In July, the Obama administration proposed $500 million to develop an online education plan for community colleges to open Web classes to the public based on course content and software developed by Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, should this plan succeed, "This type of course could become part of a free library available to colleges nationwide."But does Brandeis truly want to pursue this path?

Online education is popular right now and also portends to be a big money maker should colleges eventually offer degree programs for online courses. University of Phoenix Online offers many of the same financial aid programs as Brandeis. With continuing budget problems, some may consider avoiding online education a bad move for Brandeis. Adding a few extra hundred students and going online could possibly fill some of the budget gap without having to build extra housing or hire extra faculty. Proponents of the online system claim that it could offer education to the poor and underserved. But despite all of these benefits, there are serious problems with online education.

The problem with online education is a matter of parity. Those on campus get a much fuller education than those sitting in a remote location taking online courses. Most of the learning in college takes place outside of the classroom. Speakers come from all over the world to impart their knowledge to eager students and faculty on the Brandeis campus. Unless Brandeis were to film all of those moments and offer them to students, those taking Brandeis courses online couldn't really claim to have the Brandeis experience.

Interactivity is the next problem. In an online course, you can ask the professor questions and take part in group exercises. But talking with a group of fellow students over lunch is difficult if the participants are dispersed around the state or country.

First-class lecturers and interactivity create an atmosphere of ideas that is essential to the liberal arts education. One need go no further than the pages of the Justice to see how speakers and student groups can get people thinking and talking. Episodes such as the controversy over Bill Ayers' visit last April are central to learning and to an understanding of what your own convictions and values are. Opportunities for self-discovery are cut down in an online university.

Low graduation rates provide a more tangible problem. According to U.S. News and World Report, Brandeis has a graduation rate of 85 percent. The graduation rate for the University of Phoenix Online is abysmal: According to statistics from the California Postsecondary Education Commission, only 281 students graduated out of 6,578 enrolled, putting the graduation rate at 4 percent. Those are the sort of numbers that could tarnish Brandeis' reputation as a first-rate educational institution. Whether a student graduates speaks in large part to the quality of education being offered and whether or not the environment is an enjoyable one.

The real-world college experience cannot easily be brought online-from speakers to late-night bull sessions to being involved in extracurricular activities. Brandeis should not belittle the quality of its education by going online and putting its students in danger of the lower-quality education and higher dropout rates that define the online college experience.