With the Internet's quick transformation from elite and obscure to the essential and commonplace, the University of Virginia plans to join an online consortium comprised of a network of 18 universities worldwide. The endeavor is called Universitas 21.
The University will be joining 18 other universities with numerous activities among the consortia, former Vice President and Provost Peter Low said.
Included in the consortium are McGill University, the University of Michigan, the University of Birmingham and the National University of Singapore.
Current University students most likely will not use the online courses but may gain other advantages through the University's participation.
"Our likely involvement in the project has to do with gaining access to technologies that we cannot otherwise afford while opening international markets for faculty products, including online courses, consulting and research projects," University President John T. Casteen III said.
U21 Global, a sector of Universitas 21, developed technology, hired professors, designed degrees and coursework, and oversaw admission of students to the online university.
Universitas 21 enrolls approximately 500,000 students every year, offering graduate degrees, including MBAs and MISs.
The degrees will bear the seals of all the Universities involved.
"We are licensing U21 Global the authority to use our name but only in conjunction with all the other universities," Low said.
The online university will target areas where education services are not as prevalent as in the United States.
Asia is now the targeted market for the online university. But there are plans to expand it to Latin America.
Casteen will be a member of U21 Pedagogica, a sector of U21 Global, that controls the quality of the courses.
"U21 Pedagogica authorizes the course offerings, hiring of professors and admissions standards of Universitas 21.
Low said he feels there will be many benefits from joining this organization.
"We want to learn more about technology and distance learning," Low said. "The more we learn about distance learning the better we can do what we are currently doing now."
A formal announcement will be made Sept. 5 in the Rotunda.
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