Nova Southeastern - A clever use of DL

The attached article from the Sun Sentinel describes a clever use of DL by NSU's law school. It doesn't look like ABA accredited law schools will be on-line any time soon - but NSU has found a supporting role for DL.
Given the questionable validity of standardized tests such as the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, etc. especially for minority students this sounds like a good way to get another measure of one's ability to graduate work.

Thanks - Andy Borchers

For NSU lawschool, a virtual innovation
By KARLA SCHUSTER , South Florida Sun Sentinel

Nova Southeastern University law school is launching the first online program in the country for students who don't qualify for admission, but are willing to pay for a chance to prove they can succeed anyway.

For $1,900, students can take two law classes online over the summer and, if they earn a C-plus or better, be guaranteed a spot in the law school the following fall.

Essentially, NSU is creating a virtual version of a summer school it has operated on campus for 22 years for students whose college grades or Law School Admission Test scores are too low to get in through traditional means.

Only 15 other law schools in the nation offer similar programs, none of them online.



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Andy Borchers, DBA
NSU (1996)

 

Nova's is a clever idea, reminiscent of the Heriot-Watt MBA by distance learning, in which anyone, regardless of background, can take two (of the 9) courses, and, if they pass them, be allowed to enroll in the program.

John Bear

 

I like Nova's approach for two reasons.

First, it saves prospective but weaker candidates for law school a considerable amount of money by having the "proving ground" be in a DL format. No need to pull up stakes and find a place in Florida for what could be only a summer. And those who make it can attend law school with the confidence of knowing they've already proven themselves, thus making their first year less of a tryout year.

Second, as Andy suggests, it's an excellent way of opening doors to minority students and students from non-traditional or weaker academic backgrounds. And if they can do it in a DL setting, chances are that they can do it in a residential setting, where there's more peer and institutional support.

 

Nova law school was recently voted the most wired law school in the nation. http://www.nova.edu/cwis/ia/pubaffairs/news/most_wired_law_school.html
The school is definitely ready for the program.

Ike Okonkwo