NORFOLK, Va. — A major shift in how some classes are taught at Old Dominion University is sparking pushback from faculty and raising questions from students, after the university’s Faculty Senate voted no confidence in President Dr. Brian Hemphill on Tuesday.
The vote comes as ODU plans to move all online courses into eight-week formats beginning in fall 2026 — part of what university leaders describe as a broader digital transformation aimed at boosting enrollment and preparing students for a changing workforce.
Faculty concerns about timeline and governance
Some professors say the changes are moving too quickly and worry about how compressed timelines could affect academic quality across different disciplines.
“Not all courses at the university are suitable to be taught in the same way,” said Michael Carhart, a history professor and president of ODU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
Carhart said faculty leaders are not necessarily opposed to online learning or innovation, but want a slower rollout and more input in how the changes are implemented.
“This is all supposed to be implemented in the fall of 2026… and it is not ready,” he said.
He added that trying to apply a single course structure across all programs could create challenges for students.
“ODU has the full universe of knowledge and of disciplines… to fit everything into an identical format… the faculty don’t think that that’s going to play out very well for students,” Carhart said.
Faculty leaders also say they felt they did not have a meaningful seat at the table as the changes were being developed — something university leaders dispute.
Carhart said tensions between faculty and administrators have intensified during the process.
“It certainly has reached stalemate. It’s on the verge of becoming adversarial,” he said.
University says plan is necessary
University officials say the vote does not change the institution’s direction. The Board of Visitors has expressed support for Hemphill and the university’s long-term strategy.
Administrators argue the shift toward accelerated online learning is partly a response to what higher education leaders call an “enrollment cliff” — a projected decline in traditional college-age students — as well as broader financial pressures facing colleges nationwide.
In an April 2025 interview with News 3, Hemphill told Jay Greene universities are already seeing fewer students entering college directly from high school.
“We just have fewer students that are coming to colleges and universities of that traditional 17 to 18 year old,” Hemphill said.
He noted that a growing share of college students today are adult learners who may be balancing jobs and family responsibilities.
“It’s difficult for them to show up, maybe at a three o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. We have to look at how we provide asynchronous, accelerated opportunities for adult students,” Hemphill said.
ODU leaders say the changes are meant to make programs more accessible and better aligned with workforce needs.
“This is about meeting our students’ needs… preparing them to be leaders in the workforce,” said Kimberly Osborne, the university’s vice president for communications and chief marketing officer.
Osborne said interest in online programs is already rising.
“Our application and admits have more than doubled when we look across our online enterprise for fall of 2026,” she said.
She also emphasized that faculty will continue to oversee course content and instruction.
“Faculty at Old Dominion University remain fully responsible for instruction, course content, assessment and student engagement,” Osborne said.
Student perspective
Some students say they are watching the changes closely.
One ODU graduate student told News 3 she worries that shorter course timelines combined with increased use of artificial intelligence tools could reduce opportunities for meaningful interaction with professors and classmates.
She also said many students have not received formal training in how to critically use new digital technologies, which could make the transition more challenging.
Costs and broader trends
The debate comes as college costs continue to rise nationally. According to U.S. News & World Report, in-state tuition at public universities increased about 2.2% for the 2024-2025 academic year, while out-of-state tuition rose about 2.4%.
With the new online course model expected to launch next fall, both supporters and critics say the discussion over how quickly ODU should transform its academic structure is likely to continue.
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