Effective June 30, 2009, at the end of this fiscal year, John Allard will end his service as director of the Kansas Regents Network, a.k.a. TELENET 2, and also as the Division of Continuing Education’s (DCE) military liaison with the Fort Riley Consortium of Universities.
For the past 13 years, Allard has served as the Kansas Regents Network director. TELENET 2 is a video and audio conferencing system that connects communities across Kansas, providing credit and professional educational opportunities conveniently for people in the state.
During his tenure as TELENET 2 director, Allard co-wrote and managed multiple grants which have been instrumental in advancing distance education via video conferencing using the TELENET 2 system. The grants expanded the reach of K-State and other Regents universities to individuals statewide, nationally, and internationally.
“The USDA Rural Utility Service Grant, TELENET 2 Reach Across Kansas, expanded the TELENET 2 network and increased distance education opportunities for many Kansans,” Allard said. “The project resulted in increased and improved video conferencing capability in 45 Kansas communities gaining access to distance education, training programs, and workshops.”
Allard has been responsible for initiating and overseeing the conversion of TELENET 2 from Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connectivity to Internet Protocol (IP), which has significantly reduced network costs and made it an even more economical delivery system.
“Technology is ever changing,” Allard said, “and with a system like TELENET 2 you have to be constantly monitoring those changes and evaluating how to move the delivery system ahead to provide more services more efficiently and more cost-effectively.”
As DCE’s military liaison, Allard works closely with the K-State office at Fort Riley, the Fort Riley Education Consortium of schools, and the Fort Riley Education Center. He has also been involved in several special projects including LASER.
Allard joined DCE in 1991, first working as the Fort Riley program coordinator, coordinating courses offered on post at Fort Riley and assisting military personnel and their families with their educational endeavors. Prior to his appointment 13 years ago as Kansas Regents Network director, Allard served as director of Academic Outreach for DCE overseeing the credit operations, including the growing distance education programs.
Before coming to K-State, Allard was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, serving in the military for 23 years.
