In 2010, the University of California Office of the
President approved a plan for an initiative entitled UC Online, which would
allow UC courses to be offered online and grant UC students and non-UC students academic credit for
successful completion of a course. In
theory, this program falls in line with the mission of the University of
California- to
ensure that quality education is accessible to Californians and to aid in the
acquisition of career skills and knowledge . Unfortunately, UC Online comes with a hefty
price tag and some lofty projections attached.
The Office of the President granted a loan to UC Online for $6.9 million
due to the fact that officials were unsuccessful in raising private donations
to offset the startup and maintenance costs of the program. Alisha Azevedo reported on UC Online in the Chronicle of Higher Education (October
1, 2012) and indicated that UC Online would have to secure participation from
“at least 3,000 non-UC students this year and add 1,000 more each year until it
reaches 7,000” to repay its loan.
Further, UC Online sought to offer 20 undergraduate courses by January
2012, but was only successful in launching six courses last spring and eight
courses this fall.
Administrators and supporters of UC Online explain that
these courses are targeted towards high school students, individuals preparing
for graduate programs, transfer students, and adults learners. Tuition for UC Online courses, however, ranges
from $1,400 to $2,100 per course.
Between UC’s various Extension programs and massive open on-line courses
(MOOCs), it is challenging to find the value in UC Online. The
cost of UC Online’s courses may be a barrier to access for many community
college students who could benefit from the availability of online courses for
UC credit. It is probable that some
eager high school students could utilize UC Online (if they can afford the
cost), but without the guidance of an academic advisor, it seems that many
would get lost in options or take courses that may not qualify for transfer
credit at their future college or university.
Lifelong learners can already access an abundance of credible and free
online learning tools from various MOOCs, leaving transfer students as the only
viable audience for UC Online’s offerings.
To enroll the number of students necessary to make UC Online successful
and solvent, I believe the program will have to greatly expand course offerings
or target courses to transfer students seeking UC credits.
The vision of the pioneers of UC Online is commendable. Recognizing the trend of accessible quality
education online in 2010 was forward thinking at the time, but negative warning
signs have been significant and consistent.
Poor response from donors, failure to meet private fundraising goals,
lack of enrollment, waning faculty support, and inability to meet the program’s
projected timeline all indicate that a re-thinking of the program is
necessary. With $4.6 million spent in
infrastructural start-up costs and an outstanding $6.9 million loan from the
Office of the President, how can administrators make adjustments that might
turn UC Online into an attractive and profitable enterprise? Surely lowering tuition costs to increase
access for low-income and community college students would help. Christopher Edley Jr., dean of UC Berkeley’s
Law School and one of UC Online’s strongest proponents indicated that quality
will become the differentiating factor for UC Online, explaining that he doubts
that private institutions will invest the time and resources to develop
large-scale, quality MOOCs (Azevedo, 2012).
Recent MOOC activity would indicate otherwise, however, as companies
like Coursera expand rapidly to help institutions provide free online
educational programs. A quick scanning
of Coursera’s website reveals partnerships with over 30 institutions, many of
which are private, elite universities with expansive course offerings. While 2010 market research supported the
development of UC Online, it appears that it is time for the administrators to
take a critical look at the program and options for re-calibration. The lingering UC budget crisis, increasing
faculty scrutiny and poor performance of UC Online strongly indicate that it’s
time for action.
Azevedo, A. (October
1, 2012). UC strives to compete in an era of free courses. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/UC-Online-Faces-Challenges-in/134778/
Coursera. (2012). Listing of partner institutions. Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/universities
University of
California. (2012). University of California’s mission. Retrieved from http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/mission.html
I think this new program is really interesting. I had not heard about UC Online before, so this was really new information for me. I think with any online program it is important to consider all of the pro and cons and the learning experience of the student. I am also curious to see how effective this program is since they were not able to obtain the private funding they needed. With the high tuition rates I do not think many students will be able to afford to take these classes online.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Chelsea! I enjoyed reading this because I actually had not heard of UC's providing online education. It was interesting to learn that although their mission is to make education more accessible to students, it is still very expensive. I think it is a great initiative for those students who don't have time to actually go to class and can afford it, but it does have implications for those who cannot come up with the funds to pay.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, you bring up great points in your post! I also hadn't heard of UC's online education courses until reading about it in your post. Like Rosemary mentioned, the mission of these courses contradicts itself in some ways. Though providing courses online can benefit students by offering flexibility for those who work during the day or cannot commute to UC institutions directly, the cost of the credits is prohibitive for many individuals. It is hard for me to back an online education program, when the cost of the tuition is astronomically high, yet it claims to seek to educate the general public. Though I appreciate UC's efforts, I hope that the university system will make the courses more accessible by lowering the cost per unit. Furthermore, without faculty buy-in, I wonder how the university will even be able to teach these courses. I hope that action can be taken in order to offer truly accessible courses to the greater population of the state of California.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, I think you bring up some excellent points. While UC Online sounds like a great idea in theory, the fiscal viability seems uncertain. As you pointed out, who is the target audience and can they afford it? With so much competition (MOOCs and other online courses), what sets UC Online apart and why would out-of-state residents invest in UC Online courses over others? If the only group with real incentive to use UC Online are transfer students, I’m not sure that this group’s matriculation would generate the needed revenue to make UC Online sustainable and profitable. This is a very interesting topic, thanks for sharing Chelsea!
ReplyDeleteChelsea, you raise very interesting points, and like Katie, I had never heard of this program until now. Conceptually, online education is a great option for certain populations. One of the most concerning aspects that you raise is the cost of the program. You mention that a single course can cost between $1,400 and $2,100. I wonder if the targeted population for online education, such as single mothers, who are a large consumer in this market, can feasibly afford a program of this cost. Or furthermore, if it is worth it. If the program is not accomplishing what it was created to achieve, then one has to wonder why someone would invest such a large amount of money if it will not pay off at the end. While online education is a wonderful option, it seems as though this program needs to be refined for the greater good of its consumes.
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