Online public relations major Tunichia Grant
National Distance Learning Week, Nov. 7 to 11, celebrates online students –- especially full-time ones –- who have been a growing part of the SUNY Oswego community since well before the pandemic.
As of fall 2022, 450 undergraduate students are enrolled in SUNY Oswego’s online programs through the Division of Extended Learning, representing a 27 percent growth over fall 2021 and a 1,046 percent growth over the past seven years.
Much of this growth comes from Oswego’s increased offerings for in-demand majors. For instance, the online bachelor’s in business administration, first available in full in fall 2020, is now the largest online undergraduate program with 233 students. An online public relations degree first offered in fall 2019 enrolls 41 students.
One of those online public relations majors is Tunichia Grant, who also works full-time as an associate information technology project manager in the Depository Trust Clearing Corp’s cyber resiliency group.
“The flexibility of the program is what helped me make the decision to come to SUNY Oswego,” Grant said. “Creating a plan of attack with assignments and a plan to rest will help insure your success. I had been out of the rotation of school for several years and I was intimidated…at first! My advisors not only helped me understand the classes I needed to take, they also encouraged me to only take what I could handle. I didn’t feel pressure, I felt support. I felt safe about making the decision to return to school and finish what I started years ago. I currently have a 3.7 GPA and I am part of Lambda Pi Eta.”
Grant first fell in love with public relations while taking an intro class in high school, and described Oswego’s program as “amazing.” Grant started the program in 2020 after relocating to Brooklyn and is grateful to be a Laker and proud to soon be an Oswego graduate.
“I found out that I love messaging and relationship building,” Grant said. “I was so motivated and driven to complete my degree. The professors are helpful, the advisors are helpful and the other students are helpful. … It is a real community. The discussion boards and group projects help you feel more connected to SUNY Oswego.”
Making it possible
Emily Spath (pictured above), an integrative professional studies major, is an example of a student for whom online classes were the only avenue to complete a degree.
“I could not have made a better choice than to attend Oswego online,” Spath said. “I work a full-time plus a part-time job and was struggling to finish my degree because I could not fit in-person classes into my schedule. While I am more of an in-person learner due to my learning disability, I have found that the professors are still very available, helpful and flexible. I am so happy to finally be able to finish my degree and chase after my dream job.”
For Matthew Tucker, the reputation and opportunities of the online business administration degrees were the draw.
“I choose SUNY Oswego because of their desire for excellence in business and being the highest-ranked public institution in New York state for business administration,” Tucker said. “The online program has been great and allows me the flexibility I need to finish my degree while still pursuing a very busy professional career. I would recommend SUNY Oswego to anyone who is looking for a top-notch education with extraordinary faculty.”
Family matters
For online wellness management major Cali Eddy (pictured above with family), a variety of family matters meant online courses were the only option –- as longtime New York state residents, they moved out of state in 2019 and currently live in South Carolina.
“I am a single mother of four special needs children, a daughter, 16, and three sons 13, 11 and 3,” Eddy said. “When I decided to return to school to get my bachelor’s degree 17 years after earning my associate’s degree at SUNY Morrisville, I looked at many local options before choosing to apply for a SUNY program again to maximize my credits transfer.”
Living 900 miles away meant a fully virtual program that still provided the value and quality of a SUNY school. “I wanted to continue a degree in health-related studies, and in the end settled on the wellness management program at SUNY Oswego,” Eddy said. “Being an online student helps me to work around my children’s busy schedule, full of therapy, meetings, appointments and extracurricular activities. I have the flexibility to work on assignments whenever I am available, and yet still connect with faculty members and other students in my major. I can work at my own pace and gain valuable experience in remote communication and teamwork.”
Online business administration major Shantie Krissoondatt was born in Guyana before coming to New York at around six years of age. After starting a family, Krissoondatt came to realize the importance of an education –- and SUNY Oswego fit perfectly into those plans.
“SUNY Oswego was the perfect college for me since it made it possible for me to be a stay-at-home mom while fulfilling my academic dreams,” Krissoondatt said. “I love that they were providing me with everything I wanted in a school, especially with being able to complete my bachelor’s degree while taking care of my children all from the comforts of my home. I didn’t realize how much of a privilege this was until I decided to go back to school. I didn’t realize how much of a necessity it was to get the time and freedom to attend school before.”
Krissoondatt notes that many say mothers are “superwomen,” and feels this way when trying to do it all. “Sometimes I still amaze myself at how I’m able to juggle assignments/exams while making sure my family is tended to in all the right ways. I must admit it is challenging at times trying to balance everything but my kids not only remind me but push me to keep going. They are a constant reminder that all of this hard work is worth the long hours and sleepless nights."
Ultimately -- like other online students -- Krissoondatt knows the hard work is worth it, in part because it presents an example to her children.
"Not only am I still working on fulfilling my dreams but I want to teach them along the way to never give up on the things they want in this lifetime,” Krissoondatt said.
For more information on distance learning via SUNY Oswego, visit the online programs and development web page.
Online business administration major Shantie Krissoondatt
Online business administration major Matthew Tucker