North Dakota Ag Connection - Prof. Deal Honored by Great Plains IDEA

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Prof. Deal Honored by Great Plains IDEA
North Dakota Ag Connection - 03/05/2021

Jim Deal, professor of human development and education, has been recognized with the 2021 Faculty Excellence Award from Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance. The honor, presented March 2 during the organization's annual meeting, acknowledges Deal's teaching methods in the family financial planning graduate degree program offered together online by seven universities.

The recognition comes with a $2,000 award.

Deal is a member of the online program's faculty. Along with teaching, he has served as the program's faculty coordinator, providing leadership in the program by preparing annual reports and overseeing course and program assessment.

"Great Plains IDEA is such an innovative concept, and the family financial planning faculty are all absolutely wonderful to work with. Being recognized for being a part of both is just a tremendous honor," Deal said.

Deal is a long standing member of the Great Plains IDEA family financial planning program and has been instrumental in its success. "He has been a faculty member who promotes meaningful learning and adherence to identified competencies; a faculty leader who contributes to course planning, assessment and reporting; and a faculty colleague who approaches all of these duties with calm, thoughtfulness, and respect," said Sissy Osteen, associate professor and department head at Oklahoma State University.

"One thing that stands out about Dr. Deal with relation to the family financial planning program is his generosity and mentorship," said Jill Nelson, interim dean and professor, NDSU college of human sciences and education.

Deal joined the NDSU faculty in 1993. He earned his bachelor's degree at Georgia Southern College and master's degree and doctorate in child and family development at the University of Georgia.

Through Great Plains IDEA, 17 accredited member institutions and two accredited affiliate institutions, in various combinations, offer online courses in 18 academic programs. Students can choose from 11 online degrees and 15 online certificates.

NDSU participates in seven human sciences programs and four agricultural programs through the consortium. To take part in the inter-institutional programs, a student chooses one partner as a home institution for enrollment, transcript and graduation.

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