Why Care and Feeding?

There are thousands of colleges in the United States. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Many of them are online and do not have physical presence. And the world is filled with criticism that if college isn't done the old-fashioned way, then it must be something cheapened or made worse. I propose that this is simply not so. If we took the words "online higher education" out of the title and substituted the name of some variety of animal, we would have an idea that although there is a wide variety of such animals, that there is something common about keeping critters of this sort well-nourished, healthy, and able to reach their full potential. I have been a steward of online higher education in several settings. And, with good stewardship, online higher education can reach its potential. When such stewardship is missing, the experience becomes less than desirable. My goal here is to pass along the methods by which one becomes a good steward for this fussy but promising animal.