The Ladder

Kennedy-Western University Changes Name

2006-12-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Kennedy-Western University has announced they're changing their name to Warren National University:

Kennedy-Western University will be changing its name to Warren National University. This change will be a gradual transition and expected to continue through the end of 2006, with an official transition date of January 1, 2007. The new name, Warren National University, was selected in honor of the first governor of Wyoming, Francis E. Warren, and reflects the University's strong ties to the State of Wyoming.

Why is the University changing its name? The answer is simple and direct. We are entering a new and exciting phase in the growth and development of Kennedy Western.

Because when you think "exciting," "new" or "growth" you immediately think "Wyoming."

UTI Added to the Stock Quote Section

2006-12-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

I added UTI, Universal Technical Institute, to the side stock links. If you know of any other public online schools I don't have let me know.

DeVry Fall Enrollment Up

2006-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is pretty classic. DeVry's fall enrollment is up...but by how much?

Rueters says it's up by 11.9%...but the AP says it was up by only 4.9%.

It's a mystery!

Does University of Phoenix Suck?

2006-12-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

According to uopsucks.com...yes. The site is run by a group of former students who have had bad experiences at the University of Phoenix.

The site is awfully comprehensive featuring a forum listing all the domain names UOP owns, former employees calling out the company, a bill from the UOP school Axia College and even a blog.

Check it out and decide for yourself.

University of Phoenix: It's NOT Inside

2006-12-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

Looks like Intel employees aren't going to be able to get reimbursed for going to University of Phoenix anymore:

Intel Corp. employees can no longer attend the University of Phoenix and a host of other schools on the company's dime because of stricter standards for tuition reimbursement.

Alan Fisher, Intel's manager of global extended education programs, said the change is in no way an indictment of for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix, but rather a reflection on Intel's culture and highly educated workforce.

Have 5K, Will Do Option #1

2006-11-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Have $5,000? The Motley Fool has a few suggestions, including getting your degree online:

Remodel yourself
Another option is remodeling yourself. You could go back to school, for example, learning a new skill or even a new profession. At Apollo Group's online school University of Phoenix, for example, you can take courses or earn a degree or professional certificate. At many colleges, you can take a course preparing you for a human resources management certification for around $1,100, and at Washington Post's Kaplan University, you may be able to become a forensic nurse if you have $3,400 to spend and 12 months to study, earning up to $55 or more per hour.

Online College Courses Experience 'Phenomenal' Growth

2006-11-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

Online college enrollments are surging:

"The growth was phenomenal," said Jeff Seaman, Sloan's CIO and survey director, who also serves as co-director of the Babson College survey research group. "It's higher in absolute numbers and higher in percentages than anything we've measured before. And it's across the board," at schools ranging from doctoral institutions to those offering associate's degrees to for-profit colleges.

Online College Enrollment Surges

2006-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

More adults are taking online college courses but mainstream acceptance of these degrees are still a ways away:

"Online enrollments have been growing substantially faster than the overall higher education student body," said the report, based on responses from chief academic officers at more than 2,200 U.S. colleges and universities.

At the same time, fewer of the administrators at both public and private colleges said their faculty "accept the value and legitimacy of online education," raising a critical obstacle for a method of making college more affordable and more accessible to nontraditional students, the report said.

Baylor Says No to Online Education

2006-11-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Baylor University won't be offering an online education program in-favor of in-class education and community learning appeal according to the ZDNet Education Blog:

"I do think a factor in why these courses haven't developed is because of Baylor's historical valuing of having an in-class experience where you have inner change among the various students in the class in real time," said Dr. James Bennighof, vice provost for academic affairs and policy. "Part of the interest in having a residential campus has to do with people learning in a community."

Not Good for University of Phoenix

2006-10-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ugh, first the Cardinals lose to the Raiders (the Raiders!) now this:

The company that runs the University of Phoenix reports fourth-quarter income that disappoints investors. Plus, the report raises questions on whether the for-profit education provider's business model is working.

According to unaudited results, Phoenix-based Apollo Group's net income in the recent quarter fell 12 percent to 93 (m) million dollars, or 54 cents a share. That's down from 106 (m) million dollars, or 58 cents, for the same quarter a year ago.

Trump University Turns One; Solid Foods Up Next

2006-10-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Trump University which turns one year old today.

Online Education Sector Preview

2006-10-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting review of the online education sector. The gist: increased competition and demand for students has schools looking for alternative ways to drive growth:

Looking at the third quarter, some analysts expect interest in information technology programs to boost results for DeVry Inc. and ITT Educational Services Inc., which offer courses in the field. Although Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based DeVry has made efforts to diversify its course offerings, IT remains the heart of its business, and the specialty is currently working in its favor.

"Demand for these students appears to be rising, which has led to the recent uptick in student growth," Morgan Stanley analyst Suzanne E. Stein wrote in a September note to investors.
Lehman Brothers analyst Gary E. Bisbee in a recent note predicted Strayer Education Inc. will report quarterly results that exceed estimates, based on fundamentals.

Your First Essay: "Why Planet Hollywood Failed"

2006-10-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Actor Tom Arnold is establishing a scholarship with the University of Phoenix:

The [scholarship] will award full tuition toward a bachelor's degrees to 100 individuals who have shown a desire to improve their lives and the lives of those around them through education.

Nevermind the Hurricane! Is My Homework Done?

2006-10-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

"Experts" are looking at how to use online education when a disaster strikes:

The goal of the program was to develop a series of online workshops to help colleges and universities across the country prepare for the delivery of their curricula online when emergencies – such as hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorist acts, or epidemics – close the physical campus.

Q&A with Head of University of Phoenix

2006-10-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press did a Q&A with Bill Pepicello, the president of the University of Phoenix:

AP: Can you continue to grow? A big part of your business is online learning, and that business is seeing slower growth and growing competition.

Pepicello: I think there's room to grow. Right now, certainly growth has slowed some across the industry. What we are looking at now is not, 'How can we keep growing with what we've been doing,' but, 'What are we missing?' Are there populations that are not being served as well as they might? We're looking at ways to help address the nursing shortage and the shortage of high school teachers. Most of those people are not necessarily the 18- to 22-year olds, but people who are looking at retooling their careers.

Online Education Companies Make More Money

2006-10-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

This just in: For-profit education companies make a lot of money:

Based solely on past performance trends, analyst Gary E. Bisbee said ITT and Corporate Executive are the two companies that have generated the most favorable short-term risk/return tradeoff around past quarterly results.

Earlier this year, ITT reported an 8 percent rise in second-quarter profit as the company ramped up marketing efforts to boost enrollment. The company beat the average 52-cent-per-share profit expected by analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Capella Would Like to Thank the Academy

2006-10-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

Capella University has won an award for its ethics education:

Training Magazine has named Capella University, an accredited online university and a leader in online education, its Editor's Pick for Best Compliance Training for its Ethic Education training program for employees. The award will be presented to Capella at the Training Solutions Conference in Denver from October 23-25.

“Ethics Education is a training program that builds upon Capella’s long history of acting ethically and the high value the university places on honesty, fair and ethical business practices,” said Tom Godfrey, a course developer at Capella. “Ethics Education not only teaches Capella policies, but also tests employees on their ability to appropriately apply these ethical policies in common workplace situations.”

Wait, There's Sugar Free Red Bull Now Too?

2006-10-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Donna N. Jennings is the new vice president of human resources at DeVry.

Normally I wouldn't post something like this but maybe she knows something about those darn kids and their Red Bull.

Online Education Increasing in Popularity, Credibility

2006-10-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Tribune has a great article about online education along with some good questions to ask regarding the online school you're interested in:

Burks Oakley, associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Illinois, says U of I offers more than 60 online certificate and degree programs, with more on the way. The school is creating what it calls a "fourth campus" or "global campus" to bring even more of its academic programs to the world.

"The key word to me has always been access," he says. "We call it anytime, anyplace learning." Oakley notes the increase in so-called "non-traditional" students -- those beyond the 18-22 age bracket with jobs, families, commitments -- drives the trend.

Questions to ask when choosing an online degree program

• How long has the school been offering online degrees?
• Is the cost the same as a classroom degree?
• Can I complete the entire degree online or will classroom time be required?
• Who are the faculty teaching the courses, and what level of experience do they have?
• Is the online degree program accredited?

DeVry is to Cool as Cool is to VH1

2006-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Looks like DeVry is trying to remake its image to attract younger students. I love the quote in the last paragraph below:

DeVry announced its intention to refill those classrooms in its September 2004 turnaround plan, and is now fleshing out its marketing strategy.

Today's tech-savvy, tattoo-sporting high school graduates demand a fresh approach, Taylor said.

"They've never seen a TV without a remote, they drink Red Bull and they wear their pants around their rear end [my emphasis - b]. You have to speak to that group of people in a language and mode they recognize and value," he said.

I love that. "How do we get young people to attend our school? You know? The young people? With the loud music, the Red Bull and the flip flops?"

Is a B.A. from US World and News Report Next?

2006-09-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Tom Taulli over at BloggingStocks isn't very impressed with the Kaplan/Newsweek MBA program:

OK, the big question is: What does Newsweek have to do with business?

I'm not sure. In fact, MBA students are probably puzzled, too. It's impossible to know how many business professors assign Newsweek as required reading, but it is probably a low number. Also, it's probably safe to say there have been few Nobel prize winners in Economics from Newsweek – much less articles that have changed the landscape of business...

Notes Optional

2006-09-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

UC Berkeley is posting lectures on Google Video:

The public can now go to the University of California, Berkeley, for free, with more than 100 course lectures now posted to Google Video.
Berkeley is putting dozens of videotaped seminars and even entire courses on the popular Web site.
Introductory level lectures are available in subjects from physics, biology and chemistry to information systems and bioengineering.

CEO of Career Education Resigns - Stock Jumps

2006-09-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

If I was this guy I wouldn't put this on my resume:

Shares of Career Education Corp. rose as much as 13.4 percent in morning trade on Tuesday, a day after the company announced that founder Jack Larson was stepping down as president and chief executive.

The for-profit higher education company said late on Monday that Larson, who has served as president and CEO since 1994, when he founded the company, would continue as chairman.
Career Education named lead director Robert Dowdell as interim CEO.

Career Education shares were up $2.84 at $23.84 in morning trade on Nasdaq but 43.7 percent below their year high of $42.59.

University of Phoenix Field?

2006-09-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! Finally, I can link to ESPN from this blog. The University of Phoenix bought the naming rights to the new Arizona Cardinals Stadium:

Brian Mueller, president of Apollo Group Inc., the University of Phoenix's parent company, told The Arizona Republic that the naming-rights deal is the first sports-marketing venture for the Apollo Group and is part of a major new branding campaign for the school.

The for-profit University of Phoenix is the nation's largest private university with 250,000 students, most of them working adults. Its parent company had $2.3 billion in revenue last year, ranking it among Arizona's largest companies.

"We want to lend more credibility to the students who earn degrees from here," Mueller said.

Newsweek + Kaplan = Degree

2006-09-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Never heard of anything like this before. Newsweek is partnering with Kaplan to offer an MBA degree:

Well, maybe it’s not quite that simple. But Newsweek is joining up with Kaplan Inc., the education service provider, to offer an online business degree called Kaplan University/Newsweek M.B.A. Executives at both Newsweek and Kaplan said they believed this was the first time a national media outlet had joined with an online degree program.

Perhaps a Business Degree is in Order?

2006-09-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Corinthian Colleges will miss an SEC filing:

Corinthian Colleges Inc. said on Monday it does not expect to file its fiscal 2006 annual report by an extended September 28 deadline, due to an incomplete internal review into its option grants.

Nothing fishy there I'm sure.

Better Than the "Pay It Forward" Movie I'm Sure

2006-09-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

University of Phoenix is offering a new scholarship program to celebrate their 30th anniversary:

The "University of Phoenix, Paying it Forward" scholarship program will give UoP alumni the opportunity to nominate someone they know who would benefit personally or professionally by earning a college degree.

The university will select 30 recipients of the full-tuition scholarship to pursue a bachelor's degree at the University of Phoenix in a program of their choosing.

Four More Years! Oh, that's different.

2006-09-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

University of Phoenix has a new president.

Education company Apollo Group Inc. announced Monday that William J. Pepicello will serve as President of the company's web-based University of Phoenix.

More Education Leads for ClassesUSA

2006-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

ClassesUSA, one of the largest online education lead generators, inked a deal to provide educational content to a network of TV websites:

ClassesUSA®, an Experian company, and WorldNow's Local Media Network (LMN) today announced a new advertising and content partnership. Users on more than 100 local station Web sites now have access to ClassesUSA's vast higher-education information while providing a new revenue stream for each LMN affiliate.

University of Phoenix On Campus is Expanding

2006-09-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Many online schools are opening campuses throughtout the country. University of Phoenix has expanded to Connecticut:

The University of Phoenix has opened its first Connecticut campus at 535 Connecticut Ave. The construction of its space on the fourth floor of the building is complete, it is actively recruiting faculty and its first classes — a business management course and an MBA — began in July. More class offerings will follow.

The majority of classes offered through the University of Phoenix are business oriented and held at night. All classes offered through the Norwalk campus are held on-site. The university is known nationally for offering on-line courses and degrees. It also started offering hybrid degrees whereby classes are offered online and on-campus.

According to Wilson, the University of Phoenix now has campuses in 40 states and boasts about 310,000 students.

Online High School: "Smart Kids Only" Sign in Window

2006-09-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Stanford is opening an online high school for gifted students:

Administrators said the school was designed to provide an environment for academically advanced high school students to realize their full potential.

The Stanford high school plans to enroll 30 sophomores, juniors and seniors in its first year. Administrators said it eventually will grow to 300 students.

Annual tuition for a full-time student costs $12,000, although the school will offer financial aid.

So I guess bullies will have to harass the smart kids via IM and MySpace?

Moms Going Back to School...Online

2006-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

There's always a lot of talk about business professionals getting their online degree but here's an interesting trend: Moms are going back to school.

When Carlyn Blake decided to get her master's degree, she had two kids under five and a full time job. "My primary study time was from 9 p.m. after they were in bed and asleep to about 1 in the morning," she recalls.

Four years later, Blake had her degree. Lots of other moms are heading back into the "virtual classroom" too-- 70% of online students are women.

Pretty cool.

Capella in the Bling!

2005-01-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

Capella Education is rasing more venture capital:

Capella, which runs the online Capella University, said Technology Crossover Ventures, of Palo Alto, Calfi., invested $35 million in Capella. Existing Capella shareholder Maveron, a Seattle venture firm tied to Starbucks Coffee Co. CEO Howard Schultz, also made an incremental investment of $7.5 million, and purchased an undisclosed number of shares from existing Capella investor Forstmann Little & Co., which sold a portion of its funds' holdings.

Demand for Online Education Seen Rising in 2005

2005-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

E-learning Demand to Double in 2005

Demand for online courses will almost double in 2005, as professionals and companies realize e-learning's distinct advantages, according to officials at RedVector.com, a Tampa-based company that offers online courses to professionals involved in the design and construction industries.

This article makes a good point that economics will be a driving factor in the growth of the online education sector. Companies can have employees earn specialized degrees without having to deal with travel costs or loss of productivity at work.

Online Education Gets Respect

2005-01-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

Great article from the Chicago Tribune, "Web option becomes a valid route to higher education":
Nearly one million students are pursuing an online degree, about 6 percent of all post-secondary enrollment, according to Eduventures, an education research and consulting firm in Boston.

The appeal is driven by greater access to and familiarity with the Web.

According to a College Board report this fall, the average bachelor's degree recipient can expect to earn roughly 73 percent more than a high school graduate over a 40-year working period. This difference is even more drastic with post-baccalaureate studies.

We need to 'Nip' this in the bud

2004-12-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Trinity Southern University is the online "school" that the state of Pennsylvania is sueing for selling fake degrees with the tag line, "no classes to attend--no tests to take!".

I think Pennsylvania may be on to something here. After all, they just gave an MBA to a cat:

Cat Gets MBA Degree From Online College
Kitty Had A 3.5 GPA

PHILADELPHIA -- Colby Nolan (pictured) is probably the first animal to hold this distinction -- an executive MBA from a university.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Jerry Pappert isn't amused, since Colby is a pet cat and a Texas-based online college allegedly gave the feline a degree for $399.

"I filed this lawsuit to stop a massive illegal spam campaign that not only defrauded consumers and employers, but damaged the reputations of numerous Pennsylvania businesses across 24 counties and a government office," Pappert said Monday.

Pappert's office used the pet cat to investigate an alleged scheme designed to promote and sell bogus online academic degrees.

Hat tip: NBC 10

Research people! Research!

2004-12-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania's attorney general on Monday sued two men for allegedly violating state law by sending out junk e-mail touting an online university that grants diplomas in 72 hours.

Court documents accuse the men of conducting a "massive illegal spam campaign" that used misleading subject lines, forged e-mail addresses and random dictionary words to thwart spam filters and sell "bogus academic degrees" from Trinity Southern University.

Trinity Southern University, which is not accredited by any recognized organization and claims to be based in Dallas, boasts that its degrees require "no classes to attend--no tests to take!" Doctoral degrees can be purchased online for $599, and an "executive MBA" program costs $499.

This is one reason I started this blog, so people could get information about the many online schools out there and the online education industry as a whole. But for crips sake! I think a college offering you a degree with no classes/exams or anything isn't on the level.

You know the rule, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Hat tip: CNet

AOL and ClassesUSA Partner

2004-12-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

New 'eLearning' site for AOL courtesy of ClassesUSA:

America Online and online degree portal ClassesUSA.com have partnered to provide AOL members with a directory of accredited online degree and certificate programs. As part of AOL's Research & Learn site, as of last week members could access ClassesUSA.com's list of more than 100 of the nation's top colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

According to education research firm Eduventures, nearly four million students will enroll in online learning programs by 2005. The online learning market is expected to grow more than 38% in 2004, to revenues of $5.1 billion. AOL plans to leverage those numbers with their upwardly mobile audience, said Moe.

Hat tip: AdWeek

Online Education is Entering the Mainstream

2004-12-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

Interesting study:

"Online learning is indeed entering the mainstream," says Frank Mayadas, president of Sloan-C. "Last year we found that a majority of academic leaders said online learning was just as good as traditional, face-to-face classroom instruction. This year's results confirm the finding and show that schools offering online courses believe their online students are at least as satisfied as those actually in the classroom."

Hat tip: Public CIO plus neat charts and graphs here

Online Education: For Kids! (Ok, not really)

2004-12-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

School briefs: Online education courses set for early childhood

DURHAM -- Durham's Partnership for Children has received a $35,250 grant to launch early-childhood courses through distance online learning.

The program, called Learner Link-Durham County, is intended to help with professional development for early-childhood educators.

About 30 educators will be able to take the Internet courses in the program's early phase, with the program expanding to reach more than 2,000 people by spring 2006.

Source: The Herald Sun

Online Education: Movin' and Shakin'

2004-12-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Yesssssss Career Education Corporation is facing a shareholder class action lawsuits, and a formal SEC inquiry but other than that it's earnings are going through the roof according to the Montley Fool:

Quarterly revenue up 39% and profits up 60%, both versus Q3 2003 results.
Year-to-date revenue up 53% and profits up 89%, both year-on-year.
Quarterly free cash flow up 166% versus Q3 2003.
Year-to-date free cash flow up 149% year-on-year.

DeVry Shares Rise on Merger Inquiry

2004-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

From Y! Finance:

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. (AP) -- Shares of DeVry Inc. jumped Wednesday with other education stocks following suit after the provider of technology educational programs said its board adopted a shareholder rights plan in response to an inquiry from an undisclosed company about a potential merger transaction.

Hmmm...

Online Education Enrollment Rising

2004-12-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article about the increased enrollment at online universities courtesy of the Daily Nebraskan.

Money quote:

Enrollment for online-education courses increased nationally last year and further growth is expected this year, according to a study done by the Sloan Consortium and the Sloan Center for Online Education.

The number of students registered for online classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has grown to 3,911 for the 2004 fiscal year, said Nancy Aden, director of Distance Education Services and Extended Education Outreach. The number has increased 12 to 14 percent in the last few years, she said.

Aden said this trend exists in a time when regular campus enrollment is declining.
In the next few years, UNL expects a 10 percent increase in students enrolled online, she said, which would be a slight drop from the 12 to 14 percent increase the university has experienced in the past few years.

Aden said the majority of UNL students participating in the distance education program’s online courses are graduate students. In general, the students range from 26 to 54 in age and hail from all across the United States.

“The students enrolled in online courses are typically female, working full-time and are enrolled in graduate school part-time,” Aden said.

“They are pursuing degrees to help their employment status.”

That's great news!