Online diplomas are trash

Online diplomas are trash? So says this professor:

http://ggjacobsen.mbablogs.businessweek.com/archive/2006/09/23/1bsotko8fjjqh

Unless I'm misinterpreting his position ont he matter, I have to seriously disagree with this argument.

I posted more thoughts in my blog if you want to read the details, but even if you don't I'm interested in your thoughts on the professor's opinion...

 

Not impressed with either his credentials nor his opinion.

If we live in a virtual world, should we not also education in that virtual world? I believe some like to have the knowledge and have people be beholden to them as if they are a guru on the mountain. Knowledge is NOT power, the assimilation of knowledge is power. I think Mr. Jacobsen prefers to have others think of him as the power.

Now, it is true some schools are better than others, but frankly all traditional education programs are not equal. My experiences in the Distance Space has been as good as the classroom attendance I had. Certainly the instructors cared more about how I was doing.

 

It's a blog and he's stating his opinion based on his experience teaching at a single school. Saying online degrees are trash based upon one school is a false assumption based upon false logic. It's the same as saying the first orange I bought was rotten, therefore all oranges are rotten.

BTW, anyone can become a blogger at BusinessWeek, it simply requires free registration.

 

What makes this fellow an expert on education? He has a bachelor's degree and an MBA. No M.Ed or anything like that either.

Frankly, he cites in his resume that he authored 2 magazine articles. I hope he's not counting this one as one of them, because it woulnd't even meet the word count for a University of Phoenix assignment.....

 

I think this quote gives is a good example of his level of "expertise" on the subject.


"Institutions that lack these credentials [MEANING PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION] are often thought of as diploma mills, even though they are “regionally” accredited."

http://www.mbamap.com/blog/professorjay/2006/08/26/online-diplomas-are-trash

Why does everyone who has been in a position of executive management think they know everything about everything?

 

Anyone know which school he is talking about?

 

It took him five years to make up his mind? This guy is nothing more than a disgruntled employee. Is this is the best guy Business Week could find? I am disappointed at business week.

 

Well, he says he teaches/has taught at a university that claims to be based in Washington, DC, though it is actually based in Arlington, VA, and has locations in 10 Southeastern states. It sounds like he might be saying that he is/was a professor at Strayer.

 

Well, since his blog can be responded to, why not rip his paper-thin ideas? After all, it would be a service to others reading his blog who might take his word for gospel, because he presents himself to be an expert.

 

Stevie,
Looks like your biases are coming through loud and clear with this post.

 

A different viewpoint

The only thing I take issue with is the author's usage of the word trash. Online RA MBA's without AACSB accreditation certainly fill the check box for an advanced degree -- no question there. However, for competitive people who aren't willing to settle, RA MBA's with AACSB accreditation are simply the standard by which all other programs are measured. Many of you may not consider RA+AACSB to be the standard; however, for those that do (like myself) degrees that are not RA and AACSB accredited, while not trash and certainly check box worthly, they are in a general sense -- sub-standard.

 

I just love it when you see graduates from unranked online schools who think their degree is so much better than those of other students. Quite frankly, I don't think there is much difference in quality between COSC and other undergrad proprietary schools.

 

This same guy posted a reply to my blog about Penn Foster College. He said Penn Foster was "alright for an associates degree", but that I needed to go to an AACSB-accredited college for my BS. He said any college not AACSB accredited is looked upon as a degree mill, which I though was quite a stretch. Yes, AACSB is looked upon as the "gold standard", but to say any school that isn't is a degree mill, substandard, or "trash" is simply an elitist attitude.

 

When I started to read his blog, that was the first thought that popped into my mind. Did he leave on unfriendly terms?

 

It's not only a stretch, it's elitist nonsense.

I wouldn't put any stock in what this individual has to say. He is hardly qualified to be the voice of authority on this subject. Besides that, he sounds like a disgruntled individual who got fired, or was forced to leave his position in some way for some reason.

 

not even all standard brick and mortar colleges are AACSB certified. So to use that criteria to say that distance learning is sub standard is not only unfair its completely wrong.

 

There are approximately 4,400 public and private colleges and universities in the United States. According to the AACSB, 531 are AACSB accredited...Hardly the standard.

Pug