Take a Fresh Look at outsourcing community college classes

A task force charged with the seemingly impossible task of proposing major changes in Nevada’s community colleges without additional money made its most important recommendation also its most controversial.

Bruce James, chairman of the Fresh Look at Nevada’s Community Colleges Task Force, said that out of 10 recommendations, No. 8 is the most important — expand dual high school and college enrollment.

Right now, only three students are taking both high school and college classes in the 11th and 12th grades. The task force believes that should be expanded so that in 10 years, one-third of Nevada’s 12th-graders will graduate at 18 with a high school diploma as well as an associate degree or certification in an occupation/technical specialty.

The lofty goal is controversial because James said to do that, there must be a private-public partnership with for-profit education operations, such as Western Governors University, University of Phoenix and Kaplan University, which all offer online classes to students.

Instead of 50 teachers teaching English 101, cull the best ideas and then teach online, James said. If a for-profit online university can teach the class and show results, then they deserve bonuses.

"There’s been tons of push back from faculty upset about bringing in for-profit businesses," said James, a Republican who also headed the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission in 2008.

James, who made his fortune in publishing and now invests in early stage technology businesses in Nevada, supports having the college-level courses delivered to dual-enrollment students by a virtual university.

"Let’s look at e-learning being distributed in a better manner," he said Thursday. "For-profit online universities have the ability to raise capital and are in the position to provide programs."

Dan Klaich, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, said the Board of Regents is in the middle of setting a strategic planning process and will consider this report and its 10 suggestions at its December meeting. The board will be asked to prioritize the recommendations and set a timetable. A point person will be named, and then the job of implementation will begin.

Klaich is fully supportive of the ideas. The 38-page report (pdf) is available at http://system.nevada.edu/.

But Klaich agreed that the report’s proposal to outsource classes to for-profit businesses will be controversial. "Outsourcing is where people get a bit twitchy," he said Friday.

The faculty who oppose the idea believe the traditional way of teaching is the best, with students and teachers facing one another in a classroom, rather than online classes. And they have concerns about losing their jobs.

But the world has changed.

"My 3-year-old grandchild can use her father’s iPad, and the 18-month-old has figured out how to work the VCR," said James’ wife, Nora.

Nevada’s high school graduation rate began declining in 1996 and the state now holds the disgraceful dishonor of having the lowest in the nation rate of high school graduates. Less than half graduate.

Of the half that graduate from high school, half of those who enter community colleges need remedial help. Here’s another controversial task force suggestion: Remedial education of recent high school graduates should be the responsibility of high schools.

"We’re not talking about doing less; we’re talking about doing a lot more," Klaich said.

The eternal optimist predicted if the system can show improvements, "the money will follow."

When regents received the report in September, they were enthusiastic. Let’s see in December how upbeat they remain in the face of controversy and opposition. They probably will be hearing from opponents about the 2010 investigation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which uncovered deceptive marketing within for-profit online universities.

But since it’s obvious the status quo equals failure, and no magic wand exists for education, the task force ideas must be treated with respect. Certainly their intentions are honorable.

Jane Ann Morrison’s column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Email her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call her at (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Morrison.