Higher-ed consortium to push transparency

A consortium of 14 adult-serving higher-education institutions, most with online classroom components, is releasing a new resource to help potential students make the decision of where to get their degrees.

"The bottom line, if they are going to be successful, is that it's important to stick with it, whatever 'it' is," said Sal Monaco, provost at Utah-based Western Governors University, which delivers online-only instruction to more than 11,000 students in the country.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and its e-learning arm, the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET), have been awarded a $629,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education to promote an initiative aiming to provide adult learners access to what Monaco calls "the outputs" of an institution.

Most schools tout their selectivity and provide information that caters mostly to high school graduates, typically the 18- to 22-year-olds, he said.

The Transparent By Design initiative will release success rates of the schools involved, show data including job placements and starting salaries of recent graduates, as well as pertinent career-focused information to potential students.

"Students need to know that each online program they take will truly prepare them for their careers — and that every dollar they invest in their education is well-spent," said WICHE president David Longanecker. He said that with the growing popularity of online degrees, it is imperative that students learn what it's all about.

WGU offers students the option to participate in the first 30 days of class before having to pay tuition, "because we want them to like it enough to stay," Monaco said.

"If colleges and universities are transparent, students are going to be more successful," he said. "It's important that the right students to apply for the right institution."

In 2009, WCET will create a Web site that will share and interpret data from participating institutions, including student demographics, completion rates, costs, student satisfaction levels and information on alumni experiences. In the future, the site will also include program information and outcomes, including what students learn from each program and what they think about them.

The current economic landscape, Monaco said, is making people reconsider going back to school, "either for an additional degree or to finish the one they never did or even to change fields."

Seventy-five percent of WGU's enrollment work full-time jobs while participating in courses online. Monaco said the distinct yet broad demographic serves differing student needs.

"A lot of students are under a lot of stress right now," he said. "This initiative will hopefully give them the push they need to succeed."

---

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com