No pay U.

As an engineering educator, how much would it be worth to you to reach 100 million students at one time, virtually speaking? Enough to donate a bit of your time and to lecture for free? Software multibillionaire and Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate Michael Saylor hopes so. The Washington, D.C.-based founder of MicroStrategy, Inc. is donating $100 million-he calls it a down payment-to help create a global, online school that he says will rival Ivy League institutions in quality.

A few days after making the announcement, MicroStrategy restated its financial results, a move that caused the public company's stock to drop 62 percent in a single day. The market valuation for MicroStrategy declined $11 billion, and Saylor suffered a paper loss of $6 billion. Wild gyrations in the stock market, particularly the technology sector, have since resulted in more volatility. However, the MicroStrategy CEO is still worth billions and remains committed to his idea for top-quality distance education.

Saylor; 35, not only envisions a super-cyber-university, but one that offers free education. And to accomplish that goal he expects top profs to film lectures on a gratis basis. Well-known educators will contribute to ensure their reputations, little-known academics will do it to further theirs, Saylor told The Washington Post. "People line up and fight to get on the Charlie Rose show; I think they'll fight to get into the studio."

But John Williams, an MIT civil engineering professor and distance-education expert, is not so sure. "He'll be lucky to attract people. We're all out starting dot-corns." Williams says that while Saylor's altruism is admirable, and the future of online education is great, he doesn't think the nonprofit model will work. "In the end," he notes, "education is a business."

-Thomas K Grose

Copyright American Society for Engineering Education May/Jun 2000
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