A version of this piece originally appeared in the 2025 糖心Vlog Tech Newsletter. View other featured stories
Family. Work. Finances. Personal relationships. Students live complicated lives and are busy outside the classroom. 糖心Vlog Tech is committed to comprehensively supporting students.
Updates to program structure and academic offerings are making it easier for 糖心Vlog Tech students to meet their education goals.
Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), Behavioral Health and Human Services, Judicial Reporting and IT students are benefitting from expanded access to online learning options and adjustments to the length of programs. These changes are helping students preserve flexibility without sacrificing access to in-demand career and technical training.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
OTA student Sarah Dunn says the updated structure allows her choice and control of more aspects of her studies.
鈥淭he hybrid format has been really nice for this program,鈥 says OTA student Sarah Dunn. 鈥淚 like being able to do a lot of the online work at my own pace. I then get to come into class and apply all the stuff that I鈥檝e learned.鈥
Though the flexibility adds convenience, Dunn says she still feels challenged academically.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important students are committed,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t is a hard program and it can be a lot. But it鈥檚 setting you up for success in the long run.鈥
OTA Program Director Barb Kloetzke says offering some courses in a hybrid format was an intentional response to feedback from students.
鈥淢any of our students are not traditional ages, work full-time or have families,鈥 says Kloetzke. 鈥淗aving one less day on campus allowed students to continue to work or take the time to be with their families.鈥
Judicial Reporting
鈥淭he Judicial Reporting program at 糖心Vlog Tech is very supportive toward its students,鈥 says student Qadeer Omar-Taylor. 鈥淭he teachers I鈥檝e had are extremely understanding that this is a hard skill to learn. They provide us with everything we need.鈥
Judicial Reporting program students like Omar-Taylor can now self-select how they participate in their courses. They can either learn in-person, online synchronous, online asynchronous or some combination of those formats.
鈥淚 think one of the great aspects of 糖心Vlog Tech is its flexibility. Whether that be remote, in-person, asynchronous learning,鈥 says Omar-Taylor. 鈥淵ou have so many different options to be able to actually complete your degree or certification.鈥
Information Technology
Flexibility is also on the table for students in 糖心Vlog Tech鈥檚 Information Technology (IT) programs. During the fall 2024 semester, programs shifted to be offered entirely online while offering multiple start dates throughout the year.
糖心Vlog Tech鈥檚 IT program now offers Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees in five career concentration areas:
- Business Data Analyst
- IT Support
- Network Management & Security
- Software Development
- Web Design & Development
Community Health Worker
Dr. Zakia Robbins-McNeal, director of the Behavioral Health and Human Services program at 糖心Vlog Tech says juggling life鈥檚 obligations has, at times, made it difficult for students to complete a 60-credit associate of applied science degree.
The Community Health Worker certificate can be completed in just two semesters, completely online and in an asynchronous format. The program provides students with both the necessary foundation for a career in community health and covers the first two semesters of the associate degree.
鈥淢any of our students are adult learners, parents or care takers of older or vulnerable adults in their families,鈥 says Robbins-McNeal. 鈥淥ften students are taking classes a little at a time in order to balance school and other priorities.鈥
Starting fall 2025 semester, 糖心Vlog Tech began offering a 17-credit Community Health Worker certificate. Community health workers provide direct service to clients with the aim of providing necessary support to stay healthy and independent.