USF Health Selects Tampa's Bisk Education to Expand Online Degree Offerings

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- USF Health has selected Bisk Education's University Alliance division to assist in developing and delivering online degree programs. Representatives from each organization, both long-time institutions in Tampa, met at Bisk's Sabal Park headquarters on Friday, August 17 to finalize the agreement.

USF President Judy Genshaft, Ph.D., met with Nathan Bisk, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Bisk Education, Inc., and Andy Titen, President and Chief Operating Officer, to sign the contract that will expand the online delivery of USF's highly acclaimed academic programs.

"I believe that providing students with increased opportunities for online learning is imperative to their success," said Dr. Genshaft. "Partnering with Bisk Education is a vital part of accomplishing this goal."

In addition to Dr. Genshaft, representatives in attendance included Dr. Stephen Klasko, Chief Executive Officer of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine; Michael Barber, D.Phil., Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs; John Ekarius, Chief Operating Officer of USF Health and the Morsani College of Medicine; John W. Long, Chief Operating Officer of USF; Hilary Black, JD, Associate General Counsel of USF; Lisa Greene, Director of Strategic Communications for USF Health; and Dana Tirrell, Project Manager.

The first degree to be offered, a Master of Science in Health Informatics, which will launch in early 2013, will be developed by esteemed USF faculty who are dedicated to using the latest technology to educate students.

"Health Informatics combines science, computer science, and healthcare. It's truly transforming the healthcare field," said Dr. Klasko. "USF Health is dedicated to helping our students succeed in this kind of high-tech, innovative field. We are glad that Bisk, our newest partner, shares that commitment and will help us provide that education nationally and internationally."

Bisk Education is the leader in developing and delivering online degree and professional certificate programs for top-ranked regionally accredited universities. Bisk has helped nationally ranked universities expand their reach and advance their mission since 1996. The company's unique value proposition focuses on six areas – or principles of excellence – that ensure the development and execution of online programs that help universities increase enrollments while maintaining their academic standards and traditions.

"It is an honor to be selected by the University of South Florida," said Nathan M. Bisk, Founder and Chairman of Bisk Education. "Bisk's commitment to delivering academic excellence to students anytime, anywhere takes on a whole new meaning when the university is in our backyard. Not only are we changing the lives of healthcare professionals everywhere, but we're part of the growth and success of a local institution. This is a partnership that Tampa Bay can be proud of."

After finalizing the partnership USF's representatives toured Bisk's corporate campus where more than 750 employees develop the technology and services that make online enrollment and course facilitation possible.

To learn more about Bisk's comprehensive services for creating scalable online learning programs, please visit www.bisk.com.

Read USF Health's press release about this partnership.

About USF Health

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

About Bisk Education, Inc.

Founded in 1971 by Nathan Bisk, Bisk Education is the world's leading provider of professional education online. The University Alliance (UA), a division of Bisk, facilitates the promotion and online delivery of associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees as well as professional certificate programs from the nation's leading traditional universities and institutions. Powered by UA's technology and support services, our university partners have surpassed 450,000 online enrollments – making UA the largest facilitator of e-learning in the country. University partners include Villanova University, the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, Florida Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, University of Florida, New England College, University of St. Thomas – Minnesota, University of San Francisco, Jacksonville University, University of Vermont, The University of Scranton, Dominican University, and Tulane University's Freeman School of Business. U.S. News University Directory, part of the Bisk network, provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983.

Contact Information
Sandy Levine, VP of Marketing Services
Bisk Education/University Alliance Online
9417 Princess Palm Avenue, Tampa, FL 33619
813-621-6200, ext. 328

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Bisk Education