“Back to Carolina,” a new program at USC, will allow former students to complete their baccalaureate degree primarily online, something previously unattainable to those who don’t return to campus.
Further reducing the costs of attaining a college degree is never something to scoff at, and we’re completely behind the initiative. The correlation between income and education level is more or less a direct, positive, upward trend. The more educated people America — and more specifically South Carolina — can produce, the better society will be. And for that, we applaud the university’s efforts.
Under the new system, students who have earned a certain number of hours will be able to complete their degree online, leaving the costs of relocating to campus out of the equation. Initiatives such as these are well documented throughout the South, specifically in Alabama, where similar programs have shown great success. We’re excited about the prospects of this program, and we hope USC can bring this success to our beleaguered state.
Yet it is merely a first step. The university has purposefully shied away from reallocating resources to develop the program in order to protect traditional degree programs. By doing so, it somewhat inhibits the impact of such a system. For example, only one degree — liberal studies — will be offered. While expansion will be considered after several years based on Back to Carolina’s success, more options right out of the gate would have made it even more enticing and reenforced the university’s faith in the program’s future.
Back to Carolina is worth keeping, no doubt. College education in America is crucial in order to remain competitive in most job markets. But we endorse it cautiously, and hope USC will devote enough resources to the cause, rather than let the program flunk out due to a lack of support.