Adena, Thank you for your response and while I fundamentally agree with you, please consider the following. Reacting to the competitive environment requires serious introspection on the part of the institution’s leadership. Generally, this starts with reviewing the mission, vision and goals for the institution, followed by a strategic planning process initiated with a S.W.O.T. analysis (i.e. assessing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). The S.W.O.T. analysis guides the identification of positives and negatives inside the institution that will help determine its capabilities and resources for conducting a quality online education program. Without this process, deciding to offer online programs in order to be competitive may result in a costly business decision. It's important for an institution to plan out its distance education programs in a way that is consistent with the mission and its on-ground offerings. After there is agreement that online offerings are consistent with the institution's mission and goals, then a distance education strategy should be developed as part of the organization’s overall strategic plan. Has your institution used this approach in considering offering online courses? Was a market analysis conducted to determine the breadth of the potential market for your offerings? Do you have a Distance Learning Strategy in place that interfaces with the institutional Strategic Plan and guides the online program? Dr. Roehrich