British Columbia Open University

Any thoughts about BCOU? I have looked through the archives here and and at AED. I don't see much mentioned. It apparently is associated with legitimate Canadian universities and the Open Learning Association. I don't see any accreditation info on their site but this may not be unusual for a Canadian university. I do find this message if I burrow into their web site.


Business as Usual as BCOU
November 13, 2002

On October 30, 2002 the BC Ministry of Advanced Education announced that the British Columbia Open University's (BCOU) programs and services would be transferred to another public post-secondary institution in the province by September 2004.

What does this mean for current and future students?
I want to reconfirm that there has been no change to our operations. Students can continue to register in courses and programs offered by BCOU and the value of a BCOU and OC credential will be protected. We will meet all of our commitments to students, without interruption.

As concrete information about the transition process becomes available we will be communicating with all students.

Terry Piper
President and CEO (Interim)
Open Learning Agency
Provost, BC Open University


Since that time enrollment has apparently jumped 120%. Looks like a good program with reputable sounding name. Any additional info appreciated.


http://www.bcou.ca

http://www.ola.bc.ca

 

BCOU would be called a state university in the US. Canadian universities generally have no accreditation other than legislated authority to grant degrees. Athabasca University is, however, a candidate for US regional accreditation to allow better recognition in the US.

The Province of British Columbia periodically tires of being Canada's wealthiest province and elects a socialist government that proceeds to destroy the economy.

Presently BC is in the rebuild the economy stage and government spending is being curtailed. I assume that any reorganization has to do with saving money and programs will probably continue.

Who knows, as the premier of BC who voiced that politicians should be held to a higher standard was charged with drunk driving a couple days ago. I suspect a resignation is coming.

He will be the 4th to resign in disgrace in the last dozen years. Nice place;nutsy people.

 

Thanks for the additional information.

 

What exactly would that mean? ("BCOU´s programs [...] would be transferred to another public post-secondary institution [...]")?


T.

 

It could mean transfer of programs to UBC, Simon Fraser U or the U of Victoria.

May save on overhead but have doubts.

Mixed residential/DE schools don't seem to thrive as well as those totally committed to DE.

 

sorry,
stupid german still doesn´t get it -

a) is BCOU going out of business and the state transfering all of its programs and services to other institutions

or

b) is the text only about the possibility of BCOU students to transfer courses / degrees to other institutions?


---


all in all, BCOU´s bachelor´s programs (they don´t seem to offer master´s degrees, hm?) looks even more interesting for me than excelsior, tesc and cosc because the latter three all have 30 credits "resident requirement" (in terms of US credits) wheres it seems like at BCOU (6 credit resident requirement!) I could transfer in a hell of a lot more of my European university credits... (and would only have to pass 2 of BCOU´s own online classes in order to get my bachelor´s).

or did I get something wrong here?


greets,

trigger

 

The plan is that BCOU will cease to exist in September 2004. BCOU programs will be transferred to other BC institutions over the next two years. There will be a portal, BCCampus.ca, that will provide an integrated view of DL higher education opportunities in BC.

 

That´s what I thougt.

Thanks, oxpecker.

So it might be wiser not to enroll in a program whose mother university will dissappear from the radar in 1 1/2 years...

Besides, the name "Open University" always has kind of a "average" sound in European ears (British OU, for example, is respected, but always less than any brick-and-mortar UK university for Human Resource people).

So I´ll maybe have to continue my search... - or just wait.

Thanks and bye,

Trigger

 

No such thing - at least on this side of the Atlantic.

 

Re: My view of BCOU

Royal Roads was a former military college (originally navy) that was turned over to the provincial government by the military and reopened as a university.

The name Royal Roads carries great respect in western Canada from its former use.

History http://www.rrmc.ca/about.asp

 

Also, while it may be logical for it to go to Royal Roads University, if the Canadian government is anything like the U.S. government, the logical choice is often the least likely one.

 

The Canadian military has 2 requirements when purchasing kit.

1) It must be useless.
2) It must be made in Quebec.

What's logic got to do with anything?

 

What a minute, that's only 1 requirment, what's the second?

 

Ouch!

 

My wife Rosie has decided to apply here. We'll see if they accept the credits that Excelsior did not. I'll keep you posted.

 

Well, favourable impression so far! Rosie registered 2 days ago for Sociology 102 at BCOU. We were expecting to wait a couple of weeks for the course materials, but they arrived this morning by Federal Express! The assignments look easy, as well.

 

Another public notice from the Provost of BCOU:

"On Wednesday, March 12, 2003 all twenty-six public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia received a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for the British Columbia Open University/Open College (BCOU/OC). [...] The release of the EOI is a positive step forward in the OLA transition process and it has no impact on our everyday operations. [...] As the BCOU/OC transition process continues I will be communicating with all students and clients."

-- http://www.ola.bc.ca/ol/whatsnew/

 

"November 28, 2003 Update from BCOU’s President: The Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED), the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and the Open Learning Agency (OLA) Board have agreed not to proceed with the transition of the British Columbia Open University/Open College (BCOU/OC) to BCIT. This decision represents a suspension of the current transition process for BCOU. AVED will be reviewing alternate options for BCOU over the next several months but wants to make it very clear to students that it is committed to protecting the unique services that BCOU offers."
http://www.bcou.ca/About_BCOU/whatsnew.html#transition

 

Wait a minute Dennis. You left one out.

3) It must be Liberal Party approved.