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Minnesota Online

Minnesota Online Update

Board of Trustees May 21, 2003

Gary Langer, Associate Vice ChancellorKathy Nelson, President, Lake Superior CollegePat Rogers, Professor, Bemidji State University

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Minnesota Online

1. Background - Historical Perspective/Demographics

2. Council Membership3. Business Plan4. Fiscal Issues and Models5. Value-added Propositions6. Testimonials7. Discussion

Minnesota Online Overview

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Minnesota Online

Critical Questions

• What is the role of Minnesota Online in serving the Learner? the Campus? the System? the State?

• How does Minnesota Online compare to other consortia?

• How does Minnesota Online Overcome critical barriers - scarce financial resources Overcome critical barriers - scarce human resources Provide motivation to embrace change

especially as it relates to where and how decisions of policy and practice are made

Overcome fear of loss of local autonomy

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Minnesota Online

Vision

Through Minnesota Online, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will be a trusted provider of choice for high quality online learning opportunities expanding access for a community of lifelong learners within Minnesota and beyond.

Background

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Minnesota Online

Purpose The purpose of Minnesota Online is to provide a collaborative

framework for serving the online learners of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. To serve these learners, the responsibilities of Minnesota Online shall be to :

Provide support services or assist member institutions in supporting online courses and programs.

Enhance academic, technical, and student services for online learners.

Provide access for learners to all available online courses and programs.

Assure seamless financial aid for eligible students enrolled through Minnesota Online.

Secure affiliation status from the Higher Learning Commission for on-line program approval and facilitate campuses in achieving accreditation of on-line programs.

Background

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Minnesota Online

Guiding Principles

The Minnesota Online Council:Values measuring program quality against established

guidelines.Believes in leveraging the shared and unique academic,

student service and administrative strengths of its member institutions.

Values establishing internal and external strategic collaborations and partnerships to enhance online learning curriculum and services.

Embraces change and believes in maintaining flexibility in meeting stakeholders’ needs

Values being good stewards of financial resources.

Background

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Minnesota Online

Historical Context Virtual Summit October 2000

E-Learning Task Force Winter 2001–Spring 2002

Congressional Award I March 2001

Congressional Award II March 2002

E-Learning Task Force Report May 2002

Ten Recommendations

Minnesota Online Council July 2002

Bylaws Executive Committee

Congressional Award III March 2003

Background

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Minnesota Online

Historical Statistics

Increase in Online Learning Enrollment

• 300% increase in enrollment

- unduplicated headcount

(From 2378 in F’00 to 9710 in S’03)

• 5.5 % of total system headcount taking online courses Programs

• 33 programs offered Spring ‘03 totally online with 8 more partially online

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Minnesota Online

Historical Statistics

Increase in Online Learning

since Fall 2000 Courses

• 300% increase in courses (From 252 F’00 to 812 in S’03)

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• 95% of colleges and universities offer online

courses

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Minnesota Online

Enrollment Statistics Percent of Total

Top 10 Online Enrollment FY03 FYE Online FYE Online

Lake Superior C 396 13.1

Minnesota West CTC 132 6.2

Northwest TC 280 6.0

Minneapolis CTC 237 4.4

Dakota County TC 89 4.3

Hibbing CC 57 4.1

Rochester CTC 156 3.9

Anoka-Ramsey CC 164 3.9

Metropolitan SU 174 3.8

Central Lakes C 82 3.2

Background

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Minnesota Online

Enrollment Statistics

Top 10 Course Areas of Study FY2003 FYE

• Business and Management 547

• English/Literature/Composition 323

• Social Sciences 234

• Psychology 226

• Health Professions 192

• Biology/Life Sciences144

• Mathematics 107

• Computer/Information Science 94

• Philosophy/Religion 77

• Education 69

Background

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Minnesota Online

Provide Access: Enrollment Statistics

Online Students are (FY2003):

• Gender: Female 67 % Male 33 %

• Age groups: 21-25 31.5 % 18-20 22.8 % 26-30 13.7 % 31-35 9.4 %

36-40 6.9 % 41-45 6.3 %

Learners

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Minnesota Online

Provide Access: Enrollment Statistics

Online Students are (FY2003):

Class: Sophomore 6490 39 % Freshman 5491 33 % Special 1572 10 % Senior 1138 7 % Junior 611 4 % Cont Ed 417 3% Grad 325 2 %

Residence: Minnesota 14,940 90.0 % Wisconsin 490 2.9 % North Dakota 445 2.7 %

South Dakota 59 .3 %

Learners

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Minnesota Online

Potential savings to students

• Eliminating one 30-mile commute per week during the semester $176.00

• Eliminating resident hall fees for a semester $1,800-2,300

• Eliminating semester day care $225-300 • Other savings to include:

• Car upkeep/maintenance• Parking fees/tickets and whole ‘parking hassle thing”• Public transportation• Less wardrobe needed• Eating at home more often

• Keeping my paycheck while I advance my career – Priceless

Background

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Minnesota Online

Other Consortia

1. North Dakota University System Online 2. Kansas Digital Learning (Kansas Regents)3. Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative4. South Dakota Online System – Board of Regents5. University of Wisconsin College6. Iowa Community College Online Consortium7. University of Texas Tele-campus8. Electronic Campus of the Southern Regional Education Board9. Colorado Community Colleges Online 10. Illinois Virtual Campus11. Ohio Learning Network12. SUNY Learning Network

Background

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Minnesota Online

Minnesota Online Council Purpose Membership Workgroups Council Goals Activity Highlights

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Minnesota Online

Council Membership

• 22 member collaboration Campus administrators including Presidents, Chief

Academic Officers, Chief Distance Education Officers, Chief Student Affairs Officers, Chief Information Officers

Campus faculty Campus students Office of the Chancellor staff Staff advisory to Council

• Officers Chair: President Nelson - Lake Superior College Vice Chair: Professor Pat Rogers - Bemidji State University Chief Operating Officer – Associate Vice Chancellor Gary Langer

Council

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Minnesota Online

Council Goals Develop Business Plan

Funding sustainability

Establish Core Operation Provide Consolidated Services

Accreditation Peer-Review Process Tech Support Desk Student Support Desk Academic Support Services Online Library Reference Desk Marketing Virtual Faculty Training Center and Faculty Help Desk Research e-Portfolio Seamless Education

Council

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Minnesota Online

Activity Highlights

Grant Development Congressional Award I for $1.7 m Congressional Award II for $2 m Congressional Award III for $.6 m System Match for $5 m

Business Plan Development Consideration of Fiscal Models

System-wide Curriculum Development 3 e-learning RFPs resulting in funding 22 programs Criteria for Return on Investment, Collaboration,

Scalability, State need, Niche market, etc.

Council

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Minnesota Online

Activity Highlights

Support Services Development Commitment to “web-enabling” core administrative functions

(such as, Universal institutional application, Student account management, Web registration, Online payments, and Financial aid information)

Enhanced campus web sites - WCET Collaborative project Technical Support Desk - Embanet Customer Management Support Desk – PALS Development of e-Communities model Seamless Project

Over 100 students attending 3 system institutions Over 5,000 students attending 2 system institutions

Electronic Portfolio (over 4,000)

Council

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Minnesota Online

Business Plan

Purpose• To set forth the tactical goals necessary to move the

mission, vision and goals of the Minnesota Online forward

• To identify specific action plans for achieving these goals

• To identify the resource requirements and sources for delivering these action plans

• To maximize resources by leveraging existing system college and university capacities and services

Business Plan

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Minnesota Online

Fiscal Models Overview

Qualifiers• Funding Models must support the business plan

• Consolidated services and goal completion

• Funds necessary for basic operations are not dependent on 1-time funding

• Extramural funding supports special elements, innovations, features, research projects

• Resources for model and examples• Literature Review including WCET survey results and MnSCU Survey

• Invited 48 collaborates/systems to respond• Received 20 responses (41.6%)

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

Fiscal Models

• Allocation Model- Consolidated services are funded from a central source

• User Fee Model- Assessment of fees per course or per credit

• Blended Approach- % of operations is funded through a central source- % of operations is funded through assessing user fees

• Private Funding Partner

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

Fiscal Models

Current funding

• Mix of allocation and collected tuition and fees • Tuition rates

• Regular• Program

• Majority of campuses charge student activity and technology fees and student association fees for online students

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

Planned FY04 Online Tuition

• 2-year Institutions’ Plans- 5% increase but watchful of the trend of the region - $109.90/credit- $137.50/credit

• 4-year Institutions’ Plans - $25/credit increase - 30% increase - Implementing a distance education fee - Continue market driven for offerings outside the campus

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

Tuition - others

• Iowa Community College Online Consortium - $95/credit

• U of Wisconsin Colleges - $150/credit• North Dakota System Online - $125/credit• Michigan Community College Virtual Learning

Consortium - $90/cr in-district, $130/cr out-of-district• Capella University - $1,275 per course• University of Phoenix – Undergrad $422/credit, Grad

$518/credit• Crown College - $260/credit

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

Other Consortia Tuition/Fees

• Utah – $25/course fee• Oklahoma – Electronic media fee of $110/credit hr• Kentucky – resident & non-residents pay125% of tuition• Wisconsin - $60/course for administration & 20% tuition

retained centrally • North Dakota - $30-50 per credit depending on program• Maine - $35 course support fee• Alaska - $40/lower division course, $75/upper division

course

Fiscal Issues & Models

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Minnesota Online

What is the Value?

What is the value-added proposition of Minnesota Online for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities?

• Minnesota Online provides the opportunity for the system to move forward with limited resources:

Informing and empowering students Advancing quality standards Facilitating transfer and articulation Sharing costs and leveraging resources Piloting innovations Providing research Continuing to seek additional revenue sources

• Problems that stem from lack of integration of services and products have been exacerbated by the expanded expectations of the students from this digital age. MnOnline continues to provide opportunity to bring solutions to these challenges at a system level.

Value

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Minnesota Online

Student Online Testimonials

“Being able to take a class over the ‘net and still hold a full-time job is amazing. My life is really busy, and this way I can sit down at 9 p.m. when I function better and I don’t have to work around anyone else’s schedule. I’m able to see what classes are available, at which institution, and enroll over the Web from home. With e-mail, we can ask questions of a teacher or a whole class. I’ve got interaction, flexibility, and convenience. Not only is this the only way I could have gone back to college, but the technology is great.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Student Online Testimonials

“Five years ago I moved to a more rural area of North Dakota…I thought my chances of ever getting a degree were pretty much gone. Thankfully…Northwest Tech offered me the opportunity to get a degree in nursing, and I jumped at the chance. It hasn’t always been easy-but nothing worth it ever is!...Distance education offered me the chance to go back to school, the chance to earn my degree, the chance at a better and higher paying job, and the chance for a better life for myself and my family. To be able to do all of these things and still live where I am living is a wonderful thing and I appreciate the opportunity.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Student Online Testimonials

“I love the online course. With three kids and a job, I was able to finish school without my kids living at the baby sitters. This really is the only way I could have done college classes.”

“Online learning offered me the option to educate myself at home therefore spending more time focusing on the material vs. spending that extra time on the road back and forth to school. I also felt that online learning provided me with the opportunity to have more one on one contact through email and providing me with a sense of connection with my instructor, making me feel as if I was a contributing part of the learning process.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Student Online Testimonials

“The online classes were very beneficial to me. I am a mother of three, working 36 hours a week and live 45 miles from school. The online classes allowed me to continue working although I did cut down to 60 hours every two weeks. It saved me travel time and allowed me to spend more time at home even though it was studying. I feel I did more reading and felt more responsible for the information because I did not have a face to face instructor to rely on, just me. The discussion forums allowed for peer contact.

The online class is what helped me decide that this was the year to go back to school. I could not have been able to afford it otherwise.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Faculty Online Testimonials

“Teaching nursing classes online has been beneficial to me as an instructor. Delivery of classes online forced me to think very carefully about how I occupy valuable student time and what modalities are the most effective in facilitating learning. I was forced to ‘rethink’ what I was doing and why I was doing those things.”

“Although I cannot see student faces and then quickly ‘adjust’ in the classroom, email contact and discussion forum give me an understanding of what concepts students are struggling with.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Faculty Online Testimonials

“Online delivery allows for and necessitates participation by all students in the course. In an online discussion no student can monopolize the discussion and all students must participate. I actually know the students in the online section of the course better than the students in the face to face section. The online students ask more carefully thought-out questions of their peers and myself.”

Testimonials

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Minnesota Online

Minnesota Online Notebook

1. Council Members and Workgroups2. Bylaws3. Accreditation Agreement/

Quality Standards4. Business Plan5. Communications Plan6. Marketing Plan7. Financial Aid Consortium Agreement8. Executive Summary: E-Learning Task Force Report9. Executive Summary: PwC Market Study10. Data

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Minnesota Online

Critical Questions

• What is the role of Minnesota Online in serving the Learner? the Campus? the System? the State?

• How does Minnesota Online Overcome critical barriers - scarce financial resources Overcome critical barriers - scarce human resources Provide motivation to embrace change

especially as it relates to where and how decisions of policy and practice are made

Overcome fear of loss of local autonomy

• Where does this fit among all the other priorities?

• How do we continue to innovate?