RE: Fairfax University

Re:Fairfax University

Isnt it up to the employing instituition to hire and fire staff and not the Accrediting commission? Once an institution is accredited by a RA, isnt it up that institution to uphold and maintain the standard required. I dont see how this would effect hiring a non RA Uni graduate as one of the faculty members.

 

Re: Re:Fairfax University

Regional accreditation is not permanent. It is reviewed and each institution must satisfy the minimum requirements otherwise their acceditation can be put in probation. See the case of Touro that was put in probation because of its low standard PhD. The faculty must hold RA degrees as part of these minimum requirements. The hiring of faculty with unaccredited degrees can put the university on a probation status.

 

Re: Re: Re:Fairfax University

Do we actually know why Touro College was placed on probation?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re:Fairfax University

I am curious why Touro University doesn't move out from under Touro College's accreditation and get its own.

 

I don't pretend to be of John Bear's calibre, but I do have opinions about Fairfax.

Here's a respost of what I said about it back in June 2003:

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I'm not sure about how creditable it really is.

The place offers all sorts of doctorates:

http://www.fairfaxu.edu/ffu/idp_doctoratedegree.asp

In every conceivable subject:

http://www.fairfaxu.edu/ffu/idp_majors.asp

I consider that to be one of the red-flags of a degree-mill. A legitimate non-accredited school will probably offer one specialty subject, or a small group of majors with a unified theme. (Like the other Fairfax, perhaps.) Schools with limited resources take on limited assignments and try to perform them well.

The ability to offer majors in every academic discipline, particularly at the doctoral level, is something that only the larger research universities can pull off credibly.

So, I went to Google to see what Fairfax's academic footprint looks like. I used the search terms "fairfax university" and only looked at the first ten pages.

I found countless college guide sites (the place markets itself) and a few cv's. Among the other highlights (there weren't many):

The newest trend in iffy universities is franchising. Fairfax is no laggard. Here's the London School of Management, which offers Fairfax degrees:

http://www.lsm.ac.uk/course-univ.htm

I found this rather odd individual (he's a philosopher, he can't help it) who has a respectable doctorate (U. of London) and has a number of publications that I haven't read, some online. The relevant thing for Degreeinfo is that he seems to specialize in teaching at what some might consider borderline universities, including Columbia Pacific/Commonwealth, Fairfax, Warnborough, Greenwich and others. He might be an interesting guy. I kinda like him.

http://www.btinternet.com/~k.h.s/kcv.htm

Only one clear reference to Fairfax research came up, a collaboration between Fairfax and the Cleveland school district:

Influence of Preschool Programs on Kindergarten Education - Fairfax University and CMSD Early Childhood Education Department.
Explores pre-school programs to "gain insight into the impact, if any, that they have on readiness and progress of children during their kindergarten experience."

http://www.cleveland.k12.oh.us/evaluation/cooperative/

I got some false positives. There was the AAAS. There were presentations at symposia. But they usually were the activities of Sally Fairfax, University of California. This one woman has a bigger academic footprint than all of Fairfax University with its Ph.D. programs in everything.

My impression: Fairfax might not be a full-frontal degree-mill. But given its tremendous ambitions to be some kind of on-line Berkeley, its results certainly don't seem to be very impressive.

 

Billy,

You said that Fairfax Uni offers all kinds of majors. That is not true.
Just because one institution offers large number of majors it does not indicate the institution is a red flagged Dip Mill.

No Medical programs offered.

The following are the list of Doctorates Fairfax offers.

Doctorate Degree

The Doctorate degree programs offered by Fairfax University lead to awards at the following levels:

Academic Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Professional Degrees
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Doctor of Management (DMgt)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Music (DMus)
Doctor of Psychology (DPsy)
Doctor of Science (DSc)
Doctor of Theology (ThD)
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD)

I can’t see why the above list is much different to RA institutions. Most RA Universities offer greater number of PhD programs that what Fairfax listed.

The Majors are as follows. Again RA schools will many more than what is below.

Degree Program Majors of Fairfax Uni

Please note that the majors, or main subjects, listed below are given as a guideline only. If your particular subject or professional field is not listed, a degree program may still be available. Write or email the Office of the Director of Administration to learn whether Fairfax University is able to offer a program covering your area of interest and/or expertise. The University also permits interdisciplinary and joint majors. However, when selecting your major it must accurately reflect your already acquired education, training, and professional experience, so that advance credit standing can be assigned for this experiential learning and be put towards the total number of credits needed to earn a degree.

The subjects/majors available through Fairfax University fall into broad categories: Business, Management and Law; Applied Educational Studies; Aesthetic and Performing Arts; Applied Social Sciences; Humanities; Applied Sciences, Design and Technology; and Human Development.

Business, Management and Law:

Subjects which naturally fall into this category include, but are not limited to: all aspects of business and management; finance, accounting, banking, and all related subjects; marketing; economics; travel, tourism and hospitality management; food industry management; leisure and sports science management; real estate and life assurance management; the management and organization of professional and social institutions; public and private sector management; general management and administration; human resource management; management learning; health care, safety management; aviation and transport management; maritime and navigation management; all aspects of legal studies and jurisprudence.

Applied Educational Studies:

Major subjects in this category include, but are not limited to: educational administration and management; educational counseling; teacher education; educational psychology; educational philosophy; the sociology and history of education; first school, secondary, and further and higher education; curriculum development; the specialist teaching of a particular subject at any stage of education; special needs education; alternative and adult education; education of the handicapped; education of the gifted; education and teaching in multi-ethnic environments; global education; and health education.

Aesthetic and Performing Arts:

A wide variety of subject majors potentially fall within this category and include: linguistics; art and art history; museum studies; journalism, communications and the media (television, radio, film, and the cinema); creative writing; fine arts; music; and ballet.

Applied Social Sciences:

Subjects include, but are not limited to: political science and theory; public relations; sociology; geography; urban studies; psychology; social history; socio-legal studies; cross-cultural studies; policy studies; and international relations.

Humanities:

Subjects within this category are almost too numerous to mention but include: history; English language and literature; religious and theological studies; anthropology; archaeology; philosophy; and languages.

Applied Sciences, Design, and Technology:

This category would include such subjects as: chemistry; physics; biology; engineering sciences; building and environmental sciences; mathematics; health sciences; all technological and design crafts and sciences; military science; and maritime studies.

Human Development:

As society becomes more complex there are many issues and areas of study emerging which are not readily categorized and some of these are multidisciplinary areas of study. Subjects failing into this category may include, but are not limited to: ethnic studies; Middle East and South East Asian area studies; women in society; gender; the development of language in ethnic groups; peace studies; ethics; and risk management.



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Just out of curiosity, what is your definition of 'all kinds of majors'? That list seems like it covers everything under the sun.

 

Are you serious? The University of Texas-Austin, the largest B&M university in the United States, offers the following doctoral degrees;

Doctor of Education EdD
Doctor of Musical Arts DMA
Doctor of Philosophy PhD
Doctor of Jurisprudence JD

That's it.

 

Well, I got that information from the Fairfax University.
I guess we can argue on the different Doctorate as to the validity of being Professional or Academic. I mean Most institutions will offer PhD, DBA, DCOM, DAdm, DMgt. These are mainly in the business related subjects.

Where as other doctorate well, Education, etc, etc. In this regard I dont any reason to state that Fairfax Uni offers too much/many Doctorate degrees.

 

What I don't understand, Is that you have already asked this question and received several very good answers. Why are you starting a new thread on this subject?

 

Hi Migara. I too have read the Fairfax materials. It is a very long list of degrees offered. Bill Dayson has outlined very accurately what the "deal" is on Fairfax. I have talked to the philosophy guy he mentioned, and that person is quite an interesting and academically demanding scholar. But Fairfax is an omnium gatherum, operating by driving an overloaded truck through the Louisiana religious exemption, grandiose in its claims, minuscule in its impact, overpriced in its tuition, and undernourished in its utility. But they do stage such piquant graduation ceremonies...

 

Uncle J,

I guess you would be right. Would your thought be different if Fairfax was RA? or Chartered by say UK Education department?

 

Yes, of course.

If Fairfax had proper accreditation: RA/NA/foreign equivalent--

its utility would be taken for granted
its tuition would be worth the money
its impact (footprint) would be considerable
its claims would be commensurate
and it would not be straining against the very limits of the already permissive state law.

It would offer far fewer different degree fields, given that all or virtually all of its faculty are adjuncts.
It would be less reckless in its use of degree nomenclature.
It would be subject to some sort of quality control and periodic review.
Its faculty would have a publishing record as Fairfax faculty, not, if that, as faculty somewhere else.
It would require that a supervisor of a doctoral dissertation have credentials in the field being supervised.
It would behave with minimal courtesy in the wider academic world.

In other words, Fairfax wouldn't be Fairfax.

 

the uncle janko sed:

Yes, of course.

If Fairfax had proper accreditation: RA/NA/foreign equivalent--

its utility would be taken for granted
its tuition would be worth the money
its impact (footprint) would be considerable
its claims would be commensurate
and it would not be straining against the very limits of the already permissive state law.

It would offer far fewer different degree fields, given that all or virtually all of its faculty are adjuncts.
It would be less reckless in its use of degree nomenclature.
It would be subject to some sort of quality control and periodic review.
Its faculty would have a publishing record as Fairfax faculty, not, if that, as faculty somewhere else.
It would require that a supervisor of a doctoral dissertation have credentials in the field being supervised.
It would behave with minimal courtesy in the wider academic world.

In other words, Fairfax wouldn't be Fairfax.

I believe we now have before us the definitive answer to the thread starter's question! Thank-you, Sir, for your eloquent reply.

Now, what am I, chopped liver?

I posed a similar question to this forum some time back - no need to search, trust me - and I did not merit even one response! Yet this guy gets 2 pages! Ouchimama!

Regards,

Dan

 

Dan East,

why did you started thread about Fairfax Uni? or were you considering the Institution for your studies?

 

Uncle Janko kiss poor Danny booboo with big smoochy kiss and makum aw bedder.

 

Uncle Janko kiss poor Danny booboo with big smoochy kiss and makum aw bedder.

 

a whole lotta luv in the room tonight...

Hey, big thanks, Uncle 'J'; in fact, I DO feel much better!

Migara: Yes, I had considered Fairfax at one point in time. However, my reason for that post I make reference to was out of curiosity. I would not choose Fairfax: refer to the definitive statement according to the J-ster.

Best regards and good hunting!

Dan