Chronicle Lies about GGU

[Winston Smith]

The headline says "why" they got it wrong, but I think they mean "how." Why they got it wrong is because the Chronicle are a bunch of incompetent leftist idiots biased against online and nontraditional schools serving working adults.

The Chronicle included GGU among "private research institutions" when its Carnegie classification is "Masters Colleges and Universities--private." It is not a traditional four-year school. Because GGU serves working adults in need of flexible scheduling, and emphasizes graduate programs, they enrolled exactly six students in the "full time, first time" undergraduate category discussed. If the Chronicle can't get something this basic correct, what else are they lying about?

12/16/2010 GGU's Graduation Rates: Why the Chronicle of Higher Education Got it Wrong

San Francisco, CA (December 16, 2010) - The inclusion of Golden Gate University in The Chronicle of Higher Education's recent report on graduation rates is based on an erroneous identification of the University's category outlined by The Chronicle's own characteristics requirements for inclusion, as well as misleading data from an irrelevant and small sample size which is counter to the population GGU serves and the institution's mission.

As we currently see it, and based on The Chronicle's own "About The Data" section, GGU should have been excluded from this specific data set in the first place and its inclusion offers a skewed, even wrong, perception of who GGU is and its place in today's sensitive higher education climate.

Here are some top-line counter-points to the study:

1) GGU's undergraduate student population is not in line with the research methodology used by The Chronicle of Higher Ed.

The Chronicle calculated the statistics of "all first-time, full-time students entering in the fall seeking bachelor's degrees who completed bachelor's degrees within six years."

GGU's undergraduate population by definition are all part-time students coming in with transfer units. In fact, this trait for applicants is an admissions requirement for GGU's Undergraduate program tailored specifically to the population GGU serves- working adults in need of flexible scheduling.

2) Since 2003 GGU has had only a total of six "full-time, first-time" enrolled students, a negligible sample size.

3) GGU is a private, non-profit university but by no means a "private research institution", which the article states is another characteristic of Universities under analysis. There are no studies or research being spearheaded by faculty, no scholarships awarded for such independent work that faculty performs. GGU's Carnegie classification is Master's Colleges and Universities - private.

4) The undergraduate population GGU serves is directly counter to the mission of comparative Universities in this study, who are mostly traditional, four-year institutions.

GGU is a non-profit, private university whose mission is to serve working adults through flexible scheduling, online access for the purpose of career advancement, giving students the resources and support to achieve their undergraduate and graduate degrees at their own pace and in tandem with an ever-changing marketplace.

GGU's Undergraduate Graduation Rates are actually quite strong; approximately 50% of the students who have enrolled since 2003 have graduated with their bachelor's degree. Actual graduation rates for our undergraduate students who began prior to 2007 are, on average, 15% two years after program start, 29% three years after program start, 37% four years after program start, 42% five years after program start, and 47% six years after program. For a part-time adult population with life always interfering, this is something to be proud of.

[Dickie Billericay]

The inclusion of Golden Gate University in The Chronicle of Higher Education's recent report on graduation rates is based on an erroneous identification of the University's category outlined by The Chronicle's own characteristics requirements for inclusion, as well as misleading data from an irrelevant and small sample size which is counter to the population GGU serves and the institution's mission.

I see that Alliant, which serves a similar demographic, rang up 11% for next-to-last. You have to wonder about these "mistakes" and just who the Chronicle is trying to screw.

If you look at Alliant's "Degrees" page they don't even offer a full-time first-time bachelor degree, just a degree completion program.

We know the higher ed cartel is trying to run for-profits out of the game. Are they now declaring war on all schools serving part-timers, the same way the ABA did with law schools?