Online enrollments have grown much faster than overall higher-education enrollments over the past few years, according to a 2008 report, "Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States," published by the Sloan-C, a consortium that promotes online education. During the period 2002-7, enrollment in online courses grew 19.7 percent, compared with 1.5-percent growth in the overall college-student population. The study also found that more than 20 percent of American college students took at least one online course during the fall 2007 semester. Those figures suggest tremendous interest in online teaching and learning. Here are eight reasons that colleges should proudly--and without apology--offer online courses: (1) To actively engage students in learning; (2) To reach students with diverse learning styles; (3) To offer students a variety of experiences outside the classroom; (4) To teach students how to do independent research; (5) To make college more accessible to students; (6) To make attending college more affordable; (7) To teach students values and ethics; and (8) To provide degrees that will be valued by employers.