Analysts estimate that by the end of 2013, 87% of the United States population will be able to take online courses from nonprofit institutions. Whether you love them or hate them, this new medium is a force to be reckoned with.
One of the biggest opponents of MOOCs has been faculty unions that see them as a threat to the existing status quo. The number of tenured positions and academic flexibility to teach in their own style and method are viewed at risk.
This is an opportune time for faculties to review their competitive advantages and change their paradigm concerning their role and relationship with their customers/students. While many professors are loathed to consider customer service or the student experience as an appropriate concept for higher education, it is the faculty’s greatest weapon against the encroachment of MOOCs.
The student experience in both the academic and social life of the institution is where MOOCs cannot compete with traditional learning. Faculties should be the biggest advocates for Service Excellence programs, it’s their future.