Newlane University

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Mac Juli, Sep 4, 2020.

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  1. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    I think we have been very clear in the text you quote that we are both accredited by ASIC and NOT accredited by an accrediting body approved by the dept of education. Do you have a suggestion on how we could make that more clear?
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2020
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I translate that as: You can show your ASIC credentials anywhere, and that's all nice and good stuff, but those are not what makes you a degree-granting school - anywhere. I construe the same from ASIC's own materials.
    However outmoded our views may seem, we know how it works.
    It has to be US-centric. The schools to which we apply this standard are all US based, including Newlane. As to Title IV - I'm sure we ALL knew about this - you and us - before Newlane U. was created. There are other reasons why US schools seek recognized accreditation: to offer graduates meaningful degrees - that they can use for employment, further study, etc. Much more difficult to achieve without recognized accreditation. There are other schools that are US accredited but do not participate in Title IV, as well. They sought accreditation for the reasons outlined, I'm sure.
    Thanks for the compliment. :) Actually, we try to keep up, globally. Among us, we have members who know a lot about non-US accreditation-or-equivalent, particularly in Europe, Slavic countries, South Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Latin America and Australia. Fewer in East Asia, though, I'll admit. The board is much less US-centric than it used to be - and I, for one am glad of it. But if a school is in the US ... we naturally apply US standards in our thinking. And if they change -- we change.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2020
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes - a disclaimer. Something like the ones mandated by other States, but not by Utah. I posted an example of Hawaii's requirement earlier in this thread.
     
    Mac Juli likes this.
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Josh, I shouldn't omit your good news about your recent graduate, who was admitted to an advanced-degree Philosophy program, at a 'very good' (I presume recognized) school. That is a major accomplishment - my best wishes for continued success - to that person and anyone else who accomplishes the same "leap". They sure didn't take the easy path.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2020
  5. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

    Hello!

    I would like to hear more about the "agreements" with other universities. Maybe Joshs could tell us more about these?

    Best regards,
    Mac Juli (from Germany. Home of Mr. Kant. And Rammstein, by the way. Nope, DI is not as US-centric as it used to be)
     
    Johann likes this.
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes, people of exceptional ability (and work ethic) sometimes "make it," starting with unaccredited schools. But it's not the norm. I know a fellow who started with a California-permitted (unaccredited) Bachelor's and went on to an RA Master's. He is a brilliant guy - but it still took a lot of looking - and writing - and talking in interviews etc. But yes - he did it. Hats off to anyone who accomplishes such a feat - and that's what it is. Major kudos!
     
  7. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    You are clear in the initial text but them you bookend it with statements about how these degrees "may" not be acceptable for higher education or with employers, which is vastly overstating the actual acceptance of those degrees.

    International students are not given a pass if they study at an unaccredited US-based school.

    It's honest to say the school is unaccredited by a DOE/CHEA recognized accreditor, but the more you try to qualify it and play it down, the less honest it seems.
     
  8. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Your paragraph on accreditation mentions the US twice. Your degree-granting authority comes from Utah.

    If you don't want people to use a US-based standard to assess a US-based organization that explicitly mentions the US acceptability of those degrees, then there are bigger issues here.
     
  9. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    The wording on this page: https://www.newlaneuniversity.com/accreditation-disclosure/ was adapted from wording used on other US based ASIC acreddited schools and we are working with Utah for approval of the text.

    We currently only have a handful of students and they are all well informed and aware of what we are doing and what the ASIC accreditation does and does not mean. While we agree with most of the comments on here that ASIC is not the level of DOE/CHEA approval, for our students its also not nothing.

    Another important point that I think many on here would find interesting is that we were encouraged (really the only reason we went for the ASIC accreditation) by many in the US accreditation body that ASIC would be a first good faith step towards US accreditation.
     
  10. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    Thanks, I am reaching out to the student to ask permission to give more detail, it is a recognized school in the UK. She found the school was more impressed by her writing samples and knowledge than the accreditation of the school she received her degree from. I realize this is anecdotal and may not be the norm but to us its a valid data point.
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Indeed it is - a very significant and valid data point. Something I have long realized is that the UK system is more concerned with the individual in its admission processes. They are more likely to give someone a pass on paperwork, depending what the applicant knows and can do and how they present themselves. I do not say this to minimize your grad's huge accomplishment, but to praise the UK system. Your grad must be really good -perhaps one day she'll be legendary in her own time! Another example of UK schools' autonomy is how UK-NARIC will not evaluate US N.A. degrees, period. But UK Universities are not bound by this. They are free to admit grad students with US N.A. degrees, if they think the holder has a good shot at success. I think we need more of this type of thinking in North America.
     
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  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    That's revelatory, to say the least, Josh. Nobody connected with a US school with ASIC accreditation has ever mentioned that before, in these pages. And I think we've heard from a few. Before this moment, I'd have thought that the first good faith step would be the submission of an honest, complete self-evaluation by the school, in the form required by the Accreditor. But perhaps I know (far) less than I ought.

    So- not one, but many people, at a recognized US accreditation agency, recommended to Josh and the other Newlane U. people that they should first apply to ASIC? I do not doubt Josh's word for an instant , but I confess - I'm genuinely surprised at the news. I'll have to let it sink in; I don't quite know how to reply.
     
  13. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    This is a valid critique and we will work to refine the text (we are currently working with Utah to make sure our students are clear about what we are and what we are not.

    My statement about outdated ideas came off as more defense than I am. I am generally onboard with what has been said on this board and our intention isn't to mislead or get our students involved in something that is a waste of their time. I'm confident all of our current students have a clear understanding of what Newlane is.

    From our market research we have found that many employers are more interested in portfolios showing previous work than the traditional stamp of approval that the degree has meant in the past. My comment about outdated ideas is that the idea of DOE/CHEA approved = good, everything else = bad doesn't seem to reflect the world our students, their potential employers and even graduate schools are currently living in. But we will agree that stamp of approval is still important and we are working towards it.
     
  14. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    Just to be clear, it was not an official recommendation from the body, but we asked our handful of consultants who have all been involved in the body and they all recommended it as a first step. It was not an official step, that of course was the SER (after the two years of being state licensed).
     
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Josh. That's a lot clearer. Removes what was a mystery, to me.
     
  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    And while we're at it, another poster asked if you could shed light on Newlane's affiliations with other schools, as mentioned on the site. Any details of those that can be released at this time?
     
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  17. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

    Yep. Feel somewhat ignored! :)
     
  18. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    Sorry about that Mac Juli, I missed your comment last night.

    At the start of our accreditation process we were encouraged by our consultants and advisors to make articulation agreements with as many schools as possible. We had agreement with a handful of other schools that we met at the accreditation conferences which were in a similar position we were in, preparing to apply (though we did have an agreement with one accredited school).

    After applying we were asked to formally break those agreements by the accrediting body until we went through the accreditation process. Apparently this was a new position the accrediting body was taking, which we respect.

    I assume the question is from something that we have communicated previously on our site. If you have read about articulation agreements somewhere on our site or literature I'd love to know because we removed that language a while ago.
     
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  19. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

    Yes, this is the case; it was there in September 2020. Anyway, I would like to wish you all the best on your way to accreditation. I would wish that you keep us informed about the progress you made!

    However, I am not sure if the ASIC thingy is not going to backfire on you. It is not too well-regarded in the online DL community, and I am not only talking about this one. You are also at risk to be put in the same pot with a lot of strange institutions who are widely known to be, um, not that honest as one might think they are.
     
  20. Joshs

    Joshs New Member

    We'll definitely update this board of any progress make or setbacks we encounter.

    Regarding your ASIC comment and the general skepticism for ASIC on this board, I will say that our experience With ASIC was positive. They asked for most of the same records and information that the US accrediting institution asked for. We had multiple conversations with an ASIC representative where we were challenged on our process and methodology. Though much less rigorous than our US accreditation process, it wasn't a quick transnational stamp of approval. We look at it as a step in the direction of US accreditation in the same way most regional accreditation require institutions be nationally accredited for a certain time before applying.

    Curious what others on here view as better global (non US DOE) accrediting bodies?
     
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