For the third-straight year, Keiser University has been named a Blackboard Catalyst Award winner for its commitment to developing and delivering quality, online education. The 58 Catalyst Award winners were selected from 130 nominees from colleges and universities in 17 countries.

Sponsored by Blackboard Inc., a leading global EdTech software and solutions company, the Blackboard Catalyst Awards recognize and honor universities throughout the globe for innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts.

“In this time of uncertainty, an entire nation of college students was transitioned to online learning rapidly and that is why we feel so honored to be recognized with the Blackboard Catalyst Award for our online delivery system and our commitment to student success,” said Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., Keiser University Chancellor and CEO.

Keiser University was one of 12 universities across the globe, and one of only three in the United States, to earn the Leading Change Award which recognizes institutions that have developed practices and/or technologies that have had a measurable effect on learning outcomes, student performance, or academic progression. Throughout 2020, Keiser University, like many colleges and universities across the globe, temporarily moved all instruction online during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“I’m very proud that Keiser University has been named a Blackboard Catalyst Award winner again,” said Sherry Olsen, Keiser University Vice Chancellor of the Online Division. “As an early adopter of online degree offerings, I believe we earned this award because we were well-prepared to transition to fully online swiftly during the Coronavirus pandemic and were able to continue offering high-quality education to our students uninterrupted.”

A trendsetter in virtual learning, Keiser University made its first foray into online education in 1998 through an agreement with e-college which offered one of the first virtual learning environments available to colleges and universities. Since 2013, every registered course at Keiser University has included an online learning shell that provides users with a platform for communication and content sharing. Though not utilized by every on-ground course, the shell allows faculty to quickly transition the course to virtual learning.

With such a robust history of virtual learning, Keiser University has earned its fair share of recognition. The school was named a 2020 Blackboard Catalyst Award Winner for Training & Professional Development, given to schools that use Blackboard programs to support and enhance professional development. In 2019, Keiser was a Blackboard Catalyst Award Winner for Student Success, an award that acknowledges institutions whose creative program application has led to increased retention, increased completion, and/or improved outcomes.

Representatives from Keiser University’s Online Division will join honorees from across the globe to be recognized during BbWorld, Blackboard’s premier annual global conference, to be held virtually over a two-week period, July 13-15, and July 20-22.

Keiser University is a private, not-for-profit university, serving nearly 20,000 students and employing 3,800 faculty and staff members. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, the university currently offers more than 100 degrees at 21 Florida campuses, as well as online and at two international sites. Keiser University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as a level VI institution to award certificates and degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral levels. For additional information regarding Keiser University, visit www.keiseruniversity.edu.