The free classes offered through Massive Open Online Courses are a hit, but UC Online looks like a bust.
The University of California spent millions creating UC Online and launched the first classes a year ago, offering UC quality courses to current students and anyone elseoutside the university system. According to the Associated Press, about 1,700 UC students have signed up for one of the 14 courses offered, but they’ve attracted a grand total of five non-UC students, despite $4.3 million spent on marketing.
UC Online was supposed to generate revenue for the cash-strapped but highly reputable state university system. The program borrowed $6.9 million from UC with a plan to repay it by enrolling 7,000 non-UC students who would pay $1,400 to $2,400 per class. With just five students so far, that means they’re somewhere near $10,000 in revenue or 0.0014 percent of what they must repay within seven years.
The San Francisco Chronicle Reports the situation is creating tension between Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and the UC administration, as displayed at a Jan. 16 regents meeting:
