article re public acceptance of dl degrees

Hi all,

I was sent this article on a DE listserv I belong to, and thought it was interesting regarding public acceptance of dl degrees, esp. in the corporate world:

http://www.geteducated.com/articles/qualitydistancedegree.htm

Just thought I'd share.

Regards,

Adrienne

 

Excellent, Adrienne!

I like the list of advice at the end. The first two pieces of advice:

"1. Attend a university that is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), http://www.chea.org;

"2. For maximize degree acceptance, attend an institution that is regionally accredited. This will ensure wider recognition of your degree by corporations and brick-and-mortar universities; "

It goes on to recommend programmatic accreditation, too.

I think it's interesting to note that they rank accreditation like many of us do, making a clear distinction between CHEA-recognized accreditation and RA. This runs counter to some folks who want to continue insisting--in the face of all evidence--that national accreditation (like with DETC) is the equal of RA. It isn't.

 

Re: Re: article re public acceptance of dl degrees

I thought this list was good, too, although I think I would have switched the order of numbers 1 and 2, to be honest.

I gave a presentation today to the local chapter of our major professional organization about earning a graduate degree by distance (mainly about what to consider in thinking about such an investment, and how to systematically research distance programs), and I took the time to stress accreditation issues and the avoidance of diploma mills. I noticed a lot of looks on audience member faces that seemed to indicate, "Hmm, that's a good point! I didn't think of that." I wish I'd seen this article before I gave my presentation; it would've been a good resource link to add onto my handout along with the ones for this site, degree.net, and the Bear, et al. books!

Regards,

Adrienne

 

Rich,
This article was definitely right up your alley. I found the following interesting and my beliefs fall along the same lines. I am a firm believer of the idea that going to easily recognizable schools means easier acceptance of your degree.

Corporate managers are more conservative than the public in their assessment of distance degrees. In 2000, 79% rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. (Up from under 50% in 1989). However, this approval rating surpasses 90% when the name of the institution offering the degree is immediately recognizable to the prospective employer.

This last factor is important. It indicates that while distance learning allows people to study from institutions headquartered all over the word, wider acceptance may come from attending what we have termed backyard brands™: residential colleges whose reputations are firmly established in the geographic area where the student currently lives or works.

Distance brands, tied to large public university systems, such as California State University, The University of Maryland, and Indiana University, tend to receive high approval marks (90% or more) regardless of the assessor’s state of residency.

Institutions that lack a brick-and-mortar legacy earn the lowest approval marks. People are waiting for a new generation of "Internet Only" universities to prove themselves. They tend not to trust universities that operate distance-learning programs only. While Americans generally love new products and services, higher education is one area where historical longevity breeds consumer trust and confidence.

 

Oh oh. Someone's radar is tingling ...