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What Excelsior College Teaches Us About This Moment in Education

All of this is may sound typical — and yet a time-traveler from just a decade or two ago might be stunned by all the ways in which Excelsior reaches and teaches its students.

By Marshall StevensonPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Excelsior College is in many ways your usual university. Headquartered in New York State, it offers degrees in business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. Over 170,000 students have earned degrees at Excelsior College since the school was founded in 1971. All of this is may sound typical — and yet a time-traveler from just a decade or two ago might be stunned by all the ways in which Excelsior reaches and teaches its students.

Way Back When

A history lesson is in order: Excelsior was established by lawmakers in Albany, but it wasn't originally designed to graduate the students it now caters to. Its original mission was to provide adult learning programs for older New Yorkers. Previously known as Regents College, the school expanded its mission in 1998 when it became a private institution. Excelsior isn't just for older adults now, but it does cater to students whose needs are not necessarily served by traditional colleges.

Traditional colleges are, after all, generally brick-and-mortar institutions. College students typically head to school for semesters at a time, and sometimes travel great distances to do so. None of this is a good fit for students who work full time. When it comes to tuition costs and other concerns, the problem becomes even more obvious.

Changing Times, Changing Schools

All of this is why we've witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of higher education institutions that operate online. Today, you'll need little more than an email address to get started with online classes — though reputable institutions will want to see a bit more to determine your eligibility for a degree program.

Online course enrollment soared in the mid-2010s, affecting even traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. The number of online institutions has also surged in recent years (the growth also includes for-profit universities, which students should be wary of). It's a trend that is reflected in Excelsior College's rise. What Excelsior tells us about the state of modern education is simple: There are more would-be students out there looking for ways to get ahead, and the best way to reach them is through the internet.

New York has long had an impressive educational infrastructure, and institutions like SUNY and CUNY are great examples of state-sponsored higher ed solutions. Excelsior hasn't been run by the state since the late 1990s, but it's a de-facto part of a system that helps elevate students who may not have the cash — or the time — to head to Harvard. Schools like Excelsior are perfect for transfer students or those who have been out of school for some time; students may be able to transfer credits from SUNY or another institution, and costs can be brought down by financial aid from FAFSA as well as a potential Excelsior scholarship.

More to Come

In all likelihood, we haven't seen the end of the online education revolution. In fact, we may someday see more online learning at other levels, including K-12. Teleconferencing software and cloud storage solutions are among the things that make online learning simpler and more accessible than ever. These advances could make life easier not just for those who can't manage full-time college, but for others as well, including those with disabilities or health concerns that keep them from safely heading to school.

The trend is an encouraging one. Education should be available to all who want it, and newly accessible degree programs like the ones available through Excelsior are steps in the right direction. The next Excelsior scholarship might go to the person who invents a brilliant new tool or cures a deadly disease; without online learning, we'd never know.

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