Anonymous wrote:I have a job that involves me writing down where a variety of fairly successful (and, in some cases, very successful) people in non-STEM jobs earned their degrees.

In the past year, three people reported having degrees from the University of Arizona, two had degrees from Arizona State, and five had degrees from the University of Phoenix.

Obviously, the University of Arizona and Arizona State have a better reputation. The fact that the University of Phoenix is coming on strong may have more to do with people needing to fill resume slots than educational quality.

But it's interesting to see that, based purely on alumni career progress, the University of Phoenix seems to be on the rise.

And who are these people?

And for full disclosure, what if your role with the Univer$ity of Phoenix?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southern New Hampshire University or gtfo

SNHU and UMGC are non-profit and University of Phoenix is for-profit.

This is the critical distinction. For-profit higher ed companies like UoP are all about signing students up to take out loans that they often can’t afford on the (faulty) premise that their degrees will pay for themselves. It’s horrible. Read “Lower Ed” by Tressie McMillan Cottom for more.

That’s not to say that someone with a degree from UoP can’t be impressive—on the contrary, I would guess most are, given the motivation it takes to pursue a degree while working/parenting/etc., as is the case for most UoP students. But they likely would be impressive even without the credential, and UoP’s incentive is to convince them that the credential is worth the crazy debt they take on to get it.

^^apologies for the typos!

I teach for UMGC, and it feels like for profit in some ways -- the "advisors" upsell having students take too many courses

I have had many students who were not prepared for college, and the university policies try to help them through anyway. I am not entirely opposed, but I think the better plan would be a pre-college program rather than saddling professors with students who can't even write coherently. They also coddle plagiarism and force us to allow students to resubmit even if a large chunk was copied verbatim. I questioned this and was chastised by the VP of academic affairs for not acknowledge the student's "good work" (the 60% non plagiarized that was actually not good work)! Then she compared my accidental; misspelling of her name to the student's plagiarism, suggesting that she could infer that I had ulterior motives of demeaning her by misspelling the name, so if mine my misspelling was accidental, we should assume the student's gross plagiarism was also accidental. It's insane. (And, I am someone who typically looks for teaching moments with small infractions).

All this aside, I usually have a few to several good and sometimes great students each class. Lots of people want these online schools for the flexibility because they are working adults. Some of them are college ready and prepared to put in the work.

But, I would say, many of the classes are watered down at UMGC. They won't require any materials that can't be acquired publicly on the internet. No textbooks, etc. They also won't let us purchase materials for the class. Want to study a play? Enjoy Shakespeare or pre-20thC public domain (& that goes over really well with the students who aren't prepared for college). I add to my survey course, but it's still not the equivalent work-wise to other places at which I've taught. Students frequently say it was one of their hardest classes.

I think, though, UMGC has the best reputation of the online schools.

Anonymous wrote:The future of online degrees is real. those older folks who believe you have to sit in lectures and be on a campus are a dying breed, there will be some prime real estate available when schools realize they can sell off acres of land.

I don't think the traditional college campus will ever go away at most schools but the percentage of students earning their entire degree online is increasing and the pandemic validated that is can work.

The future of online degrees from real universities is real. Places like the University of Phoenix will continue to be meh.

Usually successful University of Phoenix graduates are already adults who are already employed and fairly successful, who need a degree to move up.

Anonymous wrote:The future of online degrees is real. those older folks who believe you have to sit in lectures and be on a campus are a dying breed, there will be some prime real estate available when schools realize they can sell off acres of land.

I don't think the traditional college campus will ever go away at most schools but the percentage of students earning their entire degree online is increasing and the pandemic validated that is can work.

Once employers recruit online degree candidates the same way the do on campus, maybe. Until then, not a chance

Anonymous wrote:Southern New Hampshire University or gtfo

SNHU and UMGC are non-profit and University of Phoenix is for-profit.

Fairfax University of America or University of North America.

The future of online degrees is real. those older folks who believe you have to sit in lectures and be on a campus are a dying breed, there will be some prime real estate available when schools realize they can sell off acres of land.

I don't think the traditional college campus will ever go away at most schools but the percentage of students earning their entire degree online is increasing and the pandemic validated that is can work.

Anonymous wrote:Southern New Hampshire University or gtfo

UMGC is global

Southern New Hampshire University or gtfo

ASU and University of Arizona have decent online programs
ASU (not online) hands out merit money like candy

This should get interesting.

I have a job that involves me writing down where a variety of fairly successful (and, in some cases, very successful) people in non-STEM jobs earned their degrees.

In the past year, three people reported having degrees from the University of Arizona, two had degrees from Arizona State, and five had degrees from the University of Phoenix.

Obviously, the University of Arizona and Arizona State have a better reputation. The fact that the University of Phoenix is coming on strong may have more to do with people needing to fill resume slots than educational quality.

But it's interesting to see that, based purely on alumni career progress, the University of Phoenix seems to be on the rise.