SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2022: Niagara – Cindy Oberjosh

Dr. Cindy Oberjosh is a professor in the Human Services Program at Niagara County Community College. She is also program coordinator for the Disability Studies Certificate and Early Childhood Studies Certificate. With over 40 years of experience in student services and teaching, she is a true believer in the community college, in SUNY, and is committed to the success of her students. Cindy enrolled at NCCC as a first-generation college student in the Secretarial Certificate Program thinking one year and out into the workforce but ended up graduating in Liberal Arts: Humanities & Social Sciences never dreaming this was the start towards her life’s passion. During her academic program at NCCC she worked as a work-study student and credits this opportunity as changing her career and life goals. After completing her bachelor’s degree at the University at Buffalo, she returned to NCCC in several part-time student service and adjunct teaching positions. Upon completing her master’s degree at Canisius College in School and Community Counseling, she was hired as a counselor in Student Services. Several years later, she completed her doctoral degree at Nova Southeastern University in Higher Education Administration.

Cindy is a big supporter of online education. She believes it changes the future for so many who could not, or choose not to, pursue traditional modes of delivery. Many of the students in her online classes are non-traditional students who come with considerable life experience but have felt a barrier to traditional classroom learning – we learn from each other. Each semester she makes changes to her courses based on student feedback and she is always looking for new tips and techniques for making her courses enjoyable. Most of her courses have gone through the Quality Review process and she participates in many of the learning activities offered through NCCC’s Online Learning Center. In 2017 she was honored with being awarded 2nd Place for the best peer mentoring and support provided to other Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) participants by the State University of New York (SUNY) Tools of Engagement Project team.

She is again honored that her peers recognized her work as an “exemplary online educator” and she sincerely appreciates their confidence in her commitment to quality teaching and learning. Thank you to colleagues who nominated her for this recognition and to those who have supported her academic and career journey.