ULV needs more online options

As our culture continues to shift in favor of digital connectedness, it is important for education to keep up with the changes in our online culture. The University of La Verne has made respectable strides in bringing technology into the classrooms.

Many professors use technology like BlackBoard to make classrooms more accessible to students, or SafeAssign to ensure the integrity of student work. Other teachers are even beginning to embrace the use of devices in their coursework.

However, what the University has not perfected, is its utilization of online courses for students. Compared to many community colleges, ULV lacks significant investment in online coursework, a trend that is becoming more standard as each school year goes by.

Partly a philosophical idea about the college or “La Verne Experience” and partly perhaps faculty technophobia, the University does not offer a large enough variety of online class options.

Offering online courses to students will do nothing to jeopardize the traditional college experience. And it will offer us substantial benefits, not to mention that it could alleviate some of the classroom crunch, and lower the University’s carbon footprint.

Students who reside on campus will still be immersed in the experience they came for. They will live with roommates, make friends on campus, eat in the dining halls, explore adulthood with their peers and continue to find their independence for the first time.

Commuter and non-traditional students will benefit greatly from the schedule flexibility and lose little in return.

General education requirements are generally a point of annoyance by the student population and are considered little more than a hurdle to get through in order to complete their degree in their actual area of interest.

These are the courses that the University should focus their efforts on supplying online or hybrid options.

While students rarely find mentorship in their future fields in general education courses, there is immense value in finding mentorship in major

coursework. Having access to professionals with real-world experience and connections is a benefit that does not outweigh the convenience of an online option. These are the courses that the University should maintain a standard approach.

There is a need for more online courses here at the University of La Verne. Classroom space is a point of contention at the start of every school year, students who work full-time or part-time are becoming more commonplace, tuition and cost of living is rising, causing students to need to work more than in previous years, and the employment and internship marketplace is growing increasingly competitive and demanding. This is especially true for students from low socio-economic backgrounds, a demographic that the University has focused on helping.

Now, more than ever, students need flexibility.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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