Introducing the School of Professional Studies
The UNC Charlotte School of Professional Studies (SPS) believes everyone deserves lifetime access to education that enables a lifelong journey of personal and professional growth and seeks to do that by ensuring that all learners, regardless of age, level of experience, or previous education, have opportunities to learn, grow, and achieve their personal and professional goals with a UNC Charlotte education. What does that look like in action?
As a newly established academic school led by Associate Provost Asher Haines, the SPS is composed of integrated specialist teams that provide support for online and adult learners, faculty and learning spaces, K-12 youth program participants, corporate training and partnerships, as well as hosting university and community events at the Dubois Center, our gateway facility in beautiful Uptown Charlotte. SPS has two primary objectives: Enrollment Growth and Student Success. These objectives serve as the foundation for identifying capabilities, aligning people and teams, setting goals, managing energy, and allocating resources.
SPS directly supports over 60 online degrees and graduate certificates, as well as more than 30 professional development certificates and certifications, and many short-form learning opportunities to help professionals advance their careers. SPS provides marketing and communications, enrollment services, program management, course development, and strategic resources for instructional support to achieve growth.
To clarify one of the most common misconceptions, SPS is not a rebrand or a name change of the Office of Distance Education (DE) or Continuing Education, but instead represents a shift away from service and compliance-driven offices working independently of one another, towards an academic school with integrated specialist teams for a variety of programs and stakeholder groups. All previous services, compliance, and funding support are still part of SPS operations, but now executed by teams rather than separate units and offices. The SPS teams work together as strategic partners and strategists to help academic partners achieve enrollment goals and student success metrics.
Meet Our Team Members
- Policy, Data, and Learner Solutions
- Program Management (Academic Credit and Professional Credit)
- Center for Teaching and Learning (Course Production and Faculty Development/Adaptive Learning Teams)
- Enrollment and Student Services
- Marketing and Communications
- Employer Solutions
- Learning Space Technology
- Business Operations
- The Dubois Center
Who Does What Within SPS
- The Program Management team serves as the communications and operational hub with other SPS teams and academic partners. Team members serve as a primary point of contact and as consultants to help academic partners achieve strategic enrollment and student success program goals.
- Enrollment Services is composed of Enrollment Specialists who work with students from their initial inquiry through admission to a program, as well as Program and Student Support Specialists who support students from admission through graduation.
- The Course Production Team works with faculty members to create quality online courses that are engaging, innovative, and student focused.
- Marketing and Communications attracts and engages prospective students and participants for SPS programs.
We are committed to assisting adult students to develop and implement a plan for achieving their academic and career goals.