Slippery Rock University MSCHE 2011 Self-Study
Chapter One
focused more on workforce development and collaboration with other regional institutions of higher learning. Standard 1-A and F, and Standard 2-G, S and T The medium for educational delivery experiencing growing demand among the aforementioned student populations is distance education. During the 2004-05 academic year, only four courses with a total enrollment of 110 students were offered fully on-line by the University. Those figures had jumped by the 2009-10 academic year to 156 courses, 177 sections, and 4,587 students (Table 1.10). Standard 1-F, and Standard 11-A, B, G, H, and K Table 1.10: Online Student Enrollment Academic Undergrad Year 2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Grad
Combined
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
79
97
1896
39
47
595
118
144
2491
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
88
117
2049
49
58
963
137
175
3012
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
107
129
3112
54
63
1376
161
192
4488
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
Courses
Sections
Students
97
109
3021
58
69
1566
156
177
4587
The University currently offers one undergraduate, five graduate degree and three non-degree programs online: Nursing, BSN; Secondary Education K-8 Math/Science, M Ed; Criminal Justice, MA; Special Education – Master Teacher M Ed, Physical Handicapped Certification (non-degree), School Supervision, and School Supervision Post Masters Certification (non-degree); Parks & Recreation M Ed, and Park and Resource Management MS. Many programs throughout the University offer individual online courses, which are particularly common during the summer terms. In addition, students enrolled in any of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities can access Slippery Rock University’s online offerings through the PA Universities Online web-site and then enroll in those offerings if interested. Standard 11-H Economic incentives to put more graduate programs and summer course offerings on-line escalate. As the percentage of the University’s operating budget derived from state allocations continues to drop, the definitions of “low-enrolled” and “productive” academic programs have shifted in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. While a “low-enrolled” program was once defined as graduating no more than 12 students in a three-year period, such programs can now include those with steady but not growing enrollments, particularly if the current enrollment levels do not generate enough tuition to cover the costs of offering the program. Because programs and courses can no longer rely on the supplemental support of state appropriations, those same programs and courses must be financed completely by tuition revenues. As a result, three graduate programs in English, physical education, and 28 | P a g e