Pace University The NACTEL Program Cost Effectiveness

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Pace University - The NACTEL Program Cost
Effectiveness

• Sloan ALN Workshop 2000
• Dr. David Sachs
• September 19, 2000

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Introduction

• Pace University about 15,000 students
• Located in NY Metropolitan area
• School of Computer Science Information Systems
  fastest growing in university
• ALN courses since 1995

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Introduction - PCLC
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Introduction (2)

• Sloan funding for NACTEL program provided in June
  1998
• Program currently offered to individuals in four
  telecommunications companies (Citizens, SBC,
  Quest, Verizon) and two unions (CWA, IBEW)
• Pilot offered to 100 students Spring 1999
• Full first year Fall 2000 over 600 unique
  individuals

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NACTEL Home Page
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NACTEL Home Page at Pace
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Introduction (3)

• Consists of 64 credits
• Available only 100 online
• 50 of courses focus on general education
• 50 focus on Major Concentration (primarily
  electronics and telecommunications)
• Enrollment 5 times per year
• Tuition dictated by companies and unions

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Rationale

• The need for Network Technicians
• The need for ALN instruction
• Long hours, variable workdays, mandatory
  overtime, distance from local colleges
• Financial concerns for workers desiring more
  education

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Rationale (2)

• Tuition reimbursement plans
• But
• Child care issues
• Travel issues
• Overtime issues (as in mandatory)

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Background Information

• Pace University CSIS ALN 1995
• Impact of NACTEL degree for entire University
  community
• Spring 1999 100 students in pilot
• 630 unique individuals Fall 1999 Summer 2000
• Five start dates with varying enrollment

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Background (2)

• Statistics from 1999 2000
• Switch to PowerPoint presentation with NACTEL
  99-00 statistics

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Background (3)

• Startup costs - 500,000 grant from Alfred P.
  Sloan Foundation June 1998
• 285,000 to Pace for course and Web site
  development
• 215,000 to CAEL for overall project management

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Background (4)

• On average, 180 students, five times during Fall
  1999 Summer 2000
• On average, each student took approximately 1.3
  classes
• Average class tuition, 500
• Therefore, 1st year revenue - 600,000 (180 x 5 x
  1.3 x 500)
• Revenue slightly less than 1st year expenses

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Revenue/Expenses 1999-2000
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Background (4)

• Projections for 2000 2001 (2nd full year)
• 250 students per registration period
• 5 registrations per year
• Each student to take 1.3 courses
• Per course cost is 600 (slight raise in tuition
  and more 4 credit courses)
• Projected revenue - 975,000
• Revenue and expenses should break even

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Method Technology Infrastructure

• CourseInfo Blackboard software
• All done by Pace University
• Variety of media Web, Office 2000, textbooks,
  videotapes, CDs, RealAudio sound files
• NetTutor software for Physics classes
• HorizonLive software
• Math tutoring from Smarthinking

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Method - Content

• Instructor-led distance education
• 15-week semesters begin 5x per year
• Work done (for the most part) asynchronously
• Some synchronous study groups, faculty office
  hours
• Phone, fax, email, discussion board, and a chat
  room

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Method Content (2)

• Student assessment
• Projects to complete
• Weekly assignments to submit
• Mid-terms and final examinations
• Hands-on lab work
• Proctors required for testing (FIPSE funding for
  online testing)

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Method Organization Evolution

• CSIS technical people support faculty who are
  developing ALN courses
• Faculty members develop content, select
  textbooks, create videotapes, and develop overall
  course content
• 15,000 per course budgeted for development some
  to faculty balance for support

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Method - Evolution

• Courses continue to evolve
• New software
• New technology (HorizonLive)
• New resources (Web)
• New books
• Change in credit hours
• Some courses taught 10 times others only once
  or twice to date

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Method - Results

• Average age of students is 38
• They live and work in 37 different states
  (including Hawaii and Alaska)
• All have full-time jobs many have full-time
  family commitments
• For complete year 1 information
• http//csis.pace.edu/dsachs/statistics

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Method Results (2)

• NACTEL finances meet short-term goals of the
  University
• Project has involved at least 30 full-time and
  adjunct faculty members
• Institution as a whole is stronger, with better
  ALN infrastructure, resources and understanding
  in place

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Method Results (3)

• New programs at Pace
• DPS in CSIS
• E-MBA in Lubin
• Others underway in other schools
• These programs charge full tuition and have been
  financially profitable since their inception.
• By year 3 (2001 2002) NACTEL should be
  financially profitable as well.

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Financial Considerations (1)

• New program with close to break-even revenue and
  expenses in full year 1
• Existence of NACTEL program has accelerated the
  development of other programs (DPS, eMBA)
• Familiarity with Blackboard CourseInfo helped to
  prevent Lubin from using Lotus Learning Space

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Financial Considerations (2)

• There is a limit to the amount of tuition that
  can be charged for this program, due to
  comparisons with community college tuition levels
  (NY elsewhere)
• This program has served to accelerate the
  proliferation of online and blended
  online/onground courses throughout the University

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Financial Considerations (3)

• NACTEL program has forced a rethinking of
  University wide systems
• Online registration
• Distance librarian
• Use of ISIS system (flexibility issues)
• Faculty training for entire University
• Establishment of support for all University
  faculty

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Financial Considerations (4)

• Innovative use of new technologies, prior to
  widespread deployment
• CourseInfo (1998)
• NetTutor for Physics faculty
• Smarthinking for math tutoring
• HorizonLive for synchronous and archived
  asynchronous faculty lectures and faculty-student
  chat rooms

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Financial Considerations (5)

• 1,000,000 FIPSE LAAP grant to Pace University
• Focus on
• Enhanced student support services
• Online testing
• Mentoring
• Without NACTEL program in place, little or no
  chance for such a grant

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Financial Considerations (6)

• Dr.Sachs,
• I am glad to be in school again. I had not
  realized how dormant I had become. I am
  especially pleased to be working towards an AS in
  Telecommunications, especially since I feel this
  will be of great benefit with my job. I had
  attempted to go to school before, but the home
  life, work and school was hard to manage.
  Schooling on the Internet is wonderful! The
  accessibility of the Internet cannot be beat. I
  have corresponded with some of the other students
  via e-mail, but have not used the chat room. I
  feel that as the courses get more intense, I will
  be trying to set up chats to gain a better
  insight.
• If my comments are helpful you may reference
  them. I do feel that Internet schooling is a
  golden opportunity for many. It makes an
  education accessible to everyone. May you have a
  Blessed and Happy Easter.
• 
  Raquel Castillo - SBC

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Financial Considerations (7)
I am doing fine. The program is working well for
me. I am a full time working single parent
without a lot of time available to be away from
work or home. I feel the communication between
the instructors and students works well. I really
have everything I need so far.
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Questions or Comments?

• Questions or comments?
• Contact
• Dr. David Sachs
• Assistant Dean, Pace University
• Email dsachs_at_pace.edu
• Phone [phone]