Ellington

It is cliché to state that the Internet has become integral to modern society. From banking to shopping, there are few activities that cannot be done online. That is why the lack of options in online higher education is notable. In light of budget cuts, the UW should consider expanding its online courses and degrees.

The biggest benefit of expanding online offerings is that it would make the UW accessible to more people.

There are numerous barriers to pursuing a postsecondary education: Cost is probably the largest for most people, but other factors such as scheduling conflicts and relocation requirements present formidable obstacles.

These barriers can be prohibitive for people supporting a family, among other things. The UW has tried to make it easier by offering evening or weekend courses, but not all jobs are accommodating of a rigid class schedule. Anyone who has to choose between their education and their family is probably going to go with the latter.

The same problems arise for people with disabilities. The Disability Services Office goes to great lengths to make the UW accessible to those with disabilities. However, accessible does not always mean convenient. A larger offering of online courses would make classes much more accessible to disabled students in pursuit of a college degree.

In relation to the budget crisis, online education makes sense as a way to increase the university’s revenue without massively expanding costs. The University of Phoenix is the largest and most recognized online university in the United States. As of March 31, it had a total enrollment of almost 400,000 students. Digital courses can accommodate a greater number of students without a proportional increase in capital or administrative costs.

The UW is ahead of the curve in the area of digital education. The College of Engineering’s EDGE program offers more than 50 online courses and 10 degrees, and numerous courses and certificates can be obtained via UW Online Learning.

However, UW distance-learning programs fall short of a comprehensive approach to online education. There are numerous core classes missing from the list of course offerings, and only graduate degrees are available online. There are rules limiting the number of online courses that can apply to an undergraduate degree and the amount of courses that can be taken during a quarter.

Expanding UW online education would not be painless. Making a course digital can require a substantial investment in electronic technology, and courses with laboratory or project components usually cannot be completed 100 percent online.

Also, existing course structures do not necessarily translate into an effective online class. Considerable trial and error will be required for professors switching from the chalk board to the discussion board.

However, striving to provide an online option for a majority of degrees would not only be consistent with the UW’s educational mission, but it could provide a better source of revenue than a high tuition, high aid model. The UW has a strong foundation of electronic education to build upon — via EDGE and UW Online Learning — making it much easier for the university to expand its online offerings and become a public leader in online education.

Reach columnist Mike Noon at opinion@dailyuw.com.