In his State of the University Address in February, UVA President John Casteen proclaimed the University would respond to the sagging economy and its falling endowment by innovating and re-inventing itself. One change that he hoped would rake in more money was expanding online and distance learning.
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“Imagine what we can do in places where we have never been, but where our name is known. It’s time to be able to exploit that kind of fame and notoriety in order to build new ventures that will produce revenues that sustain the University.” He added that the expansion would not be easy, yet “demand for the service is huge; it’s everywhere. But our success as a national system of education in meeting that is very, very limited.” Where might UVA might go with online and distance learning? It helps to know where the University already is.
Older adults vastly outnumber college-aged ones, creating a huge market for educational institutions. UVA currently reaches about 15,000 adults annually with online and distance learning through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Online learning means exactly that: Students take courses from faculty over the Internet and earn certificates in programs such as e-marketing, human resources, information technology or procurement and contracts.
Billy Cannaday, Jr., Dean of Continuing and Professional Studies, says the school wants to expand online opportunities “for adult learners who can’t come to Grounds or regional centers but still want an education.”
Such expansion requires helping adults who are not “digital natives” become comfortable learning online. A 22-question survey titled “Are You Ready to Learn Online?” notifies people they will often have to learn by reading and be prepared to work alone. And if they are in-state, they’ll pay between $280 and $300 per credit hour, comparable to community college rates.
Distance learning, meanwhile, has students in evening and weekend classes at UVA’s Zehmer Hall or one of six satellite classrooms in Richmond and Roanoke, among others. UVA has belonged for 20 years to a consortium of universities that offers engineering master’s degrees at a distance and it also offers distance programs for teacher accreditation, nursing and other professional licenses. Finally, for the past 10 years, it has offered its own Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS).
The BIS program has graduated about 200 students over its entire existence and is expanding. Cannaday says the school had around 50 graduates this year, and “We are now partnering with community colleges in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to offer four-year Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which is another opportunity to make the University of Virginia accessible for students who can’t get here in traditional ways, whether because of economics or life experiences.” Cannaday adds faculty have commented that, academically, BIS students compare favorably with traditional undergraduates and can contribute more personal experiences to discussion.
Beyond the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, UVA has joined the New College Institute, founded in 2006 as a solely online and distance learning facility in Martinsville. UVA and other schools such as Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University send faculty to the school to teach classes, while the certificates and degrees come from the participating universities themselves.
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