Thursday, October 26, 2000

Companies Start a Washington Lobbying Group for Distance Education By JEFFREY SELINGO Washington Two of the biggest players in the distance-education market have come together to create a new lobbying group here that will tell federal policymakers about Web-based education. The group -- the Online Learning, Research and Training Association -- was formed this month and is backed so far by the University of Phoenix and Capella University. The association plans to have about six founding members eventually and hopes to sign up other institutions soon, including possibly Pennsylvania State University's World Campus and the University of Maryland University College, said Leslie T. Thornton, the group's acting president. "The goal is to make this the largest, most substantial association for e-learning that exists," said Ms. Thornton, a former chief of staff to U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley who is now a lawyer at Patton Boggs, LLP, here. "The founders want to fund it well and want it to have influence on policy." John G. Sperling, the chairman of Apollo Group, the parent company of the University of Phoenix, said a new trade association was necessary because none of the existing higher-education associations represent the interests of distance education. "Distance education doesn't have a voice in D.C., and this will give it one," he said. Mr. Sperling said he hoped the association would help federal lawmakers understand how the growth of distance education could be hindered by some regulations, among them the 12-hour rule, which requires students to be enrolled in 12 hours of course work per week in order to receive federal financial aid. Some backers of distance learning maintain that such measuring sticks are antiquated. The association didn't wait very long to start its lobbying work. Within a few days of its founding, the group submitted comments to the Congressional Web-Based Education Commission, a panel that will make recommendations to Congress about online education. In its suggestions, the association urged the panel to call for other branches of the military to set up distance-education courses similar to the plan recently offer by the U.S. Army, and to adopt pilot distance-education programs in poor communities. Once all the founders of the association are on board, Ms. Thornton said, the group will meet to map out a lobbying strategy and a budget. The plan is to hire a full-time director and a staff based in Washington, she added. Background articles from The Chronicle: Experts Call on Federal Government to Use Its Purchasing Power to Standardize Distance Education (9/18/2000) Education Commission Hears Call for More Broadband Connections for Rural Institutions (9/15/2000) Army Discloses Details of Its Plan for Online Education (9/15/2000) Education Dept. Plans Meetings to Discuss 12-Hour Rule and Other Regulations (8/30/2000) Army Bombshell Rocks Distance Education (8/18/2000) Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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