University of The People is now DETC Accredited

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by siersema, Feb 16, 2014.

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  1. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards Member

    I still commend them for trying to offer really low cost education..
     
  2. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Ahhh, yes. That sounds like a good way to go. They could offer the tests at maybe 25-50% the cost of their current standard test fee, and perhaps place a credit limit depending on the degree level (which the DETC will likely impose anyway). Ashworth College does a similar thing, and to my knowledge it's worked out well. UOTP may be able to eliminate a lot of the daredevil test-takers (i.e. not really qualified but willing to chance it to get out of the course) by having some sort of small pre-qualification as part of the petition to take the challenge exams.

    We've seen schools in the past read threads here and use our suggestions, so who knows?
     
  3. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Agreed. Even if they were to never offer transfer credit to students, this whole deal is still wonderful.
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Oh, I don't know. First, I doubt the profit margins on standardized testing realized by ETS have that much room. Second, there's no way this little school could realize the economies of scale the ETS and others see. No way. It would almost certainly be more expensive to maintain their own testing program. Plus--and this is a biggie--they'd have huge start-up costs. Another biggie? They'd have to acquire the pyschometric experts necessary to create, maintain, execute, and update whatever test bank they envisioned. They'd be better off determining which existing exams met which requirements and structured their programs accordingly. But that's already being done elsewhere, right?
     
  5. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards Member

    Not wrapped around a near free tuition model.
     
  6. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I think in the CC "industry" about 1/3 of my students were doing this as a means of income. Their Pell covered everything and they did the absolute bare minimum, never bought books, and rode it out for years and years. I think UOTP is going to have to consider that they'd be an attractive place to "attend" as a student if students could draw a Pell without any tuition costs. That's almost $6k per year, not a fortune, but I'd take $500 / month dropped in my lap for 6 years.

    I still am pretty excited about this. I know they are only offering AS/BS in business and computers right now, but I think you can swing a NA degree in those fields, so if you've got the courage and creativity to answer (What? Where? When? How?) questions that will inevitably be asked at every HR interview you ever go to from now until you die, I say go for it!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 18, 2014
  7. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Yes, all great points. Thinking of that, it reminds me of my uncertainty concerning how they're even able to do what they're doing right this moment. I was certain their current model would've eliminated them from accreditation based on the financial stability point, and the general idea that a program like this wouldn't have the funds. I mean, sure, I rooted for Nations for awhile until eventually losing faith in their chances, but in the back of my mind I always felt like the financial end would be a permanent barrier for this type of program.
     
  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Unless they're not relying on a funding stream of tuition dollars. Perhaps they're funded from other sources.
     
  9. siersema

    siersema Active Member

    These are always a bit out of date, and I'm not the most qualified to read them.. That being said, according to their 2012 form 990 tuition accounted for under $16,000 and grants/gifts/other accounted for over $900,000. I suspect that they will mostly fund like a foundation/NGO through volunteers, grants, and donations. I wonder what, if any, influence their recruitment of volunteer instructors will have on the wider adjunct world. Does any other online school take volunteer instructors, deans, and other staff?

    https://bulk.resource.org/irs.gov/eo/2013_06_EO/26-4078735_990_201212.pdf
     
  10. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    UOTP is a magnet for grants and donations. For example, their current catalog lists the following grants/donations just since June 2012:

    - $500,000 from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    - $500,000 from Google from Non-Profits Grant
    - $200,000 from Hewlett-Packard
    - $150,000 from Carnegie Corporation New York
    - $50,000 from Goodman Family Supporting Foundation

    This is where UOTP's funding is coming from. It's not coming from the exam fees ($100 per course) paid by their small student body (current enrollment = 700).

    Note that many UOTP students are not even paying the exam fees, because they are also subsidized by charitable grants or donations. For example:

    - Microsoft has pledged scholarships for 1,000 UOTP students from Africa.
    - Western Union has offered $25,000 for scholarships
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 19, 2014
  11. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    University of Pennsylvania? University of Pittsburgh? University of the Pacific?
     
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    None of the above, Ted. You know the one -- think of "Big Bird," perhaps arising from ashes and signing on to do his group project. :smile:

    Johann
     

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