Federal Government Challenges HLC - AIU

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Randy Miller, Dec 18, 2009.

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  1. Randy Miller

    Randy Miller New Member

  2. TMW2009

    TMW2009 New Member

    Ouch, that's gotta hurt...

    Thanks for posting this. This should be interesting to watch. Too bad there's so much redacted in it.
     
  3. Doctor Doctor

    Doctor Doctor New Member

    Is there a reason why many distance learning schools, including UOP, Walden, Capella, and NCU, intentionally establish their operations in a region covered by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools?
     
  4. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

  5. major56

    major56 Active Member

    With so much redacted, it’s basically impossible to make any kind of assessment on this one; but don’t discount politics /influence as a possible motivator for letter initiation either.
     
  6. Hodge Family

    Hodge Family New Member

    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2009
  7. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Good for HLC... From their response letter, they’re not backing /bowing down whatsoever to DOE /OIG.
     
  8. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Not good for HLC and not good for their accredited Institutions.

    The only good thing here is that they will take action to correct the issues, this is why they sent memos to the universities.

    Then obviously saving face playing tough :).
     
  9. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Lerner,

    Maybe so; but what information do you have that would lead you to your analysis, at least at this juncture, as to why HLC sent their letter? What information do you possess from a significantly redacted OIG charge letter indicating that HLC is culpable beyond HLC’s claim to have already addressed said discrepancy by DOE /OIG? And according to the HLC letter, they (HLC) write that HLC have already acted in response to the AIU accreditation concern; moreover, HLC states in its letter that they (HLC) initially brought said issue to the attention of DOE. Not meaning confrontation, just asking questions.
     
  10. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    I reacted before reading the letters from HLC.

    Now that I read the letters I think I would act the same in self defense.

    It appears that NCA HLC is more liberal compared to lets say SACS or New England Association.

    All I say is that there is no fire without a smoke and the smoke is not good for HLC and AIU at this time.
    The schools such AIU have challenges as it is. I think and its opinion only they are facing increased competition by B&M DL universities.

    I actually tried to edit my post but it was to late. I was going to have
    Not good for HLC and not good for their accredited Institutions.

    This is not a joke, its very serious accusation.
     
  11. major56

    major56 Active Member

    "To limit, suspend, or terminate HLC's recognition by the Secretary. This is not a joke, its very serious accusation."

    Bureaucrats seldom joke and do flex their muscle; however, when everything is said and done, more-than-likely OIG’s letter is an attention-getter. Bottom-line HLC will NOT lose its recognition with DOE. It’s assured that HLC is bigger politically than DOE’s OIG. Lerner even though we don’t know what the actual charge is because of an almost completely redacted OIG document; I still feel that politics is a valid possibility concerning the for-profit AIU. This situation should be worth following. Thanks for your response and thoughts.
     
  12. jek2839

    jek2839 New Member



    Major56,

    I must agree that politics is involved, I would guess that SACS has played a role in the HLC/AIU versus OIG issue. Why?

    AIU was SACS accredited, but now has HLC. American Military University tried for SACS, but gained HLC accreditation by relocating. Columbia Southern University (DETC) is in SACS territory, recently purchased a small college in Iowa that is accredited by the HLC and through this purchase agreement will be offering more online learning opportunities based out of SACS territory.

    CSU president: Waldorf College will be better than ever.
    http://globegazette.com/articles/2009/05/03/news/local/doc49fd1c26620d6559331276.txt#vmix_media_id=6968109

    Colleges and Universities in the SACS region have got to be losing money, because of the degree of flexibility the HLC accredited for-profits are able to offer the working adult on a global perspective.

    Maybe SACS will now allow more of its Colleges and University's to offer more online degree programs in the future.

    Good old competition between old friends (SACS and HLC) has just gotten ugly!:mad: Yikes......
     
  13. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    You forgot to mention that both Walden University and Sarasota (now Argosy) University escaped Florida (Southern Association territory) in order to gain accreditation by the North Central Association.
     
  14. major56

    major56 Active Member

    There is no doubt that SACS is further traditional than HLC. And as you’ve pointed out, for-profit online universities have the flexibility, and are utilizing it, to simply relocate to the more amenable HLC regions. The education industry is basically conservative regarding traditional vs. non-traditional methodologies. I don’t know whether or not SACS is involved with this HLC situation, but if they do not choose to become more in tune to alternative education models … I believe there will be additional defections to regional accreditation who exhibit acceptability to online learning models. Additionally for-profit universities are probably frowned upon by the establishment.
     
  15. jek2839

    jek2839 New Member


    Hi Ted,

    Thanks for reminding me, I'm starting to become forgetful already in my mid-40s.:D Okay it started in my 20s, but who's counting the years!
     
  16. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    I too noticed that many years ago, but said nothing because it wasn't a hot topic in those days.

    AIU had SACS accreditation when they were located in Atlanta, Georgia. However, when AIU was purchased by it's parent company a couple of years back, the parent company was located in Chicago -- and since the parent company had more students in Chicago (than Atlanta), they were required to relocate to the HLC. Apparently, the regional accreditators require that a university get it's RA accreditation in the location where most of their students are located.

    In the year 2000, AIU had around 7200 in-resident students and zero online students. About eight years later, AIU still had about 7200 in-resident students, but their online program morphed into about 35,000 students. Hence, the online programs became the new 21st Century cash cow, just as it is for UoP, NCU, Walden, TUI, and ALL of the other RA online programs. Education is a business that sells academics AND DREAMS! Dreams are priceless, which is why online programs are booming cash cows. Will the bubble ever burst? It's all about supply and demand. To a small degree, it reminds me of the tulip mania in Holland a couple of hundred years ago.
     
  17. jek2839

    jek2839 New Member


    Major56,

    Competition for college dollars is not something new and SACS needs to see that the for-profits entities are thriving in the current economic crisis, and that these for-profit entities have the funds to influence (politicians) intended change.

    The biggest obstacle for the OIG is HLCs biggest client, the University of Phoenix that is followed by several other multi-campus education industry giants.
     
  18. jek2839

    jek2839 New Member


    Major56,

    Competition for college dollars is not something new and SACS needs to see that the for-profits entities are thriving in the current economic crisis, and that these for-profit entities have the funds to influence (politicians) intended change.

    The biggest obstacles that I see for the OIG is HLCs biggest client, the University of Phoenix and several other "unnamed" multi-campus education industry giants, accredited by the HLC.
     
  19. Doctor Doctor

    Doctor Doctor New Member

    I don't understand.

    Why do you all refer to "HLC" for NCACS, and then compare "HLC" with "SACS"? HLC is a commission of NCACS. Likewise, COC (Commission on Colleges) is the counterpart for SACS. So the appropriate comparison should either be

    NCACS vs. SACS

    or

    HLC vs. COC

    It's inconsistent to use HLC vs. SACS.

    HLC/NCACS: http://www.ncahlc.org/
    COC/SACS: http://www.sacscoc.org/
     
  20. jaer57

    jaer57 New Member

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