George Otte
City University of New York
Meg Benke
Empire State College

Abstract:
Online learning is now reaching the core, helping to transform higher education and moving beyond isolated efforts to pervasive influence and change. The dichotomy of distance learning vs. campus-based education has broken down, and forward-looking senior administrators have embraced new approaches to education that contain the elements of successful online education while cultivating the community-building and branding of site-based education, particularly to promote enriched faculty and program development. Rather than being isolated in a distance learning task force or continuing education program, the conversations about online learning now occur—or need to occur—at the executive level and throughout other levels and structures.

Carol Scarafiotti
Rio Salado College
Dr. Martha Cleveland-Innes
Athabasca University

Abstract:
Higher education is engulfed in change. At the same time that institutions of higher education are endeavoring to transform themselves by integrating information and communication technologies into curriculum delivery, student profiles are changing. Low income-ethnic populations are among the fastest growing segment of 18–24 year old students; male enrollments are lagging in comparison to female; and the “digital natives” have arrived. Also, as the Internet provides students with access to a myriad of global educational opportunities, the potential for serving virtual foreign students increases. These changes present challenges and opportunities to institutions of higher education, which strive to serve their constituents through fully online and blended learning formats and aspire to extend education to new markets as well. This paper raises implications for online learning related to changing student populations. It presents two fundamentals crucial for ensuring student success, as well as, access in an online environment. Finally, it recommends two change strategies.

The Pennsylvania State University
University of Texas TeleCampus
Rio Salado College
The City University of New York
Athabasca University
Empire State College

Abstract:
Six institutions provide snapshots of some of the major transformative effects of online education.

Karen Vignare
MSU Global Ventures
Christine Geith
MSU Global
Stephen Schiffman
Babson College and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Abstract:
Despite the rapid growth in the adoption of online learning, there is a dearth of detailed information on effective business models, business strategies and effective practices on which to build sustainable online education programs. A survey instrument was developed as an initial attempt to define business models and business strategies for online learning. The survey results yielded some interesting data about which online learning financial models seem to have more or less “control” of which business functions. The sample was a convenience one and as such will require further filtering of data. It is also clear that more needs to be done to define business strategies and models and thus provide guidance to this growing segment of higher education.