University Business - February 2010 - (Page 33)

but it may be true that, at this point in the market’s maturity, it is and/or depend upon those students to balance budgets. While just too late for anyone to “go national, go big.” What opportuni- chief academic officers generally believe that faculty accept the ties remain? Plenty, but they are much smaller. value and legitimacy of online courses, fewer than half of private But, so too are our Council of Independent Colleges schools. college CAOs believe their faculty do so. We are smaller, more agile, and excellent at serving our students. Those opinions ignore mountains of data that demonstrate no Many have niche programs not yet available online. Opportunity differences in learning outcomes between online and classroom exists. All good marketing opportunities start with a niche. It may courses. They also ignore the National Survey of Student Engagebe programmatic. It might be geographic. Either way, be realistic. ment, in which “distance education” students reported being more Develop your strategies based on your strengths. Today’s online engaged than traditional students. Negative faculty opinions run reality is that most online students select a local college—if they counter to those of business leaders. According to Excelsior Colcan. Do you offer an evening or weekend program? Do you offer lege/Zogby International’s online survey of business executives, accelerated degree programs? Do you have an executive MBA among those familiar with online programs, “83 percent strongly program? All of these students may prefer some online options. believe that degrees earned via online programs are viewed favorIf you don’t provide them, the University of Phoenix or Saint Leo ably compared with those earned in a more traditional way.” University will. (Saint Leo has online students in all 50 states.) Good marketing opportunities start with a niche. It may be George Otte, director of instrumental technology for the programmatic. It might be geographic. Either way, be realistic. City University of New York, de- Develop your strategies based on your strengths. livered a paper at the GUIDE International Conference on Online Education entitled “The Collapse of Distance: Online Learning The Chronicle Research Services study warns, “[w]hen it is as Local Education.” Otte posited that online courses’ “most im- common for private colleges to give away their product at about portant utility may now be local outreach, done to address the a 40 percent discount, it might be time to question whether the growing problem of degree completion.” Similarly, Sloan found business model can continue.” That comment is given in the conthat more than 50 percent of online students are local (within 50 text of the study’s conclusion that the elite schools will be fine and miles of campus). Another 35 percent are from the region, ac- “the model for for-profit and community colleges is also strong. cording to the Babson/Sloan data. The fact that they cater to older students who … want and need Culver-Stockton College (Mo.), a very successful participant courses at times and in formats that fit their schedules” sounds an in the Online Consortium of Independent Colleges and Univer- alarm—or should. sities (OCICU), used online Saint Leo courses to help students Robert Sevier, senior vice president of strategy at Stamats, Inc., who dropped out go on to complete their degrees. Their strategy commenting on the Chronicle study, identified leadership as the has been very effective. They leverage their brand identity with key issue. He wrote, “[i]t is the quality of leadership—not exterthose who know them best and already demonstrated a desire nal market forces—that will spell the difference between an instito earn a Culver-Stockton degree. According to the 2004 report tution that thrives and one that is marginalized or even fails.” He “A Matter of Degrees: Improving Graduation Rates in Four-Year calls on presidents and their cabinets and boards to “squarely face Colleges and Universities” from The Education Trust, six out of the issues, develop a compelling vision, outline a clear strategy, every 10 college students do not complete a bachelor’s degree work together and execute.” within six years. So this market is sizable for any school. OCICU I could not agree more—and for most, online courses and proschools access online courses to meet a variety of different student grams need to be part of the strategy. needs without having to invest in course development or expensive Arthur F. Kirk has been president of Saint Leo University (Fla.) since 1997. new marketing campaigns. This essay is part of the new book PresiWhat is required? The first comdent to President: Views on TechnolBabson/Sloan survey, ponent of success is institutional ogy in Higher Education - Volume www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course commitment. Far too many schools II, edited by Jacqueline Powers Doud, The Education Trust report, falter because of vocal pockets of president, Mount St. Mary’s College www.edtrust.org/dc/publication/a-matter-of-degrees (Calif.); Marylouise Fennell, Senior faculty resistance and lack of strong Counsel, Council of Independent Colleadership. Smaller private not-forChronical Research Services report, leges; and Scott D. Miller, president, profit colleges remain the least likely http://research.chronicle.com/reports.html Bethany College (Kan.), and published to offer online classes or programs. by CIC and SunGard Higher EducaSaint Leo University Center for Online Learning, Yet a majority of them embrace a tion. It is available for download at http://info.saintleo.edu/COL www.presidenttopresident.com. mission to educate working adults Resources universitybusiness.com February 2010 | 33 http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course http://www.edtrust.org/dc/publication/a-matter-of-degrees http://research.chronicle.com/reports.html http://info.saintleo.edu/COL http://www.presidenttopresident.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

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

University Business - February 2010
Contents
Editor’s Note
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Internet Technology
Independent Outlook
Universities Go to School
Leveraging Technology to Increase Enrollment, Capacity, and Revenues
Meet Me Online
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
What’s New
End Note

University Business - February 2010