ProctorU Offers Online Eyes for Online Testing

MOOC's movers and shakers
(Image: Chronicle of Higher Education)

When the MOOC phenomenon began a couple of years ago, the hype suggested the world would soon receive free courses from the globe's top academic minds. That siren song has slowly evolved into universities paying for MOOCs. The P&L for MOOCs versus live teaching was just too attractive for the institutions and profs to ignore.

One issue that emerged alongside the MOOC stampede was the matter of secure testing. The standardized testing world, especially in Asia, is corrupt and prone to profound bouts of cheating. That situation has created what Americans like to characterize as an "opportunity." In this case, a few enterprises, whose purpose was to provide online monitoring of online testing, were started. One of anti-cheating firms, ProctorU, was the centerpiece of a feature story in today's siliconvalley.com.

Ironically, PU's proctors are typically college-aged students who earn less than nine dollars per hour for their snooping. The U makes proctors available at any time of day, probably to accommodate international students. According to the siliconvalley.com story, students are charged $20 for the service.

That sounds like tip money until you start doing the math. A full-time student typically takes at least five courses per semester. That's $100 for the online testing portion of their semester's academic experience. Meanwhile, over 6.5 million students took online classes in fall 2011. Multiply that figure by $100 and you come close to what Twitter's IPO generated, without any SEC or Wall Street analyst hassles to outfox.

The next time someone suggests there is no money in education, think about ProctorU's cash-strong business. Yes, something stinks at PU.

Chicago University's $1 Million Investment in Chancellor's House: A Cautionary Tale

A dreadful trend of the new millenium is how few middle-class American families' kids can afford to attend college. University tuition and fees march ever upward, well in defiance of inflation. Academia typically sings the blues over funding, and notes how its charges for services are necessary and even prudent.

Fewer people are accepting the U's well-rehearsed, arrogant financial song-and-dance. Stories such as one the Chicago Tribune reported today are among the reasons why.

University of Illinois-Chicago chancellor Paula Allen-Meares
(Image: University of Illinois-Chicago)

The article notes how the University of Illinois-Chicago spent over one million dollars to refurbish a house for its chancellor. The deal was that the school's boss, Paula Allen-Meares, would hold frequent receptions and other activities at her home. Her scorecard for the past four years shows a grand sum of eleven events.

When the Trib journalists raised pointed questions about this curious arrangement, the university tried its best to deflect the issue, misrepresent activities associated with the house, and wish the whole episode away. Chancellor Allen-Meares did not deign to answer any reporters' inquiries, even though she works for a public institution.

Universities generally don't like this sort of spotlight. They're uncomfortable explaining why their chosen few enjoy privileged lives while students and their families get financially squeezed. Chancellor Allen-Meares earns over $400,000 annually. That's over and above the free housing UIC maintains for her, while the school pays annual maintenance charges of approximately $100,000 on it. Allen-Meares is on the last legs of her five-year contract. If the university's board gives her a clean bill of employment health, she stands to earn a $375,000 bonus. The UIC chancellor does not get a cash housing allowance. However, the chancellors of the other two University of Illinois campuses do. Those yearly stipends range from $24,000 to around $30,000. Considering these are very highly compensated employees, the allowance is akin to throwing money at the chancellors. Why do they need a housing allowance at all?

Ah, but in the corrupt world of senior academic administration, these payoffs are part of the game. The next time someone tells you about the financial struggles of Alma Mater, tell them what the U really needs is financial transparency, responsible executives, and a commitment to end corruption. Then ask them how quickly the U will act on those initiatives. And, yes, "never" is an answer.