[joekim]

How would you calculate the reduction in value of lectures if given online?

I'd argue the value of the lectures is about the same for large classes, it's the ability to ask questions or students ability to focus that gets harder online.

[noirbot]

And at the same time though, it's also generally more work to set things up for an online class, or at least it can be, especially for classes with labs, or ones that usually involved using a whiteboard. It may be a reduction in value to the students, but it's also an increase in work for the professors probably.

[glofish]

is that a good argument?

This product if worth X amount for you, but I can only build it for 2X

An online course that an average professor puts together will be much worse than what is already available on Coursera.

This is what scares the administration, they know cannot compete with that, and bigger things are at stake, like the future of the entire institution.

[noirbot]

I'm not arguing it one way or another, but just saying that even if it's true that the class provides less "value" if it's online, it's almost definitely more work, or at least different work than most of the professors signed up to be doing.

If anything, a lot of the cost of a college tuition these days isn't in the pay for the instructors anyway. It's in the campus, the labs, the sports, the social life/club funding and the like.

[glofish]

Ok, are you arguing that all courses will be online, but the campus, labs and sports will be in person?

It seems like you are missing the point, if the student is not coming the professor can't get paid either. Do you thing GT will just print more money?

[noirbot]

I'm saying that, in a world where campus needs to be closed for safety reasons, but professors can teach online, it's possible to both reduce/discount tuition and still pay professors near what they were making before since they're still doing as much or more work as before. Most of the cost of tuition is physical-world/social events that couldn't take place if campus was closed.

I'm not sure what will end up happening, or if it will be fair to either party here. And obviously, if students drop out over this, then that will cause financial issues all over, but that doesn't seem like what's happening. Students are still enrolled and interested in taking classes where possible. On the other end, telling non-tenured professors that they now have to teach entirely online for less money is an easy way for them to go find a different job, which isn't good for GT either.

[glofish]

I think if they move all online, the university will have reduced income, that in turn will set the new salaries.

It will in a way work out, all I am saying that I don't think these petitioners ever thought about it, or considered that.