Expanding Online Classes at CCSU: Breaking Barriers for Non-Traditional Students

Deena Hassan

There are a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional students at Central Connecticut

State University; students who live off campus and work, single parents, and students returning

to college after a long break to name a few. In a world that is constantly looking to provide more

online degree programs for the average working Joe, CCSU sorely lacks online class offerings

for these non-traditional students.

With hectic work schedules and family commitments, these non-traditional students find

it difficult to attend in-person classes. Online programs and classes would provide the flexibility

they need to complete their degrees.

CCSU, operated under Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, is clearly a

commuter school, so the demand for more online courses should be considered. Students drive

from all over the state to the CCSU campus, which can be both time-consuming and financially

draining if they must miss work. This is a luxury that not all students can afford to forfeit. CCSU

would address both the financial strain and time commitment involved in attending in-person

classes by expanding the selection of online courses.

There are, naturally, concerns involved in expanding online course offerings, a common

one being professor shortages in many departments. As a solution to this, CCSU should consider

collaborating with other Connecticut colleges to offer more online courses. Combining their

resources would mean being able to provide students with breadth and depth not possible for

CCSU alone. This is already underway for Connecticut community colleges. They are combining

their schools and resources, meaning students will be able to take both online and in-person

classes at any community college in Connecticut. The University of Connecticut also combines
its online course offerings across all its campuses. Joining other Connecticut colleges that are

also operated under CSCU would mean drastically increasing the underwhelming variety of

online classes at CCSU.

Ensuring that online students perform at the same level as they do in CCSU’s

conventional in-person courses is another potential issue. But according to a study from Harvard

and MIT, students were found to perform the same and sometimes better online than they would

in person.

CCSU has reduced the number of online courses during its summer session. This is a step

in the wrong direction and will further harm students. CCSU can provide its student body with

options that would not jeopardize their finances or make their lives harder. To better serve the

needs of its diverse student body, CCSU needs to expand its online class variety and combine its

online class offerings with other state universities.

CCSU can ensure that all students have access to high-quality education by giving them

flexible alternatives. Online classes lower the costs and time commitments that often come with

in-person classes. To keep up in a world where an online presence is becoming necessary instead

of optional, CCSU needs to break down barriers and provide students with accessible education

at times that work for them.

 References

Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2014). Harvard and MIT
Release Working Papers on Open Online Courses. https://www.edx.org/news/harvard-and-mit-
release-working-papers-on-open-online-courses

Van der Kleij, F. M., Feskens, R. C., & Eggen, T. J. (2015). Effects of Feedback in a Computer-
Based Learning Environment on Students’ Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. Review of
Educational Research

U.S. News & World Report. (2021). Student life at Central Connecticut State University.
Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/central-connecticut-state-university-
1378/student-life