Citrus College online education is built for success

By Dr. Patricia A. Rasmussen, Citrus College Governing Board Member

There's never been a better time to take online classes at Citrus College.

With expanded online course offerings and a partnership with the California Virtual Campus Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI), Citrus College is helping more students reach their academic and professional goals.

While online courses have been offered for years, their benefits are more relevant now than ever before. For example, online courses allow students to create flexible learning schedules around other obligations and demands on their time.

At Citrus College, the most common online classes are asynchronous, which are fully online and have no scheduled meetings. In these classes, students complete the work within a traditional week or module in order to meet the deadline set by the instructor.

Data from the Citrus College Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness underscores the rise of online education. For example, during the 2018-2019 academic year, 84% of all credit and noncredit classes were held in-person, 15% online and 1% hybrid. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the percentages were 53% in-person, 38% online and 9% hybrid.

"There is tremendous variety in our online student population," said Dr. Senya Lubisich, history and humanities instructor and online education coordinator. "These are not just students who self-select to be online learners, but also those who face schedule, transportation, work, and dependent care challenges and for whom online education provides a flexible way to continue to learn."

Looking ahead, the online outlook is bright.

Citrus College recently joined the CVC-OEI as a home college, which means Citrus College students will have increased access to online courses, including those taught at other California community colleges. Additionally, in early 2024, Citrus College will become a teaching college through CVC-OEI, which will enable students from other California community colleges to enroll in courses at Citrus College.

Currently, the college's online education program consists of three staff members, including a dean, online education coordinator and online education specialist. Together, this team provides extensive support to students and faculty while ensuring the courses consistently meet federal, state and local standards.

"Citrus College has accomplished amazing growth in online education thanks to our incredible support staff," said Salima Allahbachayo, DNP, who previously served as interim dean of social and behavioral sciences and online education. "In particular, I want to commend Chuong Tran and Dr. Lubisich for their hard work and dedication. Without them, we wouldn't be able to deliver such a high-quality online experience to our students."

As the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees representative of Glendora and portions of San Dimas, I am amazed by the incredible work being done to serve our students. For those looking to start or complete their education, I encourage you to consider Citrus College. For more information on how to enroll, visit www.citruscollege.edu/applyregister.