Source: Roger McHaney, 785-532-7479, mchaney@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Keener A. Tippin II, 785-532-6415
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
ROGER MCHANEY TO SERVE AS K-STATE'S 2006-2007 COFFMAN CHAIR FOR UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED TEACHING SCHOLARS
MANHATTAN -- Roger McHaney wants to teach the world about distance education. Well, maybe not the world, but at least Kansas State University.
McHaney, a professor of management information systems and a Faculty Fellow in the College of Business Administration, aims to do that as K-State's 2006-2007 Coffman Chair for University Distinguished Teaching Scholars.
McHaney will be taking on a project in conjunction with the K-State Center For Advancement of Teaching and Learning. He plans to collect various distance learning techniques being used across campus and compile an online educational resource that makes the transition to distance learning easier for faculty and staff.
"It's going to be a project that helps everyone across campus utilize what their colleagues have used to successfully implement distance learning," McHaney said. "We hope to make it into a readily accessible set of resources. I think that is an area that has been lacking at K-State from a centralized viewpoint.
"Everybody does distance learning things in a variety of ways that are outstanding and innovative," he said. "It makes sense to synthesize and share, so new teachers can make more effective transitions into distance education and existing teachers can find ways to improve their delivery."
According to McHaney, the project will be a way to facilitate communication among those in the K-State distance learning community.
The Coffman Chair for University Distinguished Teaching Scholars was created in 1995 to underscore K-State's commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning. A faculty member acknowledged as a leading teaching scholar is appointed to the chair for one academic year. All who are selected to hold the chair retain the title of University Distinguished Teaching Scholar throughout their careers.
During the year in residence, the scholar will conduct the affairs of the chair with substantial personal discretion. The scholar's time and resources will be spent to advance the interests of undergraduate teaching and learning at K-State.
"Distance education is an ever-increasing, important dimension of K-State's outreach beyond our residential campus," said M. Duane Nellis, K-State provost. "Dr. McHaney's efforts as Coffman Chair will significantly advance our progress in this important area."
Following the year in residence, the scholar submits a summary report of the experience and the benefits that have accrued to undergraduate teaching and learning as a result of these activities.
A K-State faculty member since 1995, McHaney teaches courses in management of information systems, information resources management and systems analysis. His areas of research include discrete event simulation, meta models, and computer-mediated communication systems, SAP and organizational computing.
"I study how businesses use technology to promote their organizational missions," McHaney said. "K-State can be viewed as doing the same thing in education: Using technology in a variety of ways to further its mission. The Coffman Chair project is consistent with my own area of studies and will be an extension of how technology is being used in businesses around the globe."
McHaney has bachelor's and master's degrees from Lake Superior State University. He earned a doctorate in computer information systems and quantitative analysis from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He is the current director of K-State's business and international education grant program and has lectured around the world, including New Zealand, China, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Greece, Belgium and The Netherlands.
McHaney has published in top journals in his field and has written textbooks and a variety of instructional material.
