The Curious Case of So-Called ‘Higher Education Deserts’

Apr 30, 2018 · and · No Comments on The Curious Case of So-Called ‘Higher Education Deserts’

Students in the United States have unprecedented options for postsecondary education: from brick-and-mortar liberal arts institutions and research-intensive doctoral universities to dual-enrollment high schools and online-only degree programs. Entrepreneurs are innovating continually to improve America’s higher education options. But a new report attempts to throw cold water on the higher education landscape. Entitled, “Disconnected from … Continue reading “The Curious Case of So-Called ‘Higher Education Deserts’”

A Dreamer of the Golden Dream: Jerry Brown’s Future for Higher Education

Mar 28, 2018 · · No Comments on A Dreamer of the Golden Dream: Jerry Brown’s Future for Higher Education

The title of this article alludes to Joan Didion’s famous essay about “love and death in the golden land,” a cautionary tale about the wreckage left behind when dreams collide with reality. Historically, California has always attracted dreamers and today one of the state’s biggest dreamers is Governor Jerry Brown, who once said, “A politician … Continue reading “A Dreamer of the Golden Dream: Jerry Brown’s Future for Higher Education”

An Innovative Guide Through the Higher Ed Landscape

Oct 9, 2017 · · 8 Comments on An Innovative Guide Through the Higher Ed Landscape

Increasingly, the old model of earning a college degree by simply choosing a school, paying cash to cover room, board, and tuition, and graduating within four years (with summers off) is passé. Currently, the average student takes six years to finish college and has about $37,000 in student loan debt. Higher education’s escalating costs and … Continue reading “An Innovative Guide Through the Higher Ed Landscape”

Making Distance Learning Personal – and Successful

Jul 1, 2016 · · 4 Comments on Making Distance Learning Personal – and Successful

Information technology has disrupted so many industries and human activities that everyone expected it would disrupt education as well. A few years ago, the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) seemed poised to do that. One professor could teach an unlimited number of students because technology had dramatically reduced the cost of reaching them. A student … Continue reading “Making Distance Learning Personal – and Successful”

North Carolina Should End Its Protectionist Policies Limiting Online Courses

Nov 30, 2015 · · No Comments on North Carolina Should End Its Protectionist Policies Limiting Online Courses

Because of protectionist regulations, North Carolina’s range of higher education choices is not as wide as it should be. But it’s not just the Tar Heel State that gums up the works with excessive red tape. North Carolina schools that want to offer their online courses to out-of-state students have had to navigate burdensome approval processes. In many cases, schools have decided it’s just not worth the considerable expense in terms of both time and money—thereby limiting options for students seeking online alternatives. But now there is a better way. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of online education.