Virtual universities: are dual mode universities the solution?

In a dual mode university, identical programs can be offered on campus and at a distance. In both cases the economies of scale mean that the cost per student is significantly lower for distance students than for campus based students. In the United States, increasing potential student numbers in some states has led to an increase in demand that cannot be met by the conventional universities and many are now realizing the advantages that distance learning can bring. In the paper we discuss the reasons why the single mode system is successful in the UK and how Deakin University in Australia has managed to provide high quality distance education from a dual mode university. Both systems have strong student support systems in place and this is one of the major reasons for their success. The current increase and availability of electronic communications, particularly conferencing systems, is enhancing the support that students receive as well as the style of learning material, so that the concept of a virtual university is now even closer to fruition. We then look at how distance learning can be used in the United States to create dual mode universities and to establish such a virtual university, using, as an example, the association between the Open University, Florida State University and the Community Colleges in Florida to provide a BSc Program.