DOCUMENT RESUME ED 470 334 HE 035 458 Twigg, Carol A. AUTHOR Redefining Community: Small Colleges in the Information Age. TITLE The Pew Symposia in Learning and Technology (5th, Charleston, South Carolina, October 9-10, 2001). INSTITUTION Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY. Center for Academic Transformation. Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, PA. SPONS AGENCY 2002-00-00 PUB DATE 34p.; Part of the Pew Learning and Technology Program. For NOTE other summaries of proceedings from Pew Symposia in Learning and Technology, see HE 035 457 and 459. For full text: http://www.center.rpi.edu/PewSym/ Mono5.pdf. AVAILABLE FROM Collected Works PUB TYPE Proceedings (021) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Cooperation; Educational Innovation; Educational Technology; DESCRIPTORS Futures (of Society); Higher Education; *Information Technology; School Size; *Small Colleges ABSTRACT A symposium on the challenges and opportunities facing small institutions as they move into the 21st century was held to allow participants the opportunity to describe their own initiatives and to hear the views of representatives of larger institutions with technology mediated programs. The paper provides an overview of the strategic issues facing small colleges and poses questions about how these institutions might respond. Two points of view are advanced. One argues for an emphasis on traditional values and the traditional mission and little change in the way campuses function, and the other advocates a redefinition of campus activities within the context of traditional values. The paper then presents six case studies illustrating innovative approaches to using information technology to address strategic issues. The paper then poses, but does not answer, questions about how small institutions can best position themselves to benefit from the ideas suggested by the case studies and the symposium discussion. The case studies a study in blending, Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey); are: (1) (2) a study in redesign, Fairfield University (Connecticut); (3) a.study in importing, North Central College (Illinois); a study in collaboration, (4) the Associated Colleges of the South; a study in outsourcing, Immaculata (5) a study in extending, Regis University College (Pennsylvania); and (6) (Colorado). (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the on inal document. THE PEW LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM n ormiefionA cag flirt LOgP07(rvg &g077,01,1/ it /5 LX? P \G® Umll@c6 L U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY /01Z This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. C, 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 Center Academic fir 'ansformaan AT RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE copy 2 LADLE Redefining Community: Small Colleges in the Information Age by Carol A. Twigg © The Pew Learning and Technology Program 2002 Sponsored by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Center for Academic Transformation Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 4th Floor, Walker Lab 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 518-276-6519 (voice) 518-695-5633 (fax) http://www.center.rpi.edu Foreward Technology has persuasively demon- eliminating the expense of the earlier We need to remember that these are still strated that, especially in large intro- ways of operating without violating the the early days of computers on campus. ductory courses, it is possible to use mores of the institution. Even educational institutions that were technology simultaneously to save early adopters of information technology The other claim, enriching campus ser- money, to improve student success made their most significant changes only vices, is easier to validate. Much easier rates, and to raise the overall quality a few years agoin the early 1990s. access for students now exists to course of what students learn. The Teagle registration, the library, course syllabi A mere decade later, information tech- Foundation has supported dozens of and readings, and faculty members' nology has become pervasive on campus interinstitutional projects that show "office" hours. Colleges and universities in instruction, advising, research, the advantages of using technology to now enrich course offerings through rec- administration, and even interinstitu- share educational and administrative iprocal arrangements with other institu- tional relations. While most students, programs and services. The Andrew tions. Savings in administrative expense faculty members, and administrators W. Mellon Foundation has reassured through technology-linked consortia have been receptive to new ways of doing scholars that online scholarly research have multiplied. For many colleges and business, claims for the transformative resources can be reliable and authorita- universities, especially small ones, the power of the new technology have been tive, with superb version control. benefits of technology have come mainly grandiose. The actual experiences of through interinstitutional collaboration. colleges and universities in introducing Getting beyond special, externally supported projects to demonstrate the technology as a supplement to or as a Yet every survey of colleges and univer- substitute for some traditional functions benefits of using technology (and the sities indicates that, although the use cautionary lessons) remains a big chal- are more revealing than the rhetoric. of technology is growing, there are still lenge. The Pew Program in Learning and many campuses that have not integrated Two hopeful claims dominate this Technology took a big step forward in technology into key operations. The rhetoric: saving money and enriching this direction when it decided, in collab- sources for this reluctance are easy to services. The claim of saving money per- oration with the Council of Independent understand: anxiety about incurring sists even though it is clear that money is Colleges, to hold a symposium on the large capital costs, faculty resistance, saved only when systematic institutional uses of technology in small and medium- and fear of depersonalizing education. planning accompanies the introduction sized institutions of higher education. These worries, although legitimate, are of new technology. Costs of replacing The results of the candid symposium yielding to the pressures for change. computer equipment and of hiring tech- discussion are reported in the following Time may heal all, the transformation nical support personnel, for example, pages. My hope is that the clarification of of colleges and universities may be can be justified only when fresh thought what is realistic and what is possible, as inevitablebut many continue to worry is given to the ways colleges and univer- detailed in this paper, will help colleges about preserving the essential purposes sities fulfill their purposes. and universities make better-informed and values of undergraduate education. Important lessons can be learned from choiceschoices that will be reflected Waiting for the inevitable also incurs institutions that have taken bold, early in faculty debates about pedagogy, in costs, so there is some urgency to taking steps. Most difficult has been the act of purchasing and leasing decisions, and the initiative. Happily, there are useful substitution: if a new technology-based in students' modes of learning. guideposts. Several institutions have way of teaching a course or providing Richard Ekman provided well-conceived next steps in an administrative service is more cost- President higher education's uses of technology. effective or more effectively education- Council of Independent Colleges The Pew Program in Learning and ally, the difficult decision remains of 1 REDEFINING COMMUNITY: SMALL COLLEGES IN THE INFORMATION AGE SO The latter institutions are wealthier of which have developed innovative The diffusion of information technology and more selective, have clear missions, approaches for using technology to deal (IT) throughout society in general and are largely residential, expect faculty with the strategic issues facing this sec- higher education in particular presents research, and have IT staffs with signifi- tor. The second category included noted both opportunities and challenges for cant expertise and access to national best higher education thinkers on the topic all institutions. Small, residential liberal practices. On the other hand, the former of technology-mediated programs; these arts colleges, especially those that are very tuition-dependent, have smaller participants were not from small institu- depend primarily on tuition for financ- to minimal endowments and lower tions. By joining those with a broad ing, face issues that are unique to their tuitions, have multiple missions as a understanding of information technology sector. Can IT offer solutions that result of adding programs to compete, and its potential impact on institutional address the resource constraints con- set heavier teaching loads, and have fronting these institutions? Under what small IT staffs often with relatively little circumstances can methods developed expertise. Although many of the solu- at larger institutions for improving Small colleges face many tions discussed in this paper are relevant academic quality and controlling costs of the same challenges to the national group of small colleges, transfer effectively to the small-college that confront all institu- they may be more applicable to the environment? What is the appropriate less-well-endowed regional and local balance between face-to-face and online tions of higher education, institutions because of the immediate instruction, given the distinctive features such as changing societal pressures theses institutions face. of these institutions? What are the pros expectations, increasing and cons of collaboration? What new We began our discussion in Charleston competition, and rising approaches being pioneered by peer in- by asking participants the following costs, but their situation stitutions may be transferable to others? question: "Is small size a benefit or a has a special twist because liability?" Noting that all institutions of On October 9-10, 2001, a group of of their size and their higher education confront a variety of higher education leaders gathered at societal pressures requiring change, the Planter's Inn in Charleston, South distinct culture. those who believe small size is a benefit Carolina, to discuss these and other cite the familiar maxim that a small ship issues facing small institutions as they is easier to turn around than the Queen move into the twenty-first century. The structures and programs with those Mary. Because smaller institutions are topic was "Small Colleges in the Infor- responsible for leading their institutions not as complex, they are more flexible mation Age: Challenges and Opportuni- on a day-to-day basis, we hoped to point and more agile and therefore have a ties." This symposium was the fifth of the way toward innovative solutions that greater opportunity to change, provided the Pew Symposia in Learning and could be implemented in a broad range the right leadership is in place. The flip Technology, whose purpose is to con- of small institutions. side of the coin is that small size can be a duct an ongoing national conversation Even though small-to-medium-sized strength as long as the institution is not about issues related to the intersection private institutions have much in com- too small. As one participant put it, "I of learning and technology. The sympo- mon with one another, particularly when can't name two small colleges that aren't sium was co-sponsored by the Council contrasted with large public institutions, interested in growing." Scale (or lack of of Independent Colleges. we focused on the 600 or more regional it) is a problem. On the technology issue Symposium participants fell into two or local institutions rather than the alone, size is important: being small is a categories. The first category consisted 50-100 better-known national colleges. clear disadvantage. of leaders from small institutions, many 3 THE PEW SYMPOSIA IN LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY This paper, like the discussion in This paper is organized as follows: Small colleges face many of the same Charleston, builds on the good work of challenges that confront all institutions The paper first provides an the individuals who participated, both of higher education, such as changing overview of the strategic issues virtually and in real time. Before our societal expectations, increasing compe- facing small colleges and poses meeting, a number of them submitted tition, and rising costs, but their situa- some questions about how these written answers to a series of questions, tion has a special twist because of their institutions might respond. These and their responses, elaborated by the size and their distinct culture. At first are the primary issues driving discussion, have been included in this glance, large and small institutions change throughout the small- paper. In addition, several participants appear to have little in common. Large college community. How institu- assisted in the development of the six institutions have the advantage of tions choose to respond to these case studies. greater resources and greater curricular issues will play a crucial role in breadth, but they suffer from the disad- The goal of the Pew Symposia is to their futures. vantages that go along with large size: approach topics related to learning and The paper then describes two points impersonality, bureaucracy, lack of technology from a public-interest of view about how to respond. One focus on teaching and learning, and so perspective. Many constituencies bring argues for an emphasis on tradi- on. Small institutions are in the reverse self-interested agendas to discussions tional values and the traditional situation: they tend to have a greater about technology: administrators worry mission and for little change in the sense of community and a more personal about facing competitors; faculty worry ways campuses function. The other focus on individual students, but they about keeping jobs; and vendors worry advocates a redefinition of campus lack the advantages of a large resource about selling particular hardware and activities within the context of base and economies of scale. In both software. So too do different segments of traditional values and the tradi- cases, the rise of IT on and off campus the higher education community bring tional mission. The fundamental adds a particular spin to each of the competing agendas that often reflect difference between the two is a issues the institutions face. political considerations first and quality change in how we define commu- concerns second. The Pew Symposia are We next asked the roundtable partici- nity at small institutions. intended to produce thoughtful analyses pants to consider another question: Building on the notion of redefining and discussions that serve the larger "How can small colleges use IT to gain community, the paper then presents good. Please let us know if we have met the advantages of large institutions?" six case studies illustrating innova- that goal. We know that many large institutions tive approaches to using IT to are using IT to gain the advantages of address strategic issues. Small "small" by creating small learning institutions are situated at many cohorts within large courses or small points along a continuum of honors colleges within large universities. possible change. An institution's In describing its redesign of the intro- current mission and characteristics, ductory statistics course under the as well as its responses to the auspices of the Pew Grant Program in drivers of change, will be significant Course Redesign, Penn State titles its factors in determining its future presentations, "Honey, I Shrunk the placement on that continuum. Course." What these institutions have Finally, the paper posesbut does discovered is that "small" is merely a not answera number of questions proxy for personalized attention to the about how small institutions can learning needs of studentssomething best position themselves to benefit that simply being small does not guaran- from the ideas suggested by the tee. Can small colleges find analogous case studies and the symposium ways to use IT to overcome their particu- discussion. lar disadvantages while playing on their strengths? 4 REDEFINING COMMUNITY: SMALL COLLEGES IN THE INFORMATION AGE )1. Strategic Issues Facing Small Colleges Demands for Greater Breadth and Depth Changes within higher education occur in response to shifts in both external and internal environments, and the context Globalization and the knowledge explosion have greatly within which higher education functions today is changing increased the scope of what students are looking for in majors dramatically. Keeping pace with a rate of change that seems to and areas of specialization. Meeting the growth in content be escalating is a major challenge. As a major driver of these domains and in specialized topics within those domains shifts, information technology is challenging higher education presents a special challenge. Small colleges struggle with to see the world differently and to fashion new ways of identi- breadth of offerings, especially in regard to the full range of fying goals, solving problems, and organizing itself. These professional courses, and with depth of the liberal arts offer- challenges are, of course, common to all institutions of higher ings. The liberal college can be perceived as being dwarfed in education, but small institutions face them in the context of the knowledge explosion because there is just too much that a unique set of circumstances. The following is a list of what it cannot offer. symposium participants identified as the most important Will small colleges be able to keep up with the plethora of new strategic issues facing small liberal arts colleges as they move programs that students are demanding with each new tidal into the twenty-first century, along with some questions wave of change? designed to stimulate further thinking. Better, Faster ServicesEspecially IT Services Changing Expectations Small colleges are confronted with what one participant Small colleges appear to be caught in a potential conflict called the "revolution of rising expectations" of students and between the "external," or expectations from outside their parents. Prospective students expect to see such things as institutions, and the "internal," or their traditional ways of state-of-the-art athletic facilities and dorms with single operating. In many cases, information technology is a major rooms. Technology presents special challenges. Many contributor to these new dynamics. students, both adults and young people, come to campus Shifts in Students' Educational Goals with well-developed skills in using technology. Students today expect a bricks-and-clicks service environment. For them, National surveys of freshmen and the symposium partici- the Internet is a natural, almost invisible part of the environ- pants' own experiences indicate a shift in students' academic ment rather than something that needs to be discussed and goals: from liberal arts study to career preparation. At large debated. They expect the campus technology environment universities, professional programs continue to grow while to be fast, reliable, and ubiquitous, and they want to access the liberal arts programs continue to decline. Many prospec- learning resources and student services online. Providing tive students and their parents view liberal education as too adequate IT services is a competitive imperative for all expensive and not leading to jobs. Businesses appear to be less colleges and universities, but it is one that weighs heavily concerned with degrees and more focused on certification. As on small colleges. one participant put it, the trivium and quadrivium may not be sufficient for the small college in the future. As students and If institutions cannot meet these expectations, will prospective parents continue to seek professional programs, the challenge students go elsewhere? is to balance resources, students' demands, and mission. New Learning Models How can small colleges keep pace with the seeming sea change Increasing demand, from both employers and potential of students and their families who want education to be relevant? students, for just-in-time, lifelong learning seems in many Is it possible for small institutions with little endowment to offer ways to be antithetical to the traditional approaches to excellent liberal arts education and professional programs? baccalaureate education that have defined the liberal college. Demands for such things as parallel work and learning 5 THE PEW SYMPOSIA IN LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY nationally as "elite" liberal arts colleges; their recognition opportunities, more modularized learning tied to specific is instead regional. With their ability to market nationally, personal and professional needs, and practical, applied these competing providers may attract potential liberal arts knowledge tax the structural and pedagogical assumptions students from smaller colleges that do not market as aggres- of traditional residential colleges, which are predicated on sively and effectively. Using the Internet, outside providers, a faculty-centered model. One participant dubbed this the including both institutions and consortia, can invade the new "digital divide." As more tech-savvy students arrive on small institution's market and offer a richer array of courses campus expecting discovery-based learning experiences, than can the liberal college. talk-and-chalk approaches will seem outdated. How will small institutions compete with well-funded providers At this point, most students are unfamiliar with the power of that offer convenient alternatives to the residential experience? information technology to individualize and customize the learning environment. When presented with opportunities to For-Profit Providers study in new ways, however, they learn quickly and respond A new set of proprietary and corporate competitors, with to more individualized learning models. Students value per- an emphasis on career and professional development, has sonalized attention and just-in-time intervention when they entered the higher education market, driven by the student- have a problem; they do not value sitting through classes that demand shifts discussed above. The competition for non- repeat what is included in the text or what they already know. traditional students is especially fierce. For-profit institutions Adult students who bring experience from the workplace have have deep pockets to market aggressively and invest in an even lower tolerance of old-fashioned methodologies. As research and development. These new competitors are more colleges and universities use IT effectively in teaching increasingly driving the demands for change. and learning and as customized learning options become more diffused, students will regard these opportunities as How will liberal arts institutions compete with providers that something every institution should offer. are more aligned with the changing expectations of students and parents? Just as today's potential students do not ask if the dorm room Technologically Sophisticated Providers includes a bed, will tomorrow's prospective students expect strong learning environments infused with technology to be a Small colleges face competition from institutions with more part of campus lift? sophisticated and robust technological infrastructures. As these institutions incorporate technology into teaching, learn- Increasing Competition ing, and student-service activities, those small colleges that Small, residential liberal arts colleges face significant chal- have not made appropriate investments will be less attractive lenges as they assert their unique visions and missions while to many students. Other institutions will be seen as more adapting to a changing set of societal expectations and a desirable not only by potential students but also by the pool rapidly changing competitive mix for higher education. of talented and qualified prospective faculty and staff needed Increasingly, more educational options are available to a to accomplish the small college's mission. broader spectrum of potential students. As a consequence, As technology-based education becomes increasingly diffused small institutions face increasing competition, not just from throughout higher education, will small liberal arts colleges peer institutions but from a wide variety of education start to be regarded as relics rather than as one of several providers. Symposium participants viewed three types of contemporary formats of higher education? new providers as particularly potent threats. Online Providers Insufficient Resources Small colleges face increasing competition from big-name In the view of most of the symposium participants, resources providers, especially those with more-flexible delivery mecha- continue to be the major issue facing small institutions. Many nisms. Small colleges are vulnerable to new competition from small colleges are tuition-dependent, with limited tuition institutions that use a blend of online and on-site academic elasticity and limited access to endowment funding or other programming to provide the advantages of both a residential forms of discretionary funding. These colleges have greater and an online experience. Most small colleges are not branded difficulty meeting the rising expectations of students and 6 REDEFINING COMMUNITY: SMALL COLLEGES IN THE INFORMATION AGE )1. atic is offering salaries that are high enough to attract and parents and staying competitive. Most small colleges face retain IT personnel. funding pressures that necessitate both difficult and potentially painful choices. Responding to the issues discussed above Will small colleges be able to continue to pay for the IT expertise will demand very significant resources. Insufficient resources and infrastructure required to remain competitive? may keep all but a few small colleges from being able to adapt Developing New Revenue Streams to the challenges, even when they want to, unless they can discover new strategies to maximize resources, enhance effi- To deal with these ongoing financial pressures, many small ciencies, and improve productivity. colleges are looking to develop new revenue streams. Technol- ogy can be used to leverage investments in core assets such Increasing Cost-Effectiveness as accreditation, intellectual capital (faculty), and physical Small colleges need to find ways to be more cost-effective. As plant by extending those assets to new student markets. One one participant remarked, "Institutions of higher education approach is to capitalize on the strengths of the liberal arts are not known for their efficiency but rather for their ineffi- environment by designing special degrees. For example, a ciencyand small residential colleges probably lead the pack, large number of lifelong learners are interested in topics such partly due to their inability to use economies of scale." Since as current events and personal growth. Other options include they cannot benefit from the scale of the larger institutions, consumer-oriented career-development courses, alumni- small colleges need to explore ways to cut costs and maximize oriented programs, or online educational offerings resources by sharing central services and utilizing technology customized to serve partner organizations or companies. to increase the efficiencies of many previously labor-intensive For small colleges interested in increasing revenue via technol- operations. ogy, what kind of online programs would be marketable and How can information technology help small institutions become profitable? What business models have the most promise? more cost-effective? Does IT offer the opportunity to achieve economies of scale heretofore not possible? Keeping Up with IT In thinking about resource constraints, most of the partici- pants from small institutions viewed IT as a problem rather than a solution. As one said: "While controlling costs in high- er education has always been a challenge, the cost of keeping up with information technology has added a whole new dimension to cost-management concerns. As technology takes a stronger grip on society and business, the demands placed on the academy skyrocket, putting huge pressure on small colleges that may have limited human and financial resources with which to respond." As small colleges seek to address changing demands and expectations, they confront the challenge of funding the significant infrastructure associated with the reinvention of their institutions. Regardless of the size of the institution or the total number of students served, a base level of infrastruc- ture must be installed and maintained to meet students' needs and expectations. As more student services and instructional delivery become technology-dependent, the demand for a robust technological infrastructure will continue to grow. Although hardware and software costs are significant by themselves, treating them as the heart of the matter ignores the hidden costs of training and support. Especially problem- 7 THE PEW SYMPOSIA IN LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY Assessing the Value Proposition Small, residential liberal arts colleges have also historically In the face of the pressures confronting small liberal arts col- focused their attention on outcomes that lie outside the leges, differences emerge about how to responddifferences cognitive and psychomotor arenas. In addition to teaching related to how one views the "value proposition" of these basic transferable skills and professional/vocational skills, institutions. Some symposium participants argued for a focus the baccalaureate institution has been tasked with preparing on the traditional liberal arts mission. They believe that the critical thinkers, engaged citizens, and moral leaders. In this task is to communicate the already existing value of the small view of the mission of the liberal arts college, what society and liberal arts college. Other participants advocated expanding or the world ultimately need is not simply the result of effective redefining that mission. They believe that the value proposi- cognitive learning. What is needed goes well beyond that: the tion of the small college is eroding in the face of the issues world needs people who have developed their cognitive abili- described above and that new approaches need to be explored. ties to the maximum and who have simultaneously learned to Both sides agreed on one thing: mission is related to attracting contribute to the multiple communities in which they partici- and retaining students; mission is not an end in itself. pate and the global community on which we all depend. Focus on the Traditional Mission Every institution of higher education must stake out its iden- Participants observed that dealing with numerous challenges tity, differentiating itself from other educational institutions often leads to "mission creep." Since the growth in four-year with different agendas. Small colleges need to focus on their residential undergraduate enrollment is expected to be rela- tively flat, the pressure to branch out is increasing. Some say that small institutions should resist this pressure and should Many symposium participants com- remain true to their historical missions. Concentrating on doing what they do well has usually worked, according to this mented that within the landscape of view, as long as these colleges have been flexible enough to higher education, small, liberal arts meet the changing needs of students. Trying to be all things colleges provide the most intensive to all constituencies has led to disaster for many institutions. educational experience and do so in Many symposium participants commented that within the relatively cost-effective ways. landscape of higher education, small, liberal arts colleges provide the most intensive educational experience and do so in relatively cost-effective ways. The conditions thought to be most effective in promoting learningsmall class sizes, face- historic missions in order to distinguish themselves clearly to-face relationships with senior faculty members, an avail- from larger institutions in the marketplace of higher educa- able campus community, a rich array of leadership and tion. Small private institutions, in particular, must identify service roles, opportunities to do independent work, access what makes them special and what makes them different from to laboratory equipment, and so onroutinely characterize larger and less expensive state and proprietary institutions. undergraduate education in small residential colleges. This means saying what their mission is not as well as what Research has shown that students with a liberal arts education it is. have better problem-solving and critical-thinking skills than Advocates of keeping a focus on the traditional liberal arts those with a non-liberal background. There is also consider- mission note that a key challenge is to be more aggressive and able evidence that out-of-class experiences are very important effective in helping students and their families understand the to students' learning and personal growth. Small liberal arts benefits of this special kind of education. Small colleges need institutions typically provide greater opportunities, and even to familiarize the public with their distinctive features. They greater demands, to participate in out-of-class activities. must work harder to make the case for the superior educa- 8 10