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Kenya King
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Perimeter College
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Covington, Ga.–When Andrea Hendricks started teaching math at DeKalb College in the fall of 1993, she couldn’t have imagined the trajectory her career would take. Now, as the senior director of Online Initiatives for Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, Hendricks is set to host The unDistance Learning Conference for the third time. Three decades ago, when she started at the college, online learning wasn’t a thing—and most people weren’t even using email yet.
Fast forward to fall of 2001, when Hendricks started teaching math online. Online learning was a new concept, and the software and resources that we have today didn’t exist yet. Video chat wasn’t an option, and teaching online involved utilizing the U.S. postal system.
“Honestly, at that time, I still had to take advantage of mailing some stuff to students and then having them mailing it back to me. So, it was not necessarily the ideal way to do online education, but we did it.”
Hendricks shared her motivation.
“The reason I was so passionate is that it provided a way for people that couldn’t physically come to campus to actually start engaging in higher education.”
Online learning has come a long way with the technological advancements that have taken place in recent years, and it continues to evolve. Hendricks created The unDistance Learning Conference in 2023 with the goal of providing training for Perimeter College faculty on belonging and engagement strategies that reduce the distance between their students and them. She is the conference organizer and after producing the event on her own the first year, she engaged a team. This year, the team consists of Jennifer Duncan, Kelly Shobe, Teresa Adams and Hosanna Fletcher. The conference takes place virtually Monday-Thursday, Oct. 6-9, 2025, with a full-day, in-person session on Perimeter’s Decatur Campus on Friday, Oct. 10.
Hendricks’ dedication to online learning runs deep. “When I started teaching online in 2001, I saw a need to provide educational opportunities for learners who could not be bound by time and space to on-campus learning opportunities. These learners may have work schedules that didn't align with our on-campus class schedules, were taking care of family members, had disabilities which prevented them from getting to campus or they weren’t physically close to one of our campuses. This continues to be the case for today's learners.”
Consequently, this is also why the purpose of The unDistance Learning Conference is such a significant training opportunity for educators. The first year of the conference, there were 160 registered attendees, and there were over 400 the following year. Strong early-registration numbers this year indicate the growth of the conference continues, and that the need for the training is relevant. Attendees come from all over the U.S., and last year, there were even four international attendees.
The unDistance Learning Conference features nationally recognized experts in online learning, instructional design and educational technology from across the nation. Each session provides actionable strategies, like redesigning assessments, improving course accessibility or enhancing student engagement. The in-person workshop on Friday provides attendees with practical ways they can integrate High Impact Practices (HIPs) in their online courses. The conference serves as professional development for anyone who wants to create meaningful and impactful online learning experiences that engage students in creative ways.
In addition to training current online instructors, The unDistance Learning Conference positions Perimeter as a leader in the ever-evolving academic structure of online learning.
Hendricks summed up her goal for The unDistance Learning Conference. “I would love for our conference to become a go-to professional development opportunity that online educators across the world look forward to attending.”
Story by Christy Petterson
Photo by Meg Buscema