Launching a successful new online learning initiative or expanding existing online learning offerings takes careful planning and preparation. Online learning is an institution-wide endeavor, involving multiple departments, functions, and personnel, many of which require modifications or rethinking to meet the needs of fully online learners.…

Quality and reputation are important value indicators for students learning online or in a conventional classroom setting. One of the ways that institutions demonstrate their achievement of quality is through accreditation. Though higher education institutions engage in the accreditation process voluntarily, an institution that is not accredited…

Because funding for many higher education institutions is based on student persistence and graduation rates, and because competition for online student enrollments is fierce among public and private institutions, quality and competitiveness in online course development, instruction, and administration is imperative. Additionally, because distance…

Higher education is undergoing great changes that require universities to adapt quickly, and making these changes can be difficult. One discipline that can aid in executing change is project management, which has developed a set of clear processes and strategies for completing initiatives quickly and effectively. Several authors have identified…

As the demands for public accountability increase for higher education, institutions must demonstrate quality within programs and processes, including those provided through online education. While quality may be elusive to specifically quantify, there have been several recommendations for identifying and defining quality online education that…

The number of online degree programs offered by universities, both within the United States and in other countries around the globe, has expanded remarkably from the year 2000 to 2005. Recent research [Pond (2002), Twigg, (2001), Swail and Kampits (2001), Nielson (1997)] indicates that this rapid expansion has superceded the understanding of how…

U.S. universities and colleges offering distance education courses have increased immensely since 1998, and by 2004 it was expected that distance learners will constitute about 14% of all those enrolled in degree programs. In its preliminary review of distance learning, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (1998) emphasized the need for…

Online degree programs are continuing to gain popularity among institutions of higher education as indicated by "U.S. News" who recently listed 263 accredited online graduate degree programs on its Web site (U. S. News and World Report, U.S. News Online, n.d.) As the access afforded by distance education increases the number of students…