Student Online Freshman Initiative Program Wins Award

The Student Online Freshman Initiative Program, or SOFI, at Frostburg State University was recently recognized at the National University Technology Network Conference in September. The National University Technology Network is a self-described “networking and professional development organization for innovative leaders in the advancement of distance learning.” The SOFI program was the recipient of the Open Division Award. This is an award that highlights and celebrates the development of an innovative program which contributed to the field of distance education. The award was given based on the following criteria: effectiveness of response to need of students, possibility of boarder application, cost effectiveness, the rates of student and faculty satisfaction with the program, and the use of new technology or older technology in a new way. Stacey Utley-Bernhardt is the coordinator of the SOFI program at Frostburg State University. She attended the NUTN Conference, held in San Antonio, Texas, from September 22-24 2014 to accept the award. Regarding the conference, Utley-Bernhardt remarked, “The conference was very valuable because it helped me to think about how we market our online experience here at Frostburg…It was great for me to go and share SOFI with other people who are as excited about online learning as we at Frostburg State University are.”

The Summer Online Freshman Initiative program allows incoming freshman the opportunity to take popular introductory course online during the summer before the fall semester. This usually occurs during the second summer session offered by Frostburg State University, which was from July 7, 2014- August 14, 2014, this past summer. The online courses are offered through the platform of Blackboard. This program is used by many FSU’s professors during the fall and spring semesters and this allows for students to familiarize with the program before the fall semester. Also, the SOFI program grants students the possibility for extra flexibility in the schedule. This could help a student who wishes to complete an internship, study aboard, add a minor, or complete a second major to ensure all General Education Program requirements are met. This is also an option for students who might want to graduate earlier, or those who just want to guarantee on time graduation. The SOFI program only offers programs required by the GEP, but ranges across many fields of study. The courses offered include COSC 100, DVMT 095, GEOG 104, GEOG 114, IDIS 150, MATH 104, MUSC 110, POSC 110, POSC 113, PSYC 150, and SOCI 100. Students are limited to taking 3 credit hours in the SOFI program. The cost for an in-state SOFI student taking a 3 credit hour class is approximately $795. This cost is added on to the student’s fall bill.