California Coast/DETC News

Rich: "First, most people won't compare someone's graduation date with the date of CCU's accreditation. Second, and much more important, the eventual acccreditation of CCU implies that it was operating at an "accreditable" level prior to actual accreditation. As an employer, I wouldn't bother with making the distinction and would treat pre-accreditation and post-accreditation CCU degrees in the same way: acceptable. (I also think DETC-accredited degrees are acceptance-worthy, even though that isn't always the case out there. "


Cehi: This is a very good point. Some well informed HR people may know and act differently. However, I agree with you Rich, in-to-to.

 

Actually, Ray, I've been taking for years from the same group (and their ilk).

I've never called myself a professional in this field. But it is true that I have a Ph.D. in this area, worked full-time for a year at the largest nontraditional univeristy in the country, have been an adjunct at several schools, and have more than 25 years of experience in education and training. Whether or not that constitutes being a "professional" is for others to decide. But since I didn't make the comment, I don't really care.

I have not said one actionable thing about CCU. Like any reasoned critic, I've said both positive and negative things as situations have arisen. That's the benefit of not being connected to the school; I'm free to say what needs to be said. So don't offer up some lame threat like that. Do you really think that, after writing about schools publicly for a decade that I'm going to be dissuaded by that? Get real.

 

Re: Re: Re: No prvision for "upgrading"

You're certainly right. And it's technically relevant in a lot of other situations, too. The question will be whether or not decision-makers make this distinction in their day-to-day practice.

 

I just had a great exchange with Michael Lambert of DETC. While it wouldn't be appropriate to quote his e-mail without his permission, I did want to share the gist of it as it relates to CCU doctorates.

It turns out that DETC saw that California treated CCU's obligations to doctoral students "in the pipeline" contractual, as I think Kirkland pointed out, and did not want to do anything to interfere with those relationships. (This we knew when DETC said they expected CCU to "teach out" its doctoral students.) While he acknowledged the dilemma (an accredited school awarding some unaccredited doctorates), he felt the commitment CCU had to its students should prevail. I think everyone agreed on that point. I suspect (and he implied) that there aren't too many of them left, since CCU has been in the accreditation process for awhile.

When I made the distinction between doctoral students and those in the combined master's/doctoral programs, he said that, while DETC looked at that, they didn't see it the same way. They felt that it was one enrollment agreement and should be fulfilled completely. This certainly trumps any distinction I was making about stopping those students at the (accredited) master's.

He also indicated this may all become moot when the pilot is done next year. Very interesting....

 

Dear Rich,

OK, you have my interest. I will apologize for being a little dogmatic in the past regarding CCU. Would you please explain what pilot you are referring to.

I see in another thread you were asking about a DBA. Maybe you could enroll in their program if it opens back up.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Ray - The DETC has adopted new doctoral standards. See the Accreditation Handbook, under " Publications" on the DETC website at www.detc.org and look at Policy C.16.

Note that C.16 also gives the rules & protocol for the Pilot Test the DETC is now launching for DETC institutions that have been accredited for at least 2 years.

Mary A

 

Mary covered the pilot program. Mike indicates it will be done next year. I suspect other schools (maybe CCU?) will move forward in that regard.

As for me, are you suggesting that ol' Rich "RA or No Way" Douglas might consider enrolling in a DBA at a DETC-accredited school? Actually, I would. That's why such critics are always way off base.

(Of course, we're talking about my FRIEND's DBA, not mine.)

 

Don't worry, Rich, you still have a place at DegreeInfo------even if DETC didn't agree with you.

 

Rick et al - CCU would not be eligible to participate until they have been accredited two years which is probably about the time that the approval would come through depending on when the pilot gets started.

Mary A

 

Yeah, someone didn't agree with me! Shocker!

 

Michael sent a follow-up that gibes with Mary's statement. Looks like 20 months or so with 4-6 schools. (I wish he'd told me which ones!), after which DETC will petition the USDoE. This is exciting! Professional doctorates, not Ph.D.'s.

Maybe my "friend" will enroll in one just to see it from the inside?

Thanks to Mary for her always-dead-on insights, and to Russell for his sense of humor.

(This would seem to put CCU at 2007 at the earliest. I suspect that most of the students they have in the pipeline--if required to make progress in their degrees--will be done before that.)

Now, who might these 4-6 schools be....?

 

Aspen, Columbia Southern, AMU(?)(but maybe not considering their RA aspirations), Taft.

Any more wild guesses?

Tony

 

Cyberspace, I'd love to hear how your PhD program at CCU turned out from back then. Could you share?

 

Hi newsongs - Our records indicate that our friend PhDCyberspace hasn't posted here for over 11 years. I'm guessing you're not going to get anything from him at this point.