Berkeley to Accept University of the People Graduates

The University of California, Berkeley has announced that it will accept graduates from the online institution the University of the People (UoPeople), following a new partnership agreement.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/berkeley-accept-university-people-graduates

 

This is fantastic news.

There is a two-year school in the SUNY system called Alfred State College. One thing you see when you encounter an alumnus of ASC is that they are incredibly proud of their school. For many, their two year degree is the only degree they have. But even those who continue their education seem to retain a strong identity as an Alfred State alumnus. I've met a few people who finished their bachelor's at ESC or Excelsior but, for them, Alfred is where they "went" to college. It's a much stronger identity than what you see at community colleges (Note: Alfred is not a community college, it is a SUNY technical college and they are eager to point out that distinction).

I say this because this is a huge step for UPeople toward not only greater degree utility but also a much stronger brand recognition for the school. While we can speculate how successful a person with a UPeople degree might be I think we can all agree that a person with a UC Berkeley degree is going to be in a stronger position. So, having an A.S. from People and earning your B.S. from Berkeley could be the best of both worlds for a number of people. Hopefully those grads will still proudly display their People Associates degrees on their LinkedIn, Facebook and resumes as doing so will only strengthen People's value in the marketplace.

 

That is pretty awesome. I wonder if they'll get a break on tuition cost, too.

 

On why the UoTP is so successful in attracting high caliber professors and institutions,

“They all come to us because they want us to succeed,” he said. “They want education to be open. They want it to be less expensive. They look at the price that their own institutions charge, and they want it to be different.”

Most of DI's time is spent trying to help potential students find those options. The ultimate less expensive options are those closest to zero.

 

this makes me SUPER happy. I've said before that I love the college and its mission, but have reservations about the rest of the country's learning curve in this whole process. This is a step forward!

 

Wow!!!!! That's great news. :smile:

 

It seems that the UoPeople has started to gain attention from an increasing number of applicants (12.750 students so far according to their website).

It is interesting to see how this ''experiment'' in higher education is actually turning out as last year the university partnered with the University of Edinburgh and just a week ago the olympic gymnast Simone Bills announced she is a student and global ambassador there while she also set up a fund for foster kids to join UoPeople.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/05/opinions/foster-care-education-olympics-opinion-biles/index.html

 

speaking of Simone Biles . . .

https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivalegatt/2018/04/03/why-simone-biles-chose-online-over-ucla/#380487013193