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By Sharron Hannon
Richard Skinner has a mission: to see that a greater proportion of Georgia adults receive a college education. In a presentation to UGA’s institutional Strategic Planning Advisory Group on Oct. 7, he came armed with statistics to show why that’s important--even crucial--for the future of the state.
Consider:
• The gap in annual earnings between a high school graduate and a college graduate is $17,583. Over 45 years of employment, that gap becomes a $791,235 chasm.
• The state of Georgia currently awards some 8,000 fewer degrees per year than the state of North Carolina. Multiply $791,235 by 8,000 and that’s more than a $6 billion difference--and a significant economic impact.
Skinner’s solution to this scenario is GLOBE (Global Learning Online for Business and Education), a University System initiative to increase the number of working professionals and non-traditional students getting degrees online.
As president and chief executive officer of GLOBE, Skinner reports directly to Chancellor Stephen Portch. His staff of five operates out of Georgia Public Broadcasting offices in Atlanta. From that base, he’s launched a statewide campaign to present GLOBE plans to System institutions.
Skinner seems well-suited to the job, which he assumed June 1. A Georgia native, he returned to his home state in 1994 as president of Clayton College and State University, where he launched the Information Technology Project, which provided notebook computers to students, faculty and most staff, along with unlimited Internet access on and off campus. He also chaired the steering committee that implemented GALILEO as the statewide electronic library.
In his new position, Skinner wants to offer working professionals and non-traditional students “anytime, anywhere” access to online learning. GLOBE, he explains, will serve as a portal--“a one-stop shop”--for courses offered throughout the 34-institution University System. What GLOBE is not, he emphasizes, is “a stand-alone institution, a degree-granting college or university, or a ‘virtual university.’” Instead, it is the means for marketing and delivering the courses.
But online learning is not for everyone, he cautions. “Our job is to help people obtain information about online learning, determine if it’s appropriate for their needs and--if not--to identify other resources.
We want to avoid unnecessary duplication.”
Skinner’s immediate job is to identify online bachelor’s degrees for delivery by late 2000 or early 2001. “We’re focusing on employment fields strategic to the state’s economic development,” he says, “including information technology, special education, business and general studies.”
By April 2000, Skinner hopes to bring a System “core” of required freshmen and sophomore courses online, with junior and senior courses for selected bachelor’s degrees following by April 2001.
With only 4.5 percent of Georgia’s population attending college (compared with 5.3 percent nationally), there’s a big market for new enrollments, he says. “We’ve got to find a way to educate lots more people in this state--and quickly. The next five to 10 years are critical for our future.”
ON THE WEB
www.georgiaglobe.org
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