An Evaluation of CSU's Cross-Campus Online Education Program

An Evaluation of CSU’s Cross-Campus Online Education Program MAC TAYLOR LEGISLATIVE ANALYST JANUARY 3, 2018 Summary Online Education Can Make Coursework More Accessible to Students. Online education refers to courses and programs in which students and faculty communicate using the Internet and are not in physical proximity to each other. Faculty deliver online instruction through a technology platform known as a learning management system (LMS). Online education can offer a number of potential benefits to students, including providing opportunities for students attending one campus to find and get credit for courses at other campuses—thereby potentially speeding their time to graduation. Chapter 363 Includes a Number of Requirements for California State University (CSU) Online Programs. CSU offers online instruction at virtually all of its 23 campuses. Chapter 363 of 2013 (AB 386, Levine) requires CSU to improve students’ access to online coursework and transparency of its online programs by (1) adopting a systemwide definition of online education, (2) developing an “easily accessible” database of fully online courses offered by campuses, (3) implementing a streamlined process for students to enroll in and get credit for online courses offered at other CSU campuses (known as “cross-campus online enrollment”), (4) reporting biennially on certain enrollment and performance data related to online education, and (5) reporting on the feasibility of developing an online bachelor’s degree completion program for students who started college but never obtained a degree. Chapter 82 of 2016 (AB 2908, Committee on Higher Education) requires our office to assess CSU’s implementation of these requirements and report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018. This report fulfills that statutory requirement. Several Opportunities for CSU to Improve Compliance With Chapter 363. Our review finds that CSU has implemented some of Chapter 363’s requirements but has much more work to do to comply fully—particularly by developing a more student-friendly database of online courses. Due in large part to CSU’s problematic database and certain factors identified by the Chancellor’s Office, to date very few students have enrolled in online courses at other CSU campuses—an average of just two full-time equivalent students per campus in fall 2015. We also find that CSU uses various LMS platforms, which can present challenges for students who cross-enroll at other campuses. In addition, the Legislature currently lacks some key information on CSU’s online programs and plans. Recommend Follow-Up Legislation to Improve Online Access, Cost Efficiencies, and Transparency. Given our findings, we recommend the Legislature enact legislation requiring CSU to report on four issues—(1) planned actions to boost cross-campus online enrollment, including a requirement for CSU to revamp its database by a specified date; (2) opportunities to adopt a common systemwide LMS using existing funding; (3) additional data on enrollment and outcomes pertaining to online students; and (4) more information on its current programs and future plans to serve former students who started college but never earned a bachelor’s degree. analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT INTRODUCTION Statute Requires the California State University an online bachelor’s degree completion program for (CSU) to Streamline and Report on Online students who started college but never obtained a Education. Virtually all CSU campuses offer online degree. Chapter 82 of 2016 (AB 2908, Committee courses. Chapter 363 of 2013 (AB 386, Levine) on Higher Education) requires our office to assess requires CSU to improve students’ access to online CSU’s implementation of these requirements and courses by creating a streamlined process whereby report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018. This students can find, enroll in, and get credit for online report fulfills that statutory requirement. The report coursework offered by any CSU campus. Chapter 363 has four main sections—(1) background on online also requires CSU to (1) adopt a systemwide definition education, (2) findings regarding CSU’s implementation of online education, (2) report biennially on certain of Chapter 363, (3) an assessment of CSU’s enrollment and performance data related to online implementation, and (4) recommendations to improve education, and (3) report on the feasibility of developing implementation moving forward. BACKGROUND Below, we provide information about online Many CSU Students Take Online Courses. education at CSU and highlight key aspects of According to the Chancellor’s Office, CSU began Chapter 363. offering state-supported online courses in the late No Standard Definition of Online Education. 1990s. (Around the same time, CSU also began Online education generally refers to courses and offering online courses through its fully fee-supported programs in which students and faculty communicate extension programs.) Systemwide online enrollment using the Internet and are not in physical proximity data are not available prior to 2015-16, however, as to each other. Higher education institutions have the Chancellor’s Office did not collect this information various definitions of exactly what constitutes an from campuses. Moreover, CSU campuses did not online course, with no standard definition used by all use a standard definition of what constituted an online institutions. Some institutions, for example, classify a course. According to the Chancellor’s Office, CSU course as online if at least half of its content is delivered served a total of 22,250 full-time equivalent (FTE) online (with the other half delivered via face-to-face students in 2015-16 via online education, representing instruction), whereas other institutions would classify 5.5 percent of all FTE students served that year. For this as a “hybrid” or “blended” course. Though purposes of tracking enrollment, CSU defined a course institutions vary in their definitions, most institutions as online only if 100 percent of its content was delivered set a threshold (such as 75 percent) for how much online, with no in-person class attendance required instruction must be delivered online for them to classify for students. On a headcount basis, the number and it as an online course. percent of online students is much higher. In fall 2015, about 80,000 undergraduate students (19 percent) and Online Instruction Is Delivered Via a Learning 6,600 graduate students (12 percent) took at least one Management System (LMS). An LMS is a technology fully online course. system that allows faculty to post information about a course (including its syllabus), instructional content Online Courses Are Offered Across CSU System. (such as video presentations and text-based lectures), With the exception of the Maritime Academy, every assignments, and other material. Students use an CSU campus offers online courses. Online courses LMS to perform functions such as submitting their are particularly prevalent at the Dominguez Hills, East assignments, taking tests, and participating in online Bay, and Fullerton campuses, where 10 percent or discussions with classmates. Several vendors create more of total FTE students were served via online and sell these systems. instruction in 2015-16. Most of CSU’s online students 2 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT are undergraduates who take one or more online for students and campuses were underutilizing courses as part of their bachelor’s degree requirements. cross-enrollment as an enrollment management CSU does not offer any state-supported bachelor’s strategy. In addition, CSU lacked basic information degree programs, however, that can be obtained via about its online programs, including enrollment data solely online courses. Though not offering fully online and performance outcomes of online students. These state-supported undergraduate degree programs, CSU concerns spurred passage of Chapter 363. campuses offer a total of 13 majors and concentrations Chapter 363 Included Several Requirements for in which students can complete all upper-division CSU. These requirements are: requirements online. In addition, graduate students can • Adopt Systemwide Definition. By January 2015, obtain a total of more than 30 degrees online. (CSU’s CSU was to adopt a systemwide definition of extended education offers 15 fully online bachelor’s online education. degree completion programs and more than 50 online master’s degree programs.) • Develop Database of Courses. By January 2015, CSU was to develop an “easily accessible” CSU Is Using Online Education as a Strategy database of fully online courses offered by for Boosting Graduation. Historically, CSU’s six-year campuses and inform students of opportunities to graduation rates for undergraduate students have been access these courses. below 50 percent and four-year rates have been below 15 percent. To address its low graduation rates, CSU • Streamline Registration Process. By the start launched a Graduation Initiative in 2009. CSU has set a of the 2015-16 academic year, CSU was to goal to increase six- and four-year graduation rates to implement a streamlined process allowing eligible 70 percent and 40 percent, respectively, by 2025. To students to enroll in online courses offered at achieve these goals, CSU has implemented a variety of multiple campuses, with the courses earning strategies in recent years, including encouraging faculty them credit toward their degree requirements. to adopt new instructional methods and expanding • Report Enrollment and Performance Data on advising and tutorial services. CSU also has cited Online Education. Beginning in January 2017, online education—which can make course-taking more CSU is required to report biennially on specified convenient for students while minimizing demands enrollment and performance data for online and on classroom space—as another key strategy for non-online instruction. achieving the system’s goals. • Study Feasibility of Creating Online Challenges to Enrolling in Online Courses and Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs. Concerns About Accountability Spurred Passage By January 2015, CSU was to submit a report of Chapter 363. As we discuss in The Master to the Legislature on the feasibility of creating Plan at 50: Using Distance Education to Increase accelerated online bachelor’s degree programs College Access and Efficiency (October 2010), online aimed at students who started college but never education can offer a number of potential benefits obtained a degree. to students, campuses, and the state. In particular, • Other Requirements. To be eligible for online education can provide increased opportunities cross-campus enrollment pursuant to for students to access required courses, thereby Chapter 363, students must have (1) a grade potentially speeding their time to graduation. Also, by point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher and aggregating geographically separated students into (2) no outstanding tuition or fees owed to online courses, campuses can maximize opportunities CSU. Chapter 363 permits the host campus to to fill courses to capacity, thus improving efficiencies. charge cross-enrolled students a fee to cover Despite these potential benefits, the Legislature in any special administrative costs related to 2013-14 noted a few key concerns with CSU’s online cross-enrollment, but campuses may not charge education programs. While CSU historically has any other additional tuition or fees for these permitted students to enroll in courses at multiple CSU courses. Chapter 363 gives students priority campuses, the process of finding and enrolling in online access to register for their own campuses’ online courses at other CSU campuses was cumbersome courses but states that cross-enrolled students www.lao.ca.gov 3 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT should “generally have an opportunity to enroll enrollment period for continuing students, as in these online courses any time after the priority determined by each host campus.” FINDINGS Below, we present our findings regarding CSU’s must successfully complete at least one term at implementation of Chapter 363. their home CSU campus, earning at least 12 units Adopted Standard Definition of Online (with a 2.0 or higher GPA), to cross-enroll in online Education. In response to Chapter 363, CSU adopted courses. Chancellor’s Office policy limits students to a set of standard definitions for online, hybrid, and cross-enrolling in one online course per term. The face-to-face courses. Though our office was unable to Chancellor’s Office indicates that this policy will be confirm with the Chancellor’s Office when CSU formally revisited once data are reviewed on students’ success adopted these definitions, CSU now defines a course in these courses. Though statute allows CSU to charge as “online” if all instruction and assignments (including students an administrative fee to register for classes at tests) can be completed online. A course is defined as another campus, the Chancellor’s Office reports that it hybrid if an otherwise online course requires a student is unaware of any campuses doing so. to attend any in-person classes or examinations. Finally, CSU Met Enrollment and Performance Reporting a course is considered face-to-face if all instructional Requirement. CSU submitted its first data report in content is delivered in-person. December 2016. CSU is required to submit a second Launched Website of Online Course Offerings report to the Legislature by January 2019. and Began Enrolling Students. The Chancellor’s CSU Was Late and Incomplete in Addressing Office reports that it launched its website (database) Feasibility Study Requirement. CSU submitted of fully online courses in late 2014. Campuses listed material to the Legislature very late. (Having not about 1,500 courses on the site for fall 2015 and about received the report, we requested and received a 1,500 courses on the site for spring 2016. These copy of it in August 2017, well after the January 2015 courses spanned a wide array of academic disciplines deadline.) Moreover, the submitted material consisted and programs. The Chancellor’s Office reports that a of a memo. The memo states that it fulfills the feasibility total of 228 students (headcount), equating to 45 FTE study requirement for CSU to create online programs students, took an online course at another CSU aimed at students who started but never completed campus in fall 2015. Chancellor’s Office staff did not their bachelor’s degree. The memo lists a total of provide enrollment numbers for fall 2016 but indicate 10 existing fully online state-supported bachelor’s that totals were similar to fall 2015. degree completion programs and 15 extension Chancellor’s Office and Campuses Developed completion programs, as well as one state-supported Policies on Student Participation and Registration. hybrid program. The memo, however, neither assesses During 2014, the Chancellor’s Office consulted with the effectiveness of these programs nor examines ways the CSU Academic Senate and decided that students of better targeting former students who left college without earning a degree. ASSESSMENT Below, we offer our assessment of CSU’s an average of just two FTE students per campus implementation of and compliance with Chapter 363. in fall 2015. Overwhelmingly, students taking an To Date, Cross-Campus Enrollment Has Been online course do so at their home campus. In our Negligible. To date, very few students have enrolled discussions with the Chancellor’s Office, staff cited in online courses offered at other CSU campuses— limited communications and awareness-building efforts 4 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT with students as key reasons why cross-campus on this process to allow for an overall evaluation of enrollment has been so low. For those students who the registration process. Regarding the timing of did cross-enroll, the impact of taking these courses on student registration, initial CSU practices appear to their academic progress is unknown. This is because have been problematic. Based on our conversations the Chancellor’s Office did not provide requested with the Chancellor’s Office, campuses until recently information on whether students completed these generally did not permit students from other campuses courses and the type of credit (such as major or general to register until just before the start of each term—a education) they received. practice inconsistent with Chapter 363. According Finding Online Courses Using CSU’s Database to the Chancellor’s Office, campuses enacted these Is Difficult. Another reason for low cross-enrollment late-enrollment policies so as to ensure that their own in online courses likely stems from the website of students enrolled first in online courses. Data are course listings that the Chancellor’s Office designed. In unavailable on how many students might have tried to particular, the site’s search engine is very awkward and cross-enroll but were unable due to lack of available makes finding courses very difficult. The major problem space in these classes. The Chancellor’s Office is that the site only provides search results by specific states that beginning in fall 2017, however, new CSU course title or course code. For example, a student registration policy requires campuses to allow students who seeks political science classes for spring 2018 and from other campuses to enroll during the regular open types “political science” in the search box receives a registration period. This new CSU policy appears to message stating “No items found!” If one instead enters comply with Chapter 363’s requirement. the search term “posc” (an abbreviation for political Cross-Enrolled Students Would Benefit From a science), a single course (“Aging and Public Policy” at Common LMS. Currently, CSU campuses decide on the Fullerton campus) appears. Additional and varying their own which LMS to purchase and use campus political science courses appear, however, if a student funds to pay the vendor. According to the Chancellor’s types other campus-specific abbreviations of political Office, CSU campuses use one of four platforms. science (such as “pols,” “psci,” or “plsi”). Since students Multiple platforms can present challenges for students likely do not know the various course codes across who cross-enroll at other campuses. This is because the CSU system, the only way for them to identify all each LMS has a different layout, requiring students political science courses in one place appears to be to spend time learning how to navigate that particular to scroll manually through dozens of pages on the system. Adopting a common platform, by contrast, site. Similarly, a student entering “U.S. History” in the would promote greater ease-of-use among students search box for spring 2018 receives a listing of a total taking online classes at other campuses. For similar of three courses offered by two campuses (Humboldt reasons, the California Community Colleges recently and Sacramento). Modifying the search to “US Hist,” adopted a common LMS for its faculty and students. however, yields three additional U.S. history courses Legislature Would Benefit From Receiving at two other campuses (San Diego and San Marcos). Additional Enrollment and Performance Data. While Finally, students interested in limiting their search to the existing Chapter 363 data and biennial reporting online classes at certain campuses are unable to do requirements are useful for assessing CSU’s online so—a user entering a campus name in the search box programs, we believe that additional data would (such as “Sacramento”) receives a message stating, provide a fuller picture of online education at CSU. “No items found!” Most notably, while Chapter 363 requires CSU to Legislature Generally Unable to Evaluate report on the number of students who cross-enroll in CSU’s Registration Process. To evaluate whether online courses, the Legislature also has an interest in the registration process is effectively streamlined for knowing how many students successfully complete students, as required by Chapter 363, we asked these courses and earn academic credit toward their the Chancellor’s Office to explain the steps for how degree. The Legislature also may have an interest students sign up for a course and verify how course in knowing which campuses are hosting the most units will transfer back to their home campus. The students from other campuses and the total number of Chancellor’s Office provided insufficient information FTE students served annually via online education. Data www.lao.ca.gov 5 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT such as these would help the Legislature provide better completion programs and how many bachelor’s oversight of CSU’s online programs. degrees have been awarded. It also does not identify CSU’s Memo on Bachelor’s Degree Completion which degrees students were pursuing when they Program Did Not Meet Legislature’s Expectations. originally dropped out of college and whether the In addition to being submitted very late, we find that degrees offered through CSU’s completion programs CSU’s one-and-a-half-page memo contains very little align with those majors or returning students’ career useful information. The report does not provide any goals. In addition, the report does not provide an information on how CSU provides outreach to former explanation of why similar online accelerated bachelor’s students who started college but did not obtain a degrees are state-supported (such a bachelor of arts in degree. It does not provide any data on how many sociology at Chico) while others are offered through a such students CSU currently serves through its degree campus extension program (such as a bachelor of arts in sociology at Fullerton). RECOMMENDATIONS Given our findings and assessment, we recommend collaborate in selecting and paying for the system using the Legislature enact legislation requiring CSU to report existing funding and note any potential challenges to on four issues related to online education, as discussed adopting a systemwide LMS. below. Recommend Legislature Require Additional Require CSU to Report on Actions Related Enrollment and Performance Data. We recommend to Boosting Cross-Campus Online Enrollment. the legislation require CSU to include additional data Specifically, we recommend the legislation direct in future biennial reports (beyond what Chapter 363 CSU to develop comprehensive plans for increasing already requires), including (1) annual student students’ awareness of opportunities to take online enrollment (headcount and FTE students) in all courses at other campuses. We also recommend state-supported online courses, disaggregated by the legislation require CSU to revamp its website by undergraduate and graduate students as well as by a specified date so that students can easily search campus; (2) annual cross-campus online enrollment for and identify online courses in the database (such (headcount and FTE students); (3) cross-campus as adding a capability that allows users to search by online enrollment (in FTE students) by host campus; academic discipline). Finally, the legislation should (4) successful course completion rates in cross-enrolled require CSU to report on its registration process online courses; and (5) units earned by cross-enrolled and include an explanation of the process by which online students, including the type of academic credit students verify how a course will count toward their they received (major, general education, or elective). degree requirements. Require CSU to Provide More Information on Require CSU to Report on Adopting a Common Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs. LMS. To make the online course-taking experience Finally, we recommend the legislation require CSU to more accessible to students enrolled at multiple CSU rewrite and resubmit a study on its existing completion campuses, we recommend the legislation direct CSU to programs for former students who started a bachelor’s study the possibility of moving toward a common LMS. degree but never graduated and its plans to expand We do not believe additional funding from the state these program offerings. The study should include would be needed for such a system. This is because (1) how many former students are currently enrolled in in purchasing their existing LMS on a campus basis, an accelerated online bachelor’s degree completion campuses likely pay much more than they would if they program and how many have successfully completed were to buy “in bulk” from one vendor and divide the a program over the past five years; (2) an analysis of total cost of the LMS among themselves. Accordingly, the estimated number of former students that might we recommend the legislation direct the Chancellor’s benefit from an accelerated online bachelor’s degree Office to identify opportunities for campuses to program; (3) current practices and future plans to 6 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT connect with potential re-entry students; (4) an analysis labor market demands; and (5) an explanation as to of the extent to which the current inventory of CSU why some current online degree completion programs bachelor’s degree completion programs align with are offered on a state-supported basis, while others are potential re-entry students’ educational pathways and offered through extended education. CONCLUSION Overall, we find that CSU has much more work to do at CSU and collect more meaningful data on CSU’s to comply with Chapter 363’s requirements, particularly online programs. We believe that our recommended by developing a more student-friendly database of legislation would help improve students’ access to online courses. The Legislature, meanwhile, has online courses, as well as promote cost efficiencies and opportunities to promote acquisition of a common LMS more transparency for CSU’s online programs. www.lao.ca.gov 7 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT LAO PUBLICATIONS This report was prepared by Paul Steenhausen and reviewed by Jennifer Kuhn. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) is a nonpartisan office that provides fiscal and policy information and advice to the Legislature. To request publications call (916) 445-4656. This report and others, as well as an e-mail subscription service, are available on the LAO’s website at www.lao.ca.gov. The LAO is located at 925 L Street, Suite 1000, Sacramento, CA 95814. 8 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE