Louisiana Tech’s College of Education (COE) is collaborating with Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform, to help the Tech community attain knowledge and acquire new skills relevant to the educational and workforce challenges arising from the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Coursera Coronavirus Response is a specially designed plan being offered by Coursera through the COE Office of Professional Educational Outreach to help students, faculty, staff, and alumni garner new knowledge and skills during this time of uncertainty brought on by COVID-19.

“The pandemic has disrupted campuses worldwide, impacting students and faculty alike,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera. “We are honored to partner with Louisiana Tech, a leading public university known for its commitment to affordable education, to serve students and communities during this crisis with free access to job-relevant learning and industry-backed credentials.”

“The Coursera Coronavirus Response is a unique effort offered to universities to help minimize some of the challenges we are facing because of COVID-19,” said Dr. Don Schillinger, Dean of the College of Education. “To help mitigate the effects of the coronavirus on campus communities, Coursera, in collaboration with our Office of Professional Education Outreach (OPEO), is offering free access to Coursera’s catalog of more than 3,800 courses. The agreement permits OPEO to issue 5,000 user licenses for access to offerings such as The Google IT program , the Facebook Social Media Marketing Certificate, and the Salesforce Sales Development Rep certificates.”

Offerings made available through this unique agreement with Coursera do not accrue credit of any type with or through Louisiana Tech University.

“Innovative and creative partnerships like the one with Coursera ensure that our University stays on the cutting edge and provides added value to our students and stakeholders,” said Dr. Terry McConathy, Louisiana Tech Provost. “As our stakeholders’ needs change, these types of collaborative efforts will become more important to those we are serving.”

Individuals interested in taking these free online courses through the Office of Professional Education Outreach and Coursera have until Sept. 30 to sign up and sixty days from enrollment to complete the courses they select.

Rolling Stone magazine said Coursera courses are extremely structured and allow students to take one class or multiple ones to earn a certification or even a degree.

“Coursera has provided access through this partnership for stakeholders to acquire necessary skills, content knowledge, and competencies to flourish academically, personally, and professionally. This collaborative effort provides our stakeholders added value to the strong foundation they are establishing or have already established through their higher education experiences and coursework at Louisiana Tech University,” said Dr. Lindsey Vincent, COE Associate Dean.

For individuals who are interested in pursuing this digital learning offering, contact the Office of Professional Educational Outreach by emailing Erika Jones at erikaj@latech.edu. For additional information about the Coursera Coronavirus Response certificate opportunities, visit coursera.org/professional-certificates.