Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

It seems students can transfer with no hassle from SCUPS to NCU. SCUPS student received this email from NCU and now he is pursuing a transfer. For what its worth, he is nearly completing his degree at SCUPS. Paying low tuition at SCUPS and then transfering to a regionally accredited schools seems viable


------------------

"Thank you for your interest in Northcentral University.

NCU accepts credits from Southern California University (SCUPS) on a
conditional basis. We would evaluate your transcripts for transfer
credit and accept the credits "conditionally" toward your program. Upon
completing 3 courses through Northcentral with a grade of "B" or better
you can gain full acceptance into the program and the courses from
previous schools that are eligible for transfer would officially be
applied toward your degree. If you were not able to complete the three
courses at Northcentral with at least a "B" you would not be allowed to
continue in the program. With this policy we are able to accept
students with nationally accredited degrees and allow them to pursue
their doctorates at Northcentral.

If I can be of further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Joani Mitchell
Supervisor - Enrollment Services
Northcentral University
505 West Whipple Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
866-776-0331 ext. 8079
928-776-0331 ext. 8079
[email protected]"

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but...that's hardly a ringing endorsement of SCUPS.

 

You bet!

 

In the past, other students have noticed that NCU and SCUPS are one and the same when it comes to interchanging syllabuses between the two schools. For example, please note that the following two syllabus for SCUPS and for NCU are one and the same.

• Northcentral University/SCUPS
  Syllabus for Organizational Behavior, MGT 506,
  click here for Word document or click here for HTML.
  .
• Northcentral University/SCUPS
  Syllabus for Human Resource Management, MGT 503,
  click here for Word document or click here for HTML.
  .
• Interesting quote: "I enrolled initially at SCUPS and later transferred to NCU for my dissertation."
  Source.

SCUPS and NCU are (or at least used to be) owned by the same man.

 

Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

You are missing the point "me again."

Regionally accredited institution (e.g. NCU) are not suppose to accept credits and transfers from non-accredited institutions (e.g. SCUPS). At least this is the norm.

It seems both schools are having close collaboration. Students joining SCUPS (low cost, non accredited) can transfer to NCU (regionally accredited) and receive a RA degree.

Is it a negative point on NCU? Absolutely!
Would NCU accreditation be affected? Probably.
Does it affect its reputation negatively? Most probably.

If I am a matriculating student at NCU, I will feel extremely uneasy with this situation.

Eli

 

Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

You are missing the point "me again."

Regionally accredited institution (e.g. NCU) are not suppose to accept credits and transfers from non-accredited institutions (e.g. SCUPS). At least this is the norm.

It seems both schools are having close collaboration. Students joining SCUPS (low cost, non accredited) can transfer to NCU (regionally accredited) and receive a RA degree.

Is it a negative point on NCU? Absolutely!
Would NCU accreditation be affected? Probably.
Does it affect its reputation negatively? Most probably.

If I am a matriculating student at NCU, I will feel extremely uneasy with this situation.

Eli

 

Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

You are missing the point "me again."

Regionally accredited institution (e.g. NCU) are not suppose to accept credits and transfers from non-accredited institutions (e.g. SCUPS). At least this is the norm.

It seems both schools are having close collaboration. Students joining SCUPS (low cost, non accredited) can transfer to NCU (regionally accredited) and receive a RA degree.

Is it a negative point on NCU? Absolutely!
Would NCU accreditation be affected? Probably.
Does it affect its reputation negatively? Most probably.

If I am a matriculating student at NCU, I will feel extremely uneasy with this situation.

Eli

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but SCUPS and NCU are owned by the same president (Dr. Don Hecht). The difference is NCU is accredited and SCUPS is not. I think it's kind of obvious as to why SCUPS credits transfer over the NCU.

 

Re: Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

Doesn't concern me in the least. Lets take a look at:

http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/administration/president/procedures/A1135.htm

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE
PROCEDURES
AN AACSB ACCREDITED PROGRAM!!

And:

At the AACSB Web site:

http://www.aacsb.edu/General/InstLists.asp?lid=1

Pacific Western University is listed as an "Educational Member Institution"

PWU is unaccredited also.

Since the "Gold Standard" AACSB has no problems with unaccredited schools, neither do I !

Jusy my opinion

 

credit transfers

Seems that there are two issues:

1. Transferring any number of credits from unaccredited to accredit.

2. The amount of transfer credits (from unaccredited or accredited) into an accredited program and receiving the degree. For example, there are always a max number of transfer credits allowed even if the transfer credits were from Harvard.

Based on Eli's first post -"Thank you for your interest in Northcentral University....", I wonder what the circumstances are.

Issue 1: As noted in another thread, the Chronicle of Higher Education has a current article indicating that Senators in Washington are focusing on this issue now - the utility of non-RA credits. It doesn't surprise me at all that many schools are figuring out ways to take in unaccredited credits. In the case of NCU and other DL RA schools, they probably want the money and see this as a positive opportunity - obviously. There is an entire group lobbyign Washington for the DL industry who wants this.

Issue 2: Based on Eli's post, I can't tell if this guy is transferring in say an MBA, which counts for NCU's max of 30 credits towards their 81 credit PhD - thereby requiring a minimum of 51 to be taken at NCU. Or, whether NCU is accepting say 75 and requiring only 6 credits at NCU. There is an enormous difference because if the latter case, NCU should be punished.

NCU's policy clearly states that NO MORE than 30, even if from Harvard, will count towards their PhD - the way I read their catalog.

I feel that the discussion threads are relying a bit too much on assumption. I intend to call NCU and ask some questions to get some facts.

 

Re: Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

From the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/download/PolicyBookJan05.pdf

Transfer of Credit

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

 

NCA is not alone


Commission on Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Transfer of Academic Credit

-A Position Statement-

http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/transfer%20credit.pdf

The accreditation standards do not mandate that institutions accept transfer credit only from regionally accredited institutions.

Emphasis theirs

 

You are correct!

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Transfer fr SCUPS to NCU

 

interesting facts

The accrediting body of which NCU is a member has allot of useful information, such as this stuff they keep on their website. I agree that this issue is not unique to NCU. The US must face a much more mobile work force in the last fifteen years. Stuff like transportable health insurance follow in the same vein as the accredidation issues I think with respect to transfers. Folks move around much more than they did in the past and transfer policies should keep up with the practical demographic mobility issues.


http://www.ncacihe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=22&Itemid=85

Tab 15 - Guidelines and Principles of Good Practice
Commission Guidance on Determining Qualified Faculty (40K PDF)
Good Practice on Transfer of Credit (44K PDF)
Principles of Good Practice in Adult Degree Completion Programs (8K PDF)
Good Practice on Transfer of Credit (44K PDF)
Guidelines for Assessing Prior Learning for Credit (8K PDF)
Good Practices in Contractual Arrangements Involving Courses and Programs (140K PDF)
Statement of Commitment by Regional Accrediting Associations for the Evaluation of Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (24K PDF)
Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (56K PDF)
Principles of Good Practice in Overseas International Education Programs for non-U.S. Nationals (12 K PDF)

 

In fact you are incorrect. SCUPS was owned by Dr. Hecht but no longer. The North Central Association, the accrediting body that ovesees regional accreditation, required that Northcentral University create a distinct board of directors to oversee the operation and management of this school that was not associated with SCUPS. Therefore, in order to obtain RA, Dr. Hecht sold ownership of SCUPS and created a separate board for NCU.

 

Most colleges and universities have provisions for accepting transfer units from non-accredited entities on a case-by-case basis. This appears to be the situation with NCU and SCUPS.

Regarding the AACSB situation, Messagewriter is correct that Pacific Western University is not accredited in any way by AACSB and that the "Educational Member Institution" is a fund raising ploy for the association that, in my opinion, weakens its credibility by allowing non-accredited institutions like PWU to exploit the fact that people will not know the difference between "member" and "accredited".

Well, business is not my discipline, so AACSB would likely not care about my opinion.

 

Like I pointed out above, this says it all:
From the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Transfer of Credit

NCU is following NCA guidelines when accepting SCUPS.
Insofar as PWU and AACSB are concerned, PWU appears to be eligible to pursue accreditation if they desire. Becoming an "Educational Member Institution" is the first step.

http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/process/initial.asp

So like it or not it appears that an US unaccredited school is eligible to pursue AACSB accreditation.

So what is wrong with Northcentral University following AACSB and NCA guidelines?

Just my opinion

 

AACSB

I don't think any school in the world would be precluded from applying to AACSB for accredidation.

I know an administrator that went through this in Tampa at a B & M program. AACSB imposses a great expense to comply in terms of payroll. They are very stringent about who teaches what, how many are full time, what are the PhD's production rates in terms of publications, what are their termnal degrees in, etc. Plus, the administrative costs to apply and go through years of evaluation are very costly for the school. Schools that rely on large adjunct faculties get killed on increased program costs.

Anyone (any school) can apply, yet few can really "affort" it. I'm no expert, but that's my read on it from what I've heard.