While FAMU still leads America in producing blacks with baccalaureates, the competition is catching up. According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, the rapidly growing University of Phoenix Online is only a few dozen degrees short of snatching FAMU’s coveted title.
As the digital divide has narrowed, blacks have increasingly sought the convenience and affordability of online programs. Popular fields include business administration, computer programming, health management, and especially education.
Nova Southeastern University, which offers a blend of on-campus and online education, awards the most doctorates of education to blacks. Phoenix Online, Walden University in Minneapolis, and American InterContinental University Online in Chicago – institutions with Internet-only courses – all rank in the top ten for granting masters of education to blacks.
Black teachers frequently pursue advanced education degrees as a means to qualify for administrative positions and automatic raises, which can boost their base salaries by as much as 25 percent.
“The online programs are really more conducive to candidates of color who have families to feed and responsibilities,” said Boyce C. Williams, vice president of institutional relations for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. “A lot of our folks have to work and can’t take off work.”
Williams added that individuals with online Ed.D.s have trouble landing faculty jobs at traditional, campus-based colleges of education. Such colleges tend to prefer job applicants who have Ph.D.s from programs that emphasize classroom instruction and research publishing.
Among HBCUs, North Carolina A&T University, which ranks second behind FAMU in awarding baccalaureates to blacks, has one of the largest online education programs.
As the digital divide has narrowed, blacks have increasingly sought the convenience and affordability of online programs. Popular fields include business administration, computer programming, health management, and especially education.
Nova Southeastern University, which offers a blend of on-campus and online education, awards the most doctorates of education to blacks. Phoenix Online, Walden University in Minneapolis, and American InterContinental University Online in Chicago – institutions with Internet-only courses – all rank in the top ten for granting masters of education to blacks.
Black teachers frequently pursue advanced education degrees as a means to qualify for administrative positions and automatic raises, which can boost their base salaries by as much as 25 percent.
“The online programs are really more conducive to candidates of color who have families to feed and responsibilities,” said Boyce C. Williams, vice president of institutional relations for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. “A lot of our folks have to work and can’t take off work.”
Williams added that individuals with online Ed.D.s have trouble landing faculty jobs at traditional, campus-based colleges of education. Such colleges tend to prefer job applicants who have Ph.D.s from programs that emphasize classroom instruction and research publishing.
Among HBCUs, North Carolina A&T University, which ranks second behind FAMU in awarding baccalaureates to blacks, has one of the largest online education programs.
Read more here.
Although it would be nice for FAMU to have more online stuff, I think we should not get too bogged down in "the most number of this" or "the most of that".
ReplyDeleteThe institutions that are the most effective are the ones that are considered the "Best".
Since 2000, the Yankees spent the MOST MONEY and had the MOST TICKETS, but the Tampa Bay Rays are the Most Effective at what they do. Guess who is playing in the World Series and guess who the hell is watching the World Series.
Nice analogy, 7:48 AM.
ReplyDeleteMaybe FAMU will simply have to adjust it's title to the largest traditional campus-based producer of blacks with baccalaureates.
I think we'll still be okay as long as our quality of education remains high. The success our grads experience on the job market will still show that we're ahead of the online colleges.
I wish FAMU would just try to be the best business school, architecture school, journalism school,pharmacy school, etc. rather than trying to be the best black something or other.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to 2008 where the President elect is probably going to be black. Segregation is old school. Lets be the best we can be and then see who tries to get in the door to buy our product.
FSU is a HWCU (women). It is still mostly women, but it has evolved in to much more and better.
So can we.
Embrace the future.
4:12, I think FAMU IS trying to be the best (of the divisions you named). Now, whether or not they ARE, is a horse of a different color. But I think the University is at least TRYING to be the best at what it does: educating the students who come through its doors.
ReplyDelete4:12pm,
ReplyDeleteWhat is FSU the best at?
FSU isn't even #1 in football anymore. Not in the nation, and certainly not in Florida!!!
FSU is consistently ranked just a few notches down from FAMU as one of the leading producers of black undergraduates.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about FSU except that they have deviated from their historical mission and thrived.
Over the years they HAVE had a year or two where they WERE the very best in the country at a thing or too.
We can do that too.
I don't understand this constant mentioning of FSU EVERY time there is something said about FAMU.
ReplyDeleteSo when did FSU become the arbiter of everything that is academic when it comes to FAMU?? They are separate institutions. FSU has its strengths and FAMU has its strengths. Why does FSU's name come up in any of these conversations?? Are we not of ourselves and capable of handling our own PR and academic concerns and issues? Does FSU set OUR bar and standards of academic achievement?? A review of past RN posts reveals this constant includion of FSU when we do (or do not do) something. Can we simply leave FSU out of our equation when we trumpet our own acheivements, or must we consistently parallel our progress against theirs?
I agree, forget FSU. If we're going to compare someone with FAMU, compare MIT, Harvard, Morehouse or Howard. Mentioning FSU in the same sentence with FAMU taints our image.
ReplyDeleteThis is so immature. Its obvious that most of these people know little about FAMU or its mission. Which is why they always chant OLD school and evolve. How are YOU helping FAMU be the best? We only make ourselves the exception to the FS(C)U's out there when we deny our OWN mission. There is NOTHING WRONG with OUR MISSION. NOTHING! It does not make us the BEST BLACK anything it can only make us the BEST at being FAMU. HOw does highlighting a strength turn into a weakness? When you have HATERS! Self HATERS included. YOur identity issue and problem does not belong to FAMU. HUbba 7:48a, 11:44a, 4:26p, 7:45p and 9:26p! How exactly do you define "deviate" 4:12? How do you figure that the rest of us (FAMUans and friends) are just ignorant and deluded about being black in America? And here we go , ALREADY being attacked about Obama being the Next President, YOU didn't forget about him being Black, how should we?! [Welcome to 2008 where the President elect is probably going to be black."-4:12p] So.., we should just Uncle Ruckus-up and behave right?! "If we BOTH think alike, there is NO NEED for BOTH of US!"- Daddy Gibbs. I won't forget that you Castellian-Ward Connely agent. We've seen annd heard this ALL before. It pays to know YOUR hiSTORY...
ReplyDeleteWe can't run from the school across the street (tracks). There will ALWAYS be comparisons. That's reality.
ReplyDelete10:04 I hope you are not skipping your meds and your anger management class. Do you own any fire arms? I hope not.
Exposure to diversity would allow you to understand that inflection does not, aside from your assumption that I am black, qualify me to be an ANGRY or DANGEROUS black man. -10:07
ReplyDeleteOur "PEER INTSTIUTIONS" are a better standard to be "compared" with.
ReplyDelete