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Every now and then people in any business get caught up in the process of that business. The problem comes when they lose sight of their goal.
Our goal in higher education is simple: help students learn and succeed.
That's why we're here!
That sounds so simple, but it affects the way we do everything. When we open the door to a new distance or online class, do we make sure that the class is structured so that students will able to understand the content, interact with the instructor and each other, and demonstrate their understanding by an appropriate assessment mechanism?
When a student has a death in the family and misses a test, does the instructor work with the student and find a way for them to demonstrate mastery of the subject?
When we have a student enrollment problem, do we treat the student with caring and look for ways to help solve their problem?
Sometimes we forget. But generally speaking, the folks involved in distance and online education at Colorado State University do it pretty well. I've been involved in all kinds of unusual situations and requests, and we try to put ourselves in the student's place when we respond.
Almost every instructor I've been involved with for the past 30 years has the same goal I mentioned earlier: student success. They are usually teaching for a reason: they want to help students learn and succeed. And when students have genuine problems and challenges, they generally find a way to help the student work around it. They're really good people.
We are all students in life. We have needs and projects, and we all have challenges, inconveniences, and setbacks. But we appreciate getting support from others involved in the process who keep their eyes on the prize: our success.
If you're getting the support you need, then please let us know about it. If you're not, let us know about that too. There are sometimes system or process issues that we can't overcome, but we'll listen and respond, and hopefully we can find a way to help.
The Division of Continuing Education at Colorado State University develops and delivers graduate and undergraduate degrees; professional development training; certificate programs; online credit and noncredit courses; and industry specific training in Loveland, Brighton, Denver, and wherever students are located through online and distance delivery modes.
For more information, visit http://www.learn.colostate.edu/ degrees or call (970) 491-5288 or (877) 491-4336.
Colorado State University
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