New DETC Members

[Herbert Spencer]

ACCRI alumni report receiving notice that the school was DETC approved:

The Accrediting Commission of the DETC (Distance Education Training Council) voted to accredit the American Center for Conflict Resolution Institute on Saturday, June 7, 2008.

Others reported to have been approved include Yorktown and University of Atlanta (formerly Barrington).

Any others?

[Ben Johnson]

Barrington? It sure took a lot of crap from many clueless experts. I could point out endless schools that were predicted to fail at accreditation but succeeded. How many times can the experts get everything wrong before they simply become assholes?

Next - the old Kennedy-Western. I'm betting for it.

[Don Dresden]

Barrington?  It sure took a lot of crap from many clueless experts.  I could point out endless schools that were predicted to fail at accreditation but succeeded.  How many times can the experts get everything wrong before they simply become assholes?

Next - the old Kennedy-Western.  I'm betting for it.

As you suggest Ben, the self-appointed "experts" seem to have a poor track record for predicting success.  My only disagreement would be about them "becoming" assholes.  They started out as ignorant, self-important, condescending assholes and simply proved themselves to be even bigger such than we suspected.

In the works at U of Atlanta:  DBA, EdD and JD programs.
http://www.uofa.edu/forthComingPrograms....eePrograms

Their website has a nice discussion of the advantages of DETC accreditation (vs. RA):
http://www.uofa.edu/detcDistinctions.asp...reditation

• DETC accreditation is twice as frequent: DETC does a complete, fresh review every five years, not every 7 or 10 years as most regionals do.
  
• DETC does an in-depth program by program individual evaluation of curricula, before any students may be enrolled, using qualified professors and teachers primarily from regionally accredited universities. Regionals are not equipped to do individual content reviews of each program a college offers.
  
• DETC accreditation standards are specific to the distance education environment, and they go into far more depth on the unique aspects of learning at a distance by various modes than any general set of accrediting criteria. Subject matter experts, for example, measure a distance program against more than 100 different points of measurement, ranging from outcomes to reading level to depth of examinations to examination turn around time.
  
• DETC has far more extensive, specific and comprehensive and prescriptive standards for marketing practice, financial assessment, refund policies, and consumer protection rules than any regional agency.
  
• DETCs’ national minimum tuition refund policy is a model for others. And DETC has standards that address Internet marketing tactics and affirmative consumer disclosures.
  
• DETC has one of the most practical, time-tested outcomes assessment procedures for institutions to follow that is felt to be far more prescriptive and specific than the generalized outcomes processes of most regional bodies.

[Armando Ramos]

How many times can the experts get everything wrong before they simply become assholes?

A real thumb in the eye for the "experts" and wannabes.  What's the over-and-under on Douglas saying that he always knew Barrington was a quality operation?  Or has he already said it?

[Albert Hidel]

Their website has a nice discussion of the advantages of DETC accreditation (vs. RA):
http://www.uofa.edu/detcDistinctions.asp...reditation

That's good stuff.  Can we get that into the "dogma" section?  Not that anyone reads it, but it's fundamental to what we believe in here.  RA is not the only way, and it's becoming increasingly clear that when "quality" is measured objectively in meaningful ways other than bank account size that many RA schools just don't measure up.

[Brian Crawford]

Barrington?  It sure took a lot of crap from many clueless experts.  I could point out endless schools that were predicted to fail at accreditation but succeeded.  How many times can the experts get everything wrong before they simply become assholes?

Next - the old Kennedy-Western.  I'm betting for it.

A pefect example was Columbia Southern Uniersity. John Bear was jumping up an down and calling them a mill in (1990s) their early days until they became DETC accredited. Them the most he would give them was his invented GAAP approval. Which in reality, he stole the idea from Generally Accepted Accounting Principals.

[Don Dresden]

George "The Sphincter" Gollin is having a stroke.  

Way back in 2004 Steve Bettinger sold Barrington to a Pakistani named Akber Mithani.  They filed all the SEC paperwork but...they forgot to notify George "The Sphincter" Gollin!  OMFG!  

The nerve of those guys, trying to transact lawful business without notifying George "The Sphincter" Gollin first, or at all.  Didn't they know that all education business must pass through "The Sphincter" first?  

This is highly suspicious and everyone involved deserves to be stalked, harassed, insulted and demeaned at an obscure internet discussion forum for all eternity.

[Ben Johnson]

I think the DETC should sue this irresponsible peckerhead at Degreediscussion:



Rich Douglas
Senior Member
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1197


Reply with quote
Post
Something I wrote someone recently:

DETC has been on a real run lately, accrediting schools that were, for many years, simply unaccreditable. In CCU's case, one can imagine them getting their act together enough to warrant it. But so many others? Have they all really undertaken these amazing transformations? I suspect not. The bar, I think, has been lowered.

It wasn't too long ago that there were schools very serious about remaining unaccredited--the business model clearly supported selling substandard degree programs (especially doctorates) at a steep discount to their customers. But look at how many of them have become accredited! Jeez, it doesn't make sense to remain out in the cold. Southwest, ACIS, AJU, CSU, CCU and just about anyone else. And the final game-maker, the requirement to drop one's doctoral programs in order to apply for DETC accreditation, seems to have been eliminated. Selling unaccredited doctorates is a big business, one that operations like CCU chose to remain in for a long time. I have to think DETC accreditation just became so much easier to obtain that it was finally worth it. But now, there's no choice to make at all. Open the mailbox, call yourself what you want, do want you want, and Mike Lambert will say it's okay. Echhh.

So, what to do? The press seems to be cooling off from its latest diploma mill cycle. Plus, this is a much more nuanced thing--a lax accreditor. It will be hard to get anyone's attention in the press. Government, too. I doubt anyone at Education will listen--DETC has been a contributor for a long time. The regionals? Their parent association, CHEA, recognizes DETC. Perhaps they'll finally step in.

The Chronicle? A crummy DETC accrediting doctorate mills must certainly threaten the integrity of the higher education profession. (Although they've done a good job simply shutting their eyes, it may not be able to continue. After all, they've been able to ignore potential instructors with DETC-accredited master's degrees. Admitting undergraduates with some NA credits was never a big deal--kinda like a scholarship or tuition discount--and admitting NA bachelor's holders into grad school must be a rare issue. But if DETC is opening the floodgates for doctoral degrees to be issued left and right, RA schools might face quite a few people wondering why their DETC-accredited doctoral degrees aren't getting them much traction in getting hired by RA schools. It might not be enough to put up an "RA or No Way" sign at the campus HR office.

Century University must be preparing their self-study while we speak. Oy.


Just an opinion.

[D00bie]

I think the DETC should sue this irresponsible peckerhead at Degreediscussion:



Rich Douglas
Senior Member
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1197


Reply with quote
Post  
Something I wrote someone recently:

DETC has been on a real run lately, accrediting schools that were, for many years, simply unaccreditable. In CCU's case, one can imagine them getting their act together enough to warrant it. But so many others? Have they all really undertaken these amazing transformations? I suspect not. The bar, I think, has been lowered.

It wasn't too long ago that there were schools very serious about remaining unaccredited--the business model clearly supported selling substandard degree programs (especially doctorates) at a steep discount to their customers. But look at how many of them have become accredited! Jeez, it doesn't make sense to remain out in the cold. Southwest, ACIS, AJU, CSU, CCU and just about anyone else. And the final game-maker, the requirement to drop one's doctoral programs in order to apply for DETC accreditation, seems to have been eliminated. Selling unaccredited doctorates is a big business, one that operations like CCU chose to remain in for a long time. I have to think DETC accreditation just became so much easier to obtain that it was finally worth it. But now, there's no choice to make at all. Open the mailbox, call yourself what you want, do want you want, and Mike Lambert will say it's okay. Echhh.

So, what to do? The press seems to be cooling off from its latest diploma mill cycle. Plus, this is a much more nuanced thing--a lax accreditor. It will be hard to get anyone's attention in the press. Government, too. I doubt anyone at Education will listen--DETC has been a contributor for a long time. The regionals? Their parent association, CHEA, recognizes DETC. Perhaps they'll finally step in.

The Chronicle? A crummy DETC accrediting doctorate mills must certainly threaten the integrity of the higher education profession. (Although they've done a good job simply shutting their eyes, it may not be able to continue. After all, they've been able to ignore potential instructors with DETC-accredited master's degrees. Admitting undergraduates with some NA credits was never a big deal--kinda like a scholarship or tuition discount--and admitting NA bachelor's holders into grad school must be a rare issue. But if DETC is opening the floodgates for doctoral degrees to be issued left and right, RA schools might face quite a few people wondering why their DETC-accredited doctoral degrees aren't getting them much traction in getting hired by RA schools. It might not be enough to put up an "RA or No Way" sign at the campus HR office.

Century University must be preparing their self-study while we speak. Oy.


Just an opinion.

Doogle-Ass is just pissed because one time he wrote to Lambert and Lambert told him to fuck-off.  This was a crushing blow to Doogle-Ass's ego.  Lambert, rightfully so, wanted nothing to do with Doogle as Doogle doesn't know anything about accrediting and evaluating schools or the DETC.  Lambert was smart enough to cut him off at the knees early and swiflty and doesn't have to deal with him anymore.

Now that I think about it, this Lambert guy is pretty smart for ignorning these clowns and never looking back.

[Ben Johnson]

Douglas's prediction percentage on accreditation is running about 100% wrong. Remember the degreemill Northcentral U that got NCA accreditation or Touro International that would never get WASC accreditation without residencies.

What is it with self-appointed experts who've never taken a course from a school or even seen course material to offer opinions that the school is a mill? Why is their gut feeling always wrong?

I think Lambert should kick Douglas's ass rather than kiss it. The guy seems like he's pretty sharp. All the right things are happening at DETC.