Two questions about ACCS: 1) Does anyone know anything further about their difficulties with TRACS? Is the school making any visible progress towards resolving this - or is November likely to be the next news? 2) For those of you who have taken courses: what kind of faculty feedback do you receive? I signed up for my first M.Div course a couple days before news came on this list of their problems with TRACS (the adviser I spoke with there said nothing of the problem). So far, my response on assignments has been: "Good work" and a good grade - but nothing beyond that. Is this normal for ACCS - or have I just hit a course with no feedback? I would trade a few grade points for some meaningful responses. I am debating whether to continue work - or to wait till after the November TRACS decision. And, if the degree is no more than writing papers and getting "good work" written at the top, I'm not sure I'm interested anyway. By comparison, my advisore at SATS (I'm working on their M.Th) has given lots of feedback. Any response from other ACCS students will be helpful! Thanks.
in the same boat Just to let you know that there are others out here in cyber land that are in the same boat. I am currently enrolled at ACCS. i have enjoyed their flexability and the classes i have taken. I am in a holding pattern due to their accreditation issues. I emailed Tracs but they did not respond to my inquiries. i called and no one was home. any way. you are not alone hang in there Robert
Greetings, I have a horse in this race, though I too have not heard any additional information (I am optimistic). As for the comments issue, I have received some scattered through out the paper. I must say that this is not different from my other graduate experience (a good RA school). The last time I got extensive notes was in my undergraduate program. I do understand why you would appreciate these in a DL program because of the lack of in person contact. I enjoy DL. There are times where I would enjoy some added discussion but I have found that I get what I need out of the material without folks sticking up their hand in class just to hear themselves speak or cheez up to the prof . North
The ACCS folks do seem to have good hearts. I do not know what will happen in Nov when it is decision time by TRACS. Wish them the best. My experience re my papers at ACCS is prof comments as "good work" etc too. That's about it! This is not how I'd wish to teach DL. Were it I, I would: 1- make the assignment, eg, a paper of 25 pages on the Christology of the ante - Nicene fathers. 2- give 50% of grade for the first submission of the paper. 3-In addition to comments on English usage , style and form , I'd ask 10-12 probing research questions on that student paper to induce further learning. These would have to be addressed in the revision of the paper. This constitutes- more than does "good job" -efficient teacher-student interaction so often missed in DL work. Research has evidenced the good effect of such probing questions even in secondary school teaching. 4- give 50% of grade on revised paper based on the quality of the responses to those probes.
I would also give a glossy sticker for those who finished in the 90 percentile range, which would further validate the coursework.
Russell A certain Dean at a certain Indiana DL school liked my idea. I got an invite to attend a meeting to discuss this with the faculty. But of course I blew it by bad mouthing the school on other issues like those worthless stickers from abroad you reference. So the Dean cancelled by a letter of apology my participation in that meeting. Ah, well, my idea would likely not work anyway as it would double or triple faculty involvement...who wants to work more just so students can learn?
I'm guessing the appeal decision will be made during the upcoming TRACS Annual Conference, November 5-7, 2003. http://www.tracs.org/news.htm
