The Best of Our Knowledge
(2008-06-09)
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ALBANY, NY
(WAMC) -
PRESIDENTIAL SERIES
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ONLINE HIGHER EDUCATION, Pt. 1 of 2
AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS
Distance education has been around for decades. But now, with all the
new technologies available, online education is gaining even broader
acceptance. In fact, the more business leaders know about online degree programs, the more likely they are to find degrees awarded by them to be
as credible as those awarded by traditional campus-based programs.
That's the key finding of a recent nationwide Excelsior College/Zogby International Survey of business administrators. The study shows more
than four in five executives view degrees earned online favorably.
Excelsior College President, John Ebersole, says the demand for online
programs in growing rapidly. We thought with the changing economy
and rising gas prices, that this probably could not come at a better time.
So we were curious about the impact online learning may have with
issues like access to higher education and affordability.
Next week, a completely different topic. We'll discuss educating
members of the armed forces and military spouses, during and after
their service to our country.
Glenn Busby reports. (11:17)
** (For more information about Excelsior College, the website mentioned
at the conclusion of the above story is: www.excelsior.edu.) **
EDUCATION HEADLINES AND UPDATES -
Since we've been talking about higher education costs, here's the latest
we had on student loans by time for our show production deadlines.
Education Secretary, Margaret Spellings, announced a new plan which
offers loan companies both low-interest lines of credit, and the ability to
sell their loans to the government at a rate exceeding their face value.
The Bush administration devised the plan with the support of Congress
to head off the possibility that a combination of federal subsidy cuts and
general economic turmoil might leave the students unable to find willing
lenders. Before the announcement, nearly 90 student-loan companies
indicated they were withdrawing, in part or in full, from the federal program.
But now, according to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education ,
several that left the federal loan program are satisfied with the changes
and are returning to provide student loans.
Dr. Karen Hitchcock reports. (1:00)
ORIGINS OF LIFE - SCIENCE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION SERIES
COSMOLOGY , Pt. 1 of 2, SPACE -
Cosmology, basically, studies the origin and structure of our universe. Advancements in cosmology in the past few decades are leading to new
insights into the broader question about the emergence of intelligent life.
One of the major authorities and researchers in this field is Dr. Mario Livio,
a Senior Astronomer and the former head of the Science Division at the
Space Telescope Science Institute. The Institute conducts the scientific
program of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Livio received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics from Tel Aviv
University in Israel, and is now on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University.
He's published more than 400 scientific papers and received numerous
awards for research and for excellence in teaching.
This week, our conversation focuses on Space. Next week, we talk
about Life in the universe.
Glenn Busby reports. (6:27)
The preceding material is supported by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
**(Attention Program Directors and Listeners. For more information
about this story, or any of the other 140 stories featured in this exclusive radio series, or if you would like to hear them again via your computer,
the website mentioned at the end of the above segment is: www.origins.rpi.edu.)**
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