TightWind is written by Kyle Baxter. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

San Jose State University is integrating online courses in a big way:

Ms. Junn hoped that blending M.I.T.’s online materials with live classroom sessions might help more students succeed. Dr. Agarwal, the president of edX, agreed enthusiastically, and without any formal agreement or exchange of money, he arranged for San Jose State to offer the blended class last fall.

The results were striking: 91 percent of those in the blended section passed, compared with 59 percent in the traditional class.

Great news. More use of class time, cheaper for students, provides more access to education and frees up university resources; what’s not to like? Oh, well, the California’s university faculty unions propose a sensible alternative:

Any wholesale online expansion raises the specter of professors being laid off, turned into glorified teaching assistants or relegated to second-tier status, with only academic stars giving the lectures. Indeed, the faculty unions at all three California higher education systems oppose the legislation requiring credit for MOOCs for students shut out of on-campus classes. The state, they say, should restore state financing for public universities, rather than turning to unaccredited private vendors.

In other words: keep spending all that money on education and shut down anyone who tries to do it differently, more effectively, and more affordably!