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Inside VCU's Big Push for Growing Online Education

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VCU President Michael Rao on the Diamond District


Virginia Commonwealth University’s enrollment is down for the fourth year in a row, and the university needs a strategy for growth.

One possible answer is online education. VCU has about 1,000 fully online students out of about 28,000. We forecast to grow to over 2,500 online students by 2028.

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However, such growth may not be fast enough. VCU’s Visitors Committee convened for its annual retreat on Friday to discuss in detail the need to rapidly grow online education in schools.

Ben Dendy, Head of VCU’s Board of Directors, said: “We need to move quickly.”

It’s hard to say how far VCU will go. Some universities that have pivoted to online education have gone all-out. One such school, Arizona State University, saw a surge in enrollment and now has 140,000 students, nearly half of whom are online.

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Nearby Liberty University in Lynchburg has nearly 100,000 students and over 80,000 online.

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VCU has two fully online undergraduate programs: Social Work and Homeland Security. Social Work classes are held remotely Monday through Thursday from 4:00pm to 6:40pm. For the Homeland Security program, he offers 90 minute live sessions every week from 60 minutes.

To build the program, VCU turned to Noodle, an online curriculum design company. This semester, VCU added two more. One is marketing and accounting, the other is public relations and advertising.

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Online students pay the same tuition fees as students attending in person. However, administration is still considering what fees online students should pay. Some online students may still be interested in visiting the gym or attending a basketball game. Students in other cities and states probably won’t.

These days, just offering face-to-face learning isn’t enough, said Tomikia Legrande, VCU’s vice president of admissions and student success. Students now expect to learn in flexible ways that suit their interests, whether fully online or in a hybrid model.

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By expanding its online services, VCU will be able to reach students in other cities and states that the school would not normally consider. A high school graduate with no means of going to college has her two options: a local community college or an online education. Thousands of new students are within reach of her VCU by adding online classes.

“We have to aggressively pursue these new markets if we are to survive and thrive,” said LeGrande.

VCU enrollment has fallen for the fourth year in a row, from about 31,000 in 2018 to 28,400 this year. A decline in student numbers has led to budget shortfalls, and universities are keeping vacant positions open.

Visitor Committee member Todd Haymore said:

1 in 4 students who pass VCU choose to enroll. This is called the university’s “yield”. That number may sound low, but it’s higher than most public universities in the state. The University of Virginia yields 45% and the University of William and Mary yields 27%.

According to LeGrande, the research areas with the greatest opportunities for yield growth within VCU are the humanities, engineering, and business. Another board member, Peter Farrell, added that nothing drives student engagement like the best programs and the best financial aid.

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VCU has announced a new marketing campaign for this semester. The campaign will feature his words starting with “un” such as “unparalleled opportunity”, “unleashing innovation”, “undeniable that diversity is recognized nationally” and “unstoppable”. Describes the VCU.

We purchased advertising space on the US News & World Report website and placed new messages on the landing pages of various universities across the state, including William & Mary University, George Mason University, James Madison University, and Virginia Tech.

One model for online education is Arizona. On Friday, VCU’s board of directors spoke with ASU President Michael Crowe via his Zoom. He explained how his school has pioneered online education over the past 20 years.

Arizona State University offers full online classes for degree-seeking students and basic online classes such as English and math for students who are not yet ready for college-level classes.

Arizona State University accepts all students who meet certain academic standards and does not require standardized test scores. Crowe says it offers 450 different degree programs for undergraduates, with a constant focus on innovation.

VCU president Michael Rao said he understands there will likely be backlash from faculty. In the world of higher education, online classes are often viewed as taboo.

At Arizona State University, Crow explained how he dealt with resistance. If he got buy-in from his 80% of departments, the university moved on. The remaining 20% ​​of him can quit if needed, he said. Universities often tend to be stocky and resistant to innovation.

“The list of people who don’t want us to succeed is long because we question the basic model,” Crowe said.

Another hurdle in adding online classes is figuring out how to scale up VCU’s current offering. Universities cannot expect faculty to understand how to move their curriculum online. That way, VCU would just broadcast his lectures on Zoom, he said. Universities are looking for staff whose job it is to design quality online educational programs.

Rao expressed a sense of urgency. “It’s time to go,” he said.

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