University of Phoenix to be a major presence on Campus Martius

[EL Jimbo]

A very good friend received his graduate degree from the University of Michigan. He went to Ann Arbor once a semester, to physically take the exams. Everything else was done from home. He had to apply just like everyone else, still had to pay through the nose per credit hour, and at the end of it, he had a graduate degree from the University of Michigan. No Ann Arbor "experience" at all, though he gets all of the junk mail from them now, and is an alumnus.

As for undergraduate school, I don't think "frat or sorority Ken and Barb" will want to accept any change in the future, because most of those schools are founded on tradition to begin with. I agree that Colleges [[or, more accurately, Universities) have not traditionally been JUST about learning, but it isn't just to make a growing middle class "feel like the old British Upper crust." The fact is, kids at these school are networking, and whether the body of information [[not sure what that means) is accesible has little to do with the value of spending a hundred grand on a "traditional college experience."

The problem with this mentality is that you suddenly boil college down to a glorified work training program. College is so much more than that. My experience at MSU is that I was taken out of the comfort zone I'd grown so used to living at home and placed in a diverse and energetic community that challenged and engaged me in countless ways.

Implying that the college experience is merely fraternities, football games, and parties is so woefully inaccurate that it barely merits a response. Especially with so many students coming from white bread suburbs like I did, having the opportunity to mix, mingle, interact with, and learn from other young people across the entire spectrum of race, sexual orientation, religion, and cultural backgrounds opened my eyes to the world around me and brought perspective to where I came from and how I saw myself growing as a person and a professional into the future. The fact that I met so many people from around the state, country and world was an incredibly rewarding experience that has proven to be JUST as vital as the lessons I learned in the classroom.

That is the true college experience that is lost in online education. I'm sure its great for developing a generation of automotons who will fit quite nicely in their little cog in the economic wheel, but it is extremely difficult to develop the necessary social skills that allow people to live full personal lives and allow them to advance in the business world if they are taking courses in their underwear while living in their parents' basement.

[bartock]

The problem with this mentality is that you suddenly boil college down to a glorified work training program. College is so much more than that. My experience at MSU is that I was taken out of the comfort zone I'd grown so used to living at home and placed in a diverse and energetic community that challenged and engaged me in countless ways.

Implying that the college experience is merely fraternities, football games, and parties is so woefully inaccurate that it barely merits a response. Especially with so many students coming from white bread suburbs like I did, having the opportunity to mix, mingle, interact with, and learn from other young people across the entire spectrum of race, sexual orientation, religion, and cultural backgrounds opened my eyes to the world around me and brought perspective to where I came from and how I saw myself growing as a person and a professional into the future. The fact that I met so many people from around the state, country and world was an incredibly rewarding experience that has proven to be JUST as vital as the lessons I learned in the classroom.

That is the true college experience that is lost in online education. I'm sure its great for developing a generation of automotons who will fit quite nicely in their little cog in the economic wheel, but it is extremely difficult to develop the necessary social skills that allow people to live full personal lives and allow them to advance in the business world if they are taking courses in their underwear while living in their parents' basement.

Are you referring to the post that I was responding to?

[9mile&seneca]

Okay, my bad. Sorry, I came off waaay more judgemental than I meant to. I meant only to get responses such as yours Jimbo. I am a state U alumnus."The problem with this mentality is that you suddenly boil college down to a glorified work training program". Okay,valid.

[EL Jimbo]

Are you referring to the post that I was responding to?

Maybe. I sort of just jumped in at the end. I'm VERY passionate about the "holistic" quality of a University education. I get very disconcerted when people try and say that something like University of Phoenix can somehow replace what you learn on campus...at least the undergraduate experience. Perhaps for advanced degrees such as an MBA they may be fine [[only if you assume that the quality of professor is equal to that of traditional "brick and mortar" universities...which it likely isn't), but NOTHING except military service can replace the life lessons learned from four or five years of campus life.

[bartock]

Maybe. I sort of just jumped in at the end. I'm VERY passionate about the "holistic" quality of a University education. I get very disconcerted when people try and say that something like University of Phoenix can somehow replace what you learn on campus...at least the undergraduate experience. Perhaps for advanced degrees such as an MBA they may be fine [[only if you assume that the quality of professor is equal to that of traditional "brick and mortar" universities...which it likely isn't), but NOTHING except military service can replace the life lessons learned from four or five years of campus life.

I agree. My point was that from a purely remote perspective in response to the question of having access to the same information, there IS a difference in "remotely" earning a degree from U of M and earning one from a for-profit. It is still really difficult to get into, still costs a ton of money, and the result is a degree from a prestigious institution.

I totally agree with you with respect to the experiences. In addition, once that experience is over, there are lifetime networks created from the "campus" experience that cannot be duplicated.

[DetroitMike]

Two things:

One- I, for one, am excited for University of Phoenix [[UoP) to move downtown as it does provide more consumer traffic and potential revenue for other businesses within the area. A business downtown is better than no business downtown, regardless of the establishment. The more synergy that the downtown area has, the better.

Two- To compare UoP to Kaplan, Everest Institute, and the like is inaccurate as the later schools are merely certificate programs, where UoP offers degree programs accredited by North Central Association of Schools. The same national academic organization that accredits University of Michigan and others. The degree might not be as esteemed or highly regarded, and it may churn out folks who possibly did not earn their credentials, but it is a legitimate school.

Many mainstream, storied institutions are moving to an internet-based satellite/extension curriculum, and those options are convenient for working adults and military personnel/veterans. They don't offer traditional higher education experiences but they can be effective. Walsh College and Davenport University are of the same caliber.

So, is it discriminatory? No. Is it an unfair summation? Yes. The perceived value of the degree is paramount to employers. However, it's the application of the knowledge, not the brand of knowledge that makes the difference. I know several associates that struggle with their theory-based education of U of M. No knock against it, but it has its place.

Disclaimer: I earned my MBA through UoP with on-ground night classes at campus locations in the Detroit area. The coursework is comparable [[and in some cases more intense, as they are 6-week accelerated courses) to that of other universities as I collaborated with colleagues who earned their degrees from Eastern, Central and Wayne State.

[detroithealth]

Don't put the cart before the horse.

Once the student loan bubble implodes within the next few years these unaccredited for-profit colleges will be history. University of Phoenix will likely be the main one to disappear. I also don't think a degree from these unaccredited for-profit diploma mills will do many Detroiters any good. Many employers now are going out of their way to blacklist degrees from University of Phoenix, Kaplan, etc. because they know the students aren't learning anything.

I agree completely! This is disappointing news to me.

[detroiter79]

University of Phoenix had a decent reputation when it was a resource for mid-career professionals with employers willing to pay for their courses. I remember GM and Ford paying for many of its mid-level management to attend MBA and Management courses.

The major thing working against its claims to be a competitive business school is the fact that it lacks approval from the most prestigious accrediting agency for business schools, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

[Zacha341]

Well stated. I stated this early on in a post re. employers sending their peeps there..... further, that educational option worked if you STAYED at that company... once you left and tried to present a degree from there you were on your own.....

University of Phoenix had a decent reputation when it was a resource for mid-career professionals with employers willing to pay for their courses. I remember GM and Ford paying for many of its mid-level management to attend MBA and Management courses.

The major thing working against its claims to be a competitive business school is the fact that it lacks approval from the most prestigious accrediting agency for business schools, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

[beachboy]

Well stated. I stated this early on in a post re. employers sending their peeps there..... further, that educational option worked if you STAYED at that company... once you left and tried to present a degree from there you were on your own.....

Interesting thread ... I really feel sad for working people who scrape and save, then slave for years at a UoP degree, only to discover the following:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/colleges...ne-t-94sb2.htm

Read the comments. Key phrase: for profit .

[Zacha341]

Thanks! Interesting link. I've gone there before to look up info on companies and institutions. Many comments were con, some pro, but overall the site points out that a degree from UofP is not only questionable but expensive. One commenter broke down how little the teachers make. That was not a surprise... If your gonna pay all their high fees you might as well go to a school with less negative baggage.

Interesting thread ... I really feel sad for working people who scrape and save, then slave for years at a UoP degree, only to discover the following:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/colleges...ne-t-94sb2.htm

Read the comments. Key phrase: for profit .

[Bigb23]

There was a time - oh, maybe 15 years ago, where technical schools and community colleges had their place. Now, you won't even get a second glance without a four year degree. A lot of people have spent thousands of hours in classrooms with negligible payoffs.

[Zacha341]

Community college can be advantageous on several levels for students of various ages along their educational and career paths. Some students present for example with a bachelors degree in an area who come to a community college to re-train in a specific career or specialty to add to their undergrad.

Also, the two year college program can be a bridge for some to go on to a four year institution. Additionally, many community colleges now offer certifications in specialized technical areas. Enrollment is up for many of the local community colleges, including Oakland, Macomb, Henry Ford and Wayne County Community College district.

There was a time - oh, maybe 15 years ago, where technical schools and community colleges had their place. Now, you won't even get a second glance without a four year degree. A lot of people have spent thousands of hours in classrooms with negligible payoffs.