City Seeks to Offer Online University Technology Degree
Posted on: Monday, 10 May 2004, 06:00 CDT
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) -- An online degree program to address the nation's shortage of technology teachers could create jobs for this city and major revenue for its university, officials say.
City commissioners last week gave the Valley City-Barnes County Development Corp. permission to invest $150,000 to help expand Valley City State University's technology education program.
"There really is a teacher shortage out there in technology education, and we believe we've got a niche," said Jennifer Feist, the corporation's director of development.
Technology education focuses on teaching students while encouraging them to pursue such fields as robotics, engineering and electronics, Valley City State President Ellen Chaffee said.
The school received a $1.7 million Department of Education grant in 1998 to develop an online teaching model.
North Dakota currently has 119 technology educators, said Don Fischer, the state's technology education supervisor. Many of them need classes to meet new teaching standards, and Valley City's online program is ideal, he said.
"It's really unrealistic to think that people these days can just leave their jobs and go to school to get an advanced degree," he said.
Education officials in several states, including Texas and Florida, have shown interest in establishing training contracts with Valley City State, Chaffee said.
Feist said the development corporation has long viewed Valley City State as a base industry and key economic tool.
Projections show the online program will create 10 new faculty and administrative jobs in its first year of operation, which would start July 1, 2005. Depending on enrollment, that number could increase to 20 jobs in the second year and 40 jobs in the third year.
City and university officials also hope the program will bring in revenue. They're projecting $1 million in net profit by the third year.
Feist said the projected $300,000 return to the development corporation could be invested in other city projects, while the university could use its profits to market itself to a broader audience.
To make the online program successful, Valley City officials say they need authority from the state Board of Higher Education to offer graduate degrees technology education - something board members have repeatedly denied.
The statewide Academic Affairs Council on Wednesday gave Valley City State the go-ahead to prepare a more detailed program proposal for the board. The council is made up of the vice presidents from all 11 institutions in the North Dakota University System.
Interim university chancellor Michel Hillman said he expects the board to take up the issue at its June 17-18 meeting.
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