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Does this kind of higher ed/industry collaboration scale up?

Once “hired” by a client, students in Directed Research initiate contacts, arrange meetings, prepare agendas, conduct online and in-person research, and prepare a draft report with an executive summary, detailed citations for reference, and an appendix for support and further information. Much of the research is industry based, conducted through interviews and site visits with project team members and other practitioners. In-person research is initiated by each student and builds confidence as well as long-term relationships through working with senior professionals.

This practice-based approach prepares students to conduct independent research on real estate-related topics such as market studies, project finance and management, development team structure, legal and corporate issues, life cycle costing, sustainable design, public policy, and asset management. We also expect them to understand and integrate key topics they learned elsewhere MSRED curriculum. When our graduates leave the program they enter the job market armed with a real project to reference in interviews, and a practitioner to use as a job reference.

Don't miss out on joining nearly 1,500 of your colleagues and peers at higher education's premier planning event of 2010, SCUP–45. The Society for College and University Planning's 45th annual, international conference and idea marketplace is July 10–14 in Minneapolis!

Here's your SCUP Link to "Wal-Mart to Offer Its Workers a College Program"

As you probably know, many major funding organizations and the federal government are setting goals for massive increases in US college graduates over the next 10 years. Wal-Mart and American Public University are teaming up in a way that should let many of Wal-Mart's employees work toward degrees, and get credit for on-the-job training as part of the program. Our first reaction was, "Why did this partnership need to be with a for-profit? Aren't non-profits innovative enough to negotiate this kind of arrangement?"

Late news: on the Confessions of a Community College Dean blog, there's a great post with his/her initial reactions, as well as the beginning of a good thread of commentary. Catch that here.

The program will initially allow about 200,000 employees in positions like cashier, department manager and distribution center unloader to accrue credits for training they already receive in their jobs.

For instance, a department-level manager, who receives training from Wal-Mart in areas like pricing, inventory management and ethics, would be eligible for 24 credits, at no charge, toward a 61-credit associates’ degree.

Employees can receive up to 45 percent of credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at American Public University via the on-the-job credits.