In July, CSU trustees voted for no new admissions for the Spring 2010 semester, a 20 percent fee increase, and for faculty to take two unpaid furlough days a month.
With California’s unemployment rate continuing to rise, 12.2 percent in August, education is taking a huge hit due to the budget cuts.
A solution has arisen to the enrollment of students and the state budget cuts. The Apollo Group’s University of Phoenix has been thought of to relieve the tension and buy the CSU system.
The 23-campus CSU system, containing 450,000 students, could increase enrollment for the University of Phoenix and save California billions of dollars.
The University of Phoenix has 300,000 students on their 39-state campuses and online.
The New York Times reported that the annual tuition and fees for the University of Phoenix is $9,630, twice as much as a four-year public college. The tuition rates at the University of Phoenix varies upon degree.
To obtain an Associates degree, tuition is 345 dollars per credit and a 70 dollar per course materials fee. A Bachelor’s degree requires tuition of 530 dollars per credit and an 85 dollar per course materials fee. A Master’s degree requires tuition of 655 dollars per credit, a 105 dollar per course materials fee, and an application fee of 45 dollars. A Doctoral degree requires 745 dollars per credit, a 45 dollar application fee, and a 120 dollar per course materials fee.
The University of Phoenix offers online, class-based, and FlexNet (a combination of online and class-based) classes.
Each student can only take one class at a time. The campus-based students only have 20 to 24 hours with the instructor because each course only meets once a week for four hour classes.
A traditional university student typically meets with their professor for 40 hours per course and can take up to seven courses a semester.
This is a key reason why students at the University of Phoenix have a graduation rate of 16 percent. Whereas, the graduation rate across all universities is 55 percent.
The faculty plays a role as well. 95 percent of the University of Phoenix faculty is part-time. Whereas, 47 percent of each CSU university faculty is part-time. Part-time employees are not fully committed to their jobs as educators. They have other jobs and other responsibilities, leaving their students on the back burner.
The University of Phoenix gives students flexibility when in comes to class schedules, but they are limited as to what they can learn or degrees they can obtain. Arts and Sciences, Business and Management, Criminal Justice and Security, Education, Health Care, Human Services, Nursing, Psychology, and Technology are the only degree specialties offered.
If you are looking for english, history, marketing, journalism or digital media, you are out of luck.
If the Apollo Group buys the CSU system, students will be forced to pick another major or move out of the state to pursue their specialty.
The workforce in California would decrease dramatically. More and more jobs are requiring employees to obtain degrees.
Through the University of Phoenix it would cost more and take longer to obtain a degree. Not all of us are willing to take these risks and depend on an education system that has a 16 percent graduation rate.
The writer has packed the column with facts, but how accurate it all is seems a little shaky.
ReplyDeleteFor example, even the headline:
University of Phoenix to buy CSU system.
Um, I don't think so.
A professor from USC wrote an op-ed piece in the Sacramento Bee suggesting the idea. There is no plan, no purchase documents... it's just an idea.
And so with that as an opening shot, well, the entire column has problems.
The writer needs to go back to the original idea/article and respond to it more directly.
The column does show significant research into the University of Phoenix, all of which could fit back in to a rewrite.