It was an "oversight" not "any kind of advertising deal." Sure it was.

Quote:Ranking the Online Colleges
June 30, 2011

U.S. News & World Report, which in the last three decades has become one of the most successful and controversial kingmakers in higher education, is taking preliminary steps to apply its rankings to the increasingly important realm of online colleges.

Meanwhile, a U.S. News spin-off site accidentally profiled a new program at an online institution considered by some authorities to be a "degree mill" — a mistake that, while it was swiftly corrected when brought to the attention of the editors, highlighted just how difficult it can be to size up online institutions in the current environment.

...At the same time that U.S. News was promoting its expansion into online college ranking, a spin-off site it opened two years ago unwittingly wrote a plug for a new program at an online institution, Almeda University, that is not recognized as a legitimate degree-granting university by the U.S. Department of Education or any mainstream accrediting agency, and which has been flagged as a “degree mill” by [perverts and civil rights violators in] the Oregon state government.

“Working adults who want to pursue a psychology master’s degree can benefit from the flexibility of online programs, such as the one offered by Almeda University’s School of Psychology,” said a news brief posted Monday on U.S. News University Directory.

The editors of the site took down the posting after it was brought to their attention by Inside Higher Ed, which was tipped off by the watchdog site GetEducated.com. “As a matter of principle we generally focus on accredited colleges and universities and the programs they offer,” the University Directory editors wrote in an e-mail. “On the rare occasion, such as this, when we learn that the institution’s accreditation is in question, we take appropriate action.”

The publication opened University Directory two years ago in bid to move into the business of lead generation through a partnership with Bisk Education, Inc.

The move raised eyebrows among some critics, who wondered whether U.S. News’s attempts to capitalize on its authority in the higher education world might in fact compromise its credibility as a disinterested observer of the industry.

Kelly said the news brief about Almeda’s psychology program was the result of simple editorial oversight, not any kind of advertising deal with Almeda.

Press releases might be parroted in the pages of University Directory, not always with attribution, said Kelly; not because universities are paying for the exposure, but because such releases are just “part of the news flow” in the content-obsessed world of the modern news industry. Another effect of the push for more content is that errors are more common than they were before — at U.S. News as elsewhere, Kelly said.

Indeed, the gaffe suggests that the opportunities and demands of the Internet age complicate matters both for higher education institutions and for those who cover them.

“As our model has changed to a digital model, we are publishing so much more content in so many different areas,” said Kelly. “The demand for the information we publish is enormous — it’s bottomless. And we are continuing to experiment and monitor the best ways to produce that information.”

It is about that time again. No, not the beginning of summer, though I'm happy it's here, but instead the period that follows another posting by Jimmy Clifton that he is once again contemplating a doctoral program of some type.

DD thread

Hasn't this just played itself out yet? Can Stalkin' Steve, Lev, Noseburn and the others really muster enough interest to even post a response? They have but I'm somewhat numbed by this whole charade which we all know won't end until there has been all kinds of hand-wringing and public angst about the time/expense/effort versus the limited upside.

Quote:David Flory, Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor, Accused Of Running Prostitution Site
MADISON, N.J. — A New Jersey college professor has been arrested in New Mexico and is accused of operating a prostitution website.

David Flory teaches physics at [regionally accredited] Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J.

On Sunday, police arrested the New York City resident in Albuquerque, N.M., on 40 counts of promoting prostitution. Police say Flory has long owned a vacation home in Santa Fe.

Albuquerque Police Lt. William Roseman told The Record newspaper Flory's website, Southwest Companions, was designed to give users access to more women once they gained Flory's trust.

Roseman says Flory told police he did not make money off of the website and saw it as a hobby.

Fairleigh Dickinson University said it was saddened. The university did not say if the professor has been suspended from his job.

http://www.americandreamabroad.com/index.html

I was thumbing through a health and fitness magazine and came across an advertizement for this service.

Earn a medical degree in China for $40 K, which is about a tenth of what it costs in the US.

And lets face it, having an MD is as high as you can get when to comes to getting respect. There is nothing more prestigious on earth than being a Doctor. To help your fellow man and be trusted by everyone.

But, that inner voice told me that this is not what it seems. If something seems to good to be true (to quote the BBB) it always is.

Well I did some digging and came across this:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2008...ml?ref=rss

Now the comments read like anyone posted on any controversial educational program. Ex students will always post something positive and the rest will be skeptical.

Digging a little deeper....

http://www.premed101.com/forums/archive/...26728.html

I did send an email to this service asking some questions and was told to call the number.

I did not want to call since I know that I would be in for a long sales pitch and I really do not want to get hustled.

I find it interesting that this site talks a lot about a school but does not mention it by name. I believe it may be because they do not want students contacting the University directly. Or maybe its a very sophisticated Diploma Mill.

Am I correct in being suspicious of this service or is it legitimate? What do you think?

South University in Savannah, GA is a surprise at number two. They offer a number of online programs, including masters and doctorates.

Not a surprise at 15 is American College, which offers a number of online programs popular in the financial services industry.

Quote:We crunched the numbers on the 20 most Googled schools.

Using Google’s traffic estimator, these are the 20 schools that are estimated to gain the most traffic from around the globe.

1) University of Florida

Located in Gainesville, FL – U of F (or UF) boasts just over 50,000 students. It’s traditional colors of orange and blue are commonly seen with its mascot – a gator. They are nicknamed the Florida Gators.

2) South University

Originally a two-year college, and formerly known as South College, South University is a for-profit institution. Located in Savannah, Georgia, its school colors are silver and orange.

3) American University

Located in the heart of the nation’s capitol, it holds about 7,000 undergraduates and over 5,000 graduate students. American University is also commonly known as AU.

4) National University

La Jolla, California is where you’ll find National University. With about 27,000 students between graduate and undergraduate, this southern California school attracts many Californians with a large in-state population.

5) University of Chicago

Located in, where else, Chicago! Near Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side, and only 15 minutes from the center of the city; University of Chicago has almost 13,000 undergraduates and graduate students.

6) University of Miami

In Coral Gables, Florida suburbia sits University of Miami. With about 15,000 students, University of Miami has multiple nicknames: UM, U of M, U Miami, Miami, or The U.

7) University of Arizona

With “Bear Down!” as its motto, this 39,000 student school is located in Tuscon, Arizona. Their mascot is a wildcat with school colors of cardinal red and navy blue.

8 University of Iowa

With about 30,000 students – University of Iowa sits in urban Iowa City. Known for being in the Big 10, University of Iowa is in Division 1 of the NCAA.

9) Boston College

This suburban college is just a few miles outside downtown Boston. Maroon and gold are it’s school colors and their mascot is an Eagle – fondly known as ‘Baldwin.’

10) Boston University

Commonly known as BU, this urban school has over 32,000 students. Also in the heart of Boston, BU is neighbors with many fellow colleges and universities (Boston College, Harvard University, etc.).

11) Harvard University

Harvard is one of, if not the most, famous school across the United States. With just over 21,000 students, it sits in urban Cambridge, Massachusetts. It’s an Ivy League school, and in Division 1 NCAA.

12) University of the West

In Rosemead, California sits UWest — a university of approximately 250 students. UWest is only 20 years old, as its first class was given in the Spring of 1991. Its school colors are burgundy and gold.

13) University of Georgia

Located in Athena, Georgia, University of Georgia (commonly known as UGA), has almost 35,000 students. UGA is located in what is considered a “college town” and its mascot is a bulldog.

14) South College

Formerly known as Knoxville Business College, South College is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a for-profit institution.

15) American College

Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, American College was formerly known as The American College of Life Underwriters. American College teaches over 30,000 students each year, however many of their students are learning off campus with the distance education program American College has set up.

16) Central College

Central College has approximately 1,600 students in the small-town of Pella, Iowa. Central College is a liberal arts school with a notable study abroad program.

17) Duke University

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke has about 14,000 students. Known as the ‘blue devils’ Duke is in Division 1 NCAA and is well-known for its basketball rivalry with UNC.

18) University of Pennsylvania

Known as Penn or UPenn, it has just over 20,000 students. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania it is a Division 1 school, as well as a member of the Ivy League schools.

19) University of Houston

Located in Houston, Texas University of Houston has almost 39,000 students. UH is in the Division 1 NCAA and their mascot is a cougar.

20) University of Kentucky

In urban Lexington, Kentucky sits University of Kentucky. UK has just over 27,000 students with its athletics teams called the Wildcats in blue and white uniforms.

They're from the government and they're here to help you.... if "you" happen to be a wealthy bricks & mortar university that doesn't offer DL classes.

Quote:Updated 06/07/2011 09:41 AM

Federal regulation could hinder online college courses
By: Chie Saito

Central Texas College has already started to get the ball rolling on complying with upcoming federal mandates that put tighter regulations on schools and universities with online classes.

For CTC student Sharon Blakly, taking classes online is the best option for her busy schedule.

"I work four days on, four days off, 12-hour shifts so it works better in my plan," she said. "I don't have to drive back and forth, saves gas. I can do it at home in my pajamas."

However, federal regulations may soon change the way Blakly, and even out of state students, take CTC courses online.

Under new federal regulations, an open enrollment school like Central Texas College will have to comply with requirements in 48 other states. So, if a student from California wanted to take a CTC course online, the college would have to meet California’s requirements for online learning as well.

"If you offer distance learning courses in any state other than your home state, you must be licensed in that state if it is a requirement," Dana Watson, CTC’S Deputy Chancellor Ed. Programs, said. "With our military student enrollment, it's not necessarily that we have students in all of the 50 states, but some students have that as their permanent address."

Even though the rules don't take effect until 2014, CTC is getting the process started early.

"That's every community college, higher education institution in the United States, trying to fulfill the same requirements so it's quite an undertaking," Watson said.

It’s estimated it can cost schools $1,000 to $10,000 in licensing fees per state. The high cost may potentially force schools like CTC to limit the amount of online courses it offers.

"In some states it might be cost prohibitive in this time of budget constraints to pursue the licensure," Watson said.

These state authorization rules were initially scheduled to take effect this year. However, the deadline was pushed back to 2014 following concerns from higher education associations and accrediting organizations.

All schools are required to start making a good faith effort to comply with the rules now.

Another death threat from the deranged stalking mental case George Gollin (George D. Gollin, George Dana Gollin)? The message seems to be that if he can't get you tossed into jail on trumped up charges....he will see you DEAD.

Robert Ray Hill dies, family holds car wash to pay 4 funeral

In fact the linked news story concerns a man in Marysville, CA who died, and his destitute family was forced to hold a car wash to raise funds to pay for his funeral.

This is clearly not the same Robert Ray Hill who promotes a variety of unaccredited educational opportunities. As Johann pointed out, the birth dates are different. And if the ~2000 mile geographical difference wasn't enough, the accompanying photos clearly show the decedent is quite different in appearance to Gollin's stalking prey.

What kind of sick bastard seizes on the personal tragedy of complete strangers to harass innocent people? Is this the sort of mental stability that qualifies one to be a CHEA director?

What probably galls Gollum the most is that the funeral service was held in a Christian church...and that passersby donated $3000 to the family of someone they didn't even know. And they did it all without government approval.

How much money do you think people would donate to see Gollum buried?

Quote:Free Online Classes

Teach Yourself With These 11 Free Online Education Sites

by Kristy Korcz

May 17, 2011 11:36 am

Truth is, there are an amazing number of ways you can get a quality educational experience online, without ever having to fork over any cash. The cost of a college education is pretty remarkable these days, and not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a degree from an Ivy League school (especially in this economy). But nearly everyone can afford the cost of an Internet connection, or even a library card.

Here, 11 places to point your web browser for free classes online, so you can soak up all the knowledge your brain can handle!

• MIT OpenCourseWare — With over 2,000 courses available at your fingertips, MIT OpenCourseWare should be your first (and maybe your only) stop in online learning.

• Online Education Database — This website offers up a list of 200 free classes you can take online. Take some physics classes and learn about the phenomenon of superconductivity, or retake that algebra class you struggled with in high school.

• OpenCulture — This website offers up a list of free classes from top universities like Stanford and UC Berkeley, and even some video lectures you can find on YouTube.

• UC Irvine OpenCourseWare — With free courses ranging from business management to social ecology, UC Irvine has you covered.

• The Open University — Based in the UK, this site offers up course materials along with forums so you can discuss the content with your fellow online learners.

• Open Learning Initiative — Free courses, along with self-guided materials, help you learn biology, chemistry, economics, and more at your own pace.

• UC Berkeley Webcasts — Skip the sky-high tuition and get free video and audio lectures from UC Berkeley professors.

• Free Online Classes — Get design and photoshop tutorials to help you in the digital space.

• LiveMocha — Learn a new language — from Afrikaans to Vietnamese — for free with this recognized community.

• OpenCourseWare Consortium — This website hosts thousands of classes in several languages. Learn at your own pace, and even scan the professors' notes, all for free!

• iTunes U — Hundreds of classes and audio books from several top universities are offered up on iTunes for free. Just download to your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Mac and learn on.

Say it ain't so ...

www.degreediscussion.com