Campus Briefs
:: NEWS
NEW COLLEGE AT WGU
To meet workforce demands, nonprofit online university Western Governors University is forming a new College of Health Professions, offering competency-based degrees in healthcare management,
health informatics, public health, and health education. Through its accredited, online program, the college’s focus will be on working adults who need access to education to further their career goals.
NOODLING OVER MOODLE
Humboldt State University (CA) researchers wanted to know how Moodle, the open source CMS, stacked up against Blackboard, so they ran a side-by-side comparison. They reported that Moodle1.3.2 held advantages over Blackboard 6.0 Basic Edition in providing individualized feedback and the ability to track
a student’s activity in class. Blackboard had the edge over Moodle in appearance, gradebook, and threaded discussions.
PENN STATE WORLD CAMPUS JOINS THE MARINES
US Marines can now enhance their leadership
and management skills through two Penn State online degree programs available to them via the Marine Corps branch of
the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC). More than 177,000 active-duty Marines and eligible family members can
enroll to work toward degrees in Organizational Leadership or Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management.
MORE MUSIC AT MARYLAND
The University of Maryland-College Park is expanding its offerings of legal music
downloading for students and staff. Joining in a multi-institution agreement with the University System of Maryland,
discounted rates with download provider Cdigix will be available this spring.
FOOTPRINTS AT OBERLIN
At Oberlin College (OH), the IT department wants to disconnect students who have violated copyright
law when sharing music, videos, or other copyrighted files—and quickly. IT has begun a port-disconnect project
that can associate a student name with a port and automatically disconnect that port. The project is based on FootPrints
from UniPress Software, a software product that manages several areas of IT service and support.
A WEALTH OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
Through a series of live and on-demand Web
casts, the Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Global Health (MD) is communicating its latest medical
and research discoveries, to help healthcare providers treat and prevent infectious diseases in remote
areas of India, Thailand, Africa, and other global regions. The telemedicine programs have been made
available via Sonic Foundry’s MediaSite ML Rich Media Recorder and content
hosting and management services, and with Polycom’s VSX 7000 and 3000
video conferencing systems.
READY2NET?
Of course you are. Sponsored in part by Campus
Technology, the free, simultaneous satellite and Web cast series resumed March 1 with a program
on “The Future of eLearning” moderated by Campus Computing Project founder Casey Green. Panelists
from several campuses discussed the attributes of successful eLearning initiatives and offered
their projections about ubiquitous access. View the archived event at www.csumb.edu/ready2net.
:: PEOPLE
VALPARAISO GETS NEW CIO
Dennis A. Trinkle will become executive director
of Electronic Information Systems and CIO at Valparaiso University (IN) on July 1, upon J.
Michael Yohe’s retirement. Trinkle moves to Valparaiso from DePauw University (IN).