Online, Continuing, and Professional Education Update by UPCEA

Emory Continuing Education expands with certificate programs - Kimber Williams, Emory Report

2012-05-27T05:10:00.000-04:00

In response to a challenging and rapidly changing job market, Emory Continuing Education (ECE) is refining its mission — expanding programs and partnerships with innovative new professional development opportunities. That includes a series of new certificate programs, addressing topics that more closely align with the University's long-established strengths, including areas of health and sustainability. Students may now earn certificates in predictive health, sustainability, event planning and fundraising, among a growing catalogue of certificate studies first launched in 2005. A certificate in project management is scheduled to begin in August.

http://news.emory.edu/stories/2012/05/er_emory_continuing_education/campus.html

Google gives Cornell University free office space for tech school - Shane McGlaun, Slashgear

2012-05-27T05:05:00.001-04:00

Google has announced its donating office space to Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to be used for a school in New York City. The space will be used by the University while a new campus on Roosevelt Island is under development. Google is donating 22,000 square feet at its New York offices for five and half years or until the completion of the CornellNYC Tech Campus. There will be more space available to Cornell as well, with the ability to expand up to 58,000 square feet over three years according to Google. When completed the engineering and applied sciences school on Roosevelt Island will cost more than $2 billion and serve more than 2000 students and have 280 faculty members on city-owned land. The goal of the project is to lure more high-tech jobs to New York City to enable competition in Silicon Valley.

http://www.slashgear.com/google-gives-cornell-university-free-office-space-for-tech-school-22229344/

An online learning opportunity for Canadian universities - MICHAEL COTEY MORGAN, Globe and Mail

2012-05-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

What might a pan-Canadian open courses project look like? Instead of following the current model in which each university acts independently, the leading institutions from across the country should build a single national open course portal to which they would contribute entire lecture courses in a range of fields. Citizens could watch multiple versions of the same basic courses taught by different professors across the country and see a variety of ways of approaching the same questions. Imagine listening to historians from UBC, the University of Toronto, Laval University and Dalhousie University lecture on the development of Canada from its origins to the present day. Imagine comparing how constitutional law professors in Quebec and Saskatchewan, for instance, interpret the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Imagine following courses on Canadian literature or politics taught by this country’s best teachers in both official languages.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/an-online-opportunity-for-canadian-universities/article2436343/

Score One for the Robo-Tutors - Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed

2012-05-26T05:05:00.003-04:00

Without diminishing learning outcomes, automated teaching software can reduce the amount of time professors spend with students and could substantially reduce the cost of instruction, according to new research. In experiments at six public universities, students assigned randomly to statistics courses that relied heavily on “machine-guided learning” software -- with reduced face time with instructors -- did just as well, in less time, as their counterparts in traditional, instructor-centric versions of the courses. This largely held true regardless of the race, gender, age, enrollment status and family background of the students.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/22/report-robots-stack-human-professors-teaching-intro-stats

College Crackup and the Online Future - Mark C. Taylor, Bloomberg

2012-05-26T05:05:00.000-04:00

There are going to be winners and losers in the new world of networked higher education. The success of Harvard, MIT, Yale, Stanford and Princeton online programs will prove a challenge to many colleges and universities. Why pay a quarter of a million dollars to go to a second-tier school when you can get a Harvard education online for little or nothing? This also raises the question of whether one is paying for an education or certification when attending college. Facing skyrocketing debt and dismal job prospects, many students and their families may even ask whether the difference between the virtual and the real Harvard is worth the cost.
These practical considerations shouldn’t overshadow one of the most promising innovations that online education will bring: The very structure of knowledge will change.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-21/college-crackup-and-the-online-future.html

Study Shows Promise and Challenges of ‘Hybrid’ Courses, Katie Mangan, Chronicle of Higher Ed

2012-05-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Students learn just as much in a course that’s taught partly online as they would in a traditional classroom, but such courses won’t reach their potential until they are both easier for faculty members to customize and more fun for students, according to a report released today. The report, “Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence From Randomized Trials,” is based on a study conducted by Ithaka S+R, a consultancy on the use of technology in teaching. The finding that hybrid courses are no better or worse than traditional ones isn’t, as it might appear, “a bland result,” said one of the co-authors, William G. Bowen, president emeritus of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/study-shows-promise-and-challenges-of-hybrid-courses/36350

More college grads landing jobs, survey finds - Jason Cato, Tribune-Review

2012-05-25T05:10:00.001-04:00

Roughly half of the 1.5 million people who earned bachelor's degrees in 2012 applied for jobs before graduation, and of those, 26 percent -- up from 24 percent last year -- succeeded in finding work, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Starting salaries for some are rising. The top majors to land job offers: accounting, engineering, computer science, economics and business administration, the group reported. Yet only one in two college graduates nationwide between 2009 and 2011 found full-time jobs within a year, and nearly half of those working landed positions that don't require four-year degrees, a study from Rutgers University found.

http://triblive.com/news/1831737-74/graduates-job-percent-jobs-university-college-pittsburgh-employers-market-2011

Leaders Gather for Chicago Summit on Women in Tech - BUSINESS WIRE

2012-05-25T05:05:00.001-04:00

This week the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) held its annual Summit on Women and IT, an event that assembles industry leaders, educators, and members of government to focus on increasing women’s participation in technology and computing. The NCWIT Summit convenes stakeholders who believe the lack of women studying computing and pursuing careers in technology is a crisis affecting U.S. innovation and workforce competitiveness. Research shows that women hold just 25% of technology occupations, earn only 18% of computer science degrees, and are founders of fewer than 8% of tech startups. Getting more women into technology is a game-changer,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO of NCWIT. “There’s increased demand for tech talent and organizations need to capitalize on diversity in fulfilling their business objectives.

http://www.sys-con.com/node/2281465

Early Signs of a Trend? Online Enrollment Surpasses Traditional Chattahoochee Tech Campuses - Acworth Patch

2012-05-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

More students are taking classes at Chattahoochee Technical College this summer without ever setting foot on one of the college’s eight campuses. For the first time ever, the number of online students has surpassed enrollment at any one of the traditional campuses. “It is a sign of the times that we see more students looking toward the flexibility and convenience of online classes,” said Chattahoochee Technical College Vice President of Academic Affairs Trina Boteler. “Most of the online students are adults who prefer not to attend a traditional class setting because they're often juggling family and work responsibilities.” Despite the increasing popularity of online classes, distance learning has not replaced the traditional classroom at Chattahoochee Technical College.

http://acworth.patch.com/articles/online-enrollment-surpasses-traditional-chatt-tech-campuses

How Competition Is Killing Higher Education - Mark C. Taylor, Bloomberg

2012-05-24T05:10:00.000-04:00

Competition, we are constantly told, encourages individuals, institutions and companies to take the risks necessary for innovation and efficiency. But in higher education, competition often discourages risk taking, leads to overly cautious short-term decisions, produces a mediocre product for the price, and promotes excessive spending on physical plants and bureaucracies. The construction arms race on campus is the most visible example of competition run amok. To become more attractive to potential consumers, many colleges and universities undertake overly ambitious expansions. In some cases, new facilities contribute to educational programs, but too often they are tangential and trap institutions in a costly cycle: The new athletic center, dorm or student center starts to look faded when competing schools open theirs, and it never ends.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-17/competition-is-killing-higher-education-part-1-.html

More universities pick engineers as provosts, including ISU, U of I - JENS MANUEL KROGSTAD, Indianapolis Star

2012-05-24T05:05:00.001-04:00

Iowa’s universities are not alone in looking to administrators with STEM backgrounds to lead their academic efforts. The same week ISU named Wickert provost, the University of Illinois named its College of Engineering dean to the same job. Leading research universities like Iowa, Iowa State and Illinois — those that belong to the prestigious 61-member Association of American Universities — have selected 23 provosts since 2010, according to a Des Moines Register review of university websites. Of those, only five had backgrounds outside of STEM fields.

http://www.indystar.com/article/D2/20120520/NEWS02/305200033/More-universities-pick-engineers-provosts-including-ISU-U-I

U.S. colleges put low priority on student learning, say authors of 'We're Losing Our Minds' - Julie Mack, MLive

2012-05-24T05:00:00.001-04:00

An estimated 50 percent of people who receive a four-year degree from an American college lack the skills expected of a college graduate, which means U.S. higher education needs to fundamentally change the way they operate, say the authors of "We're Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education." "We're getting a lot less than we're paying for at a time when we need more," co-author Richard Hersch said during a presentation at the Educational Writers Association convention held this weekend in Philadelphia. Hersch is former president of Hobert and William Smith Colleges in New York and Trinity College in Hartford, "Higher education really needs to question its priorities, rewards, structures, principles and values," Hersch said. "Learning itself must become a primary touchstone for decision-making."

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2012/05/us_colleges_put_low_priority_o.html

Online MBA programs gain traction, offering quality, affordability and flexibility - Ksssann, All Voices

2012-05-23T05:10:00.000-04:00

In the recently released survey of 2011 M.B.A. graduates from the Graduate Management Council, 86% were employed, of which 93% found the job they were looking for. Those are pretty impressive numbers. More schools are taking a full-spectrum approach, offering different types of programs for M.B.A. candidates with specific needs. Following the long-accepted European model, some schools are offering a compressed, intensive one-year program. The Executive Master of Business Administration is a relatively new idea that is geared to mid-career professionals, and then there is the real game changer, the online M.B.A. degree program.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12192893-online-mba-programs-gain-traction-offering-quality-affordability-and-flexibility

Quest for College Accountability Produces Demand for Yet More Student Data - Paul Basken, Chronicle of Higher Ed

2012-05-23T05:07:00.000-04:00

Despite growing pressure from policy makers and prospective students for colleges to prove their value, the institutions have often insisted that their unique missions make simple measurements forbiddingly difficult. Now they have documented proof. After three years of studying ideas for measuring institutional quality, an expert panel assembled by the National Research Council delivered a 192-page report on Thurday that indicates just how hard it is to do that. (FULL REPORT: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13417)

http://chronicle.com/article/Quest-for-College/131910/

Online learning champion appointed as MIT president - Virtual College UK

2012-05-23T05:05:00.001-04:00

An e-learning champion has been selected as the 17th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). L Rafael Reif, will assume his leadership role on July 2nd. The 61-year-old has been chief academic officer of the US university since 2005 and in this capacity he had an important part to play in the development of the institute's MITx online learning initiative. Commenting on his appointment as MIT president, Mr Reif said: "Educating students is central to our mission, so I believe MIT should focus, institute-wide, on innovations in teaching and learning, to further enrich the powerful MIT formula of 'Mind and Hand'. Let me conclude with the obvious recognition that there is a great deal to do and that the sooner we start doing, the more we can get done," he added.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Online-learning-champion-appointed-as-MIT-president-newsitems-801366539.aspx

Higher ed commissioner says focus must be on 'mission critical' - Sarah Eddington, News-Star

2012-05-22T05:10:00.000-04:00

With Louisiana’s public higher education institutions facing a $225 million cut in state funding, colleges and universities are being asked to redefine what they consider to be “mission critical,” according to Higher Education Commissioner Jim Purcell. Purcell was in Monroe on Thursday visiting with institutional researchers at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Much of the discussion was spent on the implications of the proposed House Bill 1, which eliminates the use of one-time funding. The result will be a $268 million shortfall in next year’s budget. “When you get these types of budget situations, you really have to refocus and redefine what you think the core is and decide which academic programs matter most to your local community and to the state and how do we make sure we can maximize their efficiencies and success,” he said. “I think institutional leaders are constantly doing that, but I think now it will be a more intense conversation.”

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20120517/NEWS01/120517026

Online learning continuing medical education tool 'could help GPs understand dementia' - UK Virtual College

2012-05-22T05:05:00.000-04:00

The Alzheimer's Society and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Group's medical education division BMJ Learning have set up a virtual learning environment for general practitioners (GPs), following a survey revealing only 37 per cent of these professionals believe they have been given sufficient basic training on dementia. The poll of 382 GPs, which was financed by the Alzheimer's Society's partner Lilly, found 71 per cent would like to be able to use online learning to understand more about the condition.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Elearning-tool-should-help-GPs-understand-dementia-newsitems-801364549.aspx

Proposed LSU cuts could launch University into exigency - Andrea Gallo, LSU Reveille

2012-05-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope has said it would take “draconian” budget cuts to push LSU to that breaking point. But those cuts could be coming rapidly.
A $97.6 million budget slice to the LSU System is rolling through the hands of lawmakers in the state, who plan to compensate for Louisiana’s budget shortfall by handing down massive cuts to higher education instead of seeking one-time funds. The cut to the University itself would be about $43 million. Chancellor Michael Martin wrote about the gravity of the situation in a memo to newly-appointed LSU System President William Jenkins. “Declaring financial exigency is a last resort of a genuine crisis. Still, under the Board of Supervisors definition of exigency, the campus may have qualified for a declaration already,” the chancellor wrote. “Once exigency is implemented, several colleges will have to be closed and LSU will be forever different. This is a generational decision; it would take decades to repair the damage done to our students, faculty, and reputation.” The University’s Baton Rouge neighbor, Southern University, declared financial exigency in October.

http://www.lsureveille.com/news/proposed-cuts-could-launch-university-into-exigency-1.2740406

Introducing the Knowledge Graph: things, not strings - Google Blog

2012-05-21T05:10:00.001-04:00

The Knowledge Graph enables you to search for things, people or places that Google knows about—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, geographical features, movies, celestial objects, works of art and more—and instantly get information that’s relevant to your query. This is a critical first step towards building the next generation of search, which taps into the collective intelligence of the web and understands the world a bit more like people do. Google’s Knowledge Graph isn’t just rooted in public sources such as Freebase, Wikipedia and the CIA World Factbook. It’s also augmented at a much larger scale—because we’re focused on comprehensive breadth and depth. It currently contains more than 500 million objects, as well as more than 3.5 billion facts about and relationships between these different objects. And it’s tuned based on what people search for, and what we find out on the web.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/introducing-knowledge-graph-things-not.html

In the face of shrinking budget, University of Oklahoma department pulls out faculty phones - Silas Allen, NewsOK

2012-05-21T05:04:00.000-04:00

Try to call any professor in the University of Oklahoma's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and you're bound to be disappointed. For the past several years, the department has been looking for ways to trim costs in response to several rounds of budget cuts. As the department's budget continues to shrink, administrators tried to identify the cuts that students would feel the least. One solution they found, said department Director Randa Shehab, was pulling telephones out of faculty offices. “It's been a little bit of a learning process,” she said. The department removed faculty members' phones in January. The move saved about 30 percent of the department's maintenance and operations budget, Shehab said, which is normally devoted to things like copiers, paper and classroom supplies. Since then, Shehab said, faculty members have been scrambling to find alternate ways to communicate with their contacts. In general, she said, email and cellphones are a serviceable replacement. But when research partners in private industry or other institutions try to call, she said, they often wind up confused.

http://newsok.com/in-the-face-of-shrinking-budget-university-of-oklahoma-department-pulls-out-faculty-phones/article/3675824

Online Office Hours for Faculty at San Antonio College? - Mitch Smith, Inside Higher Ed

2012-05-21T05:00:00.002-04:00

The debate in Texas frames a larger discussion about how professors’ roles have changed as online learning courses and advising tools have grown commonplace. At Ohio State University, an online blog for faculty members encourages them to schedule online office hours. And at San Antonio College and elsewhere, faculty say they frequently check e-mail messages throughout the week and weekend. Gary Rhoades, a professor of higher education at the University of Arizona, said most instructors already engage students online and that colleges should adopt policies that recognize that work.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/17/san-antonio-college-officials-debate-online-office-hours

College rankings: Which countries have the best education systems? - Chronicle of Higher Ed

2012-05-20T05:10:00.000-04:00

A new higher education ranking focuses on evaluating quality by countries as a whole, as opposed to specific academic institutions. Universitas 21, an organization of 23 research universities across 15 countries, published its first ranking of countries “which are ‘best’ at providing higher education.” The United States was ranked the “best” country for higher education by Universitas 21, which may come as little surprise given the numerous worldwide-university rankings published each year that highlight US institutions. The implications of the US’s connectivity ranking may be changing however, as higher education in the US has developed into a top service-sector export over the past few years.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2012/0516/College-rankings-Which-countries-have-the-best-education-systems/How-did-Universitas-21-measure-higher-education

M.I.T. Chooses Its Provost who Developed MITx for President - Jessica Rinaldi, Reuters

2012-05-20T05:05:00.001-04:00

L. Rafael Reif, an electrical engineer who has been the provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the last seven years, has been chosen as the institution’s next president. Mr. Reif, 61, will assume the presidency on July 2, succeeding Susan Hockfield, who in February announced her plans to resign. As provost, Mr. Reif led the development of MITx and edX, the institute’s new online initiatives, expanded the institute’s global reach with projects in Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Russia, and helped foster the emergence of an innovation cluster adjacent to M.I.T. in Kendall Square. During the financial downturn that began in 2008, Mr. Reif led a process that eliminated a $50 million structural deficit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/education/mit-chooses-its-provost-for-president.html?_r=1

UNO: Budget cuts will be 'devastating' - WDSU

2012-05-20T05:02:00.001-04:00

The University of New Orleans will lose $15.6 million in state funding if the budget bill under consideration by the Louisiana legislature is approved, school officials said on Tuesday. UNO administrators warned the total reduction in funding over the past four years -- about $41 million -- would drastically impact the school on a number of levels. "These additional cuts on top of previous cuts will be devastating to the university and will make it very difficult to maintain the academic standards that UNO has so proudly maintained," said President Peter Fos. UNO isn't the only college or university taking a hit. Louisiana's constitution and statutes protect some areas from significant cuts, but higher education enjoys no such protection.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/UNO-Budget-cuts-will-be-devastating/-/9853400/13410566/-/e8wnsbz/-/

Online Learning E-Reserve Policies Largely Upheld - Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed

2012-05-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

As librarians and lawyers continue to pore over the 350 pages of a long-awaited federal court decision involving copyright claims levied against Georgia State University’s library by academic publishers, one thing everybody seems to agree on is that, all things considered, the university “won.” But what victory looks like at this stage remains to be seen and may not become clear for some time, experts say.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/15/court-ruling-landmark-e-reserve-leaves-unanswered-questions