University Business - November 2009 - (Page 15)

75 DATA P O I N T —Percentage of immigrant blacks in college, compared to whites (72%) and native-born blacks (60%). —”How African American is the Net Black Advantage?,” —Sociology of Education journal Tackling multistate regulation of Distance education Online learning is becOming mOre widely accepted by the day. That acceptance brings providers higher enrollments but it also means more encounters with state regulations. Higher education is subject to individual state regulations, which makes sense for place-based providers but can be problematic for online institutions. Having even one enrolled student subjects an online provider to out-of-state regulations. “The problem is, the regulatory framework in higher education is not appropriate to a 21stcentury institution,” says John F. ebersole, president of albany, n.Y.-based Excelsior College. in October, the Presidents’ Forum (http://presidents forum.excelsior.edu), a collaborative of more than 150 institutions offering distance higher education, conducted a panel to discuss how to straighten out the maze of regulations. The panel developed four goals. The first is to reduce bureaucracy. “There is a lot of data required,” says ebersole. “many trees have died because states ask us for all the syllabuses of our classes.” The second is to increase mutual recognition and reciprocity. “if you are authorized to operate in a highly regulated state such as new York, what do the other states need to know that hasn’t already been asked?” ebersole notes. The other two goals are to increase access and contribute to workforce development. The panel members also agreed upon strategies for guiding policies. “We want to work with the states,” ebersole says. “no one is suggesting they don’t have the right to regulate education within their borders.” but he believes an easier-to-navigate regulatory structure will benefit everyone. The initiative is inclusive of all institutional models, for-profit or nonprofit, statewide or nationwide. The Presidents Forum is also pursuing a collaborative model by reaching out to sloan-c, cHea, and other higher ed and distance learning organizations. The next step is preparing a report for the lumina Foundation, which provided the grant to make the panel possible, and developing pilot programs to test standardization efforts. an indication states are open to the effort, ebersole shares, is that “some regulators have offered to reach out to other states and develop a regional set of requirements.” —A.M. Future Shock THe PeOPle’s cOlleges: ‘I SOUND BITE can’t think of a more dangerous combination: youth, alcohol, and a weapon, all in close proximity. —Wayne State University (Mich.) Police Chief Anthony Holz, on a proposal to deny the school the right to ban concealed weapons ‘ SIttIng on the econo-Shuttle (en route to a Southwest flight) provides a new perspective on the current higher education economic landscape. Faced with a loss of jobs, and tapped out of collateral to secure subprime mortgages, the American middle class is now scrambling to avoid defaulting on their tuition payment schedules. If you think these trend lines are reversible, think again. Doing more with less is no longer a concept targeted to small postsecondary schools. these days we are witnessing a summer melt— that is, applicants with deposits on the line are walking away from traditional residential campuses to attend weekend colleges at no-frills campuses closer to home and work. Price points and value propositions rule the day. While risk-averse institutions debate the merits of no-frills campuses, entrepreneurial schools such as Southern New Hampshire University, Wheelock College-Singapore, Drexel University’s center for graduate Studies in Sacramento (calif.), Nichols College (Mass.), Quinsigamond Community College (Mass.), the Lone Star College System in houston, Roosevelt University (Ill.), Regis University in Denver, ITT Tech (Ind.), and Branford Hall (conn.) are cleaning the clocks of their competitors by providing highly functional and accessible satellite campus options for student consumers who expect more for less. Southern new hampshire university President Paul leBlanc says he isn’t sure that luxury amenities improve education. “It just drives the price up. not everybody needs it and, frankly, not everybody can afford it.” to learn more, see the full version of this column online at www.universitybusiness.com. — James Martin and James E. Samels, Future Shock columnists, are authors of turnaround: leading Stressed colleges and universities to excellence (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009). no Frills, no Debt, good Deals universitybusiness.com November/December 2009 | 15 http://presidentsforum.excelsior.edu http://presidentsforum.excelsior.edu http://www.universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November 2009

University Business - November 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Human Resources
35 Smart Building Ideas
Campus Fires: Prevent to Protect
Pushing ADA Beyond the Limits
Internet Technology
End Note

University Business - November 2009