“Online university offers free higher education (The Pendulum)” plus 3 more |
- Online university offers free higher education (The Pendulum)
- Dr. Katherine Buvoltz Named Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College (PRWeb)
- Dr. Katherine Buvoltz Named Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
- Bridgepoint Education Reports Net Income, Revenues Soaring (San Diego Business Journal)
| Online university offers free higher education (The Pendulum) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 07:17 PM PST An online university has begun to offer higher education for free, prompting discussion about education in the digital age. But the education may lack some components Elon University students and faculty crave. University of the People, a non- accredited online university, was announced last January as the world's first free online university dedicated to globalizing and democratizing higher education. The university was founded by Shai Reshef, an Israeli entrepreneur who has worked on many education- related Web sites. The only costs include an application processing fee, ranging from $10-50, and an assessment processing fee at the end of each semester, ranging from $10-100. While minimal costs appeal to individuals seeking higher education, the lack of face-to-face interaction repels those who favor engaged learning. "I believe in the value of physically bringing people together," said Peter Felten, director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Elon. Elon students also believe in the significance of human interaction. "I feel I learn a lot from my peers and group work," sophomore Lauren Hansen said. "I learn a lot and become more open-minded when dealing with other people." Prospective students must graduate high school and write an essay of a similar topic to Elon's essay question. In order to attend University of the People, one must also speak English. "I think the fact that it's free and online helps a lot of people have access to higher education," Stanley said. "But so many people don't speak English or have Internet access." Felten said the ability of some to have access would be limited. "The hook that anyone can sign up for these courses is a compelling story," Felten said. "I still don't see how someone who is desperately poor will gain an Internet connection reliable enough to be a student at this university." University of the People offers a business administration and computer science program, as well as general studies courses. Although information in regards to business administration and computer science can be found online, students and professors may just skim the surface of these topics. Felten compares the curriculum to Wikipedia, implying the program can be effective for only general knowledge. "Because the information is widely available, it makes it seem like we know a lot when what we know is largely superficial," he said. "If we are satisfied with skimming across the surface of knowing things then it works fine." The lack of paid professors arouses some doubt in respect to the program's standard. A university dependent on volunteer and retired professors causes Students who attend University of the People will have to be disciplined to be successful, Felten said. "Graduates may end up to be talented people because they are able to get through a process like that," he said. "But it doesn't necessarily mean they are learning that much in the four years." He said he believes employers should care about quality and not where the knowledge came from. A lack of a degree causes Hansen to doubt the practicality of the university. "I think its good for people who just want to learn, but it's not an option for people who need a job," she said. Patch said she supports learning for learning's sake, but asked, "How can you judge quality without an accreditation?" Other students echoed this sentiment. "So much of our world is moving online and losing face-to-face contact," sophomore Adam Portoghese said. Portoghese said he believes the college experience should offer more than solely courses. Professor Paula Patch explained the importance of communicating through body language. She said by seeing the confusion on students' faces she knows when she needs to explain a point in more detail. The dialogue between a professor and students is important, too, she said, rather than the composing of an e-mail. While the online institution lacks physical interaction, University of the People erases the distance barrier. "You don't have to be in close proximity to bricks and mortar," Patch said. According to the institution's mission statement, University of the People strives to provide universal access to higher education. The application process is much the same as any traditional university. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Posted: 02 Mar 2010 01:08 AM PST | Dr. Katherine Buvoltz, Director of Academics for P.A.C.E. (Program for Accelerating College Education) at Houghton College, has been named the Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College, effective March 1, 2010. Houghton, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) March 2, 2010 -- Dr. Katherine Buvoltz, Director of Academics for P.A.C.E. (Program for Accelerating College Education) at Houghton College, has been named the Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College, effective March 1, 2010.
A 1998 graduate of Houghton College's P.A.C.E. program, Buvoltz will be responsible for the coordination of all existing initiatives relative to adult and online education. She will lead the planning and implementation of new strategies in both of these dynamic and growing fields of higher education while maintaining the mission and academic standards of the college. Primary functions will include the management of current P.A.C.E. programming (offered in Arcade, Dansville, Jamestown, Olean, West Seneca and Williamsville) while also researching possible ventures into accelerated associates and graduate offerings. Buvoltz will additionally spearhead the college's foray into online education to include the selection of appropriate courses for online delivery at both the traditional summer school and P.A.C.E. program level. "Reaching out to the community and demonstrating the accessibility of both the Houghton College adult degree program and online educational opportunities is a priority," states Buvoltz. "My role will include building credibility within the community that the core values of a Christian liberal arts institution can thrive in the medium of adult and online education." Buvoltz received her bachelor's degree in organizational management from the Houghton College P.A.C.E. program and a master's degree in business administration from Regis University. She then attained her Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University – a program that involved a combination of in-class and online learning. Her personal learning experiences and her direct knowledge and understanding of the Houghton College P.A.C.E. program position her for success in this newly-created position. "Katie fully understands the challenges that adult learners face in their pursuit of a bachelor's degree, having undertaken the P.A.C.E. program herself. Additionally, she has directly benefited from online course learning at other educational institutions and can extend her knowledge to the benefit of Houghton College students," remarked Ronald P. Mahurin, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the College. "She brings an immense amount of talent and knowledge to this position that will allow Houghton College new insight into adult education programming and online learning initiatives." Since 1999, Buvoltz has served in various capacities at Houghton College including the Jamestown P.A.C.E. program coordinator, faculty member in the business and economics/communication departments, and the Director of Academics for the P.A.C.E. program. She is currently a member of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Commission for Accelerated Programs, and the International Society for Self-Directed Learning. Dr. Buvoltz is a graduate of Randolph Central School and resides in Randolph, NY. Houghton College, founded in 1883, provides an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world. The college of 1,200 students is located in western New York, just 65 miles from Rochester and Buffalo. For more information, please visit www.houghton.edu. Sharon Myers, Director of Public Relations ### Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Furl It | Technorati | Ask | MyWeb | Propeller | Live Bookmarks | Newsvine | TailRank | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Stumbleupon | Google Bookmarks | Sphere | Blink It | Spurl Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Posted: 01 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST Dr. Katherine Buvoltz, Director of Academics for P.A.C.E. (Program for Accelerating College Education) at Houghton College, has been named the Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College, effective March 1, 2010. Houghton, NY (Vocus) March 1, 2010 -- Dr. Katherine Buvoltz, Director of Academics for P.A.C.E. (Program for Accelerating College Education) at Houghton College, has been named the Associate Dean for Adult and Online Education at Houghton College, effective March 1, 2010. A 1998 graduate of Houghton College's P.A.C.E. program, Buvoltz will be responsible for the coordination of all existing initiatives relative to adult and online education. She will lead the planning and implementation of new strategies in both of these dynamic and growing fields of higher education while maintaining the mission and academic standards of the college. Primary functions will include the management of current P.A.C.E. programming (offered in Arcade, Dansville, Jamestown, Olean, West Seneca and Williamsville) while also researching possible ventures into accelerated associates and graduate offerings. Buvoltz will additionally spearhead the college's foray into online education to include the selection of appropriate courses for online delivery at both the traditional summer school and P.A.C.E. program level. "Reaching out to the community and demonstrating the accessibility of both the Houghton College adult degree program and online educational opportunities is a priority," states Buvoltz. "My role will include building credibility within the community that the core values of a Christian liberal arts institution can thrive in the medium of adult and online education." Buvoltz received her bachelor's degree in organizational management from the Houghton College P.A.C.E. program and a master's degree in business administration from Regis University. She then attained her Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University – a program that involved a combination of in-class and online learning. Her personal learning experiences and her direct knowledge and understanding of the Houghton College P.A.C.E. program position her for success in this newly-created position. "Katie fully understands the challenges that adult learners face in their pursuit of a bachelor's degree, having undertaken the P.A.C.E. program herself. Additionally, she has directly benefited from online course learning at other educational institutions and can extend her knowledge to the benefit of Houghton College students," remarked Ronald P. Mahurin, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the College. "She brings an immense amount of talent and knowledge to this position that will allow Houghton College new insight into adult education programming and online learning initiatives." Since 1999, Buvoltz has served in various capacities at Houghton College including the Jamestown P.A.C.E. program coordinator, faculty member in the business and economics/communication departments, and the Director of Academics for the P.A.C.E. program. She is currently a member of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Commission for Accelerated Programs, and the International Society for Self-Directed Learning. Dr. Buvoltz is a graduate of Randolph Central School and resides in Randolph, NY. Houghton College, founded in 1883, provides an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world. The college of 1,200 students is located in western New York, just 65 miles from Rochester and Buffalo. For more information, please visit www.houghton.edu. Sharon Myers, Director of Public Relations ### Houghton College Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Bridgepoint Education Reports Net Income, Revenues Soaring (San Diego Business Journal) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 11:01 AM PST Bridgepoint Education, a San Diego-based business that offers online college degree programs, said March 2 that it more than doubled its annual revenue in 2009 over 2008. Net income also grew dramatically. For 2009, the corporation reported net income available to common stockholders of $46.5 million on revenue of $454.3 million. That compared with 2008 net income of $24.4 million on revenue of $218.3 million. For the fourth quarter, net income was $19.6 million on revenue of $131.8 million, up from net income of $5.2 million on revenue of $69.1 million. The company sees more growth ahead. By year-end, it said it expects net income of at least $114.5 million on revenue of at least $688.2 million. Bridgepoint operates traditional college campuses but offers the majority of its course work online. Total student enrollment as of Dec. 31 was 53,688, up 70.1 percent year-over-year. Bridgepoint trades on the New York Stock Exchange as BPI. At midday March 2, shares stood at $18.46. Over 52 weeks, its shares have ranged from $9.56 to $21.90. — Brad Graves Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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