WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Online University Consortium, an independent, third-party organization founded to help adult learners and corporations identify the best online degree programs, has reported a 24% increase in the number of quality offerings since the Consortium was founded over four years ago. The Online UC, which qualifies online degree programs offered by accredited colleges and universities, has noted a steady rise in the standards expected by both students and institutions.
According to Greg Eisenbarth, executive director of the consortium, "In 2004, when The Boston Globe first recognized Online UC as a group that was leading the initiative in setting standards of quality for online education, only six out of every 10 programs met our criteria. As of the end of this year, the Consortium has approved five out of every six programs that have applied, which is evidence more institutions are stepping up to quality standards demanded by students and employers."
The increase in quality of available online programs coincides with the increase in online class enrollments noted in The Sloan Consortium's annual report, "Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning", which cites 3.5 million student enrollments in 2006, with nearly 20 percent of higher education students in the US enrolled in at least one online course. Based on these statistics, the Online UC estimates enrollments are growing at about 10 percent each year. Consequently, demand is outpacing the supply of quality offerings which are growing by the consortium's estimate at about six percent annually.
This gap presents new market opportunity for institutions that can meet or exceed consumer demands. To achieve and protect the standards students and employers are relying on to identify the best programs, accredited colleges and universities are joining organizations such as the Online University Consortium to help substantiate the quality of their programs.
Participating schools that submit their online degree programs to the Online UC for evaluation, must pass seven quality criteria; including measures on faculty, accreditation, investment in curriculum and program development, and student throughput, to receive the consortium's stamp of approval. This enables adult learners and companies who fund professional development to recognize the best quality offerings from reputable institutions, and make the most of their investments in online degree programs.
Schools can find out more about the Online University Consortium and its membership by emailing geisenbarth@onlineuc.net or by calling 435.649.2190.
Students and employers can access consortium members and evaluate degree programs by visiting http://www.onlineuc.net/. The consortium's Online Education Guide, which includes two resources for intelligent evaluation of online learning: "Art and Science of ROI in Online Education" and the best practices profile of companies entitled, "How Top Corporations Build Successful Education Programs," are free for download at http://www.onlineuc.net/guide/
About the Online University Consortium
The Online UC was founded to help companies and employers secure quality online education, high return on investment, and relevant degree programs from trusted institutions of higher learning. For more information, call 435.649.2190 or visit http://www.onlineuc.net/
Online University Consortium
