Hartman joined 麻豆原创 in 1995, and has played a vital role in shaping the university鈥檚 technological, academic and information infrastructure and landscapes, overseeing information security, computing, the library, telecommunications and space administration.

鈥淛oel has spent the past 25 years building 麻豆原创鈥檚 digital and online teaching and learning platforms into one of the most innovative in the nation,鈥� says Interim President Thad Seymour. 鈥淚 want to thank Joel for his remarkable leadership and service to 麻豆原创 and his willingness to stay in the role through the opening of 麻豆原创 Downtown and the 21st Century Library project.鈥�

The developments made during Hartman鈥檚 tenure are vast, spanning connectivity, security and learning. He not only led the effort to connect members of the 麻豆原创 community across locations and campuses through the campus network but collaborated with State University System institutions to create Florida LambdaRail, which provides reliable, high-capacity connections to the Internet and Internet2. He laid the technological framework for both Medical City and 麻豆原创 Downtown and developed effective partnerships with major technology companies such as Microsoft. And he also increased information security measures across the board to respond to the ever-evolving cyber landscape.

Under his vision, academic endeavors entered the 21^st century through the development of 麻豆原创鈥檚 highly successful online learning initiative, the equipping of all classrooms with modern multimedia technology, the expansion of library resources and the launch of the 21^st Century Library project.

Long seen as an expert in his field, Hartman is the only person to have received top leadership recognition awards from both EDUCAUSE and the Online Learning Consortium. He has served as an information technology consultant to both the public and the private sectors, has published numerous articles, delivered many conference presentations, and has been active in the development of statewide education and research networks in Illinois and Florida. He has served and held offices on numerous state, regional and national IT organizations in the fields of public broadcasting, distributed learning as well as research and education networking.

Hartman graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with both bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in journalism and communications and earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from 麻豆原创.

The higher education center was founded in 1999 by Carol A. Twigg with the goal of using technology-based, learner-centered principles to improve student-learning outcomes while reducing instructional costs. NCAT鈥檚 website will now be managed by 麻豆原创鈥檚 and additional resources will be housed in the university鈥檚 . These items will be uploaded through the end of 2019 and anyone looking to access them may do so through the online .

鈥淚鈥檝e admired all the work 麻豆原创 has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs.鈥� 鈥� Carol Twigg, NCAT founder

鈥淚 am extremely pleased to partner with the 麻豆原创 to ensure that NCAT鈥檚 resources will continue to be available to the higher education community,鈥� says聽Twigg. 鈥淚鈥檝e admired all the work 麻豆原创 has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs. It was a combination of feeling like 麻豆原创 was a right fit with NCAT鈥檚 mission, our long-term relationship and the university鈥檚 stability in leadership that led this decision.鈥�

From its founding to 2018, NCAT provided consultations and resources, such as case studies and how-to guides, to universities and colleges that sought to provide more effective learning at lower cost. In 1996, 麻豆原创 offered its first online classes and began working with NCAT shortly after that 鈥� making the partnership one of the longest the organization has had.

NCAT worked with 麻豆原创 to redesign its American National Government course to replace two-thirds of lecture time with web-based, modular learning. In the 2000s, the organization helped 麻豆原创 redesign its College Algebra course to introduce the MyMathLab software and a requirement for students to complete three hours in the on-campus lab each week. These courses still utilize these methods to this day.

鈥溌槎乖� is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,鈥� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for 麻豆原创.

鈥淚t has become our honor and responsibility to continue to host the materials as an archival tribute to the work that Carol, her colleagues and NCAT created 鈥� and also, honoring our long-standing relationship between 麻豆原创 and NCAT, as an educational leader,鈥� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for 麻豆原创.

With its partner colleges and universities, NCAT redesigned 253 courses across four national and six state/system-wide programs that enroll 250,000 students annually. Of the 156 completed projects by the organization, 72 percent improved student learning outcomes, with 153 projects reducing their costs by an average of 34 percent.

This year, U.S. News & World Report聽ranked 麻豆原创 among the top 15 best undergraduate online programs. In the current academic year, 麻豆原创 will deliver over 47 percent of all credit hours offered at the university through fully online and blended learning courses. By 2021, at least half of 麻豆原创鈥檚 credit hours are expected to be delivered online.

麻豆原创 is now moving toward incorporating more adaptive, or personalized, learning outside the classroom with in-class active learning methods to increase student learning outcomes and success.

鈥溌槎乖� is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,鈥� Hartman says. 鈥淭he goal in all [our learning methods] is to meet the individual needs of students, to promote high-quality teaching and improve student learning outcomes.鈥�

The .15 acre garden, which is in the footprint of the planned tower, will grow to .2 acre, about the size of three tennis courts. It will be moved this month to be close to the 础谤产辞谤别迟耻尘鈥檚 greenhouse, which is east of the Counseling and Psychological Services parking lot.

The garden is part of the urban farming and garden program, focusing on organic produce, herbalism, medicinal botany, and classes on cooking and healthy diets.

鈥淚t is going to be a fantastic improvement over the existing program,鈥� says Patrick Bohlen, a biology professor and director of the 80-acre Arboretum, campus landscape and natural resources. 鈥淏eing closer to the greenhouse and propagation house will activate that area of the Arboretum and create closer synergy.鈥�

The garden is open to everyone in the 麻豆原创 and Orlando community to learn about growing and preparing food. The food is shared by the garden鈥檚 regular volunteers and given to the Knights Pantry, which helps 麻豆原创 students in need. The gardeners harvest a variety of seasonal produce, greens, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

The gardeners also are expanding into cut-flower production, and a new site that Bohlen plans to develop for fruit trees. The whole area will be fenced to secure the garden and 鈥渒eep out deer and critters,鈥� he says. University and community volunteers are always welcome to sign up to be part of the garden.

鈥淢any segments of the campus need increased cellular coverage, as well as greater cellular capacity.鈥�

The new cellphone tower will overlap where the current community garden now sits south of District Energy Plant 4. The tower will be 70 feet taller than the 麻豆原创 water tower, which is 120 feet tall.

鈥淢any segments of the campus need increased cellular coverage, as well as greater cellular capacity. This tower will greatly enhance cellular reception for this area of campus, assuming all major carriers mount equipment on the tower,鈥� says Joel Hartman, 麻豆原创鈥檚 vice president for Information Technologies and Resources. In addition, public safety antennas will be moved from the W麻豆原创 transmission tower to this location to improve and extend reception for first responders.

麻豆原创 IT Telecommunications will design, own and maintain the tower, which is estimated to cost about $1.2 million, Hartman says. The bidding process hasn鈥檛 been completed so the contractor hasn鈥檛 been determined. Cellular carriers will be charged rent for placing their antennas on the tower.

The goal is to complete the tower late this fall.

鈥淭his will be a major step forward for increasing cellular and first-responder radio coverage on campus,鈥� Hartman says.

Hartman will continue to oversee 麻豆原创’s library, computing, networking, telecommunications, media services, and distributed-learning activities. He will now also oversee the Department of Space Planning, Analysis, and Administration. He will report to Provost and Executive Vice President A. Dale Whittaker.

“Dr. Hartman is a dedicated and visionary leader in fields that have won much national recognition for our university,” said President John C. Hitt, who announced the new position. “He and his talented colleagues have enabled us to stay at the forefront of the newest technologies while providing exceptional service to our students.”

Hartman came to 麻豆原创 in 1995 after 20 years in various administrative positions at Bradley University.

He has been a consultant on information-technology issues for public and private organizations, and he has served as an officer on state, regional, and national information-technology committees.

Hartman is currently board president of the Online Learning Consortium, and he serves as board chairman on both the Sunshine State Education & Research Computing Alliance and the Lake Nona Medical City IT Council.

Hartman graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and communications, and he received his doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction from 麻豆原创 in 2002.

Called the Canvas Network, the platform allows 麻豆原创 to give back to the community by offering slightly adapted versions of its courses to members of the general public free of cost. Curriculum is similar to what tuition-paying students are taught, but adjustments have been made to accommodate assessing large volumes of online learners.

The Canvas Network was developed by Instructure, a technology company that 麻豆原创 uses to facilitate online learning. Courses on the Canvas Network will begin in January, and, to start, they will include more than 20 offerings from a dozen universities and community colleges across the country.

Beginning this week, students can view courses and register to take courses at .

鈥淐anvas Network enables us and other participating institutions to decide the way we want to structure our courses,鈥� said Joel Hartman, vice provost and chief information officer for 麻豆原创. 鈥淲e value the ability to leverage both the highly capable Canvas platform, as well as all we have learned about online teaching and learning over the past 17 years.鈥�

In addition to exposing learners worldwide to 麻豆原创鈥檚 education offerings, the Canvas Network will provide professors with another platform for instructional innovation. Instructors and institutions have the ability to define the structure of their courses and the teaching approaches that they feel most comfortable with.

鈥淲e believe the people who know best how to transform learning are teachers and students, so through the Canvas Network we鈥檙e enabling them to experiment with new teaching methodologies with more flexibility and less constraints,鈥� said Brian Whitmer, co-founder and chief product officer at Instructure.

The courses listed on the Canvas Network cover topics such as economics, math, engineering, dance, music, art, literature, business and science.

Courses from 麻豆原创 are taught by experienced online instructors who were eager to expand their offerings to the public. Assistant professor Robert Cassanello will instruct 鈥淲riting History鈥� and assistant professor Bernardo Ramirez will teach 鈥淚nternational Health Systems.鈥�

The hope is that 麻豆原创鈥檚 course offerings will expand in the future.

To learn more about online learning at 麻豆原创, visit .

The US Ignite Partnership, a public-private effort, intends to capitalize on what future technology may be possible through a computer network 100 times faster than the Internet. The network would “ignite” the development of next-generation applications and services.

US Ignite has signed on start-ups, local and state governments, federal agencies, universities and tech-industry leaders such as Cisco and Hewlett-Packard to participate in what the White House predicts will 鈥渋mprove services to Americans and drive job creation, promote innovation, and create new markets for American businesses.鈥� The National Science Foundation also has pledged $20 million to help build and test the system.

At Lake Nona, one of just two US Ignite founding partners in Florida, some of the Medical City researchers already use a state-of-the-art network, and the possibility of someday connecting via an ultra-fast system with other distant colleagues is attractive. 麻豆原创 is partnering with the Lake Nona IT Council to develop a shared broadband network connecting the university and other Medical City partners with other research sites at 10 gigabits per second.

鈥淭he concept for a 鈥榥o limits鈥� broadband IT infrastructure for Medical City originated with 麻豆原创, and has been widely accepted by all other Medical City partners,鈥� said Joel Hartman, vice provost and chief information officer.

By more quickly sharing data files with huge amounts of information, researchers will be able to more easily collaborate on complicated projects.

This pioneering system also will likely open the way for new, unexpected technologies, organizers predicted during this morning鈥檚 news conference.

The nonprofit US Ignite has established six areas of national priority for the network: education and workforce development, advanced manufacturing, health, transportation, public safety and clean energy.

The other founding partner in the state is Florida LambdaRail, LLC, which facilitates advanced research, education and economic development activities among its Florida research university members by utilizing highly advanced network technologies.

鈥淔lorida LambdaRail is in the process of deploying those technologies throughout Florida to enable not only Medical City, but all of the state鈥檚 research universities to have access to these advanced tools and fully participate in US Ignite and other developing initiatives,鈥� Hartman said.

Sloan-C 聽and EDUCAUSE are the two largest organizations that promote intelligent use of technology to enhance higher education. And Hartman has now won the top leadership awards offered by both groups.

Sloan-C judges鈥� comments described Hartman as a 鈥渕odel CIO and a national leader in harnessing the power of information and instructional technologies for the transformation and advancement of higher education.

The panel of judges also credits Hartman 鈥渨ith transforming the 麻豆原创 (the second-largest U.S. university) into one of the most innovative and progressive educational environments in the country.鈥�

Hartman, who joined 麻豆原创 in 1995, has seen the online learning environment at 麻豆原创 grow from infancy to a national leader. 麻豆原创 offers 58 fully online degree, degree-completion and certificate programs, along with nearly 1,300 individual Web-based blended learning courses. Those programs and courses provide students with more flexibility to take classes and earn college degrees.

More than 900 faculty members have gone through training at 麻豆原创 to teach courses that are entirely or partially online, and more than 27,000 students enrolled in one web or video-based course during the fall 2011 semester.

Hartman will receive his award during the Sloan-C annual conference Nov. 9 to 11 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.

The consortium also will present 麻豆原创 with an Effective Practices Award for its Online Faculty Readiness Assessment initiative.

麻豆原创鈥檚 national reputation for quality online learning, combined with the tremendous growth of online learning across all of higher education, has resulted in more and more professors with prior online teaching experience joining the university鈥檚 faculty. Instead of having to complete a comprehensive training program designed for faculty with no experience teaching online, the Online Faculty Readiness Assessment allows those with experience to test out of certain components of the program. That way the program doesn鈥檛 become a burden to those who already employ best practices as part of their routine activities.

Sloan-C, an association of more than 400 universities and institutions involved in advancing the use of online learning in higher education, concluded 麻豆原创 is a great example of a cutting-edge university that contributes to the growth and improvement of online learning while making the best use of resources.

Patsy Moskal, a faculty research associate for the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at 麻豆原创, also will be honored. She will be named a Sloan-C Fellow, joining her colleague Chuck Dziuban, who was part of last year鈥檚 inaugural group of fellows. Moskal and Dziuban have played critical roles in studying the online environment at 麻豆原创 and ensuring that it is effective in delivering quality education.

麻豆原创 has a long history of excellence in online learning. Professors Glenda Gunter, Susan Wegmann and others have been recognized with Sloan-C awards for Excellence in Online Teaching. And 麻豆原创 has been recognized multiple times for its programs by both Sloan-C and EDUCAUSE.

Many members of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Distributed Learning team lecture and present around the world to share 麻豆原创鈥檚 experience and knowledge. Several staff and faculty members from the Center for Distributed Learning are presenting during this year鈥檚 Sloan-C conference.

Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop informed the university鈥檚 Board of Trustees of the new designation on Wednesday.

Public Administration offers 22 graduate and undergraduate programs and serves nearly 1,000 students. The school鈥檚 areas of focus include nonprofit management, urban planning and emergency management.

The school鈥檚 Center for Public and Nonprofit Management has earned about $4 million in external funds and helped more than 200 nonprofit organizations.

鈥淭his is an amazingly innovative department,鈥� College of Health and Public Affairs Dean Michael Frumkin told the trustees.

Public Administration is one of eight 麻豆原创 graduate programs nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

Also at Wednesday鈥檚 Board of Trustees meeting:

— President Hitt expressed 鈥済reat sadness鈥� that Nancy Burnett, a longtime friend and benefactor of the 麻豆原创, passed away last week.

Nancy and Al Burnett have donated $15.5 million over more than 30 years to support 麻豆原创 students and programs. The Burnett Honors College and Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences are named in their honor, as is the president鈥檚 on-campus home.

鈥淭heir gifts have benefitted thousands of students in our classrooms, in our research labs and on our athletic fields, and their generosity will continue to benefit Central Floridians for many years to come,鈥� Hitt said. 鈥淧lease keep Nancy鈥檚 family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.鈥�

— Board members approved Chairman Emeritus status for Rick Walsh and Vice Chairman Emeritus status for Tom Yochum. Yochum attended the meeting, accepted a plaque and said he was thankful for the opportunity to serve the university for 10 years.

— The board welcomed newly appointed trustee Robert Garvy, chair and CEO of INTECH.

— The board heard an update on the university鈥檚 progress on developing a new policy governing academic integrity and misconduct. The Academic Integrity Task Force is in the process of receiving feedback from the university community.

— The board learned about a proposal to attach a large screen to the outside of the 麻豆原创 Arena that could be used to showcase movies, away sporting events and university programs along with advertisements. Additional feedback about the concept will be accepted.

— Joel Hartman, vice provost for Information Technologies, was lauded for his selection as the 2011 Sloan Consortium鈥檚 A. Frank Maydas Leadership Award winner. The award acknowledges and celebrates leadership in online education.

— The board recognized Professor Linda Walters for being named one of the best biology professors in the country by The Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation. She also earned the 2011 Florida Campus Compact Service-Learning Faculty Award for her excellence in linking 麻豆原创 courses with community needs.

— Associate Professor H.G. Parza of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management was applauded for earning the John Wiley and Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award from the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.

— The board lauded the volleyball team for earning the 2010-11 Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The award honors teams that have matched their dedication to the sport of volleyball with excellence in the classroom.

Glenda Gunter, an associate professor in the College of Education, developed her first online courses when the web was in its infancy. She has created and taught more than 70 fully or partially online courses.

Gunter will receive a prestigious award recognizing her accomplishments and service to the online learning community in November from the Sloan Consortium, a national leader in helping schools provide a first-class online education.

In his nomination letter, Joel Hartman, 麻豆原创鈥檚 vice provost for Information Technologies, called Gunter a 鈥減ioneer鈥� in online education.

Gunter also has earned the respect and admiration of her students.

鈥淓ach time I turned something in, I would receive a paragraph full of specific compliments, constructive criticism and motivating words to carry me into the next assignment,鈥� one former student said. 鈥淗er method of delivery and dedication to her students truly is a step above what many other teachers at the collegiate level offer their students.鈥�

Gunter will be presented with her award at the Sloan Consortium International Conference in Orlando.

In the past seven years, 麻豆原创 has received five awards from the Sloan Consortium. The other awards were:

2009 鈥� Susan J. Wegmann, assistant professor, College of Education, Excellence in Online Teaching Award

2008 鈥� 麻豆原创, Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education

2005 鈥� Charles Dziuban, director, College of Education, Outstanding Achievement in Online Education by an Individual

2003 鈥� 麻豆原创, Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching Award

The is an institutional and professional leadership organization, dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education and helping institutions and individual educators improve the quality, scale and breadth of education.

Checking into class online from a dorm room or an off-campus home, coffee shop or even poolside could help ease the traffic tie-ups and classroom crowding fueled by 麻豆原创’s record enrollment growth, officials say.

Surveys show students like the quality of their instruction in addition to the flexibility that going online adds to their schedules, 麻豆原创 officials say.

Spreading out into the virtually limitless expanse of cyberspace bodes well for a school reaching its physical limits. There’s little hope the cash-strapped state can come up with the money needed to build classrooms to keep pace with anticipated growth, university officials say.

麻豆原创’s total enrollment surpassed 53,500 students last fall, overtaking the University of Florida to become top dog in enrollment in Florida and third-largest in the nation.

The Orlando university’s head count is expected to go even higher this fall once final figures are tabulated next month.

Meanwhile, registrations for classes that involve going online for all or part of the time has shot up from about 29,000 in academic year 2002-03 to about 111,000 in 2009-10.

At 麻豆原创, online courses fall under the umbrella of the Center for Distributed Learning. Besides online classes, distributed learning includes courses delivered through interactive or prerecorded video.

But the most pronounced growth has been in courses delivered entirely online or in “hybrid” or “blended” formats that combine online instruction with seat time in a classroom.

Blended courses that reduce overall seat time in a specific classroom at a specific time have made possible the wider sharing of precious classroom space, officials say.

Online pioneer

麻豆原创 has been at the national forefront in the development of online classes for more than a decade. College systems such as the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois have studied 麻豆原创’s methods. In 2003, the Sloan Consortium, a 400-member association of institutions that advance online learning in higher education, gave 麻豆原创 a top award for its accomplishments.

麻豆原创 online-learning experts have been called upon to speak at conferences and share expertise with other colleges and universities across the country, said Joel Hartman, vice provost for information technologies and resources.

Through the years, Hartman has guided the expansion of a comprehensive course-development system that includes intensive training for instructors and constant research into new technology. The goal is to make the online class experience as engaging and rigorous as any face-to-face class, Hartman said.

Distributed learning 鈥� with roots in mail-order correspondence courses produced entirely in print format 鈥� started as a way to reach students who lived in remote areas or otherwise couldn’t get to college in the traditional manner.

Later, online courses were seen as a way to reach nontraditional students who could not attend regular daytime college courses because of work or family obligations.

But steady online-enrollment growth also is predicted among traditional students, experts say.

Most new students nowadays arrive at 麻豆原创 well-versed in computer technology, Hartman said, so online courses don’t intimidate them. Courses are updated to take advantage of technological advances and trends. For instance, incorporating social media such as Twitter to alert students to class-related developments is relatively easy, he said.

Growth continues

As of last fall, about half of all enrolled students took at least one course online, said Thomas Cavanagh, assistant vice president of 麻豆原创’s Center for Distributed Learning.

Online-course development has progressed so rapidly that it’s difficult for many to conceive what it takes for a student to succeed in them, officials say. Far from being a passive, electronic version of a standard class, students must actively participate in online discussions and complete the required coursework within a specific time frame to keep up and receive a passing grade.

Taking courses online requires students “to stay focused and manage your time well,” student Kyle Hickman said.

To help students, the university library now has an online-learning center.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, in his annual letter to the public through his charitable foundation, expressed hope that online education will become more interactive and easier to access.

麻豆原创 has been working hard in both areas for years, Hartman said.

The university is part of a statewide consortium figuring out ways for institutions such as the state universities, state colleges and community colleges to share course content and development practices, officials said.

麻豆原创, meanwhile, has been doing its thing for 15 years “and been growing like crazy ever since,” Hartman said.

Source: OrlandoSentinel.com, 麻豆原创 online classes: Many students hardly need to set foot on campus, by Luis Zaragoza, Orlando Sentinel 10:36 PM EDT, August 26, 2010. Luis Zaragoza can be reached at lzaragoza@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5718.