48-72 Hours: Will Cal Coast Become USDoE Recognized?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Guest, Jun 2, 2004.

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  1. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Of course no one knows for sure, but with only hours remaining before DETC's accreditation meeting, what shall it be?

    CCU gains DETC accreditation?
    The decision is postponed?
    CCU is denied DETC accreditation?
     
  2. Ike

    Ike New Member

    The will get it

    I am not an expert on DL or institutional accreditation. My expertise is in IT and online instruction delivery systems but judging from what experts (Dr. Bear, Rich, etc) have said in the past about CCU, the school is obviously not a diploma mill. Its authorization to operate as degree awarding entity in the State of California has never been revoked since it was granted. The school’s operators appear to be conducting a somewhat decent educational operation. Its doctoral programs supposedly have been discontinued. I think that they will get it.
     
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Re: The will get it

    Only one of the two is an expert. (Hint: it ain't me. :) )

    CCU, after some early ethical bumps (department head with a diploma mill doctorate, improperly assuming the former name of an accredited school, and such), proved to be (likely) the most substantial of the long-term unaccredited DL schools in California. It was the first 100% DL school in California to get all of its programs Approved. That was back when Approval was done program-by-program, and back it when it meant something. They were involved with at least two unrecognized, but legitimate, accrediting agencies, dropping each when it became clear neither would get recognized. However....

    There is still the question of the GAO's recent findings regarding CCU and its billing of the government for courses that should have not been funded. There have been opinions on both sides of the question of whether or not this will impact DETC's decision--none definitive. And we really don't have any insight into the quality of the CCU programs vis-a-vis DETC's requirements.

    One good sign: Unlike Century and some other schools, CCU hasn't re-implemented its doctoral programs, a sure sign of giving up. Regarding the GAO mess, the DETC has been willing to look the other way regarding past sins (like deceptive accreditation claims).

    Question: Does anyone recall how soon after the accreditation meeting DETC announces its decisions? The meeting is this week, but when would we really find out?

    Unlike anonymous trolls who claim posters here are against CCU's accreditation, I think many would welcome it. It would show that such accreditation is available to any legitimate DL school, as long as that school is willing to implement necessary changes and improvements. It will utterly demonstrate that Kennedy-Western, for example, isn't a university after all, and has no excuse for operating without pursuing accreditation.
     
  4. roysavia

    roysavia New Member

    If CCU does receive accreditation status, it will perhaps end the feuds that have plagued this forum for the past few years.

    On the other hand, if they are denied accreditation, it's going to disappoint several of the members who are actively pursuing degrees through CCU.
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    If memory serves, the three things about CCU that have been in the most dispute are/were: (1) open-book tests, (2) the no-dissertation DBA, and (3) utility of a degree from an unaccredited school.

    Open-book tests are a thing of the past, IIRC. The DBA is dead. If CCU is successful, the accreditation question will go from accredited vs. unaccredited to DETC- vs. regionally-accredited. If they are not successful, all three may return. Again, a reason to hope for their success.
     
  6. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    What I have found passing strange is the tendency of some CCU grads or students to associate themselves with millist polemic, possibly on the principle that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, and then to gloat belligerently about CCU's possible accreditation as though it's a done deal, and then to denounce folks on this board for favoring accredited schools. A farrago of nonsense--that reflects badly on CCU through no fault whatever of CCU. Other schools have been afflicted with the same problem, too.
    Personally, I think there are fewer academic corruption issues with CCU than with our other fave accreditation hopeful, TTS. I see no good reason why anything substandard at CCU can't be brought up to par, and I hope that, once that's done to the satisfaction of DETC, they get accreditation. Good luck to them.
     
  7. David Boyd

    David Boyd New Member

    Re: Re: The will get it

    The succcessful schools will likely be informally notified on Monday. Since there are almost always conditions, the official announcements may take a week or two.
     
  8. Dr. Gina

    Dr. Gina New Member

    Besides CCU, who else is up for review????????????
     
  9. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    See http://www.detc.org/theaccrediting.html
     
  10. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    CCU has been around for 30 years and seems to have avoided many of the shakier aspects of lesser non-accredited schools. It seems to have made a serious effort to meet the requirements of DETC.

    Some of CCUs actions during its first few years disturbed me, but it has since become an established school in California. Receiving DETC accreditation will (hopefully) send a message to other unaccredited schools to get their act together or get out.

    Tony Pina
    Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino
     
  11. Dr. Gina

    Dr. Gina New Member

    Institutions Seeking Initial Accreditation

    The following institutions have applied for initial accreditation:

    Abraham Lincoln University, Los Angeles, CA
    AHS Institute (Association for Hebraic Studies), Suffern, NY
    American College of I.T., Saint Joseph, MO
    Anaheim University, Newport Beach, CA
    At-Home Professions, Fort Collins, CO
    Blackstone Career Institute, Emmaus, PA
    California Coast University, Santa Ana, CA
    Central State University, Riverside, CA
    Deakin University, Australia
    International Sports Sciences Association, Santa Barbara, CA
    Lansbridge University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
    Monash University, Australia
    Rescue College/Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, N. Kansas City, MO
    Southern California University for Professional Studies, Santa Ana, CA
    Southern Queensland University, Australia
    University of New England, Australia
    University of Philosophical Research, Los Angeles, CA
    Yorktown University, Dolores, CO
     
  12. tcnixon

    tcnixon Active Member

    These are the candidates that intrigue me. It looks like an Australian invasion. I'm curious what benefit that they see being accredited by DETC (given that they are already recognized in Australia).



    Tom Nixon
     
  13. shirleyngan

    shirleyngan New Member

    I hope CCU can achieve their accreditation since I am quite interested in its MS Psychology program, the fee is low and (as heard) the quality is good.

    Also, CCU is quite serious for its admission policy, I remembered that years ago, I askes for admission, they reply that I wouldn't be accepted due to lack of working experience.
     
  14. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    One of the candidates (ouch) is Yorktown University which seems to have an interesting mix of history and political science courses taught by well qualified faculty. No, I am not a student.

    They do have a residential seminar (in Dolores, Colorado??) That would be a hard sell.
     
  15. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I see a couple of benefits. USDoE-recognized accreditation answers the basic (but often misunderstood) question, "Are you accredited?" Yes, they already are, but DETC accreditation simplifies this. Second, it may ease working students' efforts to get tuition reimbursement by their employers. Third, these schools might see this as an opportunity to enhance and expand DETC's footprint in this field. Fourth, they'll automatically be eligible for military tuition assistance. Fifth, they might be interested in getting USDoE approval for federal financial aid and may see DETC accreditation as a positive step. (No direct linkage, but they might be related efforts.)

    All pure speculation on my part, but these seem logical possibilities.
     
  16. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    http://www.detc.org/theaccrediting.html

    There's a lot of interesting stuff on the actions/comments page.

    One thing that caught my eye was this proposed change in the DETC accreditation standards:

    Proposed Changes to Standard VI.

    The Commission approved for public comment a revision to Standard VI. recommended by the Business Standards Subcommittee. The revision is proposed to protect the credibility of DETC accreditation by permitting the Commission to withhold accreditation from an institution with a notorious reputation. Conceivably, a school could otherwise meet the standards but refuse to change a name associated with consumer fraud or even criminal activity...
     
  17. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    I think this is an excellent idea. It would protect the credibility of DETC. And it would prevent people with earlier degrees from a school that started as a degree mill from masquerading as graduates of an accredited school.
     
  18. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    My comments on a few new applicants

    Abraham Lincoln University, Los Angeles, CA

    I've always had some vague fondness for this one. Above average but not one of my CA-approved favorites. It's strange that I don't recall Degreeinfo ever discussing it, while we devote hundreds of posts to CCU.

    AHS Institute (Association for Hebraic Studies), Suffern, NY

    When I looked at it a few months ago, I kinda liked it. (If it were located here, I would have considered it for my CA-approved favorites list.) It certainly had an interesting and unusual lineup of Jewish studies DL courses. As I recall, it seemed to have worked out an articulation agreement with Charter Oak State College. Apparently the latter school agreed to accept many AHS courses towards an RA major in Jewish Studies awarded by COSC.

    Central State University, Riverside, CA

    Not one of my favorites by any means. Besides, I hate their "CSU" initials, which are seriously misleading in California.

    Southern California University for Professional Studies, Santa Ana, CA

    They get beat up a lot on Degreeinfo, but I see them as roughly a peer of Cal Coast.

    University of Philosophical Research, Los Angeles, CA

    This one was on my CA-approved favorites list, albeit a little borderline. It has a real faculty, including a few prominent people in its unusual field. It operates out of LA's Philosophical Research Library, a fascinating specialist library for esotericism and occultism. It's never bit off more than it can chew, offering one masters degree in a subject that it can support pretty well. I think that it would be a good addition to DETC and welcome its application.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 3, 2004
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

     
  20. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    Wow.

    Perhaps DegreeInfo is actually having a small influence on DETC policy.

    For me, DETC lost pretty much all credibility with it's inexcusable violation of its own rules in granting accreditation to AICS (now ACCIS) and Columbia Southern. They never, ever offered any explanation, but Mike Lambert has spent a lot of time over the past couple years trying to convince the editorial staff at DegreeInfo how DETC really *is* a legitimate accreditor and how wrong we are for referring to them as second-tier. I don't think he'd be doing that if he didn't think that we had some influence on people making decisions about distance learning.

    So perhaps this rule will make it easier for them to deny accreditation. The million dollar questions are (a) whether they will use the ability and (b) whether they will use that and other tools they have to either force substandard schools to come up to par or to lose accreditation.

    When was the last time anyone heard of DETC putting a school on probation or revoking accreditation?
     
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