Ashworth College Receives 2011 Commendation of Merit for Excellence in New Communications

Online school honored by the Society for New Communications Research 

NORCROSS, Ga., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ashworth College is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a 2011 SNCR Commendation of Merit in the Academic Division of the Society for New Communications Research Excellence in New Communications Awards program. The prestigious awards program honors individuals and organizations that are pioneering the use of social media and Internet communications technologies. The commendation was presented to Ashworth College (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/) at the 6th Annual SNCR Symposium & Awards Gala held at Harvard University's Faculty Club on November 3-4, 2011.

Ashworth, a leading online school, successfully created a virtual online campus in order to better engage and service its diverse student population while establishing itself as an education destination for the general public. It was important to find a solution that could support the entire student population, while addressing the individual needs of each segment.

"We are honored to recognize Ashworth College through this awards program," commented SNCR Senior Fellow Paul Gillin, chair of the SNCR Excellence Awards committee.

"The Ashworth College Community has exceeded all expectations," said Amy Bernard, Ashworth's Director of Interactive Marketing. "In just a few short months the Community surpassed 100,000 members, we saw increased engagement between students and instructors, and the GPA of members versus non-members was noticeably higher. It's certainly been an exciting and worthwhile endeavor."

Award nominations were submitted as case studies, and reviewed by a panel of SNCR Fellows. In addition to the top award winners in each division and category, Commendations of Merit and Commendations of Excellence were presented to nearly 25 other organizations that submitted case studies in the awards program. In its sixth-year history, SNCR has honored nearly 200 organizations and individuals through this prestigious awards program and all the winning case studies will be published on http://sncr.org.

About the Society for New Communications Research
The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c) (3) research and education foundation and think tank focused on the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications, and their effect on traditional media and business models, communications, culture and society. For more information, visit http://sncr.org.

About Ashworth College
Ashworth College, a leading online school, has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth also offers military education online as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. James Madison High School is further accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/.

SOURCE Ashworth College