Online school + onsite residencies = improved image?

We all know that many online-only schools offering 100% DL doctoral programs have a not-so-good impression.

Assuming that NCU, for example, which have a somewhat weak image when it comes to their programs, starts to incorporate an optional on-site face-to-face residencies (on weekends or weekdays) at their newly built building in Arizona, would perceptions about the school change?

Also, since many today (plenty of folks in this forum), see NCU's "independent study" model as weak, and nothing more than the old correspondence school/programs (far from an interactive online program that is expected of 100% online doctoral programs), as such, would complimenting their programs with some form of optional on-site residencies necessarily improve the quality of their programs, in your opinion?

 

I watched a while a go a documentary about the foundation of Open University (UK). They also had this argument, that when they introduced in-person seminars the acceptance among the scientific community started to grow. So you might there me onto something

 

I think it does add credibility to a program with residencies. The problem for NCU adding a residency is that it is an additional cost on top of all of the other things they have been doing over the past couple of years that have been increasing the cost of attendence. When I started there in 2005, they were one of the cheapest programs going. Now, you can find better programs from better schools at the same price point. Residencies would lose them students becuase it would become cost-prohibitive.


Maybe the customer service at NCU would improve if they knew that the person at the other end was going to be showing up on campus.

 

Seems like there are three different options here:

1. Schools that offer programs online only and do not have physical classrooms.

2. Schools that offer programs 100% online but offer (the same or other) programs in a B&M setting.

3. Schools that require residencies as part of their online programs.

I'm not sure there is a difference in perception between 2 and 3, but they should definitely have an advantage over 1.

 

To avoid additional mandatory cost of attendance, I think making the residencies optional would suffice. Another trade-off would require placing more premiums on adjuncts that reside close to their location in Arizona, to eliminate travel expense. Western Governors University (WGU) used to require their mentors to attend meeting/mentor seminar once yearly. I'm not sure if they still do that, but would be nice to know how that influences potential applicants for mentor positions at WGU.

 

If residencies were optional, how would it improve the reputation of a program with respect to rigor? A graduate who did not attend a residency would have the same diploma as one who did. One of the benefits of an online program is that adjuncts can be located anywhere, so the school has the ability to hire according to needs rather than hiring according to whoever happens to live close by. I am not trying to burst your bubble, but I think you may be trying to make NCU into something that it is not willing to be as it has demonstrated so far.

 

I do comprehend your position on this. I'm just saying that just for the different stakeholders to know that residencies exists at NCU would elevate the overall image of the school even when many of their students do not attend them. Also, since demarcating who attended the residencies or not would not be conveniently known, a few students that attend would make the student body of NCU to share in the positive image that the practice would bring. I also noted the disadvantages of introducing residencies to their ability to attract adjuncts from across the country. That is why such may need to be limited to very few sessions even if its just once or twice per program.

The reason I started this thread was just a way to think out loud regarding how potentially successful online schools can elevate their image as well as retain their students. Many in this forum have withdrawn from NCU, and I wonder if they (NCU) do not make effort to retain their students by innovating/tinkering a bit in an effort to make students more confident of their investment. If they pay attention, they would easily understand why many students leave, and they would streamline their operations such that students have less to complain about. Maybe their problem is growing too fast such that they can afford to loose some customers. I read on their site that since they were allowed to participate in the federal student loan program, that enrollment is up significantly.

 

Specifically, why did you leave?

Most students in doctoral programs leave at the dissertation stage and NCU is probably falling into this category.

Having residencies in any doctoral program may be a good idea, but having a one week seminar may not be enough to increase the graduate rate. NCU would then have to fly-in all their instructors from around the United States which, as others have noted, and it would make it more difficult to retain instructors (due to their conflicting schedules) and due to the increased costs.

On a completely different note, here is an article on the push to separate applied doctorates from research doctorates. The article makes an outstanding case for the push in this direction.

 

I wonder if NCU, or schools like NCU, could do a regional residency. Since they have students and perhaps adjunct faculty from around the country, instead of flying everyone out to AZ they could rent hotel conference rooms and do the residencies throughout the country near where most of their student populations are.

 

I am a person who actually learns better (and easier) if I'm sitting in a classroom. Distance learning, for me, is only the preferred modality because I can't just quit everything in my life and go back to B&M school. Even though residencies can be inconvenient I know that they would enhance the educational experience for me. Also, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it enhanced the reputation of the program in the world of mainstream education. I'm thinking about some of the limited residency MFA programs in this regard. Plus, if you choose wisely, you can visit some interesting places and almost turn your residency into a vacation.

 

From what I know as a former NCU student for a short time, they wouldn't bother unless they had to do it to survive. I have never experienced a school that puts so little effort into meeting students needs. Their curriculum, course design and rigor is good, though.

 

That is exactly where I was going with my comments. First of all, to me there is abolutely no evidence that NCU is even interested in increasing its reputation in academia. NCU knows that several other online schools require residencies, yet they have not for whatever reason demonstrated a willingness to do so. If they did offer residencies it would be strictly as a result of a business decision, not meeting any sort of unmet student need.

Honestly, from my time there I got the impression that they really do not care why students leave because there are others entering right behind them. Their customer service is complete crap. I had three advisors in two years. I had a few great instructors that just disappeared like they were never affiliated with NCU. Those are some of the reasons I left and it had nothing to do with the dissertation stage because I left before I had even reached that point.

 

I agree - that is where they really fail. You get the feeling they just don't care. I have even asked my advisor, "What do you do? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to help since I pay your salary?"

 

Ultimately no.

1. The reputation as an online school is public. The fact that residencies happen would require an understanding of an online school's curriculum which requires effort on the part of the hiring committee.

2. If a hiring committee has candidates that require no effort in a particular area because they have several candidates for which no such level of delving is necessary, the candidates that require delving are disqualified.

3. Online PhD holders with excellent publications are known before anyone is fully aware of where they got their Ph.D from. If a candidate is known in this way, the granting institution rarely matters and the location or quality of residency isn't a factor and the hiring committee will give this sort of candidate a pass to job talk status.

I view in person short-term residencies as a backwards mitigating factor to try and elevate the rigor and perception of a program in the eyes of incoming students and accreditation bodies, not potential employers with track positions.

 

I'll say that I was very lucky to leave on-time before starting my first class. The reason why I left is because the only time I was able to talk to a real person on the phone was just before I enrolled. Immediately after sorting through the two advisors that I had, and immediately after registering for one class, no one answered any phones and emails were not returned. I also, in reading the many complains that other students had in their general discussion forum, I realize the school had lots of issues. Since I had several weeks before my official class start date, I immediately withdrew before my first class actually started. Worst, they went ahead and charged my credit card for some technology fee (which I never used, since I withdrew before I even started) after I was withdrawn.

Sadly, it took about three months of email escalation before that fee was returned. I think spending $40k for a degree should merit some student service. I just couldn't deal with the bad service which they are not doing anything to remedy. I must also say that their courses are not interactive at all. You just type up papers until you drop which makes it a correspondence school more that online/interactive.

 

I'm enrolled in my first course at AMU. We're in week 2 and the instructor has not responded to my two emails, which were sent about eight days ago. He also has not responded to three PMs which were sent a couple of days ago. It's sort of frustrating. No advice or feedback is provided to questions, thus far. However, this may be an anomaly for AMU and it may not be an accurate representation of other AMU instructors and courses. Time will tell!
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