University Business - January 2010 - (Page 18)

Behind the news STATS WATCH U Distance Learning Program Success: A Matter of Perception? More and More colleges and universities are offering distance learning options due to record enrollments. a sloan consortium report says the number of students enrolled in some type of distance education course in the 2008-2009 academic year was up 13 percent nationally over the previous year. But according to cdW-g’s recent “21st century campus report,” many students still don’t see the value of distance learning. successful programs require student buy-in, yet colleges and universities may not be doing a good enough job communicating distance learning options to students. That point is evident from this data: of institutions surveyed, 72 percent said they support distance learning programs, yet only 55 percent of students asked about whether their schools supported distance learning seemed aware of such programs. students were also asked: “What are the benefits of distance learning?” • 52 percent said it increases the variety of classes they can take. • 32 percent said it enables them to study with a broader variety of faculty. • 18 percent said it enables them to interact with a greater number of students. But, more than a quarter of the students surveyed didn’t see the benefits of distance learning and/or did not want to take a distance leaning class. That number may actually reveal more of a perception problem than a value problem. Julie smith, vice president of higher education for cdW-g, tells of a student intern that didn’t “get” distance learning. “she said she didn’t think it would work at her school because most of the students were right there on campus,” smith recalls. “It was only after she was made to understand that online learning is just as useful to the resident student as the remote student that she saw its value.” —T.G. As at Canzenovia College (N.Y.), fitness programs are typically voluntary. Getting Physical: Fit to Graduate? AFter MeDiA Scrutiny, StuDent coMplaints, and a faculty vote to scrap it, Lincoln University (Pa.) officials are taking a new direction with “Fitness for Life.” the one-credit course coincided with a policy for incoming classes fall 2006 or later that required any freshman with a body mass index (BMi) above 30 to take and pass the course by the time they graduate. the requirement aims to encourage a healthier lifestyle in light of national obesity concerns. A new faculty proposal will have all students take a “Dimensions of Wellness” core course. instructors would evaluate each student’s health and physical fitness and then recommend who should also take “Fitness for Life.” However, students would not be required to do so. the historically black college received much attention for requiring students to take the fitness class based on health assessment measures. James L. DeBoy, chair of the Department of Health, Physical education and recreation, says that public concern focused on “the perception that the placement policy was tantamount to discrimination.” the modified policy, set to accomplish similar results, will be evaluated over 18 months. Health and fitness courses and initiatives are not uncommon in higher ed, but often they are voluntary. At Canzenovia College (n.y.), students can be part of a fitness boot camp. regarding Lincoln’s initial program, Susan Berger, executive vice president and chief operating officer, notes that just assessing BMi means other health issues (e.g., poor nutrition) could go undetected. “Any time you are talking about a personal or physical attribute as the requirement for something, you run into trouble,” says Berger, a board-certified nurse practitioner. Marcia costello, an assistant professor of nursing at Villanova University (Pa.), finds that programs with social support networks and peer educators are successful. Villanova freshmen can be part of a “Healthy Living Learning community,” in which participants live together and take a humanities course coinciding with a healthy living seminar that uses a holistic approach to studying personal health and wellness. upperclassmen can take a similar elective. As for Lincoln students, for now, learning about wellness is not optional—which officials think is a good thing. —M.H. 18 | January 2010 universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2010

University Business - January 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
Company Index
College Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Community Colleges
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Human Resources
Money Matters
Endowments 2010: Risk Management, Liquidity, Stewardship
Donor 3.0
Reporting for Duty
End Note

University Business - January 2010