Higher education in traditional settings faces key challenges in finance and technology: the ability of potential students to afford rising costs and the ability of traditional universities and colleges to remain relevant in the digital marketplace. And, the success or failure of this model depend on whether the lessons of history are employed to keep pace in an ever changing marketplace. And through the lens of a globally recognized brand that lost its battle with dominance, the future for the current model of higher education may become obsolete raising ethical concerns that warrant consideration.
With the costs of a traditional education topping figures in the triple digit thousands, perceived value of that medium has declined. In some traditional settings Instructor Led Training has been supplemented by online courses, often with more flexible deadlines in an effort to boost enrollment. This trend, in addition to the sheer number of "massive open online courses," or MOOCs seizing opportunity in the marketplace are positioning distance learning as the preferred medium (Carr, 2012).
The additional challenge of remaining technologically relevant might best be viewed via the prism of the Kodak story. Having held a dominant position in the photographic film market for most of the 20th century, Kodak began to struggle for its failure to adapt to where the industry was heading. As a result, they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2012 (Larish, 2012). And for higher education the challenge is equally significant. It is nearly impossible to turn on the radio or television without hearing another story about defunding. And, whether those cuts are at the state or federal level, technology and therefore, relevance, suffer. Having done some post-baccalaureate studies in recent years, the cuts from lab supplies to restroom supplies are evident. And, analogous