Tuition-Free University Gains a Following

A nonprofit, tuition-free online university started by an Israeli entrepreneur last year has attracted 300 students and is seeking to carve out a niche in the largely commercial online-education field. The University of the People began classes in September with students from nearly 50 countries, mostly in the developing world. Shai Reshef, a veteran of Internet-based educational ventures, has won the backing of the United Nations for the project, which recently announced a research partnership with Yale University.

Full text article by Alison Damast is available via Business Week, 1/24/10.

Carnegie Foundation Calls for 'Radical Transformation' of Nursing Education

Nursing-education programs need to undergo sweeping change to remedy a severe shortage of nurses and stop producing undergraduates who are poorly prepared to deal with profound changes in science, technology, and the nature of their work, according to the results of a national study released Wednesday by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Full text article by Peter Schmidt is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/6/10.

Community Colleges Get Gift of Millions for Online Education

While Congress is still weighing legislation that could put $500-million into the development of open, online courses, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has stepped up to the plate. The charity is giving $12.9-million to advance technology at community colleges, improving virtual learning environments for both students and teachers.

Full text article by Josh Fischman is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/3/09.

Online Education, Growing Fast, Eyes the Truly 'Big Time'

Online education is a runaway best seller. At a growth rate of 12.9 percent, online education dwarfs the overall pace of academe’s student expansion. More than 25 percent of all students may have taken at least one online class this year, according to a speculative estimate suggested at a distance-education conference that wraps up here today.

Full text of the article by Marc Parry is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/30/09.

Online College Access Comes at a High Price for Students, Survey Says

Online programs are expanding access to education, but a survey reveals new details about the cost of that access, suggesting that students enrolled in online programs may pay higher fees than their on-campus counterparts. The report found that, at nearly half of the 182 institutions surveyed, tuition for online students is often higher than for on-campus students. Students in some online programs may face bills that are 10 percent or more than those in parallel face-to-face programs.



Full-text post by Marc Parry is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/22/09.