Forbes recognizes Platts online programs

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA Editor in Chief

SUNY Plattsburgh appeared on Forbes Advisor’s “Best Online Colleges in New York of 2023” list Sept. 13.

Sophomore Reilly Costello has experienced both online and in-person learning at SUNY Plattsburgh and said Forbes’ recognition of the college’s online learning is “very well deserved.”

“Both in-person and online, my experiences at SUNY Plattsburgh have been nothing but great,” Costello said.

SUNY Plattsburgh’s online programs are primarily aimed at nontraditional students with some college experience, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs JoAnn Gleeson-Kreig said. While the programs cannot give an online student the start for their degree, they certainly can help them finish it.

According to SUNY Online’s database, SUNY Plattsburgh currently offers four advanced certificate programs, four bachelor’s degree completion programs for transfer students and three master’s degrees in areas of accounting, business administration, education, fitness and wellness leadership, nursing and social work. SUNY Plattsburgh’s website lists eight more: a combined bachelor’s and master’s program in accounting and data analytics; minors in accounting, forensic accounting and finance; a certificate in global social action; and a degree in global supply chain management. All are conducted completely online, with no in-person requirements, which is a criterion Forbes considered in its rankings.

Three of the programs are featured as SUNY Online Signature Programs — markers that signify the programs “exemplify the best of what SUNY has to offer in online-enabled education.” Programs also receive appropriate accreditation in their respective fields.

Kwangseek Choe, coordinator for SUNY Platts- burgh’s online programs in business administration, noted that Forbes’ description highlights the online program in global supply chain management. He said it has been approved by New York state, but has not yet officially launched. Plattsburgh’s online programs don’t follow “just one formula,” Gleeson-Kreig said. Courses are usually targeted at specific kinds of students. A class that is asynchronous, meaning with no set meeting times, is usually the move for students who have a job to work and families to support.

Chair of Accounting Jason Lee said some students in online programs are attending college at the same time as their adult children.

“Our students are such unique individuals and what they sacrifice to be able to get this degree is amazing, and I feel like I’m a part of that journey,” Amelia Lushia, academic coordinator for the online accounting programs, said.