William L. Porter, a professor of architecture and planning, says he worries that the materials on course Web sites might not reflect well on the institution. Some professors have also complained that giving their lecture notes away on the Web might prevent them from publishing books based on the material. Top administrators at the university could reach a decision on the plan in a matter of weeks, says Mr. Lerman. M.I.T. is not the first institution to try to make Web sites as common as blackboards in its courses. The proposal initially drew criticism from professors, who complained that the Web pages would be a distraction, as well as from students, who objected to a student fee that was created to pay for the project.
Officials now say such complaints have died down and that the program has been a success.
Brian P. Copenhaver, provost of the College of Letters and Science, says that unlike M.I.T.'s proposal, U.C.L.A.'s project focuses on helping students rather than people outside of the university. He adds that he is not aware of other universities that have promised to offer a Web page for every course.