By Joyce Wagner
Scoring well all around, DSC earned this position through dedication and hard work by staff and faculty members. DSC President, Carol Eaton proudly stated, “This latest high mark for Daytona State College is extremely gratifying. It points to the excellence of our faculty and our vision to lead with high-quality online programs. I could not be more proud of our institution and its dedicated, visionary faculty and staff.”
In response to an increased need for an educated workforce, DSC began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2006. The college currently offers seven bachelor’s programs: the BAS and BSET, both available as an online degree, plus five BS degrees in education. More than a thousand students are enrolled in online baccalaureate courses at DSC. All the classes are recorded and archived so the material can be accessed as needed. DSC uses a ‘two plus two’ model, requiring students to complete an associate of science degree, followed by two years of baccalaureate degree coursework. Those with AA degrees will be required to complete an additional 18 credits in an occupational or technical area in order to continue into a bachelor’s degree program. Financial aid is available for the online program to qualified applicants, and enrollment is on-going.
U.S. News and World Report used three categories to calculate their rankings for this study. These included student engagement, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology.
The first, student engagement, was worth half the total score. This looked at the ease in which the student can interact with the instructor and their classmates. Office hours, response time, and availability of the instructor, work to create an environment conducive to student retention and completion of their degrees within a reasonable time.
A quarter of the score focused directly on the faculty involved. They looked at the percentage of Ph.D. and tenured instructors, and how well they are trained to teach distance education courses. Continuing education and peer reviews were also looked at. In order to have a strong online bachelor’s degree program, the college must employ instructors with academic credentials expected from a reputable school and have the necessary resources to train the instructors on how to teach their students who may be quite a distance away. DSC scored an astounding 86.7% in this category, higher than the top ranked university in the survey.
Eileen Hamby, head of the College of Business Administration, noted, “We have had the support of the Board of Trustees, the president and senior staff in providing the resources to make Daytona State’s online bachelor’s programs such a huge success.” Hamby, who implemented the first bachelor’s program, the BAS, added, “The Instructional Resources Department has been instrumental in the design of our online programs, and our faculty and staff have been extraordinarily innovative in making our students career ready and improving the skills of our graduates.”
The last part of the survey took into consideration student services and technology needed for online classes, and also the amount of debt a student incurs in order to obtain a degree online. Besides access to a computer and the internet, a student should expect access to online chat rooms, tech support, library assistance, tutoring, writing workshops and career guidance.
Students wanting the benefit of a higher degree, in order to advance their current career or to change to an entirely different field, can pursue a bachelor’s degree online, while continuing to work and without uprooting their families. With the slow economy, the benefit of a degree is clear. U.S. News and World Report noted that a person with a bachelor’s degree will have 84 percent more in earnings over their lifetime than someone with only a high school diploma. The unemployment rate for those without a college education compared to those with a four-year degree is double.
For more information on Daytona State’s online bachelor’s degree programs, visit www.daytonastate.edu or speak with an academic advisor.