Colleges go online to avoid Kodak’s fate - Steve Brawner, Courier-News

Dr. Bruce Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, told the House and Senate Education Committees Monday how his system is adapting. The eVersity program will offer degrees starting this fall that are designed to reach older Arkansans who need employment skills but not the on-campus college experience. It’s meant to fill jobs that are available right now. Bobbitt said a student will be able to earn a degree from home in five years at a cost of $18,000 — maybe significantly less. Interviewed in a Capitol hallway after his presentation to legislators, Bobbitt said that faculty acceptance of the new online model has varied from professor to professor, but as a rule, “They understand that we don’t want to be Kodak.” That’s a reference to the film manufacturer and developer that failed to respond to digital photography and ended up declaring for bankruptcy. http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/25107743/article-Colleges-go-online-to-avoid-Kodak-s-fate