Universities list several reasons for developing online programs. The U.S. Department of Education listed meeting student demand for flexible schedules (68%) as “the most common factor” in making the decision to provide online courses. Other reasons included providing access for students who would otherwise not have access (67%), making more courses available (46%) and seeking to increase enrollment (45%) (Parsad & Lewis, 2008). Financial incentives are also a motivation for developing online programs. Online programs help universities contain costs by increasing enrollment without additional expenditures for classroom space and facilities management. Additionally, online programs can enroll more students percourse section than a traditional course, making them an enticing option for revenue generation when resources are taxed. At Arizona State University, online students pay the same tuition as on-campus students while minimizing demand on resources. Considering student demand for flexibility, and the potential for enrollment growth and revenue generation, it is not surprising that universities including ASU are rapidly creating new online degree
programs that are totally online.