Online classes future of Troy University satellite campuses

ALBANY — As college enrollment numbers sag at campuses across the nation, Troy University is not immune. In response to student demand, though, like many post-secondary institutions Troy is moving the bulk of its off-campus classes online.

Troy’s main campus is located in Troy, Ala., but the university is uniquely positioned with more than 20 satellite support centers spread across the globe.

“We used to have the largest satellite campus network on the United States, but those numbers have fallen and we are taking a different approach,” Keith Gaines, Troy’s Albany Area Support Site Coordinator, said. “We’re not focusing as much on in-class classes as we are in providing support to our online students. We started finding that more and more people were wanting more online programs. So we decided the outlying sites would become support centers.

“Our support centers provide computer labs for our students; we provide test proctoring; we have three recruiters who cover the territory. We support those students with the application process and help them navigate the process.”

Gaines pointed to an event on Tuesday when Troy’s Albany Area Support Center will host an open house as part of a worldwide event to assist prospective students in the areas of admissions and academic strategy for career development.

“We tell prospective students that this is the perfect opportunity to get started on that degree you have always wanted and needed or to finish up that degree that you started fresh out of high school,” Gaines said.

During the event, expert advisers will be on hand to help prospective students decide on majors and answer questions about financial aid or credit transfers.

The event at the Albany Area Support Center, located at 1579 Highway 19 South in Lee County, will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and include assistance with the financial aid and admissions application processes as well as helpful information about the many degree programs that are available.

Application fees will be waived for those who apply for admission at a location or online.

Troy, which has graduated nearly 5,000 south Georgia students since opening at MCLB-Albany in 2000, has always turned out a lot of business majors. That emphasis will remain.

“Business will always be a point of emphasis with us. Business, Criminal Justice and Psychology are our largest programs for this area,” Gaines said. “In addition, we have more than 50 other majors available online.”

Gaines could not give a definite number of students enrolled at the Albany Support Center.

“That’s a hard number for me give you because we don’t have them in class here; most of our classes are online,” Gaines said. “Now we do offer some general education classes here each term.

“We’re starting to see more and more of our non-traditional students move online. There is still some demand for in-class classes and probably always will be.”