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University of Phoenix
File:University of Phoenix.svg
MottoThinking Ahead
TypePrivate, For-profit (Nasdaq: APOL),
Established1976
PresidentBill Pepicello
Undergraduates412,000
Postgraduates78,000
Location
Phoenix
,
Arizona
,
USA
CampusUrban
Locations204 campuses & learning centers, online[1]
Websitephoenix.edu

The University of Phoenix (UPX) is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded (Nasdaq: APOL), an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona.

With a student body in North America second only to the State University of New York, it has a current enrollment of 420,700 undergraduate students and 78,000 graduate students,[2][3] or 224,880 full-time equivalent students.[4]

The university has more than 200 campuses worldwide and confers degrees in over 100 degree programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.[3]

University of Phoenix has an open enrollment admission policy other than requiring a high-school diploma, GED, or its equivalent.[5] The school also provides associate's or bachelor's degree applicants opportunity for advanced placement through its Prior Learning Assessment, which, aside from previous coursework, college credit can come from experiential learning essays, corporate training, and certificates or Licenses.[6]

History

File:UPX.HQ.jpg
University of Phoenix Headquarters, Phoenix, Arizona

Founding

Phoenix was founded by John Sperling, who felt that "working adult students were often invisible on traditional campuses and treated as second-class citizens."[7] Started in 1976 the Phoenix metropolitan area,[7] the first class consisted of eight students.[8] In 1980, the school expanded to San Jose, California, and in 1989, the university launched its online program.[9]

In 2000, the government fined UOPX $6 million for failing to include study-group meetings as instructional hours. In 2002, the Department of Education relaxed requirements covering instructional hours.[10][11][12]

A 2003 federal whistle-blower/false-claims lawsuit filed by two former UOPX admission counselors alleged that the university improperly obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid by paying its admission counselors solely based on the number of students they enrolled in violation of the Higher Education Act.[10][11][13][14][15] Six years later, Apollo, UOPX's parent company, agreed to settle the dispute by paying the United States $67.5 million, plus $11 in attorneys' fees, without acknowledging any wrongdoing.[16][17]

In 2004, as a result of the filing of the false-claims lawsuit, the Department of Education performed a program review and alleged that UOPX had violated Higher Education Act provisions that prohibit distributing financial incentives to admission representatives, had pressured its recruiters to enroll students, and had concealed the practices from the Department.[18] UOPX disputed the findings but paid a record $9.8 million dollar fine as part of a settlement where it admitted no wrongdoing and was not required to return any financial aid funds.[19][20][21][22] UOPX's President states that though recruiters are paid a commission based on the number of students enrolled, their compensation is not based solely on that criteria, which makes the practice legal.[23] Also that year, the university paid $3.5 million to settle alleged violation of overtime compensation provision with the Department of Labor.[24][25]

File:CSPAN 3 8.4.2010 UoP internal chart.png
A 2010 government hearing investigates Phoenix's sales tactics

In May 2008, the university announced the formation of the University of Phoenix National Research Center, designed to study which teaching methods work best for nontraditional students.[26] That year, the school was also the top recipient of student financial aid funds, receiving nearly $2.48 billion.[27]

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education provided a preliminary report to the university that cited untimely return of unearned Title IV funds for more than 10 percent of sampled students. The report also expressed a concern that some students enroll and begin attending classes before completely understanding the implications of enrollment, including their eligibility for student financial aid. As a result, in January 2010, its parent company, Apollo Group Inc., was required to post a letter of credit for $125 million by January 30 of the same year.[28] Later that year, UOPX agreed to pay $1.89 million to settle allegations by the EEOC for alleged religious discrimination favoring Mormon enrollment counselors.[29] In settling these matters, University of Phoenix did not admit any liability or wrongdoing.

In 2010, Phoenix came under government scrutiny after its Phoenix and Philadelphia campuses were found to have been engaging in deceptive enrollment practices and fradulent solicitation of FAFSA funds.[30][31]

Campuses and online services

Registration desk at Phoenix's Hawaii Campus

The university has campuses and learning centers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and the Netherlands.[32] While the school specializes in online programs, the campuses offer additional programs and services.[33] 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, Tx.[34] Students have access to class-specific online resources, which include an electronic library, textbooks, and other ancillary material required for a 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.[35]

Through its online portal, or eCampus, University of Phoenix students also have access to software required for coursework. Available, for example, are virtual companies created by the university to provide students with assignments, which Adam Honea, UOPX's dean and provost, claims are more realistic than those available with case studies.[36]

In 2009, the University of Phoenix was ranked #28 out of 44 ranked Colleges and Universities that offer online degree programs by OEDb.[37]

Academics

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).[38] In addition to its traditional education programs, the school offers continuing education courses for teachers and practitioners, professional development courses for companies, and specialized courses of study for military personnel.[39]

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 collaborate by working on learning team projects, wherein the class will be divided into learning teams of four to five students. Each learning team is assigned a team forum where team members will discuss the project and submit their agreed upon portions of the learning team assignment for compilation by the nominated learning team leader. The concept of learning teams is somewhat uncommon in traditional academia; however, the University of Phoenix believes that collaborating on projects and having individuals rely on each other reflects the real working conditions of the corporate world.[40] Some academic traditionalists and former students feel the abbreviated courses and the use of learning teams results in an inferior education.[10][11][23] The course schedule may be more convenient for professionals who can log on anytime.[41]

Some have criticized Phoenix for lack of academic rigor. Henry M. Levin, a professor of higher education at Teachers College at Columbia University, called its business degree an "MBA Lite," saying "I’ve looked at [its] course materials. It’s a very low level of instruction."[11] One instructor at the university also explained that he could only cover a fraction of the syllabus because he said that the university required him to cram too much information into too few sessions.[11] Some of the concern is also that because the university is a for-profit institution, academic quality must then suffer.[10][11][16][23] Critics charge that students of such schools often find their degrees to be worthless when they are not useful to get the jobs they had hoped for,[42] and as a result, many such students default on their educational loans.[opinion]

Admissions and financial aid

The University of Phoenix has an open admissions policy.[43] However, students entering with fewer than 24 previously earned college credits are required to complete a three week orientation workshop at no cost.[44] Students must successfully complete the orientation workshop in order to be eligible to start their first credit/cost bearing course. Students who do not complete the workshop after two attempts, must wait out six months before attempting again.

Eligible applicants may apply for financial aid, including the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), Federal Pell Grant, National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), Federal Direct Student Loan Program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Perkins Loan, and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant).[45] Students at for-profit institutions represent only 9% of all college students, but receive roughly 25% of all Federal Pell Grants and loans, and are responsible for 44% of all student loan defaults. For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the University of Phoenix student body received more Pell Grants ($656.9 million) than that of any other university.[46][47]

Rankings

2009 Online Education Database ranked the school 28 out of 44 for best accredited Online Universities.[48]

Accreditation

The University of Phoenix was regionally accredited in 1978 by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). It also has accreditation for a variety of its specialty degree programs.

In nursing, Phoenix's B.S. and M.S. degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE),[49] which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.[50] In teacher education, the university's M.A. in Education degree program is pre-accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) for a period of five years, from December 20, 2007, to December 20, 2012.[51] The TEAC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the CHEA.[50] With regards to counseling, its 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).[52] The CACREP is recognized by the CHEA.[50]

All business programs for Phoenix have specialty accreditation through the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), one of the two accreditors of business schools that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).[50][53] Because Phoenix's business programs are not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), some companies will not provide tuition reimbursement for employees attending Phoenix.[11][54][55][56] Phoenix, parenthetically, has never applied for AACSB accreditation but would have difficulty gaining such accreditation due to its "come-and-go faculty" model.[11][23]

Organization and administration

University of Phoenix Stadium, a municipal sports arena for which the corporation paid for naming rights.

University of Phoenix is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group, a S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, and it abbreviates its name as UOPX.[57] The university has been cited as an example of for-profit colleges that operate to receive government educational subsidies.[58]

The university paid $154.5 million for 20-year naming rights for advertising purposes of the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, a municipal sports arena, home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, and the site of the NCAA's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The university does not itself participate in intercollegiate sports.[59]

People

Students

The average age of a University of Phoenix student is between 33 (undergraduate) and 36 (graduate), and most students have work-related commitments.[60] The University states that nearly two-thirds of its students are women and that a plurality of students attending the school 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%).[61][62]

The student population is approximately 25% African-American and almost 13% Latino.[63] The university graduates the largest number of underrepresented students with Master's degrees in business, health care, and education than any other U.S. school.[64][65] The University of Phoenix was also named one of the nation's top 20 institutions of higher education favorable to military personnel according to the December 2008 issue of Military Advanced Education. Nearly 29,000 active-duty military, their spouses, and veterans were enrolled in University of Phoenix degree programs at that time with more than 7,200 military members or veterans graduated from the university during that year.[66][67]

When calculated by the federal standard used by the Department of Education, UOPX's overall graduation rate is 16%, which, when compared to the national average of 55%, is among the nation's lowest. The federal standard measures graduation rates as the percentage of first-time undergraduates who obtain a degree within six years. The number is significantly lower at its Southern California campus (6%) and its online programs (4%). This measurement does not take into consideration the typical University of Phoenix student that comes to the University as a drop out from another institution so is not a first time college student.[11] University of Phoenix acknowledges the 16% graduation rate but takes exception to the Federal standard used to calculate the rate, noting that the rate is based upon criteria that includes only 7% of UOPX's student population.[23] The institution publishes its own nonstandard graduation rate of 59% to account for its large population of non-traditional students.[11]

Faculty

The university's faculty consists of approximately 1,500 core faculty and 20,000 associate (aka, part-time or adjunct) faculty members and that all have Master's or Doctorate degrees.[68] UOPX's reliance on part-time faculty—95 percent of Phoenix instructors teach part time, compared to an average of 47 percent nationwide—has been criticized by regulators and academic critics. UOPX's instructors describe themselves as delivering course material, since most of the classes are centrally crafted and standardized across teachers in order to ensure consistency and reduce costs for the school. Additionally, faculty members do not get tenure.[10][11][23] According to a University of Phoenix officer, pre-screened instructional candidates participate in a training program in the discipline in which they teach, which he states has the effect of weeding out 40%–50% of the less committed or capable applicants.[69]

African-Americans make up more than 15% of the university's 22,000 faculty members, with about 6% as Latino.[63]

Alumni

Main article: List of University of Phoenix alumni

Alumni of UOPX include U.S. Navy Admiral Kirkland H. Donald,[70] current White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt,[71] former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters '94,[72] four-time NBA Championship-winner Shaquille O’Neal '05,[73] and three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie.[74][75]

See also

References

  1. ^ "UPX Campus Locations". Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  2. ^ Apollo Group Inc. Reports Fiscal 2009 Third Quarter Results, Forbes, BusinessWire, June 29, 2009[dead link‍]
  3. ^ a b University of Phoenix provides growth opportunities for working adults Lee Allen. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  4. ^ "The Almanac of Higher Education". The Chronicle of Higher Education. LVI (1): 5. August 28, 2009.
  5. ^ "University of Phoenix Admissions Profiles". Eduers.com. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  6. ^ http://beta.phoenix.edu/admissions/prior_learning_assessment.html[dead link‍]
  7. ^ a b New Models For Higher Education: Creating an Adult-Centered Institution Craig Swenson. Retrieved 18 Sept, 2008.
  8. ^ Andrew Farrell Forbes (hosted on CBCNews), The Web Billionaires, September 19, 2008
  9. ^ "Telephony Online, ''Desktop degrees, University of Phoenix takes education on-line'', May 26, 1997". Telephonyonline.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  10. ^ a b c d e 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
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sam Dillon, Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits, The New York Times, February 11, 2007. Cite error: The named reference "Dillon021107" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ "University's Owner Settles Federal Dispute Over Student Aid". New York Times. May 14, 2000. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  13. ^ "''United States of America ex rel. Hendow v. University of Phoenix, Second Amended Complaint''" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  14. ^ "List of Court Documents Related to False Claims Suit". Kroplaw.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  15. ^ Lisa M. Krieger Lawsuit: University of Phoenix breached ethics, laws, San Jose Mercury , Jun 23, 2007.
  16. ^ a b Gilbertson, Dawn (October 4, 2009). "University of Phoenix case may get closure". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  17. ^ "For-Profit Educator to Pay $67.5 Million Settlement". Wall Street Journal. Dec. 15, 2009. p. B4. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "US DOE Program Review Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  19. ^ 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
  20. ^ University of Phoenix Receives Record Fine Austin Business Journal, September 14, 2004
  21. ^ "''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" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  22. ^ US DOE and U. of Phoenix Settlement Agreement[dead link‍]
  23. ^ a b c d e f Katherine Mangu-Ward from the July 2008 issue. ""Education for Profit-Why is everyone flaming the University of Phoenix?" Reason, Katherine Mangu-Ward, July 2008 Print Edition". Reason.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ University of Phoenix, Dept. of Labor Reach Overtime Agreement The Phoenix Business Journal, July 23, 2004
  25. ^ Apollo to pay Department of Labor $2M-$3M to Settle Case Austin Business Journal, July 17, 2004.
  26. ^ U. of Phoenix Draws Big Names to Advisory Panel on New Center on Teaching Adults Chronicle of Higher Education 2008-05-27
  27. ^ Top 100 Recipients of Federal Assistance for FY 2008, www.usaspending.gov, US government
  28. ^ "Apollo Repaid Education Aid Late, Gave Lax Counseling". Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  29. ^ Bias lawsuit settled by Apollo Group November 4, 2008, by Dawn Gilbertson
  30. ^ Lauerman, John (2010-08-04). "For-Profit Colleges Misled Students, Witnesses Say". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  31. ^ Bloomberg August 4, 2010 article
  32. ^ Apollo Group Enters Mexican Education Market[dead link‍]
  33. ^ University of Phoenix fills online, campus classrooms Bob Pepalis. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  34. ^ "University of Phoenix Opens First Resource Center, Dallas Business Journal, July 19, 2007". Bizjournals.com. 2007-07-19. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  35. ^ Leonard, Wendy (August 25, 2008). "E-Books Make Learning Cheaper". Deseret News. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  36. ^ University Offers Real Job Training at Unreal Companies, by Paula Wasley, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 8, 2008
  37. ^ "OEDb's Online College Rankings". Oedb.org. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  38. ^ "University of Phoenix-Just the Facts". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  39. ^ "UoP Online and Campus Programs". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  40. ^ "Learning Teams - University of Phoenix". Phoenix.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  41. ^ "University Of Phoenix Opens Campus in Columbia<, Bnet, South Carolina Business, April 1, 2007 by Jodie Ploessi". Findarticles.com. 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  42. ^ Greg Eisenbarth, The Online Education Market: A Crossroads for Higher Education & Business, Online University Consortium: "A 2003 study of HR professionals indicated that "the majority of the HR professionals surveyed would select a job candidate with an online degree from a traditional school...over a job candidate with a degree from an organization such as the University of Phoenix."
  43. ^ National Center for Education Statistics (2008). "College Navigator - University of Phoenix". Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  44. ^ http://www.phoenix.edu/students/how-it-works/student_experience/orientation-workshop.html
  45. ^ http://www.phoenix.edu/tuition_and_financial_options/financial_options/federal_financial_aid.html
  46. ^ "New Default Rate Data for Federal Student Loans: 44% of Defaulters Attended For-Profit Institutions - The Pew Charitable Trusts". Pewtrusts.org. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  47. ^ http://www.trends-collegeboard.com/student_aid/pdf/2009_Trends_Student_Aid.pdf[dead link‍]
  48. ^ "OEDb's Online College Rankings 2009: The Best Online Universities". Oedb.org. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  49. ^ CCNE-Accredited Baccalaureate and Master's Nursing Degree Programs
  50. ^ a b c d "List of CHEA Institutions" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  51. ^ "TEAC members by state". Teac.org. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  52. ^ "Directory of CACREP Accredited Programs" (PDF). Cacrep.org. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  53. ^ "Current ACBSP Educational Institution Members". Acbsp.org. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  54. ^ Dawn Gilbertson, Losing Intel a blow to school, Arizona Republic, Dec 5, 2006
  55. ^ Stu Woo, Intel Cuts 100 Colleges From Its Tuition-Reimbursement Program for Employees, The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 2, 2007.
  56. ^ "''University of Phoenix Staggers Under Growing Criticism'', ConsumerAffairs.com, by Truman Lewis, February 11, 2007". Consumeraffairs.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  57. ^ "Apollo Group Trademark Guidelines shows Apollo Group owns UOPX, but not UOP. The trademark UOP belongs to UOP LLC". Apollogrp.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  58. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amitai-etzioni/warning-profit-making-col_b_629213.html
  59. ^ Howard, Jennifer (2008-01-31). "''U. of Phoenix Basks in the Super Exposure the Super Bowl Brings'', The Chronicle of Higher Education, by GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK, August 28, 2008". Chronicle.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  60. ^ http://www.sgh.waw.pl/bos/. "Why Recent Criticism of the University of Phoenix is Unjustified, Rhonda P. Urban, Ementor, ezine by Warsaw School of Economics". E-mentor.edu.pl. Retrieved 2010-09-03. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)
  61. ^ "University of Phoenix 2007 Fact Book". Phoenix.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  62. ^ "U. of Phoenix Says Test Scores Vindicate Its Academic Model, Chronicle of Higher Education, BLUMENSTYK June 13, 2008" (PDF). Upxnewsroom.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  63. ^ a b 2008 UPX Annual Academic Report[dead link‍]
  64. ^ "University of Phoenix Ranks #1 in Graduating Master's Degree Students from Underrepresented Populations, Hispanic PR Wire". Hispanicprwire.com. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  65. ^ Nealy, Michael (August 20, 2009). "Pride and Peril: Historically Black Colleges and Universities". Diverse - Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  66. ^ "University of Phoenix Ranked Among the Best in Serving Military and Veteran Students, PR Newswire". Redorbit.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  67. ^ "Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities" (PDF). KMI Media Group and Military Advanced Education. 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  68. ^ University of Phoenix Faculty Overview. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  69. ^ "Supporting E-Learning at the University of Phoenix" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  70. ^ United States Navy Biography U.S. Navy Web Site. Retrieved March 13, 2008.
  71. ^ Howard Schmidt, cybersecurity 'czar': Who is he? Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  72. ^ Adams, Marilyn (2008-02-05). "Events, drive keep DOT chief in the spotlight, USA Today Web Site accessed February 12, 2008". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  73. ^ The Big Executive? Shaq masters MBA MSNBC Web Site. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
  74. ^ SPORTS OF THE TIMES; University Sells Itself During Playoffs NY Times Web Site. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  75. ^ Los Angeles Sparks Lisa Leslie Receives her Masters at University of Phoenix WireImage Website. Retrieved March 20, 2009.

Further reading

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