University of South Africa (UNISA)/DETC

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Charles, Jan 27, 2002.

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  1. Charles

    Charles New Member

    DETC has accredited UNISA.
    "Degree programs in the Arts, Economics and Management Sciences, Education, Law, Science, and Theology and Religious Studies. DETC accreditation is for degree programs through the Master's level only".
    <http://www.detc.org/content/degree.html>

    I would say that this makes UNISA the premier DETC accredited school.

    Any thoughts on which DETC schools are first tier, second tier and so on, on the DETC scale only, of course.

    Charles Fout
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I'm still not convinced that it was such a great idea for UNISA to seek DETC accreditation.

    Before this, I'm sure we'd all agree that UNISA had the equivalent of regional accreditation. Now, even though the academics of the school are still top-notch, having the DETC label, for better or worse, will, I think, cheapen the image of UNISA in the eyes of many.

    I just don't see the benefits of it, unless there are financial aid issues involved, about which I know very little.


    Bruce
     
  3. Thanks for the good news, which we have been waiting for since last fall!

    This completely destroys the theory that an institution has to drop its PhD programs to receive DETC accreditation for its Bachelor's and Master's programs.

    As for ranking, on DETC scale:

    1. USOU
      Unisa
      ISIM
      Leicester
      Maybe Cardean (jury is out)
      Maybe Concord Law (jury is out and it's not looking good since Baby Bar results are poor)
    2. AMU
      Rhodec
      CFP
      California National
    3. Grantham
      Western Governors
      Cleveland Inst.
      IMC
    4. All the ones I know nothing about
    5. ACCIS
      Azaliah
      Columbia Southern
      [/list=a]


      Incidentally, someone sent me a list if U.S. institutions with whom Unisa has established joint ventures:

      Anybody know anything about these collaborations (other than the first two for which I found URLs)?
     
  4. Yan

    Yan New Member

    As a graduate of the UNISA, I totally agree with you.
     
  5. This is clearly good news for DETC, but perhaps not for Unisa. It’s an embarrassment that Unisa is the second South African institution accredited by DETC – with the first being Azaliah.

    The question of why Unisa sought DETC accreditation has been discussed previously on degreeinfo, but I can’t find that thread because the *%$# search engine doesn’t work.

    I don't think financial aid was a consideration at all.

    I think Unisa was naïve about the value of DETC accreditation. But from what I recall, some of the reasons included the following:

    South Africa was isolated for many years during the apartheid era. During the last decade, there has been a widespread push to benchmark South African institutions and practices (industrial as well as educational) that had evolved in comparative isolation to see how they compare with the best practices in the rest of the world. In the case of university education, this push has been given added impetus by an influx of foreign university programs (e.g. from Australia and U.K.) offering “internationally recognized” degrees. This influx not only provides some (admittedly currently minimal) competition to Unisa within South Africa, but also raises an expectation amongst students and educational officials that Unisa establish its international standing as an educational institution. From these roots, Unisa’s interest in U.S. “accreditation” arose.

    There are other reasons that derive from internal requirements imposed on Unisa by the South African Qualifications Authority and now the Council of Higher Education (which fulfills the quality assurance function for higher ed in South Africa). In my opinion, by proactively seeking accreditation from a U.S. organization, Unisa sought to put itself in a better position to take the reins of the still-evolving South African institutional audit process.

    I suspect there may be other undisclosed reasons. I think Unisa has for some time been ripe for the establishment of something similar to USOU – a U.S.-based university that would require CHEA and DOE-recognized accreditation. Perhaps this is a first step down that path.

    Why was DETC selected as the accreditor? Perhaps there was no other choice. (Are the regional accreditors willing to consider an offshore institution?) Perhaps the regional accreditation process was too expensive. (I have asked about this before in this forum, but still don’t know the answer.) Perhaps Unisa misunderstood the standing of DETC in the U.S. Perhaps they were misled. …
     
  6. drwetsch

    drwetsch New Member

    So I take it that UNISA will accept DETC B.S. grads into their master programs and DETC master degree grads into their doctoral degree programs?

    John
     
  7. As an aside, I see that the DETC site lists the year in which each institution was founded. Unisa is clearly the oldest -- listed as 1873 (which was indeed the year the university was established -- as South Africa's first university -- though it was 4 years later in 1877 that it received its Royal Charter).
     
  8. KidDL

    KidDL member

     
  9. I presume that this is true. But Unisa have always been real sticklers for prerequisites for their graduate programs. So the details of one's academic record are likely to be scrutinized very carefully.
     
  10. KidDL

    KidDL member


    A logical assumption since all DETC schools allow undergrads into thier graduate programs. Now the question is, can someone who graduates from UNISA with a Masters degree transfer into an RA Ph.D. program?
     
  11. It's an embarrassment that Unisa is second to Azaliah, since Azaliah is essentially a nonentity in South Africa (and a nonwonderful in the U.S.).

    What evidence do you have that other well-regarded schools will seek DETC accreditation?
     
  12. defii

    defii New Member

    This is very interesting. My understanding is that all unaccredited schools in the US seeking DETC accreditation had to drop their doctoral programs since the Department of Education authorized them to accredit programs only to a Masters level. This has changed recently, in that now they are allowed to accredit professional doctorates (law etc).

    Obviously, UNISA did not have to drop their doctoral program in order to be accredited by the DETC. I'm curious as to how this well be looked upon by the Department of Education. Perhaps it doesn't matter since it is not a school based in the US.

    Finally, I agree with the poster who suggests that this is more of a benefit for the DETC than it is for UNISA. I can't see what UNISA gains from this. They were already a recognized foreign instituion. That made it possible to continue advanced degrees with one of their programs as the base. I hope this thing doesn't backfire and diminish the status of the institution.

    On a side note, I am not attempting to disparage the DETC. Fact is, however, that regional accreditation IS more acceptable. I wish it was not so, but I think that's just the way it is.



    ------------------
    David F
     
  13. defii

    defii New Member

    One more footnote: Unless or until UNISA's North American representatives are more responsive to inquiries, no American accreditation will make a difference. I was interested in the school, made inquiries, and got no response. And if the past is any indication, the rest of the world looking at UNISA couldn't give a rat's *** about DETC accreditation.



    ------------------
    David F
     
  14. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    As for a DETC ranking, here's my personal unscientific top ten list, with annotations:

    1. Leicester - has the equivalent of regional accreditation and is a well known research school. But it is largely a campus based institution and only one of their DL programs has DETC accreditation.

    2. UNISA - has the equivalent of regional accreditation and is a well known research institution. Has the potential to be the world's leading full-service all-subjects all-levels DL university. But it is currently suffering badly from administrative instability and poor customer support.

    3. USOU - is a candidate for regional accreditation and has the benefit of its connection to the UKOU. Not a research institution. Gets points for potential, and seems to be developing at a satisfactory rate.

    4. Western Governors - is a candidate for regional accreditation and has the benefit of considerable political clout backing it. Has developed at a dissapointingly slow rate, though. Still basically a community college with one masters program. Is number four more for potential than for execution, since it remains more a concept than a school.

    5. AMU - probably the best of the schools for whom DETC is their primary accreditation. Good execution and customer service. They offer unusual programs that are of interest to me, and which aren't available elsewhere by DL, even from RA schools.

    6. ISIM - I know little about it, but what I hear is positive. There are lots of RA DL MBA programs though, so it doesn't really have the niche program advantage that AMU has.

    7. Catholic Distance U. - Approved by the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. I believe that all of its courses have ACE recommendations. Seems credible enough, if specialized: it grew from a Catholic catechetical institute, now offers MA in religious studies.

    8. CFP - I know little about it, except that it seems to be credible among financial planners. Might be higher if I were better informed.

    9. Concord Law - fascinating concept, especially for a Californian like me. Strong financial backing. But its graduates' success on the bar exams will have to improve. Like several of these schools, I wish it were better than it is.

    10. Hard to say. They are getting pretty obscure to me at this point. Grantham, perhaps, because it offers a BSCS, which is hard to find by DL.
     

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