The surge in distance ed

Increasing numbers of students are taking advantage of distance education offerings, especially at two-year colleges, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In 2001, 3.1 million students were enrolled in distance ed courses at two- and four-year institutions—twice the number from 1995. The Internet was the main vehicle for offering the education, in asynchronous mode. While all kinds of institutions said a primary goal for distance education delivery was to improve student access, for two-year institutions, the additional goals of affordability and meeting the needs of local businesses were also prominent. “Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001” can be found at www.nces.ed.gov/.
 

Death to spam

If the number of unsolicited e-mails in your box is getting you down, you’re not alone. While those with an .edu address used to be spared, notes Terry Calhoun, director of communications for the Society for College and University Planning, now educators are as vulnerable as the next guy. But blocking the porn and ads and junk also runs the risk of screening out important messages. In the June 12 issue of Syllabus (www.syllabus.com), Calhoun proposes that higher education IT specialists hold a summit to devise a solution to spam. “I don’t have an answer,” Calhoun writes, “but I do know where I look when I want something studied and researched … higher education!” To join the summit, contact Calhoun at terry.calhoun@scup.org.
 

Promoting ideology over science

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), the ranking minority member of the House Committee on Government Reform, has set up an authoritative Web site to report instances in which the Bush administration has distorted, manipulated or suppressed science or the scientific process to further a political or ideological agenda. The site lets you download Waxman’s August 2003 report, “Politics and Science in the Bush Administration,” and provides frequently updated examples of interference in health, education, environmental and other science-influenced policy. Go to www.house.gov/reform/min/politicsandscience.