With the ever-increasing personal investment demanded by the pursuit of education, there is a growing expectation of an immediate and positive return on that investment. Professional, continuing, and online units have always known this, as a return on investment is a significant consideration for working adults who balance finite resources in their pursuit of a degree.
Couple this with the fact that online education is held to an even higher level of scrutiny due to its ability to cross traditional geographic boundaries. The resulting federal and state regulations requiring gainful employment data and mandates for cross-boundary enrollment authorization are not only in place but are being enforced. Although the impact is significant for online programs, these regulations, at varying levels, are also now being applied to campus-based programs.
Because we have always been required to utilize long-range adaptable planning, measures of fiscal responsibility, and to report our successes through accountability measures, professional, continuing, and online units should be well positioned to harness the opportunities that come with these multi-faceted challenges. While some have seen their resources raided to sustain the waning business models of traditional higher education in the face of declining state subsidies and grant opportunities, others have capitalized on their expertise and experience to create stronger value propositions within their institutions. Indeed, the concept of the “business model” may seem foreign or even threatening to our residence-based counterparts; however, the abilities to plan, develop, and execute a sound business plan are precisely the practices that will define higher education in the future.
Proposals submitted to this track should address how units responsible for the management of online efforts are responding to the needs and mandates from internal and external stakeholders; have the opportunity to strengthen their value within their institution; and capitalize on the existing experience, resources and practices. Leveraging Miami’s unique role as a hinge between the U.S. and Latin America, proposals are also sought which highlight programs or activities that involve Latin American themes or collaborations with Latin American partners. Proposals for this track might include (but are not limited to) the following topics:
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