A strange message from a covert NCU employee

I don't have time to sit here and respond to this because I've got too much on my platter today, but here goes...

1. It's true that NCU corresponds with students using the internet as an online medium. In all fairness, UoP, Walden, Capella and other schools also corresponded with students using the internet as an online medium of "information exchange." There is nothing mysterious about an "online" education.

2. I'm almost done with the program and I've never had a problem with untimely responses from mentors, with the exception of one (long story - we argued and it went downhill from there). However, in all fairness, I also argued with a professor as a freshman in a traditional university -- and it too "went downhill from there." They both gave me less-than-stellar grades. Lesson learned: Let the professor have it his way, but after I get out of the class, I'll do it my way.

But to get back on track: I've never had a problem with untimely mentors at NCU. I read that website that you posted and it doesn't reflect my experience.

3. It's true that NCU mentors don't give the same kind of feedback that a student can get in a "traditional" classroom e.g. the professor stands in front of the class and provides a lecture that is followed by a question-and-answer period from the students. That kind of interaction simply doesn't happen at an online school where correspondence isn't in "real time." It was no different at UoP and Columbia Union College (I did external work at both of those schools).

Maybe some schools do offer lectures by sending the students a videocassette or a DVD that the student has to sit down and watch for an hour, but that's the exception and not the rule. I think Liberty University online does this, but I'm not sure. Someone else can chime in about that.

4. It's also true that it's difficult to teach a student how to do a dissertation in an online format because the interaction between the learner and the mentor is handicapped by "time and distance." Instead of walking up to the professor after class (like in a traditional university) and asking him about academic problems that you're having, you'll have to "telephone" your mentor to discuss learning issues that you might be having. Either way, both methods are difficult for a dissertation process.

Gotta run.

My .02

 

I took one PhD course at NCU.
I was impressed by the interaction with my mentor over the internet, I submitted and received comments via an NCU website, I used their great on-line library service for my course and for other research.
The course work was tough but not exceedingly so (and still use what I learned in my consulting business).

 

I think it is naive to believe that whatever the administration says is true. Do we believe everything our U.S. President says? We, as graduate students, should be critical thinkers. The President's speech was one sided. The individuals in attendance were employees. Can you say, "set up?" This is a cover up -at least in my humble opinion-regarding the slash and burn that has gone on there. My friends inside tell me that the new regime wants people only who are loyal to them. There are almost no faculty left, and dissertations are piling up and they are being pawned off to adjuncts to do "piece work." This is a direct quote from the person inside. Why only downsize academics? WHy not some of the highly paid operations side of the business? Why only the last 2-3 months? How could the owner, who resides in the building and acted as the chief financial overseer not have seen problems coming? Heh, I was told by insiders that this summer there were massive internal changes and the owner took all of operations under his belt as he wanted control. So, if this were a math equation, it wouldn't add up. In the end, this is out of our hands. We are only paying customers. We are told what to think. We chose a for profit, and NCU is cheap -let's face it. But we don't have to put paper bags over our heads or allow a president who has been in place all of two months tell us HIS reality. I doubt that it is his reality. I think he was put in place to march. I see they haven't updated the web site-still shows a writing program in place. All the writing folks were either fired or have resigned. Walden is gearing up for growth. Has massive internal support structures, inlcuding a writing program staffed by highly qualified people, as was NCU's. But when you see learner support services and faculty cut, you have to start thinking-this is only about the money. I just want to finish my degree and get out. The reputation of this place has headed south and quickly in just a few months.

 

NCU is a relatively new school. It will be interesting to see how long it will last, when compared to other online schools such as UoP, Walden, Capella, Union and all the others. If it remains profitable and regionally accredited, then the future looks bright.

 

The nerve of them!!

What is wrong with adjuncts?

 

After reading the posts on this thread, I would like to comment and say that something similar, but not in the same degree has happened at the community college where I work. A new president came in and changed around alot of the policies and staff. Some were either offered retirement packages, others were told to either take a different position or step down, some just chose to leave on their own.

In addition courses have been changed or deleted, the same with programs that were popular that didnt have enough enrollment, were also eliminated.

Being a state supported community college, we have had our share of budget cuts, which has resulted in more turnover and job descriptions changing. Has student work suffered because of the changes? Well the results of a student survey indicated that students were upset by all the changes that have happened, especially with some popular instructors leaving.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that this sort of thing happens all the time, whether for profit or non profit and whether the college is new or old. Sometimes you have to weather the storm. I am sure Northcentral will figure out something, just like where I work has.

 

Gee I hope you are right about NCU remaining accredited because the other for profits are, but as I understand it, the issues with NCU are with governance, conflict of interest, etc. If you look them up at the regional accrediting web site, you will see they had a visit just this past July on those issues. Those issues revolve around the sole ownership, and all the changes in the board over the last few years they have been accredited. Capella and UOP don't have those issues-although UoP has had their share of problems with enrollment practices. ANyway, I don't think there is any guarantee for any institution regarding remaining accredited. Given I am one course away from graduating, I know that I want them to remain accredited! But I also know that there is more going on than just "fiscal" matters. Remember, those in charge will always give a party line.

 

Can you please provide a link that shows that the regional accreditors had an issue with governance and conflict of interest? Since Hecht purportedly doesn't own NCU anymore (?), I'm wondering why governance and conflict of interest would be an issue. A link or a source might provide some clarity. Thanks in advance.

 

I've went out to the Higher Learning and didn't see anything on it. Sounds like a rumor, or maybe something in Hecht's past from another school.

Bing

 

When did this development happen?

 

I don't know who the current owner of NCU is.

 

This is from a NCU professor on the Walden University discussion board

I taught for UoP for about two years. I found the students to be very similar to those I taught at brick and mortar-a few were highly motivated, wrote well and just needed a way to obtain their doctorate without leaving home and quitting work. I taught at Capella-same thing. I think for profits get bad raps because they produce so many doctorates, but quite truly I had very traditional faculty when I did my doctorate, and some were terrific while others were so so. Students take out what they put in, and often at a for profit institution students demand an A because they are paying so much money. I teach now for 3 for profits. The one I would not recommend (any longer) is NCU. They had their act together but have slipped down that all too familiar slope of squeezing a few full time academics to death in order to make money when they brought on the new administration, and were given the mandate to increase profits for the owner. Remember UoP and Capella are publically traded universities. NCU is a solo ownership. Personally, and this is probably just a judgment call-I prefer to deal with publically traded companies because at least their is real fiscal oversight. With sole ownership, and no federal aid-it is up to one person to make all the calls including those impacting employees, faculty, students, etc. Anyway, adjuncting is adjuncting!

 

Who Owns NCU?

A search of the Arizona online corporation filings indicates that NCU is owned by Innova Management Group, Inc. which was established 4/27/07 and incorporated by Donald Hecht, its sole initial board member.

http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsbroker1/names-detail.p?name-id=13640606&type=CORPORATION#AnnualReports

The NCU annual report at the following address indicates some bankruptcy history of an entity owned by Mr. Hecht.

http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsbroker1/names-detail.p?name-id=08499961&type=CORPORATION

Mike Hanrahan

 

Well good luck. The word today from the HLC is that NCU only got 3 years. Three years is not good. Ten years is the best. They got 5 for initial accreditation. It had nothing to do with financial solvency my friend. It was all about governance, ownership and board oversight. Seems the HLC actually had a brain in this and saw that what they have been doing the past four months has been all smoke and mirrors. Glad I am out in less than 3 months. Not staying for my doctorate-going to Walden where they already have ten years and are stable.

 

Did the HLC recommend changes?

 

It's unknown, at the time of this writing.

 

Donald Hecht is the sole owner of NCU and he owns it through Innova Mgmt. So even though it appears that a corporation owns the university, in reality it is only one person -Hecht-who started the school, was its first President and also owns a non accredited university in California. The posting on the HLC site is down now because the comprehensive visit has taken place. Through most of last year it was on the HLC site that they were having a focused visit on governance, conflict of interest and comingling of employees (from the California school and Arizona school), and that was a pretty hard visit from what I heard. The comprehensive visit just took place and it will take a few months for the HLC to post the definitive recommendations of the team, which were only 3 years reaffirmation, another focused visit in one year and close monitoring of the board. I think, in the end, it was about too many abrupt and substantive changes in too short a period of time, and that the changes were ordered by the owner (so this points to governance issues). Anyway, for a school that got 5 years initial, 3 years is really not good. It demonstrates concern on the part of the accreditors that the university can really govern itself properly and puts questions up regarding how they can succeed. Who knows though? A lot can happen between now and the time the HLC meets to make final determinations, and the school can even fight the recommendations. If I were the new president, I would be a bit embarassed that I wasn't able to pull off at least 5 or 7 years. Lots of turmoil.

 

He loves being a dictator