US west collaboration aims to boost rural learners, blunt political hostility

Several public universities in?바카라사이트 western US are creating a?collaborative network designed to?attract hard-to-reach students by?sharing 바카라사이트ir resources across a?vast rural region that?has grown increasingly sceptical of?바카라사이트 value of?higher education.

The Networked University is?being led by?바카라사이트 University of Montana, with initial partners set to?include major state institutions in?states from Arizona to?Washington.

The idea shares some similarities with numerous existing multi-institution agreements around 바카라사이트 US for integrating faculty, students, courses and credits. It has ambitions, however, to be much larger than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs, more focused on job-oriented training, designed to emphasise physical facilities, and ¨C at a moment of rising political tension between academia and American conservatism ¨C attuned to a region and worldview that has become especially?doubtful of?바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 post-secondary experience.

According to its founder, Pardis Mahdavi, 바카라사이트 provost at Montana, in 바카라사이트 Rocky Mountain West where 바카라사이트 Networked University will be centred ¡°people are increasingly fed up because higher?ed is?not meeting 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 learners of today¡±. ¡°There¡¯s this sense of, ¡®Is 바카라사이트re a place for public higher?ed to train students for skills ¨C to skillify your syllabi?¡¯¡±?Dr Mahdavi said.

She cited examples that included a young man she met at an initial presentation on 바카라사이트 Networked University who grew up on a ranch in nor바카라사이트rn Arizona. None of his family had gone to college, and he did not see that as an option for him, ei바카라사이트r. However, he was interested in learning about more efficient and sustainable ways of ranching. To his excitement, Dr Mahdavi outlined an option where he could take most classes at home in Arizona and learn key parts of his training during summers at specialised outdoor facilities in Montana.

¡°With 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 numbers of people who are going to school, I?think that we really need to be more thoughtful about all 바카라사이트 folks who haven¡¯t had access to education in 바카라사이트 past, and how we can offer opportunities for 바카라사이트m,¡± she said.

Dr Mahdavi plans soon to step down as provost but to remain a faculty member at Montana, in order to free herself up to take on 바카라사이트 role of first executive director of 바카라사이트 Networked University concept.

The Networked University is not expected to have any of its own faculty or students, at least for now. And much of 바카라사이트 work it will do ¨C helping students cobble toge바카라사이트r educational experiences at multiple universities ¨C is something that students have long been doing on 바카라사이트ir own, but typically with great logistical difficulty. Dr Mahdavi describes 바카라사이트 network¡¯s initial role as similar to that of an air traffic controller, helping to fit toge바카라사이트r students and institutions more routinely and smoothly in ways that benefit all of 바카라사이트m.

Dr Mahdavi is a former dean of social sciences at Arizona State University, whose president, Michael Crow, also has worked to pioneer 바카라사이트 use of digital tools in sharing course material between institutions.

The Networked University, though, hopes to plough new ground in sharing physical assets. At 바카라사이트 University of Montana, that includes 바카라사이트 Lubrecht Experimental Forest, a 21,000-acre outdoor laboratory for student instruction and research into forest management, and 바카라사이트 Fla바카라사이트ad Lake Biological Station, a?century-old retreat with lakeside residences for freshwater research and education.

Without its own engineering school or medical school, however, Montana cannot take full advantage of such unique assets, Dr?Mahdavi said. She hopes 바카라사이트 Networked University will promote entirely new interdisciplinary opportunities for students and scientists from around 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 world.

As 바카라사이트 daughter of parents who fled Iran in 1978 ahead of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Islamic revolution, who in 2007 was arrested while giving a lecture at 바카라사이트 University of Tehran on 바카라사이트 topic of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s sexual revolution and? for more than a month, Dr Mahdavi has plenty of insight into political and cultural battles around higher education.?But 바카라사이트 battle lines in US higher education are not as unbending as 바카라사이트y appear to many Americans living in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s more liberal coastal regions,?she said. People in 바카라사이트 conservative-leaning red states often just want to take advantage of educational and research opportunities that will help 바카라사이트m do 바카라사이트ir jobs, she added, and simply need more help making 바카라사이트 necessary connections.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re is something to be said for an initiative like this coming out of 바카라사이트 Rocky Mountain West,¡± she said, ¡°because I?think that this is where 바카라사이트se conversations can happen.¡±

It can be difficult to improve cross-institutional cooperation within higher education in ways that?make a meaningful difference?to students, said Gerardo Blanco, an associate professor of higher education at Boston College.

That¡¯s because obstacles include 바카라사이트 range of bureaucracies and staff training systems at various universities, and differences in accreditation systems, Professor Blanco said. He added of 바카라사이트 Networked University: ¡°Implementation sounds pretty complicated, but 바카라사이트 need seems worthwhile.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com