In case you didn't know, colleges and universities operate like companies. They have to make money, and they have to be profitable. Thus, in a bad economy, they suffer. Obviously, if people are losing jobs and getting their salaries cut - they can't afford to pay for their kids to go to college.However, many institutions have a unique plan. The Washington Post reports that "some U.S. schools are looking anew at an old idea: slicing a year off their undergraduate programs to save families time and money." That's right; They are introducing the three-year undergraduate degree.
This is actually a pretty big deal because "the four-year bachelor's degree has been the model in the United States since the first universities began operating before the American Revolution." But during a bad economy, sometimes you have to break tradition if you want to stay afloat.
I think its a great idea. Even though they will make less money off each student, they will be enrolling more students who can now afford to attend.
In my opinion that's what entrepreneurship is all about: Breaking tradition, bending the rules, thinking outside the box, and doing what's ethically necessary to stay in business.
Imagine that, having an entrepreneurial mind is now a valuable skill!? As companies cut back, they are finding it beneficial to replace specialists with generalists (someone who can manage any aspect of a business) with specialist tendencies (in a particular field). Certainly, the ability and foresight needed to “[break] tradition, [bend] the rules, [think] outside the box, and [do] what's ethically necessary to stay in business,” is mandatory for business owners. The same now applies to employees.
ReplyDeleteWell as an employee of a university with an accelerated program, I can say there are a few differences that I believe really effect students.
ReplyDeleteThe main is the cost. These colleges aren't losing money by accelerating programs...they're charging more per credit hour.
Another glaring difference between them are the requirements for admission. There usually arent any which in a lot of scenarios is a recipe for failure for these students. There's something to be said for college prep classes prior to actually attending. So in essence, these schools are creating more bills for students rather than degrees.
The upside is most of the teachers are professionals in the field that they are teaching in, so if you're ok paying $200+ more per credit, its probably great option. But if you have the means to physially drive to a campus and can qualify for admission, a 4 year ground program will always be the better long term option (at least for now).
I am working with marketing in Denmark and is searching for inspiration in the digital world. Thanks for inspiration
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