Are off-campus classes ever beneficial?

Photo by Xavier Song

The Syracuse Stage is just off campus at Syracuse University.

When Syracuse University sophomore Shakira Deng heads to class, she doesn’t cross the Quad or take the stairs to Carnegie Library. Instead, she hops on a bus or makes the long walk down East Genesee Street to Syracuse Stage, where nearly all her drama courses, from acting and vocal training to stage design and management, take place inside a working professional theater.

“I’m at the Stage every day,” said Deng, who also interns there. 

“Compared to a traditional classroom, we’re closer to our professors, surrounded by props, mirrors, and pianos. It brings our work to life,” she said.

The Department of Drama has long embraced off-campus learning. Students are immersed in the Syracuse Stage building, which houses academic spaces and a professional regional theater company.

Professor James Clark, who has taught in the department for decades, said the hands-on environment is central to the drama curriculum.

“This is a professional theater space, and our students are working side-by-side with actors, designers, and directors from New York,” he said. “It’s like having a medical school attached to a hospital – you’re learning by doing.”

Syracuse University owns the Stage complex, which it shares with Syracuse Stage. Through a formal partnership, students are selected to work on productions in roles that range from actors and assistant directors to dramaturgs and stage management assistants. For many, Clark said, these productions mark their first professional credits before graduation.

The partnership also benefits the faculty. At most theater programs, professors must take leaves of absence to work professionally. At Syracuse, they can teach and perform simultaneously. 

“That adds credibility to what we do in the classroom,” Clark said. “Students see their professors perform, and it reinforces what we’re teaching.”

Students also attend weekly department-wide theater labs featuring guest artists and directors. Clark said the immersive setup fosters collaboration, creativity, and a sense of belonging – even if the department’s location is a few blocks off the main campus. 

“Sometimes students feel a bit disconnected from the Hill,” he said. “But most of the time, they find community right here.”

Deng echoed that sentiment. “We feel like a family at the Stage,” she said. “We rehearse together, build sets together, and share meals between classes. That kind of environment pushes you to grow, not just as a student, but as an artist.”

Still, off-campus learning comes with trade-offs. Deng said commuting affects her ability to schedule main campus electives.

 “I’ve had to give up some classes because I couldn’t make it back in time,” she said. “And if the bus is late, I’m either sprinting or showing up late.”

In Falk College, senior Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) major Franky Zhang also experiences the challenges and rewards of off-campus learning. As part of his capstone course, he interns two days a week at a local high school through the Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), a state-funded academic and social support initiative. He’s required to complete at least 90 hours of fieldwork by the end of the semester.

“My job is to help students—many of whom come from immigrant or refugee backgrounds – navigate academic, emotional, or family-related challenges,” Zhang said. “Talking to them face-to-face and hearing their stories is very different from reading case studies in a textbook.”

Though Zhang doesn’t plan to go into counseling, he said the internship has helped him become a better listener and more empathetic communicator. “Even if this isn’t my long-term career path, these skills will follow me wherever I go.”

He recalled one moment that stood out: “When I told the students I might not be back next term, some of them told me they hoped I would return. That made me feel like I’d made a difference.”

To make space for the internship, Zhang had to carefully plan his schedule and leave Tuesdays and Thursdays open. While that limited his course selection, he said it was a worthwhile compromise. “The work is meaningful,” he said. “That’s not something you always get sitting in a classroom.”

As off-campus models continue to grow at Syracuse, from internships and theater labs to creative incubators like the Newhouse Startup Garage, Clark believes more departments could benefit from similar partnerships. “Imagine if Newhouse worked directly with a PBS affiliate downtown,” he said, “or if art students held classes inside the Everson Museum.”

Whether they’re stepping onto a stage or into a local school, off-campus learning brings students closer to the world they’re preparing to enter. The settings may be unconventional, but the lessons they offer—collaboration, empathy and professionalism—couldn’t be more essential.