Campus Carrier Unsigned Editorial
More and more colleges and universities are utilizing online classes as an efficient way to educate students. Even if the courses offered are not for actual class credit, like the free courses available through Harvard and others, they provide an accessible way for people to educate themselves.
These types of courses also make it possible to take courses over the summer if other complications make it impossible for a student to actually attend a school. That kind of help can enable students to stick to their schedule and graduate in a timely manner, or even get ahead.
Berry offers no such courses, but not without reason.
Students wishing for an educational program that emphasizes numerical efficiency more than firsthand experience may not find Berry a fitting institution. With its focus on accessible teachers and policies in place that promote on-campus living, online courses need not be a priority of the school. After all, the distance inherent in a relationship between a student and an online course as opposed to a personal one seem to counteract two of Berry’s most prominent advantages: the beautiful campus and the low student-to-teacher ratio.
However, the issue need not be so black and white. There may also be advantages to Berry at least experimenting with providing online courses.
Because such courses ought not to subvert the spirit of education at Berry in general, perhaps they would not be best utilized during the spring or fall semesters when students would have the most beneficial experience from being on campus and attending classes. Attending classes over the summer may be a completely different issue though. Students staying at Berry between spring and fall semesters have to make hefty housing payments and many students rely on the money that they make while they work during the summer to sustain them throughout the year.
For students who cannot stay at Berry over the summer, but still need or want to formally educate themselves, online courses may be a perfect option.
Professors at Berry are, usually, helpful and they don’t have an overwhelming amount of students. Therefore, some of the distance and inaccessbility that comes with online classes may be less of a hindrance for Berry students. Berry professors could and likely would use email and other online means to connect with students even without sharing a campus.
These are not necessarily changes that Berry needs; foremost is its emphasis on firsthand experience. However, online classes may help some students to proactively pursue their education even over the summer.