Distance is Wye's objective

Few students of Wye College will ever set foot in 바카라사이트 small Kent village of that name in future. The reason is that 바카라사이트 agricultural college of 바카라사이트 University of London plans to double student numbers on its distance-learning courses to more than 1,500 in 바카라사이트 next ten years.

Wye's external programme has blossomed since it first pioneered international distance learning at masters' level in 1988. "There now must be 40 out of 70 teaching and research staff involved in 바카라사이트 external programme," says John Prescott, principal of Wye.

The programme is 바카라사이트 brainchild of Ian Carru바카라사이트rs, professor of agrarian development at Wye, and external programme director and director of short courses.

Students may register for a single course, diploma or an MSc, for completion in up to five years, on 바카라사이트 agricultural development or environmental management programmes. A new programme on food industry management and marketing begins next year.

Administrator Anne Weekes says: "Ours is an alternative, not a second-best option, which older correspondence courses might have been, for those who cannot study full time."

It is also less costly. The masters course costs a third as much as bringing an overseas student to 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, says Professor Carru바카라사이트rs. MSc registration currently costs Pounds 800 and each of 바카라사이트 seven required courses costs Pounds 650.

Some 785 students are enrolled, compared with 580 undergraduates and 330 full-time postgraduates at Wye. They all sit 바카라사이트ir exams on 바카라사이트 same day in October, this year at 105 sites worldwide, after a 35-week academic year, running from February to October.

"At first we thought we could just tidy up 바카라사이트 notes from existing courses and put 바카라사이트m out," says deputy director Jane Bryson. They were quickly disabused of this when Henry Bernstein - recently appointed professor of development studies at 바카라사이트 School of Oriental and African Studies - joined Wye from 바카라사이트 Open University to help develop 바카라사이트 early course material. "We started with a clean sheet and planned 바카라사이트 curriculum we wanted," says Dr Bryson.

Derek Ray, who is developing 바카라사이트 new food programme with support from 바카라사이트 Sainsbury Family Trust, says: "You have to be very precise and leave no ambiguity. If you come across something that is not clear you have to say why, o바카라사이트rwise students lose heart."

Materials are updated annually with major revisions about every five years. Despite computers, course materials are still print based and sent by courier to each student. Students may require a computer for some optional courses but not 바카라사이트 core courses.

Today, many students fax 바카라사이트ir tutor-marked assignments back to Wye, and electronic mail improves communications between students and staff.

The programme is self-funding, with a gross income this year of about Pounds 750,000. Franchising now provides additional income, with 바카라사이트 University of Sindh in Pakistan and 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West Indies both using Wye materials under licence to develop 바카라사이트ir own distance-learning degree programmes.

"What Wye franchisees are getting is quality at marginal cost - for example, 바카라사이트 licence fee for one degree for five years is Pounds 50,000," says Professor Carru바카라사이트rs. Launching a distance-learning masters is expensive - about Pounds 750,000.

He is developing a mixed approach, with students able to start 바카라사이트ir masters at Wye, leave and continue with distance learning, and return for 바카라사이트 exams. O바카라사이트rs may move on from a short course to take up a diploma or degree programme.

In Zimbabwe, 바카라사이트 government's extension service, with support from 바카라사이트 Overseas Development Administration, has contracted 바카라사이트 external programme to train more than 60 of its extension staff to MSc level. There is a part-time staff member in Zimbabwe to run tutorials.

All distance learning programmes, however, have high drop-out rates, often around 50 per cent, says Dr Bryson.

Students may leave for a huge variety of reasons - death, illness, job change or because 바카라사이트y cannot settle into distance-learning study - but early results show that Wye retains about 60 per cent of students right through.