BANGOR, Maine — With COVID-19 hastening the adoption and acceptance of online educational offerings among members of the public, Husson University announced that it is moving forward with a strategic initiative designed to extend its online educational outreach.
As part of this initiative, the University will be working to strengthen its educational offerings in Northern Maine, Southern Maine and with students who reside out of state.
“The advent of new technologies has significantly changed the ways we can deliver education. Nationally, students have become very comfortable with taking classes online,” said Husson University President Robert A. Clark, PhD, CFA. “Online education has given us the ability to reach students in remote, rural Northern Maine locations who would otherwise not be able to participate in courses because of the distance required to attend class.”
The shift toward prioritizing online education is in response to consumer demand. The convenience of online degree offerings has made it the most popular educational modality among non-traditional Husson University students. Lynne Coy-Ogan, EdD, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost notes that, “This is a move forward. Through modern technology, it’s no longer necessary to always have physical classroom space in various locations in order to provide coursework to students.”
Responding to the growing demand and rapidly increasing popularity of online education among students, Husson University plans to transition its Northern Maine operations to its online division, where all students enrolled in Northern Maine classes will be afforded the opportunity to complete their degree programs.
This includes a transition of Husson University’s operations in Northern Maine to a completely online format beginning on May 15, at the end of the spring semester. There will be no disruption to any classes currently underway at this facility. Students will be able to complete their studies through a combination of online and Zoom-enabled live classes broadcast from Husson’s Bangor campus. No classes that are currently underway at the facility will be disrupted.
“We remain strongly committed to the Northern Maine educational market. Based on continued student input, we feel this strategic shift to increased online offerings will allow us to better serve our students’ needs and expand awareness of Husson’s educational programs in the northern portion of our state,” continued Clark.
Northern Maine students interested in enrolling in online classes can visit Online.husson.edu to get more information about the University’s degree programs and instructions on how to get started. Husson University focuses on providing students with an affordable, practical, and relevant education. Online degree programs from Husson are designed to give students the expertise they need to become successful, in a flexible format designed to fit their schedules.
The movement toward online education will be supported in the coming years by the new College of Business building on the University’s Bangor campus. The advanced technology in this new facility will allow Husson University to better leverage the power of online education and serve the needs of Maine and beyond. Husson University is the home of Maine’s largest College of Business. More students choose to get an MBA from Husson University than any other College of Business in Maine. The infrastructure upgrade in this new building will allow the University to expand its delivery of programs to a broader audience in a manner that supports its educational mission.
Husson’s experience in online education parallels national trends. According to Coy-Ogan, “The number of Husson University students from Northern Maine who are taking their classes online or in a hybrid format that combines online and classroom instruction is growing. This includes the continued growth of our MBA program. Employees from MMG Insurance, the Cary Medical Center, Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) and other organizations in Aroostook County take Husson University courses online.”
MMG Insurance and Cary Medical Center students receive a discount as part of agreements with the University. Husson has also entered into partnership agreements with two Chambers of Commerce in Northern Maine that allow their members to receive discounts on MBA tuition. In addition to employee education, MMG Insurance offers internship opportunities to Husson University students.
Husson has worked with a variety of corporate partners across Maine to deliver specialty-designed programs at corporate sites. Any corporations interested in customized programs should contact Dr. Marie Hansen, JD, PhD, SHRM-SCP, dean of Husson University’s College of Business and New England School of Communications (NESCom) by phone at 207-973-1081 or by email at hansenm@husson.edu.
“Growth brings change. While we wish we could refocus our efforts without any disruption to students or staff, now is the time to transition our current physical presence in Northern Maine to a new model of delivery that offers both current and future students and their employers the continued quality education Husson is known for,” said Clark.
