Madison educator receives award for outstanding student services in distance education
Dr. Joe Moore, dean of academic affairs at Ivy Tech Madison, poses with award-winner Margaret Seifert.
INDIANAPOLIS—At the 2005 Distance Education Week kick-off event held at the State House on August 1, Margaret Seifert, library director and distance education coordinator at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana at Madison, was unanimously awarded the first annual “Dale E. Dowden Award for Outstanding Student Services in Distance Education.” Seifert received a trophy and a cash award for further professional development. The award was developed to recognize those individuals whose tireless work provides the foundation on which student success, particularly in distance learning, often depends. It is sponsored by the Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (IPSE), the leadership committee within the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS) educational consortium, which focuses on program delivery and facilitation of e-learning courses and programs. The award honors former IPSE member Dale E. Dowden of Vincennes University for his lifelong focus on “being learner centered.” Years before distance education was common-place, Margaret Seifert was a driving force in expanding access to higher education through technology. Her insight into the value of and crucial need for the “learner-centered student services” that distance students need in order to succeed has been the basis for strong advocacy and for the methods she implements locally for the distance students she has served. As a natural leader, Margaret has always taken an active role in higher education across the state and has willingly shared her knowledge and experience with peers and institutional leaders. “Distance education coordinators like Margaret are often unsung heroes, whose dedication and sheer determination makes the difference in encouraging students to stay with their studies,” said Susan Scott, director of e-learning at IHETS. The Indiana College Network (ICN), a collaborative distance education service offered by IHETS, reports that while colleges in other states are seeing their distance enrollments begin to plateau; institutions in Indiana are experiencing tremendous growth. Distance education coordinators are an important part of what sets Indiana apart from those in other states. For more information, visit www.icn.org. ###
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