Today I was browsing the "Institutions to be Considered" list on the DEAC website. One school in particular really stood out: University of Arkansas System eVersity. I decided to see what this was all about and found that "The University of Arkansas System eVersity is an independent university that offers degrees composed of courses that are found at the fully-accredited universities in the University of Arkansas System. Accredited UA System partners contribute courses and eVersity combines these to create a degree that is awarded by eVersity." Obtained from: Accreditation | eVersity My question is: WHY?! Why would the University of Arkansas system, which already has a pretty robust list of online programs available from member institutions, set this up? Okay, fine. Colorado State did something like this - setting up a separate online institution - and called it "Global Campus". But who in the world is going to want to spend the rest of their lives stating they earned their degree from University of Arkansas System eVersity? I find this particularly curious since virtually every single FAQ page for online program essentially says that the word "online" isn't on the diplomas, transcripts, etc.
They'll probably just say "University of Arkansas" the way that many UMUC grads say "University of Maryland".
1) They're $165 per credit hour; UA-Little Rock is $280 per credit hour. Not a bad price. People on this forum can match and beat this price through Big Three and non-traditional credit; most people are not aware of these options (or might not like the Big 3 model). 2) It comes from a public university system. 3) Currently, they concurrently award UA-Monticello BGS to graduates. 4) If this thing survives, UA System is bound to change this horrible name. 5) Some graduates would just say they went to "University of Arkansas".
And that's precisely one of my concerns. I grew up not very far from the University of Virginia's College at Wise which is connected with, but not remotely the same as, the University of Virginia (UVA). It drove me nuts when people tried to create the impression that they attended UVA. In the same way, UMUC is not UM-College Park nor is UA-Monticello the same as the University of Arkansas. They share a name, and perhaps there's some shared governance, but they are distinctly different institutions. A student who earns a bachelor's degree in accounting at UVA-Wise is not a graduate of the renowned McIntire School of Commerce at UVA.
I think the name is weird. One time I interviewed a candidate, who earned a degree from Columbia College. I asked whether the degree from Columbia College of Columbia University in the New York City. He replied "YES"...but I doubt it because his location of employment is separated Columbia University at the time of studies.
@Tekman, You reminded me of a hot button issue here in Illinois. I pray for anyone who says they attended the "University of Illinois" when they actually attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) or, arguably even worse, the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Up here, Illinois unequivocally implies the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (they're so "Illinois" that the school's website is Illinois.edu... the system's website is "uillinois.edu). A friend of mine attended "Illinois" and met someone during an exercise class who said that she, too, went to Illinois. Further discussion revealed that she actually attended UIC and my friend was not shy about calling that out. It's that big of a deal.
If you want to make it even more interesting, throw in the fact that they are attempting to gain DEAC accreditation: Institutions To Be Considered
My guess this is a good development for DEAC and for students with DEAC credits. In many cases an institution will drop DEAC once RA status is achieved.
That is the school's fault as much as anyone else. If they want there to be a distinction, then make the distinction distinct enough that no one will be confused. I've said for quite awhile that UMUC should be renamed Maryland State University, and be done with it. The name will still carry considerable cachet as a state university, and there will be no more confusion with any of the other UMaryland schools.
Would it really matter if someone says they came from University of Arkansas, or University of Arkansas ? onder:
I guess some people who paid more the Brand are more likely to care when others who may have saved a buck and attended a satellite campus or other state school with a similar name. I personally don't care. I also remember there being several different Columbia colleges. I think there is one in Missouri, Illinois, and I'm sure in other states as well. If they graduated from a Columbia College, it's safe to say it isn't the same thing as Columbia University.
Or maybe your friend is just that petty. Anyone who actually gets upset about these things has their priorities out of order (IMO).
It's only open to Arkansas residents so the reach is likely rather short. According to their site they are operating as an independent school that by itself is not accredited but works with accredited schools in the University of Arkansas system. It speaks well of the DEAC that a major University system entity would seek its accreditation. However, I'm not exactly certain why the previous system couldn't have conferenced and developed this without having a totally separate entity, but perhaps there is more to it than one from the outside can be aware of.
