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  1. GUNSMOKE

    GUNSMOKE New Member

    For those of you who are intimately familiar with the accredidatiion process, subjectively, do you think AMU is a good risk for someone interested in some of their unique MA programs but insisting on RA?

    In other words do you think AMU is likely to acheive RA in the next 12-18 months?

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. DesElms

    DesElms New Member

    Though most regulars around here know who AMU is, for the readers' sake it might make some sense to include a link to the school about which one is inquiring along with such questions in the future. Just a suggestion.

    For the reader...

    AMU: http://www.apus.edu/AMU/

    AMU began the process in February 2004; and it claims on its site that it has (or soon will have) completed its self-study and, therefore, anticipates asking the Commission to make another site visit in 2005 (though it didn't specify precisely when).

    Our experts around here who know how long it takes once that happens should be able to give one helluva good guess, I would think. So, experts, what say ye?
     
  3. marilynd

    marilynd New Member

    SACS rules require THE accreditation site visit (the one which results in the accreditation decision) within two years of the awarding of candidacy.

    After the report from the site visiting team, it could be as much as a year before SACS rules, depending on when the visit took place. There is a time period during which the institution is given the opportunity to respond in writing to the report. The report and response then go to the COC (Commission on Colleges), which meets usually in June. Final decisions are usually announced at the meeting of the full association in December.

    Because of the time table, they try to schedule original-accreditation visitations in the fall or early winter, I think. I have been involved now in five visits, two of them original accreditation applications. All but one took place in the fall. One happened in March, but that was a reaffirmation visit.

    I forget. APUS is located in Virginia, not West Viriginia? SACS would be the accreditor for Virginia but not West Virginia.

    Hope this helps.

    :)

    marilynd
     
  4. aic712

    aic712 Member

    Hi Marilynd,

    AMU is a candidate for North Central, not SACS, their main office is in west VA, although they have a branch office here in Manassas. I believe the moved their campus to West VA so they could be a candidate for North Central, but I am not positive on that.

    They seem to be a very good school, but I cannot comment on the length of time that it may take for them to receive accreditation, I'm sure others will though :)
     
  5. marilynd

    marilynd New Member

    I just looked it up. APUS is a candidate of North Central, not SACS, which means that everything I just posted is useless information, at least as regards APUS.

    I would assume that NCA's process is similar to SACS, but every regional accreditating association is a little different.

    Any NCA people?

    marilynd
     
  6. marilynd

    marilynd New Member

    Thanks, Myles. It seems we posted at about the same time.

    marilynd
     
  7. Charles

    Charles New Member

    While APUS still maintains offices in Manassas, Virginia, its headquarters is in Charles Town, West Virginia. The move to West Virginia was primarily to facilitate accreditation by the North Central Association.


    APUS/AMU began working toward regional accreditation much earlier than 1994. AMU applied to SACS before moving to West Virginia. AMU stated that they met the majority of SACS conditions.

    "In 1998, we spent two years on our first application to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In June of 1999 the application went before their board. Although AMU met the requirements of the majority of the SACS conditions, there were some elements of our program they wanted us to change. We have been making consistent progress toward those goals and plan to submit another application when our enrollment is sufficient to support the SACS requirement for full time faculty."
    (http://www.amunet.edu/GeneralInformation/faqs.asp)

    http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3904&highlight=sacs
     
  8. tmartca

    tmartca New Member

    APUS moved from Virginia to West Virginia so it in the NCA region.

    I was looking at this and it states that the MAXIMUM length (for NCA) of candidacy is 4 years. Of course, they could achieve accreditation before that.

    Federal regs limit the candidacy process to five years, so there is an extra year if absolutely necessary.

    This is from the APUS accreditation Page: LINK

    "On February 5, 2004, the American Public University System was granted candidacy status by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.... The University System intends to submit its Self-Study Report to the Commission in December 2005 and host a site visit in February 2006."

    So the one can look at the absolute maximum timetable for accreditation as February of 2009 per federal regs. February 2008 per NCA guidelines. As for getting it sooner, (I hope) I'm not an insider so I no going to speculate.

    They do offer a sample timeline in their Preliminary Information Form (PIF), but I haven't found an online version of that yet.
     
  9. marilynd

    marilynd New Member

    Interesting, Charles.

    I wonder if APUS was able to meet some of the NCA requirements more easily than SACS?

    marilynd
     
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    In my recent--and not-so recent--conversations (negotiations?) with APUS, it was very clear that they moved to West Virginia to be under the NCA. In January, they expected a site visit this October. I do not know if that has changed.

    I suspect they'll be successful, but they're not taking it for granted. (Another reason to suspect they'll be successful.)

    I'm just sorry other opportunities caused me to stop the recent, uh, "conversations." But perhaps they'll resume soon regarding other purposes....
     
  11. Charles

    Charles New Member

  12. marilynd

    marilynd New Member

    Thanks, Charles.

    An interesting thread.

    I have looked at the AMU graduate program a couple of times and was quite impressed.

    As an historian, I would love to take the concentrations on the American Revolution or Civil War. Hell, their offerings were so attractive that I could take two or three master's degrees worth of courses.

    I wish them well with NCA.

    marilynd
     
  13. GUNSMOKE

    GUNSMOKE New Member

    thank you!

    To all of you who took time to discuss this matter!

    I too find AMU/APUS an exciting prospect not just for their unique program offerings but for the fact that they have chosen to be all online, their easy access (admission policies for masters programs), relatively low cost and their obvious serious intent as evidenced by their aggressive pursuit of regional accredidation.

    I beleive that when they acheive RA it will become an evolutionary moment for the DL movement, providing they maintain all the charachter that makes them so attractive.

    Thank you all again! It is your enthusiastic willingness to share your diverse perspectives and experiences with each other that makes this board the very special place that it is!
     
  14. DesElms

    DesElms New Member

    It's a reciprocal sort of thing...

    And you give something back, too. Gun control advocate though I may be; and believer though I am that the second amendment expressly applies, exclusively, to those who are in an organized militia, the Benjamin Franklin quote in your signature is, nevertheless, well worth the price of admission, to wit (just in case you change your signature some day and someone finds this post in the archives):
    • "Democracy is two wolves and a
      lamb discussing what's for dinner.

      Liberty is a well-armed lamb willing
      to contest the majority decision."

      - Benjamin Franklin, 1755
    That's a pretty good one. :p
     
  15. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Re: It's a reciprocal sort of thing...

    It is a pretty good quote, but it would be even better if there was some evidence that Benjamin Franklin actually said or wrote it. Wikipedia, for example, has the following to say about this quote at http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Politics :

    "frequently attributed to Benjamin Franklin, it does not appear in his writings."

    The quote has spread all over the Internet, with Ben's name on it. Yet strangely, none of the people who use this quote seem to know the book, pamphlet, or speech where it was published. One might suggest that the quote lacks proper accreditation.
     
  16. GUNSMOKE

    GUNSMOKE New Member

    Gun Control is

    hitting what you're shooting at!

    :p :p :p

    Besides I saw it on a bumper sticker and that's good enough for me, so there...........


    and, and, and, so what if he didn't say it, he should have.....

    :p :p :p
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 14, 2005
  17. DesElms

    DesElms New Member

    The wit of Ben... whether or not he actually witted it.

    Which would explain how I missed it, I suppose. Oh... wait... that was a forum-appropriate play on words, wasn't it. Ha! Good one.

    One of my favorite Ben Franklin quotes has always been, and remains:
    • "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little
      temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

      -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759


      SOURCE: The motto of Franklin's "Historical Review of Pennsylvania"
    Now that one I know he said; and those who espouse the virtues of the godawful Patriot Act -- and the raft of other Bushesque diminutions of our hard-won civil rights so that the big, bad terrorists won't "git us" -- would be wise to remember it, it seems to me.

    But, alas, I wax politic... and in the wrong forum, to boot.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 14, 2005
  18. Kirkland

    Kirkland Member

    Gregg, on the point you made above, we can discuss your beliefs (re: second amendment) further on the off-topic forum.

    There are many quotes from those who wrote and/or subscribed to the Constitution who clearly state that the militia is the "whole body of men" not an organized group ala National Guard. The concept of army was anathema and a threat to the founders. Also, it should be clear that the Second Amendment refers to individual rights, not collective rights, as are the preponderance of others stipulated in the Bill of Rights.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 24, 2005
  19. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I agree.....you could fill an entire thread from quotes of the founding fathers about their belief that the citizens should be armed. Does anyone honestly believe that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, etc., did NOT believe in the right of the people to keep firearms?

    It's also an impossible stretch to think that the Second Amendment is the sole amendment in the Bill of Rights that does not refer to an individual's rights.
     

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