Last year the number of students who enrolled in online degree programs offered by nearby Omni University increased by 50 percent During the same year Omni showed a significant decrease from prior years in expenditures for dormitory and classroom space mo

In the memorandum from the president, it is stated that Humana University management wants to start and promote online degree programs to improve enrolment numbers and resolve budget deficit problems. The president has arrived at this conclusion from the fact that a nearby university, namely Omni, has increased its enrolment numbers considerably, while simultaneously cutting down on dormitory and classroom space expenses by starting to offer online degree programs. However, before moving forward with the idea of starting these online classes, a few assumptions need to be addressed.

First of all, the president has assumed that the last year’s outcomes at nearby Omni University, can surely be replicated at Humana University this year. In other words, it is assumed that historical data from Omni University can be directly interpreted so as to make predictions and general comparisons with Humana University. It is probable that Omni University and Humana University are similar based on the single fact that they’re in the same neighborhood; perhaps there was an online degree program “hype” which tends to sway the opinion of the masses more than ever these days, due to social media, ultimately causing many students to enroll because of peer pressure. It might also be the case that students opted for the online degree courses due to teachers at Omni University having past expertise in teaching using the internet resources and having a good track record for job placements through the same degrees. If either of these scenarios has merit, the conclusion drawn in the original argument is significantly weakened.

Secondly, it is implicitly assumed that the sole reason for reduced dormitory and classroom space expenditure is due to significant amount of people opting for online degree programs. This blinkered view fails to take into account the possible increase in rent in nearby the campus area, which might’ve caused students to steer towards the online degree path, even the ones who wanted to pursue a traditional, on-campus degree. There might also be a possibility that a pandemic and/or a natural calamity could have occurred during the previous year. This might’ve been beneficial for Omni University’s online degree programs. If even one of the above cases is true, the president’s argument does not hold water.

Lastly, the president is assuming that introducing an online degree program would surely boost the enrollment numbers and solve the problem of budget deficits at Humana University. It would not be wise to think that just introducing an promoting online degree programs won’t come with their caveats. It is very important to have a strong infrastructure for handling all the nuances of online resources, with a capable team adept in technology to look after the hardware and ensure smooth operations, and to protect the information stored in the university online archives from various online attacks. The expenses which come along with introducing an online degree program and promoting it, might end up being much higher than the profits which Humana University would be making. If Humana University wants to initiate online degree programs at the earliest, they should be aware of the pre-requisites for such a venture.

In conclusion, the argument in its current state is significantly flawed due to its reliance on several unwarranted assumptions. Although if the author is able to provide more evidence and answers to the questions above (perhaps through a systematic survey of the nearby area), then it would be viable to clearly evaluate the viability of the recommendation to introduce and promote online degree programs at Humana University.