July 01, 2010

Walters to chair association’s award committee

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A national professional organization for collegiate independent study has chosen Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharon Walters to co-chair its award committee for 2010.

Walters, assistant director of the SIUC Office of Distance Education, will co-chair the award committee of the Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning. The association, a professional organization for people engaged or interested in collegiate independent study, provides professional development and interaction opportunities for members.

Walters and the awards committee will review high school and university courses developed in the last 15 months. In addition they will consider applications for individual awards for: excellence in research, course developer, leadership, professional achievement and student services. The association will present its awards at its annual conference set for Nov. 11-13 in Oxford, Miss.

Walters has been associated with ADEIL for a number of years, serving as a board member for six years. Her connection with SIUC is also longstanding. A triple alumna, she earned her doctoral degree in workforce education and development in 2002 at the University. She also holds a 1992 master’s degree and a 1991 bachelor’s degree, both in vocational education studies. She also has associate degrees from John A. Logan College in business data processing and from Olney Central College in childhood education.

Her employment career at SIUC began in 1980 as a patient unit clerk in the student health program. She was away from 1986 to 1988, and then returned to work in the Office of Research Development and Administration.

Her affiliation with the University’s Division of Continuing Education began in 1994. She is currently assistant director and also served as acting assistant director from October 2007 to June 2009. In addition, Walters teaches online courses for the School of Information Systems and Applied Technologies, something she’s been doing since 2005.