Posted: 22 Sep 2010 09:05 AM PDT

09.22.2010 – LUBBOCK, TX (Sept. 13) – Beginning in Spring 2011, Texas Tech University's College of Education will offer an online Ed.D. in Higher Education with a concentration in Community College Administration. This groundbreaking degree program is unique within Texas public universities because it is the only program of its kind to be offered predominantly online.

The coursework required to complete the 96 credit hour degree program is offered over the span of five years, with the first cohort beginning in Spring 2011. The second cohort will not begin until Fall 2012.

"Texas community colleges are in need of highly trained professionals to fulfill leadership roles," said Stephanie Jones, assistant professor and co-coordinator for the program. "This degree program, because it affords professionals the opportunity to pursue an education and career simultaneously, will change lives, enhance careers, and strengthen Texas community colleges."

The majority of the coursework is available online, but students are required to attend an annual on-campus intensive session during the Summer I session for each of the first three years of the program.

Applicants are required to hold a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and have at least five years of experience in higher education. Preference will be shown to applicants who are currently employed full-time at a community college and plan to serve in the state of Texas. Interested individuals can learn more about the program and additional admission criteria, as well as required application steps, at www.de.ttu.edu. Students are encouraged to apply before Nov. 1, 2010.

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Sloan Consortium Recognizes Western Governors University with Award for Excellence in Online Education

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 03:22 PM PDT

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 September 2010, 12:54 CDT

WGU Wins Sloan-C's 2010 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University, www.wgu.edu, the nation's only non-profit, fully online university, has received the 2010 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education from the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C). Sloan-C, an association of institutions and organizations of higher education engaged in online learning, annually presents this award to an institution that has demonstrated its commitment to assessing and improving the quality of its online education programs.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081030/DC42901LOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081030/DC42901LOGO)

Since 2002, Sloan-C has presented annual awards to recognize outstanding effective practices in each of five pillar areas: access, learning effectiveness, cost effectiveness, student satisfaction, and faculty satisfaction. WGU was selected for the award for the university's innovative approach to using quantitative metrics to assess quality as well as demonstrating continuous quality improvement based on these metrics.

"Our watchwords of quality, scale, and breadth are epitomized by the institutions we honor this year," said Bruce Chaloux, President of Sloan-C. "The 2010 recipients have demonstrated exceptional leadership and real success in advancing online education," added Awards Committee Chair Burks Oakley II.

Since its founding in 1997 by a bi-partisan group of U.S. governors, WGU has grown to become a national university with more than 20,000 students in all 50 states. The only online university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs, Western Governors University is designed to make a quality college education accessible and affordable for working adults. Fully accredited, the university offers 50 degree programs in high demand career fields such as Teacher Education, Business, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. For more information, call 1.866.225.5948 or visit the WGU website, www.wgu.edu.

About Western Governors University (WGU)

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."- TIME magazine

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only non-profit, fully online university in the country. WGU offers degree programs in Teacher Education, Business, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 20,000 students in all 50 states. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Dell, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, HCA, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, the Eli Lilly Foundation, American Express, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

About the Sloan Consortium

The Sloan Consortium is an institutional and professional leadership organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education, helping institutions and individual educators improve the quality, scale, and breadth of education. www.sloanconsortium.org.

Contact for enrollment information: 866-225-5948 www.wgu.edu Contact for media inquiries: Joan Mitchell - Director of PR 801-428-5463 jmitchell@wgu.edu

SOURCE Western Governors University

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category

Online Degrees: Learn More Before You Enroll

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 05:51 AM PDT

Enrollment at online programs jumped from 229,363 to 2,139,714—an 832 percent increase—from 2001 to 2009 according to higher education consultancy Eduventures.

An explosion of that magnitude has not only caught the eye of potential students, but of Congress and regulators, who in recent months have been critical of for-profit online programs' recruiting practices, transparency, and ability to provide their students an education that will enable them to find adequate employment once their degree is in hand. "Far too many for-profit schools are saddling students with debt they cannot afford in exchange for degrees and certificates they cannot use," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a recent press release. "This is a disservice to students."

[Learn more about online education.]

The for-profit education industry is also under fire from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is demanding for-profit schools be less opaque regarding their graduation rates, retention rates, and other metrics that are indicative of a school's quality. Loan repayment rates at for-profit schools are lower on average than traditional schools, and some programs hover near a threshold that, without correction, would deny them the ability to secure federal loan money for students. Loan default rates, too, are above normal; 11.6 percent of for-profit students defaulted on their loans in fiscal year 2008 compared to 7 percent nationally.

[Review loan repayment rate data at prominent online schools.]

But for-profit schools argue that their rates are comparable to schools with similar types of students. Several historically black colleges and universities, for instance, have default and repayment rates akin to those of for-profit schools. "Student demographics are the primary reason for higher default rates," says Sharon Thomas Parrott, senior vice president and chief compliance officer of DeVry Inc., the parent company of DeVry University. "Schools across all sectors that serve non-traditional student populations—first in family to go to college, recent immigrants, ethnic minorities—have similar rates. These students typically have fewer financial resources or family financial support and often work full time while studying."

[Review loan default rates at prominent online schools.]

Given the regulatory unrest, if you're considering enrolling in an online program it's important to understand that the online landscape is rapidly changing. Trace Urdan, managing director and senior research analyst at investment bank Signal Hill Capital, says schools are gradually becoming more selective in their admissions process in hopes of remedying their dismal loan statistics. And it is likely that new data will be available soon, both as a result of regulatory scrutiny and the schools' attempts to quell the growing public relations storm that has battered the industry. "We already know a lot of students drop out. Why don't you show us what that looks like each quarter?" Urdan says. "The longer you wait, the more confusion and misunderstanding develops."

The coming increase in transparency, forced or not, will enhance students' ability to ask pertinent questions about online programs before enrolling, experts say. Rather than jumping in blindly as many millions may have during the past decade, potential students should use the forthcoming data to analyze online programs before enrolling, says Steve Isaac, CEO of EducationDynamics, a higher-education marketing firm. Beyond examining loan repayment and default data available via the Department of Education—both solid indicators of students' ability to find the jobs they sought—he suggests examining the school's accreditation, how graduates have fared in the job market and qualifications of the faculty. "Higher education is one of the most significant investments a person will make in their lifetime and just like with any major purchase, prospective students need to do their homework to make sure they're making the best possible decision," he says.

[Use these six tips to find the right online instructors.]

Online Education

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

“Ed.D. in Higher Education to be Offered Online by Texas Tech University” plus 2 more

“Ed.D. in Higher Education to be Offered Online by Texas Tech University” plus 2 more

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