Continuing and Innovative Education, The University of Texas at Austin

Meredith Attwell Baker Comments, FCC Press Conference, 9/21/09

[Opening:]

Thank you so much. It is just a real pleasure to be here. I am so thrilled that the UT distance learning is being showcased as part of our first national broadband plan meeting. So we’re thrilled to be here.

I want to particularly thank Dean Ashcroft, Dr. Pro, Dr. Glessner, Dr. Krohn, and Dr. Shea for having me here today. What I know about UT K-16 Education Center and The University of Texas’ online college program is [that it is] impressive, but I really can’t wait and look forward to learning more about what you have done in the innovative world of distance learning programs.

The University of Texas distance learning program is the perfect example of the benefits that broadband can bring to the American people. It provides educational opportunities from high school and college courses for credit to continue education, professional development, and personal enrichment for students of all ages and from all walks of life.

This program, which provides cutting edge, high quality, award winning programs and courses to people outside the traditional classrooms, allows its students to access classes at any location at any time. Through distance learning programs like the one here at UT, students in rural areas, and anywhere in the country will be able to receive quality instruction providing them with necessary skills to succeed, compete, and prosper in today’s global economy. That said, I don’t want to take away time from this important presentation, and the students and the alumni that are gathered here today. So I’m very grateful to all of you and I’m looking forward to hearing [your stories].

Dean Judy Ashcroft’s comments follow this introduction.

Amy Pro’s comments follow Dean Ashcroft’s comments.

Closing and Q and A:

Okay well, I’m just dumb founded. I’m almost speechless. But I’m from Washington, so I have a little bit to say. [Laughter]

I want to thank you all for demonstrating these wonderful programs and sharing your stories with me.

Colleen: what a great story on UT Online High Schools. It was truly touching.

Erick: I think you are really demonstrating everything that is great to offer about the migrant program. Congratulations and I hope St. Edward’s is great for you.

And Sheila: good luck being a teacher and I’m glad you got through that biology course. I think LUCHA was probably essential.

All of these distance learning programs really show that the Internet is a critical educational tool.
I should probably take a step back and say what we’re really doing with bringing the FCC to The University of Texas. As part of the Recovery Act that Congress passed, we have to write a National Broadband Plan for Congress that’s due on February 17th 2009 and we thought it was important not just to stay in Washington D.C. and have workshops there but to actually reach out and see what critical tools were being used in different communities and so, luckily, we chose Austin first and I think we obviously chose a winner.

This program is incredible and we’re very grateful. I think this distance learning program that is provided by The University of Texas is really a model for education benefits that can be achieved over the Internet. I’m grateful for your energy and your effort. This is an amazing team and obviously a very strong student body that is really inspirational.

We look to get the policies right at the FCC so that we can see this program grow, so that we can see more educational tools over the Internet because it’ critical for the next generation of our education and the next generation of our children. So thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for bringing me here today. And thank you for taking the time to demonstrate these wonderful programs. We’re really grateful. [Applause]

If anyone has any question, we have a great panel here to answer questions if anyone has any.

Audience member 1: I have a question. The FCC chairman has never mentioned privacy, at least not very much, and for courses like this where you have educational records or tele medicine, investment, economic development all really depend on privacy. Here in Texas, we’re required to waive privacy as a condition for getting broadband service here and just want to get a sense from you on whether you think the FCC is going to support privacy online right of consumers here in America.

Meredith Baker: Well I can’t speak to the specifics of that. I think privacy is critical. As you look at supply and demand of broadband, one of the things that could really go wrong is if we have something go wrong with privacy. Privacy and cyber security, both of those I think are critical. Where we are currently in this phase is gathering data. What we want to do is have the most fact based data plan that has ever come about so we’re looking at a strategic plan that’s going to be really data driven and I think privacy is an important part of that. As I understand, you’ve already submitted comments and those will certainly be an important part of our record.

Audience member 2: Is one of the things you’re looking at -expanding broadband? Since a little over 30 percent of the country doesn’t even have access to broadband and these types of programs don’t work very well without broadband.

Meredith Baker: Great question. I think we’re doing a couple different things. Number 1: We’re looking to map where broadband exists and where it doesn’t because I think we’ve seen now that broadband is critical. It’s critical infrastructure and as more government programs actually run over broadband we have to make sure that everyone has access to it. So I think that’s one thing that we are doing. What was the other part of your question? I’m sorry.

Audience member 2: How critical is it to get the little over 30 percent of the country who doesn’t have broadband, so these kinds of programs can be available to them?

Meredith Baker: We don’t know exactly what the number is of the amount of the nation that doesn’t have broadband so that’s why we’re looking for mapping. But because we think it’s critical, we think it’s also important to have some “How can we get people onto the Internet?” Penetration is one thing, adoption is another so we need to make sure that we have adoption policies that encourage people to actually use broadband which will also increase the use of it. So I think we’re kind of looking at it from both perspectives. Yes…you might want to announce your name before you ask your question—[Laughter]—not that everyone doesn’t know who you are.

Audience member 3: For the record, Madame Commissioner, my name is Gene Fick and I have a question about the online education programs. And that is, what are the eligibility criteria, if any, for participation? In other words, let’s say that a student is interested in the program. What determines whether he or she is eligible?

Amy Pro: Anyone who has passed the eighth grade is actually eligible to enroll in The University of Texas Online High School. It meets the needs of many students and some students will find it’s just not what they are looking for but they’re welcome to try our program. We also can take over-aged students, students who are beyond high school age- over 18, 19, and we allow those students to enter our high school, too. So anybody past eighth grade is welcome to enroll in our online high school.

Gene Fick: Okay, so I just want to confirm: anyone who’s interested in education can come and join that program.

Amy Pro: Yes sir.

Gene Fick: That’s great. This is sort of a follow up because there was a wonderful mention of K-16 or in the case of some of us, K-22. What other programs are available and similar? I know you can’t list the syllabus and this sort of thing here, but this is fascinating stuff and it fits right in with what Commissioner Baker said about reasons to adopt broadband. I can’t think of anything more compelling. What else? Can we get college degrees online?

Judy Ashcroft: You might be interested in two other programs that are available for students. One is a credit by examination program and this is an opportunity to work with school districts and with individual students. One of my favorite recollections from teaching in college one time was that the first snow fall came the night before their exam so they were all out playing in the snow. The final exams then were impacted by that. Well the same thing happens with high school students where something happens and they may need an opportunity to demonstrate that they have indeed mastered those skills and that’s credit by exam.

Amy Pro: Our courses are available to any student that would like to take a course to either advance or recover credit. They don’t have to enroll in our UT high school to do that. They can stay in their public school or be home schooled and just use our courses as a tool to move towards graduation.

Judy Ashcroft: Thank you, Gene.

Gene Fick: Where do I find that information?

Judy Ashcroft: Oh, thank you for asking. The Web site is very robust with information about these programs, www.utexas.edu/cie.

Meredith Baker: And just in that vein, you can also learn an awful lot more about the FCC, what we’re doing in broadband at www.fcc.gov.  You can click on the broadband part. You can look at the 23 workshops that we’ve done all summer on the different parts of the broadband issue, whether it’s tele-medicine, tele-education or adoption or middle mile—the spectrum. We have tried to hit an awful lot of the sides of this issue so that we can gather as much information as we can.

Alright without any further questions I am going to say a huge, heartfelt thanks one more time to you all for having us here. It been wonderful to meet you, great to hear your stories, and congratulations to you.