Jarvis sees similarities in two jobs

Monday, July 12, 1999 | 11:22 a.m.

The United States Open University that named Richard Jarvis its founding chancellor will take education to the adult at home.

"We will be a national university serving adult, part-time students," Jarvis said.

There will be no campuses. Everything is done with computers, e-mail, television and the Internet, taking advantage of the latest in media technology -- such as CD-ROMs, online services, software, print and videos.

"CD-ROM is the big new technology in this," Jarvis said. "For example, an introductory science course of 16 credits -- for that we would have 13 CD-ROMs, the equivalent to four sets of Encyclopedia Brittanicas. CD-ROM changes the way you communicate."

He said it might cost between $1 million and $2 million to produce material for one course, which is paid for by student tuition.

Jarvis expects he will be located in Denver, but there will be a number of headquarters around the country.

"We need to be identified with the west," Jarvis said, noting that the rapid growth has created a lot of opportunities for the new concept in education. "There are lots of traditional schools in the Northeast."

There are similarities between the traditional college and the new university without walls.

"What we do in a traditional university is the faculty member runs a cottage industry. I put together my course, deliver it to the student and then assess the student's progress," he said.

Open University has a core faculty in each subject to perform those three functions.

"The course material is designed by a team of specialists in the subject and in media," he said. "For every 15 students registered in a subject, we hire a tutor who will work 10 hours per week with them to move them through the course. This is not a study-at-your-own pace deal."

Eventually Open University will enter into partnerships with other institutions.

"We will serve a set of of the population that is not well served -- mid-career professionals," Jarvis said.

He said there are similarities between the students who will be served by the new school and the students in Nevada.

"Basically our system in Nevada is about adult education," he said. "And the Open University also is about adult education."

Jarvis said he will continue to watch what happens in Nevada, not only because of his concern for the colleges and universities but also because he sees a potential market for Open University.