bodner089

I’ve mentioned this before, but it interests me that the most read post on this blog is the very first one, which followed an opening introduction.   That post concerned branch campus characteristics, and it has been viewed more than twice as often as any other.   It can be seen at http://branchcampus.blogspot.com/2007/07/characteristics-of-branch-campus.html .   Dating back to 2007, it continues to get regular hits, which I assume means that I chose a good title that shows up on Google searches. Other frequently and persistently viewed posts mostly relate either to some aspect of branch characteristics, or to financial matters and revenue sharing.   With regard to branch characteristics, in presentations at NABCA and RBCA this year I discussed some emerging trends that I believe are worth watching.   (As usual, what I have to say represents personal observation, rather than any sort of systematic data collection.) One trend is to open branche...

Over the past year, I’ve spoken with several people whose institutions are considering whether to pursue separate regional accreditation for their branch campuses.   The University of South Florida did that, just a few years ago, but now I wonder if there might be broader interest in the idea. In the past, I’ve made a strong distinction between multi-campus institutions, such as the University of North Carolina, where campuses have a relatively high level of autonomy, and institutions with a main campus and branches.   Shared accreditation and curriculum oversight from the main campus are almost part of defining what it is to be a “branch.”   (See my previous posts on branch characteristics; the blog is searchable.) Nevertheless, I can understand why separate accreditation for branches might be attractive.   As branch campuses become more deeply engaged in their communities and mature as institutions in their own right, they need to provide those c...