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[jt]

Truth writes

Another great review about Capella may be found at:

http://www.epinions.com/content_200484556420

Perhaps Capella U. would like to provide us with the source of his information?


So the guy who is complaining about Capella complains about the high number of students failing the PhD comprehensives, and that both comprehensives and defense of dissertation are required--such complaints suggest to me that the author has no idea of graduate education.

[Capella U.]

I’m not trying to attack anyone; I simply want to post the truth regarding unfair and false accusations that are being made about Capella University. I am currently a Capella student and I find these accusations very hurtful. The person who posts as ‘Caveat Emptor' and ‘the truth about Capella’ is also known as Mr. Capella Stinks in other discussion forums. If you have a strong interest in this case, I urged you to please read the information posted here and on the links below before you draw any early conclusions.  

On 12/6/04, Mr. CapellaStinks posted on degreeboard.com and on his hate-site capella university.org that he filed a complaint against Capell to the United States Deparptment of Educaition, Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

On June, 2005, after several appeals by Mr. Stinks, the OCR ruled again that Capella University was within its rights to terminate Mr. Stinks from the University for innapropriate conduct against its staff and its students.  The results of the entire OCR investigation was posted on degreeboard and can be accessed at the bottom of the following thread:

http://forums.degreeboard.com/showthread.php?t=5708

Shortly after, Mr. Stinks filed a lawsuit against the school.
On February 6, 2006 - The United States District Court in the Central District of California ruled that the countersuit filed by Capella against Mr. Stinks that has merit and can progress forward.

http://forums.degreeboard.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38&d=1139365022

http://forums.degreeboard.com/showthread.php?t=6351&page=2

Capella is not a degree mill but an institution of higher education with a solid reputation in the world of distance learning. Here are the facts:

1. Capella is accredited by NCA and has never been put on probation by them.
http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/accreditation.aspx
2. It is also a participant in the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of The North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission.
3. Capella University is also named to the U.S. News & World Report list of Best Online Graduate Business Programs.  
4. Last year, Capella’s Human Services programs in counseling became CACREP accredited. This is a very prestigious accreditation much like the APA is for psychology. Capella University continues to be the first distance learning university to have two CACREP-accredited counseling specializations in the country.
5. Capella has officially applied for APA accreditation for their clinical psychology program and if they get it they will be the third distance learning institution in the country to get it.

Again, please understand that I'm not bragging about Capella here or trying to attack anyone. No school is perfect. I just find the other poster's comments very hurtful and unjust, and I felt the need to post the whole truth in this forum.
Thanks for your undivided attention.

[Truth About Capella]

An interesting article about Capella University may be found at:

http://www.articlealley.com/article_16418_22.html


That article states in part that:

"The Psychology School has been plagued with some problems concerning its top management. The school has been beset with repeat changes of deans resulting in total lack of coordination. Add to this, the program is till now, not approved by the apex American Psychological Association (APA) despite being in existence for so many years."

[Capella U.]

On Jan 23, 2006, Capella officially applied for APA accreditation for the first time (and only time) in its history.  

The school spent about three years modifying their programs and changing staff to comply with APA demands. The school hired more staff with doctorates from APA schools and has been requiring their students to do internships at APA accredited facilities only.
It is true that new students who were caught in the middle felt frustrated with so many changes, but these were for the better.
The school of psychology now has a much more solid program than it did three years ago.

http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/psychology/psyd/clinical_psychology.aspx

For those interested, Garvey House, Ph.D. is the current dean of the school of psychology and has a doctorate from the APA accredited Texas A & M University.

http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/administration.aspx#ghouse

[shmdalum]

actually the niche they are filling, and many universities are starting to inhabit is the "fulfill the get-rich-quick" mentality.  Get a degree in less time than it takes!

Lets face it.

A quality degree requires a quality investment of time, money and effort.  

For profit schools and accelerated programs are nothing more than academic get rich quick schemes.

People graduating from these programs have a degree, but they are not as qualified nor are they as competitive as traditional students.  

This is the biggest joke on academic standards in the US, the problem is the joke aint funny and nobody is laughing!

Technology is a change agent by which our lives change daily, this includes education. My daughter who is 10 is utilizing computers in a way I did not until I was 25. Long story short, this change agent monster "technology" even applies to education. Your presumption that Capella (I am a proud graduate, who values the education received) does not provide a valued education is absurd. A dear friend of mine has a BS and MS from RPI in NY and he is still paying it off, and donates his "tithes" to the Alumni association regularly. I paid much less, received a quality education and never get bothered by Alumni scavangers.

[universityguy]

On Jan 23, 2006, Capella officially applied for APA accreditation for the first time (and only time) in its history. 

The school spent about three years modifying their programs and changing staff to comply with APA demands. The school hired more staff with doctorates from APA schools and has been requiring their students to do internships at APA accredited facilities only.

It is true that new students who were caught in the middle felt frustrated with so many changes, but these were for the better.

The school of psychology now has a much more solid program than it did three years ago.

Then why did Capella University just "voluntarily withdraw" their application for APA accreditation? This may be verified on the APA's site - http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/initial_accred.html.

Apparently, the APA must not have been too impressed with what they found at Capella University. Are the students who were counting on APA accreditation better off now? Gambling on schools like Capella University certainly didn't pay off for them. This certainly isn't a case of "you get what you pay for."

[zharkov]

On Jan 23, 2006, Capella officially applied for APA accreditation for the first time (and only time) in its history. 

The school spent about three years modifying their programs and changing staff to comply with APA demands. The school hired more staff with doctorates from APA schools and has been requiring their students to do internships at APA accredited facilities only.

It is true that new students who were caught in the middle felt frustrated with so many changes, but these were for the better.

The school of psychology now has a much more solid program than it did three years ago.

Then why did Capella University just "voluntarily withdraw" their application for APA accreditation? This may be verified on the APA's site - http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/initial_accred.html.

Apparently, the APA must not have been too impressed with what they found at Capella University. Are the students who were counting on APA accreditation better off now? Gambling on schools like Capella University certainly didn't pay off for them. This certainly isn't a case of "you get what you pay for."

I took a look at the APA site, and was wondering if the APA ever accredited any online / distance learning / non-traditional program.  My take is that some of these old school accreditors (APA, perhaps the ABA) put up barriers to prevent new and non-traditional programs from gaining entry into "the old boy's club."