Does anyone think California Coast will ever get regional accreditation? I mean, there are others who were unaccredited and eventually got it such as Walden, Union. Now their tuitions are sky-high.... Does anyone see this in the cards for CCU or will it always be "legal, legit, good, but not accredited"?
There hasn't been a California-approved or -authorized university from the 1970's to be accredited in a very long time. Fielding, Saybrook, CIIS; they were accredited 10 or more years ago. None of the 100% non-residential, unaccredited schools offering degrees at all levels from California has ever been accredited. CCU has been in operation for about 25 years without ever entertaining accreditation. IMHO, they are not accreditable in their current form, a form they've not changed since the early 1980's. I doubt seriously that accreditation--and the major modifications it requires--fits into CCU's business model. The added costs, administrative burdens, changes to its academic programs, and loss of customers who want a quick and relatively hassle-free degree wouldn't be offset by the increases in tuition and new students it would attract. As it stands, they collect about five grand each from customers who are clearly able to pay it, and customers who don't stick around too long. They're overhead costs are low, as are their faculty expenses. They don't have to deal with financial aid, accreditors, the VA, no one. I'd like a business where all my customers had five grand laying around to send me, all without ever requiring one minute of face-to-face contact/selling. "Ever" is a long, long time. Change it to "foreseeable" and my short answer is NO. And there is absolutely no indication to the contrary. I realize CCU was accredited by NAPNSC, and NAPNSC strived for USDOE recognition. But it didn't happen. CCU was along for the ride. It's not like they pulled out of NAPNSC and gave WASC a call....
This was discussed to some extent on AED: see California Coast University; New Promise.com, Bellevue.
I think good is stretching it. CCU is definate legal and legit but more like passable but embarassing than good.
Several years ago accreditation status was a heated subject on CCU's web site bulletin board. Many participants demanded that CCU administrators address this issue. The response was to simply shut down the bulletin board. My feeling is that it had become embarrassing for CCU management. My sense is that CCU will never seek accreditation as long as California legitimatizes the "approved" category of schools, and as long as CCU can ferret out students willing to pursue a degree from a non accredited school. There is no problem with a CCU degree provided it is not needed for licensure. My degree for licensure (RA) is a doctorate in pharmacy, and I also earned a PhD (non-RA) from CCU. The degree actually served me quite well. The non-RA doctorate is in management and pursuing it exposed me to a useful area of study not covered in pursuit of my degree for professional licensure.
Re: Re: Will CCU ever get RA? I'm not convinced about the "embarassing" part. CCU has been operating in California for a very long time. One must assume they've had thousands of customers over the decades. Yet very little is heard about consumer complaints. John Bear, a common recipient of such, has said (IIRC) that he doesn't get too many regarding CCU. There is a need for caution anytime one is considering attending an unaccredited school, whether it is something abominable like Pacific Western, crummy like Century, slim like CCU, or substantial like WISR. But embarassing? There doesn't seem to be a lot to support that conclusion.
Such a debate--like the one running at Century by its students/alumni--is one fraught with wishful thinking. These students got into CCU knowing it lacked accreditation, but hope it comes along anyway and they get in the back door. But as you note, accreditation isn't even on CCU's radar. There was a time when the California legislature was fooling itself by putting language into the law equating CPPVE approval with accreditation. The idea was to let comparable-quality-yet-innovative universities grow and prosper without the yoke of WASC. In fact, if they'd retained the more thorough approval system of old--and even strengthened it--while eliminating the authorized category--which they did--then California approval might have developed into something more than it is today. Instead, the whole system nearly crashed (as documented by Bear and Bear), and what remains is largely a consumer-protection agency, unable to evaluate degree-granting schools at the same or comparable level as the recognized accreditors. Requiring all schools to become accredited eventually turns over the state's power to WASC, which I don't think California wants to do. Still, the state's approval requirements allow schools to operate and award degrees that do not have comparable outcomes to those of accredited schools. Many issue degrees based upon inferior academic processes. The state creates this "second tier" by a) allowing unaccredited schools to operate indefinitely, and b) not beefing up their approval process to ensure comparability of outcomes. They either have to let go of their embracement of nontraditionality and innovativeness, or they have to go on approving an inferior set of schools awarding very real degrees. My money's on b).
Re: Re: Re: Will CCU ever get RA? Hi Rich I was perhaps less than clear in my wording. CCU is legal. It is legit in the sense there is no scam or dishonesty on the part of the owners/administrators of CCU in misleading potential students. In my opinion it is less than legitimate in that a majority of people consider an unaccredited school to be equivilent of a degree mill. When they think of legitimate they think of accredited. CCU or other state approved (but unaccredited) schools really sets in grey in between the two. I would not look forward to a lifetime of trying to educate people on the difference.
A CCU degree can lead to problems where one uses it to obtain employment, or to ontain promotion/pay increases, when an employer subsequently discovers the degre does not have appropriate accredidation..
While I totally agree with Rich about the chances of CCU becoming RA (virtually zero), I do think that the CA-approved sector continues to serve as a fascinating incubator of schools. The stars of the CA-approved world are still moving on to RA and even achieving distinction in their niche areas. The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto dates back to the 70's, and received their regional accreditation in 1998. ITP offers low residency masters and, as of this year, Ph.D.s. BTW, if anyone is interested in parapsychology, Charles Tart teaches here. http://www.itp.edu (Click on 'global program') Another one dating back to 1974 is the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpenteria. It offers low residency masters and doctoral programs (3 days/month on campus) and received regional accreditation in 1997. They offer an interesting Ph.D. program in mythological studies. Joseph Campbell and Marija Gimbutas donated their personal libraries and papers to Pacifica. (Alan Watts' are at CIIS in San Francisco.) http://www.pacifica.edu Not all of the CA-approved schools going on to RA are DL of course. The City of Hope/Beckman Research Institute in Duarte is the research arm of a large cancer hospital that formed some corporate partnerships, started offering CA-approved doctorates in biotechnology, and received regional accreditation in 2001. The American Film Institute in LA offers its CA-approved AFI Conservatory MFA program (not DL) that is currently a candidate for regional accreditation. SF's American Conservatory Theater pioneered that route 20 years ago when they got WASC approval for their in-house theater training program, permitting them to grant RA masters degrees for work done there.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Will CCU ever get RA? I agree, to an extent. I still believe most people who earn this kind of degree put it to use in situations where no scrutiny will take place. But I wouldn't want to make those apologies/explanations either, even if only once in awhile. And while a little of that goes on with just about anyone who's earned a DL degree, I think it is considerably less frequent for holders of degrees from accredited schools.
Bill Dayson: "The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto dates back to the 70's, and received their regional accreditation in 1998. ITP offers low residency masters and, as of this year, Ph.D.s...." John: Their ad in the current (May) Shambala Sun refers to their regionally-accredited "Online Ph.D. program (in) transpersonal psychology." The website (www.itp.edu) says nothing about residency. Their slogan: "Merging technology with spirituality." Reminiscent of the time the Dalai Lama was asked if a person could be reincarnated as a computer program. He took it under advisement, then wrote a charming essay suggesting how it could possibly happen.
This is interesting.... Home > News & Policies > Nominations by Name For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 18, 2001 President Bush to Nominate Six Individuals to Serve in His Administration President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate six individuals to serve in his administration. The President intends to nominate George Tracey Mehan, III, to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for Water Programs. He is currently the Director of the Office of Great Lakes in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He served as Associate Deputy Administrator of the EPA from 1992 to 1993 and was Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from 1989 to 1992. He is a graduate of St. Louis University and St. Louis University Law School. The President intends to nominate Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., to be First Vice President of the Export Import Bank of the United States for the remainder of a four year term expiring January 20, 2005. Aguirre is currently the President of Bank of America's International Private Bank. He was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush as a regent for the University of Houston System and former President Bush appointed him to serve on the National Commission for Employment Opportunity from 1991 to 1993. A resident of Houston, Texas, he is a graduate of Louisiana State University. The President intends to nominate Donald E. Powell to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a term of six years and Chairperson for a term of five years. He is presently the President and CEO of First National Bank in Amarillo, Texas, and was formerly with the Boatman's First National Bank of Amarillo. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Regents for the Texas A&M University System. He is a graduate of West Texas State University and received a Master's degree from Southern Methodist University. The President intends to nominate Robert S. Martin to be Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He is currently a Professor and Interim Director of the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas. He served as Director and Librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission from 1995 to 1999 and served as a Professor and as Associate Dean of Special Collections at Louisiana State University from 1991 to 1995. He is a graduate of Rice University, received a Master's degree from North Texas State University and a Doctorate in Library Science from the University of North Carolina. The President intends to nominate Alfred Rascon to be Director of the Selective Service. Most recently he served as Inspector General of the Selective Service and has also served as a Special Agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He served with the Drug Enforcement Agency as an Intelligence Operations Specialist, and from 1976 to 1984 he was a U.S. Army military liaison officer in the Republic of Panama. Rascon was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Clinton for military service during the Vietnam War. Originally from California, he is a graduate of California Coast University and Excelsior College at the University of New York State. did u catch that???? Originally from California, he is a graduate of California Coast University and Excelsior College at the University of New York State.
Re: This is interesting.... Discussed here earlier in this thread: http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3099
The material they sent me states that first year students attend three seminars (5-6 days apiece),second year students attend one seminar and third year students attend two seminars. During years five and six students attend one seminar each year. Seminars are held in the Bay Area during the months of July and January. BTW, costs also vary according to year, ranging from approximately 15K (years 3-6) down to 9K (year 2). Jack
Re: This is interesting.... As was pointed out in the other thread the appointee with the CCU degree both could have received the appointment w/o the degree and had also gone to the trouble of replacing his CCU degree with a RA one. This press release is over a year old. Is it coming off the CCU website or are they emailing it out? Many thanks.
