By Keli Jacobi
kcjacobi@thenewsstar.com

The University of Louisiana at Monroe is joining other universities in the state by offering a course through the CALL initiative, or Continuum for All Louisiana Learners, this fall.

The initiative makes it possible to enroll at a Louisiana public college or university and earn a degree online at an accelerated pace.

Administered by ULM's Department of Health Studies, the course will answer existing and future health care needs, according to department head Jessica Dolecheck.

Graduates who complete the ULM online program will earn a bachelor of science in health studies with a health care management/marketing option.

"It meets adult learner's needs and moves them into the work force quickly, therefore positively impacting our state's economy," said Dolecheck.

Dolecheck warned even though the format moves students through quickly doesn't mean the program won't challenge them.

"It's still the same amount of material but just a shorter amount of time," she said.

"A person has to be self-motivated to make sure they get through the material in a timely manner, but most adult learners are able to do that."

Interest has been strong, said Dolecheck, and about a dozen people have already enrolled.

Graduates will be able to find mid-level managerial employment in health care, she said.

Adults with an associate's degree who want to move up in their position while still being available for family may benefit from the new offering, said Dolecheck.

The types of jobs available to graduates range from assistant nursing home administrator to office manager to pharmacy sales representative, she said.

Dolecheck said her research revealed there would be increased needs for health care managers.

The CALL program was piloted in the state's northwestern region during the 2007-08 academic year, and officials say it has been so successful that expansion to four additional campuses, including ULM, is scheduled for the upcoming academic year.

Bossier Parish Community College and Northwestern State University were the original CALL pilot campuses.

Louisiana Higher Education Commissioner Joseph Savoie said having more college-educated adults is essential if the state is to compete effectively in a 21st-century economy.

"The CALL initiative provides an efficient means for adults to earn these credentials," he said.

"While the program is, of course, available to anyone who wants to earn a degree, the fact that the program offers degrees in a fast-track, online format makes it particularly attractive to adult workers who have earned some college credit but never completed a degree," said Savoie.

The various courses mean not only more four-year degrees but also associate's degrees and other skill certification beyond the high school diploma, he said.

Savoie said the fact Louisiana has graduates who were in this category indicates that CALL "is clearly meeting a very real need."

The opportunity to accelerate the process is offered through non-traditional course schedules of four- and eight-week sessions and through learning assessment tools such as challenge tests, CLEP tests, military experience and portfolios demonstrating college-level learning from work or life experiences, according to representatives of the Louisiana Board of Regents

Beginning this fall, CALL will offer a total of eight complete degree programs through six Louisiana public colleges and universities.

The CALL initiative is part of the board's "Education...Go for more!" campaign being implemented in cooperation with the Southern Regional Educational Board's Adult Learning Campaign.