Challenges to non-traditional education With special emphasis on the Arts and Sciences

General Social Trends: Hyper-industrialism –large populations –increase of technology and innovation –increase in the division of labor –growth of government and corporate bureaucracies –decline of primary groups (family and community) –loss of social bond

Three Challenges for Arts and Sciences Increasing competition for students Increasing career orientation of both students and universities Maintaining standards and quality

Competition for Students Colleges and universities overbuilt in the 1960s and 1970s. State funding comes mainly from enrollment and tuition Declining pool of traditional students Only a small percentage of this pool can do traditional college level work

Competition for Students Internet and telecommunications technology in extended education Allows traditional universities to move into extended education “full time”

Increasing Career Orientation Student evidence –Surveys –Majors University evidence –proliferation of career majors –decline of liberal arts

Standards and Quality The imperfect market model applied to higher education: –The student as consumer –The university as a business

Shaping Arts and Sciences Insisting on resources on a par with more career oriented colleges Promoting the arts and sciences as the heart of the university, and the soul of our society Holding general education students to acceptable standards of writing, reading, critical thinking skills and familiarity with the culture

Shaping Arts and Sciences Tailoring traditional arts and science courses for career oriented majors Creation of a general arts and sciences (or perhaps liberal arts) degree programs Strong focus on general education Refine a merit system that strongly emphasizes quality teaching

Shaping Arts and Sciences Getting heavily involved in internet instruction and integrating this technology into both the classroom and forms of non- traditional learning as well –Teaching circles –Web incentives and distance learning –Technological support