We Are IT | FLVC Distance Learning & Student Services

Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) provides public postsecondary students access to online services that help them succeed in school and prepare for rewarding careers after graduation. FLVC services are used by all 40 public colleges and universities in Florida—more than 150 campuses statewide. All services are available at no cost to students. The centralized services provided by FLVC save Florida more than $50 million compared to decentralized services.

Managed by the FSU Northwest Regional Data Center, FLVC is divided into two major divisions: Library Services and Distance Learning & Student Services. The Distance Learning & Student Services (DLSS) division provides tools and resources that enhance student and institutional access to centralized information.

What is your team’s role?

DLSS manages academic advising, career readiness, distance learning and educational resources for students, educators and administrators across Florida. Those resources are shaped through close collaboration with the DLSS Members Council—comprised of representatives from all 40 colleges and universities—and are delivered through the FloridaShines.org website.

DLSS manages the centralized, online catalog of all programs and certificates available from Florida's public colleges and universities and many of the state's technical colleges and centers. The catalog is a convenient, one-stop resource for students to quickly and easily find the courses they need to graduate on time. It also includes detailed profiles of every public college and university statewide, providing information about admissions requirements and deadlines, tuition and costs, programs and degrees offered, campus-specific information, student demographics, housing options and more. DLSS also manages Florida’s official Transient Student Admissions Application (TSAA), an automated workflow for students desiring to take courses at other public institutions within the state, and maintains the Common Prerequisites Manual on the FloridaShines.org website, which outlines the prerequisite courses for degree programs offered by Florida’s public institutions. Finally, DLSS collaborates with education-related organizations to advance postsecondary learning in Florida, reduce student and institutional costs and enrich the educational experience of all students. Such activity includes statewide license and contract negotiation, "College 101" Webinars for high schoolers and their parents, and the Florida Instructional Designer Network, a statewide professional development network for instructional designers and technologists.

Who makes up the team?

Dr. John Opper is executive director of the DLSS division, which currently totals six staff members: Richard Conn, Nashla Dawahre, John Opper, Stevan Polansky, Ashley Thimmes and Tom Tu.

What are your team’s current projects?

In addition to enhancing its current services, DLSS is collaborating with Florida Department of Education on several new developments, including enhanced student credentialing; development of a statewide career planning and work-based learning system; an upgraded system for transferring student educational records; and enhanced connectivity between FLVC, colleges and universities. DLSS is also continuing its internationally recognized study on textbook affordability.

What is the most rewarding project this year?

FLVC’s statewide course catalog played a critical role in helping students and institutions rapidly shift to online learning during, and since, the pandemic. Enhancing the catalog remains a key project this year. DLSS has expanded the catalog to include information for career and technical education and has collaborated with institutions to make it easier for students to quickly identify online courses that have low- or no-cost textbooks. DLSS is currently contributing data from the catalog for use in the statewide Education Meets Opportunity Platform now in development.

What is the biggest challenge your team is facing?

With the recent growth of our services, we are working to fill positions to support current and planned programs.

In five years, what do you see your team working on?

The higher education landscape is constantly evolving. We are working to deliver services through an improved user experience, mobile platforms and virtual technologies, and will continue to provide exceptional resources, services and value to Florida’s colleges and universities.