UofP Dilemma

I appreciate all of the feedback. Sorry that this has sort of gone off track, that was not what I intended. COSC seems like an interesting option as they have no residency requirement. I am going to do some research on the Big 3 and see if any of them make more sense than UoP.

Obviously people have very strong opinions of UoP, which was really my main concern/purpose of my question. Personally, I think that no matter what school you attend, there are going to be classes and professors that are easier than others. I think that anytime you are taking an accelerated online class, you get out of it what you put into it. If you choose to not do any of the reading, than you are probably not going to get much out of it. Same as if you attended a ground class and never went to class.

 

I wouldn't choose to attend UoP because you'll work as hard as anyone else for your degree, but the school has become the archtype--fair or not--for bad schools.

It's like McDonald's. Whenever anyone wants to trash the fast food industry in general, McDonald's gets mentioned, never Burger King, who is almost as large.

UoP is so big that we hear a bunch of complaints about it, even if--and I don't know that this is true--the per capita complaints are similar to other schools.

Better to take your degree from a school no one's ever heard of than one they've heard of for the wrong reasons. That said, I taught for UoP for 3 years and found the successful students to be as skilled and the degree programs to be content-packed. (Too much emphasis on projects and not enough on the literature, though.)

UoP gets a raw deal regarding its reputation. But it is a reality its students must contend with.

 

COSC is a good choice.

 

I decided to not go to the university of Phoenix for my Masters because of name reputation also, even if everything I learned was fantastic, it would not have changed my mind.

I have an NA bachelors and was considering UOP because they would take it for their RA Masters, but Keller did take me, so I went with them.

 

Wow, now that's a bogus statement right there. While I have never attended any of the institutions that you mentioned, I can assure you its more than just a piece of paper. People with that kind of logic are pretty senseless and stuck in the past.

 

You're right. It is MUCH MORE than a piece of paper. An enormous amount of work and cash goes into achieving a degree from one of those places. But to many HR people who are indeed stuck in the past, they are not valued at all. This is certainly not right but until perceptions change dramatically, it is something very important to consider when choosing a degree program.

 

Just thought I would update everyone on the decision that I have made. I have applied for re-admission to the original PA state school (www.IUP.edu) that I attended on and off from 1993-1998. I had earned approx 75 credits during that time. I got a preliminary credit review of my UoP credits and they will mostly all transfer (some classes may be duplicates). The school advised me that since some of my original credits are greater than 10 years old, that they may not be valid, but that it will be up to the Dean to review / decide. I am hoping that most will still be OK. The school has an Associates and Bachelors in General Studies that I think I will be able to combine all of my course into a degree. Their DL program is currently pretty limited, but they do offer some classes, so I think I can complete my degree mostly on line. Hopefully this all works out, so I do not have to worry about the perception of UoP.

 

I stand corrected, but that makes my case even more solid. To call UoP "University of Phony" while holding an unaccredited degree is living in a glass mansion with an artillery piece in your living room.

In the interests of full disclosure, I teach part-time for UoP which gives me insight as to their academic rigor. I certainly don't need the money and I could make more working overtime, so my comments are not financially driven.

 

As I commented before I don't have the need to defend my position, and other than making an observation. Your rationale that because I have an unaccredited degree is not the issue of the conversation and does not make the degree illegal or phony only that is unaccredited. So it does not matter to me. The University of Phoenix, has been catch in many illegal and fraudulent activities, which for that they are paying the price. It is what is for good or bad, today the position they have won't change.

Solid can be when things happen by association and people have vested interest because they work for them and they have the need to defend their position. Now would these individuals tell UOP that something is wrong when they see it? I would like to know if they still are retained as independent contractors (oops.. part time adjunct faculty) when they make that observation. I don't want anyone to take offense when I call UOP: University of Phony because you don't know what is exactly phony about it. Because some things they do are a joke. That is my observation good or bad.

 

Couple more questions Bruce, Would you consider a degree from UOP to pursue yourself? If yes, why? and if no why not? Please don't say you don't need to.

 

Is that why your sig line has suddenly been sanitized to remove all references to your degrees except the RA one you're currently pursuing?

I used to teach for a NA school, and I made a holy fortune doing it. I was taking in thousands of dollars every month, while not breaking much of a sweat. However, I was appalled at the lack of basic literacy of some of the "students". My six year-old daughter can literally write better than some of the people I had in class.

I thought the first few courses were anomalies, but it kept happening. The final straw came when a student in one of my courses was obviously mentally ill. For a discussion question regarding criminology requiring a 200 word response, she cut & pasted a 10,000 word article on something bizarre like the history of Buffalo, New York.

Enough was enough....I declined future courses, and while I may still be listed in their adjunct database, I'll never teach another course for that school until they clean up their admissions process. I chose my integrity over money, so you need not question my motives for "defending" UoP.

No, because the education incentive at my job has a very specific list of what programs they'll accept, and UoP isn't on it. Then again, Harvard isn't on the list either, so don't read too much into it;

http://www.osfa.mass.edu/quinnbill/approved_schools.htm

Let me bounce one back at you; would you still pursue an unaccredited degree now that there are so many legitimately accredited options available?

 

Not really, I find it too long, perhaps I can use something similar, as one poster here and put Several NA and RA degrees. But besides the point, is not the issue and is not relevant. And if you have paid attention, I do this all the time I list them and take them off.

But for future generations here we go:

BBA in Accounting (RA) American University of Puerto Rico
MBA IN Accounting (RA) Upper Iowa University
MBA in Finance (NA) Columbia Southern University
MBA in HS (NA, on going) Andrew Jackson University
MBA/DBA in BA (California State Approved or unaccredited) California Pacific University
DBA in Advanced Accounting (RA) Northcentral University (AKA NoCentral University)

Courses at: Inter-American University of P.R., Metropolitan University of P.R., University of Phoenix, Troy State University, Penn Foster College, Ashworth University, St. Thomas University, SCUPS, (now California Southern University) and Argosy University.

 

Well assuming that was not the issue and you have to do the degree as an option with your employer will you do it? or You have the money to do it? Would you still consider UOP?

10 years ago yes and if today was ten years ago I would not, because of the many options and certainly UOP would not be one of them. But the fact remains the degree is not illegal nor phony just unaccredited and I don't need the degree for employment purposes, I have many other to choose from . Since, I believe they are many choices today, more reason not to do a degree from UOP or have an association with them.

 

LOL you have to tell us more about this interesting student..... No names, no names of schools or anything like that. But I would love to hear more anonymous stories.

 

People who complete an unaccredited doctorate, only to pursue an accredited one later on, validate the point that these degrees are increasingly useless.

There was a time when such degrees were the only ones available nontraditionally. In that time, I was in favor of them. But many of the schools from that era went on to accreditation (Walden, Argosy, etc.). The remaining ones are--for the most part--not good choices, since accredited options exist.

There was a time when I would see a California Pacific doctorate and think, "cool." Now I think, "why?"

 

I though also "cool", but now I think "why" as well, it was done and I have no regrets whatsoever, anyway, money was thigh and options were limited, they had some limited used and now not much or none, since there are so many options now, so is there to decorate my wall, but I found to help me in one way, because it took me trough the process(dissertation) and now that I found a degree with the area of my real interest (accounting and options are limited in this areas as well) is much easier because I know what to expect.

 

Consider it? Certainly; they're RA and have a flexible learning platform. Would I actually enroll if there were another comparable RA program that costs less? No, that's just simple economics.

As an adjunct for UoP, I and my wife are eligible for a very big tuition discount for any of their programs. At some point I may enroll in the MBA program because I'm involved with my union, which is like running a business, and I figure I'd pick up some good knowledge.

Whatever; I just find it in extremely poor taste to call a RA school "phony" while holding an unaccredited degree which is illegal to use in some states.

Well, where should I start? She once called me at 3am to beg for an extension of the deadline for an assignment she had already submitted two weeks prior (my son with a crayon would have done a better job). Thankfully, I only give my cell phone number to students and it was turned off at the time.

 

The accredited vs. non accredited is not the issue here. I don't have to worry about the legality of it, I have other RA degrees that serve me well. Keep us posted if you do join the UOP ranks as student and provide your perspective from the other side.

 

Sure it is; if even half the horror stories I've seen posted on the Internet about UoP were true, their accreditation would be yanked in a nanosecond. I have faith the North Central Association and ACBSP know what they're doing.

 

Yes(for the rest of the students) and no(In my case) and I hope North Central Association and ACBSP know what they are doing too!$$$$$$