CONTACT: Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256-606-2033 or 256-765-4392 June 1, 2020

FLORENCE, AL - The University of North Alabama has released its inaugural North Alabama Online Annual Report that highlights the tremendous growth in online education at UNA and features several premier online programs and online student testimonials.

"Online education is flourishing at UNA and is one reason we have not only endured this current crisis better than most but have actually thrived and grown," said Dr. Ross Alexander, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. "I commend Dr. Amber Paulk, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate and Online Education for her work on this informative document."

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNA was the first university in Alabama to announce that all of its summer courses would be offered 100 percent online. To date, UNA's summer session enrollment and credit-hour production have both increased more than 20 percent from the 2019 summer session.

The North Alabama Online Annual Report takes an in-depth look at the programs and students who enroll in online courses, highlighting the benefits of an online-only educational environment. For the students, it's an opportunity to take courses when it's convenient and affordable, allowing them to further their career options while still working. To view the full report, log on to www.una.edu/academics.

Growth among online education programs has been high. During the last five years alone, online education at UNA has more than doubled, representing more than one-third of all student enrollments and credit-hour production at the institution. During the 2019-2020 academic year, more than 80 percent of the total student population at UNA took at least one online course, and 94 percent of the graduating class of 2019-2020 took at least one online course during their academic careers.

North Alabama Online features more than 50 online options, including bachelor's, master's, certificate, and micro-credential programs. More than half of UNA's award-winning faculty teach an Online Education course using the latest technological advancements in their respective

disciplines in order to offer the same high-quality learning experiences offered to students on campus.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/