Background to HE Online
Our national office has prepared this briefing paper on HE Online (PDF).
Motion on HE Online
The response from University management is indicated in italics.
Aberdeen UCU passed the following motion at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 16 May 2012 regarding Higher Education Online (HEO):
Aberdeen UCU is deeply concerned about the proposed distance learning partnership with private provider Higher Education Online (HEO).
We are concerned at plans to form a partnership with a company that will recruit students, source their own tutors, and have no exam-based assessments. We believe that these arrangements represent a clear threat to the University’s quality assurance values; damage to the University’s reputation, and potential loss of control of intellectual property rights.
"We concur with your concerns and our due diligence will highlight the steps that will be taken to mitigate against any perceived threat to our quality assurance standards"
Unless the University puts significant resources into managing the development and delivery of the HEO product, it will be accrediting a programme over which it has little control. This risk is exacerbated by the rush to deliver HEO courses from September 2012.
"Courses will not be delivered from 2012 as the necessary due diligence is still being undertaken."
The effect of the new offering on recruitment for traditional campus based programmes has not been evaluated. This will be evaluated.
An outcome of this project could be the effective substitution of casual HEO tutors for salaried University teaching staff. The opportunity costs of staff time absorbed by this project have not been assessed. HEO plans to draw on material presently in use in campus based courses. This will only be possible if current staff devote time to assisting HEO with the conversion and to implementing appropriate assessment and moderation arrangements.
"Three additional courses are being proposed as opposed to new courses. This situation is being assessed and any costs reviewed."
We are also deeply concerned that the University’s chosen partner, Higher Education Online, is a new company, owned by a major private equity fund. HEO’s Chief Executive is a founding director of Bridgepoint Education, a US for-profit company specialising in online learning which was described by US senator Tom Harkin as a ‘scam’ with a ‘spectacular record of student failure’. AUCU believes that partnering with HE Online, a company whose directors are associated with developing such a controversial model of for-profit education in the US, will threaten the reputation of the University.
"This is not our chosen partner, we are currently exploring the potential. We are grateful to you for bringing these concerns to our attention."
AUCU is not opposed to the principle of providing quality distance learning programmes in carefully selected areas with the aim of widening access to education. It is possible that this could be developed in cooperation with a credible and experienced partner who can provide marketing and delivery expertise, but the model and the company being proposed here will not provide this.
AUCU believes that the University’s longer terms interests would be best served if the development of these programmes is managed and resourced by University of Aberdeen staff in a way which ensures quality delivery.
"We note your belief."
AUCU calls on the University to halt all discussions with HE Online and begin a discussion with the union about agreeing an approach to the development of any future online learning delivery at Aberdeen.
"We reject your calls to put this on hold."
