University Alliance Online in the News

Succeed Magazine
Summer 2001

These Teachers Are Still Looking Out For You
By Rochelle DelGaizo Billera

With the introduction of the World Wide Web, we've become a society that banks, shops, chats, and even learns online. With the demand to know more and travel less, distance learning schools are popping up all over the place. While distance learning couples convenience with colleging, students need to be careful of which school they choose before enrolling.

Many online learning institutions are not accredited and, unbeknownst to enrolled students, their diplomas may not be worth the paper they're printed on. In an effort to eliminate fraudulent or misleading promises by online learning schools, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is calling for clear standards for content and technical support, counseling for students, protection of intellectual property rights, and proper training for faculty.

"The goal (of distance learning) is to provide high-quality education to all," says Bill Scheuerman, vice president of the AFT and president of the United University Professions at SUNY.

Standardizing criteria and requiring accreditation will weed out online institutions only interested in "making a buck," says Scheuerman.

"We want to commit educators to educating (the students)."

Their main goal? That students participating in distance learning programs have every opportunity to earn a valid degree as those students attending traditional classroom courses.

"Students considering online learning must do really good research," says Blair Stobaugh, vice president of new business development for Bisk Education/University Alliance Online, an e-Learning provider, with over 24, 000 students. The University Alliance Online works with regionally accredited and nationally recognized colleges and universities, such as Saint Leo University and Regis University, to provide accredited bachelor's and master's degrees online.

Although some distance learning schools claim to be nationally accredited, says Stobaugh, they need to also be regionally accredited by a reputable school, and to adhere to strict academic guidelines.

Imposing such guidelines would ensure that a student's credits are recognized and transferable to other schools. Not to mention that such accredited streamlining will make needy students eligible for federal financial aid.

"We are in favor of higher standards of education, because we want students to walk away with something valuable," says Stobaugh, heeding a final word of caution to all…

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"

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