Does NA Really Mean N-O?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by MrsVee, Aug 31, 2010.

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  1. MrsVee

    MrsVee New Member

    So, I'm looking into the Ed.D. program at Aspen University. You can't beat the price... and I'm broke! :eek: Has anyone been able to land a university teaching position with a nationally accredited degree?

    I like the program at Aspen b/c I can use the degree to further my education. My goal is to develop a private primary school in the near future. I currently teach in a community college, but would like the option to adjunct for local/online universities. Is that even a possibility with a NA degree? Will DETC colleges hire DETC graduates?

    Any feedback you can give will be great! Thanks.

    Mrs. Vee
     
  2. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    I believe that others have indicated that there's still a pretty big stigma in RA academia against holders of RA degrees for faculty positions. I know of a handful of cases, but I believe in at least a couple of them, the employing university has said that the person was hired on the basis of their RA masters, not their NA doctorate.

    It would be pretty sad if DETC schools would not hire DETC graduates, but I do remember a thread talking about at least one DETC school where most of the faculty held RA degrees. If the trend of DETC schools applying for (and getting) RA continues, then it would seem that they might be more inclined to want RA degrees.

    However, an NA degree from a credible NA school is better than no degree, so if Aspen is what you can afford, it may be worth considering. But I would look around thoroughly to see if perhaps you could find a school where you could get a graduate assistanceship position that would cover some or all of your tuition. At least some schools have this as an option and that could compare reasonably with the cost of an NA degree at Aspen.
     
  3. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    How about you let us know your price range and what degree you want, and see if anyone knows something?
     
  4. MrsVee

    MrsVee New Member

    Re:

    Okay. I'm looking for an EdD/PhD in Organizational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction or School Admin. I will even consider Adult & Higher Ed. Is it possible to find a program for under $10,000 that would be received well in the US? I've looked into Pretoria but I'm hesitant. Just navigating through their website is a task. I've sent e-mails but never receive replies. If that's an indication of how the communication will be once I enroll then it probably wont be a good fit.
     
  5. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    It's going to be hard to find an RA degree that meets those criteria. Respected degrees generally come with a hefty pricetag.
     
  6. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    I would go with Aspen

    Total Ed.D tuition at the prepay rate is $6,000 plus internship and dissertation costs of $1,800.

    It won't get you a job in higer education, heck a RA degree won't land you much of a job in higher education.
     
  7. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    An NA degree will certainly not preclude you from developing your private school and the doctorate would lend you credibility. When I worked for a California community college some years ago, we hired several faculty whose doctorates were not regionally accredited. They had exceptional curriculum vitas and quite a bit of teaching and practical field experience.

    Now that I am ina position to hire adjunct faculty to teach for my university, would I consider someone with an NA degree? Probably, however there are a number of considerations for hiring faculty:

    1. A degree is only one ingredient in the mix. Most of the candidates that I see have regionally accredited terminal degrees (Since I oversee online programs, I do not mind doctorates that are earned online).

    2. I want someone with an understanding of what it takes to succeed online and prefer those with documented teaching success. Teach wherever you can.

    3. The candidate must have current scholarly knowledge of the field. Evidence of this is service in professional associations, publishing in journals and trade publications, presenting at conferences and other forms of scholarships.

    4. The candiidate must have practical knowledge of the subjects to be taught (i.e. has she done this successfully in real lilfe?)

    5. Some subjects have higher demand than others (e.g. it is much harder to find qualified faculty in accounting or nursing than it is in English, psychology, organizational leadership or educational administration), so if you fill and area of institution need, then you have a much better chance.

    For university faculty, the "trinity" of teaching, scholarship & service are what distinguishes successful candidates. On Degreeinfo, we often talk about earning a doctorate to teach in higher education, but I get vitas and resumes from doctors every week. Anyone who truly wishes to work in higher education, needs to have strengths in each section of the "trinity."
     
  8. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Dr Anthony Pina

    Do you remember what CA college his was?

    Thx
     
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Hi

    I believe Dr. Piña earned his Ed.D. at Sierra University, Riverside CA. I haven't had the privilege of meeting him personally - just the magic of Google.

    I think this is his faculty page here: Anthony A. Pina

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 2, 2010
  10. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    Yes, that is me. The site is hosted by my former institution, so I can't edit it. This is my current site. I started my doctoral studies in the Educational Technology PhD program at Arizona State U. An offer that I could not refuse (as Coordinator of Educational Technology at College of the Desert) necessitated a move to California. When it became obvious that moving back to Arizona was not in the cards, I found the right program for me at La Sierra University, which used to be a campus of Loma Linda University. La Sierra had the right program: Leadership with a concentration in either educational administration or educational technology. I chose the latter. La Sierra's highest degree is the EdD, but that has not hindered my career in higher ed (nor has receiving a degree from a university that no one recognizes). Even though I am not Seventh-day Adventist (LSU is affiliated with SDA), I ended up teaching online courses for La Sierra for a few years. La Sierra does not offer its EdD online (although it does offer some of its masters degrees that way).
     
  11. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Have you considered a DPA instead of an Ed.D.
    Valdosta has this one
    http://www.valdosta.edu/pa/dpa/handbook/DPA_Handbook.pdf
    And if (a big if) I'm reading their web site correctly the cost is around $11,000 for an RA doctorate. It seems that this would be appropriate for someone setting up a private school (providing it is a not-for-profit endeavor).
     
  12. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I know for a fact Dr. Lady, President of Aspen, will consider well qualified applicants with NA or RA degrees. The Aspen EdD would be perfect for your private primary school plans as well. The price is just crazy low.

    Abner :)
     
  13. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    My Criminology Instructor at AJU has two undergrad NA degrees so I don't think its a big NO on NA degrees.
     
  14. Caulyne Barron

    Caulyne Barron New Member

    Also keep in mind that DETC doctoral degrees are relatively new. (I believe 2008 was when they were first approved, but I could be wrong...) There's not enough of a track record or a big enough population to have an idea what the real utility will be.

    Depending on the position, an NA school with a solid resume may be just the ticket.
     
  15. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    I was thinking the same thing. Does anyone know how many DETC doctorates have been awarded to date?
     
  16. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    my sources tell me the number is 17 or maybe 38. possibly 52.
     
  17. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Quick thought... the acceptability of bachelor's, master's and doctorate's really isn't comparable, so it is important not to lump them all together; the degrees have completely origins and purposes.
     
  18. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I sooooo agree with this--it is a keen observation.

    IMO, the master's is the most widely acceptable degree as it is (usually) a career enhancer, not a career starter. (Yes, many exceptions, but the kinds of students DETC schools attract--and the degrees they seek--fall into this description.)

    The bachelor's is much more of a career starter. Used this way, one might find more resistance. But used as a career enhancer, one might find a great deal of acceptance. Except using it to pursue an RA master's, of course, where great resistance still exists.

    The doctorate? A true dichotomy. Enhancing a practitioner's career? In many (most?) cases, sure. Starting a theorist/researcher's career. Almost certainly not.

    With a immense variety of RA options now available, I've yet to hear a convincing argument for pursing a degree from an NA school. Not (typically) degree content. Delivery? No way. Costs? This is the one area that comes close, but there are almost always comparably priced RA options. It almost always doesn't make sense. (HMU, perhaps?)
     
  19. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Aspen University has some unique delivery options, if I understand them correctly...

    With the online independent option, one could take a class with up to 10 weeks to finish it, but finish it in 4 weeks with a great deal of effort. Then, they could start another course on the nearest 1st or 16th of the month. Flexible terms.

    Other schools offer interesting delivery but not the exact combination of subject matter, price, and delivery in this fashion.

    I'm sure there are other schools with this but the argument has to focus on the exact combination of essential degree components; those can vary a lot between NA and RA.
     

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