Bad Press for UOP

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Delta, Jul 27, 2007.

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  1. Delta

    Delta Active Member

  2. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    So many choices.

    There are so many choices when searching for a school that offers degree programs through distant learning (DL) that it gets confusing on where to go.

    Correct me if I am wrong but the main consensus I get from this forum is to go to a DL school that is:

    1. Regionally accredited (RA) school preferably with a brick and mortar (B&M) campus.
    2. RA school with no B&M campus.
    3. Nationally accredited school, ie: DETC.
    4. Other schools on the CHEA list found at: http://www.chea.org/default.asp
    5. Foreign accredited schools.
    6. Unnaccredited schools.
    7. Avoid a diploma mill like the plague!

    It's amazing to me that RA schools like UOP may be accredited but many students are saying they are getting a poor education.

    The $64 question: What's the deal?:rolleyes:
     
  3. MrLazy

    MrLazy New Member

    Considering only regionally accredited schools, it is possible to get a poor education no matter where you attend. It is also possible to get a decent education no matter which regionally accredited school you attend. However, the overall quality of the education when making the comparison to the entire student population is probably much higher at online programs at standard B&M schools than it would be at UoP.

    I am not a fan of UoP, but people have to realize that when a school has 125,000 students, there are bound to be some that are dissatisfied.

    IMO, an online program at a public B&M school is better than anything that UoP can offer for ONE simple reason, cost. UoP and other for-profits are simply too expensive for the reputation of the degree. If a person can't find an online program that fits their needs at a public state school and they must attend an online program, by all means, go to one of the for-profits. It is better to get a degree in a field that interests you than to compromise on one that doesn't.
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Um, I would disagree with your list for two reasons. One, I'd put foreign "accredited" (or equivalent) schools much higher, between 1 and 2. Second, please note that there are exceptions all over the place. There are a couple of unique DETC-accredited schools, for example, that would be highly recommended for the right people. There are a few unaccredited schools that would be better choices for some people than accredited schools. And there are some foreign schools that would top many RA schools offering DL. (For example, I'd take Heriot-Watt's MBA over UoP's any day.)
     
  5. StevenKing

    StevenKing Active Member

    I doubt that the value of the education is what's at stake - rather, it's perceived utility. Perhaps a number of UOP grads are discovering they have made the wrong choices in career pursuits. I only say that because I've taken the long road (extremely long road) to where I want to be.
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Double that number, please, and then add tens of thousands more.
    There are other reasons for choosing a particular program over another besides their respective costs. Schools like UoP bring a great deal of customer service, hand-holding even. Also, they tend to schedule their classes in ways adult students require. Many B&M schools offering DL still follow traditional semester schedules. And that's just one example.
     
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member


    Well, there is getting an education and getting a degree. These are different things.

    As for UoP grads "discovering" something, UoP has been in business for more than 30 years, using the same on-ground model they have now. Also, they've been online since 1989, IIRC. Nothing new to "discover" there.
     
  8. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    It would be interesting to compare graduation statistics for on-campus vs. on-line students.
     
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's what I was thinking, although that's not to say that some foreign universities aren't better than almost any of the domestic ones.

    -=Steve=-
     
  10. SactoMike

    SactoMike New Member

    Problems with University of Phoenix.....

    First of all, please do not refer to Phoenix as UOP. I'm sure the University of Pacific has been known as "UOP" a little longer.
    Back to Phoenix....I've talked to people who actually taught there, and it's really a place where professors are there for the short term. Maybe it's different at the actual flagship campus in Phoenix.
    Grade inflation. It's amazing how students who were D+/C avg. students at a JuCo amazingly got all A's and B's when transferring to Phoenix. I wish I could make this up, but when I evaluate apps for candidates that went to this school, it happens 90% of the time.
    Groups....you may have 4 in a group and if you have 1 smart student, all 4 get the same grade.
    I'm sure University of Phoenix is a good school for many people, but a lot of people have legitimate concerns.
     
  11. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I have taken classes at UoP (three total) and it is not an automatic "A". I have taken classes that were easier elsewhere and I have taken classes that were harder. I don't think a broad comment can be made about the grading. It is true there are not any "tests" at UoP it is focused on papers and projects. Maybe some people are just bad test takers but are great with papers and projects.
     
  12. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    Sorry to burst your so-well-informed bubble, but I teach at UOP and I can refute most of what you say based on my experiences and what I know about other instructor practices.

    My grade variance is running C+/B- over the last year. Please cite your "90% of the time" source.

    I give every student in team projects a different grade based on his/her contribution to the project as determined by the other team members.

    I have failed students in almost every class that I have taught over the last year and have gotten a few removed from the student ranks for academic violations.

    True, it is not the most prestigious institution from a faculty standpoint, but it is a foot in the door to other opportunities. I have been hired at two other schools in the last month due to, in large part, to my experience at UOP.
     
  13. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member




    I have a friend who was just hired as a part time professor at a UOP campus. Given the comments she has made, I am pretty impressed with the teacher training given by UOP. Do I think UOP is overpriced? Yes. But if it works for someone that receives tuition reimbursement and it works for them, why not? I have never had the luxury of tuition reimbursement myself.

    Just my two cents, I am not even sure what point I was trying to make! :) I am on homework overload.

    Abner
     
  14. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I think you made a fine point - I have a friend that teaches at UoP and she said it is a lot of work. She teaches English Lit and spends hours a day reading papers and commenting. If it was an auto "A", why waste your time.
     
  15. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    When I was in the UoP classes, the team work grade was not the same for everyone. You were graded based on the individual work handed in as well as the team presentation. The instructor knew who was slacking off and they got the grade they deserved.
     
  16. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member



    Hey, good job on your weight loss!!! I saw your sig line!!! Keep up the good work!

    Abner :)
     
  17. macattack

    macattack New Member

    Agreed, keep it up!

    I recently lost 55 pounds (25% of my body weight) at a rate of about 1-2 lbs per week. I found that weight loss is a product of a simple formula.

    (calories in) - (calories out) = surplus or deficit. If you want to to loose weight, guess what... create a deficit.

    Or, more simply, eat less and workout more. Maybe try cutting/burning 500 calories a day from your normal day. 500 x 7 = 3500 = 1 lb per week.
     
  18. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Don't lecture about things you don't know about. The University of Phoenix has been referred to as "UoP" on these boards since they were started. No one talks about the University of the Pacific around here, so your comment is both rude and irrelevant.
    You have proof of this, of course. I've been a Campus Chair at UoP, and my experience is different from what you describe. Many instructors have been teaching at UoP for several years. I would look forward to your support for your ideas, especially the one about things being different at the "flagship" (whatever that means) campus.
    Really? Could you be more specific? In what capacity do you "evaluate aps for candidates"?

    Additionally, this ignores the fact that many adult students thrive in an education envrionment based on andragogy, not pedagogy. Also, it is important to remember that many students start out at community colleges--no one seriously calls them "JuCos" anymore--while young, but later go to schools like UoP when they're more mature and ready for success.
    This isn't true. Group assignments typically make up 25 - 35% of each student's grade. It is typical for group members to receive the same grades on their assignments, but they only make up a small part of each individual's grade. Additionally, the instructor has the prerogative to award different grades to each group member--I've done this many times.
    Unfortunately, you're not raising any of them. But if you search my posts on the subject, you will see that I have. No one on this board has been more critical about certain aspects of UoP than me, but you're way off in your observations.
     
  19. preisma

    preisma New Member

    I am not sure why so many....

    end up defending Phoenix. It would recommend taking a class at Phoenix and one at a decent school and then comparing. There is a huge difference not only in the student body (academic readiness) but also in material covered and its complexity. The classes I took at Phoenix before I dropped out where plain ridiculous, the college mathematics class barely got to 10th grade algebra for example.

    This was in 1999, so things may have changed. However, judging from comments of people I know who are going there it still is barely above degree mill level. Even if the situation has improved since then keep in mind the degree is considered a joke by most hiring managers and at best suffices to fulfill the requirement of having any degree. There are many cheaper state school alternatives, even distance learning, that will provide a much better education at a lower price.
    .

    Regards,

    Neekmeister

    BS in Management, University of San Francisco
    MS Information Systems, University of San Francisco
     
  20. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Yes, I am defending UoP in a sense but I am also defending general common sense. When people post such general statements as if they were fact I become concerned. It is like the signs in the NYC deli's "Best Coffee in Town" - who tasted all the coffee in town and made the comparision?

    If you have proof and first hand experience that is one thing, to say to compare one class to another, it is not fair. If I compare the government class I took at Florida Community College of Jacksonville and the Managing Projects class at the UoP campus in Jacksonville there would be no comparision. UoP was 10x harder.

    I think you need to look at the content of more then one class to get a real feel for the quality.
     

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