Sacred Heart University in Fairfield is going online with higher learning by offering e-learning courses for both undergraduates and graduates.
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The Catholic university will offer one undergraduate and two graduate degree programs online as an alternative to its traditional, campus-based offerings.
“Extending our programs online is a very important strategic initiative for Sacred Heart University,” said Anthony J. Cernera, school president. “Expanding our institutional reach through the use of online education allows us to serve more students with in-demand professional degrees that are consistent with our mission.”
Cernera said this is the first of many offerings that will provide wider access to Sacred Heart”™s programs and faculty.
The university will initially offer two degrees from the school”™s nursing program, an RN- Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a Master of Science degree in nursing.
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And Sacred Heart”™s John F. Welch College of Business is bringing its accredited MBA program online. Cernera said the program”™s multidisciplinary assignments and intensive classes are designed to develop and hone a student”™s cross-functional skills.
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“The MBA program is designed to incorporate real-world experience and challenges and respond to today’s volatile business environment,” said John Petillo, dean of the Welch business school. “Our curriculum proactively prepares students for the ever-changing global business environment with an integrated core that is taught simultaneously in a ”˜business process”™ approach.”
Other colleges in the area ”“ Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Fairfield University in Fairfield ”“ have been online for a number of years; though they are continuing to make e-learning advancements. Marist College is currently involved in several programs aimed at increasing student access to content and lowering the costs. College textbooks are notorious for being expensive.
Schools furthering their presences online isn”™t only for academics. In November of last year, Fairfield University launched its own social networking site, Fairfield Live, to create an online community where visitors can find official and member-contributed videos and photos, blogs, audio podcasts and message boards. Scott Barnett, director of web communications at Fairfield University, said the program showcases the school, its activities, values, and people through the first-hand experiences of students, staff, faculty and visitors.
Marist”™s major initiative is a program that files and catalogues it”™s books digitally in what the school calls an ”˜ebrary,”™ a digital database of about 35,000 books. Josh Baron, the college’s director of academic technology and e-learning, said the faculty often uses the catalog to drive the formation of courses”™ syllabi because books have become so costly.
Baron said the college is also supporting open-source textbooks, which publish full course materials on the web.
Other schools, like Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., have focused on expanding other technologies on-campus. In 2001 the Iona campus became completely wireless, and in August the newly refurbished Ryan Library began offering an array of technology.
Baron said the important thing to remember as an academic institution is to keep students engaged and excited and to maintain capabilities ”“ and be ready to use them ”“ when it comes to technology.
