BMCC Receives Quality Matters Certification for Online Courses and Expands E-learning Offerings

Two Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) online courses have received the Quality Matters (QM) Certification mark following a rigorous review by a global organization that measures online course success of innovative digital teaching and learning environments.

The two courses receiving the certification are English Composition, taught by English Professor Aimee Record and Catherine Cammilleri as well as Product and Service Creation, taught by Business Management Professor and department Chair Mahatapa Palit.

The QM Official Review noted the learner-focused design in both courses. Reviews are conducted by QM-certified reviewers and use a QM rubric and standards based in research and best practices.

The certification comes as BMCC gears up to further expand its online-learning degree and certificate program offerings to meet growing demand.

In Fall 2020, a new online Business Management degree program as well as an online Entrepreneurship degree program will be available to BMCC students.

They will join BMCC’s online degree programs in Liberal Arts and Modern Languages-Spanish as well as an online certificate program in Spanish Translation for the Health, Legal and Business Professions.

Since 2013, the college’s online course offerings grew from 286 sections to 1041 sections in 2019. By the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, BMCC expects to have seen more than 20,000 enrollments in online courses, or more than 14 percent of the college’s total enrollments.

“Nationally, the number of adult learners who are completing post-secondary education is growing,” said Palit.  “These are students with full-time jobs, stay-at-home parents with young children, or folks returning to college to retool themselves for new jobs.”

She said a student with a full-time job or running their own business can complete a business degree by accessing online courses before or after work or on days off.

Online Learning: More than a convenient option

BMCC E-Learning offers fully online courses, where the student does not have to come to campus; online courses, where a student need only come to campus three times during the semester; or hybrid courses, where 30-40 percent of classes are in-person. Online course class-work can be completed any place there is an internet connection.

“Online learning is not just a convenient option for many of today’s community college students—it is a necessary alternative to traditional classroom instruction for students who are less able to afford the commute to campus, whose schedules are less flexible because they must hold down jobs, care for children at home, or all the above,” said Christopher Medellin, director of E-learning at BMCC. “Data shows success rates for online courses are on par with traditional in-person courses, as are student satisfaction rates.”

Medellin said the QM review provided an opportunity to reflect on two particular courses and examine them closely from the learner’s perspective.

“From accessibility to learner engagement to assessments, the review used internationally-recognized standards and best practices to examine critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learner success,” said Medellin.

All BMCC students are eligible to enroll in online courses. More than 90 percent of BMCC students enrolled in online courses were satisfied with their learning experience, according to a 2018 survey by the E-learning Center. The survey also found a majority of those same students perceive online courses to be equal in rigor to in-person courses.

Online courses provide easier access to students who may struggle with the high cost of transportation or who juggle full-time jobs or childcare obligations in addition to college.

“Having everything online and not having to go to campus a few times a week made things easier for me,” said Milagros Cintron, a BMCC student who is also a mother.

“I have to work three days a week and pick up my son every day, so I chose online learning because I can do all of my work during the weekend when there are family members to help me care for him.”