Beischel Honored for Leadership in Online Learning
The United States Distance Learning Association on April 28 presented its 2009 Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the Field of Distance Learning award to Dr. Christine Beischel of Bellevue University. Dr. Beischel received the award during the USDLA's annual conference, in St. Louis.
"This really is a tremendous honor, both for me and the University," Dr. Beischel said.
Dr. Beischel led the University's College of Distributed Learning from 1998 to 2009, during which time the College and the online programs it oversees experienced tremendous growth. Bellevue University offered its first online program in 1996 to seven students. The University now serves more than 8,000 online students annually, from across the country and around the world.
But it's not only the size of the University's online enrollment that serves as evidence of Dr. Beischel's leadership. She recognized early that success in online learning would come from faculty training, online student support and innovative instructional design. Under her leadership, Bellevue University won USDLA awards for Best Teaching Online (2006) and 21st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning (2007).
Dr. Beischel is now using her experience and expertise in online learning in a new role for the University, as a senior-level Research Strategist for the Strategic Initiatives Department. Beischel works with Strategic Initiatives, as well as the University's Human Capital Lab, to conduct research on the bottom-line impact of the University's learning interventions with its many corporate partners, which include Verizon Wireless and The Home Depot.
