School of Continuing Studies Dean Thomas Gibbons wants his program – as well as hundreds of others across the country – to undergo what he calls “drastic change” as college costs skyrocket in a fragile economy.
In an article published earlier this month, he urged similar colleges to reconsider their business models and place greater emphasis on technology and research capacity.
At Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies, part-time students can take night classes as part of bachelor’s, master’s and certificate programs taught by University faculty.
The proposed reforms are part of a strategic plan for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), for which Gibbons is set to become president later this year. The membership group includes more than 300 institutions of continuing higher education that would be affected by Gibbons’ outline.
“Today’s economic realities have forced higher education to begin rethinking its fundamental business model – a model that for the past 30 years or more has seen the cost of college far outpace the cost of living for ordinary families,” Gibbons wrote in the inaugural issue of The EvoLLLution, a new education journal. “This is happening as the public has begun to seriously question whether the high cost of a university degree is worth the price, especially at a time when more and more graduates with crushing student-loan debt cannot find jobs after leaving campus.”
Gibbons told The Daily the economic downturn has required some schools to be “more nimble” in delivering an affordable education.
“It’s pushing us to think about, ‘What are more efficient models?'” he said, noting all new methods should still keep in mind access to learning.
His strategic plan mentions several approaches to retooling schools of continuing studies, including using more technology to both teach within and to promote the institution to prospective students. It also calls for a more prominent role for the UPCEA Center for Research and Consulting, which should be able to provide investigative opportunities for “members from large and small institutions alike,” according to the strategic plan.
In addition, Gibbons’ blueprint suggests the association tweak its membership structure and add new revenue streams, two changes less relevant to the day-to-day operations of NU’s continuing studies program.
In an interview with The Daily on Tuesday, University President Morton Schapiro praised Gibbons’ efforts to make the School of Continuing Studies more economically sustainable than it already is.
Schapiro said Gibbons is “operating in a different budgetary climate” than most deans because the School of Continuing Studies has historically generated a surplus that is then redistributed to other academic programs.
“What I love about our School of Continuing Studies is it’s very efficient,” Schapiro said. “They make a fair amount of money, but most importantly, they educate, by and large, a population that the other 11 schools aren’t capable of dealing with.”
Expanding options for distance learning will be part of the plan to better reach that population, according to Gibbons. He said the school’s online courses are already rich in interactive multimedia, including the ability to speak directly to an on-duty staff member or any classmate.
The school is trying to take those Internet classes one step further by offering mobile versions in the near future, Gibbons added.
He maintained that, excluding clinical courses, education value is not lost in the transition to online instruction.
“It can be done very badly,” Gibbons said. “It can be done very well. I think we do it very well. We put a lot of resources behind it.”
Schapiro agreed Gibbons’ innovation at the School of Continuing Studies is already evident in his entrepreneurial style and how he handles the school’s finances.
“If I knew you would’ve said to me, ‘Who’s the one who’s going to come up with a whole new model?’ it’s going to be Tom,” Schapiro said of the continuing studies dean. “He’s the one.”
