The Master's Degree in Social Work at
Cleveland State University and the University of Akron:
A Case Study of the Benefits and Costs of a Joint Degree
Program Offered via Videoconferencing
 

 

Summary, Findings, and Conclusions 1. The University of Akron (UA) and Cleveland State University (CSU) are large urban institutions located approximately 35 miles from each other in the northeastern part of Ohio. The two universities have developed and are offering a joint graduate program leading to the Master of Social Work degree using interactive videoconferencing as a means to deliver courses between the two campuses. 2. Both have large undergraduate programs in social work and both wanted to develop programs leading to the MSW degree. Two factors initially worked against such a development, however: (i) state policy would have prohibited two such high cost specialized programs at public universities within 50 miles of each other and (ii) the fiscal situation in the early 1990s was such that neither campus could afford to mount its own program even if it were not prohibited by policy. 3. With support from the Board of Regents of the State of Ohio, the two campuses and their Departments of Social Work designed and implemented a joint degree program that originates half of the program's courses on each campus and, using videoconferencing, allows students on both campuses to enroll in all of the courses. 4. The primary goal of the program is to provide affordable access to students in the northeastern region of Ohio who seek a quality Master of Social Work education. The Board of Regents also hopes that this program will provide a model for other similar collaborations between universities in the state. The board and the administrators at both campuses recognize the importance of the program as a means to demonstrate: (1) that two institutions can effectively create and administer a joint degree program that is both educationally and fiscally sound, (2) that students can learn effectively via distance learning technology, (3) that students could accept and be satisfied with the learning environment, (4) that such a program could meet and exceed the expectations of a professional accrediting organization, and (5) that graduating students would have access to better employment and career opportunities as a result of their education. 5. The program consists of 60 semester credit hours taken over a period of two years by full-time students. Because accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is critical to acceptance and value of the degree, the CSWE was contacted early and its standards were incorporated into program design. The joint program is currently in candidacy with CSWE. 6. Each campus outfitted a classroom with a videoconferencing system that enables visual and audio contact between the two sites at all times. The rooms have essentially the same equipment and were designed so that each location can act as either a "broadcast" or "receive" site. The program was designed on the premise that half the courses would originate from one campus and half from the other. Similarly, each campus provides approximately half of the enrollments for each course. Students, therefore, spend 50 percent of their time in the room with a faculty member when the room is in "broadcast mode" and 50 percent in the room when it is in "receive mode," with no faculty member present. 7. The administrative unit for the joint MSW program consists of the Director, Associate Director, Field Coordinator, and Associate Field Coordinator. The directorship rotates between the two campuses every four years and the Associate Director comes from the opposite campus. 8. The program has an extensive committee structure. The standing committees are: Curriculum, Academic Performance, Admissions, Graduation, Evaluation, Field Education and By-laws. There are monthly joint general faculty meetings (using videoconferencing) and committee reports are made at that time. 9. The MSW program has its own operating budget. Funds for the program come from each institution on an equal share basis. 10. The program has one set of admissions criteria and procedures as determined by the joint Admissions committee. Potential students apply to the graduate school at the institution of their choice; those that are admitted to the institution's graduate school are then considered by the joint program admissions committee. 11. There is an MSW student organization that meets regularly, via videoconferencing, and provides feedback and input to the program's administrators and faculty. 12. Both campuses hired three new full-time faculty members to staff the program and to fulfill the CSWE accreditation requirement of six positions. Although each School of Social Work is responsible for hiring its own faculty, there is consultation between the Personnel Action Committees of both schools when MSW faculty are hired. Once hired, the faculty members are subject to all of the norms of employment at their respective institutions. 13. Although the degree is a joint program, the campuses still operate as independent institutions. Students are initially admitted by one of the campuses and continue to be affiliated with it throughout their course of study. Academic advising is the responsibility of faculty at the home (admitting) campus. Students register for courses and earn course credit at their home campus. Similarly, all FTE credit goes to the enrolling institution no matter where the course originates. Students pay tuition to the home campus, and, if necessary, arrange for payment consistent with local practices. Finally, the MSW degree is awarded by the home campus. 14. Comparisons were made of grade averages for students at sending and receive sites for academic years 1995-96, 1996-97, and for a period from the inception of the program in spring 1995 through spring 1997. The "t" statistic was not significant (5 percent level) in any of the comparisons made. There is no evidence of a difference in learning outcomes, as measured by grades, for students at send or receive sites. By implication there is no evidence of either a positive or negative effect due to the use of the videoconferencing technology nor of grading bias on the part of the instructors. 15. Approximately 48 students are admitted to the program each year (24 at each campus). Attrition over the two-year span to graduation is approximately 19 percent. In 1997, about 87 percent of the students were female and about 49 percent were minority. Through spring 1997, 39 individuals had graduated from the program (about 81 percent of the first two classes). The graduates were 80 percent female and 39 percent minority. 16. Two separate programs enrolling the same number of students in total as the joint program would cost about 53 percent more than the joint MSW program including the costs of videoconferencing classrooms and communications. 17. A single program at one campus would cost less in total than the joint program. Such a program would not serve the region as well as the joint program, however. It could be expected, at best, to accommodate about 67 percent of the enrollment currently accommodated in the joint program at a per student cost that would be 21 percent higher than the joint program.