Aneta Pauline Rankin

Aneta Pauline Rankin, 71, of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, died Thursday, March 12, 2015 in Hot Springs. She was of the Christian faith. At different times, Rankin was a member of the Arkansas Distance Learning Association, American Association of University Women, International Forum for Women in E-Learning, and Association for Continuing Higher Education. Dr. Rankin began and ended her professional career in Arkansas, and landed her first job at North Side Elementary School in Morrilton in 1962; but she devoted almost thirty years to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she retired as dean of the Division of Continuing Education in 2006. She then served two years as interim dean of the University of Arkansas Global Campus before retiring from the U of A in June 2013. She held a doctorate in educational technology, served as administrator of the Louisiana Consortium for the Advancement of Distance Education (LaCADE) in Baton Rouge from 2005 to 2007, and she was an adjunct professor in the learning systems technology program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 2006 to 2009. Before becoming dean at LSU, Rankin served four years in Academic Affairs there, as vice provost from 2001 to 2003 and as associate vice chancellor for instruction from 1999 to 2001. She worked as the associate director, director and then executive director for the LSU Centers for Excellence in Learning and Teaching from 1977 to 1999. Before earning her doctorate at LSU in 1977, Rankin gained her master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Arkansas in 1966 and her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arkansas Tech University in 1962. The Global Campus hired Dr. Rankin as a consultant in 2008, before naming her the director of non-traditional and adult programs in 2009. Serving as interim dean for two years, she worked with the Global Campus team, as well as deans and academic units across the Fayetteville campus to foster growth and promote quality in online and distance education. She served in many official positions of higher learning including Arkansas Tech University, almost 30 years at Louisiana State University and University of Arkansas in both Fayetteville and Little Rock. Pauline was born February 10, 1944 in the Peanut Community North of Ozark, Arkansas, to Robert and Martha Dickerson Morris. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Oma Faye Morris and Avis Brumley; three brothers, Roy, Ray and Grady Morris. She is survived by her sister, Ruthie Wood of Ozark, and numerous nephews and nieces. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 am Monday, March 16, 2015 at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel in Ozark with Keith Masingale officiating and burial at Highland Cemetery, under direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark. Her nephews will be serving as pallbearers; honorary pallbearers are members of her Ozark High School Class of 1959 and educators and her colleagues of LSU and U of A. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to the Lupus Foundation of America, 220 Mockingbird Street, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71913.

Aneta Pauline Rankin

February 10, 1944 - March 12, 2015