NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The City University of New York will be partnering with InStride to leverage CUNY’s robust online education programs as a vehicle for employees to pursue career-boosting degrees. InStride helps employers identify skills gaps in their organizations and equip employees with strategic education opportunities through quality institutions to help meet those needs and advance their careers.
InStride will work to expand CUNY’s relationships with national and international corporations, giving their employees access to the top-quality education that CUNY provides. The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS), which offers fully online degree programs within the CUNY system, will work with InStride to foster relationships with corporate employers across the nation and around the world, and enroll their employees in the school’s online programs and courses.
“This partnership with InStride will build on CUNY’s historic mission to act as an engine of economic mobility by expanding access to a quality education to workers of all ages,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We are pleased CUNY’s growing online offerings will be used as a vehicle to help employees meet the changing demands of the global workforce, while also helping employers to strategically invest in their future.”
CUNY views online learning as an engine of equity and access. Online instruction can bring in new constituencies, especially through new programs developed in partnership with employers, to enter new and emerging fields in the fastest growing sectors of the workforce. In the fall of 2018, 26,907 students enrolled in online courses at CUNY. The University seeks to substantially expand online offerings in the coming years.
CUNY SPS, whose online bachelor’s degree programs are ranked in the top 5 percent in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, meets the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, advance in the workplace, or change careers. The school’s partnership with InStride will further advance its mission to help more of the 32 million working adults nationwide who have some college credits but no degree, as well as the many others who are seeking advanced degrees.
“We are excited to begin this partnership with InStride, which will allow more working adults to obtain a quality and affordable education,” said John Mogulescu, founding dean of CUNY SPS. “Online learning has always been a key part of the CUNY SPS mission, and we look forward to broadening access to our offerings through this collaboration.”
In the last year, InStride has expanded agreements with a curated education network in the U.S., Latin America, Australia and Europe. Its network now includes founding partner Arizona State University, Harvard Business School Online, UNSW-Sydney, Dublin City University in Europe, TecMilenio and Tecnológico de Monterrey in Latin America.
“Being selected by the CUNY system provides InStride’s corporate partners with a quality online academic partner in one of the world’s most economically vibrant cities,” said Vivek Sharma, CEO of InStride.
About CUNY
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
Home to the first fully online degree programs at the City University of New York, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) provides online and on campus programs that meet the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, advance in the workplace, or change careers. The School’s growth has been remarkable. Launching 23 degrees since 2006, the School has seen enrollment rise by more than 30% in the last four years to over 3,700 students in the credit-bearing programs. We serve thousands more who are enrolled in our non-degree and grant funded workforce development programs. In addition, the School has an active Alumni network and established the CUNY SPS Foundation, which offers multiple scholarship opportunities to our current students. Affirming our role as a leader in online education, CUNY SPS is ranked in the top 5% of U.S. News & World Report’s list of the 2020 Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs, making CUNY SPS the highest nationally listed program in New York State and New York City.
About InStride
As the premier global provider of Strategic Enterprise Education (SEE), InStride enables employers to provide career-boosting degrees to their employees, through leading global academic institutions across the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Australia. InStride helps organizations achieve transformative business and social impact by unlocking the power of education, through advanced technology-enabled experiences for learners and corporate partners alike. For more information, please visit www.instride.com or follow InStride on Twitter and LinkedIn.
