Integrating Best Practices in a New Online Degree Program: The City University of New York Experience

Abstract

The Online Baccalaureate of the City University of New York (CUNY) was launched in 2006. It is the University’s only fully online degree program and offers asynchronous courses, as well as a full range of academic and student support services, all online. Because the program was designed to be independent of existing departments and divisions, developers were able to incorporate an array of innovative structures and processes and continue a commitment to best practices in online education. Presenters from the Online Baccalaureate will describe both current operations and the start-up experience with regard to (1) course design, including features that promote active and collaborative learning with Web 2.0 technologies, (2) training and on-going mentoring of online instructors using web-based and social networking tools, (3) integrative approaches to curriculum design and assessment, with e-portfolios as a key resource, and (4) academic and personal support systems for students.