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Traditional U and the case of That One Guy who wanted to put our school online. nick punt 10/17/07. Traditional U’s Constituents. Administration. Tenured. Untenured. TU Student. Donor. Techy Prof. Section A That One Guy. … as I was saying, we need money. ugh. ugh. ugh.
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Traditional U and the case of That One Guy who wanted to put our school online nick punt 10/17/07
Traditional U’s Constituents Administration Tenured Untenured TU Student Donor Techy Prof
… as I was saying, we need money ugh ugh ugh Administration Tenured Untenured Hey I’ve got an idea. Why not open an online university? I’ll think about it. But you have to get rid of tenured lady ugh TU Student Donor Techy Prof
I’m not sure we can, and besides our students don’t want it so we wouldn’t make money Administration Tenured Untenured Maybe our current students don’t but we can attract new students, like this one Um… You, like, never asked me… dude sir Hi, I hate my job and want to enroll TU Student Potential Student Donor Techy Prof
I guess you’re right. She’d give us lots of money. Administration Tenured Untenured When I went to school here we walked 6 miles in snow. No way she’s “logging in” I’m Rich (with loans) TU Student Potential Student Donor Techy Prof
This is a lot of work, and I have tenure which exempts me from change. No way. Um.. I might be okay with it. Don’t fire me. Administration Tenured Untenured I don’t want my school to change. Let me bring up refutable points about reputation loss and delivering a worse education I refute those points. Here’s data. Darn. I hate being irrelevant. TU Student Potential Student Donor Techy Prof
I guess as long as I have many years of preparation time It is in our mission statement to help students… I’m fine with teaching a new way. It gives me a way to show my skills Administration Tenured Untenured You mean it’s not a silver bullet? Hm.. Well if its only a few courses We wouldn’t start with your department. It’s bad for online teaching Student services suck. This sounds like it will help fix them TU Student Potential Student Donor Techy Prof
And in the end, Traditional U built a set of online courses.
Students were finally able to sign up for classes Dude, I was going here for 12 years and hadn’t taken a class yet
And the prospective student added to the university reputation and finally got a job that didn’t suck
1. Getting an online university running is a people problem • Many habits and ways people think within traditional universities are incompatible with the necessities of an online university • Change must be slow – ease people in • Need buy-in from everyone • Show everyone they can benefit • Address everyone’s concerns • Appeal to the mission statement • Change the org structure • Get the right people in the right place to drive change
2. Getting an online university running is an institutional problem • Two criteria must be met • Needs value-add from traditional-online merging • Needs to be sustainable • Both institutions must be aligned • Develop processes / institutions for maintaining • Develop performance criteria for measuring • Equality is important • Avoid either side having to do the brunt of the work, else resentment and downward spiral • Be willing to reconsider policies • Identify ones that matter and ones that can change • Be generous early on
3. Technology Focus Helps Everyone • Shows everyone else what is possible • Creates visible alternative to way things are done • Creates culture of re-invention and progress • Many problems technology must solve are universal • Student accounts/registration, course enrollment, information availability (CAAIS) • Online design challenge = catalyst for change • Course innovation leads to better opportunity (e.g. internships) • Nobody wants to insult a customer • Culture shift: act like a service provider vs. ignore pesky students
4. Technology must be applied appropriately • Certain subjects much better suited to online • Both market need and educational needs must be considered • Not a replacement for the basics • Significant off-line resources such as student services must be available • Expectations must be kept in check • Enabler, not end in itself • Extra support from outside likely necessary • Technical support, design support, moral support