News from Nova Southeastern

I'm back at NSU taking a DBA class. As is their custom, NSU hosted a reception for students this evening. It usually is a good chance to pick up the latest on the DBA program:

1. PhD Program - NSU had hoped to start their new PhD program effective 1/1/03. However, they are going through a review process that may add 6 months or so to the start date. Details aren't firm - because the review process may lead to changes. The proposed program includes 73 credit hours with 16-20 credit hours of quant and research methods. Students must take the GMAT or GRE Proposed majors inlcude management, marketing, international business and finance. Others may be added later.

2. AACSB - As I always do when I'm on campus, I pressed the dean regarding AACSB accreditation. I further mentioned that one of his competitors, Touro, is making noise about going for AACSB. His reaction (and the reaction of others) included:

a. NSU doesn't see Touro as a major competitor - at least
not yet. Capella, Walden, Union, Argosy and UoP are
higher on their list of competitors.

b. AACSB accreditation isn't necessarily that hard to achieve,
if you simply comply with their prescriptive requirements.
Cut the enrollment significantly and make some faculty
changes - and NSU could be AACSB. Short of this,
the full time research focused faculty requirement is a big
challenge. AACSB is making some noise, however, about
allowing more adjuncts - if the adjuncts do some of the things
that full- timers do, such as research, participate in curriculum
design, etc. If so, this could be good news. Many of NSU's
part-timers are very active in scholarly pursuits.

c. Everyone indicated their doubts that any DL oriented
school (such as Touro, NSU or others) can achieve AACSB
accreditation. The prescriptive requirements - and the
economic realities simply collide.

3. Building - NSU's new business school is coming along very well and should be finished in July. While some on this NG probably don't see this as important, for a short residency program (70 days of residency) this is great news. The building is located right next to the NSU library - the largest library in the state of Florida. Come July, NSU will have an absolutely first rate place to conduct short residency courses. Current facilities aren't bad - but what's coming will be stunning.

Regards - Andy

 

Andy,

Good to hear it! NSU has been undergoing some great changes over the past few years. I would consider it another major up and coming university. Most of the major changes started in the 90's making it a completely different university than it was in the 70's and 80's. All for the positive.

John

 

Thanks for the update.

 

I guess this means that NSU's Ph.D. (70 days) is twice as good as the Union Ph.D. (35 days), given it requires double the residency.

 

Re: Re: News from Nova Southeastern

Interesting point But I wouldn't say this at all. NSU and Union have different models. There are students that will prefer each method. I liked the concept of structured classes with peers that had similar interests. Residency reinforces this. Others may prefer the Union approach.

Regards - Andy

 

Andy do you mean that many DL schools may not be able to achieve AACSB accreditation ?

 

Re: Re: News from Nova Southeastern

It isn't that AACSB won't accredit DL programs. AACSB requirements are such, however, that it will become uneconomical for most (if not all) DL schools to do so.

Regards - Andy

 

I am glad to see that NSU is at least thinking about AASCB Accreditation. I decided to go with the University of Miami for my MBA mainly because of the accreditation factor

 

Does this mean that it's not hard for brick and mortar schools to gain AACSB accreditation but DL schools won't because they lack the required number of full-time faculty? I wonder if what you heard is true. And if so, I wonder how this will impact DL business schools, as a whole. Is AACSB accreditation important enough to students to keep them in B&M schools?

 

Re: Re: News from Nova Southeastern

The dean's perspective is that AACSB isn't rocket science - the rules are pretty clear. You just have to comply. I think he is in a good position to know (having been deeply involved in his Kansas State days), but he is somewhat biased by his current circumstances. What can make it hard is the financial burden and culture change that a school may have to undergo.

As for full-time faculty - AACSB's rule appears to be hard and fast - a minimum of 50% of credit hours have to be taught by full-timers. The one twist that they are suggesting is that adjuncts might be considered - if they are involved in research, curriculum, etc.

The lack of AACSB isn't stopping a lot of MBA programs from growing. AACSB does create something of a class systems - the haves and the have nots.

For a lot of mid-career folks, it may not matter all that much. For younger folks looking to make it to the top - AACSB (not to mention a top school - Harvard, Stanford, etc.) is the only ticket.

Regards - Andy