Since becoming president of Virginia Wesleyan College more than a year ago, I've become interested in the proposal for light-rail expansion into Virginia Beach. I support the idea for many reasons, not least of which is the convincing set of arguments made by the city of Virginia Beach in the publication "Why Light Rail?"
Among the benefits cited in it: "Light rail has proven to be powerful in its capacity to guide future development," and (a reason that might be more important to local residents) the idea that light rail won't reduce traffic congestion, "but it will help keep it from getting worse."
I'm sold, and I look forward to following the project as plans develop.
If light rail makes it possible for Virginia Wesleyan students, faculty and staff to get around the area more easily, that's a plus. We're actively marketing to prospective students the tourism attractions of a vibrant beach-related economy. Our campus is within an easy drive of the ocean, and sand and surfboards are now part of our branding.
Higher education has something else in common with light rail: We're becoming a destination, too -- but a virtual one. The traffic we expect to generate online might not increase our student population, but online education will make things more convenient and attractive for those we do serve.
In the search for any edge on the competition, colleges and universities are maximizing their use of technology to make the campus experience more user-friendly, even if the student isn't on campus.
Take the conventional college bookstore. It's increasingly unconventional. Many of them don't stock textbooks. Students often order them online and save money by doing so. Some vendors reach out to students as they register for classes, accept textbook requirements through a portal and have a customized bag of books waiting to be picked up at freshman orientation.
As the cost of textbooks has risen and student preferences for study materials have shifted, the latest offering is a complete electronic course guide, with the professor's syllabus in the front, key passages from secondary sources (perhaps from the instructor's own scholarly writings), study guides, and a step-by-step walk-through of the topics to be covered in the classroom -- which itself is likely to be online. The student may have the option of keeping the technological package for future reference.
Online course registration and scheduling, requirements for one's major and graduation, billing updates, available campus resources and numerous other features further define the student's customized virtual experience. Just as with a light rail system, the technology speeds the student along to each electronic station and destination, freeing time for other pursuits.
With mass transit joined by class transit, some people would say that college is moving ever closer to being a destination much like any other attraction. I'm waiting for a star-rating system, where students offer online reviews as for a hotel or a restaurant.
Higher education has its own feedback tool, the National Survey of Student Engagement. It allows students to measure the effectiveness of college programs and activities, and the schools' ability to engage students in learning. Because the results derive from students' own experiences and perspectives as submitted to the survey, the data are especially valuable for higher education.
The growing area of Hampton Roads is primed for employment and enjoyment, but in higher education, we should take nothing for granted. We need to offer (and measure) quality in the comprehensive experience known as college. Most of that comes back to fundamental, compassionate, informed teaching and mentoring.
Like light rail, the electronic conveniences available to students must take them somewhere they want to go. It's up to us educators to help them decide where that is.
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Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk/Virginia Beach. Previously, Dr. Miller served as President at Bethany College in West Virginia (2007-15), Wesley College in Delaware (1997-2007) and Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee (1991-97).
He wrote this for the September 18 issue of The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)