In addition to iTunes Plus, Apple added another feature to its iTunes Store that took me somewhat by surprise, as I had seen no mention of it until today: iTunes U, an area of the iTunes Store where colleges and universities can make all sorts of educational content available, including the usual lectures and lab demonstrations but also sports highlights and campus tours. Best of all, everything is free!

As of today, there’s not much content – only 16 schools appear on the iTunes U list – but I expect that to grow rapidly. The files can be downloaded to your iPod for listening anywhere. With so many people owning iPods these days, it’s a terrific idea to extend the reach of our institutions of higher learning.

Listed at iTunes U along with such renowned universities as Duke, Stanford and MIT, Baltimore-area residents will find one neighborhood name: UMBC. On its page UMBC has seven videos from its New Media Studio as well as links to its own Web site.

So, Johns Hopkins, what’s the holdup?