Nor was it to be solely a research facility. (Stanford has one at Peking University, in Beijing.) Faculty members across the country would share videoconference screens, and students in New York would be able to take online classes based in Palo Alto.

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But in order to remain competitive in the 21st century, a college has to support wireless networking, provide ultra-high-speed connections to classrooms, and even allow students to take classes online.

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Maroe expresses some lofty ideas about democratizing the hiring process, comparing Evisors to massive open online courses where students can take free classes from top-flight professors at schools like MIT and Princeton.

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"He's a little bit slower than he was" but is working on a ranch, attending online classes from home and planning to take his message of survival to high schools around the state, Bobby Bothe said.

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Enrolled Penn students who complete the online option can take a departmental exam to prove their knowledge and pass into higher-level math classes, just as they can after finishing an AP class.

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These programs are more likely to offer a variety of online or night classes, provide weekend access to professors and mentors, and allow you to take a flexible class load.

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