But internally, something far more damaging is happening.
In the rush to scale, many institutions are pushing out courses filled with templated content, ghostwritten modules, and disengaged faculty. And in doing so, they’re risking their reputation, their students’ success, and the very foundation of their academic credibility.
This is the scaling paradox in higher education: the faster you grow without intentional design and oversight, the faster your course quality erodes.
What We Mean by “Ghost Faculty”
In some cases, a single faculty member is listed as the instructor of record — but never designed the course. They might not even know what content exists until students begin emailing with concerns.
In other cases, the course was designed by overextended instructors years ago, re-used repeatedly with zero updates, engagement, or integration of current events, new resources, or accessibility standards.
Then there are the third-party content vendors, white-labeled and resold, that provide fill-in-the-blank course shells. They’re often visually appealing but pedagogically hollow.
To students, all of this feels the same:
Detached. Outdated. Robotic.
And increasingly — unacceptable.
Content Without Strategy is a Liability
Imagine launching a new business degree online, but every course reads like a textbook chapter dropped into Canvas. No interactions. No media. No relevance to emerging business trends. No professor who seems actively involved.
Would you stay?
Would your students?
Scaling without strategy invites:
- Student disengagement and course attrition
- Negative reviews on platforms like Reddit, Quora, and RateMyProfessor
- Accreditation red flags for lack of rigor, outdated content, or poor assessment structure
- Faculty burnout, as they attempt to support students in courses they didn’t design
- Legal exposure for non-compliance with accessibility standards
These aren’t hypotheticals. We’ve seen every one of them happen.
The Fix Is Intentional Design + Strategic Faculty Support
At Babb Education, we work with colleges and universities who want to scale without sacrificing quality. That means:
- Partnering with faculty to design dynamic, student-centered courses
- Providing clear course maps and learning objectives
- Embedding multimedia and interaction points
- Ensuring ADA compliance from the ground up
- Avoiding the trap of fill-in-the-blank curriculum that looks great but teaches little
- Supporting institutions through course refreshes, instructional design services, and scalable frameworks
Growth doesn’t have to mean ghost courses. It can mean beautifully designed, accessible, engaging learning experiences that reflect your institution’s values and academic integrity. We work with your faculty member, or our subject matter expert - your choice.
But it has to be intentional.
A Final Thought for Leadership
As a president, provost, or director, you may not see these warning signs until it’s too late — until your reviews tank, your enrollments drop, or your accreditation team asks hard questions.
But we do.
And we can help you prevent them. Contact us today.
