masters at the university of derby

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by rdl50, Jan 3, 2004.

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  1. rdl50

    rdl50 New Member

    I did a little bit of research and found this porgram through a quick search on the yahoo website.

    They list the university of derby as doing quite a few masters either through elearning [http://www.derby.ac.uk/elearning/new-learnmain.html] or through old fashioned distance learning (thier distinction not mine [http://partime.derby.ac.uk/distance.html]

    Could not find anything about their accreditation but knowing they must be royally chartered I think everything is in order in that regards

    Hope this university might be added to either www.bain4weeks.com or at the search program offered at this site.
     
  2. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    Derby is a legitimate but bad university. Lawrie had it listed but removed it.
     
  3. ong

    ong New Member

    Derby is a legitimate but bad university. Lawrie had it listed but removed it.

    can elaborate more rather then a one liner!
     
  4. etech

    etech New Member

    Legitimate and bad ?

    What do you mean bad ? and why was it removed ? I am also considering their program and posted on this forum earlier. I did not receive this kind of feedback. Are you saying this because its ranked on the low side by a magazine ? can you please provide more info ?
     
  5. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    Perhaps oxpecker means it isn't Stanford.
     
  6. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    Here's a link to the British QAA's reports on the University of Derby including the results of site visits. You will find both general institutional reports and subject-matter specific reports.

    http://www.qaa.ac.uk/revreps/inst_reports.asp?instID=H-0057

    While Derby is a relatively low-prestige "new university", I don't understand why it needs to be summarily dismissed as "bad".

    If its DL courses are of interest to Degreeinfo readers, there's no reason that I can see why those students shouldn't consider them.

    Its e-learning bachelors program in hospitality management seems unusual and rather attractive, for example.

    I second Rdl's motion that Derby be added to the database.
     
  7. Lawrie Miller

    Lawrie Miller New Member

    ON DERBY UNIVERSITY

    QUOTE]Originally posted by BillDayson
    While Derby is a relatively low-prestige "new university", I don't understand why it needs to be summarily dismissed as "bad". . . If its DL courses are of interest to Degreeinfo readers, there's no reason that I can see why those students shouldn't consider them.[/QUOTE]

    But what research have you done on Derby to justify that call? No need of homily, Bill. It has not been summarily dismissed. it has been dismissed and delisted after extensive research. I wouldn’t make such statements without evidence to back them. I commend to you the practices of fact gathering and review of evidence before pronouncement .




    THE UNIVERSITY of DERBY
    Part of the work required for the BA in 4 Weeks master degree reviews includes taking at least one course as a fully enrolled degree-seeking student in each program under scrutiny. As you can imagine, the complete set of reviews is taking some while and considerable expense to compile.

    In addition to the quality of individual course materials, teaching/mentoring, assessment, et al, I try to grade several elements of the institution's systems and operations affecting students. This begins with the initial application or enquiry, through admissions, program courses, exams, to completion. The attitude of academic and administrative staff is assessed. Are personnel customer oriented or institution oriented? What happens when things go wrong? Does the system perform well under stress? I try to probe its limits at key points where weakness is apparent.

    With respect to the University of Derby, my notes run to fifty (50) closely typed pages. They include several correspondences and accounts of phone calls with Derby academic and administrative staff, and a comprehensive narrative chronicling assorted doings. Derby’s offerings were not delisted willy-nilly. I think “bad” appropriate shorthand for the performance and practices of this university.

    One point of particular concern (though not the only one) was Derby’s repeated refusal to provide an account of the academic credentials held by graduate program staff, when specific doubts were voiced with respect to their competence, and where a formal complaint had already been lodged. I cannot think of a legitimate school in the U.S. that would withhold relevant information regarding the credentials of its professors, assistant professors, or even its TAs, when it is requested by a customer. Indeed, I can’t think of a legitimated US institution that does not make this information readily available. It is surely a public mark of credibility. Such disclosure is even practiced by many on this board, in part to provide a public declaration of credentials, the veracity of which may be checked and confirmed by others should the need arise.

    The credentials at issue include the standards - bachelor degree and major, master’s degree(s), and PhD.(if any). I can say with certainty, that despite repeated requests to the master’s program manager, the Dean of , the Assistant Registrar of the university, Derby furnished no evidence that the staff referenced in the complaint where academically qualified to tutor or assess a graduate level course of any kind.



    In one case it seemed the only academic credential of the sole tutor and examiner of a distance learning master’s program computer course, was a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science. This was not a make-up course or a foundation course, but a full blown required component of the master’s degree.

    I made every effort to establish the facts, and to augment my own research, I made several written and verbal requests for the relevant information. It seemed that after submission of the first request, the shutters went up very swiftly. Attitudes hardened, and thereafter treatment during phone conversation bordered on abusive when I broached the subject or asked for my money back.

    Interesting to note that among the very worst offenders in this respect had (among others) the title of Dean of Customer Service. This university conceives customer service in an Orwellian sense, and delivers it with exquisite irony.

    If an institution in the United States behaved like this, refused to reveal the degrees held by its professors, kept the money, would not return it, and refused point blank to give details of the address or telephone number of the boss or owner (seriously), many here might dub it a degree mill. What do we call it when the University of Derby does it?


    The raw review is comprehensive. I’ve yet to distill it satisfactorily. I think the narrative will leave the reader in no doubt. The overriding impression that remains with me is one of evasion, incompetence, and practiced economy with the truth. It seems to me, with respect to its dealings with its customers, in its offerings of graduate courses and degrees tutored and assessed by academic staff some of whom are apparently unqualified, Derby is a law suit waiting to happen.

    Others who have experience of Derby’s DL wares may hold different opinions, but my review sought to examine performance across a range of metrics, and perhaps venture where the prudent graduate student might not follow. That is, having found apparent serious flaws in their DL operation, I opted to probe and examine, and pursue.

    Derby is perennially parked in the basement of the Times UK universities league tables. I cannot say that anything in my experience of them gave me pause to doubt the veracity of that ranking.

    .
     

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