SWEDEN WILL CREATE A VIRTUAL INSTITUTION - A proposed law in Sweden
calls for the creation of a nationwide virtual university. The bill, expected to be passed by
the end of 2001, would earmark $20 million for the undertaking, which would combine the
online courses of several state universities. The Net University would open in the fall and
initially enroll 2,350 students. Students would be able to attend any institution in the project,
and coursework taken at any institution would be accepted by all network members. Sweden
has 39 state universities, most of which offer online courses. Each university will decide
whether it will take part in the network. Education at the virtual university will be completely
free for students, the same as at conventional state universities. (Chronicle of Higher
Education Online, 20 Sept 01 - Edupage 21 Sept 01. Visit Edupage at:
http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html)

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO WITHDRAWS FROM UNIVERSITAS 21 - The
University of Toronto has withdrawn from Universitas 21 after the consortium announced
plans to develop online degree programs in partnership with Thomson Learning.
Universitas 21's initial mandate was to encourage international university collaboration.
University of Toronto President Robert Birgeneau says the university withdrew from the
consortium to protect the value of its degrees and to avoid fettering any future online
initiatives of its own. For more see:
http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin2/briefly/april01.asp (NETWORKING ISSN
1206-9450, vol. 5 #4, 19 Sept 01. For the NETWORKING Web site see:
http://www.thenode.org/networking/)

TAKING CLASSES TO THE MASSES - Many universities that made sizable investments
in eLearning programs are discovering that the concept has yet to live up to its hype.
Fathom, Columbia University's $30 million, for-profit online education initiative, has not
caught on, despite the dedication of chief executive Ann Kirschner to take "classes to the
masses." Columbia is shifting its tactics by offering its target consumers shorter, cheaper
courses. Yet some progress has been made. Hundreds of local universities and community
colleges have found success by gradually offering online courses to students on a non-profit
basis. Such colleges account for 98% of online courses, according to Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation program officer A. Frank Mayadas. Whereas top universities with for-profit
efforts are offering courses taught by star faculty and enhanced by flashy, costly
technology, nonprofit schools are doing well because they offer a high degree of interactivity
between teachers and students. (Washington Post Magazine, 16 Sept 01 - Edupage 19 Sept.
01. For the NETWORKING Web site see: http://www.thenode.org/networking/)

NEW YORK CITY TRIES A BOLD EXPERIMENT IN EARLY COLLEGE - What if
the last two years of high school were the first two years of college? And what if they were
free? According to a recent report in the New York Times, the New York City Board of
Education believes this might be a solution to many problems that students and their families
face as they make the transition to higher education. Its experimental Bard High School
Early College, which opened last week in Brooklyn in partnership with Bard College, is
designed to test this hypothesis. The 260 students admitted out of thousands who applied will
not have to take SATs or SAT prep classes this year. They will not need to take high school
advanced placement classes. And their parents will not need to spend as much as $60,000 in
tuition and expenses for the first two years of college. These students will simply begin Bard's
freshman liberal arts curriculum based on independent thinking, writing and class discussion.
On successful completion of their two-year course of studies, they will be eligible to receive
a Bard Associate degree and to transfer to a college or university of their choice. But will
these students be emotionally and intellectually ready for the demands of the final years of
college? And will higher education institutions, already under budgetary pressure, be ready
to accept them? Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/06/education/06BARD.html
(E-NEWS FROM UCEA #47 17 Sept 01. Visit the UCEA Web site at: http://www.ucea.org)