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Saint Xavier University was recently ranked number nine on Great Values Colleges’ “Top 10 Colleges for an Online Degree in Chicago, Illinois” list. For the rankings, Great Values Colleges considered all Chicago colleges and universities that offer one or more online degree.
Their criteria was based on factors such as affordability and inclusion in other rankings like the Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report’s 2015 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The list notes that SXU is one of the most affordable colleges for online education in Chicago.
Great Value Colleges also points out that SXU’s online Masters of Science in Nursing is accredited by the National League for Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. This is not the first time that SXU was recognized for its online education. Saint Xavier was ranked the number two University for the best online graduate nursing programs in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2015.”
This was the third year in a row that SXU was in the top three of this list. Margaret Reneau, the Director of Online Operations of the School of Nursing, explained to the Xavierite what she believes make SXU’s online education special.
“What sets Saint Xavier University apart from others is our student centered philosophy. The SXU values of respect, service and learning for life are deeply woven into the online faculty as they interact with our online students. We ‘walk the talk’ so to speak” said Reneau.
The SXU Nursing Department offers four online programs: MS in Nursing Program, Nurse Educator certificate program, Clinical Leadership Post-master’s Certificate Program and RN-BSN. SXU’s MS in Nursing Program was ranked the number one online program of its kind by College Choice in 2015.
According to Reneau, these online programs are important to both students as well as the health care sector as a whole.
“Online Nursing programs offer the flexibility to pursue advanced nursing degrees without necessarily leaving the workplace. It is important to offer quality online nursing programs, such as our new RN to BSN online option to keep nurses at the bedside during their education. This helps to alleviate potential nursing staff shortages, especially with our aging population needing more nursing care than ever before,” said Reneau.
One of the key things to keep in mind for students who are interested in online learning is to be especially motivated and be able to work on their own time.
“Those students who benefit most from online nursing programs are students who are self-motivated and work independently. Hospitals primarily benefit from online nursing programs to help meet highly coveted Magnet designation with a high percent of Bachelor’s and Master’s prepared nursing staff,” Reneau said.U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2016 also ranked SXU as the number three university for Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs for Veterans.
The ranking considers universities that offer an online master’s in nursing degree programs and help veterans reduce the cost of attendance. According to Reneau, besides helping with the affordability of studies, SXU’s online nursing program also offers veterans flexibility and an education that focuses on practical skills.
“Our high ranking for Veterans’ education comes in part from the support of our specialized SXU veterans team and the fact that veterans appreciate the flexibility of quality online learning without ‘unnecessary busy work’ in our online Graduate Nursing courses. All Online Graduate Nursing students, including Veterans, learn practical skills to apply in their daily work such as organizational assessment, change and conflict management,” said Reneau.
Besides the masters of nursing degrees, SXU also offers two online Education programs: the M.A. Individualized Program in Reading and the M.A.T Elementary Education Program. The Elementary Education program was recently redesigned and approved by the State Board of Education in order to fulfill new Illinois licensure laws.
According to Dr. Maureen Spelman, associate professor of the School of Education who coauthored the program, SXU was the first school in the state to receive approval to offer redesigned program entirely online.
In an interview with The Xavierite, Spellman and Jane Lundin, Director of School Partnerships, explained that the courses for the online education programs are identical to the courses for the on-site program.
They also stated that the online program does include some on-campus components as well as field experience and student teaching. As noted by Great Values Colleges, universities are increasingly offering more online degree options to allow students to attend school and work full-time, a trend that SXU has successfully adopted in the case of nursing and education programs.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
Senior News Editor