Hybrid Models for Today’s Learners

Why it matters:

Online education is no longer a differentiator. After the pandemic, flexibility is expected. What students increasingly want is flexibility paired with meaningful, hands-on experience that prepares them for work.

The big picture:

David Schejbal of Excelsior University describes a hybrid model that blends online learning with in-person labs and clinical experiences. A new site in St. Petersburg, Florida allows Excelsior to expand nursing, cybersecurity, and electrical engineering programs while meeting workforce and military learner needs.

Why it works:

Schejbal argues that experiential learning is one of the most durable elements of higher education. Students want interaction, practice, and community, but they cannot commit to traditional schedules. Hybrid models combine those priorities.

What’s next:

If the St. Petersburg site proves successful, similar hybrid hubs could emerge in regions with high concentrations of students and alumni, including parts of Texas, North Carolina, and Southern California.

Bottom line:

The future of higher education is not fully online or fully in person. It is flexible by design, experiential where it counts, and built around how adult learners actually live and work.