[TH Spangler]

It's not going away .... http://www.c-span.org/video/?317170-1/b ... new-school

[Liberty22]

There's still hope..

The Sun Belt Conference's annual meetings include the senior staff of the conference office along with each member school's Chief Executive Officer, Faculty Athletic Representative, Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator, Head Football Coach, Head Men's Basketball Coach and Head Women's Basketball Coach. The meetings conclude Wednesday morning.

http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/5/20 ... 41840.aspx

BTW, the online argument is just ignorant. Does academia currently view it as less than legit? Yes, but guaranteed the rest of the schools will catch up. In 20 years, everyone will be doing it, we are just ahead of them all. Other schools presidents know we are not a diploma mill, they see our accreditation, this is just message board fodder.

[Purple Haize]

Obviously, wherever you are sitting is immune to public opinion about Online Degrees. It's not just LU but all online degrees, especially those without a solid academic history. For example, an online degree from Harvard will look more impressive than an online degree from LU. But an online degree from Harvard will not have the same prestige as a 'traditional' degree from Harvard. Secondly, Online Degree programs have the perception of being revenue generators first and foremost. The amount of money LU has coming in to its coffers is evidence of that.
For better or worse, this is the Academic direction the University has chosen to take. And because of that people need to deal with the fall out of that.
Money, as evidenced by our major Athletics teams, doesn't buy respect or victories.

I noted in my post that there are issues with LUO, including the marketability of the degree and the fact that they haven't done enough to connect it to the resident program. However, it is NOT a diploma mill and that's the point I'm trying to make. The people (academia) attempting to label it as that are simply mudslingers that are both jealous and scared of the fact that it has worked. The irony here is that all of these individuals who attempted to discredit online programs in the past, are now being forced to play catch up in adding their own. And the interesting point I'd like to make is that many of them are marketing, managing and developing them to look just like LUO. You can continue to spew the traditional critiques from the all too snooty academics at these schools, but the administrations and the state representatives are ALL pushing online programs at these public institutions.

And one other thing... whether you want to admit it or not, higher education is an industry and those that participate in the industry operate as businesses. What they sell and market is academics. Regardless of whether they are public, private (not-for-profit) or a for profit, they operate as businesses.

I was telling you what it was like from somewhere other than where you are sitting. The reason these schools are pushing Online Ed is because its a money maker. Why would you not?
I agree Higher Education is an Industry. But an institution of Higher Learning is not producing, manufacturing and selling Widgets. And just like every other Industry there are better products than others. I gave an example of what online Higher Ed produces. An Online degree is a long way from having the same respect level as a traditional degree. Can that change? Maybe.
LU has chosen its path and must live with it. Sometimes that means not being taken as a serious Academic Institution, be it because it has a heavy emphasis on Online Degrees or being a teaching University.

[Purple Haize]

There's still hope..

The Sun Belt Conference's annual meetings include the senior staff of the conference office along with each member school's Chief Executive Officer, Faculty Athletic Representative, Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator, Head Football Coach, Head Men's Basketball Coach and Head Women's Basketball Coach. The meetings conclude Wednesday morning.

http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/5/20 ... 41840.aspx

BTW, the online argument is just ignorant. Does academia currently view it as less than legit? Yes, but guaranteed the rest of the schools will catch up. In 20 years, everyone will be doing it, we are just ahead of them all. Other schools presidents know we are not a diploma mill, they see our accreditation, this is just message board fodder.

That's the argument. It's not helping us TODAY. Unless of course you have a 20 year plan....

[PAmedic]

... The people (academia) attempting to label it as that are simply mudslingers that are both jealous and scared of the fact that it has worked. The irony here is that all of these individuals who attempted to discredit online programs in the past, are now being forced to play catch up in adding their own. And the interesting point I'd like to make is that many of them are marketing, managing and developing them to look just like LUO. You can continue to spew the traditional critiques from the all too snooty academics at these schools, but the administrations and the state representatives are ALL pushing online programs at these public institutions.

And one other thing... whether you want to admit it or not, higher education is an industry and those that participate in the industry operate as businesses. What they sell and market is academics. Regardless of whether they are public, private (not-for-profit) or a for profit, they operate as businesses.

THIS

[TH Spangler]

I was telling you what it was like from somewhere other than where you are sitting. The reason these schools are pushing Online Ed is because its a money maker. Why would you not?

Purple LU is meeting a need. It's serving older students that need to complete their degrees but can't leave home due to family responsibilities. I have a friend (40ish) that has a AS degree in criminal justice, is a parole officer, he's working online to get his BS. His wife is a school teacher (public I might add) and just walked with her Master's. They are Christians and thankful for the online option. Look at the age break down and you will see what I mean.

http://s16.postimg.org/pqpvc1rad/image.jpg

[ValleyBoy]

Lets look at it from a Sun Belt prespective. Football drives the bus but sometimes the bus driver just needs to stop, step off the bus relax, ease his mind and not have to worry about what tomorrow will bring. That is where most of the old guard members of the Sun Belt are at this time.

Some seem to not remember that there are only 6 old time members of the Sun Belt. Out of these only 4 were members of the old footbal guard. Those 4 are ULL, ULM, ArkSt, and Troy. Some might not feel like it but USA is still new to Sun Belt Football even thought they know there football team when started was going straight ot the Sun Belt. This fall will be the first year that USA will not have any football players that were members of there very first football team.

Sun Belt Old Guard

1. ULL
2. ULM
3. ArkSt
4. Troy
5. USA
6. UALR

It might no seam like it but

7. TxSt
8. GaSt
9. UTA

have only been official members of the Sun Belt for one sports season which is just now coming to a close.

Are just now offically becoming members of the conference.

10. GaSo
11. AppSt

This is the first year that the Sun Belt has not had to add a new member just to survive as a football playing conference.

If the Sun Belt had not have added GaSt and TxSt when they did they would have only had 6 members playing football this past fall.

If the Sun Belt had not have added GASo, AppSt, NMSU, and idaho last year the league would only have had 7 football playing teams this upcoming fall.

The last several years it has been who is the Sun Belt going to try and add not is the Sun Belt going to add someone. The last several years the Sun Belt has had to add members therefor the question before the presidents has been who do we add. We have to add someone. This year the Sun Belt is the first were the conference did not have to add a new member just for the sake of adding a new member.

It does not suprise me that the Sun Belt did not add anyone this year. I know most of us get our information about the Sun Belt from message boards. but thank GOD that HE is the one in control and not worldly message board posters

[Humble_Opinion]

I was telling you what it was like from somewhere other than where you are sitting. The reason these schools are pushing Online Ed is because its a money maker. Why would you not?
I agree Higher Education is an Industry. But an institution of Higher Learning is not producing, manufacturing and selling Widgets. And just like every other Industry there are better products than others. I gave an example of what online Higher Ed produces. An Online degree is a long way from having the same respect level as a traditional degree. Can that change? Maybe.
LU has chosen its path and must live with it. Sometimes that means not being taken as a serious Academic Institution, be it because it has a heavy emphasis on Online Degrees or being a teaching University.

I understand what it's like from other than where I'm sitting, because I have paid close attention to the thoughts of others and I have experience with other online degree programs outside of LUO. Yes, online is a money maker, but that's not the only reason why it is being pushed now. There is strong recognition of the fact that the 'traditional' model of higher ed is biased towards a particular person in a certain stage of life, which limits the number of people who are able to pursue a degree in the first place. Online education, when done correctly, changes that. Yes, it does alleviate some of the pressure from budget cuts, but it's doing that by appealing to a broader spectrum of the market.

Again, the only point I'm trying to make here is that the individuals who use phrases such as 'diploma mill' to describe LUO have NO idea what they are talking about. And as alumni, we should stay informed of the issues so that we can combat those individuals with facts about the program. And by the way PH, LU has excellent/credentialed faculty that are making in roads in their fields. The problem is that I don't believe we ever made a concerted effort to reach out to other schools in the industry to talk about what we are doing here. I think that is changing, and hopefully some of the offshoots from those communications will have a positive impact on the culture at LU to help us improve our brand of academics even more.

[SuperJon]

Also, many consider LUOnline to be a diploma mill. I tend to agree since I completed my Finance degree through them and the classes were, for the most part, WAY easier than the classes I took on campus.

This is the Number One and driving reason we did not get an invite. IMO.

And you are wrong on this one.

[adam42381]

I apologize for using the term diploma mill. I just had an easy time with online classes due to the fact that the "professors" were not always the best. I had a few classes where all the exams were multiple choice questions that were created by professors at other schools. I know someone who figured out that you could copy and paste the questions into Google and find the exact same questions - along with the answer keys - taken from exams from other universities. Not exactly a rigorous test of one's knowledge when you can simple copy and paste to get the answer. If a "professor" can't work hard enough to create their own materials, they shouldn't be working at an institution of higher learning. Things may have changed in the 6 years since I completed my work, but my experience definitely does give credence to some of the naysayers.

[SuperJon]

But an online degree from Harvard will not have the same prestige as a 'traditional' degree from Harvard.

I don't know about Harvard, but Liberty degrees say Liberty University whether they're online or on campus.

[adam42381]

But an online degree from Harvard will not have the same prestige as a 'traditional' degree from Harvard.

I don't know about Harvard, but Liberty degrees say Liberty University whether they're online or on campus.

So does Benny Hinn's course...

[SuperJon]

But an online degree from Harvard will not have the same prestige as a 'traditional' degree from Harvard.

I don't know about Harvard, but Liberty degrees say Liberty University whether they're online or on campus.

So does Benny Hinn's course...

Funny. I think that's one of the reasons we lost a vote.

[Humble_Opinion]

I apologize for using the term diploma mill. I just had an easy time with online classes due to the fact that the "professors" were not always the best. I had a few classes where all the exams were multiple choice questions that were created by professors at other schools. I know someone who figured out that you could copy and paste the questions into Google and find the exact same questions - along with the answer keys - taken from exams from other universities. Not exactly a rigorous test of one's knowledge when you can simple copy and paste to get the answer. If a "professor" can't work hard enough to create their own materials, they shouldn't be working at an institution of higher learning. Things may have changed in the 6 years since I completed my work, but my experience definitely does give credence to some of the naysayers.

Yes... this is a problem, but many of these test questions you are referring to come from the book publishers, not necessarily the professors at other schools. You'd be surprised at the number of professors at all institutions of higher education that don't create their own test questions, or in many cases, write their own lectures.

[Kricket]

I just completed a Finance course for my MBA online and the tests were pretty good. I think part of one was multiple choice but the rest we're all inputting numerical answers that you would only be able to complete if you did a decent job preparing.

As someone who attended classes locally in Wisconsin and graduated online from Liberty, I find it a bit annoying when people say LU Online is a diploma mill, but I expected that when I got the degree. My classes generally speaking were more difficult at Liberty Online, a few had obvious issues, but on the most part there's not much difference.

I expected ignorance in that category as well as Liberty being a conservative Christian university, but honestly I don't care. If someone doesn't want to hire me because I graduated from Liberty Online, then don't. Luckily I haven't had that problem in my short career.

[jbock13]

I know someone who figured out that you could copy and paste the questions into Google and find the exact same questions - along with the answer keys - taken from exams from other universities.

Yup. My biology class was like that and that was 2011.

[R i]

Also, many consider LUOnline to be a diploma mill. I tend to agree since I completed my Finance degree through them and the classes were, for the most part, WAY easier than the classes I took on campus.

This is the Number One and driving reason we did not get an invite. IMO.

And you are wrong on this one.

Then what was it ? What was the Number one reason we didnt get the invite.

[flamesfilmguy]

Then what was it ? What was the Number one reason we didnt get the invite.

Religious affiliations.

[Sly Fox]

A bit anticlimactic but here is the official word from the Sun Belt ...

Sun Belt Conference Concludes 2014 Spring Meeting
5/21/2014 10:55:52 AM

SANDESTIN, Fla. – The Sun Belt Conference concluded its annual Spring Meeting on Wednesday with a number of important topics being discussed and several key developments taking place.

Sun Belt Conference Membership Discussion
The Sun Belt Conference has suspended any further discussion or consideration to add any additional members to the league for the immediate future.

"While we may explore adding a 12th all-sports member join the Sun Belt Conference, at this time we are moving the conference forward with our membership as is," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Come July 1 the membership will be stable for the first time in over two years with no incoming or departing members. The makeup of that 11 all-sports conference will give us more than just stability - it will give us strength and opportunity."

Click Here for Full Release

[Purple Haize]

Purple LU is meeting a need. It's serving older students that need to complete their degrees but can't leave home due to family responsibilities. I have a friend (40ish) that has a AS degree in criminal justice, is a parole officer, he's working online to get his BS. His wife is a school teacher (public I might add) and just walked with her Master's. They are Christians and thankful for the online option. Look at the age break down and you will see what I mean.

http://s16.postimg.org/pqpvc1rad/image.jpg

You are missing my point. I understand and respect that it is meeting a need. I don't have a problem with that at all. What I'm saying is that Online Degrees. regardless of where they are from aren't looked at in the same favorable light as traditional degree programs. It's amiplifiex when the Institution presenting the degree doesn't have a traditional academic history. Look at the Harvard comparison.
I'm glad it's meeting a need. It's a great avenue for people like you mentioned and LU is making a ton of cash from it. Just do t be surprised or shocked when people at schools with more academic history than LU look at it suspiciously

[R i]

Then what was it ? What was the Number one reason we didnt get the invite.

Religious affiliations.

Sounds good. Makes us feel like the Martyr. Helps us cope with being rejected a little better. Gives us a possible law suite in retaliation.However, I cannot believe that is the truth. The problem is, I dont think we will get quotes from those schools presidents.

[Purple Haize]

But an online degree from Harvard will not have the same prestige as a 'traditional' degree from Harvard.

I don't know about Harvard, but Liberty degrees say Liberty University whether they're online or on campus.

So does Benny Hinn's course...

Awesome!

The point being, you are interviewing and you have a Harvard degree. The interviewer starts asking about different things on Campus and you say 'Yeah, I didn't go to the campus I did it online '. The interviewer is going to look at it differently. And when they do a varificafion it may pop up that the person's college credits were all done online

For the record, I never said, nor do I believe that LUOnline is a Diploma Mill.

[Purple Haize]

Then what was it ? What was the Number one reason we didnt get the invite.

Religious affiliations.

Sounds good. Makes us feel like the Martyr. Helps us cope with being rejected a little better. Gives us a possible law suite in retaliation.However, I cannot believe that is the truth. The problem is, I dont think we will get quotes from those schools presidents.

LU plays the Martyr role very well. This lets is point the fingers at other people with out taking a look at ourselves and short comings on the field etc

[R i]

If Religious Affiliations was paired with Political Influences and Undertakings, it makes it more believable. Just look at the number of Political figures that have spoken in convo the past few semesters.

[TDDance234]