More and more colleges are using the World Wide Web to enhance their curricula, but now students can earn their degree entirely online.

On March 5, Jones International University, http://www.jonesinternational.edu, became the first completely online college to be accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, according to an American Association of University Professors news release.

Even though OU now uses the World Wide Web to enhance curriculum and for long-distance learning programs, a university that is only online is entirely different, said Ann Kovalchick, director of the Center for Innovation in Technology for Learning.

An online university is a product, not a university, Kovalchick said. She said what really makes a university is the faculty-student relationship.

William Owens, chairman of the Educational Policy and Student Affairs committee of the faculty senate, agrees that online instruction is not a replacement for student contact.

"Technology is useful in assisting or giving a new way for teachers to communicate, but I don't think it should replace personal contact between students and professors," he said.

Currently, OU has several long-distance learning programs. Several courses are offered online, but OU has had trouble attracting a market and finding faculty who are willing and able to convert their courses into an online format, Kovalchick said.

The MBA Without Boundaries program is another degree option for non-traditional students. The students in this class complete most of their work online, but meet two or three times as a class in addition to the online work, she said.

These programs give non-traditional students, who may be professionals earning their degree part-time, the chance to obtain a degree without actually being on the Athens campus, said Kathy Krendl, dean of the College of Communication.

Even though the market is growing for non-traditional educational opportunities such as JIU, this will not affect the demand for the traditional university experience, Krendl said.

Freshman Megan Snow said the experience of attending college is just as important as the information you learn. The most beneficial part of college is becoming independent and developing your social skills.

"There's more to college than just getting a degree- you can get a piece of paper anywhere," Snow said.