Online Universities Want Some Respect

Today, for-profit colleges enroll 9% of all students, many of them in online programs. It's safe to assume they'll soon have many more. While private colleges have taken huge hits to their endowments, and public universities weather historic cutbacks, for-profits like Clifford's keep costs down with innovative use of technology, publish metrics like job placements, and are open to any high-school graduate. They target under-served markets like first-generation students and working adults with convenience and a customer-service ethic. But questions about quality linger. Read more at:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/141/universities-inc.html

Comments

[M_M]

I'll respect the for-profit online schools when the students receive proper support. We have students from 3 large names coming into the public library. Many receive little or inaccurate help from their teachers and research sources. We get requests for basic materials in the field that the school should provide. I've seen the chat referring them to us for things like the Occupational Outlook and to request ILL for journal articles that I could find in the school's own databases (common titles in basic Ebsco sources). How do these schools pass accreditation? My degree was 50% online with a huge difference in quality from the for-profits. I don't want it tarnished by these institutions.