James Roan, a 39-year-old land surveyor from Sterlington, La., wasn’t just juggling a full-time job. He’s also a family man with fraternal twins.
With dreams of owning his own land survey business, he wanted to secure a Bachelor of Science degree in land survey to pave the way.
On Dec. 8, Roan graduated using the newly implemented HyFlex Classes at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Roan is the first graduate using the HyFlex model for teaching land surveying in the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources.
Anticipating his employer’s potential retirement, Roan is eyeing a leadership role within the surveying company for which he’s been working. He’s diving into further education to make that leap, aligning his aspirations with his existing skills.
UAM, though an 80-mile stretch from home, emerged as Roan’s ticket to that degree.
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Starting in the fall of 2022, the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources introduced HyFlex Classes. These classes gave him the flexibility to attend live, in-person lectures, hop into lectures real-time online, or catch up on recorded lectures — a godsend when balancing work and evening family duties.
“I didn’t want to get a degree in mathematics and then still be required to take my 30 hours of surveying classes. I found this a better option,” Roan said. “That 80-mile round trip is what I drive when I have to come to class. Fortunately, that’s not too often.”
UAM dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Michael Blazier said the HyFlex model caters to whatever learning methods work best for people. It also helps students like Roan, who are already working professionals who want to further their careers in surveying but can’t relocate to campuses in a traditional fashion.
Teaching the HyFlex classroom model is UAM land survey instructor Robert Blakeley. Blakeley took the UAM job after a career as a land surveyor for the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
“The HyFlex model is important to reach out to surveyors who are looking to become licensed and have families that can’t come to be a traditional student on campus,” Blakeley said.
Roan said he could have gotten a degree in construction management or civil engineering from a nearby university.
“Then, I could have supplemented my courses to complete my 30 hours of surveying instruction to satisfy my requirements with the state, but I didn’t think that was the best choice. I wanted to focus on my surveying career, and I think UAM has reached beyond that,” Roan said.
Roan recently presented his practicum presentation to his UAM peers, ensuring he would graduate with a bachelor’s degree in land survey. His presentation included a brief history of land surveying. Roan then presented his practicum project, which included a 15-acre land transaction. Roan explained how he went to the courthouse and researched the property boundaries and ownership history from 1857 to 2023.
Roan feels that graduation this semester would have been impossible if not for HyFlex courses.
“Mr. Blakeley would livestream them. He would send me a Zoom link, and I could either tap in live, let’s say it was raining that day at work and I was at home, or I could tap in live and comment and ask questions just like I was sitting in the classroom. Or, if I had to work that day, I could get home and at 8 at night, after I put my kids to bed, I could complete my coursework and not miss anything. So, it really helped.”
Roan said his degree is instrumental in his long-term goal of owning a land survey operation.
“The guy I work for now is getting ready to retire, and he doesn’t really want to retire now fully, but he wants to slow down. So, we’re going to start a merger process. I expect the process to take three or four years,” he said.
Blakeley explained the necessity of the program.
“The HyFlex model, in my opinion, has come about due to not only covid but also our numbers being down in our profession. We need to promote our product, and this is a way to do it, said Blakeley. “To become licensed, you must possess a degree, and this is a way to get it out.”
“If you have a bachelor’s degree in anything, you must possess 30 hours of surveying courses to be qualified to sit for the exam after the work experience is acquired,” he said.
Blazier gave much credit for HyFlex’s success to Blakeley.
“I think one of the real strengths of our program is having Mr. Blakeley as our surveying instructor. He is heavily engaged as a surveyor and has experience in the private and public sectors, so he’s able to really teach by doing. He speaks with a lot of authority on things that are important to folks. Our students are responding very positively to Mr. Blakeley. They appreciate that he’s using real-world examples interwoven throughout all his classes and labs.”
The program has benefited the educator as well.
“Teaching the online HyFlex model has made me become more versatile,” said Blakeley.
Roan advises young people considering a land survey career to pay attention in class in high school.
“I wish I’d done a little more my first time, but it all worked out for me. Those things you say I’m never going to use, we use them daily in the land survey profession,” Roan said.
A video link is available at https://youtu.be/B41A52SgNK0 with the filename Land Survey Hyflex Grad 352 TVT.mp4.
Lon Tegels is with the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.