Accreditation

Then again, maybe it may work against it? Using a name similar to a prestigious university is a trick used by less than wonderful schools in the past (University of Berkley), so I wonder if that might make people suspicious of Oxford.


Bruce

 

That is true as well. This may especially cast some doubts within academia. Where it may help is in non academic circles. All people may hear is "Oxford". This is one of the problems I have with the school. I don't want to have to go around saying "my Ph.D. is from Oxford. No, not that Oxford! This one is in Tennessee." I would not mind if they changed their name. Give it an English name (eg St. Giles University or Anglophile University).

North (who is considering them after he gets done his current program but is not very happy with the name).

 

I could go for "St. George-and-the-Dragon University," myself.


Cheers,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

co-author, Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning (Ten Speed Press)
co-author, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead (Osborne/McGraw-Hill)

 

Apparantly, the TRACS did not stop short. There were some concerns early on, however, TRACS seems to have jumped those hurdles, and gaining CHEA recognition is certainly a plus for them. Like North, I do hope that TRACS degrees will gain recognition and respect within academe.

But, as with all change, it is usually at a glacial pace.

Russell

 

I agree with the glacial pace. I think they will need to continue to pull in schools like Temple Baptist Seminary, Tennessee Temple University, Liberty University, Oxford Graduate School (?) in order to continue to increase their status. Possibly the fact that they are now CHEA will help. If I were them I would be encouraging AABC accredited schools to look at TRACS due to the possibility of growth for the schools in terms of graduate programs. There are some well respected AABC schools that could bolster TRACS status and acceptability. I think it will be hard to compete with ATS. In spite of some concerns with ATS not being solely an Evangelical accreditor they have managed to pull in schools from a broad spectrum and have become the gold standard for theological education. They of course have schools ranging from Dallas Theological Seminary (Evangelical Harvard) to liberal Drew. Even D. James Kennedy is seeking ATS for Knox and he is very conservative. Although, now under fire from Hank at CRI for his "Gospel in the Stars" Christian interpretation of the zodiac. Kennedy was really hot about the attacks on him that Hank made.

At any rate, TRACS has a long way to go even among conservative Christians.

North

 

I agree that it seems if i really wanted a school that would stand on it's own i would chang the name. I would want to remove all suspicion. There are so many people looking for affordable Theological eduaction that i would not think you had to use a deceptive name. You could even add just another word to the name "Oxford Grace" University or something as simple as that,