Nexford University

Welcome.

We know that information inside and out, it's all we do here. When the topic of ASIC is on the table, we view it as a gray area of accreditation: it's not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is recognized by the UK Government but what exactly it's recognized for is still a topic of discussion. ASIC's original intent was to keep a handle on immigration scams, but they gradually morphed into accrediting colleges and universities as a whole. We may assume that they do this with the approval of the UK government, but we can't be 100% sure, so that's another matter.

ASIC has done some cleaning up. There is still more to do. If they aim to continue going upward, they could wind up being a nice international service for start-up schools and others that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford accreditation. But for now, many of us view their status as "pending".

 

Thank you for your comment on this thread! We did want to point to some of our team members. You can check out more about them here: https://www.nexford.org/our-team Our leadership team includes a Chief Academic Officer and VP Academic Innovation, who are experts in assessment and competency-based learning, and previous employees of Ivy League schools, such as Wharton, Harvard and London Business School. We also have learning design staff and subject matter experts continually refreshing our curriculum to keep it relevant, and a dedicated Success Team. Our Success Advisors answer learner questions in real time, with rapid response cycles and help learners navigate, set goals, stay on pace, and address learning issues. Our aim: learner happiness, completion, and success.

 

Thank you for the welcome! Of course, we appreciate what you do here. We thought it was useful to add the extra information because we know that some of our current learners have read the thread before successfully applying to Nexford. More information than less is always our aim. We hope you'll keep an eye on us as we become older and we have more success stories and accreditation (which, as you know takes time), such as our latest Red Herring award: https://bit.ly/2JW5NGt

 

Here are just a few ways in which we are innovative:

• Our entire curriculum was designed based on analysis of employer needs which included analyzing over 30 million job vacancies & surveying some of the world's largest employers. Analyzing such vast data sets required seriously innovative use of technology
• Our pricing is a flat monthly fee which means the faster you finish your degree the less you pay. BBAs start at $80 / month, MBAs at $160 / month - making us arguably the most affordable American university in the world
• Our specializations include some of the world's hottest topics, such as AI, digital transformation, and e-commerce to name a few
• We've designed a 'stacked credentials' model which means you can start with a course or certificate & fold those into a larger degree - it also means while you're learning you get continuously rewarded with additional credentials, and at no extra cost. Example:

Most importantly - innovation, in our opinion, isn't the biggest problem students around the world are facing when thinking about their university education. The two biggest problems they're facing are: 1) what they're learning is not so relevant to what employers are looking for and 2) high quality universities are not affordable to 99% of the world. We've solved both of these challenges!

 

We understand your rationale, in Nexford's case actually yes what you'd get with us you wouldn't be able to get with anyone else. Where else can you get an MBA at our quality for as low as $1,920. Which other university was entirely designed based on analysis of employer needs? These are two of several unique aspects of the Nexford model.

Further, unfortunately accreditation is often misunderstood in our view. It is not always an indication of quality as the metrics used to actually assess quality are largely outdated, given most were developed by traditional universities decades ago. The simple proof is from employer and student surveys released year after year which show that college graduates feel unprepared for their careers upon graduation and employers confirming the same. The vast majority of these graduates are graduating from accredited colleges all across the US.

 

That may be so. Many people agree. But in the world of "right now," those same employers still insist on hiring applicants with accredited degrees. When there's a workable, accepted subsitute for accreditation in the job - or academic - markets in the U.S. please let us know. And, by the way, presenting an unaccredited American degree is often fraught with problems for overseas job-seekers.

 

Actually there are other places where people can get cheap degrees but the price tag is not the issue. It may only cost $1920 but the question is "What is it worth?" This degree is not likely to make me competitive in the marketplace. No one has heard of Nexford and if they check they discover it's unaccredited. For most employers that resume goes straight to the circular file. Worse than wasted money is wasted time. Why would I invest my time and energy which could be going into an accredited degree? You may be making a good faith effort to create a quality product but why would I want to take the risk?

 

For very little more - a bit over $2,000 you can earn an MBA through Don Bosco Global University, in India. They do distance learning worldwide and are run by a religious order of the Catholic Church. They are UGC recognized - (University Grants Commission - the accepted Indian Government form of academic legitimacy) and their degrees travel very well. High quality, low cost and good recognition - as it should be.

And no - I have zero affiliation with the school, in case you were wondering. They pay me not.

 

The mission of the Education Licensure Commission (ELC) is to ensure that quality postsecondary education and training exist in the District of Columbia.

Nexford U, has a one-year "Provisional" license that will need to be renewed in Dec 2019.

Provisional - The first license granted to an institution authorizing it to operate and confer degrees, diplomas or certificates in the District of Columbia. It is generally granted for one year.
(My comment- A good starting point for a new university and working toward a "Permanent" license would be good for the university and the students/graduates.)

Permanent - License issued upon request by a degree-granting institution that is compliant with all District of Columbia laws and regulations, has been licensed by the ELC and in good standing for at least 5 years, maintains accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accreditation agency and have demonstrated financial soundness.

So to better serve the potential graduates, the effort for Nexford University is to achieve the US recognized accreditation. I understand they are planning for that at some point.
For now, the degrees are considered without the US recognized accreditation.

 

There's an accredited, U.S. MBA for $2,400 - University of the People.

"The tuition-free, online college recently announced the launch of an accredited MBA program, slated to begin in September 2016, that will cost students a whopping $2,400 from start to finish."

Whenever I think of start-up schools, I think of Shai Reshef and UOTP. He had prior success in the education field, had his money ready and realized the importance of accreditation -DEAC filled his needs. Too bad all Nexford's big-data and analysis didn't reveal that employers want people with accredited degrees. I'd have thought that would be in the basics.

Good luck with round A and subsequent rounds of capital-raising, Nexford. I don't know how venture capitalists and other investors feel about schools which are not even in the process of seeking accreditation. Oh yes - you might also find this thread instructive - it's about an unaccredited US school. Someone once told me that this school was making a serious attempt to get (un-named) high-level accreditation. It got ASIC - things subsequently didn't work out and the school had to close. A cautionary tale, perhaps. The person who ran that school is still on DI. He has a new venture now, regionally accredited but not at the college level. It is offering courses, but not degrees. I believe the ambition is to get the courses ACE-approved so people can use them for college credit - at accredited schools. I hope it works out for the new school.

https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/opinions-about-a-new-online-college-with-state-approval-but-no-accreditation-yet.41072/

 

These comments are interesting since I too was very skeptical about Nexford when my colleague strongly recommended I sign up. I now recommend anyone read about this incredible uni, and what they have accomplished, their vision and mission. Very impressive uni and I'm happy the world has changed where I can get the highest quality American education at a fraction of the price. (btw I triple checked and they are licensed in the US and accredited by ASIC)

 

I haven't been following this thread, but did a quick scan-through and noticed that Nexford itself is hyping its programs to the point of self-advertising here on DI. I did click on the https://www.nexford.org/our-team link they provided, and noticed that one of the things they are not open about in their hype is the source of their faculty's credentials.

IMO, that makes them whores. It makes them downright sleazy rip-offs and con artists. When you have a legit faculty, you specifically note their degrees and the sources of those degrees. When you don't, you're a bullshit artist.

So, do I think that Nexford is legit? Based solely on what read today (and I have neither the time nor interest in reading further), nope.

 

Thank you for your feedback and comments regarding Nexford University. Nexford's academic model and instructional delivery are just two aspects that make our academic programs innovative, bold and different. Yes, I agree, there are thousands of business programs around the world--I have designed, taught and managed many of them, e.g., Texas A&M University, Capella University, Walden University, Northcentral University, Grand Canyon University, Tiffin University, King University, Broward College, among others. I have always been about digital transformation since my dissertation research focused on building a quality framework applicable to services and a post-doc was funded by the National Science Foundation to kick off the digital transformation era of traditional academia. At Nexford, our commitment is ensuring that our learners achieve all program outcomes successfully; outcomes that are fully aligned with employer (and employee) needs. Our courses have purpose and this is the first question we ask our learners as they enter each course, "why are you here? what do you want to accomplish with this course--both, personally and professionally?" And the learning path is designed accordingly. It is about building business programs fully aligned with your personal and professional goals, and allowing learners to earn credentials every step of the way--not just at the completion of your degree. No need to wait months to earn a "badge", you can earn it while completing a course; a credential you can share with your network, colleagues, supervisors, everyone you want that shows how you have achieved a competency and skill. When we build quality curriculum that is flexible and adaptive, it becomes personalized, engaging, applicable, relevant and, yes, innovative.

Please keep in mind that, as you know, full accreditation does not happen overnight and requires on-going operation and enrollment of learners for at least one or two years (of course, it varies by accreditation type). Every university, at least in the United States, starts with no accreditation but for us, it is about establishing credibility through outcome achievement and most importantly, our commitment and ethical responsibility to learners. At Nexford, we make dreams happen by not only providing our learners with a business education, but the education that will give them the position, the upward mobility they want, and at an affordable cost. Our current learners chose us because they trust us, and because we gave them access to high-quality education they never thought possible. I invite you to take a closer look at Nexford University, not just as another university offering business degrees, but as the university that offers degrees with purpose and value in every course.

 

Hi Steve, we are extremely proud of our faculty members located in the United States and also abroad. All of them have terminal degrees in their profession. Here is a preliminary list of those who serve and engage our learners each and every day in our next generation learning environment, a.k.a. NexLE:

Dr. Robin Johnston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinberenson/
Dr. Joe Cappa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-joe-cappa/
Dr. Debbie Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebbiewilson/
Dr. Joan Ilagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-ilagan-dba/
Kerry Conlan, Writing Coach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrystango/
Patrick Hayes, Communications Associate Professor, SME and Dynamic Resource and Support Program Lead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickhayesjr/

and our most recent faculty member hire: Dr. Mark Bojueun, https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbojeun/

And yes, I am a lifelong learner and also a faculty member at Nexford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfournierbonilla/

We also work with very competent subject matter experts (SMEs) with strong academic and professional credentials. We have a list of more than 50 SMEs, and I am more than happy to share names if interested. They have curated content and have helped us build our innovative curriculum using the best knowledge and the best practices in course based, competency based learning.

Thank you!

Dr. Fournier-Bonilla

 

That is correct Hanan and our academic team is working towards achieving additional accreditations so stay tuned! We are committed to academic credibility and quality so while we wait to become "eligible" by regional and programmatic accreditors, we are working on other projects that will strengthen our position and our credibility as a higher education institution in the United States and worldwide. Thank you for your support!

 

Oh, puh-leeeeeze . . .

The majority of posts on this page thus far are hype pieces about Nexford - you and your colleagues are obviously attempting to use DegreeInfo to advertise Nexford.

Your post has not changed my position. If your so-called faculty's credentials do not appear on your own web site, I find Nexford to be questionable. (and, from the brief information on the list you provided, your so-called faculty's credentials appear to lean heavily toward for-profit schools and leadership majors.)

Having said that, I never comment on business programs, and I have zero interest in business programs (I'm a liberal arts guy). Except to say that with all the legitimately accredited programs out there, I see no reason that someone who is an aware consumer would ever enroll in Nexford. Also kindly keep in mind that I consider the term online university to be an oxymoron, without exception. If you ever achieve regional accreditation I'll reevaluate my conclusion but, absent that, I have no interest in further participation in this thread.

Cordially,
Dr. Levicoff

(P.S. Other than the above closing, I never use my doctoral title. You know the old expression, "If you got it, flaunt it?" When you've got the real thing, you don't have to flaunt it. But a quick way to rankle me is to address me by my first name, then sign your name with a doctoral title. How pompous can you get? Never mind - that's a rhetorical question.)

 

There was a time when having an MBA was seen as a really important step toward the executive suite. Many (not all) required two years of mid level management experience post-bachelors just to enroll. The idea wasn't that an MBA was the entry level credential to the workforce. Rather, it was designed for people getting ready to move through the ranks to where more generalized skills were necessary. I can get by with pure HR knowledge up to, about, my level. If I wanted to become a VP of HR, however, I need to know more about finance and other aspects of the business world in which I operate to be an effective executive.

That has been watered down to the point of the MBA just being nonsense. A slew of four year schools that don't actually have "business schools" just started tacking an extra year of coursework on. Clever, really. Stay for an extra year, get an MBA and they can charge you double for the credits for that year.

At present, MBAs tend to fall into two buckets for employers. "Check the box" or "Oh, wow, that's impressive." The former is pretty much the norm. So many MBAs mean that job postings now include the requirement even for relatively low level jobs. The latter is pretty much reserved for people who have MBAs from top flight schools. In Syracuse, it's fairly uncommon to find someone with an MBA from an Ivy walk through the doors to interview with us. We're a Fortune 100 company and yet, no one wants to live in Syracuse. Los Angeles office? Sure. A place where literally the only two things we have going for us is a college basketball team and a mall? Not so much.

The MBA has been devalued to the point where, if you need to check the box, it doesn't really matter where you get it.

That said...

An unaccredited MBA is going to have significantly less utility than even an NA (or, heck, one accredited by a Faith Based Accreditor since that's a thing for some reason). In my experience, most HR people aren't actually checking for accreditation. However, it's out there lingering. It can come back to bite you at any time. While not having accreditation doesn't guarantee that a school is a diploma mill, it's a necessary condition. Any accredited school we have some assurance that, frankly, you did SOMETHING other than just pay and get a certificate.

I know that schools need to operate prior to accreditation. I think if this school was offering an AA and they had an articulation agreement so you could roll right into a bachelors program at an accredited school, I'd have a very different opinion of Nexford. That would offer some significant value to the student while the school works out the whole accreditation issue.

Instead, Nexford is offering AA's that won't transfer into Bachelors programs at accredited schools. Bachelors degrees that won't be acceptable for admission to accredited graduate/professional programs and masters degrees that won't satisfy any employer requirements, not allow the recipient to teach at any accredited school or really enhance their marketability at all.

That first plan, the ideal one, would be what we would expect from a team of educators who are dedicated to the cause of rethinking higher education.

Nexford is not that.

I don't begrudge for-profit schools, in general. I am pleased with my education, the ROI on that education and the total cost of my education from CTU. I think I'm one of the few who hold that position here. And, again, if this was a small group of professors who banded together and wanted to strike out on their own and simply used a for-profit business structure to be able to launch, I could respect that. I might disagree with it. But I could see the merit. I do think that going for-profit pulled Grand Canyon from the brink, for example.

I didn't need to really look hard to see who was behind Nexford. A small corporation formed by dedicated professionals trying to do something amazing? Nope. A private equity firm named Magnify Ventures based out of Boston, the employer of the founder and CEO of Nexford, whose background is in finance and IT and not education at all.

New, not particularly innovative and offering a product in an already saturated market. I'd take a hard pass.

On the plus side, the attempt to advertise the school on here will now affect search results for Nexford and would-be students will get to examine our colorful commentary!

 

Fascinating. So are you saying that if I were to string a bunch of randomly chosen words, like Nexford MBA rip-off sham fraud deceptive scam con job degree mill diploma mill swindle racket hoax, and if someone were to Google even a few of those words, it would lead them to this thread?

Now, of course I’m not saying that Nexford is any of these, but I find the notion that people can discover this thread if they even suspect any of the above on the part of Nexford to be amusing.

 

On more than one occasion, when using google or bing to search out info on schools, I have been led straight back to degreeinfo as a source. This is especially true of schools where little has been written. It tends to jump out a bit.

 

Dr. Sheila,

I don't know much about Nexford U, beyond what is in this thread.

The possible problem with your statement above is that some less than wonderful schools claim the same, that they are working on achieving recognized accreditations. The bitter lesson for the unsuspecting victims that these statements are false or these providers never actually become accredited by a US DOE recognized accreditation commission or another country equivalent so the graduates end up with problematic degrees.

Maybe (I'm not an expert) what would make it more transparent is actually have a verifiable action plan, that is showing the potential student or employer that you applied for the RA or NA accreditation, that such and such commission visited or going to visit the university for accreditation assessment. Some dates and figures.

There was one university that became a candidate for accreditation with a recognized accreditation agency that provides candidacy to anyone applying. Five years later they are still candidates and never achieved the accreditation.

I'm not saying that your university is doing the same. But for the success of your graduates, its really recommended achieving a US DOE recognized agency preferably RA accreditation.

You have well-educated faculty and in my view have the potential to do better for the recognition and utility of graduate's degrees.