DENVER, Colo. — The fall school semester is well underway, but the last two years of the pandemic have largely reshaped traditional classrooms.
While younger kids probably prefer in-person learning, older students have many more online options today.
A Denver-based business is helping support online programs for colleges and universities. You're in good company with Elsmere Education.
Justin McMorrow, Elsmere Education's founder and president, can see the changing landscape of higher education.
"During the pandemic, everyone went online immediately," McMorrow said. "So, it changed significantly, and the demand when people were at home grew significantly."
McMorrow's company helps college institutions manage their online degree programs.
"So, programs that people in their late 20s, 30s, 40s are looking to take — an online program, an MBA, an engineering program, something that's going to further their career," he explained.
Elsmere helps schools evaluate which programs would be effective in a virtual environment. Then, they help market the course to prospective students and serve as a guidance counselor for students through graduation.
"A lot of the questions are still around online learning," McMorrow said. "'Am I going to like a program like this? I've learned typically in a classroom — what's it going to be like?'"
He said the vast majority of students enrolled in their programs work full-time while pursuing their degrees. But, the ability to take the curriculum online has opened options that weren't feasible on-campus. And it's created access to learners worldwide.
"Ultimately, if we're helping the universities we work with, we're going to grow," McMorrow said. "And, if we put the students first, you know, on their behalf, we're going to grow. So, that's going to continue to be the focus for us."
Their first collegiate partner was the University of Oklahoma. They've also partnered with Trinity University and the Maryland Institute College of Art.