WICHE is lending displaced e-learning professionals a hand, extending member privileges, on a temporary basis, to those recently laid off by an institution or organization that is a dues-paying member in WCET. In addition, member institutions, organizations and businesses will be invited to post job openings on a new public website, thus promoting broader coverage of job opportunities relating to postsecondary e-learning. Two long-time WCET members were recently chosen to serve on one of five new federal rulemaking committees that will prepare proposed regulations related to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. Michael Offerman, vice chairman of Capella Education Company, and Muriel Oaks, dean of the Center for Distance and Professional Education at Washington State University – both nominated by WCET – were appointed to the committee focused on accreditation, including distance and correspondence education. Offerman will serve as the committee’s primary negotiator and Oaks will be the alternate. The committee will hold its first meeting in March. On February 10, WCET cohosted a meeting with the Seattle Science Foundation and the China Open Resources for Education (CORE) organization to explore interest in and strategies for developing targeted training programs for the Chinese market. The meeting drew representatives from U.S. and Canadian institutions and distinguished U.S. scientists. WCET and CORE, which has been active in promoting international exchanges of open courseware, signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007 and have been working together to advance the use of open courseware in China. Open courseware and open educational resources are gradually being adopted by postsecondary institutions around the world, especially in countries where student demand greatly exceeds institutional capacity.

February 2009  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook