Coventry University College will be launching online formats of two degrees, the BA (Hons) in Management and Leadership and BA (Hons) in Management and Professional Accounting, with the first intake starting on 27th April 2015.
The University’s partnership with online degree specialists PlattForm will draw on the US company’s expertise and experience of rapid expansion of online degrees, provided through its UK-based operation. The drive into online delivery is seen as an important new opportunity to better meet the needs of students in a digital society and improve access; particularly among part-time students, people already in employment and overseas students.
PlattForm will take responsibility for managing the process of the delivery of the online courses through its Online Management Programme (OPM), supporting Coventry University’s academic delivery via its Virtual Learning Environment.
The OPM combines research, marketing, programme content conversion, recruitment and, crucially, student support, alongside the online delivery of courses. Student Success Advisors will provide telephone and online pastoral support and encouragement for online learners throughout the duration of their course, and play a critical role in the successful delivery of the online degrees.
“PlattForm’s OPM offers Coventry the opportunity to take our courses online whilst ensuring that the quality and learning experience for our students remains at the highest standard,” commented Ian Dunn, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) at the University. “We are fully committed to ensuring that recent recognition for our innovation and modernity remains relevant for many years to come by offering online learning for many of our courses and degrees.
“The OPM means that Coventry will be able to stay ahead of the game by consistently providing high quality education to potentially a huge number of students. In the future immigration restrictions and working alongside further study no longer need be barriers to getting a Coventry degree.”
Karen Smith, Director of UK Operations for PlattForm, said: “Coventry University is ambitious and a genuine innovator in UK higher education, representing a natural fit for PlattForm’s first UK partner. As in the USA, the UK will see online learning and the online delivery of degrees and courses grow and become more important in the near future, enabling wider participation as the population takes their learning into their own hands.
“The OPM offers a solution to so many of the current issues affecting higher education – higher undergraduate student numbers, decreasing postgraduate students and immigration restrictions – and does so in an integrated way that offers both support to the institution and, most importantly, the students. We are extremely excited to work with Coventry University College to deliver these two programmes, and many more in the future.”