Dr. Lori Williams, CEO and President, NC-SARA
Dear Friend:
Thank you for taking time to learn about NC-SARA. We hope you find the content informative as you seek to learn more about our work to support quality interstate distance learning opportunities for postsecondary students.
I’ve had the tremendous honor of collaborating with passionate higher education stakeholders and advocates at the state, regional, and federal level since assuming the role of CEO and president of NC-SARA in 2019. This is an exciting and challenging time for those of us in higher education as our nation undergoes a number of fundamental changes that are inspiring shifts in education modality and challenging traditional ways of thinking about postsecondary learning.
At NC-SARA, we are focused day-in and day-out on identifying opportunities to make distance education programs better for states, institutions, and, most importantly, students. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for distance education in recent years, and that demand will no doubt continue to grow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This presents a new challenge for all of us: How can we assure continued quality and expanded access at a time when students need it most?
This question is at the heart of everything we do at NC-SARA and serves as the foundation for our strategic plan. Released in 2020, this plan aims to bring NC-SARA to the forefront as a national leader in postsecondary distance education, a known and respected advocate for continuous improvement and expanded access so that all students, regardless of background and circumstance, can find a valuable learning experience that fits their needs.
However, we know we cannot accomplish this goal without our partners – including the four regional higher education compacts, policymakers, intuitions, higher education advocates and experts, and, of course, the students themselves. We depend on your continued engagement and support, and we will remain committed to being a constructive partner and trusted ally as we all work toward our shared goal of strengthening distance education for all.
Once again, thank you for visiting NC-SARA’s website. We appreciate your interest in our work and look forward to serving you.
All the best,
Lori Williams, PhD.
CEO and President
NC-SARA