Professors Take Out Ads Protesting Their University’s Online Degree Programs

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Bruce, Jan 6, 2018.

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  1. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

  2. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    They're not protesting online programs. EMU already offers online programs. They're protesting a new partnership with a for-profit company.
     
  3. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    That this time doesn't profit them.
     
  4. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    Full tenured Prof vs paying someone with a PhD 4-6k per course taught online... makes sense to the University since they charge the same for online tuition as they do for on campus students.
     
  5. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    It appears to me to be more about control.

    Two faculty unions fear that EMU's hiring an outside company to help the school design online programs intrudes onto the unions' turf.

    "At issue is a deal inked last year between the university and Academic Partnerships, a company that helps colleges develop and advertise their online programs. University leaders say that the arrangement involves only marketing and recruitment, and that faculty and university leaders control all academic decisions.

    But the two faculty unions, the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and the EMU Federation of Teachers, which represents adjuncts, say that the company is involved in many aspects of course design and could bring in outside online coaches for students without faculty oversight. The groups also charge that the university is developing new online programs with the company without formal academic approval, in violation of union contracts."
     
  6. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Crunch the numbers:
    - 25 students at $2000 per course = 50k
    - 50k - instructor's 4k salary = 46k
    - less overhead (Blackboard is inexpensive)
    - the number of online classes is not limited to the number of physical classrooms that are not available

    For-profits AND non-profits are both able to make more money in the online model. Non-profits are looking at this from a financial perspective, as well as from an educational perspective.

    B&Ms will never disappear, but online education is going to continue experiencing explosive growth -- in all venues.
     
  7. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    4-6K is actually at the high end, many pay as little as 1K per course and require a PhD. Adjuncts are here to stay, my University is not replacing people that retire and just hire more part time faculty, they are not just cheaper but many times perform better than full time faculty as they need to get good course evaluations to remain employed.
     
  8. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I mostly agree with you, and I know this is nitpicking, but Blackboard isn't inexpensive. They require a six figure annual contract, which I think is absolutely insane when Moodle is free.

    And yet, apparently only 15% of university students in the U.S. are online-only. I was surprised to learn that because I've run the same numbers you have.
     
  9. jhp

    jhp Member

    Blackboard is indeed pricey. Go with Moodle or Totara.

    As for the professors... the writing is on the wall - you have been weighed and found wanting.
     
  10. Life Long Learning

    Life Long Learning Active Member


    This is a 2015 and 2016 data study. Will be higher now.

    College Students Enrolled Exclusively in Distance Courses: 2,983,075.........(15% of total college students) that would be me [​IMG]
    College Students Enrolled in at Least One Distance Course: 6,340,291..........(31% of total college students)

    https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/01/05/new-us-data-show-continued-growth-college-students-studying
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Maybe. Or maybe the drop in unemployment means it will be lower. Higher education is a counter-cyclical industry and I expect that's exacerbated for segments of it catering to working adults rather than FTFTs.
     
  12. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    "Instructure" is a free platform.

    https://canvas.instructure.com/login/canvas

    There are way too many applicants than positions. It's always been that way. However, is the ratio of "qualified applicants to available jobs" growing larger?
     
  13. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I like Canvas, but you'll probably need a contract with them to do anything serious. They have an open source option, so in theory one could host one's own instance of it, but I gather that's a lot less common than with Moodle.
     

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