and made me a more competitive athlete.”

Miley’s development continued on the international stage, where he captured two U23 Pan American titles. Those accomplishments confirmed his potential, but it was competing at the 2024 U23 World Championships that helped clarify his path forward.

“I may not have placed, but experiencing that level of competition showed me exactly where I stood,” he said. “It showed me how much I needed to change and challenge myself. Collegiate wrestling shaped the way I trained and competed — it definitely raised my level as an athlete.”

Beyond competition, wrestling has shaped Miley’s approach to life.

“It’s made me a better student, employee, son, partner — just a better person overall,” he said. “The discipline it takes to be a high-level wrestler is something you don’t get from another sport.”

Miley said the discipline he’s learned through wrestling has taught him a simple but lasting lesson.

“You get what you earn,” he said. “If you don’t put in the right effort at the right time, you won’t get the results you’re seeking.”

That mindset now guides Miley as he balances training, international travel, and academics. Time management, he said, has been his biggest challenge.

“Staying on top of classes while traveling out of the country for weeks at a time can be tough,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to complete my work ahead of time.”

Miley is completing a business management degree, a decision he views as essential to his future beyond competition.

“Finishing my degree is really important to me,” he said. “It’s not exactly part of my wrestling plan, but I have future goals in the wrestling world that will be much easier to pursue with a degree. That’s been a major motivation.”

Continuing his education through ��Vlog��ý Little Rock allowed him to stay focused on both goals. Miley said the university’s fully online option made it possible to keep his credits intact while training at an elite level.

“The option to stay with the same school and complete everything online made ��Vlog��ý Little Rock the right fit,” he said. “It kept me from having to deal with transferring credits and allowed me to focus on finishing my degree.”

He also credited faculty support for helping him stay on track academically.

“Most professors are extremely understanding and willing to work with students who have real-life situations going on,” he said. “The online setup is simple, and that makes a big difference when you’re balancing school with travel and training.”

Miley believes his education has strengthened him in competition as well.

“Being educated has helped me in every part of life,” he said. “Earning my degree has sharpened my time management skills, and I use that on the mat too. I think it gives me an edge, mentally as much as physically.”

While Miley now competes for the New York Athletic Club and represents the United States internationally, he remains closely connected to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Rather than pointing to a single mentor, he credits the collective impact of the Trojans wrestling staff.

“The coaching staff at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock helped me through so many things on and off the mat,” he said. “They made me a better person overall. Every coach played a role in different areas of my life.”

As he continues training toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Miley carries those lessons with him — from the mat, the classroom, and his time as a Trojan.

“I’ll always credit ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the role it played in my development,” he said. “Those experiences helped shape who I am today.”

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DR. KANEKAR PUBLISHES TWO NEW BOOK CHAPTERS ON THE APPLICATION OF ETHICS IN HEALTH EDUCATION AND PROMOTION

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:27:02 +0000

Dr. Amar Kanekar, professor and graduate coordinator of the Health Education/Health Promotion program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has published two new book chapters aimed at helping faculty, students and public health professionals across the nation.

The book chapters, “Ethical approaches to service, research, publication, and presentation,” and “Daily challenges in ethical decision-making,” were published in September in the book “Ethics for Health Promotion and Health Education” edited by Jody Vogelzang.

“The first chapter, titled ‘Ethical Approaches to Service, Research, Publication, and Presentation,’ focuses on ethics, research, presentations, and service,” Kanekar said. “I have co-authored it with Dr. Joseph Otundo.”

“The other chapter, ‘Daily Challenges in Ethical Decision-Making,’ is centered on daily challenges in ethical decision-making. It deals with the application of behavioral theories to encourage ethical behavior, management, and other related aspects,” Kanekar said. “It addresses the significance of inclusion and safe spaces in classrooms, emphasizing the importance of faculty training in this regard.”

According to Dr. Kanekar, both chapters could be helpful for everyone in health education, and academic research.

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Lipscomb Dedicated to Helping Online Students Succeed

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:16:07 +0000

As the director of online learning, Dr. Sharonda Lipscomb is a driving force to keep online students engaged, connected, and thriving at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

With the recent completion of her doctoral degree, Lipscomb is on a mission to bridge the digital divide and empower students with the tools they need to excel in their virtual academic journeys.

“I’m excited about not only my position but the opportunity to continue to improve the quality of online learning for students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and beyond through my research,” Lipscomb said. “I continue to pursue conference presentations, research, and publication opportunities. I’m passionate about the online experience of students and want to continue to improve that.”

Lipscomb joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009 as a graduate assistant in the School of Education while she was pursuing a master’s degree in learning systems technology. From there, she worked as a Blackboard student support specialist and an instructional designer before becoming the director of online learning. She’s also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Learning Systems Technology Education Program and assists with the K-12 Online Teacher Academy, a grant funded program for student success initiatives for the program’s students.

Lipscomb’s co-workers and professors encouraged her to continue her education, and she has been working on a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas since 2016, a degree which she has recently completed after defending her dissertation this summer.

“It feels like I could always see light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “I’ve had support all along the way from my supervisor, Dr. David Montague, my advisor, Dr. Mike Spector, classmates, and some friends on campus who were also working on their doctoral degrees. It makes you feel very accomplished and blessed to have that final victory.”

Throughout her doctoral studies, Lipscomb investigated the experiences of online students and how they connect with other students.

“I did a design-based research project to identify elements that support students in an online community,” she said. “We know students can connect during an online class, but I wanted to create a separate online space where students can connect outside of class. I surveyed students to look at their perceptions of community and connectedness and what tools and resources they would find useful in an online community.”

Prior to her doctoral coursework, Lipscomb created a prototype community for online students in the Learning Systems Technology Education Program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. For years, online students have been using the community and giving their feedback on what works, what doesn’t work, and what’s needed to make it even better. This led to the subject of her dissertation research at the University of North Texas.

“The goal is that online students are brought together in this one community,” Lipscomb said. “We post all the most important information for our program, such as class syllabi, capstone project information, and portfolio requirements. The students have added information on book swaps, conferences, and job postings. We also have a virtual meeting room where students can connect with other online students.”

Lipscomb said that the creation of the student community could be especially helpful for doctoral students who are at the ABD (all but dissertation) level, meaning they have finished all their academic courses and are actively writing their dissertation.

“Students can feel isolated being online, but the dissertation phase can intensify that feeling of isolation,” she said. “Students who are writing their dissertation could benefit from regular writing sessions with fellow students and contact with student mentors who can give them advice on completing their dissertation. This gives these students a better sense of community as they matriculate their online programs.”

When Lipscomb’s research is complete, she plans to launch the online student community as a permanent resource for learning systems technology students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She will continue to observe the online community and get feedback from students and faculty with the goal of creating a template student community that can easily be replicated for online students in other academic departments and universities.

“There is additional research that I want to pursue because I want to improve the learning experience of students who are in online programs,” she said. “My passion is to ensure online students have the resources, support, and spaces they need to be successful.”

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock Online Programs Listed Among Nation’s Best by U.S. News and World Report

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:06:45 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been recognized as having some of the best online programs in computer information technology in the country as well as one of the top online undergraduate business programs.

In its 2023 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked ��Vlog��ý Little Rock 25th in “Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs” and 32nd in “Best Online Undergraduate Business Programs.”

U.S. News assessed schools based on a variety of factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies. Designed for individuals looking to complete or further their education, this year’s edition evaluates more than 1,800 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

The first ranking assesses online master’s degree programs in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, and information technology. For ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, this ranking includes the online Master of Science in information quality and Master of Science in information science programs. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has also earned a spot in this list in 2020, 2021, and 2022 as well.

“Interest in the Master of Science in information Science program has been increasing in recent years,” said Dr. Daniel Berleant, professor of information science and program coordinator. “Our courses are offered in both in-person and online sections. This way we can serve students here in Little Rock as well as working professionals and others all across the country. As the world of higher education adjusts to progressively increasing online services, our program continues to stay on the leading edge of online education quality and affordability.”

Additionally, School of Business Director Robert Mitchell said ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s top business ranking is based on the school’s strong history of providing quality online education programs for its students.

“The School of Business online program has been available for over two decades, with our Management major as the first online program developed,” Mitchell said. “We currently offer many of our most in-demand undergraduate majors online, including Business Analytics, Business Information Systems, Accounting, and Marketing with the Finance major currently being added to our online offerings. Our faculty are well trained and experienced in online instruction with a strong track-record of student success.”

You can find out more about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s diverse online education opportunities at /online/.

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Online Education - News - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Balances Service, Family, and School

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Ranked Among Top 10 Most Affordable Online Management Degree Programs

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Earns National Recognition in U.S. News 2026 Online Graduate Rankings