The University of Phoenix's distance-education programs grew about 60 percent from 6,512 students in fiscal year 1998 to 10,382 students in 1999. Incredible competition in the global economy fuels the lifelong learning movement. Technology forces changes in the workplace so rapidly that many jobs may become obsolete in a few years or less. Employers and the government are quick to respond. Workforce education is crucial to U.S. corporate productivity.
Overseas projections are similarly staggering.
The schools will receive royalties from enrollment. Course content is created by professors who, in many cases, relinquish ownership of their work to the school, which compensates the professors for their time. To create content and establish credibility, Caliber gets its courses from Johns Hopkins, Columbia University Teachers College, the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, and the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. New York University, on the other hand, is eschewing ties with for-profit companies by branding its own online schools. NYUOnline offers accredited courses.