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School of Communication

University plans to introduce online degrees

By Ben Senko

Currently we sit on the eve of the most fascinating points in the history of Cleveland State University. Technology opens up vast new areas of exploration at CSU.
Students are capable of accomplishing the most basic tasks from registering for classes to more captivating area of interest like earning a degree in bioethics, for example, all from the comforts of their home computer.

Course Development
According to On Campus, CSU’s Web newspaper, two philosophy professors and a professor of economics will develop three courses which will make it possible for students to earn 32 credits toward an online degree. This is a first in the history of CSU, which up to this point seemed to avoid the online degree trend.
This is, no doubt, to compete with the vast majority of Web sites offering numerous degrees from a bachelor’s degree in business to a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Phoenix.
Online degrees are just the beginning of what is in store at CSU.
There are big leaps in how technology operates at CSU, according to Mike Droney, vice president of Information Services and chief information officer, at Cleveland State.
He oversees the development of technology and molds how the future of the campus will function.
A recent renovation in the data center allows for a more secure connection to the Web against viruses, worms and power outages, according to Droney.
Another new development is the ePortfolio project.
In a letter to students of the College of Education and Human Services, Associate Dean Dick Hurwitz explains that ePortfolio would revolutionize the way students present themselves to potential employers.
When it is active, ePortfolio will allow students to store documents, pictures, video clips and audio clips electronically that are accessible from the World Wide Web.
The goal of ePortfolio is to demonstrate the academic growth in students over the length of their college career, and all this for a $25 technology fee.
The future will hold many new and exciting innovations at CSU, whether it is the group of students laughing at online publications on a rented laptop, or a frustrated communication student frantically typing a term paper because his disc did not save the changes.




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