Luther Rice Seminary - PhD in Organizational Leadership

LRS hold institutional accreditation through what were formerly known as Regional Accreditors and one or both of TRACS and ABHE.

They are now offering a PhD in Organizational Leadership. Requires one week per class on Zoom or in-person and the rest is presumably online/research. Tuition is 615 per credit hour x 48 credit hours.

https://www.lutherrice.edu/degree-programs/doctor-of-philosophy.cms

 

It still is.

CHEA still calls them Regional Accrediting Organizations (except DEAC, which is an Institutional Accrediting Association). Here

 

I am just going with the Department of Education designations (governmental entity).

 

What Steve said.

Recognizing what is and is not a degree-granting school is a private matter in the United States. (Legal status is granted at the state level.) The US Department of Education maintains a list of recognized accreditors for financial aid purposes. It is NOT a part of the self-regulating system of higher education. It's not nothing, of course, especially because of Title IV. But other than that, no.

Higher education is structured from the school up. Schools formed associations. Associations set standards and accrediting processes. Associations (accreditors) formed what is now called CHEA. CHEA is our national body, not the Department of Education.

 

And with CHEA's alleged concern to make sure that they don't get cut out and a European (rest of the world) style governmental oversight of accreditation take place, I note an interesting political parallel.

The US Department of Ed oversight is very much in line with the Democratic Party concept of governmental oversight and bureaucracy. Also, in line with much of the rest of the world.

CHEA as you note is more of a private sector organization set up by the associations. This non governmental (privatized) entity fits more in line with Republican concepts of smaller government and keeping the government out of unnecessary regulation. As I recall, the Koch brothers tracked some of the regulatory overreach and inefficiencies. You apparently see value in this Republican/Free Enterprise approach.

 

And perhaps there are other aspects of the US Department of Education that can similarly be turned over to appropriate private entities as we already have a long term example of efficiency and maybe less reason to fear the transfer of Departmental functions.

 

Injecting politics into this discussion, even as a metaphor, is not of interest to me. Perhaps others will engage that. But please do not project your assessments onto me. I offered some assertions, but no assessments, preferences, etc. It is what it is.

Accreditation in the US arose precisely because there was no federal oversight. The states varied (and vary) widely in their standards and in enforcing them. The schools began banding together to develop and impose a form of self-regulation. It was a reaction to the conditions at the time. If I was grasping for a metaphor, I would liken it to a professional association like the AMA or ABA, rather than some political preference regarding parties or approaches to macroeconomics.

 

Don't worry Rich, I don't necessarily expect you to engage. It was simply a reasonably accurate observation on my part AND an acknowledgement of an aspect of a function that would normally be seen as an Ed Department function that actually is running fairly well (according to most assessments) as a private entity. Perhaps a model of how other departmental functions could be lifted from the bureaucratic side of the Department of Ed and other parts of the Government. They can point at CHEA and say how do we duplicate this.

 

Well they have come a long way. They have a beautiful campus, a Who's Who among Baptists as alumni, and triple accreditation.


Interestingly, they have adjusted their name a few times over the last 10 yrs. At one point it went from LRS to LRU (University) and now to College and Seminary. We went through phase in this country where a number of institutions went from College to University (marketing?) and some even added the "International" label.

Some of these more fundamentalist schools fell on hard times and merged or closed. Tennessee Temple University is an example of one that tried hard to remake themselves (distance PhD and so on) but their fairly extensive campus of buildings and dorms slowly deteriorated (like a what happens to the world Discovery Channel program) and eventually they "merged" and sold the campus. LRS seems to have thrived.

Some secular schools have had similar issues trying to compete. National Public Radio did a segment about the funny Masters programs trying to appeal to consumers (and in some cases failing to ever enroll enough customers).

 

I think this is the segment. In any case, it mentions the gaming Masters. There have been several other NPR segments since the pandemic as schools try to get students back. This was 2018.

Here is part of it:

"There have been 15 new casino management majors instituted at colleges and universities around the country. Those 15 programs in casino management collectively graduated last year 34 students.

HERSHIPS: Why are schools so bad at this?

MARCUS: Yeah, look, I'm not a business person, but neither are they. And I'll tell you as a lay person who covers this stuff, you're right. Colleges are really bad at this. They've never really been subject to market forces, and they're not entrepreneurial by nature."

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676534628/facing-enrollment-declines-colleges-seek-out-new-creative-ways-to-make-money

 

The only part I could remember when I searched with clue words was the gambling degree and low enrollment. Forgot about the caskets.

 

Reported.

 

?????

 

Wordle??