<p>What are everyone's thoughts on this? Personally, I have conflicting views. I can see this as an opportunity to expand the UC degree to low-income individuals and raise revenue. However, it can hurt the prestige of our system. Although, it may work if it was a different UC degree entirely, instead of associating itself with a physical campus, such as Berkeley or UCLA, as the article suggest. </p>
<p>The</a> Daily Bruin | Online UC degrees will devalue education</p>
<p>I don’t think you can take away from the prestige of the UC campus by starting an online program. The biggest threat I see is budget cuts at this point. As long as UCLA, UC-Berkeley, UC-San Diego, UC-Santa Barbara, UC-Davis continue to be top 50 schools, the UC system should be highly reputable</p>
<p>^Are you serious? If any bum can hop on his computer and earn a UCLA degree, then UCLA degrees will certainly be devalued.</p>
<p>UNC has something similar (I considered taking a calculus class through NC State this summer online): [University</a> of North Carolina Online: Home](<a href=“http://online.northcarolina.edu/]University”>http://online.northcarolina.edu/)</p>
<p>I haven’t seen anybody complaining that this online program is watering down the value of a NC State or UNC degree.</p>
<p>Bump. Any more thoughts?</p>
<p>I can see both sides to this. From my experience, many of the UCLA large in person classes might as well be taught online. Some of these larger courses video cast lectures now. Having online classes wouldn’t be any different from the video casts in the sense that one wouldn’t have to attend class to get the same material. Either way, when it comes to papers, and assignments, (from my experience) most give out take home midterms and finals. I don’t think it would be that much different.
If one wanted to argue the position of the benefits of being in class or having discussions, I’d be critical of how much of a “discussion” or “teaching” is really going on. The UC’s are research institutions, not small liberal arts college. The level of discussion or teaching going on at the top UCs, in large classes, isn’t what makes the UC’s top schools.
The only classes worth not having online are usually the small seminars, or classes under 50.</p>