There is a range of distance education models from videotapes sent to remote locations with workbooks, to whole, highly interactive degree programs like LEEP3. Many university administrators and state legislators assume distance education will save money. Some see it as a way to use certain technologies in which a state may have invested. I mentioned earlier that we hire a number of instructors for LEEP3 who do not live in Champaign-Urbana. I was even called by our department of Human Resources to verify that certain individuals really were U of I employees.
Similar questions arise when providing service to off-campus students.
Many do not pay regular campus fees. Many of our LEEP3 format classes are taken by on-campus students and many of our on campus students are actually at the School for limited time. This is an issue well beyond distance education, but I believe that the modular approach to various distance education offerings in other universities, particularly in the areas of math and the sciences, has led us to question in new ways some of our basic assumptions about what topics go together. And once these questions are opened we have added problems in defining faculty load. We see also an increased potential for outsourcing college and university services.