Educators and fire-protection experts recently gathered at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, Mass., to discuss the future of fire-protection engineering education. One subject of discussion centered on distance learning, in which off-campus students study on line, via cable television or by videocassette away from their respective school. The topic raised a few eyebrows from some participating academics who expressed fears of students, as a result of this alternative, opting not to physically attend a school or outright choosing another, meaning that professors could lose their jobs as a result of declining or shifting enrollment. These concerns, however, were deflected by others as opportunities. "There's really a chance for a lot of collaboration," said Dave Lucht, director of WPI's Center for Fire Safety Studies.
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