Trident's accreditation is in jeopardy

This underlines a double-whammy for me. I completed my undergraduate studies at Bethany University (formerly Bethany College) - an Assemblies of God school in California that officially closed its doors on 8/12/2012 for lack of funding.

Ugh. I guess I'll have to challenge some exams and revise my resume functionally...dang, why didn't I finish pursuing the Psych GRE test-to-degree through Excelsior?

-Steve King, MBA, MEd
In pursuit of post-bacc cert in HIM to write RHIA exam through Regis University

 

I think it's in poor taste (at least) for Trident to continue advertising the way they do given their current accreditation status.

 

I should graduate with my BA is business by the end of this year so I am safe.

However, I spoke with several people at Trident.
The 800 # listed in the email for more info is a joke- its an answering service and if you ask a question they only reread you the email and tell you they are recording the conversation...

At student services, they advised me that there was an issue in the past with how they cataloged transferred in credit. This mainly had to do with math and english classes from non-acceditated schools (people coming in with non accredited AA's) She advised that if you transferred in with a california community college associates degree that you most likely should not be have a problem. People might need to take an extra class or two prob at no cost to the student.

She also said they are working there best and know anything within a few weeks and business is as usual- if they dont call you then there is no problem with your degree..

This is still a bad mark on the school big time, thats why when I grad, im requesting TUI on my diploma so since Touro still had ownership in it- Id rather relate it to them then Trident who was threatened with getting there RA pulled.

 

That is the world of for profit. Suck all the money out of the consumer until the end. I think it is the strategy to keep advertising (even if it is wrong) in the assurance that if they do keep the accreditation they won't be hurting the incoming business.

 

I fully agree with you. The ads are an insult to Trident and its students/graduates. This is what you get with a President (Nolan Miura) whose highest academic degree is an MBA and with academic management experience only from a 2 year trade/career school system. The Alumni Association should stage a take over of TUI, and demand involvement on the Board. It has happened before in the US, and was effective. If left alone, TUI will make a further mess of this situation.

 

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You have a golden option/opportunity, that is, to graduate from Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY). Note that this only applies if you were admitted to the program before Touro University was closed in October 2007. If that is the case, then you are technically covered in their teach-out agreement with Trident University.

You are 100% safe, and strictly speaking,Touro College is responsible for you, and you should also be communicating with their office.

And whether Trident was in this mess or not, graduating from Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College) is a GIFT, and that decision should be a NO-BRAINER. After all, Touro College and University System is a major non-profit education conglomerate.

Furthermore, albeit now closed, Touro University International is well documented in Touro College’s history/records.
1. Note that the web address for Touro University International - TouroU (touroU.edu) is now directly linked to Touro College- Touro (touro.edu).
2. See mention of Touro University International in current “About Touro College” Touro College - About Touro College .
3. See mention of Touro University International in “milestones in the history of Touro College” http://www.touro.edu/media/bg/milestones.pdf .

You are in an enviable position --- count your blessings!

 

TUI is not any better then Trident. Touro University International is a completely different entity then TUI. Touro owned Touro University International, not TUI. If you graduate after the 2007 sale, you are a TUI/Trident person. Graduate before the 2007 sale and you are a Touro University International / Touro person.

 

I have read the 2007 Touro/Tui sale--however, to my knowledge, Touro still owns 5% of the school. Tui, did stand for Touro University international, regardless of what they said but Touro did not want representation with only 5% ownership- thus the Trident name change- if the school losses the RA under the Trident name, you will not want your degree associated with Trident.

 

NOTE: Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY) was not SOLD. As a non-profit entity Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY) was CLOSED and the ASSETS were sold. This is a key distinction.

 

Touro University international was called TUI for short (just like Uinversity of Florida is UF). When it, or it's assets, were sold to an investment group Touro University international was no more and the new business was called TUI (latin for "everyone's" or something like that) and that was done to preserve the name recongition. Make no mistake - Touro University international is not TUI University.

 

You are absolutely correct Randell, and this is confirmed by way of the Unique Federal School Codes:

Trident University International (formerly TUI University): OPEID/School Code # 041279

Touro University International (a former Branch Campus of Touro College, New York) always had the same code as Touro College: OPEID/School Code # 010142

 

According to Touro College, Touro University International was sold, and the Touro folks continued day-to-day management for some time after the sale. Non-profit entities convert to for-profit tax status and even own for-profit entities all the time.

 

Touro college still owns a part of Trident/Tui.. 5% share

It was sold, not closed and the assets picked up by another company. A company purchased it and Touro still ran it for a bit. Regardless, up until the full name change from TUI to Trident- it can be considered TUI or Touro University international. See the US Ed website when you search for Accred. schools, search either Touro or TUI and its comes up the same.....

 

You cannot sell a non-profit entiity. The ASSETS were sold not the INSTITUTION.

The fact is, Trident University International (a FOR-PROFIT entity, formerly TUI University) and Touro University International a NON-PROFIT entity (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY) are very different institutions. In particular, Trident is NOT a name change or continuation of Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY). This is further confirmed by noting the different OPEID (unique School Codes).

Trident University International (Formerly TUI University) – OPEID/School Code: 041279

Touro University International (Branch Campus of Touro College, NY) - OPEID/School Code: 010142

Note that from its inception (until closed in 2007) Touro University International always had the same OPEID/School Code as Touro College.

 

Also, this Court decision may provide a clearer perspective on some issues. Note in particular, the following:
http://www.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/091130np.pdf

"Touro established the online university in late 1998 as Touro University
International (“TUI”), which was registered and accredited in the state of California. TUI
operated as a division of Touro University, a California nonprofit whose only member is
Touro." Page 3

"In October 2007, Touro announced that it was selling the assets of TUI to Summit
Partners for $190 million." Page 3

"As Touro notes, because TUI was not separate
from Touro, an equity interest in TUI could only be construed as an equity interest in
Touro." Page 7

 

Stepping up to the mark

Apart from opinion, there's a lot of information and advice being given on the forum. Some of it seems very dubious to me. Are the people providing it willing to accept legal liability for it if anyone acts on it? Even if they're not, can they be held liable anyway?

 

Huh? This make absolutely no sense to me. Why ON EARTH would the university, into which the investors have pumped tens of millions of dollars, and where people are working their butts off to fix the accreditation problem be aiming to close? What "communication and sources" say that???

 

News story on the Trident situation here.

Trident is a member of SOCNAV, a group of universities that work together to provide degrees to Navy personnel. SOCNAV includes lots of well-known DL players, like COSC, Excelsior, TESC, Empire, UoP, Strayer, DeVry, UMUC, Liberty, etc. SOCNAV schools have mutual arrangements for guaranteed credit transfer.

Apparently SOCNAV has encountered problems with Trident credits. They brought the issue to Trident's attention, but Trident reportedly did not disclose the issue to WASC, even though WASC was actually conducting an evaluation at that time.

WASC eventually learned about these concerns, but from SOCNAV, rather than from Trident directly. WASC is not happy about the credit issue, but they may be even more concerned about Trident's apparent failure to notify them about it.

 

Read also what another poster wrote. See, in particular, reference to "teach-out". We are all entitled to our perceptions and beliefs. I sure know what I would be thinking if I called an institution and was given details of a teach-out plan.