Starting an Online Institution

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by LadyExecutive, Jun 26, 2007.

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  1. LadyExecutive

    LadyExecutive Member

    I've been trying to find information about starting an online/distance degree institution but haven't found anything of substance. Of course finding the information is not critical, but with all that's going on, I am seriously thinking of looking into the possibility of starting one, depending on what is involved, once I graduate sometime in the future. I know programs such as WebCT and Blackboard, etc, are very expensive but I wonder what else is involved. Say a grandparent or some other rich relative passed away and left me an inheritance, and I wish to invest it in establishing some sort of online school, Space Coast College of Business, Arts and Sciences, for instance, what is involved? Can anyone suggest a site that might provide me with information? I know that either state, regional or DETC accreditation would be a major hurdle to surpass. Any thoughts welcomed, even if they might be discouraging...
     
  2. Vincey37

    Vincey37 New Member

    I've thought about what is involved as well. I don't think starting a school would be very difficult.

    A curriculum would need to be written - but that's not a great burden at the undergraduate level. Take a look at some independent study courses, from LSU for example. The instruction contained in the book really is minimal - I could have written their Intermediate Accounting course in two days.

    There would need to be faculty - but in the early stages they could be paid by the student in independently paced courses. No students, no faculty costs. We know from Penn Foster, Grantham, etc. that it is acceptable to DETC to use graders instead of faculty to process assignments, lowering costs further.

    Office space would need to be rented, but from pictures of California Coast, that space does not need to be large or expensive.

    There would be no need to purchase Blackboard. There are free learning management systems that are just as good if not better, and would certainly meet the needs of a new school. I don't think most DETC schools use a LMS at all.

    I'm not sure what state licensing costs, but it can't be very difficult (see diploma mills). After that it's simply a matter of operating for two years before thinking about accreditation.
     
  3. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    If you open a distance learning institution, I would happy to be IT guru for you such as Online delivery method likes Blackboard and WebCT. Some ASP knowledge can write a program. Web programming is much easier than software programming.

    Once, I get my Master and Ph.D I can be the faculty as well. The only thing that the institution has to be accredited, at least DETC. I don't really want to see the court chases it around.

    Well, take a look at Aspen University...the module instruction is way less than LSU. All the questions from the book's review questions itself. I had never called my instructor, except emailed him three times.
     
  4. dlady

    dlady Active Member

    As I understand it (and I am no expert so this may be very wrong), you need to start with the state you would ‘create’, ‘incorporate’, or have the school ‘reside’ in (don’t know what the term is).

    Even distance school have to have a home base, and for a very many things, educations is a state issue, and each state Department of Education has very different rules. As far as I can tell, most of the rules are designed to limit entry and ensure some level of ‘reality’ to what you are trying to accomplish.

    So first question is what state would your school be in?
     
  5. CLSeibel

    CLSeibel Member

    Perhaps you've already determined or even begun your DBA project. If not, however, any chance that the question you ask might be a worthy topic for a project? A project mapping out a strategic plan that incorporates insights from an examination of a dozen online institutions could be an exciting undertaking.
     
  6. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    First suggestion: Don't award degrees. If you must own your own personal "university", then start out modestly, with something that you understand, something that's realistic and doable. Offer inexpensive non-credit courses or something at first. Appearing from out of nowhere offering grandiose but meaningless "Ph.D.s" will just mark your school as another degree-mill.

    Second suggestion: Lose the 'Business, Arts and Sciences' thing. Don't try to emulate a full-service state university. Create a specialized institution instead. Even if you are big-time rich, you don't have the resources to offer degree programs in every subject. So concentrate on one subject that you know and cover it well. Be modest and don't overreach.

    Third suggestion: Build your organization's reputation. Form links with professional groups and get involved with the intellectual life of your discipline. Sponsor scholarly activity and form collaborations with established institutions. You probably need to start doing those things well before you start offering any degrees. If you want to teach something, then you will need to have something to teach. If you want your degrees to mean anything, then people in your field will need to already know who you are.

    Fourth sugestion: Hire professional educators that have credible experience. If you don't know what you are doing, bring in people who do. In this case that would include distance-learning, university administration and the subject that you propose to teach. For example, University of the West lured an internationally respected UC Berkeley scholar to lead them when they were (successfully) pursuing regional accreditation.

    Fifth suggestion: I assume that "space coast" means Florida. So the people that you really need to be talking to are the FL authorities, not a consumer board like Degreeinfo. Find out the requirements for obtaining a school license in Florida. That's your initial hurdle. It won't be your last.

    Sixth suggestion: Don't think that the words 'distance learning' are a license to cut corners. If you're in no position to offer a credible B&M degree program, then you probably shouldn't be thinking about offering DL degrees either. Don't let your own egotism and hubris turn you into a degree-mill operator. That's already been done.
     
  7. BryanOats

    BryanOats New Member

    Adding to what's been said here ready, if I were you, I would cautiously buy and/or invest the inheritance in a small already established unaccredited online school. That way, the startup headaches are out of the way and, after getting the ownership issue squared away I could concentrate on program content, expansion, and accreditation matters.

    One example of a small online school that was recently purchased is Newport University in California. The new owner told me recently by phone that he has made a few changes and will soon be seeking accreditation. http://www.newport.edu/message.html
     
  8. Vincey37

    Vincey37 New Member

    I disagree. Giving a student a dozen or so pages of printed content, a textbook, and telling them to go study until they're ready to take one or two exams would never cut it in a B&M environment. But this practice is accepted and promoted in many DL situations, including by respected B&M operations such as LSU.

    Like it or not, a lot of corners can be cut in the educational expenses of offering university credit online. It's about expectations. DL students know they will have to, essentially, teach themselves out of the textbook. That doesn't make the schools that recognize knowledge learned that way diploma mills.
     
  9. David Boyd

    David Boyd New Member

    Ask yourself how your school would be different than the others in the field.

    Why would a prospective student enroll in your school? What can you do differently?

    Look for niche markets.

    Can you reach prospective students for your program on a cost effective basis?
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm guessing that the absolute easiest model to begin with would be a non-online certificate program. Perhaps something like the University of London. You supply the study materials, the students take the exams, not a lot of instruction, just a small set of focused courses in a particular area. You could then modify the model as profits allow.
     
  11. iquagmire

    iquagmire Member


    You can also use ,ecornell.com, TulaneU.com and VillanovaU.com as examples of providing relatively short non-credit online certificates. I also agree with a previous poster on providing more focused subjects rather than the broader business, etc. I have been looking for a good Finance certificate program that is short and to the point but the only one I found like that was at ecornell.
     
  12. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

  13. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!


    In the marketing, customer first..that is different from any other institution. For example, giving the students "A" 'cause they pay for it. If the Professor gives student B,C, D, ...just change it into an "A".


    That will promote and get more students to enroll into the school. :)
     

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