<![CDATA[DL Truth: Distance Learning Truth - Distance Learning Discussion]]> https://www.dltruth.com/ Sun, 06 Sep 2026 22:12:22 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[UCumberlands' H1B Scam]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2304.html Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:06:26 -0500 Harrison J Bounel]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2304.html Quote:Leaked video shows how Indians turned a Kentucky university into a foreign worker trafficking ring... 

Americans feel like they’re living under a government run by an elite class that behaves more like royalty than public servants. It isn’t one president, one party, or one administration. It’s the permanent US government that consists of elected and unelected insiders… all the bureaucrats, consultants, lobbyists, and corporate middlemen who are perched high above everyone else while regular Americans are treated like peasants expected to stay quiet and keep the machine running. And when that elite class builds a system with loopholes big enough to swallow us whole, it’s no wonder foreigners slither over and start pillaging.

The H1-B scam is a perfect example of that screwed-up system.

Sure, you can get angry at the foreigners who waltz through the open door, but the real blame sits with the people who built the door in the first place. They decorated it, propped it open, and then ignored it when everyone flooded in. That’s exactly what you’re looking at in this latest situation at Kentucky University of the Cumberlands and a crafty Indian businessman, Anil Palla, who figured out how to turn a rural American university into a Day-1 CPT pipeline… or, to put it simpler, a backdoor into the H-1B system that our own government has been too corrupt or too comfortable to fix.

Expose H-1B Fraud:
Quote:This leaked video from University of Cumberlands exposes how a Indian Businessman Anil Palla has taken control of a rural Kentucky based university, and turned it into foreign workers trafficking ring issuing unethical Day1 CPT work permit as backdoor to the H1B visa.

Day-1 CPT allows foreign students to begin working for U.S. employers from the first day of enrollment. At @CumberlandU, students are only required to visit campus once per semester. students enroll primarily to obtain work authorization that lets them hold full-time jobs.

We’re being hollowed out by people who know exactly how weak and exploitable our system has become. And it’s been this way for years. The political class makes money, the middlemen get rich, foreign workers get the green light, and Americans get squeezed out of their own job market while being told it’s “good for the economy.”

If you want to understand how deep this scam really goes, just look at the numbers coming out of Kentucky. While the rest of America saw Indian student enrollment drop off a cliff, Kentucky magically became the hottest destination in the country. There was a 70 percent spike in one state, driven almost entirely by two private universities nobody had ever heard of until this entire mess exploded.

Ed Ex Live:
Quote:Hyderabad At a time when the American Universities have seen a sharp fall in the enrollment by Indian students, the state of Kentucky has seen a 70 per cent hike in the enrollment. As per The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) 2018 report of US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) two universities in Kentucky accord for the thousands of Indians students. Interestingly a majority of the growth has come from just two private universities: University of the Campbellsville and University of Cumberlands — together they account for 84 per cent of all international master’s students in Kentucky during 2017-18.

Another interesting trend observed is that in Kentucky the number of master’s degree students more than doubled in the same period. The report has revealed is that despite the galloping growth in Indian student population in the state, students seeking bachelor’s degrees has declined by 8.8 per cent and percentage of those enrolling for Master has shot up by a whopping 200. 4 per per cent.

The number of students pursuing PhD has also a jump by 13.4 per cent. These varsities alongside offering full-time, on-campus undergraduate, and graduate degrees, also offer master’s programs with mostly online curricula targeting working professionals. For such students, many of those who don’t even live in Kentucky, take online courses and visit the school only one weekend per semester. Kiran, (name changed on request) a former student of the university and currently working with the Tech firm in Maryland on H1B visa said, “Since most students come with the mindset that they are spending lakhs on fee or have to repay the loan they took to fund their tution fee and stay here, they decide to enroll in a second Msaters degree while awaiting HIB visa processing. Indian students find such courses attractive since attendance is not mandatory,” he said.

This was how 600 students of which 568 were Telugus, fell in the trap of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which had set up the University of Franmington, only to trap such immigrants who have been “illegally overstaying” in the US. On January 30, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested eight students-turned recruiters from the fake varsity and detained another 130. The program setup, however, worries many like Krishan, who landed in the US in 2006 as a student and then transitioned to H1B on graduation. “Throughout my 13 years of stay in this country, I have come across many students that take false steps and jeopardize there legal stay in US. Today its Farmnington University, tomorrow it will be another. The fate of such students who are not following the regulations will not be any different,” he said.

And speaking of the students, a former one came forward and confirmed what everyone suspected: the university wasn’t just looking the other way, it was the engine powering the entire scam. Wait until you hear what he saw inside those online classes…

Matt Forney:
Quote:NEW: a former student at the University of the Cumberlands sheds light on their complicity in the Indian visa scam.

The student signed up for online classes and noticed that every other person in his classes was Indian, a sharp difference from the other colleges and study programs he was in. He did some research and discovered that the University of the Cumberlands offered work-while-you-study programs as a form of practical training.

The Indian students in this individual’s online classes were not real students. They were enrolled solely so they could retain their visas while working jobs. They likely plagiarized all of their college coursework using essay mills or AI, too.

The student believes that DHS and USCIS knew of these phony Indian students but did nothing. We demand action. No more Indian scammers in our workplaces or universities.


And here’s another student story about this H-1B pipeline school, the kind of case that shows exactly how these programs pull big numbers in.

QZ:
Quote:By day, Swamy works full-time as a software developer in New York City. Late at night and over the weekends he’s a full-time university student, taking courses online. The main reason he does both is, as he puts it, “so that I can keep working in the US.”

For the past two and half years, Swamy has been pursuing graduate degrees at the University of the Cumberlands, a private Baptist university in rural Kentucky. Quartz has decided to withhold Swamy’s last name. He has already completed the credit requirements for a master’s degree in information systems security, and is now working toward a PhD. During his time in the US, he has gotten three master’s degrees in information technology from three universities.

Swamy came to the US from India in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Upon completion of that program, he spent 18 months looking for a full-time job. By the time he found one, he had lost his authorization to work in the US. Getting a new work visa was difficult.

“I have to be in college to take the job,” he said.

Swamy is not alone. The rural Kentucky college that he’s enrolled in has seen a large influx of students from abroad, even as international enrollments at US universities overall have fallen. It’s no accident. Cumberlands and other universities have created programs that appeal to students like Swamy who are trying to stay working in the US through all legal means. The schools are benefitting from the US immigration system’s quirks, boosting enrollment by attracting people more interested in working in the US than receiving the education programs like these provide.

“People who’ve got themselves into the same situation are sharing it in online websites, Facebook groups,” said Swamy, as he described how he came to know of the program at Cumberlands. A curated list of such qualifying programs appeared in 2015 on a forum that connects foreign tech workers to potential employers.

Nationwide, fewer international students came to the US last year. Thirty-two US states experienced a drop in international student population from March 2017 to March 2018. The other 18 states and Washington DC saw an increase. But Kentucky was an outlier. The international student population in Kentucky grew by more than 70%, or more than 6,200 students.

The dramatic change in Kentucky is partially because the state is not traditionally a popular destination for international students. The total number of international students in Kentucky (15,240 by March 2018) is small compared to those in New York (138,750 by March 2018), the state with the largest international student population.

There are over 1.5 million foreign students in the United States, and over a third have a work authorization and are cheating the system.

Center for Immigration Studies:
Quote:Employment Authorization Issues. A controversial employment program for foreign students created and managed by DHS is having the effect of turning the nation’s foreign student program — which is supposed to be an educational experience — into a foreign worker program (with none of the protections that exist within congressionally authorized foreign worker visa programs). According to the latest DHS data, there are 539,382 foreign students authorized to work through a “practical training” program.

There are three types of practical training offered by DHS: The most popular is simply called Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows aliens on foreign student visas to work for up to a year after graduation. There are currently 276,452 foreign students with work authorization via OPT.

DHS also created the STEM OPT program (which is actually an extension of the OPT program) and allows for an additional two years of work authorization (for a total of three years) for foreign students who have completed degrees in a field that meets DHS’s definition of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. There are currently 122,101 foreign students with employment authorization to work under the STEM OPT program.

Finally, there is Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which allows foreign students to work while still enrolled in classes, prior to graduation. There are currently 140,829 foreign students with employment authorization to work under the CPT program.

Despite there being over a half-million foreign students who have obtained work authorization through some form of practical training, the IIE report puts the number at 242,782 students. Now, the complication might be that they refer to “Optional Practical Training” when reporting this number, meaning that IIE might only be reporting the one-year-long version of practical training (which would put their number pretty close to the 276,452 number DHS reports for OPT). However, on other parts of the IIE website, they refer to both OPT and STEM OPT when presenting their numbers. More likely, IIE doesn’t understand how many versions of practical training there are (and/or didn’t properly survey schools on the question), and when coupled with the fact that they only report data from some schools, their number is much smaller and entirely inaccurate.

All of this corruption and nonsense is why Trump’s base is so adamant about dismantling the H1-B system entirely. Every time you peel back another layer, you find more corruption, more loopholes, and more elites profiting off the decline of the people they’re supposed to represent.

Daily Caller:
Quote:The Heritage Foundation is weighing in on the H1-B debate, calling for Congress and the administration to drastically reform certain U.S. visa policies, the Daily Caller first learned.

The debate over H1-B visas began after President Donald Trump appeared with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in November and was pressed on the policy proposal. Trump argued America needs to import more people because current citizens are not skilled or talented enough to do certain jobs.

Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow for the Border and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, wrote a report on the policy, calling on Congress to eliminate the exemptions for research and nonprofits, replace the H-1B lottery with a wage-based ranking system and expressly state that H-4 visa holders are not authorized to work.

“Rather than this regulatory back and forth swing between administrations, it’s past time for Congress to end not only the numerous types of H-1B abuses, but also the administrative state creations that developed the student-to-H-1B-green-card pipeline that adversely affects American students and employees,” Hankinson writes in the report.

The Heritage Foundation also makes recommendations for how the Trump administration should change the H1-B policy. The report suggests that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should “limit the number of H1-B applicants each company can petition for annually” while also permanently barring “any company, individual or entity from petitioning or participating in the H1-B process if it knowingly violates immigration law.”

Sure, Trump has come a long way on this issue since 2016, but the base’s frustration is real. They’re seeing how deep the rot goes, and they’re not wrong. Every day exposes another cavernous hole carved out for someone else to benefit while Americans get screwed over, again and again.

But it’s not just President Trump who needs a full recalibration. Five years ago, we covered how Republicans, including the supposedly “based” Mike Lee, sold out American workers with a shady green-card giveaway that nobody asked for and nobody benefited from except the usual insiders.

Dick Durbin and Mike Lee teamed up to push a plan that basically said, “Let’s help foreign workers stuck in the green-card line get to the front faster.”

They wanted to let foreign workers already in America skip ahead. They wanted to save thousands of green cards for people waiting overseas. Every year, they’d set aside 4,600 green cards specifically for foreign workers who aren’t even in the US yet. They called it “stopping abuse,” but it still protected the visa pipelines. They added a tiny rule saying companies can’t hire more H-1B visa workers if half their staff is already on visas. Sounds tough, right? Pff. The truth is barely anyone fits that description. So that was a cute little cosmetic rule so the bill looked like it was helping Americans (it didn’t). It was actually about keeping the foreign worker pipeline flowing:

More benefits for foreign workers.

More green cards handed out.

More fast-tracking.

And more pressure on the American worker who’s already competing in a rigged system.

It wasn’t framed that way, of course. It never is.

Revolver:
Quote:Just when you think that the Senate Republicans have nothing more to give in terms of  betraying the President and the America First platform he ran on, they manage to exceed expectations yet again.

The latest iteration of betrayal comes in the form of a green card giveaway promoted by Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee and Democrat Illinois Senator Dick Durbin.

[…]

This green card handout is a huge boon to IT companies dependent on cheap labor from India and China, and terrible for American holders of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) degrees who already face tough job prospects in a corona-depressed economy.

Revolver Exclusive: A Congressional source described the legislation to Revolver.news as a “slap in the face” to the Trump Agenda. The legislation does not include ANY of President Trump’s requested reforms, either to the asylum system or to the H1-B visa system which is used by IT employers to undercut American STEM graduates.

The components of the Lee-Durbin green card giveaway are as follows:

  1. Immigrant workers and their immediate family members would be eligible for “early filing” for their green cards.  Immigrant workers would be able to switch jobs and travel without losing their immigration status.  The amendment includes a critical protection from Durbin’s RELIEF Act, which would protect the children of immigrant workers from “aging out” of green-card eligibility so they will not face deportation while they are waiting for a green card.
  2. The amendment would reserve 4,600 green cards on an annual basis for immigrant workers who are stuck in the backlog overseas and not eligible for early filing.
To add insult to injury, the amendment includes a largely fake and symbolic bread crumb substitute for genuine H-1B reform.

Quote:Finally, the amendment would address abuse of H-1B temporary work visas by prohibiting a company from hiring additional H-1B workers if the company’s workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 percent temporary workers.

A congressional source intimately familiar with deliberations on the matter has told Revolver.news that Durbin has appeased even the immigration “hawks” in the Senate, and that the green card giveaway legislation is moving along swimmingly in the Republican-controlled senate.


One White House source and one former White House official familiar with internal deliberations offer additional perspective on the White House’s relation to this legislation.
Apparently, some in the White House welcome the green card giveaway as part of an electoral strategy to woo the IT sector, and Indian voters in North Carolina.

Granted, that fiasco didn’t pass, but that’s because we and other outlets sounded the alarm bells. What did pass was this:

Quote:Their broader bill Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act — meant to eliminate per-country caps on employment-based green cards — did pass both the House and the Senate in December 2020.

But this was a slap in the face to Americans as well, because it eliminated per-country caps and didn’t actually “fix” anything. It just gave countries like India, which already dominates the visa pipeline, even more access to green cards. Instead of reducing foreign competition, it turbocharged it. Thanks, guys…

You can look at Kentucky’s Day-1 CPT loophole or this elder-fraud case out of Florida; it doesn’t matter much, it’s the same story on repeat. Foreign nationals mastering a corrupt system. Elites protecting the system. Americans are taking the hit. And politicians talking a big game about “fairness” while quietly pushing bills that hand out more benefits to foreign workers and corporate donors.

They’re not fighting for the American worker. They’re tag-teaming with the people who benefit from these pipelines that are drowning hardworking Americans in confusion, paperwork, and bureaucratic traps, then pretending it’s all normal and “part and parcel.” ]]> Quote:Leaked video shows how Indians turned a Kentucky university into a foreign worker trafficking ring... 

Americans feel like they’re living under a government run by an elite class that behaves more like royalty than public servants. It isn’t one president, one party, or one administration. It’s the permanent US government that consists of elected and unelected insiders… all the bureaucrats, consultants, lobbyists, and corporate middlemen who are perched high above everyone else while regular Americans are treated like peasants expected to stay quiet and keep the machine running. And when that elite class builds a system with loopholes big enough to swallow us whole, it’s no wonder foreigners slither over and start pillaging.

The H1-B scam is a perfect example of that screwed-up system.

Sure, you can get angry at the foreigners who waltz through the open door, but the real blame sits with the people who built the door in the first place. They decorated it, propped it open, and then ignored it when everyone flooded in. That’s exactly what you’re looking at in this latest situation at Kentucky University of the Cumberlands and a crafty Indian businessman, Anil Palla, who figured out how to turn a rural American university into a Day-1 CPT pipeline… or, to put it simpler, a backdoor into the H-1B system that our own government has been too corrupt or too comfortable to fix.

Expose H-1B Fraud:
Quote:This leaked video from University of Cumberlands exposes how a Indian Businessman Anil Palla has taken control of a rural Kentucky based university, and turned it into foreign workers trafficking ring issuing unethical Day1 CPT work permit as backdoor to the H1B visa.

Day-1 CPT allows foreign students to begin working for U.S. employers from the first day of enrollment. At @CumberlandU, students are only required to visit campus once per semester. students enroll primarily to obtain work authorization that lets them hold full-time jobs.

We’re being hollowed out by people who know exactly how weak and exploitable our system has become. And it’s been this way for years. The political class makes money, the middlemen get rich, foreign workers get the green light, and Americans get squeezed out of their own job market while being told it’s “good for the economy.”

If you want to understand how deep this scam really goes, just look at the numbers coming out of Kentucky. While the rest of America saw Indian student enrollment drop off a cliff, Kentucky magically became the hottest destination in the country. There was a 70 percent spike in one state, driven almost entirely by two private universities nobody had ever heard of until this entire mess exploded.

Ed Ex Live:
Quote:Hyderabad At a time when the American Universities have seen a sharp fall in the enrollment by Indian students, the state of Kentucky has seen a 70 per cent hike in the enrollment. As per The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) 2018 report of US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) two universities in Kentucky accord for the thousands of Indians students. Interestingly a majority of the growth has come from just two private universities: University of the Campbellsville and University of Cumberlands — together they account for 84 per cent of all international master’s students in Kentucky during 2017-18.

Another interesting trend observed is that in Kentucky the number of master’s degree students more than doubled in the same period. The report has revealed is that despite the galloping growth in Indian student population in the state, students seeking bachelor’s degrees has declined by 8.8 per cent and percentage of those enrolling for Master has shot up by a whopping 200. 4 per per cent.

The number of students pursuing PhD has also a jump by 13.4 per cent. These varsities alongside offering full-time, on-campus undergraduate, and graduate degrees, also offer master’s programs with mostly online curricula targeting working professionals. For such students, many of those who don’t even live in Kentucky, take online courses and visit the school only one weekend per semester. Kiran, (name changed on request) a former student of the university and currently working with the Tech firm in Maryland on H1B visa said, “Since most students come with the mindset that they are spending lakhs on fee or have to repay the loan they took to fund their tution fee and stay here, they decide to enroll in a second Msaters degree while awaiting HIB visa processing. Indian students find such courses attractive since attendance is not mandatory,” he said.

This was how 600 students of which 568 were Telugus, fell in the trap of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which had set up the University of Franmington, only to trap such immigrants who have been “illegally overstaying” in the US. On January 30, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested eight students-turned recruiters from the fake varsity and detained another 130. The program setup, however, worries many like Krishan, who landed in the US in 2006 as a student and then transitioned to H1B on graduation. “Throughout my 13 years of stay in this country, I have come across many students that take false steps and jeopardize there legal stay in US. Today its Farmnington University, tomorrow it will be another. The fate of such students who are not following the regulations will not be any different,” he said.

And speaking of the students, a former one came forward and confirmed what everyone suspected: the university wasn’t just looking the other way, it was the engine powering the entire scam. Wait until you hear what he saw inside those online classes…

Matt Forney:
Quote:NEW: a former student at the University of the Cumberlands sheds light on their complicity in the Indian visa scam.

The student signed up for online classes and noticed that every other person in his classes was Indian, a sharp difference from the other colleges and study programs he was in. He did some research and discovered that the University of the Cumberlands offered work-while-you-study programs as a form of practical training.

The Indian students in this individual’s online classes were not real students. They were enrolled solely so they could retain their visas while working jobs. They likely plagiarized all of their college coursework using essay mills or AI, too.

The student believes that DHS and USCIS knew of these phony Indian students but did nothing. We demand action. No more Indian scammers in our workplaces or universities.


And here’s another student story about this H-1B pipeline school, the kind of case that shows exactly how these programs pull big numbers in.

QZ:
Quote:By day, Swamy works full-time as a software developer in New York City. Late at night and over the weekends he’s a full-time university student, taking courses online. The main reason he does both is, as he puts it, “so that I can keep working in the US.”

For the past two and half years, Swamy has been pursuing graduate degrees at the University of the Cumberlands, a private Baptist university in rural Kentucky. Quartz has decided to withhold Swamy’s last name. He has already completed the credit requirements for a master’s degree in information systems security, and is now working toward a PhD. During his time in the US, he has gotten three master’s degrees in information technology from three universities.

Swamy came to the US from India in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Upon completion of that program, he spent 18 months looking for a full-time job. By the time he found one, he had lost his authorization to work in the US. Getting a new work visa was difficult.

“I have to be in college to take the job,” he said.

Swamy is not alone. The rural Kentucky college that he’s enrolled in has seen a large influx of students from abroad, even as international enrollments at US universities overall have fallen. It’s no accident. Cumberlands and other universities have created programs that appeal to students like Swamy who are trying to stay working in the US through all legal means. The schools are benefitting from the US immigration system’s quirks, boosting enrollment by attracting people more interested in working in the US than receiving the education programs like these provide.

“People who’ve got themselves into the same situation are sharing it in online websites, Facebook groups,” said Swamy, as he described how he came to know of the program at Cumberlands. A curated list of such qualifying programs appeared in 2015 on a forum that connects foreign tech workers to potential employers.

Nationwide, fewer international students came to the US last year. Thirty-two US states experienced a drop in international student population from March 2017 to March 2018. The other 18 states and Washington DC saw an increase. But Kentucky was an outlier. The international student population in Kentucky grew by more than 70%, or more than 6,200 students.

The dramatic change in Kentucky is partially because the state is not traditionally a popular destination for international students. The total number of international students in Kentucky (15,240 by March 2018) is small compared to those in New York (138,750 by March 2018), the state with the largest international student population.

There are over 1.5 million foreign students in the United States, and over a third have a work authorization and are cheating the system.

Center for Immigration Studies:
Quote:Employment Authorization Issues. A controversial employment program for foreign students created and managed by DHS is having the effect of turning the nation’s foreign student program — which is supposed to be an educational experience — into a foreign worker program (with none of the protections that exist within congressionally authorized foreign worker visa programs). According to the latest DHS data, there are 539,382 foreign students authorized to work through a “practical training” program.

There are three types of practical training offered by DHS: The most popular is simply called Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows aliens on foreign student visas to work for up to a year after graduation. There are currently 276,452 foreign students with work authorization via OPT.

DHS also created the STEM OPT program (which is actually an extension of the OPT program) and allows for an additional two years of work authorization (for a total of three years) for foreign students who have completed degrees in a field that meets DHS’s definition of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. There are currently 122,101 foreign students with employment authorization to work under the STEM OPT program.

Finally, there is Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which allows foreign students to work while still enrolled in classes, prior to graduation. There are currently 140,829 foreign students with employment authorization to work under the CPT program.

Despite there being over a half-million foreign students who have obtained work authorization through some form of practical training, the IIE report puts the number at 242,782 students. Now, the complication might be that they refer to “Optional Practical Training” when reporting this number, meaning that IIE might only be reporting the one-year-long version of practical training (which would put their number pretty close to the 276,452 number DHS reports for OPT). However, on other parts of the IIE website, they refer to both OPT and STEM OPT when presenting their numbers. More likely, IIE doesn’t understand how many versions of practical training there are (and/or didn’t properly survey schools on the question), and when coupled with the fact that they only report data from some schools, their number is much smaller and entirely inaccurate.

All of this corruption and nonsense is why Trump’s base is so adamant about dismantling the H1-B system entirely. Every time you peel back another layer, you find more corruption, more loopholes, and more elites profiting off the decline of the people they’re supposed to represent.

Daily Caller:
Quote:The Heritage Foundation is weighing in on the H1-B debate, calling for Congress and the administration to drastically reform certain U.S. visa policies, the Daily Caller first learned.

The debate over H1-B visas began after President Donald Trump appeared with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in November and was pressed on the policy proposal. Trump argued America needs to import more people because current citizens are not skilled or talented enough to do certain jobs.

Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow for the Border and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, wrote a report on the policy, calling on Congress to eliminate the exemptions for research and nonprofits, replace the H-1B lottery with a wage-based ranking system and expressly state that H-4 visa holders are not authorized to work.

“Rather than this regulatory back and forth swing between administrations, it’s past time for Congress to end not only the numerous types of H-1B abuses, but also the administrative state creations that developed the student-to-H-1B-green-card pipeline that adversely affects American students and employees,” Hankinson writes in the report.

The Heritage Foundation also makes recommendations for how the Trump administration should change the H1-B policy. The report suggests that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should “limit the number of H1-B applicants each company can petition for annually” while also permanently barring “any company, individual or entity from petitioning or participating in the H1-B process if it knowingly violates immigration law.”

Sure, Trump has come a long way on this issue since 2016, but the base’s frustration is real. They’re seeing how deep the rot goes, and they’re not wrong. Every day exposes another cavernous hole carved out for someone else to benefit while Americans get screwed over, again and again.

But it’s not just President Trump who needs a full recalibration. Five years ago, we covered how Republicans, including the supposedly “based” Mike Lee, sold out American workers with a shady green-card giveaway that nobody asked for and nobody benefited from except the usual insiders.

Dick Durbin and Mike Lee teamed up to push a plan that basically said, “Let’s help foreign workers stuck in the green-card line get to the front faster.”

They wanted to let foreign workers already in America skip ahead. They wanted to save thousands of green cards for people waiting overseas. Every year, they’d set aside 4,600 green cards specifically for foreign workers who aren’t even in the US yet. They called it “stopping abuse,” but it still protected the visa pipelines. They added a tiny rule saying companies can’t hire more H-1B visa workers if half their staff is already on visas. Sounds tough, right? Pff. The truth is barely anyone fits that description. So that was a cute little cosmetic rule so the bill looked like it was helping Americans (it didn’t). It was actually about keeping the foreign worker pipeline flowing:

More benefits for foreign workers.

More green cards handed out.

More fast-tracking.

And more pressure on the American worker who’s already competing in a rigged system.

It wasn’t framed that way, of course. It never is.

Revolver:
Quote:Just when you think that the Senate Republicans have nothing more to give in terms of  betraying the President and the America First platform he ran on, they manage to exceed expectations yet again.

The latest iteration of betrayal comes in the form of a green card giveaway promoted by Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee and Democrat Illinois Senator Dick Durbin.

[…]

This green card handout is a huge boon to IT companies dependent on cheap labor from India and China, and terrible for American holders of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) degrees who already face tough job prospects in a corona-depressed economy.

Revolver Exclusive: A Congressional source described the legislation to Revolver.news as a “slap in the face” to the Trump Agenda. The legislation does not include ANY of President Trump’s requested reforms, either to the asylum system or to the H1-B visa system which is used by IT employers to undercut American STEM graduates.

The components of the Lee-Durbin green card giveaway are as follows:

  1. Immigrant workers and their immediate family members would be eligible for “early filing” for their green cards.  Immigrant workers would be able to switch jobs and travel without losing their immigration status.  The amendment includes a critical protection from Durbin’s RELIEF Act, which would protect the children of immigrant workers from “aging out” of green-card eligibility so they will not face deportation while they are waiting for a green card.
  2. The amendment would reserve 4,600 green cards on an annual basis for immigrant workers who are stuck in the backlog overseas and not eligible for early filing.
To add insult to injury, the amendment includes a largely fake and symbolic bread crumb substitute for genuine H-1B reform.

Quote:Finally, the amendment would address abuse of H-1B temporary work visas by prohibiting a company from hiring additional H-1B workers if the company’s workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 percent temporary workers.

A congressional source intimately familiar with deliberations on the matter has told Revolver.news that Durbin has appeased even the immigration “hawks” in the Senate, and that the green card giveaway legislation is moving along swimmingly in the Republican-controlled senate.


One White House source and one former White House official familiar with internal deliberations offer additional perspective on the White House’s relation to this legislation.
Apparently, some in the White House welcome the green card giveaway as part of an electoral strategy to woo the IT sector, and Indian voters in North Carolina.

Granted, that fiasco didn’t pass, but that’s because we and other outlets sounded the alarm bells. What did pass was this:

Quote:Their broader bill Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act — meant to eliminate per-country caps on employment-based green cards — did pass both the House and the Senate in December 2020.

But this was a slap in the face to Americans as well, because it eliminated per-country caps and didn’t actually “fix” anything. It just gave countries like India, which already dominates the visa pipeline, even more access to green cards. Instead of reducing foreign competition, it turbocharged it. Thanks, guys…

You can look at Kentucky’s Day-1 CPT loophole or this elder-fraud case out of Florida; it doesn’t matter much, it’s the same story on repeat. Foreign nationals mastering a corrupt system. Elites protecting the system. Americans are taking the hit. And politicians talking a big game about “fairness” while quietly pushing bills that hand out more benefits to foreign workers and corporate donors.

They’re not fighting for the American worker. They’re tag-teaming with the people who benefit from these pipelines that are drowning hardworking Americans in confusion, paperwork, and bureaucratic traps, then pretending it’s all normal and “part and parcel.” ]]> <![CDATA[Grove City Online MA Austrian Economics]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2291.html Sat, 19 Oct 2024 02:20:48 -0400 Albert Hidel]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2291.html Grove City College will be launching an online master's degree in Economics, which they describe as "thoroughly Austrian in its curriculum and faculty." 

They don't take fed money so you have to work out your own financing. No specific price info I could find, but current master's degree tuition runs $750/unit, and $950/unit for their business analytics program. Not cheap, but less than George Mason.

If you can stand the wait, could be a worthy successor to the Mises Institute's now defunct online MA.]]> Grove City College will be launching an online master's degree in Economics, which they describe as "thoroughly Austrian in its curriculum and faculty." 

They don't take fed money so you have to work out your own financing. No specific price info I could find, but current master's degree tuition runs $750/unit, and $950/unit for their business analytics program. Not cheap, but less than George Mason.

If you can stand the wait, could be a worthy successor to the Mises Institute's now defunct online MA.]]> <![CDATA[DoE Afraid of Innovation]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2274.html Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:48:09 -0400 Robert L. Peters]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2274.html Quote:Why Is Education Department Afraid of Innovation in Higher Ed?
Adam Kissel / @kissel_adam / October 19, 2023

Online learning has revolutionized higher education, but a recent move by the federal Department of Education is threatening to tear down systems that are helping millions of students learn.

An extremely wide diversity of students choose to take online courses or to get entire online degrees. Colleges that offer them need to be nimble as the economy changes, yet traditional colleges are slow to change, and they often lack the expertise and funding to develop and manage online courses independently.

That’s a key reason online program management companies have sprung up to serve the need, working with colleges to help students.

Yet the Department of Education, apparently allergic to profit of any kind, earlier this year swept online program management companies and a vast array of other providers into its “third-party servicer” rule, promising a heavy-handed regulatory regime.

That move has injected deep uncertainty into the entire higher education sector, leading to diminished investment and layoffs in the online program management industry.

The problem is that Congress clearly described what a third-party servicer is, but the Department of Education does not like to stay within the law. The latter specifies that a third-party servicer only includes those that help with “student assistance programs”; that is, with managing students’ financial aid.

The department now argues that even providing a course counts, since a student might get financial aid to take the course. A recruiting service that also notes the existence of financial aid also would count.

All of that is an arbitrary modification of the law to attack online program management companies.

Even worse, the department announced this major change, sweeping a new set of companies into regulation, without actually regulating or negotiating. The department just issued a notice.

The backlash was swift and furious, so the department voided the effective date. That means the new definition of a third-party servicer is still the official position of the department, but it’s not being enforced. At any moment, the department could decide it’s ready to move forward to throttle online program management companies and many others in higher education.

The department’s move is likely to increase students’ costs and stifle innovation in postsecondary education.

More and more prospective students are choosing alternatives to a traditional bachelor’s degree, determining that its benefits are not worth the rapidly rising cost. Traditional colleges are keeping up by offering online courses or sub-degree programs. But burdening them with new regulatory compliance costs will divert resources from students to administrators.

Additionally, one-size-fits-all federal regulations are ill-suited to the rapid innovation in postsecondary education, which is increasing access, improving the educational experience, and reducing costs for millions of students nationwide.

Frankly, no federal agency is nimble enough to keep up with the sector’s rapid innovation. Therefore, the best way to help students is to stay out of the way.

Furthermore, interfering with the freedom to contract in education will limit the sector and ultimately diminish options for students.
Online program management companies have been one of America’s greatest innovations for providing scalable, low-cost college access. They would hardly have been possible without freedom to contract, innovate, and adapt outside of burdensome government oversight.

Indeed, colleges’ contracts with online program management companies tend to use revenue sharing, which helps institutions transfer financial risk to their online program management partners while these companies devote large sums to capital investment.

This model enables less-resourced institutions to enter the market, compete, and maybe save themselves from bankruptcy. Without online program management companies, less well-resourced institutions with larger numbers of nontraditional students will be left further and further behind.

The Department of Education should stick with its narrow authority under the law—no more and no less. That means withdrawing the new definition entirely.

The department needs to learn that profit is not scary. To the contrary, private enterprise through voluntary exchange makes all parties better off. ]]> Quote:Why Is Education Department Afraid of Innovation in Higher Ed?
Adam Kissel / @kissel_adam / October 19, 2023

Online learning has revolutionized higher education, but a recent move by the federal Department of Education is threatening to tear down systems that are helping millions of students learn.

An extremely wide diversity of students choose to take online courses or to get entire online degrees. Colleges that offer them need to be nimble as the economy changes, yet traditional colleges are slow to change, and they often lack the expertise and funding to develop and manage online courses independently.

That’s a key reason online program management companies have sprung up to serve the need, working with colleges to help students.

Yet the Department of Education, apparently allergic to profit of any kind, earlier this year swept online program management companies and a vast array of other providers into its “third-party servicer” rule, promising a heavy-handed regulatory regime.

That move has injected deep uncertainty into the entire higher education sector, leading to diminished investment and layoffs in the online program management industry.

The problem is that Congress clearly described what a third-party servicer is, but the Department of Education does not like to stay within the law. The latter specifies that a third-party servicer only includes those that help with “student assistance programs”; that is, with managing students’ financial aid.

The department now argues that even providing a course counts, since a student might get financial aid to take the course. A recruiting service that also notes the existence of financial aid also would count.

All of that is an arbitrary modification of the law to attack online program management companies.

Even worse, the department announced this major change, sweeping a new set of companies into regulation, without actually regulating or negotiating. The department just issued a notice.

The backlash was swift and furious, so the department voided the effective date. That means the new definition of a third-party servicer is still the official position of the department, but it’s not being enforced. At any moment, the department could decide it’s ready to move forward to throttle online program management companies and many others in higher education.

The department’s move is likely to increase students’ costs and stifle innovation in postsecondary education.

More and more prospective students are choosing alternatives to a traditional bachelor’s degree, determining that its benefits are not worth the rapidly rising cost. Traditional colleges are keeping up by offering online courses or sub-degree programs. But burdening them with new regulatory compliance costs will divert resources from students to administrators.

Additionally, one-size-fits-all federal regulations are ill-suited to the rapid innovation in postsecondary education, which is increasing access, improving the educational experience, and reducing costs for millions of students nationwide.

Frankly, no federal agency is nimble enough to keep up with the sector’s rapid innovation. Therefore, the best way to help students is to stay out of the way.

Furthermore, interfering with the freedom to contract in education will limit the sector and ultimately diminish options for students.
Online program management companies have been one of America’s greatest innovations for providing scalable, low-cost college access. They would hardly have been possible without freedom to contract, innovate, and adapt outside of burdensome government oversight.

Indeed, colleges’ contracts with online program management companies tend to use revenue sharing, which helps institutions transfer financial risk to their online program management partners while these companies devote large sums to capital investment.

This model enables less-resourced institutions to enter the market, compete, and maybe save themselves from bankruptcy. Without online program management companies, less well-resourced institutions with larger numbers of nontraditional students will be left further and further behind.

The Department of Education should stick with its narrow authority under the law—no more and no less. That means withdrawing the new definition entirely.

The department needs to learn that profit is not scary. To the contrary, private enterprise through voluntary exchange makes all parties better off. ]]> <![CDATA[Biden Crackdown on Online Classes]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2260.html Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:58:31 -0500 Harrison J Bounel]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2260.html Quote:Biden Administration Looks at Crackdown on Online Classes

[Image: Online-learning-640x480.jpg]

by Breccan F. Thies
9 Mar 2023

President Joe Biden's Department of Education is looking to crack down on online classes for higher education, barring thousands of students from completing programs.

The move comes after Democrats used online courses during the coronavirus lockdowns, harming students in the process.
This time, however, the motive appears to be different.

February guidance from the Education Department would classify ?online program managers" -- the companies that host the courses for schools -- as "third-party vendors" meaning they would be subjected to heavy regulation and the threat of being shut down.

The left has targeted these program managers for a long time, accusing them of exploitation and condemning their profit motive.

"Online education has the potential to meet the needs of many students and lower costs," Under Secretary James Kvaal said of the rule change. "But we are concerned about the growth in loan debt and want to ensure students get value for their money."

The move appears to be part of a push to answer "concerns about the impact of OPM partnerships on rising student debt loads," as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) put it.

House Education and Workforce Committee chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called out the Biden administration for putting such arduous barriers on Americans completing coursework online.

"It is reckless for the Department to suggest providing access to online education is a main driver of federal student loan debt," she said in a February press release.. "Instead, innovations in postsecondary education, including online education, have broken through access barriers for many adult learners."

Coming after programs and schools that make it easier for adults to complete certifications and coursework is a mainstay for the Biden administration.

As Breitbart News reported, the Biden administration is coordinating with Democrat operatives with a history of pushing harmful education regulations and strengthening their friends at leftist universities.

The Department of Education has also come after career colleges -- which offer job training for veterans, minorities, and working-class families -- for similar reasons.

In implementing the "gainful employment" test -- a vestige of the Obama administration targeting career colleges -- the administration sought to track how much debt a career college would leave a student as compared to the amount of money they made post-graduation. Given the results, financial aid was to end for colleges that left their students in a high amount of debt with a low amount of post-graduation return.

However, those same metrics are not imposed on universities that offer unmarketable degrees. ]]> Quote:Biden Administration Looks at Crackdown on Online Classes

[Image: Online-learning-640x480.jpg]

by Breccan F. Thies
9 Mar 2023

President Joe Biden's Department of Education is looking to crack down on online classes for higher education, barring thousands of students from completing programs.

The move comes after Democrats used online courses during the coronavirus lockdowns, harming students in the process.
This time, however, the motive appears to be different.

February guidance from the Education Department would classify ?online program managers" -- the companies that host the courses for schools -- as "third-party vendors" meaning they would be subjected to heavy regulation and the threat of being shut down.

The left has targeted these program managers for a long time, accusing them of exploitation and condemning their profit motive.

"Online education has the potential to meet the needs of many students and lower costs," Under Secretary James Kvaal said of the rule change. "But we are concerned about the growth in loan debt and want to ensure students get value for their money."

The move appears to be part of a push to answer "concerns about the impact of OPM partnerships on rising student debt loads," as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) put it.

House Education and Workforce Committee chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called out the Biden administration for putting such arduous barriers on Americans completing coursework online.

"It is reckless for the Department to suggest providing access to online education is a main driver of federal student loan debt," she said in a February press release.. "Instead, innovations in postsecondary education, including online education, have broken through access barriers for many adult learners."

Coming after programs and schools that make it easier for adults to complete certifications and coursework is a mainstay for the Biden administration.

As Breitbart News reported, the Biden administration is coordinating with Democrat operatives with a history of pushing harmful education regulations and strengthening their friends at leftist universities.

The Department of Education has also come after career colleges -- which offer job training for veterans, minorities, and working-class families -- for similar reasons.

In implementing the "gainful employment" test -- a vestige of the Obama administration targeting career colleges -- the administration sought to track how much debt a career college would leave a student as compared to the amount of money they made post-graduation. Given the results, financial aid was to end for colleges that left their students in a high amount of debt with a low amount of post-graduation return.

However, those same metrics are not imposed on universities that offer unmarketable degrees. ]]> <![CDATA[Ashford fined $22M]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2241.html Tue, 08 Mar 2022 01:48:16 -0500 Herbert Spencer]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2241.html Quote:San Diego judge fines online university Ashford, parent company $22M for misleading students
by: Associated Press
Posted: Mar 7, 2022 / 05:41 PM PST / Updated: Mar 7, 2022 / 06:59 PM PST

A California judge has ordered an online, for-profit university and its former parent company to pay $22 million in penalties, saying they mislead students about the costs of their education, among other things, the state’s attorney general announced Monday.

The San Diego Superior Court ruled in favor of the state of California in its 2017 lawsuit against Ashford University and and its then-parent company Zovio, Inc. The University of Arizona has since acquired the university and rebranded the online school, the University of Arizona Global Campus. It is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona.

“Ashford made false promises to students about the value of an Ashford degree, leaving students with mounting debt, broken promises, and searching for a job,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the ruling. “While we can’t turn back the clock for these students, this decision should send a strong message: If you engage in deceptive practices in order to pad your bottom line, my office will hold you accountable.”

Bonta said he will fight for the students to be given relief from their federal student loans, and urged U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to do that.

Zovio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon wrote in his ruling issued Thursday that the university gave “students false or misleading information about career outcomes, cost and financial aid, pace of degree programs, and transfer credits, in order to entice them to enroll at Ashford.”

Sturgeon wrote that, during a bench trial held late last year, testimony from former Ashford employees revealed “a high pressure admissions department whose north star was enrollment numbers” and “a work environment permeated by fear, where closing the sale was prioritized above providing students with accurate information.”

The judge wrote that the school misrepresented how much financial aid they would receive, and downplayed the student loan debt they would incur and as such many dropped out and are saddled with debt.

In 2005, Zovio purchased the Franciscan University of the Prairies, a small religious school in Clinton, Iowa, so it would have students that attended an accredited university and be eligible for financial aid, according to court documents.

Zovio renamed the school Ashford University and turned it into an online university with more than 80,000 students at its peak. Zovio made hundreds of millions of dollars from Ashford, most of it from taxpayer-funded sources like Title IV loans, income-based grants and GI Bill funds, according to court documents.

The student body was older than traditional college students, with most in their mid-30s, largely low-income and roughly 50% were minorities. A bachelor’s degree cost between $40,000 and $60,000, and only about a quarter of students graduated with many defaulting on their loans, according to court documents.

In exchange for paying $54 million in a deal with the University of Arizona, Zovio will continue to receive almost 20% of the school’s tuition revenue for the next seven to 15 years, according to court documents.

The judge denied a request by the state to impose an injunction on the company, saying it did not believe there was enough evidence that the problems continue today to warrant that.

The company continues to provide many of the educational services it provided to Ashford. ]]> Quote:San Diego judge fines online university Ashford, parent company $22M for misleading students
by: Associated Press
Posted: Mar 7, 2022 / 05:41 PM PST / Updated: Mar 7, 2022 / 06:59 PM PST

A California judge has ordered an online, for-profit university and its former parent company to pay $22 million in penalties, saying they mislead students about the costs of their education, among other things, the state’s attorney general announced Monday.

The San Diego Superior Court ruled in favor of the state of California in its 2017 lawsuit against Ashford University and and its then-parent company Zovio, Inc. The University of Arizona has since acquired the university and rebranded the online school, the University of Arizona Global Campus. It is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona.

“Ashford made false promises to students about the value of an Ashford degree, leaving students with mounting debt, broken promises, and searching for a job,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the ruling. “While we can’t turn back the clock for these students, this decision should send a strong message: If you engage in deceptive practices in order to pad your bottom line, my office will hold you accountable.”

Bonta said he will fight for the students to be given relief from their federal student loans, and urged U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to do that.

Zovio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon wrote in his ruling issued Thursday that the university gave “students false or misleading information about career outcomes, cost and financial aid, pace of degree programs, and transfer credits, in order to entice them to enroll at Ashford.”

Sturgeon wrote that, during a bench trial held late last year, testimony from former Ashford employees revealed “a high pressure admissions department whose north star was enrollment numbers” and “a work environment permeated by fear, where closing the sale was prioritized above providing students with accurate information.”

The judge wrote that the school misrepresented how much financial aid they would receive, and downplayed the student loan debt they would incur and as such many dropped out and are saddled with debt.

In 2005, Zovio purchased the Franciscan University of the Prairies, a small religious school in Clinton, Iowa, so it would have students that attended an accredited university and be eligible for financial aid, according to court documents.

Zovio renamed the school Ashford University and turned it into an online university with more than 80,000 students at its peak. Zovio made hundreds of millions of dollars from Ashford, most of it from taxpayer-funded sources like Title IV loans, income-based grants and GI Bill funds, according to court documents.

The student body was older than traditional college students, with most in their mid-30s, largely low-income and roughly 50% were minorities. A bachelor’s degree cost between $40,000 and $60,000, and only about a quarter of students graduated with many defaulting on their loans, according to court documents.

In exchange for paying $54 million in a deal with the University of Arizona, Zovio will continue to receive almost 20% of the school’s tuition revenue for the next seven to 15 years, according to court documents.

The judge denied a request by the state to impose an injunction on the company, saying it did not believe there was enough evidence that the problems continue today to warrant that.

The company continues to provide many of the educational services it provided to Ashford. ]]> <![CDATA[US Dept. of Education's Official Stance on RA vs. NA]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2237.html Wed, 27 Oct 2021 19:32:07 -0400 Richard A. Douglas]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2237.html
My name is Richard A Douglas.  I know I disappointed you guys when I went for the DBA at University of Leicester, and only to have WES evaluated as a Master's (fuck me, what a clown).  That really hurt.  My mother even said to me:  "Oh geez, son, what an asshole!  You're supposed to be the expert." 

Also, I would like to apologize when I commented that WES was rude in dealing with me.  As you know, I am always nice and polite with everyone but when shit doesn't go in my favor, I like to call that um...rude.

I found this awhile ago, right from the horse's mouth, and would like to share this with everyone so that they don't get discouraged or insulted by the monkeys at degreeinfo.  

Effectively July 1st, 2020, the US Dept. of Education has removed the word "regional" from its language.  Specifically, DOE states that they make no distinction between Regional Accreditation vs. National Accreditation. DOE states that they hold all recognized accreditation agencies to the same standards and all states must follow suit in stages.

Link:  2020-02-26_ED_Final_Accreditation_and_State_Authorization_Regulations.pdf (tracs.org)

I'm very surprised, there hasn't been much discussion at degreeinfo on such a big step forward on the part of DOE, except for the usual attacks by me and the usual cocksuckers (my lapdogs). 

You know, I like to attack people with crapshoot like:  "Just because you said so doesn't make it so.  And with all the RA universities available, why would you pick anything else?"
I guess my mother was right when she said to me:  "What an asshole, so why did you pick University of Leicester and MIGS again?"  Big Grin

Richard A Douglas]]>
My name is Richard A Douglas.  I know I disappointed you guys when I went for the DBA at University of Leicester, and only to have WES evaluated as a Master's (fuck me, what a clown).  That really hurt.  My mother even said to me:  "Oh geez, son, what an asshole!  You're supposed to be the expert." 

Also, I would like to apologize when I commented that WES was rude in dealing with me.  As you know, I am always nice and polite with everyone but when shit doesn't go in my favor, I like to call that um...rude.

I found this awhile ago, right from the horse's mouth, and would like to share this with everyone so that they don't get discouraged or insulted by the monkeys at degreeinfo.  

Effectively July 1st, 2020, the US Dept. of Education has removed the word "regional" from its language.  Specifically, DOE states that they make no distinction between Regional Accreditation vs. National Accreditation. DOE states that they hold all recognized accreditation agencies to the same standards and all states must follow suit in stages.

Link:  2020-02-26_ED_Final_Accreditation_and_State_Authorization_Regulations.pdf (tracs.org)

I'm very surprised, there hasn't been much discussion at degreeinfo on such a big step forward on the part of DOE, except for the usual attacks by me and the usual cocksuckers (my lapdogs). 

You know, I like to attack people with crapshoot like:  "Just because you said so doesn't make it so.  And with all the RA universities available, why would you pick anything else?"
I guess my mother was right when she said to me:  "What an asshole, so why did you pick University of Leicester and MIGS again?"  Big Grin

Richard A Douglas]]> <![CDATA[$5,000 online college program would crush liberal hold on higher education]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2186.html Sun, 28 Feb 2021 00:14:55 -0500 Don Dresden]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2186.html Quote:Dinesh D'Souza: $5,000 online college program would crush liberal hold on higher education

Conservatives need to create 'our own America inside of America,' famed producer says.

[Image: GettyImages-524557414.jpg?h=6c0e52bb&itok=9_R7BLmo]
Dinesh D'Souza
Getty

By Natalia Mittelstadt
Updated: February 21, 2021 - 10:55pm

Dinesh D'Souza is proposing an alternative online university system with $5,000 yearly tuition, saying it could crush liberals' hold over higher education.

The famed producer and author told the John Solomon Reports podcast this weekend that the new college system should be part of conservatives' effort to defeat cancel culture and censorship by building their own educational and entertainment infrastructures.

"With regard to digital media and media generally – I mean we have to build our own platform. So I'm very much in the camp that says that at least in the short term, we need to build an alternative educational infrastructure, entertainment infrastructure, we need our own comedians, we really need the whole thing," D'Sousa said.

"We need our own America inside of America," he added.

He said a top-notch online education system was key to the whole infrastructure.

"We basically need one online university that has assembled together, the 100 top teachers and scholars in the world that will offer a Harvard level education for $5,000 a year. If you did that, you would make all of higher education obsolete overnight. I mean, the universities wouldn't go away, but it was kind of like when the iPhone first came out, suddenly, all other phones were obsolete. We can do that for education, we can do that for media, you just have to make the right moves." 

D'Souza discussed the logistics of starting these new infrastructures. 

"I think that the money is there and the will exists to do it. It's just that our side is very erratic and there hasn't been the creativity on the supply side to create these things. I mean, just think, for example, of the amount of creativity it took for Roger Ailes to go to Rupert Murdoch and just say, 'Listen, you know, all these cable channels are fighting for half the country. Geez, why don't we start one, make it a real thing, we'll offer a rival point of view, we'll take the other half of the country.'"

"It's so simple," D'Souza continued, "I mean, for decades before that, you know, all we did - our side did was, you know, complain about media, document the media bias. 'Oh, it's all so biased. We're going to give the bias award to you know' - who cares? Do your own thing and build your own, you know, mousetrap, and that's really what Roger Ailes did. And that's been my model for the world of documentaries and even feature films in Hollywood. That should be the model for education. That should be the model for everything."

There have been various alternative educational institutions established in recent years to try and change the tide of higher education. Some of these include places like the Patriot Academy and Wallbuilders, which teach students about America's founding, focus more on the cultural aspect of education. 

Cheaper, faster, and more skills-oriented educational institutions that places like University Ventures are investing in pioneer the way for more effective education that helps prepare students for the workplace. 

Co-founder and managing director of University Ventures, Ryan Craig, has said that employers are looking for job candidates with technical skills, so his organization invests in what's called "last-mile" training providers that focus on those skills.

One of these "last-mile" training providers, AlwaysHired, "is an immersive tech sales bootcamp for recent graduates who want to gain sales skills and get a job in the tech industry."

Craig is an author of a book entitled "A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College" which discusses the issues with higher education and offers better solutions. ]]> Quote:Dinesh D'Souza: $5,000 online college program would crush liberal hold on higher education

Conservatives need to create 'our own America inside of America,' famed producer says.

[Image: GettyImages-524557414.jpg?h=6c0e52bb&itok=9_R7BLmo]
Dinesh D'Souza
Getty

By Natalia Mittelstadt
Updated: February 21, 2021 - 10:55pm

Dinesh D'Souza is proposing an alternative online university system with $5,000 yearly tuition, saying it could crush liberals' hold over higher education.

The famed producer and author told the John Solomon Reports podcast this weekend that the new college system should be part of conservatives' effort to defeat cancel culture and censorship by building their own educational and entertainment infrastructures.

"With regard to digital media and media generally – I mean we have to build our own platform. So I'm very much in the camp that says that at least in the short term, we need to build an alternative educational infrastructure, entertainment infrastructure, we need our own comedians, we really need the whole thing," D'Sousa said.

"We need our own America inside of America," he added.

He said a top-notch online education system was key to the whole infrastructure.

"We basically need one online university that has assembled together, the 100 top teachers and scholars in the world that will offer a Harvard level education for $5,000 a year. If you did that, you would make all of higher education obsolete overnight. I mean, the universities wouldn't go away, but it was kind of like when the iPhone first came out, suddenly, all other phones were obsolete. We can do that for education, we can do that for media, you just have to make the right moves." 

D'Souza discussed the logistics of starting these new infrastructures. 

"I think that the money is there and the will exists to do it. It's just that our side is very erratic and there hasn't been the creativity on the supply side to create these things. I mean, just think, for example, of the amount of creativity it took for Roger Ailes to go to Rupert Murdoch and just say, 'Listen, you know, all these cable channels are fighting for half the country. Geez, why don't we start one, make it a real thing, we'll offer a rival point of view, we'll take the other half of the country.'"

"It's so simple," D'Souza continued, "I mean, for decades before that, you know, all we did - our side did was, you know, complain about media, document the media bias. 'Oh, it's all so biased. We're going to give the bias award to you know' - who cares? Do your own thing and build your own, you know, mousetrap, and that's really what Roger Ailes did. And that's been my model for the world of documentaries and even feature films in Hollywood. That should be the model for education. That should be the model for everything."

There have been various alternative educational institutions established in recent years to try and change the tide of higher education. Some of these include places like the Patriot Academy and Wallbuilders, which teach students about America's founding, focus more on the cultural aspect of education. 

Cheaper, faster, and more skills-oriented educational institutions that places like University Ventures are investing in pioneer the way for more effective education that helps prepare students for the workplace. 

Co-founder and managing director of University Ventures, Ryan Craig, has said that employers are looking for job candidates with technical skills, so his organization invests in what's called "last-mile" training providers that focus on those skills.

One of these "last-mile" training providers, AlwaysHired, "is an immersive tech sales bootcamp for recent graduates who want to gain sales skills and get a job in the tech industry."

Craig is an author of a book entitled "A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College" which discusses the issues with higher education and offers better solutions. ]]> <![CDATA[New Mises Institute MA Online in Austrian Econ]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2169.html Sun, 09 Aug 2020 04:06:46 -0400 Albert Hidel]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2169.html
Quote:Graduate Program

The Vision

A long-held vision of both Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard is now a reality. Their vision? A graduate school of Austrian economics.

Throughout its nearly forty-year history, the Mises Institute has been focused on providing support to students of other educational institutions. Helping students discover the economics of freedom and inspiring them to go on to teach at the university level is and has been a priority for the Institute. Excellent service that is personal, responsive, and geared towards assisting students in reaching their individual educational and career goals has been emblematic of all Mises Institute programs.

The Mises Institute’s Master of Arts in Austrian Economics is unique. It is the first graduate program in the United States dedicated exclusively to the teaching of economics as expounded in the works and great treatises of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard. The goal of the program is to assist students in mastering the principles of this great body of work and putting these principles to use in their chosen endeavors.

To this end, the Institute has carefully selected an outstanding faculty, with PhDs from prestigious universities including New York University, UCLA, Columbia University, Cal-Berkeley, Rutgers University, and Virginia Tech. All are accomplished scholars who have lectured or taught at Mises Institute events and published in its journals, books, or online publications. Many were personal friends or protégés of Murray Rothbard.

Thanks to the generosity of the Mises Institute’s donors, the cost of the program is well below that of other M.A. programs in economics or the related social sciences, whether traditional or online.

The program consists of the following coursework:
  • Microeconomics
  • Monetary Economics
  • Quantitative Economics:  Uses and Limitations
  • Macroeconomics
  • History of Economic Thought I
  • History of Economic Thought II
  • Comparative Economic Systems
  • History of Economic Regulation and Financial Crises
  • Rothbard Graduate Seminar
  • Thesis Requirement
]]>
Quote:Graduate Program

The Vision

A long-held vision of both Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard is now a reality. Their vision? A graduate school of Austrian economics.

Throughout its nearly forty-year history, the Mises Institute has been focused on providing support to students of other educational institutions. Helping students discover the economics of freedom and inspiring them to go on to teach at the university level is and has been a priority for the Institute. Excellent service that is personal, responsive, and geared towards assisting students in reaching their individual educational and career goals has been emblematic of all Mises Institute programs.

The Mises Institute’s Master of Arts in Austrian Economics is unique. It is the first graduate program in the United States dedicated exclusively to the teaching of economics as expounded in the works and great treatises of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard. The goal of the program is to assist students in mastering the principles of this great body of work and putting these principles to use in their chosen endeavors.

To this end, the Institute has carefully selected an outstanding faculty, with PhDs from prestigious universities including New York University, UCLA, Columbia University, Cal-Berkeley, Rutgers University, and Virginia Tech. All are accomplished scholars who have lectured or taught at Mises Institute events and published in its journals, books, or online publications. Many were personal friends or protégés of Murray Rothbard.

Thanks to the generosity of the Mises Institute’s donors, the cost of the program is well below that of other M.A. programs in economics or the related social sciences, whether traditional or online.

The program consists of the following coursework:
  • Microeconomics
  • Monetary Economics
  • Quantitative Economics:  Uses and Limitations
  • Macroeconomics
  • History of Economic Thought I
  • History of Economic Thought II
  • Comparative Economic Systems
  • History of Economic Regulation and Financial Crises
  • Rothbard Graduate Seminar
  • Thesis Requirement
]]> <![CDATA[Online Degrees Lost Stigma?]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2117.html Sat, 12 Jan 2019 17:26:45 -0500 Martin Eisenstadt]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2117.html Quote:Have Online Degrees and Credentials Finally Lost Their Stigma?
By Cait Etherington
December 17, 2018


A new report by Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy has concluded that employers—specifically, human resources (HR) leaders—are now increasingly interested in candidates’ credentials, not simply their degrees. The study also found that most HR leaders no longer view online degrees or credentials as inferior to those earned on campus. But does this mean that the stigma that once shrouded online education has finally lifted?

When Online Degrees and Credentials Carried a Deep Stigma

In the early 2000s, it wasn’t unusual to hear people joking about online degrees and credentials. At the time, it was widely assumed that anyone with an online education was less qualified than someone who had sweat it out on campus in an actual classroom. The stigma of studying online wasn’t entirely unfounded. In the 1990s to early 2000s, “diploma mills”—unaccredited online programs—were widespread and operating with few checks and balances. 

In 2009, Norina L. Columbaro and Catherine H. Monaghan, researchers at the Cleveland State University, published an article analyzing dozens of studies and popular articles on employers’ perceptions of online degrees. By and large, they found that “gatekeepers”—for example, employers and hiring managers—“have an overall negative perception about online degrees.” In their survey, Columbaro and Monaghan also found several recurring concerns about online degrees. These concerns ranged from a perceived lack of rigor to concerns about the increased potential for academic dishonesty. Not surprisingly, the fact that online degrees were still associated with an earlier generation of diploma mills was also a concern. 

Among the many studies and popular articles included in Columbaro and Monaghan’s 2009 publication was a 2003 article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In the article, Gabriela Montell scathingly observed that online degree programs tend to attract “managerial wannabes, career changers, or academic hopefuls.” But as Montell noted, especially when learners pursue online PhDs, they tend to be “a flop on the job market.” While Montell notes that this is partly due to the fact that online PhD students typically graduate without teaching experience or a publication record (both important hiring considerations on the academic job market), she also notes that the stigma attached to online degrees doesn’t help matters: 

Quote:Even if a hiring committee has heard of the institution, the stigma associated with “distance” or “online” learning can still be a strike against a candidate … In fact, the stigma is so great that some administrators avoid using words like “online” to describe their nontraditional programs because doing so, they say, perpetuates a misperception that students are isolated from professors in the programs. 

Gaining Recognition and Prestige

Over the past twenty years, a lot has changed. Today, a growing number of prestigious universities, including Harvard and MIT, are embracing online learning. Companies like Coursera are also showing how online learning companies can successfully partner with established universities to deliver quality undergraduate and graduate degrees.  In addition, more than ever before, employers and hiring managers are indicating that they don’t care if a prospective employee earned their degree or credential on campus or online. 

In a July 2018 post on LinkedIn, Carolyn McIntyre, Founder and CEO at MoocLab and e-Learninglab, observes:

Quote:“Although the traditional degree certificate is still the more valued credential among employers in general, employers in today’s job market are looking for technically skilled, job-ready candidates which a traditional degree doesn’t always guarantee. Being able to show physical evidence of your abilities is becoming increasingly important in recruitment, and MOOCs can play a key role in this with many MOOC programs culminating in a practical capstone project, giving employers a clear picture of a candidate’s abilities.
Quote:“Moreover, having a transcript of MOOC certificates issued by some of the world’s most elite universities by the likes of MIT, Harvard and Stanford demonstrates in itself motivation, perseverance, dedication and entrepreneurship – traits that all employers will be looking for in a candidate. It is then up to the candidate to show tangible proof of the hard skills he or she has acquired through course certificates and transcripts as well as any evidence of completed project work.”

According to the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy’s new report, Educational Credentials Come of Age: A Survey on the Use and Value of Educational Credentials in Hiring, McIntyre’s perception that online credentials are gaining acceptance is also something shared by a lot of HR leaders. 

To find out what HR leaders think about online credentials, researchers at the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy designed and executed a national survey of 750 HR leaders at U.S. employers that spanned all industry sectors and organizational sizes. Their survey found that perceptions and attitudes about both online credentials and degrees are finally shifting. As the authors of the study write: 

Quote:“The online delivery of degrees is one of the most significant innovations in higher education over the last 20 years. Online education now accounts for 16% of all higher education enrollment in the U.S., at 3.1 million students. As online degree attainment has become more common, employer perception has been continuously evolving. In the early days, online degrees were often stigmatized by employers and associated with “online schools” in a market dominated by for-profit universities.Today’s online education landscape includes thousands of degree and certificate offerings from colleges of all types – including many of the world’s most well-known and prestigious institutions.”

Two of the study’s findings are particularly significant. First, the survey found that skills-based or competency-based hiring is currently gaining momentum; a majority of HR leaders indicate that they are making an effort to “de-emphasize” degrees and prioritize skills in their hiring strategy (23%) or are actively exploring and considering how to move in this direction (39%). While the study did find that “Employer awareness and experience with candidates who hold non-degree ‘microcredentials’ is still relatively low …  this is evolving rapidly in a growing market.” Second, the study found that online credentials are now “mainstream.” The majority of HR leaders surveyed (61%) believed that credentials earned online are of “generally equal quality to those completed in-person,” and this represents a significant increase over previous years’ surveys.

The Future of Online Credentials and Degrees 

In 2018, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that one out of three college students now takes at least one class online. The finding is notable since it suggests that even students studying on campus are increasingly completing at least part of their education in the online ecosystem. While the same article emphasizes that the medium is still often misunderstood by the general public, and sometimes within higher education itself, studies such as Educational Credentials Come of Age indicate that among employers, the stigma once attached to online degrees is rapidly melting away. 

For online degrees and credentials to continue gaining currency over the next decade, it will be important for researchers to continue tracking employer perceptions of candidates who have pursued their educations online. Long-term data on the success of these candidates, especially those who have chosen to forego a traditional degree in lieu of a “microdegree” or other type of alternative credential, may prove especially salient. If online learners, especially those who choose not to pursue a traditional four-year degree, prove successful over time on the job, the impact on on-campus undergraduate and graduate degrees could be profound. ]]> Quote:Have Online Degrees and Credentials Finally Lost Their Stigma?
By Cait Etherington
December 17, 2018


A new report by Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy has concluded that employers—specifically, human resources (HR) leaders—are now increasingly interested in candidates’ credentials, not simply their degrees. The study also found that most HR leaders no longer view online degrees or credentials as inferior to those earned on campus. But does this mean that the stigma that once shrouded online education has finally lifted?

When Online Degrees and Credentials Carried a Deep Stigma

In the early 2000s, it wasn’t unusual to hear people joking about online degrees and credentials. At the time, it was widely assumed that anyone with an online education was less qualified than someone who had sweat it out on campus in an actual classroom. The stigma of studying online wasn’t entirely unfounded. In the 1990s to early 2000s, “diploma mills”—unaccredited online programs—were widespread and operating with few checks and balances. 

In 2009, Norina L. Columbaro and Catherine H. Monaghan, researchers at the Cleveland State University, published an article analyzing dozens of studies and popular articles on employers’ perceptions of online degrees. By and large, they found that “gatekeepers”—for example, employers and hiring managers—“have an overall negative perception about online degrees.” In their survey, Columbaro and Monaghan also found several recurring concerns about online degrees. These concerns ranged from a perceived lack of rigor to concerns about the increased potential for academic dishonesty. Not surprisingly, the fact that online degrees were still associated with an earlier generation of diploma mills was also a concern. 

Among the many studies and popular articles included in Columbaro and Monaghan’s 2009 publication was a 2003 article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In the article, Gabriela Montell scathingly observed that online degree programs tend to attract “managerial wannabes, career changers, or academic hopefuls.” But as Montell noted, especially when learners pursue online PhDs, they tend to be “a flop on the job market.” While Montell notes that this is partly due to the fact that online PhD students typically graduate without teaching experience or a publication record (both important hiring considerations on the academic job market), she also notes that the stigma attached to online degrees doesn’t help matters: 

Quote:Even if a hiring committee has heard of the institution, the stigma associated with “distance” or “online” learning can still be a strike against a candidate … In fact, the stigma is so great that some administrators avoid using words like “online” to describe their nontraditional programs because doing so, they say, perpetuates a misperception that students are isolated from professors in the programs. 

Gaining Recognition and Prestige

Over the past twenty years, a lot has changed. Today, a growing number of prestigious universities, including Harvard and MIT, are embracing online learning. Companies like Coursera are also showing how online learning companies can successfully partner with established universities to deliver quality undergraduate and graduate degrees.  In addition, more than ever before, employers and hiring managers are indicating that they don’t care if a prospective employee earned their degree or credential on campus or online. 

In a July 2018 post on LinkedIn, Carolyn McIntyre, Founder and CEO at MoocLab and e-Learninglab, observes:

Quote:“Although the traditional degree certificate is still the more valued credential among employers in general, employers in today’s job market are looking for technically skilled, job-ready candidates which a traditional degree doesn’t always guarantee. Being able to show physical evidence of your abilities is becoming increasingly important in recruitment, and MOOCs can play a key role in this with many MOOC programs culminating in a practical capstone project, giving employers a clear picture of a candidate’s abilities.
Quote:“Moreover, having a transcript of MOOC certificates issued by some of the world’s most elite universities by the likes of MIT, Harvard and Stanford demonstrates in itself motivation, perseverance, dedication and entrepreneurship – traits that all employers will be looking for in a candidate. It is then up to the candidate to show tangible proof of the hard skills he or she has acquired through course certificates and transcripts as well as any evidence of completed project work.”

According to the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy’s new report, Educational Credentials Come of Age: A Survey on the Use and Value of Educational Credentials in Hiring, McIntyre’s perception that online credentials are gaining acceptance is also something shared by a lot of HR leaders. 

To find out what HR leaders think about online credentials, researchers at the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy designed and executed a national survey of 750 HR leaders at U.S. employers that spanned all industry sectors and organizational sizes. Their survey found that perceptions and attitudes about both online credentials and degrees are finally shifting. As the authors of the study write: 

Quote:“The online delivery of degrees is one of the most significant innovations in higher education over the last 20 years. Online education now accounts for 16% of all higher education enrollment in the U.S., at 3.1 million students. As online degree attainment has become more common, employer perception has been continuously evolving. In the early days, online degrees were often stigmatized by employers and associated with “online schools” in a market dominated by for-profit universities.Today’s online education landscape includes thousands of degree and certificate offerings from colleges of all types – including many of the world’s most well-known and prestigious institutions.”

Two of the study’s findings are particularly significant. First, the survey found that skills-based or competency-based hiring is currently gaining momentum; a majority of HR leaders indicate that they are making an effort to “de-emphasize” degrees and prioritize skills in their hiring strategy (23%) or are actively exploring and considering how to move in this direction (39%). While the study did find that “Employer awareness and experience with candidates who hold non-degree ‘microcredentials’ is still relatively low …  this is evolving rapidly in a growing market.” Second, the study found that online credentials are now “mainstream.” The majority of HR leaders surveyed (61%) believed that credentials earned online are of “generally equal quality to those completed in-person,” and this represents a significant increase over previous years’ surveys.

The Future of Online Credentials and Degrees 

In 2018, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that one out of three college students now takes at least one class online. The finding is notable since it suggests that even students studying on campus are increasingly completing at least part of their education in the online ecosystem. While the same article emphasizes that the medium is still often misunderstood by the general public, and sometimes within higher education itself, studies such as Educational Credentials Come of Age indicate that among employers, the stigma once attached to online degrees is rapidly melting away. 

For online degrees and credentials to continue gaining currency over the next decade, it will be important for researchers to continue tracking employer perceptions of candidates who have pursued their educations online. Long-term data on the success of these candidates, especially those who have chosen to forego a traditional degree in lieu of a “microdegree” or other type of alternative credential, may prove especially salient. If online learners, especially those who choose not to pursue a traditional four-year degree, prove successful over time on the job, the impact on on-campus undergraduate and graduate degrees could be profound. ]]> <![CDATA[edX Masters Fully Online]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2107.html Sat, 10 Nov 2018 01:03:29 -0500 Yancy Derringer]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-2107.html Quote:Fully Online edX Masters Programs
Written by Sue Gee   
Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Earlier this month edX announced that starting next fall it would offer fully online Master's degrees, including ones related to computer science and data science. Some of them build on existing MicroMaster's programs providing "stackable credentials" along the way.

In his blog post making this announcement  Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX writes:

The Master’s degrees on edX come at a time when the workplace is changing more rapidly than ever before. Employers are in need of highly-skilled talent, especially in fields most impacted by advances in technology.  

We built these programs for you, our learners, so that you can earn a top ranked graduate degree, at a disruptive price, in a flexible way.

His post included the information that the average Master’s graduate increases their salary by $17,000 per year, yet the average Master’s degree costs between $30,000-$120,000. The cost of a Master’s degrees on edX is planned to be between $10,000-$23,000, making it a realistic proposition for many more individuals.

Agarwal also notes the way in which the new Master's programs  builds on the edX MicroMasters® program, which we have previously introduced, see Statistics & Data Science MicroMasters on edX. He writes:

Similar to how a MicroMasters program can stack into an on-campus Master’s degree, a MicroMasters program can also stack into a fully online Master’s program. This allows you to start engaging with Master’s level curriculum right away in order to determine if both the online learning experience and the subject matter are a fit, before the Master’s application deadline. Taking the MicroMasters program first can also help to strengthen your Master’s degree application. Further, the MicroMasters program is a valuable career transformation tool on its own, providing you with valuable standalone skills and credentials, and recognized by industry leaders for real career relevancy. 

All the new edX-based offerings come from top-rated universities and are promised to be as rigorous as campus-based equivalents. For us the most relevant is the Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin. It consists of 10 courses to be studied over a period between eighteen months t to 3 years at a cost of $10,000.

[Image: masterstexas.JPG]
 
Others of interest are the Master of Data Science from the University of California comprising 10 courses to be studied over 1 to 3 years at a cost of $15,000 and two offerings from the Georgia Institute of Technology: Master of Science in Cybersecurity, which consists of 10 courses over 2 to 3 years at a cost of $9,920 and Master of Science in Analytics, which consists of 11 courses over 1 to 3 years at a cost of $9,900. It is described as a deep dive into analytics in which students choose from 3 specialized tracks:
  • Analytical Tools
  • Business Analytics
  • Computation Data Analytics
]]> Quote:Fully Online edX Masters Programs
Written by Sue Gee   
Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Earlier this month edX announced that starting next fall it would offer fully online Master's degrees, including ones related to computer science and data science. Some of them build on existing MicroMaster's programs providing "stackable credentials" along the way.

In his blog post making this announcement  Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX writes:

The Master’s degrees on edX come at a time when the workplace is changing more rapidly than ever before. Employers are in need of highly-skilled talent, especially in fields most impacted by advances in technology.  

We built these programs for you, our learners, so that you can earn a top ranked graduate degree, at a disruptive price, in a flexible way.

His post included the information that the average Master’s graduate increases their salary by $17,000 per year, yet the average Master’s degree costs between $30,000-$120,000. The cost of a Master’s degrees on edX is planned to be between $10,000-$23,000, making it a realistic proposition for many more individuals.

Agarwal also notes the way in which the new Master's programs  builds on the edX MicroMasters® program, which we have previously introduced, see Statistics & Data Science MicroMasters on edX. He writes:

Similar to how a MicroMasters program can stack into an on-campus Master’s degree, a MicroMasters program can also stack into a fully online Master’s program. This allows you to start engaging with Master’s level curriculum right away in order to determine if both the online learning experience and the subject matter are a fit, before the Master’s application deadline. Taking the MicroMasters program first can also help to strengthen your Master’s degree application. Further, the MicroMasters program is a valuable career transformation tool on its own, providing you with valuable standalone skills and credentials, and recognized by industry leaders for real career relevancy. 

All the new edX-based offerings come from top-rated universities and are promised to be as rigorous as campus-based equivalents. For us the most relevant is the Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin. It consists of 10 courses to be studied over a period between eighteen months t to 3 years at a cost of $10,000.

[Image: masterstexas.JPG]
 
Others of interest are the Master of Data Science from the University of California comprising 10 courses to be studied over 1 to 3 years at a cost of $15,000 and two offerings from the Georgia Institute of Technology: Master of Science in Cybersecurity, which consists of 10 courses over 2 to 3 years at a cost of $9,920 and Master of Science in Analytics, which consists of 11 courses over 1 to 3 years at a cost of $9,900. It is described as a deep dive into analytics in which students choose from 3 specialized tracks:
  • Analytical Tools
  • Business Analytics
  • Computation Data Analytics
]]> <![CDATA[11 online education trends]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1998.html Fri, 25 May 2018 17:35:20 -0400 Winston Smith]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1998.html Quote:11 online education trends institutions should track
By Laura Ascione, Managing Editor, Content Services, @eSN_Laura
April 19th, 2018
Career and employment goals are a top factor in students' decisions to enroll in online education programs

Career aspirations continue to drive students’ decisions to enroll in online education programs, according to a new survey tracking online learning trends.

The report from BestColleges.com surveyed 295 online program administrators and 1,500 students, including prospective students, current students, and alumni, to gauge their experiences in online education programs.

In addition to career motivations, survey results show online students are getting younger, and schools report an increase in enrollment of traditional college students.

The survey delves into trends around online program marketing and recruitment, program design and development, and student demographics.

The trends can guide institutions as they tailor their online learning programs to best suit students’ needs:

1. Seventy-three percent of online students say career and employment goals were a major motivation for enrolling in their online learning program. Those goals include transitioning to a new career field (35 percent) and earning academic credentials in a current field of work (30 percent).

2. Online students are getting younger, and 34 percent of surveyed institutions reported an increase in traditional college students (ages 18-25).

3. Demand is increasing, as well. Ninety-nine percent of online education program administrators say demand has increased or stayed the same over the past few years, and nearly 40 percent of respondents say they plan to increase their online program budgets in the next year.

4. It appears online programs are carefully considering enrollment growth and hiring trends—73 percent of schools say they decided to offer online education programs based on the growth potential for overall student enrollment, while 68 percent also considered employment demand.

5. Prospective students use a variety of methods to research online education programs, including reading online reviews from students (23 percent), researching college websites (18 percent), contacting schools directly (17 percent), researching ranking websites (17 percent), visiting campuses (13 percent), and talking to students or graduates (10 percent).

6. The majority of students in online education programs (79 percent) and the majority of alumni (76 percent) think online education is better than or equal to on-campus education, and 57 percent of surveyed schools say employers feel the same way.

7. Cost remains students’ biggest obstacle as they choose as online education program. Estimating annual costs and applying for financial aid are identified as students’ two biggest challenges.

8. Students struggle to find the right online education program. In fact, this challenge was the third-most-identified challenge. This might be due to the increase in younger students who may not have identified goals or chosen a career path.

9. Surveyed schools predict business and related subjects such as logistics and accounting, healthcare and medical subjects, and computer science will experience the most enrollment growth over the next five years.

10. Schools say they are offering a new online education program as a growth opportunity to increase overall student enrollment (73 percent), because there is employment demand for the knowledge or skills (68 percent), and because there is a demand from students who are interested in the subject area or degree level (64 percent).

11. Schools’ biggest challenges when it comes to offering online education programs include marketing new online programs to prospective students and meeting recruitment goals (74 percent), and meeting cost and management demands required by new online programs (54 percent). ]]> Quote:11 online education trends institutions should track
By Laura Ascione, Managing Editor, Content Services, @eSN_Laura
April 19th, 2018
Career and employment goals are a top factor in students' decisions to enroll in online education programs

Career aspirations continue to drive students’ decisions to enroll in online education programs, according to a new survey tracking online learning trends.

The report from BestColleges.com surveyed 295 online program administrators and 1,500 students, including prospective students, current students, and alumni, to gauge their experiences in online education programs.

In addition to career motivations, survey results show online students are getting younger, and schools report an increase in enrollment of traditional college students.

The survey delves into trends around online program marketing and recruitment, program design and development, and student demographics.

The trends can guide institutions as they tailor their online learning programs to best suit students’ needs:

1. Seventy-three percent of online students say career and employment goals were a major motivation for enrolling in their online learning program. Those goals include transitioning to a new career field (35 percent) and earning academic credentials in a current field of work (30 percent).

2. Online students are getting younger, and 34 percent of surveyed institutions reported an increase in traditional college students (ages 18-25).

3. Demand is increasing, as well. Ninety-nine percent of online education program administrators say demand has increased or stayed the same over the past few years, and nearly 40 percent of respondents say they plan to increase their online program budgets in the next year.

4. It appears online programs are carefully considering enrollment growth and hiring trends—73 percent of schools say they decided to offer online education programs based on the growth potential for overall student enrollment, while 68 percent also considered employment demand.

5. Prospective students use a variety of methods to research online education programs, including reading online reviews from students (23 percent), researching college websites (18 percent), contacting schools directly (17 percent), researching ranking websites (17 percent), visiting campuses (13 percent), and talking to students or graduates (10 percent).

6. The majority of students in online education programs (79 percent) and the majority of alumni (76 percent) think online education is better than or equal to on-campus education, and 57 percent of surveyed schools say employers feel the same way.

7. Cost remains students’ biggest obstacle as they choose as online education program. Estimating annual costs and applying for financial aid are identified as students’ two biggest challenges.

8. Students struggle to find the right online education program. In fact, this challenge was the third-most-identified challenge. This might be due to the increase in younger students who may not have identified goals or chosen a career path.

9. Surveyed schools predict business and related subjects such as logistics and accounting, healthcare and medical subjects, and computer science will experience the most enrollment growth over the next five years.

10. Schools say they are offering a new online education program as a growth opportunity to increase overall student enrollment (73 percent), because there is employment demand for the knowledge or skills (68 percent), and because there is a demand from students who are interested in the subject area or degree level (64 percent).

11. Schools’ biggest challenges when it comes to offering online education programs include marketing new online programs to prospective students and meeting recruitment goals (74 percent), and meeting cost and management demands required by new online programs (54 percent). ]]> <![CDATA[Coursera 1st Online Bachelor's]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1995.html Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:05:02 -0400 Don Dresden]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1995.html website.  Program is apparently being offered through Goldsmiths, one of the 18 constituent colleges comprising the University of London.  Alumni (of the college, not this program) include Malcolm McLaren and John Cale.

Quote:Coursera Announces First Online Bachelor’s Degree
By Cait Etherington March 15, 2018

When Coursera first emerged as a MOOC provider back in 2012, its focus was on offering individual courses, but this modest agenda proved shortlived. As the company quickly grew in reputation and numbers, it started to offer degree programs, beginning with two master’s level programs (one in partnership with HEC Paris and another with the University of Illinois). Following a recent announcement about its first bachelor’s degree, there are now signs that Coursera is also looking to stake a claim in the undergraduate market.

Coursera Launches Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science

As described on the Cousera website, their new online Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree will be offered by the University of London. Students will “learn in-demand computing skills,” develop their “abilities to solve complex problems,” and nurture both their innovation and creativity. They will also develop “real-world computer science skills” by developing their own software projects. Subject areas owill include Machine Learning, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Web Development, Virtual Reality, and Game Development. The degree is expected to launch in April 2019, pending approval by the University of London.

Target Audience for Coursera’s Degree

The University of London’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree is designed for highly motivated students with a passion for computing and will welcome students with high school qualifications, as well as those already working in the computer science field. Since the program is designed to be carried out in a flexible matter, there is hope that the prestigious program will be able to accommodate students with existing work and family commitments wherever they happen to be stationed in the world. The program is expected to take anywhere from 3 to 4 years to complete, and tuition will run anywhere from £9,600-£17,000, depending on one’s geographic location.

As reported on EdSurge on March 5, Coursera’s latest announcement appears to be part of a broader plan: “Coursera last year stated it has plans to expand to 20 online degrees by 2019, and it’s already chipping away at that goal, announcing today the addition of five more master’s degrees to its platform.” Still, as reported in the same article, “When the company shared its 2019 target, it gave few hints of offering bachelor’s degrees, which have been slow to catch on in the online space compared to masters-level programs.”

Can Coursera Penetrate the Bachelor’s Degree Market?

While online master’s degrees have existed for many years, in most fields, online bachelor’s degrees remain less common. This may simply reflect the strong desire among undergraduates to live and study on campus. However, change is in the air.  As demonstrated by the surging demand for coding bootcamps, many students, even those of traditional undergraduate age, are now looking for flexible educational alternatives, but if you want skills and a degree from a prestigious institution, bachelor-level options are limited.

As recently reported on eLearning Inside News, at least some established universities do offer online bachelor’s degrees.  The Harvard Extension School, for example, currently offers a bachelor of liberal arts, but unlike the new Cousera-University of London initiative, Harvard’s online bachelor’s degree does involve at least some on-campus time. In this respect, Coursera’s new partnership with the University of London will offer a rare opportunity for students to complete a bachelor’s degree entirely online from one of the world’s top-ranked universities.

As Nikhil Sinha, Chief Content Officer of Coursera recently told Business Today, “We need to design degrees that provide modular credentials to students at all stages of the learning process.” It appears as if “all stages” now includes the bachelor’s degree. If Coursera can successfully scale its bachelor’s degree offerings, of course, the potential market is substantial.

Note that although this is billed as a Coursera program, it is not an all-MOOC deal, and you don't even get credit for the MOOCs.  According to the website FAQs:

Quote:Can I receive credit for the MOOCs associated with this programme?

The University of London does not provide credit for the completion of the MOOCs associated with this programme. However, these MOOCs will provide a taste of the content taught on the degree programme, giving you a head start with some of the topics on the course.
]]> website.  Program is apparently being offered through Goldsmiths, one of the 18 constituent colleges comprising the University of London.  Alumni (of the college, not this program) include Malcolm McLaren and John Cale.

Quote:Coursera Announces First Online Bachelor’s Degree
By Cait Etherington March 15, 2018

When Coursera first emerged as a MOOC provider back in 2012, its focus was on offering individual courses, but this modest agenda proved shortlived. As the company quickly grew in reputation and numbers, it started to offer degree programs, beginning with two master’s level programs (one in partnership with HEC Paris and another with the University of Illinois). Following a recent announcement about its first bachelor’s degree, there are now signs that Coursera is also looking to stake a claim in the undergraduate market.

Coursera Launches Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science

As described on the Cousera website, their new online Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree will be offered by the University of London. Students will “learn in-demand computing skills,” develop their “abilities to solve complex problems,” and nurture both their innovation and creativity. They will also develop “real-world computer science skills” by developing their own software projects. Subject areas owill include Machine Learning, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Web Development, Virtual Reality, and Game Development. The degree is expected to launch in April 2019, pending approval by the University of London.

Target Audience for Coursera’s Degree

The University of London’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree is designed for highly motivated students with a passion for computing and will welcome students with high school qualifications, as well as those already working in the computer science field. Since the program is designed to be carried out in a flexible matter, there is hope that the prestigious program will be able to accommodate students with existing work and family commitments wherever they happen to be stationed in the world. The program is expected to take anywhere from 3 to 4 years to complete, and tuition will run anywhere from £9,600-£17,000, depending on one’s geographic location.

As reported on EdSurge on March 5, Coursera’s latest announcement appears to be part of a broader plan: “Coursera last year stated it has plans to expand to 20 online degrees by 2019, and it’s already chipping away at that goal, announcing today the addition of five more master’s degrees to its platform.” Still, as reported in the same article, “When the company shared its 2019 target, it gave few hints of offering bachelor’s degrees, which have been slow to catch on in the online space compared to masters-level programs.”

Can Coursera Penetrate the Bachelor’s Degree Market?

While online master’s degrees have existed for many years, in most fields, online bachelor’s degrees remain less common. This may simply reflect the strong desire among undergraduates to live and study on campus. However, change is in the air.  As demonstrated by the surging demand for coding bootcamps, many students, even those of traditional undergraduate age, are now looking for flexible educational alternatives, but if you want skills and a degree from a prestigious institution, bachelor-level options are limited.

As recently reported on eLearning Inside News, at least some established universities do offer online bachelor’s degrees.  The Harvard Extension School, for example, currently offers a bachelor of liberal arts, but unlike the new Cousera-University of London initiative, Harvard’s online bachelor’s degree does involve at least some on-campus time. In this respect, Coursera’s new partnership with the University of London will offer a rare opportunity for students to complete a bachelor’s degree entirely online from one of the world’s top-ranked universities.

As Nikhil Sinha, Chief Content Officer of Coursera recently told Business Today, “We need to design degrees that provide modular credentials to students at all stages of the learning process.” It appears as if “all stages” now includes the bachelor’s degree. If Coursera can successfully scale its bachelor’s degree offerings, of course, the potential market is substantial.

Note that although this is billed as a Coursera program, it is not an all-MOOC deal, and you don't even get credit for the MOOCs.  According to the website FAQs:

Quote:Can I receive credit for the MOOCs associated with this programme?

The University of London does not provide credit for the completion of the MOOCs associated with this programme. However, these MOOCs will provide a taste of the content taught on the degree programme, giving you a head start with some of the topics on the course.
]]> <![CDATA[Online Can Save Small Colleges]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1974.html Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:03:27 -0500 Albert Hidel]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1974.html Quote:How Online Can Save Small, Private Colleges from Going Under
By Robert Ubell     Nov 21, 2017

[Image: small_college-1511277177.jpg?auto=compre...0&fit=crop]

In the wake of a recent series of small-college closings, the takeaway for small private colleges is that their days may be numbered. Since these schools are largely dependent on student tuition in a time when demographic changes mean fewer available high school graduates, they might as well be on an endangered-species list. Some fifty have closed in the last decade alone, and three have closed in the past few weeks.

To staunch the bleeding, many small colleges have cut things to the bone or, alternatively, invested in country-club style improvements to appeal to students and their families—strategies that may have saved some. But this may only delay the impact of relentless market forces. Some observers aren’t as pessimistic, it should be said. “We continue to believe—and we think we’ve documented it pretty well—that most small colleges have the capability to be resilient in the face of these challenges,” said Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, in Inside Higher Ed. “There are a small number of colleges that are in very serious trouble,” he said. “But there are also a significant number of small colleges, 20 percent of them, that are just soaring. They’re doing very well.” But Moody's predicts that the number of small failing colleges and universities will triple in the coming years and mergers will double.

One strategy for these colleges to avoid extinction is to diversify—to avoid a precarious reliance on residential students. And one way to do that is by adding online programs to the mix.

The challenge for many small colleges is that they see online courses as at odds with their very identity. After all, these institutions embrace intimacy as central to their mission, with close, mentoring relationships between faculty and students, and deep, comradely connections among students—essential ingredients of highly engaged learning. For many, online fails to meet these crucial education ambitions. Instead, they reject virtual instruction as alienated learning, with isolated faculty and students coldly facing inert computer screens—not one another.

Yet in post-industrial America, the digital world is as “real” as it gets, with most of us doing our shopping, binge-watching our favorite shows, texting and chatting with friends and following them on Facebook, and clacking away at keyboards all day at work. Today, serious research is impossible without searching databases, hunting references on Google Scholar and emailing colleagues worldwide. Rejecting online is a retreat into nostalgia.

One problem is that some faculty long for a return to the simpler times of the past, as I argue my new book, Going Online. Small schools—mostly in the Northeast and Midwest—are charming stage sets of Jeffersonian pastoral democracy, a fantasy even in its own time.

That’s one reason why so few small colleges have jumped into providing online programs. “About fifty percent of U.S. colleges and universities have no more than a smattering of online enrollments, with little, if any, offered by most small private schools,” said Jeffrey Seaman, co-director of the Babson Survey Research Group, which tracks online enrollment.

There is growing recognition of the quality of online models. With the scholarly literature almost universally confirming that online may be as good or better than conventional instruction, arguments against it seem a bit curmudgeonly, following those who turn their backs on solid evidence. With Harvard finally going online, you wonder why so many schools have let digital instruction pass them by.

It turns out that online programs open education to those who couldn’t attend otherwise. Nontraditional students now comprise nearly three-quarters of America’s college population. With many young adults working, caring for families, or traveling on the job, commuting to campus is not so easy and may even present real hardship, an impossible burden when you’re occupied with sometimes crushing demands at home or at work. As small colleges reach out to these new students, they might also turn threadbare balance sheets from red to black.   

Daunting Shift

Since it’s likely that faculty and staff members at small private colleges have little or no experience delivering digital programs, here are a few tips:

There are more options than ever for colleges to enter the online-degree space. While it can seem daunting, it’s possible to go it alone—as I did 20 years ago at Stevens Institute of Technology, a small technical school in New Jersey.

You’ll need to come up with a modest investment in expert staff, skilled at instructional design and digital recruitment. You’ll also need to find an online-learning champion, an effective leader who is a strong advocate for the pedagogical benefits of virtual instruction. If you’re lucky, you may have just the right anchor right on campus, either on staff or among your faculty. Chances are, at first, you may not need to invest in wiz-bang learning technology, since, like most schools, you already have a learning management system in place for your residential students. There’s no need to replace it with an upgrade. Your present LMS is likely to do just fine.

Or you can turn to companies that help colleges build online programs, who will come to your aid for a fee to do pieces of the online puzzle for you, relieving you and your staff of tasks you may not be skilled at, especially digital recruitment and instructional design. Some, known as OPM’s (or online program managers) also act like banks, financing your virtual programs in exchange for a sizeable slice of your revenue (often requiring 50 percent of revenue from online programs for a set number of years). The good news about OPMs is that if your new digital program flops, you’ll get off scot-free (except for faculty compensation) since your OPM invested all the money. But just like going on your own, you’ll need to put an online champion in place to coordinate everything for you.

While faculty resistance to teaching online is still a serious obstacle, imagine how it was 20 years ago when I was asked to launch a new digital learning unit at Stevens Institute of Technology. In my appeals to the faculty to consider migrating their on-campus degrees online, Freud might have diagnosed their response as “passive aggressive”—many with blank stares; others only half paying attention, their gaze out the window or on the tips of their shoes.

A few early adopters signed on, but it was slow going at first, with most ignoring my overtures. The turnabout came when a highly-respected scholar, a dig-his-heels-in opponent, not only dropped his disapproval of digital learning, but became a fervent advocate, teaching online himself and encouraging others to follow. Practically overnight, most of the rest of the faculty jumped in. The denouement is that today, Stevens offers nearly 60 online programs and has won national awards, too.

Small colleges have a good chance at turning things around and thriving if they give online a chance and recruit older, mid-career students. Chances are your online students will be honored to “walk,” diploma in hand, finally visiting your beautiful campus at commencement. ]]> Quote:How Online Can Save Small, Private Colleges from Going Under
By Robert Ubell     Nov 21, 2017

[Image: small_college-1511277177.jpg?auto=compre...0&fit=crop]

In the wake of a recent series of small-college closings, the takeaway for small private colleges is that their days may be numbered. Since these schools are largely dependent on student tuition in a time when demographic changes mean fewer available high school graduates, they might as well be on an endangered-species list. Some fifty have closed in the last decade alone, and three have closed in the past few weeks.

To staunch the bleeding, many small colleges have cut things to the bone or, alternatively, invested in country-club style improvements to appeal to students and their families—strategies that may have saved some. But this may only delay the impact of relentless market forces. Some observers aren’t as pessimistic, it should be said. “We continue to believe—and we think we’ve documented it pretty well—that most small colleges have the capability to be resilient in the face of these challenges,” said Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, in Inside Higher Ed. “There are a small number of colleges that are in very serious trouble,” he said. “But there are also a significant number of small colleges, 20 percent of them, that are just soaring. They’re doing very well.” But Moody's predicts that the number of small failing colleges and universities will triple in the coming years and mergers will double.

One strategy for these colleges to avoid extinction is to diversify—to avoid a precarious reliance on residential students. And one way to do that is by adding online programs to the mix.

The challenge for many small colleges is that they see online courses as at odds with their very identity. After all, these institutions embrace intimacy as central to their mission, with close, mentoring relationships between faculty and students, and deep, comradely connections among students—essential ingredients of highly engaged learning. For many, online fails to meet these crucial education ambitions. Instead, they reject virtual instruction as alienated learning, with isolated faculty and students coldly facing inert computer screens—not one another.

Yet in post-industrial America, the digital world is as “real” as it gets, with most of us doing our shopping, binge-watching our favorite shows, texting and chatting with friends and following them on Facebook, and clacking away at keyboards all day at work. Today, serious research is impossible without searching databases, hunting references on Google Scholar and emailing colleagues worldwide. Rejecting online is a retreat into nostalgia.

One problem is that some faculty long for a return to the simpler times of the past, as I argue my new book, Going Online. Small schools—mostly in the Northeast and Midwest—are charming stage sets of Jeffersonian pastoral democracy, a fantasy even in its own time.

That’s one reason why so few small colleges have jumped into providing online programs. “About fifty percent of U.S. colleges and universities have no more than a smattering of online enrollments, with little, if any, offered by most small private schools,” said Jeffrey Seaman, co-director of the Babson Survey Research Group, which tracks online enrollment.

There is growing recognition of the quality of online models. With the scholarly literature almost universally confirming that online may be as good or better than conventional instruction, arguments against it seem a bit curmudgeonly, following those who turn their backs on solid evidence. With Harvard finally going online, you wonder why so many schools have let digital instruction pass them by.

It turns out that online programs open education to those who couldn’t attend otherwise. Nontraditional students now comprise nearly three-quarters of America’s college population. With many young adults working, caring for families, or traveling on the job, commuting to campus is not so easy and may even present real hardship, an impossible burden when you’re occupied with sometimes crushing demands at home or at work. As small colleges reach out to these new students, they might also turn threadbare balance sheets from red to black.   

Daunting Shift

Since it’s likely that faculty and staff members at small private colleges have little or no experience delivering digital programs, here are a few tips:

There are more options than ever for colleges to enter the online-degree space. While it can seem daunting, it’s possible to go it alone—as I did 20 years ago at Stevens Institute of Technology, a small technical school in New Jersey.

You’ll need to come up with a modest investment in expert staff, skilled at instructional design and digital recruitment. You’ll also need to find an online-learning champion, an effective leader who is a strong advocate for the pedagogical benefits of virtual instruction. If you’re lucky, you may have just the right anchor right on campus, either on staff or among your faculty. Chances are, at first, you may not need to invest in wiz-bang learning technology, since, like most schools, you already have a learning management system in place for your residential students. There’s no need to replace it with an upgrade. Your present LMS is likely to do just fine.

Or you can turn to companies that help colleges build online programs, who will come to your aid for a fee to do pieces of the online puzzle for you, relieving you and your staff of tasks you may not be skilled at, especially digital recruitment and instructional design. Some, known as OPM’s (or online program managers) also act like banks, financing your virtual programs in exchange for a sizeable slice of your revenue (often requiring 50 percent of revenue from online programs for a set number of years). The good news about OPMs is that if your new digital program flops, you’ll get off scot-free (except for faculty compensation) since your OPM invested all the money. But just like going on your own, you’ll need to put an online champion in place to coordinate everything for you.

While faculty resistance to teaching online is still a serious obstacle, imagine how it was 20 years ago when I was asked to launch a new digital learning unit at Stevens Institute of Technology. In my appeals to the faculty to consider migrating their on-campus degrees online, Freud might have diagnosed their response as “passive aggressive”—many with blank stares; others only half paying attention, their gaze out the window or on the tips of their shoes.

A few early adopters signed on, but it was slow going at first, with most ignoring my overtures. The turnabout came when a highly-respected scholar, a dig-his-heels-in opponent, not only dropped his disapproval of digital learning, but became a fervent advocate, teaching online himself and encouraging others to follow. Practically overnight, most of the rest of the faculty jumped in. The denouement is that today, Stevens offers nearly 60 online programs and has won national awards, too.

Small colleges have a good chance at turning things around and thriving if they give online a chance and recruit older, mid-career students. Chances are your online students will be honored to “walk,” diploma in hand, finally visiting your beautiful campus at commencement. ]]> <![CDATA[So-called Degree Mill owner and his books]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1958.html Tue, 19 Sep 2017 01:47:04 -0400 Bingo]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1958.html I have some news for the uneducated trolls at degreediscussion.com:

Your "degree mill owner" has now this list of publications to his credit, and there is reasonable doubt whether pretend scholars like Bill Grober coul,d ever claim to have a similar list of publicatioins to his credit:


https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=...1505690237

IFTS, the school you had chosen for your slandering, is no longer in operation in its traditional shape but has achieved national accreditation in those countries where it still operates. These former school branches of IFTS are now in dependent schools operated by good people after all responsibility was handed over by Dr Schmidt into the native hands of his successors who had been trained for this job over the years.

Dr. Schmidt is enjoying retirement now and continues to publish his books.

Good luck in continuing your rants and your idiotic "judgment" of people you have never met in person. You are the salt of the earth when it comes to incompetency and pretend education like Bill Grover who got an online doctorate from Zululand University without any disputation (defence) following the official submission of a thesis. ....LOOOL

What a bloody joke you are!]]> I have some news for the uneducated trolls at degreediscussion.com:

Your "degree mill owner" has now this list of publications to his credit, and there is reasonable doubt whether pretend scholars like Bill Grober coul,d ever claim to have a similar list of publicatioins to his credit:


https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=...1505690237

IFTS, the school you had chosen for your slandering, is no longer in operation in its traditional shape but has achieved national accreditation in those countries where it still operates. These former school branches of IFTS are now in dependent schools operated by good people after all responsibility was handed over by Dr Schmidt into the native hands of his successors who had been trained for this job over the years.

Dr. Schmidt is enjoying retirement now and continues to publish his books.

Good luck in continuing your rants and your idiotic "judgment" of people you have never met in person. You are the salt of the earth when it comes to incompetency and pretend education like Bill Grover who got an online doctorate from Zululand University without any disputation (defence) following the official submission of a thesis. ....LOOOL

What a bloody joke you are!]]> <![CDATA[Online Ed = Disruptive Innovation]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1911.html Sun, 26 Mar 2017 17:48:24 -0400 Dr Winston O'Boogie]]> https://www.dltruth.com/thread-1911.html
Quote:BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
Is online college about to skyrocket?
Laura Hollis sees perfect storm set to spark 'disruptive innovation' in higher education

Published: 03/16/2017 at 7:23 PM

Laura Hollis

A group of law students I teach were recently discussing the merits of the traditional three-year law degree program. “Why not have only two years?” one suggested, “The third year could be a practicum, or a working internship.” That same week, an undergraduate student asked me what I thought about five-year business degree programs that offer a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in one package.

This is something of a trend: whittling down graduate school requirements or fusing them with undergraduate programs to reduce the amount of time spent in school.

But graduate school courses are narrowly targeted for specific career preparation. As such, they are harder to eliminate and easier to justify. What is becoming increasingly difficult to justify is what passes for undergraduate education and the skyrocketing costs associated with it. There, higher education is ripe for disruption.

Harvard Business School professor and best-selling author Clayton Christensen made the term “disruptive innovation” a household word. But many still misunderstand the concept. An innovation is poised to disrupt when it hits at the confluence of technological advancement and widespread public dissatisfaction with the pre-existing business model. For example, digital audiotape made it possible to copy songs without degrading the sound quality. MP3 file formats and the Internet made it possible to widely share those copies. Peer-to-peer file-sharing pioneer Napster was disruptive not just because of those technologies, but also because of the artistic community’s and the consuming public’s shared loathing of the music industry’s business practices.

Higher ed is in the middle of just such a perfect storm.

What threatens to disrupt the traditional business model of a four-year college education? Online education.

True, if you asked any student admitted to a top-tier college or university over the past few years whether they considered an online undergraduate program, their answer would almost inevitably have been “no.” But that is typical of disruptive innovations, the initial quality of which is perceived to be poor and thus not widely accepted by mainstream customers. And yet, later iterations improve; perceptions change; and, as they do, products move upmarket.

I’ve watched for more than two decades as online education has morphed from being an option of last resort to entire programs offered online at respected research institutions. Stanford was among the first to offer a massively open online course and now offers several hundred online courses. Ohio State, Penn State and Arizona State universities offer nationally ranked, completely online bachelor’s degrees. The University of Illinois, among others, has an online MBA program.

What about the second prong? Is there widespread public dissatisfaction with college education today?

Just look at the headlines.

In recent weeks, riots broke out at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Middlebury College. Students, faculty and administrators routinely curb freedom of speech, association and other constitutional liberties of those holding views with which they disagree. There has been a proliferation of courses – and policies – founded on questionable concepts like “privilege” and “cultural appropriation.” Across the country there are calls for “trigger warnings” or the elimination of course content that “offends,” for the creation of “safe spaces,” or even complete racial segregation. Complaints of faculty bias – in teaching and in hiring – are rampant. The general public has been horrified to hear about courses offering demonstrations of sex toys, a professor sidelining as a phone-sex dominatrix and multiple sexual-misconduct scandals, among others.

Outside of class, students today must navigate the “hookup culture,” the “campus rape culture” hysteria and the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter from then-President Obama’s Department of Education, resulting in widespread denial of due process for (usually male) students accused of sexual assault (resulting in dozens of successful lawsuits against colleges and universities).

Parents, educators and government officials alike are concerned about alcohol and substance abuse on campus. (According to one online addiction resource, those attending college full-time are twice as likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as those not enrolled in college.) Throw in some hazing in the campus Greek systems, and it’s a truly toxic mix.

The clincher? Skyrocketing tuition, which has increased more than 1,100 percent since 1978, double that of medical expenses. (The average cost of one year at a private college or university is now nearly $50,000. Columbia University is now over $70,000 a year.) Most students finance their educations with debt. Many don’t repay; 1.1 million Americans defaulted on their student loans in 2016.

Is it any wonder that people are exploring alternatives like two-year colleges (either as stand-alone degrees or less expensive gateways to finishing at four year-institutions), certificate programs, vocational schools and – yes – online programs?

Higher education is in a bubble, and bubbles burst. Will it be as bad as the housing meltdown and financial collapse 2008-09? That’s hard to say. Mega-banks aren’t bundling and selling worthless college degrees; those losses are left to fall on individual families and graduates – many of whom are saddled with debt that will impede their ability to build wealth for decades – and perhaps for their entire lives.

The business model of higher education needs to change, for the sake of our future graduates as well as our own survival. As history has shown, either you anticipate the disruption or you are made obsolete by it.
]]>
Quote:BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
Is online college about to skyrocket?
Laura Hollis sees perfect storm set to spark 'disruptive innovation' in higher education

Published: 03/16/2017 at 7:23 PM

Laura Hollis

A group of law students I teach were recently discussing the merits of the traditional three-year law degree program. “Why not have only two years?” one suggested, “The third year could be a practicum, or a working internship.” That same week, an undergraduate student asked me what I thought about five-year business degree programs that offer a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in one package.

This is something of a trend: whittling down graduate school requirements or fusing them with undergraduate programs to reduce the amount of time spent in school.

But graduate school courses are narrowly targeted for specific career preparation. As such, they are harder to eliminate and easier to justify. What is becoming increasingly difficult to justify is what passes for undergraduate education and the skyrocketing costs associated with it. There, higher education is ripe for disruption.

Harvard Business School professor and best-selling author Clayton Christensen made the term “disruptive innovation” a household word. But many still misunderstand the concept. An innovation is poised to disrupt when it hits at the confluence of technological advancement and widespread public dissatisfaction with the pre-existing business model. For example, digital audiotape made it possible to copy songs without degrading the sound quality. MP3 file formats and the Internet made it possible to widely share those copies. Peer-to-peer file-sharing pioneer Napster was disruptive not just because of those technologies, but also because of the artistic community’s and the consuming public’s shared loathing of the music industry’s business practices.

Higher ed is in the middle of just such a perfect storm.

What threatens to disrupt the traditional business model of a four-year college education? Online education.

True, if you asked any student admitted to a top-tier college or university over the past few years whether they considered an online undergraduate program, their answer would almost inevitably have been “no.” But that is typical of disruptive innovations, the initial quality of which is perceived to be poor and thus not widely accepted by mainstream customers. And yet, later iterations improve; perceptions change; and, as they do, products move upmarket.

I’ve watched for more than two decades as online education has morphed from being an option of last resort to entire programs offered online at respected research institutions. Stanford was among the first to offer a massively open online course and now offers several hundred online courses. Ohio State, Penn State and Arizona State universities offer nationally ranked, completely online bachelor’s degrees. The University of Illinois, among others, has an online MBA program.

What about the second prong? Is there widespread public dissatisfaction with college education today?

Just look at the headlines.

In recent weeks, riots broke out at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Middlebury College. Students, faculty and administrators routinely curb freedom of speech, association and other constitutional liberties of those holding views with which they disagree. There has been a proliferation of courses – and policies – founded on questionable concepts like “privilege” and “cultural appropriation.” Across the country there are calls for “trigger warnings” or the elimination of course content that “offends,” for the creation of “safe spaces,” or even complete racial segregation. Complaints of faculty bias – in teaching and in hiring – are rampant. The general public has been horrified to hear about courses offering demonstrations of sex toys, a professor sidelining as a phone-sex dominatrix and multiple sexual-misconduct scandals, among others.

Outside of class, students today must navigate the “hookup culture,” the “campus rape culture” hysteria and the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter from then-President Obama’s Department of Education, resulting in widespread denial of due process for (usually male) students accused of sexual assault (resulting in dozens of successful lawsuits against colleges and universities).

Parents, educators and government officials alike are concerned about alcohol and substance abuse on campus. (According to one online addiction resource, those attending college full-time are twice as likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as those not enrolled in college.) Throw in some hazing in the campus Greek systems, and it’s a truly toxic mix.

The clincher? Skyrocketing tuition, which has increased more than 1,100 percent since 1978, double that of medical expenses. (The average cost of one year at a private college or university is now nearly $50,000. Columbia University is now over $70,000 a year.) Most students finance their educations with debt. Many don’t repay; 1.1 million Americans defaulted on their student loans in 2016.

Is it any wonder that people are exploring alternatives like two-year colleges (either as stand-alone degrees or less expensive gateways to finishing at four year-institutions), certificate programs, vocational schools and – yes – online programs?

Higher education is in a bubble, and bubbles burst. Will it be as bad as the housing meltdown and financial collapse 2008-09? That’s hard to say. Mega-banks aren’t bundling and selling worthless college degrees; those losses are left to fall on individual families and graduates – many of whom are saddled with debt that will impede their ability to build wealth for decades – and perhaps for their entire lives.

The business model of higher education needs to change, for the sake of our future graduates as well as our own survival. As history has shown, either you anticipate the disruption or you are made obsolete by it.
]]>