12/17/15 rr
HAYS, Kan. -- Fort Hays State University's award-winning Virtual College is quickly increasing in enrollment, and the Virtual College Student Advisory Committee gives students who live thousands of miles away from campus an opportunity to participate.

The committee meets monthly by video conference. This is the third year the committee has existed.

The advisory committee's major project for the year is to work alongside the Student Government Association to complete the by-laws for the first virtual student senate and hold elections for the 2016-2017 school year.

"We have asked these adult students to function similar to a university standing committee," said Dennis King, assistant vice president for student affairs. "They have made recommendations and sent suggestions forward which have helped create policy at both the student and university level."

Students interested in being on the advisory committee submit applications, and faculty members from each college select the members. The 2015-2016 members are:

Arts, Humanities and Social Science -- Celia Zeinert, Sun Prairie, Wis., general studies sophomore.
Arts, Humanities and Social Science -- Tyler Stoldt, Chanute, organizational leadership junior.
Arts, Humanities and Social Science -- Lester Peak, Kirwin, general studies senior.
Business and Entrepreneurship -- Cheyenne Ellard, Hays, marketing and management sophomore.
Business and Entrepreneurship -- Michelle Snyder, Wichita, human resource management.
Business and Entrepreneurship -- Adia Ahmed, San Diego, Calif., management information systems senior.
Education -- Charyl Dowdell, Sherwood, Ore., higher education student affairs graduate student.
Education -- Megan Gunderson, Oklahoma City, Okla., instructional technology graduate student.
Education -- Megan Boydston, Lawrence, elementary education senior.
Health and Behavioral Science -- Scott Goodheart, Pratt, health and human performance graduate student.

"I am very excited to work with this year's committee, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish this year," said Kathleen Cook, Virtual College online communication strategist.