As technology’s reach continues to expand, more and more tasks can be accomplished from the comfort of home — including getting a college degree.
Established in 2015, SJC Online now offers students in all 50 states the chance to get a top-tier liberal arts education with the level of flexibility they need. Upperclassmen, transfer students and adults learners looking to go back to school can all access classes on their computer, tablet or phone from anywhere accessible to WiFi.
“My first two years at SJC, I was a full-time student on the Patchogue campus,” said Courtney Dillon, who’s majoring in health administration and expects to graduate this August. “I was offered a position that I couldn’t turn down and took a break from school to work full time. After a few years off, I wanted to complete my degree. SJC Online gave me the opportunity to complete my degree fully online while living and working in the city. Having the option to be a full-time student online for the program made it an easy decision to go back to school.”
SJC Online features more than 20 academic offerings to work around a busy schedule. Students choose from exceptional undergraduate and graduate degrees, dual degrees and certificates.
Crystal Belfiore, a single mother of two, chose SJC Online for her B.S. in Human Services because she wants to teach her children that “strength and perseverance along with hard work can make your dreams come true.” After she receives her degree in 2020, she plans to advance her career and pursue a master’s degree at SJC Online.
Creating a Sense of Community
Part of what makes SJC Online an easy choice for so many students is how helpful and dedicated the professors are.
One professor in particular goes above and beyond to make sure his online students feel like they’re part of a campus community.
“Regardless if I am teaching ground-based or online classes, I always believe in the saying, ‘to teach is to learn twice,’ for both myself as well as my students,” said Ronald Tabbitas, who has taught online courses at SJC for the past seven years. “Over the years, I have been perfecting this method, being careful not to give students the feeling that they are on their own. They are an integral part of an online learning community where we teach and learn from each other — but most importantly together.”
Tabbitas, who has been teaching in higher education and a corporate environment for over 18 years, started at St. Joseph’s College in 2004. He teaches both land-based and online business courses, such as Problem Solving, Critical Thinking and Operations, and Quality Management. Tabbitas is an Industry leader with over 30 years of experience specializing in Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain Management, New Technology Start-Ups and Workforce Creation.
“I have designed my online content to drive students to a community setting from the start — a virtual village, a town center — through the course homepage,” Tabbitas said. “Here is where the students are directed to start each class session. They learn about what needs to be done, read the announcements and just catch up on what is going on in the community.
“Then the students simply click on the weekly overview button to be brought to the line-up of each week’s activities contained in a point-and-click weekly agenda. No navigating through modules. Just go to the agenda for the week, click on the activity and away they go as they are transported to the assignments for the week,” he added.
Students’ Praise
Tabbitas’ students appreciate the ability to work together. They also note that they receive the same amount of attention that land-based students do.
“When I first started online classes, I really did not know what to expect,” said Miren Blackwood, who’s currently pursing a dual degree in Human Services. “Professor Tabbitas’ class felt like I was physically sitting in a classroom with him. He was always involved and available.”
“Professor Tabbitas incorporated videos of himself every week that both instructed us on what to expect and encouraged us,” said Catherine Catrone, a Human Services major who’s minoring in psychology and graduating this May. “It made the online experience feel more engaging and similar to a classroom.”
His students also explain how helpful his courses have been in their careers and daily lives.
“Professor Tabbitas has given me the reassurance of believing in myself and not allowing fear or frustration to overcome me in day-to-day problem solving,” said Ronald Cordova, a health administration major graduating in 2022. “I have been able to apply all of the skills and techniques that we learned during the course in solving a lot of my day-to-day problems.”
SJC Online Degrees and Certificates
SJC Online offers program options in nine different areas geared toward professional success.
- Applied Behavioral Analysis
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Health Administration
- Human Resources
- General Studies
- Human Services
- Psychology and Business
- Religious Studies
Minors
In addition to full degrees and certificates, SJC Online offers minors in several academic areas. What better complement to your degree?
Get the Credit you Deserve
Through SJC’s Prior Experiential Learning Assessment (PELA), the institution awards college credits to qualified students who have gained college-level knowledge and competence through learning experiences outside of a traditional classroom. Learn more about PELA.
