Capella and Walden Universities

[slipdisco]

Is there anyone that can give me any positive information about Capella University and Walden University.

I would like to hear from people who have taken courses and/or graduated from either school.  I was just at the NISOD community college conference in Austin, Texas and these schools were on prominent display.

I am a community college professor interested in some feedback about these schools.  Mostly everything I've heard has been negative.

Thanks

[zharkov]

Online doctorates have been discussed in this and other sections, so you may want to do a search.

Bottom Line 1:  It depends on why you want a doctorate and what you are currently doing for work.  If you teach at a CC and getting a doctorate is to get a bump on the salary curve, then why not?  If you have plans to move to a 4 year school or university, then where you get a doctorate matters a lot more.

Bottom Line 2:  If you can't go for a traditional doctorate, then spend some time investigating the various non traditional options.  Nova Southeastern and Union Institute seem to have the best reputations, and have been around the longest.  I think Walden, Capella, and Phoenix have yet to prove themselves. 

There are also a few regional programs where you go on weekends and perhaps do some online work.  I recall GWU has a program like that in DC, as does Pierce University in NH, and there are quite a few others spread around the country.  IMHO, they have more credibility than a non traditional or online doctorate.

PS: Get a copy of Bear's Guide.

   

[imawakenow]

Here is a long thread about Capella:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,26595.0.html

And here is a long thread that you started on the same topic about six months ago:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,44173.0.html

Do you think people's opinions have changed that much since then?

[zharkov]

Here is a long thread about Capella:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,26595.0.html

And here is a long thread that you started on the same topic about six months ago:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,44173.0.html

Do you think people's opinions have changed that much since then?

What's really scary is that I agree with most of what I said back then.

That go around with "truescholar" was precious.
 

[imawakenow]

That go around with "truescholar" was precious.
 

I vaguely remembered it but had forgotten some of the gems (presumably) he posted.

[truescholar601]

I was wondering if my name would come up again. And since it has, I feel honored. :-)

I cannot speak much on Capella, but I do know a lot about Walden University. I think for an institution that has been around for over 38 years, it has done a fantastic job proving itself amongst academia. There is still a lot of stigma associated with earning a doctorate via distance learning. But I think a greater stigma is associated with attending a for-profit institution. Based off of the announcements that keep coming through The Chronicle, more and more Walden doctoral graduates are active in research and are getting more faculty and administrative appointments in the academy.

Also, there is an elitist point of view that tends to flow within the academy. I really see it as a threat because there is a decline in academically and professionally qualified faculty and only schools like WU are meeting the demand.

One thing to note here, however, is that when people down solid institutions such as WU and make baseless comments, they undermine the whole regional accreditation process. If WU was not a credible institution, it would not have RA. And if RA was not important, all of the so called good schools would pull out of it. Not to mention, those who make negative comments about Walden University and the Walden Doctorate also imply that the value and worth of the credentials of the faculty who oversee these dissertations is useless....... one thing to add..... 98% of them earned Ph.D.s OUTSIDE of Walden University. Many of them earned their doctorates at the same research institutions as many who participate in these forums. Most of them earned their Ph.D.s at institutions better than most of the people communicating in these forums. My dissertation chair is a Harvard Ph.D. graduate and he is even impressed by the level of work and accountability that consumes the Walden dissertation process.

All Walden University dissertations are published in the ProQuest database. The proof of the quality of the Walden doctorate is there. I doubt you will read a bad one.

Walden has full-time and part-time faculty, and is adding more full-time faculty each quarter. Some faculty has been there over 36 years.

Learning is what you make of it; regardless of where you attend school. You can attend Harvard and not learn anything just as you can attend Cal State and Walden and not learn anything. My work has allowed me to present my research in international arenas and in forums amongst the solid walls of Yale. I do not apologize for where I earned my degree because I know that the education I gained was solid.

When I come in contact with people who doubt my education, I show them my CV and they shut up after I kill their curiosity. I also tell people who have doubts about attending Walden University to simply not enroll. Walden will be fine without them. The critics will end up killing them and they most likely wouldn't end up finishing anyway. I really don't worry about them because my work speaks for itself.

You say you're working at a CC. I believe that a Walden U doctorate will be just what you need. It will allow you to be fruitful at the CC level as well as allow you to move up to a larger institution. One thing to note, though is that it's very difficult to leave a CC and work for a research institution.

As previously mentioned, Walden U has a growing number of doctoral graduates getting appointments in higher education. I think at the CC level you will be very prosperous with a Walden doctorate. The president of Gateway CC (close to Yale University) is a Walden graduate. Try contacting her (Dr. Kendrick) and ask her about her experience.

[zharkov]

You say you're working at a CC. I believe that a Walden U doctorate will be just what you need. It will allow you to be fruitful at the CC level as well as allow you to move up to a larger institution. One thing to note, though is that it's very difficult to leave a CC and work for a research institution.

To be clear, I believe in non-traditional and online education, and I believe that a doctorate from Walden will very likely meet his need about credentialing at his CC job.

That said, I would be surprised to find any any Walden grads working as tenure-track faculty at R1 universities, but I could be proven wrong.  (By R1, I mean a research intensive university, not a teaching focused college.)  Also, to be clear, I'm not saying the education isn't fine; I'm saying the research universities are far from ready to give grads from Walden and similar schools the time of day.

[truescholar601]

I somewhat agree with you. However, students are oftentimes labled by the school they went to versus the proof on their CV. To me, this is bias and plain ignorance. Most people who turn their noses up at Walden graduates haven't the slightest clue about the institution. They're so consumed with the word "online" that they don't realize that students are working professionals and must do over 160 hours of face to face class time (residencies). If you look at a traditional class... the face to face in class hours are very similar.

Walden has a doctoral research intensive designation by the Carnegie Foundation. It is regionally accredited by the same accrediting body as Northwestern, and Notre Dame. It has full-time faculty and a president and provost who oversees EVERY aspect of academics. It has four peer reviewed journals and hosts an international conference and research symposium every year. It is operated just like a traditional university. Doctoral faculty closely mentor doctoral students. The beauracracy is even the same. The stigma is baseless.

As for finding "any" WU graduates in a tenure track position at an R1 university..... try Jackson State University: Dr. Wilson is an Assoc. Professor and Divison Head.  The provost of Oral Roberts is a Walden alum. Dr. S Robinson is tenured at Penn State- Hazleton. Dr. P. Maresco is a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. This is an AACSB accredited business school. One would argue that there should be more, but please yield to my lower statement.


One thing I want to make clear is that regardless of the institution, not all Ph.D. graduates want to work in higher education. While at Yale, I met a Ph.D. candidate from Purdue and one from GWU who had no interest in research and teaching. Instead they wanted to work in international affairs. Many Walden graduates work in industry and the federal government.

If one wants to get by off of a school's name.... then Walden may not be the best place. But if you're very active in scholarship and research activities... your chances are greater. Just to show you how active the Walden community (faculty and staff) are actively participating in scholarship check out the university's newsletter, The Ponder. http://ponder.waldenu.edu  Go to community news or alum accolades.

As for me, my call in education has been more accepting because I have been actively involved in scholarship. I have peer reviewed 8 publications this year and have presented at 12 conferences. I even have a professional publication and have had papers published in conference proceedings. This is not hard stuff and I realized early on that my success lies in my scholarship.

Whatever you want to do...... just make sure that you work hard, learn something..... and finally... PUBLISH OR PERISH!

[scheherazade]

You get overly excited by the DRU designation.  All DRU means is that it grants doctorate degrees, and it doesn't do enough research to qualify for a higher designation.  It's kind of an also-ran.

I think the journals, conferences, and symposiums were covered adequately in the other thread.  Suffice it to say that having journals/conferences/symposiums and having good, widely respected journals, conferences, and symposiums are two different things.  As most of the attendees and authors are from Walden or other online universities, this isn't (yet) a creditable point.

Accreditation by the same organization as well-respected universities is also not telling of anything, except that they are trying to uphold some standards.  There's some universities that are accredited by major accrediting agencies that I wouldn't even consider attending if held at gunpoint.  Not to say Walden is one of these, but again, it isn't a mark of equivalence.

You seem to confuse "being in the same town and wearing the same clothes" as "being in the family."  This is not a sign of critical thinking skills.

[zharkov]

As for finding "any" WU graduates in a tenure track position at an R1 university..... try Jackson State University: Dr. Wilson is an Assoc. Professor and Divison Head.  The provost of Oral Roberts is a Walden alum. Dr. S Robinson is tenured at Penn State- Hazleton. Dr. P. Maresco is a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. This is an AACSB accredited business school. One would argue that there should be more, but please yield to my lower statement.

Of the people and schools listed, only Wilson is a TT faculty member at an R1.  You do your cause no credit by being imprecise.

[scheherazade]

Jackson State as an R1?  I'd put it as R2, given its current "new" definition as an RU/H.  But the correlation is certainly nebulous at best, so I'll leave it to you.

Either way, Penn State-Hazelton and Penn State are two wildly different things.  Oral Roberts is a heavily religious school that values religious beliefs far more than degrees.  Fine for those who feel the same, but not really an endorsement of Walden.  The JSU prof is in education, and we've already noted that education is an area in which online degrees, especially when combined with a masters at a more traditional school, are more acceptable.  The Sacred Heart prof is in a shortage area.

And yes, one should certainly argue that there should be more.

[mended_drum]

You know, every time Walden comes up, I mix it up with the fictional college in Doonesbury.  Then I go reread my Doonesbury collection instead of doing something productive. 

[slipdisco]

Is there anyone that can give me any positive information about Capella University and Walden University.

I would like to hear from people who have taken courses and/or graduated from either school.  I was just at the NISOD community college conference in Austin, Texas and these schools were on prominent display.

I am a community college professor interested in some feedback about these schools.  Mostly everything I've heard has been negative.

Thanks

July 13, 2008.

Thanks for all of the feedback.  I all set up to start Capella in October and I have an application in process at Walden.  My CC offers a small tuition discount for faculty attending Capella and they have given me transfer credit for most of my master's degree.  Of course, I believe they do this for everyone.  Anyway, I believe that either school will offer me what I need and want.  I'm statisfied at my CC, but I have personal educational goals.  Plus, I need the coursework for additional salary advancement.

I anticipate that Walden will accept me.  Both school's have the same start date in October, 2008.  I have to make the decision between Capella or Walden.

[podmoskoviavechera]

As previously mentioned, Walden U has a growing number of doctoral graduates getting appointments in higher education. I think at the CC level you will be very prosperous with a Walden doctorate. The president of Gateway CC (close to Yale University) is a Walden graduate. Try contacting her (Dr. Kendrick) and ask her about her experience.

Maybe that explains why Gateway is the very weakest link in the Connecticut Community College system.

[truescholar601]

I think that you all are fighting an unnecessary battle here. And nitpicking what I post here isn't doing any of us any good on this board. Slipdisco asked for input and I gave it. It's factual and your opinion matters very little right now... especially to me.

As for me being precise... I'm not really worried about that either. I gave some very good examples of Walden graduates who are doing great things in academia. Some of you are just picking and coming up with every "reason" possible to degrade them or their position. The fact still remains, these individuals hold these positions and at some really good schools; really good schools that have students with promising futures. As for Sacred Heart... are you saying that an AACSB accredited business school was desperate and had to hire him? I think not. His professional and scholarly record made him a prime candidate for that appointment.

And again, everyone must realize that regardless of the institution, it is not everyone's desire to work at an R1, perform research, teach.. or whatever. With a doctorate you do what you want to do as long as you have the experience and/or scholarship activity to back it up. I prefer teaching for a small historic liberal arts college and that is what I do. I am very comfortable where I am and was recently appointed Department Chair. I am very happy.

As for Dr. Kendrick at Gateway CC. What you think of her is minimal to the work that she has put into improving Gateway. She has received many plaudits from the local and academic community for her work. She must be doing something right to have a student body of over 11,000 students. I still encourage Slipdisco to contact her regarding her Walden experience.

Slipdisco, I applaud you for what you're trying to do. I wish the best of luck in your endeavors. Whether you decide to go with Walden or Capella, Harvard, or Duke be sure to give it your all and be active in the academic community.