Luigi Aversano is one of 11,000 students at Front Range Community College who takes at least one of the institution’s online courses a year. Online work is especially important to the 39-year-old Aversano, who plans to eventually transfer out of FRCC to attend the University of Colorado-Boulder to major in biology.
“I am in the middle of changing careers, so I am holding down a job and taking classes and being able to do them online is important to me,” Aversano said. “The convenience factor is very important. I can watch lectures at my leisure. But I don’t feel isolated. I can talk to my instructors when I need help.”
Front Range’s online students get the same instruction material students get in the classroom, Aversano said. “I never felt isolated in what I am doing, or that I am lacking in getting the material I need to succeed,” he said. “I feel good at what I am doing at Front Range.”
Aversano is not surprised that Front Range has been recognized as one of America’s Best Online Learning Colleges, according to a new list compiled by Newsweek online magazine and database company Statista. FRCC is among the top seven community colleges on the list, according to a FRCC news release.
“FRCC tailors our online-classes to meet the specific needs for remote students,” said Dean of Online Learning Chico Garcia in the news release, “And we’re one of the few community colleges that have dedicated online advisors and support staff specifically designated to work with our online students.”
About 40% of the student body — more than 11,000 FRCC students — take at least one online class in an average year, the news release states. FRCC also offers more than 500 online courses in an average semester and has 46 programs — including 28 degrees and 18 certificates — that can be completed completely online.
Online students at FRCC get access to the same services as students who take classes on campus, all without the commute and on a flexible schedule that works for students’ busy lives, the news release states.
“We’ve been teaching online since 1995, and have been continually investing in improving our courses,” said FRCC President Andy Dorsey in the news release. “All FRCC faculty receive significant training on how to make their teaching most effective for the online learning environment.”
Newsweek based its 2022 ranking on an online survey among U.S. residents who have used online learning services to obtain an academic degree or acquire knowledge and skills for their job or hobbies, the news release states.
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