College of Management
Virtual Education Center

The College of Management's vision is, "To be recognized in the region as the innovative leader in the design and delivery of distinctive management programs for professionals." Our values are to provide, "Program leadership, concern for the individual, premiere service and instruction." Consistent with our mission and values, the College of Management is committed to providing appropriate instructional methods to fit the needs of our students while maximizing student learning. We have developed three types of courses for our students:

• Traditional courses are courses taught exclusively in the classroom. The semester includes 13 weeks of classroom instruction plus a one-week final exam period. Traditional courses are offered on our Southfield campus and at some of our education centers, and are usually held on weekday evenings or on Saturdays.
• Hybrid courses are courses in which approximately half of the learning activities have been moved on-line, and time traditionally spent in the classroom is reduced but not eliminated. The goal of hybrid courses is to merge the best features of in-class teaching with the best features of on-line learning to promote active independent learning and reduce class seat time. Hybrid courses are offered on our Southfield campus at at our education centers.
• On-line courses are courses in which all of the learning activities have been moved on-line, replacing classroom time entirely. The goal of on-line courses is to design classes that use the best on-line teaching methods for course content that can be effectively taught in an on-line environment. These courses provide maximum flexibility for students with challenging work and personal schedules. All students may enroll in on-line courses to meet their graduation requirements.

Some hybrid and on-line classes are offered in synchronous mode, meaning that students and the instructor communicate in "real time" but at different locations via video or Web conferencing. Other classes are offered in asynchronous mode, where students and faculty members participate at different times. These classes are often called "anytime, anyplace" or "time-independent" classes. See the College's Current Course Offerings for more information on the traditional, hybrid, and on-line courses that are scheduled for the current and future semesters at our Southfield campus, or education centers, or via video or Web technologies.

Our Virtual Education Center will guide you through the unique features of LTU hybrid and on-line courses, and will help you decide if hybrid or on-line courses are compatible with your learning style and educational needs.

Read on to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid and on-line courses.