Virtual Courses Used to be the Exception. Now They’re an Expectation.

When Dr. Jeremiah Grabowski, Executive Dean of Online Learning and Faculty Development, joined the D’Youville University team in 2017 to develop and expand the university’s online education and degree offerings, the options were minimal. Just eight years, later, D’Youville now offers 16 fully online degree options in the health sciences and business and boasts nearly 1,000 online students. 

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently released “The Trends Report 2025,” the Chronicle’s annual investigation into the most consequential developments in higher education. 

In an article titled, “The Online Overhaul: Virtual Courses Used to be the Exception. Now They’re an Expectation,” Grabowski and D’Youville University are prominently featured as part of a significant higher education trend as increased numbers of university degree programs are now offered fully online. As noted in the article:

The why of online learning in 2025: “The factors driving continued interest in online learning are manifold. Many students and faculty members are more comfortable now with educational technologies. And the flexibility and accelerated learning opportunities that online instruction can afford have enticed learners who are unable — or perhaps unwilling — to commit to a four-year, in-person college experience. That is especially the case, sources say, for a population not historically associated with online learning: traditional-age undergraduates. Many still want to reap the social benefits of living on campus, but now expect the option of both in-person and online courses.”

Opportunities for online education at D’Youville: “At D’Youville University, a small private university just minutes from the Canadian border in Buffalo, N.Y., 15 of its 16 online-degree programs began as in-person programs, says Jeremiah Grabowski, executive dean for online learning and faculty development. The college, which specializes in the health sciences, has been adding online options for electives, too, in response to student demand and requests from program directors.”

“In some cases, online has even become the dominant programming format. According to Grabowski, 12 of the 15 programs initially run in person are now exclusively online.”

Commenting on the article, Grabowski noted, “I appreciate the opportunity to showcase D’Youville’s growing online program options in the list of 2025 higher education trends as presented by the Chronicle of Higher Education. D’Youville is a university on the move and we are proud of the high quality online degree programs we’re offering at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate levels.”

For more information about degree options and modality at D’Youville University, be sure to review all university degrees here.