University of Phoenix

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University of Phoenix
File:UofPhoenixLogo.png
MottoThinking Ahead
TypePrivate, For-profit
Established1976
PresidentBill Pepicello
Academic staff
20,000+
Undergraduates220,000+
Postgraduates60,000+
Location
Phoenix
,
Arizona
,
USA
CampusUrban
Locations204 campuses & learning centers[1]
Websitephoenix.edu

The University of Phoenix (UPX) is a for-profit educational institution that specializes in adult education. The largest private university in North America, UPX has an enrollment of more than 345,300 students.[2] The school was founded in 1976 by Dr. John Sperling and is owned by the Apollo Group, Inc.[1] The university has more than 200 campuses offering more than 100 degree programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels in various fields of study.[2]

History

In the early 1970s, at San Jose State University in California, John Sperling and several associates conducted field-based research in adult education. The focus of the research was to explore teaching/learning systems for the delivery of educational programs and services to working adult students who wished to complete or further their education in ways that complemented both their experience and current professional responsibilities. At that time colleges and universities were organized primarily around serving the needs of the 18-22 year old undergraduate student given that the large majority of those enrolled were residential students of traditional college age, just out of high school. “According to Sperling, working adult students were often invisible on traditional campuses and treated as second-class citizens.”[3]

With a first class of only eight students[4] , Sperling founded the university in 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona.[3] In 1980, the school expanded to San Jose, California. By 1989, the university had become one of the first providing an online program for students.[5]

University of Phoenix is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group, Inc. publicly traded on Nasdaq: APOL and is a S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona. UPX was the top recipient of federal assistance for the 2008 fiscal year, receiving over $2.8 billion in federal monies to fund student financial aid programs.[6] The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona is a municipal sports arena, best known as the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and the site of the NCAA's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The University paid $154.5 million for 20 year naming rights for advertising purposes.[7]

Note: University of Phoenix was once abbreviated as "UoP," but is now "UPX."[8]

Campuses

UPX West Florida branch campus in St. Petersburg. The bottom floors are used by UPX for undergraduate/graduate courses.

UPX has campuses and learning centers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and the Netherlands.[9] While UPX specializes in online programs, the campuses offer additional programs and services.[10] Online students are also able to utilize tutoring/social centers which can also be used for social and student learning interactions. The first center opened in 2007 in Plano, Tex.[11]

Academic Profile

The university offers several different programs of study, all administered through four colleges—the John Sperling School of Business and Technology, the Artemis School (administering art, education, and health fields), the School of Advanced Studies (overseeing doctoral programs), and Axia College (managing associate's degrees).[12] In addition to its traditional education programs, UPX offers continuing education courses for teachers and practitioners, professional development courses for companies, and specialized courses of study for military personnel.[13]

Admission requirements differ by prospective degree and field of study; however, most require current full-time employment, a satisfactory TOEFL score, and a corresponding benchmark diploma or degree (GED needed to enter associate's and bachelor's degree programs, bachelor's degree needed to enter master's program, etc.). Specific programs may require certain GPAs, so many years of applicable work experience, and background tests and immunizations for on-campus study.[14] Undergraduate tuition averages $12,000 per year.[15]

Students spend 20 to 24 hours with an instructor during each course, compared with about 40 hours at a traditional university. The university also requires students to teach one another by working on projects for four or five hours per week in what it calls “learning teams,” wherein students engage classmates in course material discussions. The abbreviated courses and the use of learning teams has caused concern among some academicians and former students.[16] The course schedule is more convenient for professionals who can log on anytime.[17]UPX uses a standardized course format that does not allow individual faculty to choose the course materials.[18]

Online Services and Education

Upon registering for a class, students pay a fee for access to online resources. This resource fee provides them full access to an electronic library, textbooks and other ancillary material required for the course. The university says that the electronic textbooks include search features and hyperlinks to glossary terms that make the books easier to use when working on research papers and other documents. [19]

Jeff Silber, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, estimates that around 75 per cent of UPX students are enrolled in online courses of some form.[4]

In 2008, UPX was ranked #25 in the world for online degree programs by OEDb.[20]

Accreditation

UPX is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission as a member of the North Central Association.[21] It also has accreditation for a variety of its specialty degree programs, including:

Nursing Accreditation — The B.S. in Nursing and the M.S. in Nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).[22]
Business Accreditation — All business programs from the Associate to the Doctoral levels have specialty accreditation through the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).[23]
Teacher Education Accreditation — The M.A. in Education degree program is preaccredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) for a period of five years, from December 20, 2007 to December 20, 2012.[24]
Counseling Accreditation — The M.S. in Counseling degree program in Community Counseling and the M.S. in Counseling degree program in Mental Health Counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).[25]

Research

In May 2008, the school announced the formation of the University of Phoenix National Research Center. It is designed to study which teaching methods work best for nontraditional students. The development of the research center is under advisement by a board comprising a former dean of education at the University of Virginia; a consultant on learning and a former official with the College Board; and the president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.[26]

People

Students

The average age of a UPX student is is between 33 (undergraduate) and 36 (graduate), and most students have work related commitments.[27] Additionally, nearly two-thirds of the University's students are women. The majority of UPX students study business (undergraduate students representing 29.9% and graduate students 12.9%), followed closely by those enrolled in Axia College for associate's degrees (28.1%).[28]

Faculty

The University's faculty consists of approximately 1,500 core faculty and 20,000 associate faculty members. All have masters or doctorate degrees.[29] Approximately 95% of UPX faculty are part-time compared with an average of 47% across all universities.[16] Pre-screened instructional candidates participate in a training program in the modality in which they teach, which has the effect of weeding out (40%-50%) of the less committed or capable applicants.[30]

Diversity

The 2008 UPX Academic Report[31] shows a highly diverse student and faculty makeup. According to demographic information in the report, on average the student/faculty population is significantly more diverse than that of most higher education institutions. African-Americans make up more than 15% of UPX's 22,000 faculty members, with about 6% as Hispanic. The national average in recent years showed about 5% as African-American with about 3% as Hispanic. The UPX student population is approximately 25% African-American and almost 13% Hispanic. This is as compared to national statistics from recent years showing 12% African-American populations and 10% Hispanics nationally.[32] UPX graduates a larger number of underrepresented students with master's degrees in business, health care and education than any other U.S. School. It is also ranked as the highest in graduating African American and American Indian students with master's degrees for all other disciplines. The underlying data for these conclusions was provided by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the '05-'06 academic year. [33]

Notable alumni

Criticism

Quality of education

  • There have been concerns that UPX does not properly balance value to students and profits to shareholders,[38] though UPX claims that standardized testing in reading, writing, and mathematical skills for UPX students show that they improve at a better rate on average than for students at most other schools.[32]
  • By the United States Department of Education graduation standards the UPX rate is only 16%. Compared to the national average of 55% it is among the nation's lowest. UPX and some education experts assert that the federal standard is antiquated because it only measures first time students with no previous college credit[39] and uses measurements that skew against economically disadvantaged and minority students.[40] The university response claims that the federal standard only applies to 7% of the total UPX student community[41] and publishes its own nonstandard graduation rate of 59% to account for its overwhelming population of non-traditional students.[16]

Legal issues

  • A 2003 federal whistle-blower/false claims lawsuit accuses UPX of fraud in obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid. It is set for trial in September 2009.[48][38][16][49][50] The school counters that the lawsuit is a legal manipulation by two former UPX employees over a matter previously resolved with the U.S. Department of Education.[51]
  • The university has had various labor and government regulatory related issues. It paid $3.5 million to settle alleged violation of overtime compensation provision with the Department of Labor.[52][53] It is presently being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for alleged religious discrimination favoring Mormon enrollment counselors.[54] It settled allegations by the United States Department of Education for $6 million in March 2000 because government auditors noted that the teaching schedule fell short of the minimum time required to qualify for financial aid.[55][16][38] The United States Department of Education also ordered the university to pay $650,000 for failing to promptly refund loans and grants for students who withdrew.[38]
  • In January 2008, UPX’s parent company, Apollo Group, Inc. was found guilty of fraud for misleading investors. [56] U.S. District Judge James Teilborg recently overturned the verdict, ruling that the evidence was not sufficient. [57]

References

  1. ^ a b "UPX Campus Locations". Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  2. ^ a b University of Phoenix provides growth opportunities for working adults Lee Allen, Accessed 18 September, 2008
  3. ^ a b New Models For Higher Education: Creating an Adult-Centered Institution Craig Swenson, Accessed 18 Sept, 2008
  4. ^ a b Andrew FarrellForbes (hosted on CBCNews), The Web Billionaires, September 19, 2008
  5. ^ Telephony Online, Desktop degrees, University of Phoenix takes education on-line, May 26, 1997
  6. ^ Top 100 Recipients of Federal Assistance for FY 2008, www.usaspending.gov, US government
  7. ^ U. of Phoenix Basks in the Super Exposure the Super Bowl Brings, The Chronicle of Higher Education, by GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK, August 28, 2008.
  8. ^ Reuters, Officers and Directors For Apollo Group Inc, Accessed July 18, 2008
  9. ^ Apollo Group Enters Mexican Education Market
  10. ^ University of Phoenix fills online, campus classrooms Bob Pepalis, Accessed 18 September, 2008
  11. ^ University of Phoenix Opens First Resource Center, Dallas Business Journal, July 19, 2007
  12. ^ "University of Phoenix-Just the Facts". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  13. ^ "UoP Online and Campus Programs". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  14. ^ "UoP Admission Requirements". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  15. ^ "UoP Fact Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  16. ^ a b c d e Sam Dillon, Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits, The New York Times, February 11, 2007.
  17. ^ [1] University Of Phoenix Opens Campus In Columbia
  18. ^ Student Catalogue, University of Phoenix 2007 Student Catalogue
  19. ^ E-Books Make Learning Cheaper Wendy Leonard, Accessed 09/11/08
  20. ^ "OEDb's Online College Rankings 2008". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  21. ^ [www.ncahlc.org]
  22. ^ CCNE-Accredited Baccalaureate and Master's Nursing Degree Programs
  23. ^ Current ACBSP Educational Institution Members
  24. ^ TEAC members by state
  25. ^ Directory
  26. ^ U. of Phoenix Draws Big Names to Advisory Panel on New Center on Teaching Adults Chronicle of Higher Education 2008-05-27
  27. ^ Why Recent Criticism of the University of Phoenix is Unjustified, Rhonda P. Urban
  28. ^ University of Phoenix 2007 Fact Book
  29. ^ University of Phoenix Faculty Overview Accessed February 17, 2008
  30. ^ [2] ECAR Case Study 4
  31. ^ 2008 UPX Annual Academic Report
  32. ^ a b U. of Phoenix Says Test Scores Vindicate Its Academic Model, Chronicle of Higher Education, BLUMENSTYK June 13, 2008
  33. ^ University of Phoenix Ranks #1 in Graduating Master's Degree Students from Underrepresented Populations, Hispanic PR Wire
  34. ^ United States Navy Biography US Navy Website, Accessed March 13, 2008
  35. ^ Events, drive keep DOT chief in the spotlight, USA Today website accessed February 12, 2008
  36. ^ The Big Executive? Shaq masters MBA MSNBC Website, Accessed February 12, 2008
  37. ^ Howard Schmidt Biography, AEI Speakers Bureau Accessed February 12, 2008
  38. ^ a b c d Dealing in Diplomas, For the University of Phoenix, college is a big business - and getting bigger, The Dallas Morning News, February 28, 2004 by Katherine Yung
  39. ^ Underserved Students Make Progress at For-profit Institutions Diverse; Issues in Higher Education, June 9, 2008
  40. ^ Distorted Statistics on Graduation Rates The Chronicle of Higher Education (reprinted at Susan Ohanian.org, July 6, 2007, by Paul Attewell and David E. Lavin, professors of sociology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
  41. ^ National Association of Student Aid Administrators website, University of Phoenix Responds to New York Times Article
  42. ^ EEOC Settles Claim with University of Phoenix, Associated Press, August 29, 2007
  43. ^ Student-recruitment Tactics at University of Phoenix Blasted by Feds Univ. of Phoenix Audit Leads to $9.8 mil Fine The Arizona Republic, September 14, 2004, by Dawn Gilbertson
  44. ^ University of Phoenix Receives Record Fine Austin Business Journal, September 14, 2004]
  45. ^ U. of Phoenix Uses Pressure in Recruiting, Report Says - Institution disputes charges that it pumps up enrollment through illegal tactics, Chronicle of Higher Education, by Goldie Blumenstyk, October 8, 2004
  46. ^ US DOE Program Review Report
  47. ^ US DOE and U. of Phoenix Settlement Agreement
  48. ^ University of Phoenix fraud case goes forwardL.A. Times, August 21, 2007
  49. ^ List of Court Documents Related to False Claims Suit
  50. ^ Lisa M. Krieger Lawsuit: University of Phoenix breached ethics, laws, San Jose Mercury , Jun 23, 2007.
  51. ^ United States of America ex rel. Hendow v. University of Phoenix Apollo Group Legal Information Center, accessed July 18, 2008
  52. ^ University of Phoenix, Dept. of Labor Reach Overtime Agreement The Phoenix Business Journal, July 23, 2004
  53. ^ Apollo to pay Department of Labor $2M-$3M to Settle Case Austin Business Journal, July 17, 2004.
  54. ^ Worker Bias Suit Targets University of Phoenix-School Favors Mormons, EEOC says September 28, 2006, by Dawn Gilbertson
  55. ^ University of Phoenix Reaches $6M Settlement The Business Journal of Phoenix, March 28, 2000
  56. ^ Jury Finds U of Phoenix Parent Company Liable for $280 Million Chronicle of Higher Education January 16, 2008
  57. ^ Judge Overturns $280 Million Verdict Against the Apollo Group, Chronicle of Higher Education, August 5, 2008

External links

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