The Chronicle of Higher Education interviews an MIT professor and dean who is quitting to start a new university. The school doesn’t have a name yet, or funds, but Professor Christine Ortiz believes that the time is right for a totally new, online, not-for-profit school. In the interview published today, she says:
Basically the idea is that we’ll have a core that’s project-based learning, but where students can have a really deep, integrative longer-term project rather than shorter projects. And then all of the knowledge acquisition would be moved virtually. So instead of projects’ being at the periphery, to sort of flip it more toward the graduate-education model. And I think it would be much more inspirational for the students because they could come in and really work on projects from the get-go that they wanted to work on and that they were most passionate about, and they could tailor their knowledge base to the projects they want to work on.
The 50-minute lecture (even recorded) will disappear in favor of “modularized” lessons. She does expect to hire faculty. One reason for her optimism is that so many young graduates with Ph.D.s can’t find jobs.
So I know there is a plethora and a pool out there of potential faculty and faculty who would want to be part of a really innovative model and want to be part of a transdisciplinary community. And I’ve gotten hundreds of responses from potential students already saying, When can I apply?
Good luck, Dr. Ortiz!