My Personal tour of CCU this morning

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Abner, Nov 25, 2010.

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  1. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    President Tom Neal and Development Coordinator Natasha Franklin gave me a personal tour of CCU this morning. I was blown away from the moment I walked in!!!!!! The place is huge (almost a block long, and they have their own underground parking lot, as well as parking areas for visitors), and the entry way is decorated with marble flooring, fine wood, and leather furniture. There was a 50-foot Christmas tree! But I digress.

    There are two floors (stairs and elevators). I met briefly with President Neal and Ms. Franklin before starting my tour. I would describe the Presidents office as "White House" like. Once again, custom made wood bookshelves built into the walls, leather furniture, window views all over the place, and those cool green lamps like you see on "Law and order". This building is in a historical area, so it has all the adornments (classic ceiling tiles); chandeliers are preserved in pristine condition. All the rooms still have the glazed glass panes! I was told this was a building for State Judges and their staff, and apparently hearings and the like were held here, so the history is incredible! President Neal and Natasha Franklin are very nice people BTW.

    So after the formalities, the tour starts. I kept seeing dissertations all over the place in bookshelves, from past to present. My friends, if anyone doubts the credibility of this school going back to its inception, just go there in person and take a look at their pre-DETC PhD dissertations. Most are finely bound, and one was four volumes long! Each was thicker than a phone book. I had to look through these!!!!! It was typewritten, and the content was HARDCORE!!!!!! I just remember the author's last name was Makuko. They are slowly moving all of the dissertations in, but by the shear volume involved, it will take a long time. Oh, I could also see where Mr. Neal Sr. signed off the dissertations, and an oversight committee from places like Harvard, Cornell, etc.

    So anyway, rather than do a room-by-room description, I will touch upon the highlights.

    Testing center - several individual testing rooms with computers and cameras to watch the students. There is even a camera to watch the test Administrator!!!!!! I have been to several CC's and Universities, but I have never seen a testing center with single rooms (several) for each test taker. Forms with doc check confirmations are provided in person, and are signed for on camera.

    Student/Counselor meeting rooms. These are rooms for anyone who is interested in attending CCU to meet with a Counselor, or personally meet with his instructor/Professor about a class they are currently in, or other such matters.

    IT rooms - One of the biggest most sophisticated IT rooms I have ever seen!!!!!!! I met the IT guys and they were cool.

    Mail room. I also met the young man who runs the mailroom. He was showing me (with some pride I might add), how he mails out lesson plans, grades, and book rentals, etc. A huge undertaking. This was also a state of the art mailroom. I told him he had one of THE most important jobs.

    Book storage/Student storage area. - Hundreds of huge metal file cabinets full of student records. Ms. Toto told me these will be stored on computer/digital - but it will be a HUGE undertaking. Another really cool thing - lesson plans can be printed out via computer, so all the paper does not have to be stored. It goes straight to the copier (digital printer quality) for professional results.

    CCU -signs - The cities historical district must approve the design of the signs, so that will take a while. It is not only a matter of shopping for signs; they must be approved and sanctioned by the city. This City has been undergoing a HUGE makeover the several years, and it shows. Oh, I will add, CCU's building is right across the street from a schools performing arts center, so the whole area has a campus feel to it.

    And last but not least:

    A full on hearing room upstairs. This room is absolutely magnificent! Graduations will be held here, and the student’s family can sit in this gigantic room and watch the whole thing. There is a "robe room" where students can robe up for their grad, and then there is a back entrance into the hearing room where the students and faculty can enter. This room is Presidential.

    Since I have a propensity towards verbosity, I will conclude my remarks shortly. Being a CCU alumnus, I am very proud of CCU and what they have accomplished. On the way out, Mr. Neal pointed to a white high-rise building, the place where the concept of CCU was born. It was all started by his father, in a suite building (Used to be Bank of America). Later, as things grew, they moved to the building on the corner (used to be a bank), and now they are in THIS building. He said it with a sense of pride and humility, and with a glimmer in his eye. I told him his father would be very proud of him for not only carrying on the tradition, but also expanding and improving it as well. Legit DL study can be provided worldwide!

    Let suffice it to say the tour took two hours! :) Once again, the place is HUGE. I am sure Professor Anthony Pina will have a few questions for me. Mr. Pina I believe grew up in the area, and remembers the early days of CCU with fondness.

    Respectfully,

    Abner

    P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2010
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    First of all, I would say it is a great report, Abner. Have they discussed with you about considering RA accreditation likes TUI University?:wavey:
     
  3. JWC

    JWC New Member

    Thanks Abner, thanks a lot. Happy Thanksgiving!
     
  4. proracer

    proracer Member

    Abner,

    Thank you for the tour of the University!

    I have completed all my courses and I can finally say that "I am finished!"

    I am waiting for my diploma from CCU.....

    Jim
     
  5. b4cz28

    b4cz28 New Member

    Great review of the campus, any pics?
     
  6. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    No, like a dummy I didn't think about bringing a camera with me. Though now that I think of it, I could have used my cell phone camera. Duh Abner!

    Abner :)
     
  7. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Good going Jim!!!!!!!! I still remember when you first started. I knew you could do it!!! I am very happy for you.


    Abner :)
     
  8. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    No, the issue didn't come up.

    Abner :)
     
  9. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Abner,

    Thanks for all the details. It sounds like a great experience. Maybe next time I am in South Cal. I will head over there. Even though I got my BS and MBA from CCU in the pre-DETC days, If was not very easy then and I know the quality has always been there.
     
  10. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    As soon as the signage is up, several pix will be posted on the CCU website.

    Maybe when our one and only Randell comes out to SoCal and visits CCU, he will bring his camera. :) You are going to flip out when you see it Randell! Also, ask to see the four volume dissertation Abner went crazy over! :)

    Have a good Thanksgiving everyone!

    Abner :)
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    No problem, I had fun. I felt like a kid in a candy shop being around all those books and academic stuff.

    Have a great thanksgiving!!!!!!!

    Abner :)
     
  12. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Congratulations!
     
  13. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Hey TT (aka broheim)!
    Have a good Thanksgiving!


    Abner :)
     
  14. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    :pat:I just realized I spelled his name wrong in this image [​IMG].


    :eek:fftopic: oh... um... nice review Abner!
     
  15. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    I did grow up in the area and would pass by the CCU campus often when visiting family and friends in Santa Ana. I walked around the building a few times but only recall going in once. It was very bank-like (this was several years ago).

    My first experiences with CCU were actually not very pleasant, but really did not have to do with CCU per se, but with one of its first doctoral graduates (back when it was California Western University back in the 70s). This person misrepresented the nature of his degree (claimed it was a brick & mortar degree done in residence at the campus, when, in fact, it was a correspondence degree), misrepresented the discipline of the degree (an area that CWU did not offer) and claimed that CWU was a fully accredited university.

    Other than the fact that CWU/CCU would not make this person's dissertation available (as other universities do), I have always felt that CCU could not be blamed for having a dishonest alumnus. Although many non-unaccredited schools operated in California, until being chased out or shut down, CCU always seem to stand apart from the rest and, unlike the others, was able to achieve recognized accreditation. I know a number of successful CCU grads and know of others (some of whom are regulars on Degreeinfo). I would be very interested in seeing CCU's new campus (perhaps when I am back in California for the CUE Conference, I may be able to check it out). More power to CCU!
     
  16. warguns

    warguns Member

    I think that's an excellent indicator of the low quality of the "school". The purpose of a dissertation is to advance knowledge. The only reason not to make available a dissertation is because they're ashamed of its low quality.
     
  17. warguns

    warguns Member

    What's to be excited about? It's just rented space. I could go out and rent and abandoned bank in a depressed city like Santa Anna anytime.
     
  18. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Where do you come up with this stuff? They bought the building brother.

    Abner :)
     
  19. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    Perhaps. It is certainly clear that it would not be fair to judge the DETC accredited California Coast University of 2010 with the brand new and the unaccredited California Western University of 1974-76. You could not get the dissertations from ProQuest, but I do not know whether ProQuest allowed dissertations from unaccredited schools in its databases. Also, the person in question was not only dishonest, but highly litigious, so it would not surprise me that that Cal Western Leadership might have been intimidated by threats of another lawsuit to their new school (they lost the name infringement lawsuit to Cal Western School of Law). I do not know whether Cal Coast currently makes its dissertations publicly available outside its campus. Since the individual is now deceased, I have long since lost interest in pursuing it.

    I will take Abner's word on the new campus and would not mind taking a look myself when I am in Southern California
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 1, 2010
  20. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Here, I will give you facts, not fiction since you did not do any research apparently:

    To explain it to you a little further, Tom Neal started an LLC (French Park Plaza) when he bought the building. Technically, French Park Plaza owns the building and CCU Leases it from French Park Plaza (Tom).

    That's how a real businessman rolls!

    Please check yourself before you wreck yourself! :) LOL.

    Abner :)
     

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