Straight Talk: December 21, 2011

Straight Talk:  The StraighterLine e-Newsletter Issue #26, December 21, 2011
Edited by Jeffrey Lee Simons

In this issue…

StraighterLine Success Story: Marine Corps Sgt. Damian Baker

Last issue we asked you to submit your stories about how StraighterLine is helping you pursue your college degree. So first of all, thank you for your responses, and keep them coming. And second, we’d like to introduce you to Sgt. Damian Baker, a 22-year old active-duty Marine currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

You’ve got to admire Sgt. Baker’s drive and energy. Since his deployment in October 2011, Sgt. Baker has completed 8 online college courses and is currently taking two more.

Here’s some of Sgt. Baker’s Success Story:

“I am currently a student at Thomas Edison State College, a partner school to StraighterLine, and I was interested in finding alternative ways to earn credits while deployed. I asked my TESC course advisor what I could do while deployed and she gave me your website. I saw that all courses were at my own pace and that I could pay monthly for a course, versus a lump sum for a course I may not be able to complete.”

You can read the rest of Sgt. Baker’s interview here.

You Tell Us: What New Courses Should We Add for 2012?

The response to our newest courses has been impressive, which tells us you’re loving the opportunity to earn college credit for an ever-wider variety of college courses at incredibly affordable prices.

Now’s your chance to help us choose which courses we will develop and offer for 2012. Would you rather study Financial Accounting, Principles of Management, Microbiology or World Civilization II? What about languages? Would you want to study Arabic or Hindi or Mandarin Chinese – each with the convenience and flexibility that StraighterLine’s self-paced, online courses offer?

Your votes will help determine which courses we add to our growing curriculum of 34 live courses and 7 more that are about to launch. This is the time to be self-interested! Take a look at your planned degree, see what courses we’re considering that will serve you the most, and vote for them. It’s your chance to vote for more savings, more convenience and lower the cost of your college degree: a direct opportunity you won’t be getting in the 2012 Presidential election. Vote Here.

Introducing Live Chat on StraighterLine.com

The most convenient college courses online just got more convenient, thanks to our newest addition to the website, Live Chat. Now, when you’re studying and you need to figure out whether you should study Managerial Accounting or Accounting 1, or how you can submit your labs for review, you can just click on the Live Chat pop-up and get the help you need. (Click here if you want to chat now!)

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StraighterLine Reports: How to Work and Go Back To College

By Beth Dumbauld

Are you working while you’re going to college? You’re not alone. In fact, over 78% of undergraduates work while they’re enrolled. Find out what else you’ve got in common with other “non-traditional” students in Beth’s StraighterLine Report on Working While Going Back to College. Read Full Report

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Get a Perfect Fit with Our No-Risk Free Trial

Would you ever buy a new pair of jeans or sneakers without trying them on first? At StraighterLine, we want you to be sure we’re a perfect fit, too. That’s why we offer a risk-free trial of 8 StraighterLine courses. Try us on… you’ve got nothing to lose, and thousands of dollars to save.

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Best of The StraighterLine Blog

Cool Holiday Presents for College Students
The Holidays are nearly here, and if you’re still wondering what to get the student who has nothing and needs pretty much everything, Barry Lenson has a great list of last minute gifts that you can still take advantage of… if you hurry. (And if you were planning on giving technology, well, let’s just say you had better read this post before you take another step!) Read Full Post

2011’s Top Posts for Advancing Your Education and Career
From exposing myths about college scholarships to a review of up and coming college majors to ideas for slashing the costs of college, Barry Lenson has blogged about subjects you care about and advice you need to know. Here’s a look back at the most useful posts from the last 6 months of 2011 in terms of picking colleges, getting in, saving money while you’re there, getting the courses you want, and lots more. See the list here.

Getting into College Made Easy: How to Pick the Best College
All the best planning in the world doesn’t guarantee that you will end up at the school of your dreams. Then there’s the fact that students are transferring at near-record numbers every year now. Many get into schools that they thought would be ideal, but learn otherwise and move on. So how can you pick the best college for you, and then get in? Barry’s got some surprising advice that may not be what you’ll hear from your guidance counselors, teacher or friends, but we know you’ll be glad you checked it out. Read Full Post

Online Education in The News

In this last issue of 2011, we decided to spotlight three stories that speak to the sweeping changes we’ve seen in online education this past year. We’ve seen a shift from embattled online education providers fighting for validation to acceptance of online universities by a majority of college educators and even the US Military to leading universities embracing online techniques and pushing the envelope in new directions. With such a rapid rate of change, who knows what 2012 will bring?

WGU Enters Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership
The Sacramento Bee, 12/15/11

According to the Sacramento Bee, Military-friendly online university Western Governors University (WGU) has been accepted as a participant in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership. WGU's participation means the university remains a flexible, accredited option for active-duty military members, many of whom may be eligible for this benefit to assist in paying for their education.

The Bee also reports that WGU (a StraighterLine Partner College) has been selected by Military Advanced Education for inclusion in its annual Guide to Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities for four straight years. Designed for adult learners seeking flexible, affordable opportunities to return to school and earn a degree, WGU's accredited online degree programs are an excellent fit for veterans, service members, and their families. Read Full Article

Will Your College Survive?
Tech Crunch, John Katzman, 12/18/11

“The Internet will save higher education, but it may kill your alma mater,” says John Katzman, founder of The Princeton Review and currently founder and CEO of 2tor, a for-profit online education provider. Writing on leading blog TechCrunch (12 million unique visitors each month!), Katzman claims that the increasing move into online education will result in consolidation in the higher education space, and that not all schools will survive the transition. He suggests that the consolidation will happen within similar categories, i.e., that Harvard and DeVry University do not compete for students, so neither threaten the other, but that schools that are in competition will see the ones who use online technology more cost effectively while maintaining or improving quality survive.

Katzman even makes an oblique reference to programs like the Khan Academy and StraighterLine, without naming us, of course, and says: “Some people argue they can give a perfectly good college course for nothing or for $100 per course…Any college that can be replaced by those programs should be.”  Read Full Post

MIT to Offer Free Web Courses
The Boston Globe, Mary Carmichael, 12/19/11

Last issue we told you about the success and planned expansion of Stanford University’s free online computer science courses. Not to be left behind by their rivals, now The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced MITx, “a set of specially designed Web-only classes that anyone can take for free.” The course is free, but if you want a grade and a certificate, MIT is planning to allow students to pay a nominal, as yet undetermined fee to get the grade.

The article in the Globe also looks at Stanford’s free online courses and compares them to the growing success of web-only institutions such as non-profit Western Governors University (there they are again!). Robert Mendenhall, president of WGU, is quoted as approving of MIT’s idea of giving credentials for individual courses, saying, “It’s a really important part of higher ed that we ought to do more of,’’ he said. “Ultimately, employers are looking for skills. Right now, degrees are a proxy for skills - but there are smaller units that could have value in the marketplace.” Read Full Article

Burck’s Blast: The Latest from CEO Corner

The following is an excerpt from Burck’s blog post, “Find: Cable Television – Replace: Higher Education”:

What do higher education and cable television have in common? Both would far prefer that you buy “bundles” of channels or courses rather than buying a la carte, and both are more than willing to use their lobbying muscle to keep it that way. While traditional higher education would be aghast at being compared to the seemingly more mercantile cable television providers, try reading this James Suroweiki’s 2010 New Yorker article with “higher education” replacing “cable television”…

You can read the full post in CEO Corner.

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Refer Your Friends and Earn Gift Cards

Why not let your friends in on the StraighterLine secret and make some extra money for yourself at the same time? Get a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card when your friends sign up for a StraighterLine online college course. There’s no limit to how many rewards you can earn. Get started now.

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 StraighterLine Welcomes New Partner Schools