Virtually unheard of a decade ago, instructional outsourcing is sprouting on university campuses around the US.

When students of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., take an introductory journalism class, they'll have some of the most qualified teachers in the field just not on the payroll.

They work for St. Petersburg-based Poynter Institute, a non-profit journalism training group, which has agreed to supply the university with instructors for the class via the Internet.

"We are leveraging our e-learning platform to help journalism educators to have more time with their students," said Howard Finberg, interactive learning director for Poynter. "We can do some of the teaching for them."

"Given the significant reduction in state support for public education, compounded by the fact institutions need to maintain quality programs, we are going to see additional innovative attempts at partnerships that will address both issues of being able to provide cost-efficient programs that are high quality," says Daniel Hurley, director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Proponents see the practice as another innovative way to cut costs, access bigger markets and add expertise to classrooms.