Dear Educators,
I hope this note finds you doing well. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of online boot camps, it's crucial we share an update on our path forward. Over the last year, we've seen a decrease in search demand and enrollments, particularly in coding, prompting us to evaluate how we can best continue our mission while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our organization.
We've noted that canceled cohorts and sub-optimal class sizes have become more prevalent, with over 15% of our classes operating without the dedicated support of a TA—a trend that is becoming more pronounced as we look into the 2024 cohort launches.
In response to these challenges, we are adopting a strategic and future-focused approach by transitioning towards a consortium model with some of our university partners. This means students from Case Western, UCF, and Wisconsin, among others, will be united in a single, enriched learning environment. This model not only makes our class sizes more sustainable but also significantly enhances the learning experience for our students by leveraging the diverse experiences of a robust and complete teaching team, comprised of both Instructors and TAs.
Our pilot consortium cohorts have shown promising results, and we are excited to officially launch our transition to this model in April across 11 of our partners. This new approach is expected to slightly reduce the number of available instructor assignments while simultaneously increasing the availability of TA assignments throughout the year. Excitedly too, we are expanding opportunities for educators across 2U’s diverse portfolio, particularly in Exec Ed, which will afford you additional opportunities to support those courses.
Our focus remains squarely on providing incredible learning experiences, being prudent and thoughtful about our future. Having had the privilege of working within the boot camp space for almost 9 years now, I can say with certainty that it’s our educators who continue to create the impactful experiences that make it all worthwhile. As we embark on this transition together, I'm confident in our collective ability to adapt and thrive, ensuring a bright future for both our students and our organization.
Kindly,
Jed