CAROL’S SUMMARY: Universities, many hard hit by the economy and their own endowments which have suffered record losses, are asking some hard questions about their mission, their future and the best way to deliver quality education with fewer resources than ever. It will take a lot creativity to develop ways that we can still give the majority of students access to what they need with few resources. Here are some ideas:
1) Analyze which courses, like student success, can be taught the summer before freshmen enter in an on-line, self-paced environment.
2) Recruit and train peer leaders to teach classes or assist teachers who have large class sizes in areas such as Student Success.
3) Recruit the retired to come and tutor your students for free. They have a wealth of experience which undergrads desperately need.
4) Work with faculty to hold students to higher levels of accountability. To succeed in our new global economy, students need high expectations and the personal governance to deliver their best—not just skate by. If our economy is going to turn around, students need to know that their ethic, drive and ambition will be the engine.
ARTICLE:
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: March 16, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. — When Michael Crow became president of Arizona State University seven years ago, he promised to make it “The New American University,†with 100,000 students by 2020. It would break down the musty old boundaries between disciplines, encourage advanced research and entrepreneurship to drive the new economy, and draw in students from underserved sectors of the state.
To view entire article visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/us/17university.html?emc=eta1
