University of Illinois Balancing Online vs. Campus Learning

Jim Anderson -- Illinois Radio Network

The University of Illinois is heavily invested in offering courses online, but the president doesn’t want the on-campus environment to suffer.

The U. of I. offers undergraduate and graduate degrees online, and some courses never require a campus visit. But President Timothy L. Killeen says the college campus should not be seen as an anachronism.

“Learning in group settings, learning through access to experts who are providing tutorial information, explanatory information, looking at case studies, the discourse that takes place on a campus, just the vibrant atmosphere of a campus, including things such as athletics and clubs and events and so forth, makes for a rounded citizen,” he said.

But he’s all-in on distance education, saying it’s good for real people with real lives, including members of the military. However, he says it’s important that the U. of I. maintain the same standards for quality online that it keeps on campus.

Killeen insists there is not competition between on-campus and online education, at least within the University of Illinois, which has been offering online courses since 1997.