Implementation Phase of Virtual Graduate Campus Underway

MIAMI – An encompassing Virtual Graduate Campus will soon be a reality at Carlos Albizu University (CAU) with the implementation of this five-year project, as it was recently announced by University officials. This project is being made possible through a Title V grant awarded to CAU by the Department of Education in 2009.

The Virtual Graduate Campus Grant will provide the necessary technological infrastructure for the development and implementation of fully online degree programs at the graduate level. It will make CAU more competitive in the local academic market while enhancing a variety of student services.

The project goal is to develop a bilingual, academic immersive virtual graduate campus that is designed to provide a single point of entry for the distance delivery of instruction and the required support services. The new portal or website – referred to as the single point of entry – will serve as a source of program information to the general public, as well as an entry point for enrolled students.

"The idea is to create a virtual campus that enables the students to do everything they currently do, but in a virtual environment,” explained Gabriel Nunez, Information Technology Director and Interim Project Director of the Virtual Graduate Campus Grant.

The Virtual Graduate Campus will offer an online learning experience where students will have a full range of student services at their disposal. The availability of online programs will provide greater access to higher education to students, including those from underserved backgrounds. The unique interactive platform will offer greater flexibility and will allow career-oriented students to experience the classroom learning environment at a time and place that is convenient to them. Many students at CAU are juggling a full-time job, family obligations, and academic responsibilities.