Presentation from #ACBSP2016

1. Southern New Hampshire University and the
future of Online Business Education
Dr. Bruce Stetar
Executive Director, Graduate Business, SNHU
Member of the Board of Directors,
Chair Baccalaureate/ Graduate Board of Commissioners,
Member of the Accreditation Governance Board
b.stetar@snhu.edu
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Dr. Joseph Cappa
Executive Director, Undergraduate Business, SNHU
Chair Elect, Region 1
j.cappa@snhu.edu

2. University Mission
SNHU's educational philosophy challenges students' intellectual
potential and prepares them for professional lives in an ever-changing
and increasingly interconnected world. It provides a supportive and
close-knit learning community, delivering engaging instruction in a
flexible variety of formats.
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3. SNHU at a glance
SNHU is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution based in Manchester, New
Hampshire.
SNHU currently has
•3,000+ on-campus students
•65,000+ online students
•3,000+ students in a competency-based B2B model
•Is one of the fastest-growing universities in the country.
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4. Learning Modalities
SNHU provides affordable, accessible education through the following modalities:
Traditional format - On ground at our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH.
Hybrid format – At our regional centers in Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth and
Salem, NH, and Brunswick, ME
Online format - Over our innovative online platforms (Blackboard Learn and Motivis)
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5. SNHU Governance Structure
The Academic structure of SNHU is overseen by its President and CEO Dr. Paul
Leblanc. SNHU is structured as one university with three distinct yet tightly
linked verticals all located in Manchester, NH.
University College (UC) - Physical campus located in North Manchester.
College of Online and Continuing Education (COCE) – Online division located in
downtown Manchester.
College for America (CfA) – CBE division located in downtown Manchester.
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6. College of Online & Continuing
Education(COCE)
In just 4 short years COCE has grown to over 1,300 staff, 4,000 plus adjunct faculty
and over 65,000 students.
200+ plus programs, concentrations and certificates
1,200+ distinct online courses
1,300+ staff
4,000+ adjunct faculty
3,000+ adjunct faculty teaching at any one time
65,000+ students
12,000+ graduates in 2016
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7. COCE Mission & Vision
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The College of Online and Continuing Education (COCE) exists to make high-quality
education accessible and affordable. Through our innovative culture and unwavering
commitment to student success, we empower students to transform their lives and
the lives of those around them.
The College of Online and Continuing Education (COCE) aspires to be the best online
university graduating and positively impacting more adult students that any other
non-profit institution in the U.S.

8. On-line Learning - National Perspective
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Senior Leadership Perspective
•Senior Academic leaders remain far more positive about the learning outcomes for blended
instruction than they are for online education.
•Only 29.1% of chief academic officers believe their faculty accept the value and legitimacy of
online education.
•The percent of academic leaders rating the learning outcomes in online education as the same or
superior to those in face-to-face instruction grew from 57.2% in 2003 to 77.0% in 2014.
Allen, I. E.; Seaman, R.; Oulin, R.; Straut, T.T., (2016), “Online Report Card –
Tracking Online Education in the United States”, Babson Survey Research Group
and Quahog Research Group, LLC.

9. Online Learning - National Perspective
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Allen, I. E.; Seaman, R.; Oulin, R.; Straut, T.T., (2016), “Online Report Card – Tracking Online Education in the
United States”, Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

10. Online Learning - National Perspective
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Allen, I. E.; Seaman, R.; Oulin, R.; Straut, T.T., (2016), “Online Report Card – Tracking Online Education in the United
States”, Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

11. Online Learning - National Perspective
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
Allen, I. E.; Seaman, R.; Oulin, R.; Straut, T.T., (2016), “Online Report Card – Tracking Online Education in the
United States”, Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC

12. @ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
Online Learning - National Perspective
SWOT Analysis

13. On-line Learning - National Perspective
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Future Potential
•Online learning has the potential to prompt substantial change throughout higher education (Lack,
2013). Online learning environments are increasingly being designed with active learning and interactive
elements in mind (Wilcox et al. 2016; Xu & Jaggars, 2013).
•Emerging trends in online learning are: mobile gaming/augmented reality, virtual reality and adaptive
learning (Bowen, 2013; James et al. 2003; Squire & Mingfong, 2007).
•Another trend is the flipped classroom. The flipped classroom is an example of a learning structure
supports active learning and problem solving in the classroom (Bishop & Verleger, 2013).

14. Future of the online UG Business Degree
The future of the undergraduate business degree for the nontraditional
student will include:
•Micro-credentials, badges and experiential learning opportunities as part of a lifelong
learning strategy that complements the Undergraduate Business degree.
•Interwoven broad-based learnings from the general education curriculum into the business
curriculum.
•Increased collaboration between employers and universities in creating a well-rounded
academic and professional experience.

15. Future of the online UG Business Degree
• Employers’ increased skepticism of the undergraduate business degree has
morphed it from being the differentiating credential to the minimum required
credential.
• Undergraduate Business students will need the ability to learn in different
ways. This is not to say that current learning models are flawed; however, it
does reflect the idea that students learn differently and that one size does
not fit all.

16. Future of the online UG Business Degree
So what are we doing to address these concerns at SNHU COCE ?
• The use of learning science theory and educational technology to decrease time to completion
and increase student learning.
• Leveraging the talents of our faculty and external stakeholders – both in industry and the
community - to provide students with real-world projects in the classroom.
• Aligning our programs with industry-level skill requirements, enabling our students to connect
their professional and academic experiences.
• Incorporating experiential learning and internships as part of the learning
experience.

17. Future of the online GR Business Degree
The future of the Graduate business degrees for the nontraditional student will
include:
•Micro-credentials, badges, etc. as part of a lifelong learning strategy that
incorporates the undergraduate and graduate degrees, and compliments, or
adds on to the Graduate Business degree.
•The idea that for a student, their university is not a “once and gone”
experience - but rather a life long partnership of learning.

18. Future of the online GR Business Degree
• Increased collaboration between employers and universities in creating a
well-rounded academic and professional experience.
• The development of accelerated paths through programs of study
including the use of prior learning assessment and adaptive learning to
allow students to capitalize on the real world experience and prior
training/professional development that they bring to the classroom.
• The increasing need for specializations as part of the degree track.

19. Future of the online GR Business Degree
So what are we doing to address these concerns at SNHU COCE ?
• Developing programs that enable our students to connect their professional and academic
experiences through course content and collaboration with professional certification bodies.
• The use of learning science theory and educational technology to decrease time to completion and
increase student learning.
• Leveraging the talents of our faculty and external stakeholders – both in industry and the
community - to provide students with real-world projects in the classroom.
• Additional offerings including degrees, concentrations and micro-credentials – as well as applied
degrees at the doctoral level.

20. References
Allen, I. E.; Seaman, R.; Oulin, R.; Straut, T.T., (2016), “Online Report Card –
Tracking Online Education in the United States”, Babson Survey Research Group
and Quahog Research Group, LLC.
Bishop, J. & Verleger, M. (2013). “The flipped classroom: A survey of the research”.
ASEE National Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.
Bowen, W. (2013). The Potential for Online Learning: Promises and Pitfalls. Keynote
address delivered at the inaugural Coursera Partner’s Conference. University of
Pennsylvania.
James, J, et al. (2003). “Mobile educational games.” World Conference on
Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications. Vol. 2003 No. 1

21. References
Lack, K. (2013). Current Status of Research on Online Learning in Post Secondary
Education, Literature Review, Ithaka S+R, http://sr.ithaka.org
Squire, D. & Mingfong, J. (2007). “Mad City Mystery: Developing scientific
argumentation skills with a place-based augmented reaility game on handheld
computers.” Journal of Science Education and Technology 16(1), 5-29.
Wilcox, K.; Sarma, S. & Lippel. P. (2016). Online Education: A Catalyst for Higher
Education Reforms –Final Report. Online Education Policy Initiative,
Massachusetts.
Xu, D. & Jaggars, S. (2013). Adaptability to Online Learning: Differences across Types of Students
and Academic Subject Areas. Working paper no. 54. Community College Research Center,
Teachers College, Columbia University.

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Questions ?