Latest news with #HarvardExtensionSchool
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Chula-Harvard Collaboration Marks a Milestone in Globalizing Thai Intellectual Heritage
BANGKOK, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 3, 2025, a delegation from Chulalongkorn University, led by Professor Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, along with vice presidents, assistant presidents, deans, and institute directors, visited Harvard University in the United States. The purpose of the visit was to build an academic network and foster international collaboration in education, research, and innovation with one of the world's leading universities. The Chulalongkorn University delegation received a warm welcome from Katherine G. O'Dair, University Marshal, and Professor Mark C. Elliott, Vice Provost for International Affairs. The meeting focused on exploring potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions. On this occasion, Professor Dr. Wilert Puriwat signed Harvard University's Guest of Honor Book. Following the meeting with Harvard administrators, the delegation visited the Harvard Extension School, where they were welcomed by Dr. Nancy Coleman, Dean of the Division of Continuing Education (DCE), and Mr. Tom Garriepy, Executive Director of DCE's International Programs. They provided an overview of the Harvard Extension School's operations. Mr. Eric Patnode, Program Manager, then led the Chulalongkorn delegation on a tour of the school's advanced technology studios and various classrooms. In the afternoon, Chulalongkorn University executives held a meeting with representatives from the Harvard University Asia Center. The delegation was welcomed by Professor Michael Puett, Director of the Asia Center, along with Professor Dr. James Robson, Faculty Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, and Professor Jay Rosengard, Director of the Thai Studies Program. The meeting provided an opportunity for both parties to exchange ideas and discuss potential future collaborative projects. View the photo album of this article at About Chulalongkorn University "Chulalongkorn University proudly retains its No. 1 position among Thai universities and ranks 132nd in Asia out of more than 2,000 institutions in the THE Asia University Rankings 2025—a testament to the excellence of Thai higher education on the regional stage."
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Other Harvard
The Division of Continuing Education at Harvard is a shining example of college access, ... More affordability and quality - yet sadly remains a secret to most. Amidst the growing drumbeat of negativity about elite colleges and universities, Harvard University announced recently that it will now be tuition-free for students whose families make less than $200,000 a year. The news marks the latest in a series of ramped up commitments by Harvard to offer more financial aid to students in need. But as impressive as that commitment has been, the story about their commitment to college access has remained focused on the Harvard everyone thinks about – the elite Ivy League college that enrolls a mere 7,000 undergraduates with a full sticker cost of attendance at $82,866 per year (or more than $330,000 for a bachelor's degree). But the bigger story on increased access is about the 'other Harvard' – which is the relatively untold story of Harvard Extension School. Harvard Extension School is part of the Division of Continuing Education at Harvard and has operated for more than a century (launched in 1910) with a mission to serve non-traditional students across both degree and non-degree programs in much the same way one might view a community college. It began awarding associate's degrees in 1913 and established the Bachelor in Extension Studies in 1960, which later became the ALB (Bachelor of Liberal Arts) in 1980. The first ALM (Master of Liberal Arts) degree was awarded in 1980. Since 1990, the Extension School has conferred more than 20,000 degrees. Its current portfolio offers non-degree courses, associate's degrees, and bachelor's and master's degrees – including many fully online or hybrid – at a fraction of the cost of a traditional degree. According to university officials, Harvard Extension School students have completed more than 1.25 million courses since inception. The Extension School emphasizes access, quality, flexibility, and impact. Considering access as a function of cost, a student can get a bachelor's degree from Harvard Extension School for as little as $33,600. That's not a typo. It's exactly 1/10th the cost of the aforementioned price of a Harvard College bachelor's degree, and all but 8 of its credits can be done fully online. The average age of an Extension School student is 27 and 66% work full-time – representing considerably different demographics served compared to Harvard College. When it comes to elite colleges and universities doing more to increase access to higher education, the work of a division of continuing education or extension school is infinitely more scalable and affordable than continuing to chase the rising price of their traditional undergraduate on-campus degrees. As I've pondered previously, elite colleges and universities could educate more than a million students if they were to think more expansively about their offerings, modalities, price points and student demographics they serve. Since launching the Harvard Financial Initiative in 2004, Harvard has invested more than $3.6 billion in undergraduate financial aid. And in 2025 alone, it will invest $275M in financial aid for Harvard College undergraduates, the equivalent of 833 'full ride' 4-year degree scholarships. If that same amount of funding supported bachelor's degree students at Harvard Extension School, it would equate to between 4,092 and 8,184 full degree scholarships (depending on prior learning or transfer credits awarded). In short, 5-to-10-times more students would benefit. Making education more affordable and accessible to the nation's best and brightest is a worthy and meaningful effort, but the media (and the general public) have an unrelenting focus on elite colleges. There is no effort to lower the actual cost of an Ivy League education – only an effort to provide more aid for the rising cost. These rising costs are further exacerbated as tuition and room & board costs soar at elite institutions. I have been both a champion and a tough critic of elite higher education, and I've argued that two types of elite universities (those reputed for their selectivity and cultivation of top academic minds, and those known for their growing access, affordability and completion rates) are not necessarily contradictory. A university can be both elite and accessible: Harvard already is. If only more were aware of it, this model presents a real opportunity to restore public confidence in U.S. higher education. (The author is a volunteer member of the Dean's Advisory Council for Harvard's Division of Continuing Education.)
