Execs and staff going online for continuing ed: flexibility filling up cyber classrooms.

Responding to the marketplace--longer work days, longer commutes, less time in general--more universities are offering increased flexibility in the way working adults can continue their professional education. Regarded as one of the fastest mainstreamed offerings in higher education, online distance learning has evolved, and in many cases is on par with traditional higher education.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, for example, has seen enrollment in its Executive Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies program, a good portion of which is completed online, double during the past decade to reach 60 students. And the school's seven-year-old Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, which is entirely online, has 54 students currently enrolled and quickly fills up every semester.

"With the right technology support, which I think is the key, the online (distance learning program) has really become favorable," said Dwight Burlingame, associate executive director and director of academic programs at the Center, and a professor of Philanthropic Studies and Public and Environmental Affairs. "It can be as good (as face-to-face instruction) as long as that online portion has the capability in it" for interaction.

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Online-course enrollments now account for about a fifth of all continuing- and professional-education enrollments at the typical college or university, according to a 2006 report completed by Eduventures Inc., a research and consulting firm. Moreover, the report, based on a survey of 43 nonprofit institutions, predicts that online continuing-education enrollments will grow by about 20 percent each year for the next few years.

A separate report, Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, found that 62 percent of chief academic officers surveyed believe the quality of online instruction is "as good as or better" than that for face-to-face instruction. This is up from 57 percent in 2003.

According to results of the new The NonProfit Times' 2008 Salary Survey (see page 19), of the more than 1,450 responding nonprofit organizations, 742, or roughly 51 percent, said they support professional development education. Just fewer than 350 responded that they provide tuition reimbursement.

Those are promising numbers for a sector that, according to experts, generally trails when it comes to financing outside of programs and services. "Nonprofits are generally not as generous in awarding tuition reimbursement for their employees," said Stephen Gambescia, assistant dean and associate professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, at Philadelphia's Drexel University. "The budget does not allow for it." However, the larger and more mature the nonprofit, he said, the more likely it will offer some tuition reimbursement.

Gambescia, author of several studies on online degree programs, said another reason nonprofits are less generous in this area is they "might believe that the turnover is too high or unpredictable, and consequently do not want to 'invest' in formal staff continuing education if these employees will simply take their credentials and run."

A separate salary survey found that a quarter of the nonprofit respondents described their employee retention for 2007 as "poor" or "fair." The study, completed by nonprofit search firm Professionals for Nonprofits (PfN), also showed a slight decline in the percentage of organizations that provide staff with professional development, down from 57 percent in 2006 to 51.4 percent last year. Those that offer tuition reimbursement fell from 32 percent in 2006 to 30.6 percent last year.

According to Gayle A. Brandel, president of PfN, which has offices in New York and Washington, D.C., the decline is not significant enough to suggest that either is actually down. "There's a lot of vagrancy between one survey and another, who happens to be answering it, etc. So I would say that it's probably about the same" as for 2006. And although the survey did not address specifically online continuing education, Brandel said it's included in the category "professional development." The study will be released later this month.

Other studies indicate that nonprofits are more likely to provide continuing education support for senior staff rather than issue it as an across-the-board benefit. "Nonprofits are also more likely to make allowances not based on a standing policy, but a 'looser' case-by-case basis," said Drexel's Gambescia. "What generally works at smaller organizations is to have a pool of continuing education money available and allow employees to step forward to use it. Larger nonprofits usually issue a cap and when you max out that benefit, that's it for the year."

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But according to Alan Sutherland, professor and program director in nonprofit and association management at University of Maryland University College (UMUC), in Adelphi, Md., he's noticed a significant change in the student makeup at UMUC.

The seventh-largest program among approximately 225 that specialize in nonprofit management offered exclusively online, UMUC during 2007 had more than 300 students declare the nonprofit management track. And, of its more than 1,000 undergrads and 650 graduate students in the program during spring '07, roughly 42 percent and 53 percent, respectively, received some financial assistance from their employer.

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"You're seeing more and more people below the executive director level," said Sutherland. "I don't know if it's because nonprofits are seeing more reason to invest in the education of people below the CEO level, or if the people themselves are seeing more reason to invest in their education, but there's a distinct trend."

Added Sutherland: "We're seeing people at the administrative assistant level taking UMUC's online nonprofit management continuing-education courses." Of course, "the job market here (in Washington, D.C.) is that it's fairly universal (that the position of administrative assistant) requires a bachelor's degree. This may not be true in other parts of the country."

Regardless, the numbers are up. Indiana University's Burlingame attributed the growth to universities responding to a demand for increased flexibility--a demand that is more often coming from working adults looking to continue their professional education.

Several studies comparing the quality of online or "distance" learning against traditional face-to-face continuing education have concluded that there isn't a significant difference at all. Moreover, the costs are generally equivalent.

"Overall, the trend from employers is to favor covering the cost of tuition, even if a course or degree is offered online, believing there is little difference in the quality of education," said Gambescia.

Added Burlingame, "it's really a toss-up. I think you can have a very good experience (with online courses) ... and for some people, it's actually better."

Looking to the future, Gambescia said he believes there are two good reasons nonprofits should seriously consider allowing employees to take online courses, cover the cost, and consider it a responsible investment.

First, the time-away-from-work factor is minimized via the online learning format. And second, when you look at the degree programs offered entirely online, they are in subject areas that are very useful to nonprofit employees.

Sutherland, who prior to UMUC worked as both a CEO and chief administrative officer at nonprofit organizations, said he understands the challenge of convincing a board that tuition reimbursement is a good investment. "There are certain things that may not on the surface appear to be moving--because nonprofits are mission-driven--moving you towards your mission. But that doesn't mean they're not a good investment, and that you shouldn't do them even if it means you cannot finance every program you would like to."