Stanford played a crucial role in the development of MOOCs, with faculty involved in start-ups such as Coursera and Udacity. President Hennessy does not think that MOOCs will replace traditional undergraduate education, but he does see them playing an important role in the continuing education of our professional workforce. MOOCs can also reach global markets that are not being served by higher education.
John L. Hennessy has been president of Stanford University since 2000, though he has announced plans to step down in the summer of 2016. A computer scientist and entrepreneur, he has long been a champion of online learning and educational innovation. To learn more about Hennessy’s transformational leadership, see this article from Stanford University: Stanford President John L. Hennessy to Step Down in 2016.