by Tom Still, Post-Crescent
The UW System is moving toward a “flexible degree” program built on flat-fee, at-your-own-pace online education, news that should be applauded by prospective students, business owners and state legislators. That’s true even if some elements of the education community itself remain suspicious of how well it will work. While the UW is a relative latecomer to granting flexible online degrees, it already offers 4,600 online courses. It also has a huge advantage not possessed by most of its competitors — a quality brand that can be marketed well beyond the state’s borders. UW System President Kevin Reilly and UW-Extension Chancellor Ray Cross were joined by Gov. Scott Walker last month in announcing the “flexible degree” program, which will be rolled out over the next year or so. Skeptics quickly asked if the program will undercut the UW’s traditional campuses, how the tuition structure will work, whether quality can be upheld and how to guard against academic cyber-cheaters.
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