FAMU is still the #1 producer of black baccalaureate degree recipients among universities that share its business model.
This year, the for-profit University of Phoenix took the top overall spot in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African Americans. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat’s Angeline Taylor, Phoenix graduated 1,780 to FAMU’s 1,330.
FAMU’s performance was still the best among the not-for-profit colleges and universities.
The big differences between the for-profit and not-for-profit business models became clear from a comparison of revenue sources, admissions policies, and graduation rates.
Phoenix does not receive any state appropriations or federal research grants. Almost all of its money comes from student tuition payments. That means the university must maintain high enrollment numbers.
As a result, Phoenix is basically an open-enrollment school. It also has a 16 percent six-year graduation rate.
FAMU is very different. Since it receives state enrollment funding and federal research grants, it can afford to be more selective in admissions. FAMU also makes it a priority to graduate a much larger percentage of its students within six-years.
FAMU requires a SAT-1 score of 1450 or ACT score of 21 for freshmen. Students who do not meet those standards have the option of beginning in the School of General Studies where they can earn an associate’s degree and then transfer to the upper division. The university's six year graduation rate is 41 percent.
Despite the contrasting business/academic models, FAMU can learn some important lessons from for-profit schools such as Phoenix. There are many blacks who want to finish college or earn a graduate degree but cannot due to time and money constraints. FAMU needs to build more online programs to reach this group.
For example, the University of South Florida’s College of Education offers online M.A., M.Ed., and Ed.S. degrees. These programs are popular among teachers who want to further their education while continuing to work fulltime.
Creating a large online education program could boost FAMU’s revenue and help it award even more degrees to nontraditional students.
Have you read? Phoenix dethrones FAMU as #1 producer of black baccalaureate graduates
FAMU could lose coveted title by 2011
Online colleges nipping at FAMU’s heels
This year, the for-profit University of Phoenix took the top overall spot in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African Americans. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat’s Angeline Taylor, Phoenix graduated 1,780 to FAMU’s 1,330.
FAMU’s performance was still the best among the not-for-profit colleges and universities.
The big differences between the for-profit and not-for-profit business models became clear from a comparison of revenue sources, admissions policies, and graduation rates.
Phoenix does not receive any state appropriations or federal research grants. Almost all of its money comes from student tuition payments. That means the university must maintain high enrollment numbers.
As a result, Phoenix is basically an open-enrollment school. It also has a 16 percent six-year graduation rate.
FAMU is very different. Since it receives state enrollment funding and federal research grants, it can afford to be more selective in admissions. FAMU also makes it a priority to graduate a much larger percentage of its students within six-years.
FAMU requires a SAT-1 score of 1450 or ACT score of 21 for freshmen. Students who do not meet those standards have the option of beginning in the School of General Studies where they can earn an associate’s degree and then transfer to the upper division. The university's six year graduation rate is 41 percent.
Despite the contrasting business/academic models, FAMU can learn some important lessons from for-profit schools such as Phoenix. There are many blacks who want to finish college or earn a graduate degree but cannot due to time and money constraints. FAMU needs to build more online programs to reach this group.
For example, the University of South Florida’s College of Education offers online M.A., M.Ed., and Ed.S. degrees. These programs are popular among teachers who want to further their education while continuing to work fulltime.
Creating a large online education program could boost FAMU’s revenue and help it award even more degrees to nontraditional students.
Have you read? Phoenix dethrones FAMU as #1 producer of black baccalaureate graduates
FAMU could lose coveted title by 2011
Online colleges nipping at FAMU’s heels
I truly hope that something very similar is about to happen at FAMU. At the very least aggressively offer it to former students who did not complete their programs.
ReplyDeleteOnly FAMU hires a team that can think outside of the box, take good ideas from others and hire competent personnel, It won't happen, Captain!!
ReplyDelete10:48 am
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct! And if anyone thinks that the College of Education will be an example of anything good with its current leadership then they are crazy! Its new Dean is clueless (not totally her fault), and her leadership "team" is left overs from the Gainous/Bryant year. That makes no sense...
It makes no sense that there are no online degrees offered in the year 2009! The oldest and worst College at the University! It is a shame and the Leadership at FAMU should be ashamed!
As I plan and prepare to make a donation to the College of Education I will make all these concerns known in private to said leadership. If I see no improvements it will be my last donation!
Why are we so fascinated about numbers. Who cares how many blacks graduated from here or there? What about the percentage of blacks that graduate? What about the jobs and research grants they receive? Academic achievement is not about a number that can mean anything.
ReplyDeleteFAMU requires a SAT score of 1450 for full admission!!!! This is outrageous for a HBCU. Thus most freshmen students must go to General Studies the "Black Hole" of FAMU. Hopefully, FAMU will reduce its admission standard to sometime that is resonable, maybe a SAT score of 1,100 for full admission to the various schools and colleges, thus increasing FAMU graduation rate.
ReplyDelete9:07,
ReplyDeleteThat was the most idiotic reasoning i've ever heard. Reduce standards to increase grad rates, ha!
5:51
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you feel that you are the know all and the great answer to the College of Education. If you look around at most of the Leadership in allof the Colleges, Most were there during Gainous/Bryant and have been enduring the the pain of 10 Deans in the College of Education. They finally have someone there who is willing to stay. What they need is total support from the TEAM (Professors, Staff, Administration and Students). Try this, take the blinders off and the knifes out of the backs and we thank you for your donation.
Just to qualify a statement made in the article, FAMU's minimum SAT-I score (1450) comprises three sub-areas: critical reading, math, and writing, as opposed to just reading and math. So actually, the 1450 score is actually average (the max. score on each sub test is 800 or a total of 2400), in terms of admission scores. Also, notice that minimum ACT score is 21. Of course, such scores don't determine a student's potential for success. However, I'm just clarifying the point made in the article. The SAT-I score 1450 is not the same as the previous SAT 1450 that was comprised of the reading and math only, not the writing.
ReplyDeleteBelow is the excerpt quoted directly from the FAMU page:
"A minimum SAT-I of 1450 (critical reading, math and writing) or an ACT of 21 is required for admission. FAMU accepts the highest test component of all tests taken and encourage you to send all test results."
I completely agree with you Adrian. Who cares that some other school produces more black baccalaureate recipients? Isn't that the entire theory of quality over quantity. And the idea of lowering admission standards to attract more students is completely stupid.
ReplyDeleteWow. What a headline-spinner: "... not-for-profit producer ..."
ReplyDeleteYou go, RN. You can fix anything!
I said it in 2005 and I'll say it now. The haters have gotta be reduced here for anything positive to come outta here again. I don't know where Colleges of Education were getting attention in the past couple of decades, but its high time for a change on that trend. Immediately.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea 4:53p
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I hate coming to this site is all of the negative energy here. Sometimes people just need to just STFU...
TO: 7:15, 12:48 ---
ReplyDeleteApparently, you don't hate coming to this site enough to quit coming and reading everything posted.
If you hate the site so much -- read these words --- DO NOT VISIT. Coming here is not a mandate, you know? Helloo-oo-o?