RESOLUTION TO
ESTABLISH AN
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ONLINE LEARNING
AND DIGITAL MEDIA INITIATIVES
WHEREAS, online learning has become a critical
initiative for higher education, and
WHEREAS, Columbia University and its Schools have been engaged in diverse digital media and online/distance learning and e-commerce initiatives, and
WHEREAS, the Columbia University Statutes mandate
the University Senate to “develop and review plans and policies to strengthen
the educational system of the University,” and
WHEREAS, these issues cut across the mandates of several committees;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that the University
Senate establish an Ad Hoc Committee on Online Learning and Digital Media Initiatives,
to consist of 10 members including 4 faculty; 2 students; 1 alumnus/a; 1
library staff or AcIS administrator; 1 research staff; and 1 non-voting
administration member from a Columbia online learning enterprise;
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that
this committee shall examine all online/distance learning and digital ventures
of the University and its Schools, to understand their broad academic
implications, and to recommend policy and monitoring procedures;
BE
IT FINALLY RESOLVED that
the committee shall report its activities to the Senate, and make
recommendations by February 2003 about its future.
Proponent:
Executive
Committee
March
30, 2001
Rationale for the
Establishment of an
Ad Hoc Committee on Online Learning and Digital Media Initiatives
Online and new media learning, along with their associated digital ventures, offer enormous opportunities for elite research universities like Columbia. The explosion of new media technologies has enabled faculty and researchers to move beyond the traditional classroom as the primary vehicle for the dissemination of knowledge.
The School of Engineering’s Columbia Video Network offers degrees entirely by distance learning. Columbia Interactive Arts and Sciences has begun offering online courses through Continuing Education, and the Business School is developing online courses in partnership with the commercial vendor UNext.com. Digital Knowledge Ventures, formerly Columbia Media Enterprises, oversees the development of new digital media enterprises and commercial activity based on innovations and intellectual property of faculty and graduate students. And recently the University has invested in a commercial venture, Fathom.com, which markets e-courses from a variety of universities to the general public.
Yet
while the new technologies present endless possibilities, they also pose new
puzzles. For instance, what is the appropriate balance between the commercial
and academic interests of the University? What incentives do these new media
technologies create for faculty and research staff? Can Columbia’s brand name
for excellence be preserved in face of commercial pressures?
Given
the recent explosion of activity and the potential for new media technologies
to reshape the nature of research universities, it is proper and vital for the
Senate to
catalogue the various activities
currently underway by the university;
evaluate the extent to which these various
enterprises enhance the core mission of the
University both academically
and financially;
review the status of policies of peer institutions
in addressing these concerns;
explore alternative institutional mechanisms to
balance the possible tensions between
commercial imperatives and
the preservation of an independent research faculty;
and
make recommendations for University policies and
procedures.
To
facilitate these activities, the Ad Hoc Senate Committee on Online Learning and
Digital Media Initiatives is proposed. A separate committee is needed because
these issues cross and mingle the various mandates of existing Senate standing
committees and also address areas outside of Senate committees’ current
jurisdictions. Furthermore, because many of these issues are evolving, a
committee dedicated to this area will be best equipped to monitor and address
changing conditions, using representatives from the Senate and the at-large
University community. The committee will report periodically to the Senate
about its activities.
Executive Committee