Building successful self-funding online learning program: Think big…Start small…and Build fast…

The great Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that “learning is the outcome of both teaching and practice”. Clearly, learning is not confined to classroom lectures exclusively. In the past several decades educators explore the possibilities of providing learning experience to remote students. With improvement in technology and the growing popularity of Internet use, online learning caught the attention of both corporations and educational institutions. In this paper, we will discuss the two common approaches higher education institutions pursue when implementing online learning programs and provide rational for their success or failure. Following, we will propose, define, and categorize a set of eight key elements of a successful online learning program implementation in an era of decreased funding. A case study about development of successful self-funding online learning program in the college of business administration at a state university in the Southeast US is presented followed by a summary and discussion.