Academic Partnerships??

[Wahoo Redux]

Turns out we have an under-the-radar association with this company.

Academic Partnerships

Just curious if anybody has had any experience working with (for) them?

[Hibush]

Turns out we have an under-the-radar association with this company.

Academic Partnerships

Just curious if anybody has had any experience working with (for) them?

Senators Warren and Brown have been on the case of Online Program Managers like that for the past year. They suspect the companies of failiing to deliver education while using the prestige of the universities that co-brand with them to charge exprbitant fees for their inferior product.

CHE had an update last week.

[dismalist]

Turns out we have an under-the-radar association with this company.

Academic Partnerships

Just curious if anybody has had any experience working with (for) them?

Senators Warren and Brown have been on the case of Online Program Managers like that for the past year. They suspect the companies of failiing to deliver education while using the prestige of the universities that co-brand with them to charge exprbitant fees for their inferior product.

CHE had an update last week.

I have seen a university sell part of its soul to such a devil. The way it woiks is that the devil is enticing the college with potential future dollars. The college bureaucracy is dysfunctional enough to pay lots now and every year for something it could do itself. [This is a classic make or buy decision. From what I've seen, make it, don't buy it.] Warren & Co. should investigate the universities for stupidity, not the devils for exploiting stupidity. There's too much money around.

[clean]

They market our online MBA program.

In my state, they also market some of the other graduate programs.... One university in my state had them market their EDD degree (doctor of education).  I heard that there was a limit, but the next thing they knew they had far exceeded that number.  It has been a while since I had 'inside information' (I knew one of the deans there) but I understand that each faculty member in the Col of Ed was chairing 10 dissertations!  and serving on loads of others as committee members as well! 

I dont know if this is really a problem with AP or that the administration thought that the faculty would just be HAPPY to take on the added load with no additional faculty lines! 

My experience is a mix of issues between what AP wants and how the administration has responded to make it happen. 

For instance, we have 7 week classes in the online MBA program.  All classes had to be approved and as part of the approval to be included we had to have a Daily Schedule!  Great... NO Problem.... EXCEPT that the registrar can not count to 49, so we have some terms with 43 day terms and some with 58 or  more days!  Instead of adding a term for those classes/students, the admin just forced them into an existing schedule that was not, as you can see, appropriate! 

Of course the Biggest deal is that there is a HUGE commission that is paid to AP.   As a business faculty member, that really does not bother me much. IF you look at industry the commissioned sales people at many companies are among the top paid people!  They bring in the clients, so they earn the commission, that would not exist if they did not bring the clients in (drum up the business!)

But some admincritter ever so often seems to think that We Can Do This ourselves AND Keep that Money!!  And then they try to do it and if fails terribly.

So hopefully, your administration came to the table well informed, negotiated a deal that the university can live with, holds AP's feet to the fire to make sure that THEY hold up their end of the deal, and the ADMINCRITTER did not Overpromise the work that YOU (the faculty) will have to do!!


When the faculty approved an online program, for instance, we proposed that after 30 Graduate Students (mind you) in a class, a second class would be added.   Soon, the dean and interim provost decided that they could not make money doing that, so FOR ME, I was given a class of 75 with NO HELP AT ALL!!  (in addition to the rest of my load).  Remember, the class had already been approved, and what is appropriate load for a class and faculty member with a 30 person class is NOT appropriate for a 75 person class WITH NO HELP!

So, as I said, I am not sure that all of my complaints fall at the feet of AP or the idiot, interim, arrogant, asshole, provost & shithead (now former) dean.

Fortunately, after several faculty complaints, the administration has since provided additional help with/for classes above a certain number.  AS a reaction, many classes are now limited to one less student than is required to have to hire the assistant! 

Also on the positive side, the online programs have taken off and the College of Business is now the largest college in terms of credit hour production.  However, that seems to impress no one and does not seem to provide any benefit to the college or the faculty in particular.  It is something that the new dean can brag about, but not 'monetize'.