Touro or Capella

Gee, Daniel, it hurts to hear you say or imply that my school is somewhat corrupt because it is a for-profit school.

I have known, through my colloquia, many Capella students. I still keep in touch with them. I am with many of them in courserooms. I also have come to appreciate many more that I never met personally. I would say that I have yet to meet any of those that did not pull their weight or lacked integrity. I'm quite sure that Capella would have eliminated any if they could not do well by the time they would submit and perform for the comps.

It also appears, that you may think, that unless a doctoral program is incredibly abusive and longer than 3 or 4 years, then it is inferior and not bona-fide. It is for this reason that many folks choose DL programs. I wanted to apply to some local universities but kept on being told that I had to go full time and basically divorce my wife, quit my job, and get ready for no life and no money other than some meager stipend.

From my reference point, you appear to be "stuck" in an old paradigm. I say this with all due respect. I mean no offence.

 

Daniel,

I expect for not-for-profits to make students accountable. I do believe it should go the other way also. I think institutions would benefit a lot if a professor knew that his job also depended on whether he was meeting the needs of students. There are many professors I would have fired as a student if I had that option via input. Certain professors deserve to be fired when they do a lousy job, tenure or no tenure.

My niece, who graduated with a 4.0 point GPA was asked to drop out of a class by the dean of a school because she dared to question a professor's unilateral belief while trashing her belief. She petitioned and complained to the powers that be. Nothing happened to the prof. She was discriminated against and forced to disappear from the class. That was a well known state school. She is currently a Ph.D. student at a reputable program in her field.

My opinion, is that most traditional universities are stuck in the same paradigm. I think that traditional institutions have become their own little mafia. I guess I favor the side that takes the monopoly away and shakes up the terrain.

 

<<Without exception, every person I know who has attended Phoenix for undergraduate work>>

I'm curious. What is the n of that?

<<but we have one outright case of someone in our office receiving an A for a course despite never attending the class or submitting any work - none>>

Certainly something the NCA would be interested in learning about.

I can say, however, as one who is involved in a graduate school (B&M, private, non-profit) depending upon the record keeping of the instructor it's devilishly easy to misassign a grade.

If that occured in my school (and given the number of years we've been around [150+] just about every screw up that can happen has) it would likely be that the instructor inadverntetly switched two student's grades. The incorrectly failed student would naturally question getting an F for a class where they felt they did passing work. It would then be corrected. The student incorrectly receiving credit might not be so forceful in drawing attention to the fact.

No way of knowing whether this is the situation noted above. But IMO it's more likely that something like that transpired than a regionally accredited institution intentionally selling passing grades.

Regards,
GME

 

Blackbird,
I think Daniel seems to turn a deaf ear to anything we say. These are posters that boast about working for a tax-exempt school but don't say which, nor do they specify if their schools are AACSB accreditted, APA, etc. He doesn't seem to know a whole lot about your school in particular but is quick to lump it with UoP and accuses it of advancing non-performers with careless abandon despite anything you or I have to say. And he does not seem to understand the concept of professional accreditation. When I bring it up he just ignores it.
There are tax-paying schools that are nothing stellar but there are others that are doing a good job and working to seek professional accreditation such as Capella, maybe Walden and we already have Argosy. Unfortunately we have posters that will lump all schools in one category with total disregard.
Bottom line, if your degree is RA and even has professional accreditation, then you have nothing to worry about. So don't let this snobbery bother you.
Cheers.

-S

 

I would suggest that, with the -possible- exception of a small number of super-endowed schools, and a small number of super-competitive degree programs, a customer-merchant paradigm always plays out in some way or other.

In its most healthy incarnation, it may take the form of schools creating programs and degrees based upon marketing 'push' (essentially listenting to your customers - in this case students - and giving them the products - degrees and programs - they tell you they want).

For state schools, money flowing to the school from the govt is typically based upon FTUEs (full time unit equivalents) or some such formulation. And you better believe there's pressure from above to up these numbers.

For private non-profits, budgeting is even more closely tied to FTUEs, especially those without healthy endowments.

The polite term for this is that a given school or program is 'tuition driven.' It's non-profit academia speak for sales income.

Now, I'm not defending this. I'm just saying it plays out across the board.

Regards,

-- GME

PS Did anyone see the recent PBS program "Failing By Degrees" which addressed this very issue?

 

hmmmmm, marketing push/pull, I think I got that backwards.


-- GME

 

Daniel,

Where are you?

Have you disappeared on us, once we brought to you our concerns about your position? I hope we have not wounded you too severely for telling you what we think? Daniel... are you out there?

 

Greetings PFM,

While I cannot speak to the marketability of a business PhD from Capella, I can for the PhD in General Psychology. I am working on my dissertation and have already been hired as an adjunct professor by the American Public University System and have been intervewed to teach online courses for a "bricks and morter" liberal arts college. Profit or not, online or not, those who have interviewed me considered Capella to be a highly credible institution of higher education. This well-deserved reputation for excellence is primarily based on their personal experience with other Capella learners.

Frankly, I do not know much about Touro. They may or may not be equally as well thought of as Capella. I do know that if you pick Capella be ready to work your butt off and to learn a great deal. That will then serve you well in marketing yourself to institutions were you try to land teaching positions.

Good luck.

Tug

 

So, PFM........great stuff about for profits vs. non-profits I guess, but did any of this help you with your original question, i.e. Touro or Capella?

Dave