Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
collaborate
innovate
Table of Contents
The Proposition .......................................................................................................................................... 2
The Charge ................................................................................................................................................. 3
The Imperative ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Open SUNY Online ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Open SUNY Resources................................................................................................................................ 6
SUNY REAL .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Complete SUNY .......................................................................................................................................... 9
SUNY TILT ................................................................................................................................................. 11
The Open SUNY Commons ....................................................................................................................... 12
Imagining Open SUNY ............................................................................................................................. 14
Business and Organizational Planning ..................................................................................................... 17
a. Organization ................................................................................................................................ 17
b. Location ...................................................................................................................................... 18
c. Governance ................................................................................................................................. 18
d. Financial Plan ............................................................................................................................. 19
e. Next Steps ................................................................................................................................... 19
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix A: Other Systems...................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix B: Preliminary Costs and Revenue Estimates ........................................................................... 29
In so doing, Open SUNY contributes to the achievement of the graduate outcomes needed in a
global knowledge economy, and thus supports the economic, social and cultural development
of every community in the state, and creates new jobs in higher education through its profitable
endeavors beyond New York.
Open SUNY is a systemic, meta-level entity that works across SUNY’s 64 institutions to provide
the capacity for system-ness via new networks and alliances among campuses that will:
2 2
The Charge
From “The Power of SUNY” (2009)
Building on SUNY’s current open and online initiatives, Open SUNY has the potential to
be America’s most extensive distance learning environment. It will provide students with
affordable, innovative, and flexible education in a full range of instructional formats,
both online and on site. Open SUNY will network students with faculty and peers from
across the state and throughout the world through social and emerging technologies
and link them to the best in open educational resources. Open SUNY will provide an
online portal for thousands of people worldwide.
Open SUNY will serve SUNY as an incubator, a convener and coordinator of system
initiatives, pursuant to the idea this is central to “the Power of SUNY”.
Open SUNY has the potential to be the nation's most extensive distance-learning
environment. It will provide innovative and flexible education. It will network students
with faculty and peers from across the state and throughout the world and link them to
the best in open educational resources ……. we'll look to our campuses already deeply
invested in on-line learning; to an expansion of the SUNY Learning Network; and to the
role Empire State College can play in certifying prior work and learning experience to
create SUNY's on-line university.
3 3
The Imperative, in brief
In order to meet any of the goals articulated by the Lumina Foundation and by President Barack
Obama and others to raise the overall levels of higher education across all sectors of the
population, new approaches to higher education are essential.
Within New York, education is a major component of job creation and economic development,
and Governor Andrew Cuomo has demonstrated his faith in SUNY as the key provider of diverse,
affordable, flexible, relevant and high-quality learning to any motivated citizen.
The increasing ubiquity of technology and connectivity, the availability of high-quality open
educational resources of all sorts, the notable (though flawed) success of for profit institutions
in exposing the vacuum that traditional higher education ignored, and the emergence of state
and multi state solutions across the U.S. suggest that:
the solution for SUNY and for the state of New York will be built on all that’s been
learned about distance, online, adult and open learning, and the effective use of
emerging technologies;
working as a true system, SUNY must federate common online services and resources,
facilitate open data exchange and reporting, share educational resources and expertise,
and promote open and accessible networks in order to gain system benefits while also
supporting institutional needs;
by leveraging its size and scope and reputation, SUNY will become a recognized leader in
serving open and online learners in every community of the state, as well as nationally
and globally, and thus truly manifesting “the Power of SUNY”;
if SUNY does not move to new approaches with intent and synergism, others from
elsewhere (including some with questionable quality and motives) will continue to do
this work for us, and opportunities for job growth in the higher education sector will
continue to be lost. New York should not be importing inferior higher education and
thus losing considerable tuition and aid dollars (and thus jobs) to other states and
countries.
4 4
Open SUNY Online
SUNY has the capability of collectively offering the most extensive array of online courses and
programs in the country. Open SUNY Online would build on the achievements of the SUNY
Learning Network, which, in this proposal, would form the core of Open SUNY Online, and
expand to include all of SUNY’s online offerings, and be enhanced by the other dimensions of
Open SUNY. In other words, to support the next generation of on-line teaching and learning.
Open SUNY Online, like SLN, will be a consortium of campus initiatives, wherein full campus
autonomy is maintained. Each campus would thus determine the regulations for each program
listed, such as admission, continuation, and graduation requirements, and would give priority of
access to its online offerings to its own students.
Underlying information systems alignments and cross-registration and mobility protocols would
be essential for the effective operation of the consortium.
In addition to all we have learned with SLN, there are several other state and multi-state
consortia that can be studied for best practices in governance and operation, as described in
Appendix A.
5 5
Open SUNY Resources
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that
reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license
that permits their free use or re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include
full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and
any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge (Atkins,
Brown, & Hammond 2007).
A key dimension of the current global open education movement is the development and
sharing of open educational resources and courseware.
SUNY, with its combined academic expertise, and its potential, through Open SUNY, to build on
existing repositories of digital artifacts, can make vast amounts of high quality, credible material
available to faculty and learners, and also become a world leader in creating new resources.
Various campuses are already engaged with national and global initiatives related to OERs, and
the SUNY Digital Repository (developed by the SUNY Connects library consortium) is an example
of a system wide approach. These can form the nucleus of Open SUNY Resources, which can also
link with the major OER networks around the world such as: Open Learn, OCW, OERu, and
Connexions.
Taking a cue from MITx, wherein the many open MIT materials can now be used with learner
support to receive some level of certification, Open SUNY could develop rich digital materials,
and link with a network of tutors who could help those who need some remediation before
starting their college studies and it might also provide the plugs for pipeline “leaks.”
6 6
SUNY REAL: Recognition of Experiential and Academic Learning
People learn all the time, both within the academy, and beyond. Recognition of the latter,
applied towards college degrees, provides greater access, decreased time to completion,
increased completion rates, and lower costs for students.
The key to recognizing such learning towards a degree is to have rigorous evaluation by properly
trained learning evaluators.
Digital portfolios provide learners ways to present and document such learning for assessment.
Such portfolios allow learners to:
document all existing and future lifelong learning from both inside and outside the
academy;
reflect upon and show linkages across their learning;
align this learning with the intended outcomes of college programs and degrees;
provide evidence for admission to and advanced standing in SUNY and other schools;
and
re-purpose materials to share for employment and other uses.
7 7
SUNY REAL would provide:
Within SUNY, Empire State College has the experience and capability to quickly launch SUNY
REAL. Its Office of College-wide Academic Review can adapt existing policies for the initial
implementation of the learning assessment. It has a database of more than 1000 trained
assessors and a thorough training program.
8 8
Complete SUNY
Open SUNY will lead this SUNY-wide project to support degree completion for students who
have stopped out of college. The Complete SUNY program will identify and support former
students who wish to return to SUNY to earn a degree.
Goals
Support degree completion for SUNY student stop-outs who are beyond the normal
reach of the originating enrollment college using a variety of cooperative strategies
between SUNY institutions;
Remove barriers for adult learners;
Award credit for prior learning as appropriate;
Connect to existing degree completion projects in SUNY.
Key Strategies
Partnerships: develop partnerships with SUNY colleges to support the development of
completion pathways for stop-outs;
Research: identify stop-outs from various SUNY campuses using SUNY data files and
National Clearinghouse data including degree verification data. Segment and clean data
in preparation for outreach activities;
Marketing and outreach: promotional material within and among SUNY and direct mail
to prospective stop-out students with appropriate supports including soft landing page
and special phone numbers;
Advising: create a network of SUNY academic advisors utilizing call center
methodologies and emphasizing financial aid expertise. Centralized intake and advising
will be supplemented by transfer counselors at all partnership institutions. Advisors will
map student pathways and options and support learners in navigating financial aid;
Tracking: maintain contact, advising, and matriculation information in a web- based
CRM in support of advising and research;
Course Development: Complete SUNY consults with campuses and identifies or
develops online courses that support timely degree completion in critical areas;
SUNY REAL, through its PLA processes, provides cost effective way for students to meet
degree requirements;
Reporting to institutions in the system regarding the completions and project
effectiveness;
SUNY Empire State College will use a special “SUNY residence” policy to provide
individualized degrees for stop-outs whose educational goals have changed and/or have
appropriate learning from experience.
9 9
Project development and support needs
access to SUNY and National Clearinghouse stop-out data from four-year college
programs from cooperating SUNY schools and from two-year college programs from
students who have moved out of their original campus region. This data will allow the
estimation of credits earned through SUNY and other institutions that the student may
have attended;
assistance with identifying any courses needed to assist in transfer between two-year
and four-year programs. Partner institutions would need to identify contacts so that
students can be evaluated for completion pathway at originating SUNY;
policies that support completion at originating SUNY institution;
support for tracking outreach and prospect activity in the CRM.
Complete SUNY will start as a pilot with at least two schools in Fall 2012, gradually increasing
prospect outreach as the yield rates are better understood, and will become fully operational in
Fall 2013.
10 10
SUNY TILT: Transformation and Innovation in Learning and Teaching
SUNY has built its expertise in online teaching and instructional design through the SUNY
Learning Network, and there is a significant community of faculty who use technology in their
teaching. The Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT²) has provided some
leadership, and has hosted an annual Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT).
SUNY also has several strong professional faculty development programs at campuses, including
those at SUNY Albany, Stony Brook and Empire State College. SUNY also has graduate programs
in innovation and teaching at SUNY Albany and Empire State College. Unfortunately, this
expertise has not been sufficiently networked or leveraged for a national reputation in teaching
and learning innovation.
SUNY TILT: a state-wide network to connect innovations in teaching and learning, will:
increase the engagement of those involved in teaching and learning innovation and thus
foster sharing and collaboration
enhance the scholarship of teaching and learning on campuses and SUNY-wide
raise the profile of SUNY with respect to innovation in teaching and learning.
Key strategies:
SUNY TILT will need coordination, governance, with a reworked mandate for FACT², an Open
SUNY Teaching and Learning Excellence Fund, and collaboration between SUNY TILT and the
SUNY Center for Professional Development.
11 11
The Open SUNY Commons
The Open SUNY Commons is a platform that supports all the activities of Open SUNY: including
all SUNY online and blended delivery and online program development, Open SUNY Resources,
SUNY TILT, and SUNY REAL.
It also provides a portal to online education: state-wide, nationally and globally, and connects to
iTunes, You Tube, the Open Courseware consortium etc., and OERs, and other channels.
Prospective learners discover the SUNY landing page on the Web. They explore traditional
SUNY degree options and the alternative options available through Open SUNY’s world of
online and open learning and OERs. The prospective learner may choose:
The prospective learner may choose to join the traditional SUNY learning campus
community by direct application to a SUNY institution (and able later to access Open
SUNY offerings as part of their campus experience);
as a member of the general public learning community, the learner may continue to
access free online open educational resources provided through the Open SUNY landing
page; or
others may choose to explore the Open SUNY online learning community, access
examples (Teasers/Tasters) of where their quest for learning via Open SUNY might take
them and thumb through the Open SUNY course catalog.
Once registered through Open SUNY (or through their SUNY campus), the learner can
access:
The learners can develop their own personal Open SUNY learning environment that, with a
single log in, links them to the home campus, their various online studies, the learning portfolio,
key resources, libraries, social networks and collaborative study spaces, among other
opportunities.
Likewise, the Open SUNY Commons will also provide each SUNY faculty, professional and staff
member a place to build a personal Open SUNY environment that allows them to link to and
create networks and collaborative work spaces, key resources, online classes and other teaching
and learning resources.
12 12
The provision of the Open SUNY Commons resources, systems, services and support would build
on the strengths and achievements of current SUNY initiatives and leverage the advantages of
open source online learning tools. The use of open source learning tools provides:
partners
projects
13 13
Imagining Open SUNY
“The NYSUNY 2020 investment will create new jobs in New York and generate new revenue as the
Open SUNY enterprise grows and attracts students from all over the world,” Governor Cuomo said.
“Open SUNY will increase degree completion for SUNY students especially for those who have
stopped out of college and at the same time, Open SUNY enables these New Yorkers to surpass the
demands of the global knowledge economy, and in so doing, supports the economic, social and
cultural development of every community in the state.”
“Open SUNY is the single largest, most comprehensive online, distance and open learning initiative in
the world and delivers on the promises of The Power of SUNY and the 2012 State of the University
Address,” said Zimpher.
“Open SUNY fills gaps in the education pipeline and is all about the cradle to career education
continuum. Open SUNY provides seamless and expanded access to the wealth of digital resources
across the university to our students and faculty, reduces costs and time to degree through
recognition of experiential and academic learning and makes the most efficient and effective use of
existing resources. Open SUNY is ‘system-ness’ defined.”
As the chancellor indicated in the 2012 State of the University Address, ‘systemness’ is the
coordination of multiple components that when working together create a network of activity that is
more powerful than any action of individual parts on their own.
[Third-party validator quote(s) from Sloan, Lumina, Educause, OER Foundation etc.]
Consistent with the NYSUNY 2020 grant application, Chancellor Zimpher has directed SUNY Empire
State College to play the lead role establishing and moving Open SUNY forward.
“Open SUNY provides an environment for open and online learning which each teacher and learner
at each of the 64 campuses can adapt and personalize” said Alan R. Davis, president of SUNY Empire
State College. “I am pleased and proud Governor Cuomo and Chancellor Zimpher have approved the
NYSUNY 2020 grant application for Open SUNY and I look forward to opening the digital door to the
Power of SUNY.”
14 14
Open SUNY would comprise five intersecting and mutually supporting components.
I. Open SUNY Online - The most extensive array of online courses and programs in the nation if not
the world.
II. Open SUNY Resources – The sharing open resources and open courseware is a cornerstone of the
worldwide Open Education Resource movement.
The assessment of prior college-level experiential learning and the awarding of college credit for that
learning, so accelerating completion and money because students and the state will not be paying
for the same learning twice.
IV. Complete SUNY – A system-wide project to support degree completion for any SUNY student
who has stopped out of college.
Open SUNY will lead and leverage a system-wide project to connect faculty innovation efforts in
online learning.
The $20 million award from the NYSUNY Challenge Act Grant will be used to construct a new
coordinating center for Open SUNY, to provide funding for startup costs associated with marketing
and advertising and for equipment and staff. Going forward, Open SUNY will be self-sustaining
through grant, tuition and fee revenue.
###
15 15
16 16
BusinessandOrganizationalPlanning
a. Organization
OpenSUNYwillsubsumevariousexistingSUNYactivities:SLN,COIL,projectWinͲWin,CIT,FACT²as
follows:
x SLNmorphsintoOpenSUNYOnlineetc.
x CIT,FACT²andsomeCPDgounderTILT
x COILgoesunderTILT
x CompleteSUNYincludesprojectWinͲWin
OpenSUNYstaffingwillinclude:
x Leadership
x Administration
x TechnicalSupport(seeattachedorganizationchart)
The3recommendationsoftheInnovativeInstructionTransformationTeamareincludedinOpen
SUNY:
x TheOpenSUNYCommonsistheLearningCommons
x SUNYTILTisSCARLET,pluspartsoftheenhancedCPD
x TheDigitalConciergebecomesthepersonalenvironmentsetc.providedforintheOpen
SUNYCommons.
KeySUNYLinkageswithOpenSUNY
include:
• UFS
• CPD
• SUNYGlobal
• AST:ITECH,SUNYConnectetc.
• CIOs 17
• SUNYPlus,NYSCampusCompact 17
• SUNYsystemmobilityinitiatives
b. Location
It is proposed that Open SUNY be located in a new facility on Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, thus
enhancing the synergies with key Empire State College initiatives.
c. Governance
• The SUNY Provost and a campus president appointed by the Chancellor will co-chair the
Open SUNY Council, which will include other sector presidents plus UFS and external
representatives.
Ad Hoc Teams will also be established for Open SUNY alliances and projects.
18 18
d. Financial Plan (see Appendix B)
Start Up Funding
Continuing Funding
e. Next Steps
19 19
Acknowledgements
The following contributed to the evolution of this and related proposals over the past 3 years:
Tai Arnold Assistant Vice President for Academic Programs, SUNY Empire State College
Gerald Benjamin SUNY Distinguished Professor, SUNY New Paltz
Meg Benke Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, SUNY Empire State College
Jill Buban Assistant to the Provost, SUNY Empire State College
Robert Clougherty Dean, School for Graduate Studies, SUNY Empire State College
Alan Davis President, SUNY Empire State College
Hugh Hammett Vice President for External Affairs, SUNY Empire State College
Carey Hatch Associate Provost for Academic Technology & Information Serv., SUNY System
Administration
Robert Knipe Dean, Learning Technologies, Genesee Community College
David O’Neill Vice President for Office of Integrated Technologies, SUNY Empire State College
Dawn Riley Director of Strategic Planning, SUNY Empire State College
Nan Travers Director, Collegewide Academic Review, SUNY Empire State College
Paul Tucci Vice President for Administration, SUNY Empire State College
Tina Wagle Chair, Master of Arts in Teaching Program, School for Graduate Studies,
SUNY Empire State College
Edward Warzala Associate Professor/Mentor, SUNY Empire State College
Holly Zanville Senior Programs Director, Lumina Foundation for Education
Many members of the administration, faculty, professional and support staff at Empire State College and
SUNY System and those who contributed to the Empire State College Vision 2025 proposal:
Tony Bates President, Tony Bates and Associates
Philip Catchings Senior Vice President ‐ Retired, The Boston Consulting Group
Sir John Daniel President, Commonwealth of Learning
Dave Figuli University Ventures Funds Partners, LLC
James W. Hall Founding President, Empire State College
David Lavallee Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, SUNY
Mitch Leventhal Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs, SUNY
James Lytle Chair, College Council
Rory McGreal Associate Vice President, Research at Athabasca University
Gary E. Miller Executive Director Emeritus, Penn State University World Campus
20
Appendix A: Other Systems
a. Online Course and Degree Consortia
Multiple states and regions of the country have created online consortia to provide students with a
gateway to course and degree offerings from multiple institutions. While some, such as California,
are similar to SLN in that they provide system wide access to courses and degrees, others, such as
UMass Online and Southern Region’s Education Board’s Electronic Campus, offer additional degree
completion options. Still others offer a full cadre of student services tailored to individual students’
needs while others, such as Kentucky, offer options for workforce and teacher training needs. Yet
another, Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance, is an online collaborative of institutions
that jointly offer Internet-based programs.
1. UMass Online
http://www.umassonline.net/
UMass Online is a consortium of the five University of Massachusetts institutions. This consortium
offers online and/or blended courses from all five institutions online in one location. Students are
able to complete certificates, associate, bachelor, and doctorate degrees from the varying
institutions through the UMass Online portal.
In its second decade, the consortium’s original mission was to demonstrate “that distance learning
offerings under the stewardship of a quality institution and its on-campus faculty provide a practical,
affordable, and enriching alternative to traditional educational models. “ ("UMass Online")The
consortium continues to place value on its original mission objectives but is also now focused on
demonstrating “ that online learning can be a critical factor in bringing economic parity and human
rights equality to people and nations where access is restricted because educational resources are
scarce or too costly or simply, denied to some or all. “ (UMass Online) Its mission has evolved to
focus on the international call to focus on those disadvantaged by class, race, gender, age, and
location; people that Empire State College has 40 years of experience serving.
The degree completion programs allow for students to take 30 credits (10 courses) and transfer in or
receive prior learning credit, learning gained from life experience, for 90 credits.
Southern Regional’s Education Board’s (SREB) Electronic Campus is similar to SLN and UMass Online
in that it is a consortium of institutions providing online courses. SREB’s Electronic Campus “was
designed to provide learning opportunities from accredited colleges and universities that offered
courses and programs that exceed SREB’s Principles of Good Practice.”(Southern Regional Education
Board's Electronic Campus) It differs in that it includes offerings from hundreds of institutions in the
Southern United States as well as the ability to gain extensive information and apply to each of the
member institutions. Potential students identify themselves as adult learners, traditional learners,
21 21
or teachers who need to enroll in courses to meet the needs of state regulations. SREB also runs a
degree completion program for adult learners and advocates for policy issues and online learning.
The Kentucky Virtual Campus (KYVC) is a consortium of Kentucky institutions who serve adult
students, place-bound and time-bound students, employers and employees in business, P-12
students, teachers, and administrators, and traditional students. The KYVC offers certificates,
associate, bachelor, and master degrees as well as licensure programs in areas such as accounting
and child care.
Students are able to search for courses by program and the given term that they would like to enroll
in coursework. They are then able to use a system that is similar to any online shopping experience
in that they select courses, place them in a cart, and then checkout.
The Kentucky Virtual Campus has a Distance Learning Advisory Committee (DLAC) which is “is
responsible for creating committees and work groups which are charged with the responsibility for
planning and recommending policies and procedures for the operation of the Kentucky Virtual
Campus (KYVC). The Committee also addresses the coordination of policies, programs, support
services, and infrastructure in support of distance education across all Kentucky postsecondary
education institutions.” ("Kentucy Virtual Campus")
Program offerings are at the certificate, associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral level. Students can
search for programs or courses by level, institution, or, subject. Additionally, Canadian Virtual
University offers recommended programs for teachers and human resource professionals.
In addition to ease of use and accessibility for students worldwide, Canadian Virtual University offers
institutions the ability to create new online courses by using the cadre of courses developed by all
CVU partner institutions. It also allows these consortium members the ability to share marketing
and student advising.
22 22
5. California Virtual Campus
http://www.cvc.edu/students/programs/
While the California Virtual Campus doesn’t allow students the opportunity to enroll in courses
directly, it allows students to search for programs and courses offered by colleges and universities
across California. Students can then apply through the individual institution or through a centralized
application site, CCCApply. CVU essentially acts as a statewide extensive course catalog while also
offering ease of access to begin the application process at any institution.
The California State University System on Friday released new documents describing its plans for a
centralized online learning hub, moving the system closer to its vision of a top-flight virtual campus
while drawing skepticism from some faculty.
The portal, called Cal State Online, will serve as a gateway to all virtual courses offered by the
system’s 23 campuses. The goal is to increase capacity at California State, where massive budget cuts
have coincided with a rising demand for higher ed degrees. System officials hope a centrally
administered approach to online education will enable the university to enroll more online students
and turn away fewer qualified applicants.
Cal State Online will not outsource course development or instruction to outside providers, focusing
instead on promoting existing online courses being offered by individual campuses and encouraging
California State faculty to develop new ones.
The system is planning a “beta test” for the portal in the fall, followed by a full launch next spring.
The long-term goal, according to the new documents, is to “enroll over 250,000 students over the
next several decades." (The document does not indicate how many online students it hopes
eventually to enroll at one time.)
While California State cannot be called a pioneer in distance education, its moves could have national
significance. With more than 400,000 students, the system is the largest in the United States. And its
online strategy, as well as the parallel efforts of the University of California, could serve as a test of
whether a massive public higher ed system under extreme financial duress can use online education
to expand access, streamline costs, and keep its faculty happy all at the same time.
Cal State Online on Friday posted an open letter to the university system from Ruth Claire Black, the
recently appointed executive director of Cal State Online, along with a draft request for proposals
(RFP) indicating what kind of services it plans to provide to students and faculty.
“The goal of Cal State Online is to create a standardized, centralized, comprehensive business,
marketing and outreach support structure for all aspects of online program delivery for the Cal State
University System,” says the draft RFP. In the open letter, the executive director offers assurances
23 23
that “participation is optional” for each of the system’s nearly two dozen campuses, “all programs
participating in Cal State Online are subject to the same approval processes as an on-campus
program,” and “online courses will meet or exceed the quality standards of CSU face-to-face
courses.”
Meanwhile, faculty members who develop and teach courses for Cal State Online will get extra pay
and “will be recognized in the retention, promotion and tenure process where appropriate,” writes
Black. The online administrators will respect current union agreements with respect to intellectual
property
California State faculty have been suspicious of the system’s efforts to expand its online strategy, and
for some the new documents offer little comfort.
“We have no confidence, based upon past mismanagement of our administration that such an
expansive enterprise would be carried out without harm to the rest of the institution,” wrote Teri
Yamada, professor of Asian studies at California State University at Long Beach and a faculty union
activist, in an e-mail to Inside Higher Ed, after reading the open letter and the RFP.
“For example, we have no idea how the proposed online programs through Cal State Online will
undercut funding that the 23 brick-and-mortar campuses now receive from their already established
online programs run through colleges of extended education,” Yamada continued.
But Jim Postma, a professor of chemistry at California State University at Chico and chair of the
system-wide Academic Senate, advised his colleagues against prematurely thumbing their noses at
Cal State Online. Postma, who is one of three faculty members on the Cal State Online board, says the
effort to centralize the university’s online offerings does not imply any changes that would threaten
the interests of its faculty.
Despite occasional rumors among faculty that portentous administrative decisions had been made
without their input, Cal State Online “is just now defining what it’s going to be,” says Postma. “I do
feel like we’re at the table and have the ability to help shape it,” he says.
In an interview, Black emphasized that Cal State Online will not be hiring outside instructors to teach
courses, nor will it be empowered to circumvent existing union agreements with regard to existing
faculty. “My goal is not to ‘replace’ anybody,” says Black. “My goal is to add services and [to]
augment” campus offerings.
Postma says his mild reaction to the implications of Cal State online has caused some tension with his
more polemical colleagues. At the last meeting of the California Faculty Association board leaders, “I
was somewhat awkwardly put in the position of defending [Cal State Online],” Postma says. “I’m not
a big fan, but I know it’s not the devil incarnate or anything.”
System officials hope that centralizing its online program administration will help California State
catch up to other large public university systems, such as Penn State University and the University of
Massachusetts, that long ago assimilated online learning by routing individual campus efforts
24 24
through a central hub. Penn State World Campus and UMassOnline are now running healthy
surpluses.
“We’re about 10 years behind everybody,” said F. King Alexander, president of the California State
University at Long Beach. “We’ve never put our heads together and said, ‘How much stronger could
we be if we were unified on this front?’ ”
Alexander estimated that the Long Beach campus turned away more than 40,000 qualified applicants
last year. The capacity issue is endemic across the system, he says.
In the future, Cal State Online could conceivably form partnerships with other state institutions’
online arms that would make it easier for spillover students to take equivalent courses with other
public universities and then seamlessly transfer the credits to California State, Alexander said.
“What we’re not going to do,” he added, “is partner with existing for-profit universities to utilize their
courses.”
Another thing California State is not currently planning to do is outsource to a state-endorsed version
of Western Governors University, a nonprofit online institution that awards degrees based solely on
demonstrated knowledge and skills, rather than seat time.
The California State chancellor’s office invited Robert Mendenhall, the president of Western
Governors, to give a presentation to the Cal State Online board several months ago. But Postma says
he and his faculty colleagues were not keen on the idea of making the Utah-based institution, which
does not use courses or a teaching faculty, an adoptive stepchild of the California State system — as
public institutions in Indiana, Texas and Washington State have done.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about Western Governors,” says Black. But she says she is sensitive
to the faculty concern about that particular model, and “there’s no proposal on the table to partner
with Western Governors or anything like that.”
Rather than eliminating all regimentation in favor of a self-paced model, Cal State Online is
anticipating a more traditional academic schedule comprising eight-week-long terms, with a
universal start date at the beginning of each term.
A collaborative of 12 accredited institutions who jointly offer online programs. Students select the
consortia institution in which to apply, enroll, and pay tuition. Member institutions choose which
programs they affiliate themselves with, provide full institutional review, and are able to maintain
individual course numbering even though they meet a common core standard. The collaborative has
a governing body that meets regularly and also has an annual meeting for all member institutions.
25 25
While creating and offering curriculum jointly, each partner institution maintains authority to recruit,
admit, and graduate students.
http://www.wisconsinonlinemba.org/about/
This consortium is comprised of four University of Wisconsin system universities. The program uses
multi-disciplinary, team-taught modules and the curriculum’s flexibility allows students to customize
their degree. While the MBA Consortium degree is offered from the four institutions, one institutions
acts as the managing partner including admissions, advising, financial aid, registration, and
graduation.
A regional alliance among the western region community colleges: Corning, Erie, Finger Lakes,
Genesee, Jamestown, and Monroe; wherein a working adult student may earn an affordable,
accessible online degree or certificate by pooling courses taken from any one or a combination of the
alliance institutions. The consortium will allow for one-stop “concierge” service for online students at
all participating institutions which will allow member institutions with the ability to share and pool
online degree information, identify key programs, advisors, and other services.
Blended Learning
Similar to the evolution of SLN through the Open SUNY proposal, The University of Missouri
System, a consortium of all thirteen public four-year universities in Missouri, will engage cross-
institutional collaboration to create blended learning courses. Each institution will take the lead in
redesigning a high-enrollment gateway undergraduate course to improve student learning,
persistence, and program completion as well as to reduce the costs of instruction. The redesign
initiative will be guided by the principles and practices of the National Center for Academic
Transformation (NCAT). This consortium was funded through a Gates Foundation and Hewlett
Foundation grant.
26 26
b. Degree Completion
The following consortia offer solutions for students to complete a degree in a fast, affordable
manner while earning a degree with academic integrity. The majority of these consortia engage
students in prior learning assessment through a course that allows them to create a portfolio of prior
learning experiences, similar to the SUNY Complete and SUNY REAL proposals.
1. UMassOnline
http://www.umassonline.net
Returning students with 90 or more credits can earn a Bachelor of Arts by completing 30 credits (10
courses) completely online. The program is packaged so that students benefit from a well-rounded,
integrated learning experience that provides a foundation in academic skills as well as a focus on
interdisciplinary content. This model is similar to Empire State College’s current transfer/PLA policy
that allows students to transfer 96 credits and complete 32 credits (8 4-credit courses).
2. State of Texas
http://www.Gradtx.org
Like UMassOnline and the proposed SUNY REAL, Grad TX allows returning students to earn a
bachelor’s degree by utilizing transcript credit and prior learning assessment. Grad TX provides
students with an online transfer tool that allows students to preview how their credits could count
toward a bachelor’s degree at one of eight participating Texas universities. Grad TC offers
individually tailored advising and financial aid services.
3. System of Georgia
http://www.georgiaonmyline.org/adultlearner/
Nine campuses form the University of Georgia System form the Adult Learning Consortium. The
consortium focuses on services, such as prior learning assessment, that assist students in obtaining
their degrees. The Georgia ONmyLINE website allows students to complete courses and degrees
from the nine campus consortium.
http://www.wgu.edu/
Western Governors degrees are based on competencies as opposed to credit hours. Degrees are
completed online, as is prior learning assessment that allows students to complete competency-
based work in an accelerated timeframe. WGU utilizes mentors who, like mentors at Empire State
College and the proposed advisor model for SUNY REAL, guide their students toward the
27 27
achievement of their educational goals and degree attainment, thus assisting with student retention
and persistence.
Seven institutions provide students with options to complete degrees in 17 highly employable
degree programs. The Center offers targeted student services to assist with student success.
The Kentucky Adult Learner Initiative aims to assist adult learners in attaining their educational goals.
The main objectives are to: create policy recommendations for the state and institutional levels to
support adult learners as well as assist institutions in serving the needs of adult learners. They do so
by providing adult learner resources, as well as providing an ACE/CLEP workshop and an Adult
Learner Summit.
c. Workforce Development
These institutions and consortiums have programs that focus on student employability and
community workforce needs.
http://www.ccv.edu/APL
Community Colleges of Vermont offer courses, certificates, and workshops tailored to fit the needs
of businesses in a variety of industries in the state of Vermont. In addition, CCV offers a Governor’s
Career Ready Certificate Program that focuses on work-ready skills.
2. Minnesota FastTRAC
http://www.mnfasttrac.org/approach.html
Minnesota FastTRAC (Training, Resources, and Credentialing) seeks to make Minnesota more
competitive by meeting the common skills needs of businesses and individuals. Fast TRAC integrates
basic skills education with career-specific training to fill high-demand jobs. FastTRAC partners with
state, local, and national partners in order to align workforce needs with long-term employability for
adult learners.
28 28
Appendix B: Preliminary cost and revenue estimates
The following spreadsheets show sources of funding to operate Open SUNY for the first 5 years. They
assume:
Not factored yet into the revenue is a small, per credit levy on all Open SUNY online courses to
support on-going operations, e.g. at $10 per credit for 300,000 credits = $3 million annually.
29 29
Summary of Open SUNY Proposal Appendix B.1
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17 5 yr. Total
Operating Expenses: FTE $ FTE $ FTE $ FTE $ FTE $ $
Admin. & Govern. 2.00 $766,392 3.00 $782,970 3.00 $790,225 3.00 $622,627 3.00 $648,097 $3,610,323
Complete SUNY 6.95 $565,869 6.95 $530,869 7.95 $618,437 7.95 $629,029 7.95 $639,832 $2,984,067
SUNY Real 3.95 $364,870 4.45 $556,869 4.95 $890,334 4.95 $1,197,802 4.95 $1,355,519 $4,365,414
SUNY Commons 5.00 $569,368 5.00 $569,368 5.00 $577,255 5.00 $585,300 5.00 $667,361 $2,968,672
TILT 0.15 $30,439 0.20 $52,839 0.20 $58,344 0.20 $63,859 0.20 $64,384 $269,866
Total Operating Exp.: 18.05 $2,296,938 19.60 $2,492,915 21.10 $2,934,596 21.10 $3,098,617 21.10 $3,375,194 $14,198,342
Notes:
Does not include the costs or efficiencies gained with the possible inclusion of SLN
Construction could entail approximately 70 jobs and over $4 million in one‐time construction earnings
Does not include gross tuition generated on new enrollments, which is assumed to stay with host institution to cover instructional costs. Proposal
does include $10 per credit charge on all on‐line courses registered through the Open SUNY portal beginning in year 4 (2015‐16) to fund and
sustain Open SUNY Administration and Governance (see Appendix B.2). Proposal also includes 10% overhead assessment on all credits associated
with SUNY Complete (see Appendix B.3)
30
Open SUNY Administrative & Governance Budget Proposal Appendix B.2
Investment from SUNY Self‐Sustaining
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17
Personnel FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE
Exec. Dir. 1 $75,000 1 $100,000 1 $102,000 1 $104,040 1 $114,040
Secretary 1 $18,262 1 $36,523 1 $37,253 1 $37,999 1 $39,138
Bus. Mgr. 1 $65,000 1 $66,300 1 $67,626 1 $72,626
Total Salary $93,262 $201,523 $205,553 $209,665 $225,804
Fringe @ 50% avg rate $46,631 $100,762 $102,777 $104,832 $112,902
Total Personnel 2 $139,892 3 $302,285 3 $308,330 3 $314,497 3 $338,707
OTP
S S&E ($3K per FTE) $6,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000
Marketing $350,000 $350,000 $350,000 $175,000 $175,000
Governance Travel $3,500 $3,605 $3,713 $3,825 $3,939
CRM $210,000 $60,000 $60,000 $60,000 $60,000
Travel & CPD $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000
Rent $54,000 $55,080 $56,182 $57,305 $58,451
Total OTPS $626,500 $480,685 $481,895 $308,130 $309,391
Total Expenses $766,392 $782,970 $790,225 $622,627 $648,097
Revenues
Fee on credits generated* $0 $0 $0 $640,000 $670,000
NYSUNY 2020 Operating $800,000 $800,000 $800,000 $0 $0
Notes and assumptions:
Exec. Director 3/4 year first year, Bus Mgr & Secretary 1/2 year initially
Salary incr. = 2% in years 3 & 4, 10% bonus in year 5 for Exec. Dir. and Bus. Mgr, 2% est. for Secretary based on collective bargaining
Governance travel once a year to Saratoga, 10 officials @ $350, plus 2 officials from Saratoga $165 travel, $115 lodging, $70 meals, 3% escalation
Rent is assumed to be at $18 sq. ft. , need to house 19 new staff at 140 sq. ft per staff plus a 300 sq. ft. conference room = $54,000
New building comes on line in 2015, however, rent would be used to cover ground lease on new building through 2028
31
*Revenues would be based on fee equal to $10 per credit offered through Open SUNY.
Complete SUNY Budget Proposal Appendix B.3
Investment from SUNY Self‐Sustaining
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17
Personnel FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE
Director 0.50 $32,500 0.50 $32,500 0.50 $33,150 0.50 $33,813 0.50 $34,489
Secretary 0.45 $16,435 0.45 $16,435 0.45 $16,764 0.45 $17,099 0.45 $17,441
KBS 1 1.00 $27,744 1.00 $27,744 1.00 $27,744 1.00 $28,299 1.00 $28,865
Information Specialist 2.00 $70,000 2.00 $70,000 2.00 $71,400 2.00 $72,828 2.00 $74,285
Professional Advisor 3.00 $150,000 3.00 $150,000 4.00 $204,000 4.00 $208,080 4.00 $212,242
Total Salary $296,679 $296,679 $353,058 $360,119 $367,322
Fringe benefits @ 50% avg rate $148,340 $148,340 $176,529 $180,060 $183,661
Total Personnel 6.95 $445,019 6.95 $445,019 7.95 $529,587 7.95 $540,179 7.95 $550,982
OTPS
S&E ($3K per FTE) $20,850 $20,850 $23,850 $23,850 $23,850
Web design* $50,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000
Direct Mail Outreach $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
Total OTPS $120,850 $85,850 $88,850 $88,850 $88,850
Total Expenses $565,869 $530,869 $618,437 $629,029 $639,832
Revenue**
New Enrollment 100 $76,120 500 $389,000 750 $600,000 1000 $819,000 1500 $1,228,500
NYSUNY 2020 Operating $500,000 $300,000 $250,000
Margin ‐$489,749 ‐$141,869 ‐$18,437 $189,971 $588,668
Notes & assumptions:
Salaries will increase by 2% beginning year 3 as per current collective bargaining agreements.
*fee for service
** We anticipate 1000 students per 200,000 prospected (.5 percent). The minimum revenue of $761 per head sustains with a healthy margin that is reinvested into Open
SUNY ($75 readmission fee; portfolio $315 and 10% of tuition). Minimum enrollment will be 16 credits per head which comes to $371 at current rates
Readmission fee $75 75 75 75 75
Portfolio fee $315 315 315 315 315
Tuition tax on 16 credits $371 388 410 429 429
Income per head $761 778 800 819 819
32
SUNY Real Budget Proposal Appendix B.4
Investment from SUNY Self‐Sustaining
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17
Personnel
Costs FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE
Director 0.50 $32,500 0.50 $32,500 0.50 $32,500 0.50 $33,150 0.50 $33,813
Secretary 0.45 $16,436 0.45 $16,435 0.45 $16,764 0.45 $17,099 0.45 $17,441
KBS 1 1.00 $27,744 1.00 $27,744 1.00 $28,299 1.00 $28,865 1.00 $29,442
Advisor 2.00 $112,000 2.50 $140,000 3.00 $171,360 3.00 $174,787 3.00 $178,283
Evaluators * $30,000 $120,000 $300,000 $500,000 $600,000
Total Salary $218,680 $336,679 $548,923 $753,901 $858,979
Fringes @ 50% avg rate $109,340 $168,340 $274,461 $376,951 $429,490
Total Personnel Costs 3.95 $328,020 4.45 $505,019 4.95 $823,384 4.95 $1,130,852 4.95 $1,288,469
Student Tutors $22,500 $36,000 $49,500 $49,500 $49,500
OTPS
S&E ($3K per
FTE) $11,850 $13,350 $14,850 $14,850 $14,850
Travel $2,500 $2,500 $2,600 $2,600 $2,700
Total OTPS $14,350 $15,850 $17,450 $17,450 $17,550
Total Expenses $364,870 $556,869 $890,334 $1,197,802 $1,355,519
Headcount
Revenue** 150 $52,500 600 $210,000 1500 $535,500 2500 $910,000 3000 $1,113,000
Grants $0 $0 $0 $ 300,000 $ 250,000
NYSUNY 2020 Operating $350,000 $350,000 $350,000 $0 $0
Margin $37,630 $3,131 ‐$4,834 $12,198 $7,481
Notes:
Trained evaluators = $100 for every 1 to 4 credits requested, assumes 3,000 students requests 8 credits each.
Revenues = $350 * 3000 students first two years, then fee increases by HEPI, estimated 2% each year thereafter.
33
Open SUNY Commons Budget Proposal Appendix B.5
Investment from SUNY Self‐Sustaining
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17
Personnel FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE
Applications Admin. 1 $50,000 1 $50,000 1 $51,000 1 $52,020 1 $62,424
System Administrator 1 $60,000 1 $60,000 1 $61,200 1 $62,424 1 $74,909
Librarian 1 $60,000 1 $60,000 1 $61,200 1 $62,424 1 $74,909
Library Support 2 $90,000 2 $90,000 2 $91,800 2 $93,636 2 $112,363
Total Salary $260,000 $260,000 $265,200 $270,504 $324,605
Fringe @ 50% avg. rate $134,368 $134,368 $137,055 $139,796 $167,756
Total Personnel 5 $394,368 5 $394,368 5 $402,255 5 $410,300 5 $492,361
OTPS
S&E ($3K per FTE) $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000
Travel & CPD $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000
LMS hosting
(Moodlerooms) $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000
Learning Portfolio $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
Library Licensing $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000
Total OTPS $175,000 $175,000 $175,000 $175,000 $175,000
Total Expenses $569,368 $569,368 $577,255 $585,300 $667,361
Funding:
NYSUNY 2020 Operating $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $0 $0
ESC Savings on Angel $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000
Net Expenditures $24,368 $24,368 $32,255 $540,300 $622,361
Assumptions:
Salary increases = 2% in years 3, 4 & 5 based on collective bargaining
34
SUNY TILT Budget Proposal Appendix B.6
Investment from SUNY Self‐Sustaining
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17
Personnel
Costs FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE
Coordinator 0.10 $13,500 0.15 $15,000 0.15 $15,300 0.15 $15,606 0.15 $15,918
Secretary 0.05 $1,826 0.05 $1,826 0.05 $1,863 0.05 $1,900 0.05 $1,938
Total Salary $15,326 $16,826 $17,163 $17,506 $17,856
Fringe at 50% avg. rate $7,663 $8,413 $8,581 $8,753 $8,928
Total Personnel Costs 0.15 $22,989 0.20 $25,239 0.20 $25,744 0.20 $26,259 0.20 $26,784
OTPS
S&E ($3K per
FTE) $450 $600 $600 $600 $600
Marketing $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Annual
Conference $0 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $30,000
Other Travel $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Total OTPS $7,450 $27,600 $32,600 $37,600 $37,600
Total Expenses $30,439 $52,839 $58,344 $63,859 $64,384
Overhead $3,044 $5,284 $5,834 $6,386 $6,438
Revenue** $0 $0 $0 $70,245 $70,822
Waive overhead $3,044 $5,284 $5,834 $0 $0
‐ ‐
Margin $30,439 $52,839 ‐$58,344 $0 $0
Notes and assumptions:
* Coordinator would be 10% of the effort of the new Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
Secretarial support would be 5% effort of the SUNY REAL/Complete support role
** External grant funding after year 3 for all costs
Overhead rate = 10% Travel includes hosting visiting scholars, marketing includes publications
35
Open SUNY Land Acquisition and Building Costs Appendix B.7
2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 Total Costs
Building a 30,000 sq. ft. building in Saratoga Springs on Union Avenue, 36‐month project once funding has been secured
Funding:
* SUNY ESCF $ 2,000,000 mortgage to be paid off by ground lease and turnkey to SUNY
** NYSUNY 2020 $ 12,600,000 all site preparation, design, construction and equipment
Total $ 14,600,000
Construction could entail approximately 70 jobs and over $4 million in one‐time construction earnings
Financing assumptions:
ESCF would direct finance 5% interest year, 15 year period, $50,000 closing costs.
Payments approximately $16,211 per month, total interest = $868,028
ESCF would assume any overhead costs as matching funds for project.
36