Dive Brief:
- The president of the University of Akron announced the university is not considering an agreement with ITT Educational Services Inc., with which it was considering a partnership.
- The Akron Beacon Journal reports the joint announcement from the president and chairman of trustees also said the university was not continuing talks with Higher Education Partners LLC, which has helped other institutions secure money for facilities, initiatives, and online efforts.
- The University of Akron took flak for considering a partnership with ITT, which the Securities and Exchange Commission charged with fraud. Some were opposed to a rumored expansion plan for online satellite campuses nationwide.
Dive Insight:
Almost three quarters of academic leaders surveyed about the future of their institutions said online education would be a key pillar of their strategies for growth.
While the University of Akron will not consider a future with ITT or Higher Education Partners, it, like the majority of other institutions, is targeting online education as a growth area. The problem is, with so many colleges and universities thinking the same way, supply is way up in online education but demand is rising more slowly now than at any point in the last two decades. Still, many institutions are counting on their programs to pique student interest and keep their schools in demand.
