[1325] in UA Senate
Re: Thoughts on MIT Online from Senate Meeting
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jessica Chen)
Mon May 2 11:03:38 2011
In-Reply-To: <60826A506BCDE447B39C85C1496EAB7403E2AE0809@EXPO7.exchange.mit.edu>
From: Jessica Chen <jessicachen.dbhs@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 11:00:48 -0400
To: Michael E Plasmeier <theplaz@mit.edu>
Cc: "mit-online@mailman.mit.edu" <IMCEAEX-_O=NT5_ou=8552B615DCB90B4D947A88AD9BD1AF63_cn=809DEBB9101F46408C17CAC3CA535084@EXCHANGE.MIT.EDU>,
"ua-senate@mit.edu" <ua-senate@mit.edu>
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Hi Hi!
I don't think the students who were in chambers that night were necessarily
stating they WANTED a separate brand. At least that's not what I got away
from it. I feel that they were just saying if MIT was to continue pursuing
an online system, they would prefer it to be a separate brand. I do remembe=
r
they did say that doing nothing was an option, I think students just got a
bit wrapped up in what was proposed that night that they felt the need to
protect the MIT name and therefore, suggested the separate brand. Just my
thought! :D
Sincerely,
~Jessica Chen
MIT 2014
On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 1:16 AM, Michael E Plasmeier <theplaz@mit.edu> wrote=
:
> Hello,
>
>
>
> My name is Michael Plasmeier, I am a sophomore in 15 and 6-2. I was at t=
he
> Online Study Group presentation to the UA Senate last week and I wanted t=
o
> comment on what I had heard. Sorry this is not on the nice sheet of blue
> hardstock.
>
>
>
> It seems that the only way this would be possible/students (who were at t=
he
> meeting) would be comfortable with this is if it was a separate organizat=
ion
> =96 which did not pull away from campus resources. I think all campus
> resources from faculty to grad students to undergrads are strained at
> capacity for what they are able to do. It was suggested that the online
> program would be staffed with its own team of lecturers, who would be fun=
ded
> by revenue from the program. No one spent much time talking about online
> activities inside the traditional academic structure - for students not y=
et
> affiliated with MIT through traditional means.
>
>
>
> In addition, most of the students were in favor of giving it a separate
> brand name to distinguish it from the =93real=94 experience. Another stu=
dent
> then commented that many of MIT=92s classes cannot be easily put online. =
Only
> content based classes, 18.03 was offered as an example, could easily be p=
ut
> online. Much of the value of an MIT education are the other students =96
> which you don=92t get online. In addition, MIT=92s motto is =93Mind and =
Hand.=94
> The latter part is hard online.
>
>
>
> However, after thinking about it, what was suggested, can be offered by
> anyone. The material is out there, granted the curriculum at MIT might b=
e
> slightly better (though we give that away via OCW), but what would this
> MIT-owned side division add? A better crop of adjuncts vs other programs=
?
> Curriculum not on OCW? And this division would be asked to break even =
=96
> which very few educational programs do. This would put serious constrain=
ts
> on the program. I have serious doubts that MIT could run a division wher=
e
> there is pressure to =93break even=94 without it feeling like a profit-mi=
nded
> venture, like many online schools. It seems to me that we are just tryin=
g
> to increase revenue or scale for the Institute. We should have a
> competitive advantage =96 that is not our brand name.
>
>
>
> As what was described is a separate division, with a separate brand,
> teaching generic content-based classes, I just don=92t see the need for i=
t.
> MIT should not try to aim to increase its scale unless it is able to do i=
t
> in a unique way. You might have had something you were not willing to sh=
are
> quite yet, but from what I hard at the meeting, I do not see a compelling
> reason for MIT to offer what I just described.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Michael Plasmeier
>
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Hi Hi!<br><br>I don't think the students who were in chambers that nigh=
t were necessarily stating they WANTED a separate brand. At least that'=
s not what I got away from it. I feel that they were just saying if MIT was=
to continue pursuing an online system, they would prefer it to be a separa=
te brand. I do remember they did say that doing nothing was an option, I th=
ink students just got a bit wrapped up in what was proposed that night that=
they felt the need to protect the MIT name and therefore, suggested the se=
parate brand. Just my thought! :D<br>
<br clear=3D"all">Sincerely,<br>~Jessica Chen<br>MIT 2014<br>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 1:16 AM, Michael =
E Plasmeier <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:theplaz@mit.edu">thepla=
z@mit.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=
=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); p=
adding-left: 1ex;">
<div link=3D"blue" vlink=3D"purple" lang=3D"EN-US"><div><p class=3D"MsoNorm=
al">Hello,</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">My name =
is Michael Plasmeier, I am a sophomore in 15 and 6-2.=A0 I was at the Onlin=
e Study Group presentation to the UA Senate last week and I wanted to comme=
nt on what I had heard. Sorry this is not on the nice sheet of blue hardsto=
ck.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">It seems that the only=
way this would be possible/students (who were at the meeting) would be com=
fortable with this is if it was a separate organization =96 which did not p=
ull away from campus resources.=A0 I think all campus resources from facult=
y to grad students to undergrads are strained at capacity for what they are=
able to do.=A0 It was suggested that the online program would be staffed w=
ith its own team of lecturers, who would be funded by revenue from the prog=
ram.=A0 No one spent much time talking about online activities inside the t=
raditional academic structure - for students not yet affiliated with MIT th=
rough traditional means.=A0 </p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">In addition, most of t=
he students were in favor of giving it a separate brand name to distinguish=
it from the =93real=94 experience.=A0 Another student then commented that =
many of MIT=92s classes cannot be easily put online.=A0 Only content based =
classes, 18.03 was offered as an example, could easily be put online.=A0 Mu=
ch of the value of an MIT education are the other students =96 which you do=
n=92t get online.=A0 In addition, MIT=92s motto is =93Mind and Hand.=94=A0 =
The latter part is hard online.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">However, after thinkin=
g about it, what was suggested, can be offered by anyone.=A0 The material i=
s out there, granted the curriculum at MIT might be slightly better (though=
we give that away via OCW), but what would this MIT-owned side division ad=
d?=A0 A better crop of adjuncts vs other programs?=A0 Curriculum not on OCW=
?=A0 And this division would be asked to break even =96 which very few educ=
ational programs do.=A0 This would put serious constraints on the program.=
=A0 I have serious doubts that MIT could run a division where there is pres=
sure to =93break even=94 without it feeling like a profit-minded venture, l=
ike many online schools.=A0 It seems to me that we are just trying to incre=
ase revenue or scale for the Institute.=A0 We should have a competitive adv=
antage =96 that is not our brand name.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">As what was described =
is a separate division, with a separate brand, teaching generic content-bas=
ed classes, I just don=92t see the need for it.=A0 MIT should not try to ai=
m to increase its scale unless it is able to do it in a unique way.=A0 You =
might have had something you were not willing to share quite yet, but from =
what I hard at the meeting, I do not see a compelling reason for MIT to off=
er what I just described.</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">=A0</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">Thanks</p><p class=3D"=
MsoNormal">Michael Plasmeier</p></div></div></blockquote></div><br>
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