Hurricane victims receive free quality online courses

By Mary Zemaitis

Students affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been looking for alternate places to continue their education. Sloan Semester, a program offered by the Sloan Consortium, is offering free online courses to these students to keep their education on track. These courses, which all count toward a degree, began last week.

The University is a participating member of the organization, which is an international association of colleges and universities committed to quality online education, said a press release.

Some students go home to their parents and find that it is too late to take classes at their local institution, said Kathy Frizzell, coordinator for the Sloan Semester online advising effort.

“They are excited about the possibility of classes they can do from their parents’ home,” Frizzell said.

The Sloan Consortium offers a full spectrum of courses from remedial to master’s level. It has received 3,172 course requests from students, two of which are taking courses through the University, said Burks Oakley II, co-chair of the Sloan Semester Steering Committee and associate vice president for academic affairs at the University.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

The free courses are available to any student whose education was disrupted by the recent hurricanes, including students in the National Guard who have been called on active duty, according to the press release.

The organization received a $1 million grant to provide a small stipend for the professors, and the institutions volunteer to teach the courses for free, Oakley said.

Though many classes are already underway, interested students can still register for some courses that start as late as Oct. 24, according to the Sloan Semester’s Web site.

Frizzell said once students post a request on the Web site, they would then work with an advisor.

“Advisers assist students in figuring out which classes fit the ones they were supposed to take (at their original institution),” said Frizzell. “They basically translate the equivalent course.”

Students complete these courses over the Internet, using online tutors and completing quizzes and exams on their computers, said Debra Woods, a University professor who is teaching two math courses. Students also have access to an undergraduate mentor who helps to keep them on track and answer questions.

But the courses have presented a few minor challenges. One student expressed to Woods that she had difficulty in downloading the material.

“We’re only allowed to offer (the courses) for eight weeks,” Woods said. “With other online courses, they get up to nine months.”

To compensate for the time crunch, specific due dates have been set for assignments, whereas students would work at their own pace in a normal situation, Woods said. She also decreased the number of exams from three to two.

Advisers also are encouraging students to take just one or two courses.

“They’ve been through so much,” Frizzell said. “We don’t want them to bite off more than they can chew.”

Regardless of the challenges, these students are determined, Frizzell said.

“They are homeless with families, and they still have a push to do well in school,” she said. “Some don’t even have computers. They go to local libraries (to complete their assignments).”

Woods found out about the effort through an e-mail from the Sloan Consortium and was excited “to figure out a way to help these students whose universities were affected by these tragedies.”

Frizzell noticed an article about Sloan Semester in the newspaper on Sept. 12 and contacted Oakley. As a recently retired college counselor, Frizzell expected that she would be a small-time volunteer.

“I never dreamed that I would coordinate the advising and be working 50 to 60 hours per week,” she said.

Frizzell has found her work with Sloan Semester to be extremely rewarding.

“There’s a web of students all over the country, and online courses are the common denominator,” Frizzell said.