CSU’s New Online Global Campus Earns Accreditation

WEBWIRE – Monday, December 22, 2008

Contact Information: Lauri Harrison; Internet Marketing Director; CSU-Global Campus; 720-897-8368; lauri.harrison@csuglobal.org

DENVER – The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA) of Schools and Colleges has approved the accreditation of degree programs at the Colorado State University-Global Campus. The commission is a non-governmental organization granting peer-reviewed regional accreditation. NCA is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting association and is one of the six regional agencies that accredit U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. The accreditation comes only four months after the new online campus launched in September, and applies to current and future degree programs.

Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that educational standards, requirements and criteria are met and will continue to be achieved by the institution. Additionally, students who attend accredited institutions are eligible for federal loans, which have become an even more important factor for students in today’s tough credit market.
CSU-Global Campus, the first of its kind in the Western U.S. among research universities, premiered its first round of bachelor’s degree completion and career-focused master’s degrees in September 2008. It now has a total enrollment of 1,050 and growing. The online campus has focused on recruiting working adults and other non-traditional students who otherwise would be unable to attend a traditional campus. It is also tapping community college graduates through an alliance with the Colorado Community College System to ensure a seamless transition from an associate’s to bachelor’s degree and more advanced degrees. The CSU-Global Campus student body has an average age of 37; almost half of the students work in the public sector.

“After more than a year of researching the educational online market, the CSU System and the CSU Board saw an opportunity to dramatically increase access to a high-quality public education by offering it to students at the time and place of their choice,” said Rich Schweigert, Global Campus CEO.

The private online educational marketplace is growing faster than enrollments at traditional colleges. Schweigert says public higher education has more or less relinquished this growing market to private companies.

About two years ago, CSU officials, with Board of Governors support, surveyed state agency employers about their needs in human capital. The information obtained from the survey helped select the first offering of degrees and programs. The campus continues to develop programs based on market-driven needs.

The degrees are offered in two eight-week sessions per semester. Current undergraduate programs include a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Sciences, Bachelor of Science Public Administration and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. Students can select from a number of specializations at the bachelor level including Criminology, Business Management, Human Resources and Organizational Development, and Nonprofit Management. At the graduate level, Global Campus offers a Master of Science in Management, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Master of Science in Teaching and Learning. Each program can be paired with a specialization in Online Teaching and Learning, Strategic Business Management or Organizational Studies. CSU-Global Campus has its own faculty and staff.

The rigor in Global Campus coursework can be found within its academic council staffed by CSU faculty who oversee program development. Additionally, the faculty at CSU-Global Campus are hired based on their expertise in online education with many faculty holding doctoral degrees who teach Global’s master’s courses. The campus requires at least five years of online teaching experience for its faculty. Class size is smaller than other online education enterprises that usually allow 200 to 300 students into each course.

The new online campus can respond quickly to changing market needs, unlike traditional four-year institutions that do not always have the flexibility to adapt to meet urgent market and societal demands.

Population growth projections for the state make Global Campus a timely and needed education alternative. The state anticipates population growth of 58 percent over the next 20 years. Over the next 10 years, the Governor wants to double the number of college degrees and certificates among Coloradans. If the state continues to lag in state support for public higher education, universities and colleges will be hard-pressed to provide the space and faculty to accommodate that additional demand without jeopardizing quality and affordability.

CSU-Global Campus is not intended to compete with existing CSU distance learning programs. In fact, it will bridge the barriers that exist between completing a four-year degree for those students who want to continue after community college, who have dropped out of a four-year university or who want to earn an advanced degree but find the traditional university isn’t a match for them.
CSU-Global Campus offers a “tuition guarantee” to students ensuring they will pay the same rate throughout their degree program as long as they are enrolled and remain in good academic standing. There are also scholarships and special tuition rates for Colorado residents and students who are in public service professions including state and local government agencies, active military service members, veterans and their dependents.

Students can apply by going to www.csuglobal.org or by calling 1-800-920-6723.

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