Berkeley Dean Pushes For Controversial Online-Degree Program

Should top-tier schools offer degrees online? University of California-Berkeley dean Christopher Edley thinks so, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Edley is encouraging UC Berkeley to offer full bachelor's degrees online, insisting that the program will be consistent with Berkeley's prestigious and "highly-selective" undergraduate program -- it would just allow students to take classes anywhere, anytime.

This is where students and faculty members are raising their eyebrows. The Chronicle has more:

..A number of skeptical faculty members and graduate student instructors fear that a cyber UC would deflate the university's five-star education into a fast-food equivalent, cheapening the brand. Similar complaints at the University of Illinois helped bring down that school's ambitious Global Campus program last fall after just two years.

However, even if the pilot project gets approved, cyber-Berkeley is still years in the making.

Should Berkeley go online? Do you think undergrads can get the same kind of education from virtual classes? Give your input below.

Comments

[super63]

12:54 PM on 07/15/2010

There are plenty of options for college students who wish to have the convenience of an on-line education. I graduated with my masters from Cal a few years ago and would feel less than ecstatic about having the Cal brand cheapened by and on-line degree program.

[NathaninSeattle]

11:44 PM on 07/14/2010

PennState, UMass, and Northeastern all offer undergraduate and graduate degrees online. State universities have started offering online degrees. This article seems like a transplant from 2005, and it's odd that this is a debate with larger universities already giving students the option to attend online.

[angieclinton]

11:24 PM on 07/14/2010

Why not try online education programs? I am considering that and think that will benifit many more people too, so I recommend it.
I check schools and programs at

http://www.onlinedegreenavigator.org

And hope that will help you too.

[blueballs]

07:18 PM on 07/14/2010

Like it or not, cyber-U IS the more-bang-for-the-buck future of education. What's needed, though, is a *national* program of the highest quality and accessible to *all* for little or no cost. Let the top schools, Harvard, Stanford, Cal, Yale, Columbia, etc. contribute class broadcasts of their top professors and make textbooks available on-line and free of charge. Turn community colleges into support centers for this; providing testing, labs, and human support. Require Comcast and television providers to offer support of this effort.

Top-notch education made available to all for little or no cost? How can that be a bad thing? Imagine a country FULL of educated citizenry...taught be the best minds in the country; not just bachelor degrees, but masters and Ph.D.'s as well. ALL accessible, 24 hours a day 7 days a week for those that want to learn.

Ultimately, education is the best (and in some cases the ONLY) defense against brainless politicians spouting lies about global warming, constitutional history, economics et. al. AND it is the best defense against poverty and hopelessness.

[IUAlumna]

01:32 PM on 07/14/2010

Don't these people talk to each other? I'd think the University of Illinois' example would be quite sufficient to deter this guy, especially given the similarities in the states' economies.

[SeeDaddy]

01:00 AM on 07/14/2010

Think about people getting an online in a field that requires working with or treating people or animals. Think nursing, criminal justice (police training), veterinary science, etc. Many fields require learning and experiencing working face-to-face with others. Experiences that can't be simulated online. Online classes are not the panacea that many people think. They can work for some disciplines, but not others.

[xlntcat]

03:07 AM on 07/14/2010

All of those fields require extensive hands on internships, however, course work could be taken on line. However, how do you know who did the work?

[veggiequeenmo]

10:34 PM on 07/13/2010

I think online education is great! When I was in college, after the first couple of weeks, lots of kids didn't even go to class unless there was a test or a project was due. There are lots of univeristies offering online courses and degrees. It's a win-win for people who work or have other obligations and the schools get money. There aren't any out of state fees since you can take the courses anywhere, so it saves the student money. It also gives students the ability to get a degree from a school they couldn't afford if they had to move there and pay room and board in addition to out of state fees.

[SeeDaddy]

12:44 AM on 07/14/2010

I see you don't know how these online programs/courses work. There is out-of-state tuition, in-state students at my institution pay 33% more per credit hour for online course than for in-classroom course. Online classes cost more to run and administer than in-class courses. Controlling cheating and academic dishonesty is far more problematic. Also, the failure and drop out rates are higher because online courses require greater commitment and discipline by the student. Students who lack the self-discipline to attend traditional classes do even worse with online classes. I teach online classes.

[veggiequeenmo]

10:17 AM on 07/14/2010

I have done a lot of researching about online programs for myself, so I do know how they work. The univerisities that I researched did not have a difference in in-state vs. out-of-state students who took online courses. Yes, they cost more to administer, but that isn't the issue for me, anyway. And you are correct, cheating and academic dishonesty is a problem, no matter if it's online or on campus. I'm old enough to remember the days when college wasn't for everyone for a variety of reasons. Now, technology makes if possible for people who couldn't go, or didn't finish, to fulfill their dreams. And students who lack self-discipline, which seems to be the norm these days, won't do well anywhere.

[darwinjoe]

06:36 PM on 07/13/2010

This sounds great! I live in SoCal and I originally was accepted at Cal. I went there for a semester, but my father became ill and was unable to support me financially. So I was forced to leave after one semester. Now I'm at UCLA and I commute to school, because while my father is better the financial strain still prevents me from receiving any support from my family to pay for room and board. What's the difference between commuting to school and going online to take one's classes? I like UCLA, but I still like Cal better this would have been awesome to do.

[blueballs]

07:36 PM on 07/14/2010

As they used to say when I was at Cal, Stanford sucks but UCLA swallows...hope you make it back, physically or virtually.

[lecloche]

06:06 PM on 07/13/2010

Todays UC, unlike the one of Pat Brown's vision, is one of elitist exclusivity. This is probably just as well since the current UC offers very little other than enabling its graduates to associatively exploit its brand name.

[getcaption]

05:51 PM on 07/13/2010

No, absolutely not.
Maybe offer the option for juniors and seniors, but definitely not for the first 2 years.

[darwinjoe]

06:40 PM on 07/13/2010

What is your opinion on commuters? Do you believe that the education received by a commuter is somehow inferior to that of the education received by one who lives on campus? If not what is the difference between commuting and taking classes online. If there is the same professors, same requirements, and same quality of instruction between the online class and the class that meets, what is the problem?

[getcaption]

07:11 PM on 07/13/2010

Not sure I understand your question. A commuter and an on-campus resident receive the same education, don't they? I don't see how it is possible for one to be inferior. My point was about online education and not really about commuters and on campus residents. The difference between commuting and taking classes online is the classroom experience. I have taken a couple of classes online and have also been in classes where the classes were broadcast online for others. In the online format, for example, the discussion aspect of the class is almost nonexistent or artificial at the very best. I think the classroom experience is crucial for people who are just starting college. That's where one learns to work with others and gain critical communication skills. I can definitely support the idea for grad schools or upper level undergrad, but I really don't think its a good idea for all 4 years.

[EvitaLuisa]

10:35 PM on 07/13/2010

It's not the same -- I'm not understanding how you can not tell the difference between attending ON CAMPUS and just taking some class from any old location OFF CAMPUS. TWO totally different experiences, and if you don't or can't understand that, the consider trying on campus and then, off campus&on line. SHEESH!!!