Berkeley College: Professional Growth through Distance Learning

Berkeley College: Professional Growth through Distance Learning

Following high school, you entered college, but after two years, a series of family health and financial issues prompted you to put your education on the back burner. You moved back home, took a job and helped support your family. One year led to another, and before you knew it, six years whizzed by. Your family crisis was resolved; you met the love of your life, became a husband and started a family. About that time, you realized you were still working in a job, not building a career. Now what?

Many people in the workforce who want to complete a college degree while working and/or raising a family have looked to distance learning. One of the most popular online learning programs is Berkeley College Online™.

Today’s technology makes it possible for working adults to complete their college education on their own schedule without having to travel to a campus classroom. Campus Operating Officer Sharon Goldstein says, “Technology continues to rapidly evolve and Berkeley does an excellent job of incorporating new technology into our online classes.”

As people have become more and more comfortable with online learning, accredited institutions that have histories of successful campus operations offer opportunities for people to have it all: a career, a family and their education.

Up close and virtually personal
Like their on-site peers, Berkeley’s online students have many opportunities to interact with classmates. Goldstein says, “It is a misconception that online students study in a vacuum. We give our students the tools needed to participate in a truly engaged, active environment. Throughout the program, videos, web cams and voice discussion boards bring students virtually close together and make it possible for them to learn from one another.”

Each online student enters the program with a faculty recommended peer mentor who is responsible for helping the newbie navigate the program. Additionally, the school offers students opportunities for engagement through online clubs such as a book club, a parent’s club, an arts, club, a healthy café club, a movie club as well as offering a platform for student opinion through the Student Advisory Board. Technology has made getting involved with peers and other students easier today than ever before.

Since the internet reaches every corner of the planet, students sitting in striped pajamas in New Jersey can share the same classroom with students wearing slippers and a plaid flannel robe in the Netherlands. Goldstein notes, “Our online students have the opportunity to learn from their peers all over the world. This single component is invaluable, especially in these times of globalization.”

Visibility
“It is impossible to be invisible in an online class,” Goldstein says. At the start of each class, students introduce themselves to each other and quickly learn about each other-- their families, careers, opinions and goals. “We encourage this personal interaction so that students can familiarize themselves with their classmates. This initial introduction makes it easy for students to become involved,” she adds.

Students are required to participate in a discussion board, the parameters of which depend on the faculty member. Assignments are typically delivered on a weekly basis, which begins Sunday morning and are due the next Saturday evening. Online students have the flexibility to complete their coursework anytime during the week that works for them.

Support
Berkeley provides students with the same classroom and textbook support as they do their on-site students. Berkeley College Online has 10,000 square feet of space for the 33 employees dedicated to supporting the online population. Academic Advisement, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Academic Support Center, Career Services, Student Development and Campus Life as well as a full-time librarian and a comprehensive electronic library, which rivals our onsite libraries are all provided to serve the online population.

Students who wish to do so are encouraged to take advantage of online tutoring, online workshops, study skills, organization skills, math workshops and career guidance.

Details
The average age of Berkeley’s online student population is 25-40. Goldstein explains that student demographics are beginning to change: “We are beginning to see more students who are under 23 because they realize they can choose to work and continue their education at the same time.”

Berkeley College is currently seeking approval to offer a Masters of Business Administration. Today, courses average $425 per credit; average annual tuition of just under $20,000. Berkeley is one of a few colleges that offers a “tuition freeze” for full-time continuous enrollment.

The phrase, “those who can’t do, teach” is not applicable at Berkeley. Each faculty member is a qualified educator as well as a professional who has worked in the business world. At Berkeley, the teachers have “hands on” experience and offer more than textbook knowledge. Many companies look for and appreciate this quality in Berkeley graduates.

Berkeley College’s Corporate Learning Partnership Program

When a forward-looking company is interested in developing a competent workforce for today and tomorrow, employers can offer their employees an opportunity to continue their education through online learning.

“Through the Corporate Learning Partnership (CLP) program, companies have an opportunity to invest in their employees and their own future success by developing a better-educated workforce through Berkeley’s online program,” explains Rosemarie Berman, Director, Corporate Learning Partnership Program.

Company benefits
Corporate partners in the CLP program benefit from increased employee and company productivity, a better-educated corporate culture, cost-effective employee training, motivated employees who are committed to their employer and no loss of productivity during working hours.

For employees, the CLP program means that they and their immediate families are eligible to receive a reduction in tuition at any of Berkeley’s onsite locations as well as Berkeley College Online. A company that offers tuition reimbursement helps their employees save even more money when they choose to continue their education at Berkeley College.

The program at work
Helping companies build their workforce begins when Berkeley College reaches out to a company or business. Berman explains, “First, we contact a company’s Human Resources department, corporate internship program or speak with seasoned alumni to discuss our CLP program. We explain the benefits of CLP to employees who want to make themselves more marketable and advance their careers and education. We find that employees may be interested in completing a 2-year Associates degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree or, they may be looking for training in specific areas that are relevant to their area of expertise.”

When a company reaches out to Berkeley for specialized training, Berkeley develops a custom training program that meets their needs. The classes may be held at Berkeley, at the company’s offices or online. “We work with companies to develop individualized training to help them develop their employees,” says Berman. The college has no “canned” training programs; experts design programs to meet the needs of each specific audience.

There is no cost to the company to participate in the Corporate Learning Partnership program and Berkeley’s coursework is designed to contribute to a more credentialed workforce. “Once employees earn their degrees, they are often eligible for a promotion or an increase in salary. It can be a real career changer,” smiles Berman.

For 79 years, Berkeley College has offered students both Bachelor and Associate Degrees and prepared them for success in their chosen field. Berkeley students have the choice of three programs: The School of Business, The School of Professional Studies and The School of Continuing Education. The college, which operates on the quarter system, has a reputation for preparing graduates to “hit the ground running.”

For more information about Berkeley College Online, contact Campus Operating Officer Sharon Goldstein at [email protected]. If your business or company would like to learn more about Berkeley College’s Corporate Learning Partnership program, contact Rosemarie Berman, Director at [email protected].