Should the campus you attend be designated on your resume

"The World Campus is one of Penn State's 25 campuses. Our students are Penn State students. Since you will be held to the same rigorous standards as Penn State students attending courses on campus, your transcript will look the same as any other Penn State student's transcript, and your diploma will look the same as any other Penn State student's diploma, including any academic distinctions you have earned. There will be no indication that you studied online." (from psu.edu)

So it doesn't state Global Campus? Or does it, but not say "online"? is PSU just bending semantics?

 

Good post. I remember discussing these exact same issues in a previous thread several months ago. In the case of Troy, if you are on a military base, you could list the degree as being awarded in Troy, AL because that is the campus the degree was awarded from.
In the case of Auburn, even if AUM didn't have separate accreditation, if one earned his degree from AUM and only listed Auburn University and left off the "Montgomery" I would call them out. It's not the same thing. Just like a degree from PSU-Global Campus isn't the same thing as PSU-University Park.

The Harvard issue isn't relevant to this topic because the extension school is simply a college housed inside Harvard University. It isn't a separate campus. I think you should list that your degree comes from HES, but the simple name of the degree, ALB/ALM, makes it apparent which school inside Harvard you graduated from. There is no such distinction with a PSU diploma.

 

I don't know that PSU doesn't make this distinction on their diploma. If I get bored I may call and ask the World Campus folks if World Campus is listed on the diploma, it sure doesn't read like it. I really believe that PSU is making money off students but anyone who knows a little about schools will make the distinction. I can see the lawsuit now against PSU, "But you said it was the same degree!" So ultimately I lay this issue on the schools to resolve and buyer beware to someone who hires one of these graduates thinking differently.

The sad part about this whole issue is I was contemplating the World Campus MS in Project Management, but now I'll rethink the issue.

As a side bar, when asked what school I'm attending now I refer to The University of Alabama as UAT.

 

Well there is no accounting for taste. Hahaha. Which program are you in at UA? They have some good looking distance programs that I think would be really interesting. Not sure I could bring myself to attend though.

 

so if you graduate from one of the State Universities of New York schools

SUNY: Complete Campus List

should you just say
Bachelors Degree
Computer Programming & Information Systems
State University of New York

or
Bachelors Degree
Computer Programming & Information Systems
State University of New York
Farmingdale State College

 

I would list it:
State University of New York-Farmingdale
Bachelor of Science in Computer Programming & Information Systems

 

since we are sidetracked:

I actually flopped a couple of times trying to decide between graduate or undergraduate and finally decided I would work on refreshing my skills by working towards the BS in Commerce and Business and adding some tech classes in the program. And I'm still trying to plug the resume hole at the undergrad level. Folks just don't understand how a liberal arts degree fits in to the tech world. In addition, I have to take continuing education as part of my job so for me it was a fit. I was interested in the MA in Management but the DL program does not have the same courses as the on ground version and duplicates too much of my MBA. I did talk to the dean about the on ground program and he was willing to knock my total course requirements down considerably but the drive is still too far right now for weekday classes.

In your shoes I think you have continued to elevate your resume and you are in a really great location to attend some stellar schools who have some nice DL offerings. I don't think I would stray too far if you intend to stay in that area. I know leaving the SEC is tough though.

 

This poll is a reminder for everyone to pay attention in their research methods and statistics classes.

I wonder how the poll question of "Is it unethical to put down what's on your diploma on your resume?" would be answered? The results would be just as useful as this poll to proving or disproving Tiger's point.

To the previous poster, no World Campus isn't distinguished on the diploma. Why would it be? It is a degree from Penn State. Your campus isn't distinguished on the diploma. It hasn't been for over a century and a half and it won't be anytime soon.

This nonsense thread brings up a more interesting question: Should you list that you got your degree online?

 

Thought you weren't going to take part in this discussion?
The fact of the matter is, regardless of how PSU's system is set up, different campuses are perceived as superior/inferior to others regardless of the bill of goods PSU sells it's applicants. Why do you think that a drastic number of undergraduate students choose other schools when they are denied admission into the University Park campus coming out of high school? Because they know the other campuses aren't of the same caliber. True story.

 

If you are refering to me, my question went to the college within the university that awards the degree. Every Penn State degree lists the college, Engineering, etc... within the University itself. My question was what does the World Campus list?

I believe the more folks learn the better informed they are when making decisions. Those of us responsible for reviewing resumes strive to hire the best candidates for the scarce vacancies that exist and the ability to understand the nuances of a particular school allow us to place the correct emphasis on the credentials placed in front of us with regard to academic credentials.

 

This question is very good. SUNY Stony Brook has a BSEE completion program that is not ABET at this time, while the on campus program does hold ABET accreditation. In many instances the difference is significant and the deciding factor on a qualifying degree.

 

Kevin, I didn't know you were a hiring manager/worked in HR. You would be a great person to pose this question to. Knowing how PSU operates, as a single university with multiple campuses, would you find it misleading if an applicant simply listed Pennsylvania State University when their degree was awarded from PSU-Erie or PSU-World Campus? I'd love to get your take on this. Any other hiring managers feel free to chime in.

 

Kevin, yes this would go right inline with your profession.

 

I guess in my situation it would not matter; APUS/HMU

 

I don't hire anymore, moved to a different position, but I do review resumes and make recommendations, and I also review resumes for management and staffing plans of contractors wanting to perform government work. I see resumes (and approve) all the way to the CEO level.

It is important to note that when you propose to the Government you are accountable and it is a crime to misrepresent for gain. In some instances, for example filling out an SF-86 for a clearance, you will need to list the school and its address. Guess what we check that form against? your resume. read the penalty section

http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf

While an individual might (and that is a big might) get a resume past the first point we will catch any discrepancies on the backside unless the person continues to misrepresent. Eventually the person will get caught.

Going back to the contractor side, we have turned individuals over to the Federal Attorneys for action because they continued to misrepresent their educational credentials for gain. My favorite was the person with a LaSalle engineering degree who challenged us and insisted on being qualified for work that required an engineering degree. You folks can look up LaSalle and it ain't the one in Philly.

With regard to the PSU campus issue, there would first have to be a positive education requirement, and it is unlikely that any difference in degrees would be a separator unless specialized accreditation is listed in the positive education requirement for the position. There are many other variables in the Federal hiring process so unless the person misrepresented any information then the campus would not be an issue. However, the school location will need to be listed. In the three agencies I have worked for official transcripts were required before I was allowed to in process.

 

The same issue arises at the State goverment level with professional license applications (e.g. Professional Engineer, CPA, State Bar, etc). Again, you will normally be asked for both the name and location of the school that issued the degree. The application form will explicitly indicate that you sign under penalty of perjury.

It's not hard to see why this is necessary. In professional fields, the presence or absence of specialized accreditation is often critical for a degree; state licensing laws and regulations commonly give preferential treatment to degrees with certain forms of professional accreditation, and may limit or reject others that lack such accreditation. But accreditation may vary from campus to campus, even within a single "university" (for example, Penn State publishes a detailed table to show which professional accreditations are held at each campus). In such cases, it's impossible to verify the status of a given degree unless an applicant provides complete information.

If you are applying for professional employment in the private sector, then the expectations may or may not be different. Some firms may be much more relaxed than the average state licensing board; others may review resumes with equal rigor. if you put complete info in your resume, it will be acceptable at both kinds of firms. If you don't, then you take your chances.