Front Range Community College, or FRCC, was recognized this week as one of America’s Best Online Learning Colleges.
The Newsweek list identified only four Colorado colleges, Adams State University, Colorado Christian University, Aims Community College and FRCC, for their online learning programs.
More than 11,000 students who attend FRCC take at least one online course a year, according to a news release from FRCC.
The high demand for online courses forced the community college to build in supports tailored to the needs of remote students.
“FRCC tailors our online classes to meet the specific needs of remote students,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs and Online Learning Rebecca Woulfe. “And we’re one of the few community colleges that have dedicated online advisors and support staff specifically designated to work with our online students.”
The dedicated staff are trained to familiarize themselves with the challenges of online learning. The program includes extended advising hours, an online-specific orientation and other tools that allow students to engage at their own pace, according to Chico Garcia, dean of student affairs for online learning.
“Online learning enables FRCC to address the needs of our students and communities. Many of our students also have jobs or families, so their schedules are already busy. By offering online courses we meet the needs not only of students who want to supplement their schedules with one or two online courses, but also those students whose lifestyle and work schedule require that they take all of their courses online. It gives our students the flexibility they need in order to make college work in their busy lives,” Woulfe said.
FRCC has been teaching online courses for 25 years, according to FRCC President Colleen Simpson.
“All FRCC faculty receive significant training on how to make their teaching most effective for the online learning environment,” she said.
In addition to staff training, the community college created a comprehensive student support system that includes recruitment, advising and student support services such as 24/7 tutoring, an online writing and math center and online mental health counseling.
