This summer PC will be offering a new program where students may take online courses taught by PC faculty. This newly available option for students is being driven by Dr. Lilly and his effort to increase revenue for the college and keep students’ summer education as grounded in PC as possible.

Students have been allowed to take online courses at other institutions for credit; by offering online courses as well it helps PC be as competitive as other institutions in the options it provides its students.

Faculty and staff at the college are aware that most students don’t wish to spend their summer in Clinton attending summer school, but often need to take courses during this time and will do so at institutions close to their home. PC’s online courses will allow students to take courses that will count towards GPA, but do so in locations that are convenient for their summer opportunities.

Courses range from arts and humanities, to sciences, although faculty members are still trying to work out the lab component to these since it is an online setting. Art history, Spanish, political science, English, psychology, computer science, art, math, and physics are some of the courses being offered. Mostly at the GenEd level, these courses are ideal in knocking out the core classes needed to graduate in a more relaxed atmosphere than the traditional learning environment.

This change from a traditional academic setting is what has some faculty at PC against this new option, as part of the college’s charm is the close student-faculty relations– the ability to meet with them and get to know them on a personal level– and having the daily interactions of a classroom setting is imperative to this. Some faculty members in every area of study at the college are concerned that this special commodity at PC will be compromised with online learning which is strictly electronic correspondence. Other faculty believe that online course offerings are a great opportunity for both students and staff to broaden their learning and teaching styles, and that it’s important the PC continue to meet the needs of its students in convenient and economical ways; online courses do just this by allowing convenience of location for study and bringing in of revenue for the school.

Thank you to all of the faculty members that gave their input and thoughts on this matter, specifically Dr. Taylor and Dr. Nelson. For more information about PC’s online courses contact Dr. Vondergeest.