ASSEMBLY HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 876

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 27, 2020

      The Assembly Higher Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 876.

     This bill directs the Secretary of Higher Education to conduct a study to examine the prevalence, cost, and quality of on-line courses offered for credit by institutions of higher education upon payment of a fee. Under the bill, the study would only pertain to such on-line courses and must include:

· a list of the specific on-line courses made available by each institution;

· the cost of offering an on-line course at the institution compared to the cost of a traditional, classroom-based course at the institution;

· the overall number and percentage of part-time and full-time students who enroll in at least one on-line course at each institution;

· the total amount of savings generated from offering on-line courses compared to classroom-based courses realized by each institution in an academic year;

· whether the quantified savings are used by the institution to benefit the students enrolled in the institution and, if so, the manner in which those savings are used to reduce student costs;

· the average completion rate and average grade for the students enrolled in each on-line course offered by each institution;

· the overall four-year and six-year graduation rates for students who enroll in at least one on-line course at each institution of higher education compared to the average four-year and six-year graduation rates for students who do not enroll in an on-line course at the institution; and

· an assessment of the policies and procedures each institution of higher education has in place to ensure that institutional support, technological support, and faculty support are provided to students enrolled in on-line courses to ensure a high quality educational experience.

      The bill requires the secretary to prepare and submit a report of the study’s findings to the Senate Higher Education Committee and the Assembly Higher Education Committee within 180 days of its effective date.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.