Distance Education as Counter to Declining State Appropriations at Public Institutions
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Author
Anderson, Theresa
Date
2017-05-22
Degree
EdD (Doctor of Education),
Copyright: Thesis/Dissertation © Theresa Anderson, 2017
2017-05-22
Degree
EdD (Doctor of Education),
Copyright: Thesis/Dissertation © Theresa Anderson, 2017
Metadata
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Abstract
Universities and colleges have experienced a reduction in state appropriations since the 2008 Great Recession. The purpose of this phenomenological dissertation in practice study was to examine whether distance education would be a viable strategy to compensate for declining state appropriations at four-year public higher education institutions in a Mid-Atlantic state. The aim of the study was to create a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to determine whether distance education would be a viable strategy to compensate for declining state appropriations at four-year public higher education institutions in a Mid-Atlantic state. Two research questions guided this study: what strategies govern a university’s decision to implement a distance education program and what factors are considered in determining the return on investment (ROI) for distance education programs? Findings revealed that the return on investment for 80% of participants was undetermined; therefore, the research questions were inconclusive.Keywords: distance education, return on investment, higher education