California Coast University
California Coast University
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| Established | 1973 |
| Type | Non-profit, private, distance education university |
| President | Thomas Neal |
| Students | 8,000 |
| Location | Santa Ana, California, United States |
| Website | http://www.calcoast.edu |
Coordinates: 33°46′44.93″N 117°52′15.39″W / 33.7791472°N 117.8709417°W California Coast University (CCU) is a non-profit, private university, based in Santa Ana, California. It was established in 1973 and has national accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The primary method of learning is directed independent study through their distance learning curriculum. Research, study, and testing are accomplished off-campus and traditional classroom attendance is not offered. Approximately 8,000 students are enrolled at any given time.
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History [edit]
The school was founded in 1973 as California Western University with administration and library facilities located in downtown Santa Ana, California. The name was changed to California Coast University in 1981. In 2010, CCU moved to larger facilities to accommodate their continued growth.
Degree Programs [edit]
CCU offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, management, marketing, psychology, criminal justice, human resource management, healthcare management, and education.
Accreditation [edit]
CCU received national accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) on January 8, 2005.[1] The DETC is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).[2] As of January 2010, DETC accreditation authorizes CCU to award degrees up to and including the doctoral level. Since DETC has been approved by USDE to accredit professional doctorates, including the D.B.A. and Ed.D, CCU has been granted approval to offer several Ed.D doctorate programs. CCU has been approved by the State of California since 1974. Such approval is currently granted by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education a branch of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.[3]
Before accreditation in 2005, CCU and some other unaccredited schools were investigated by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) as part of a study of subsidies given to federal employees for coursework and degrees from unaccredited schools and diploma mills.[4][5] The GAO report did not indicate any wrongdoing on the part of CCU and they were accredited by a government-recognized agency soon after in 2005.[1] CCU graduates with a degree earned during the school's previously unaccredited status have occasionally run into difficulty when trying to use their unaccredited degrees.[6][7]
Memberships [edit]
In 2009, CCU was accepted for Institutional Membership with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).[8] AACRAO membership is open to postsecondary, degree-granting institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Membership benefits include invitations to participate in workshops and meetings, access to online workshops and courses, and trainings on compliance, FERPA and Federal regulations. AACRAO is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association of more than 10,000 higher education admissions and registration professionals who represent approximately 2,500 institutions in more than 30 countries. Their mission is to serve and advance higher education by providing leadership in academic and enrollment services.[9]
CCU also belongs to the Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA). HETA is a voluntary group of accredited institutions that are concerned with the importance of student mobility, enhancing success in transfer of credit, and affirming the responsibility and prerogative of individual institutions with respect to acceptance of transfer credits. HETA is a Web-based directory of colleges and universities that is open to all institutions that are accredited by an organization recognized by CHEA or the United States Department of Education (USDE).[10]
CCU is TA/DANTES[11]/VA approved and offers several special programs for members of the United States Military, enabling members of the armed forces to continue their education through distance learning, even while on active duty.[12] In some cases, military experience and coursework may be accepted as transferable units.[13]
CCU has formed partnerships with both nationally and regionally accredited institutions, to help further the academic success of their students. These universities offer CCU graduates a broad selection of degree programs to choose from, in addition to other benefits including tuition discounts, fee waivers, acceptance of transfer credit, and a fast track to admission.[14]
Notable alumni [edit]
- David Borja – He is a Northern Mariana Islands educator, military veteran and politician. He ran for Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and was the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Ramon "Kumoi" Guerrero in the 2009 gubernatorial election.[15][16]
- Doreen Virtue - She is currently an author and lecturer on New Age topics. She worked previously in counseling and psychotherapy and wrote several books on self-help topics. She appeared frequently on daytime talk shows.
- Walter Martin - Noted twentieth-century Christian apologist, author, and expert on cults.
- Philip Wong Yu-hong – He is a legislator in Hong Kong as a member of the Legislative Council (Functional constituencies, Commercial (Second) and a delegate of the National People's Congress in People's Republic of China.[17]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "California Coast University". Distance Education and Training Council. 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
- ^ "CHEA Database of Institutions Accredited By Recognized U.S. Accrediting Organizations". Chea.org. January 6, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "State of California Postsecondary Education Commission". Cpec.ca.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ Federal Employees Have Obtained Degrees from Diploma Mills and Other Unaccredited Schools, Some at Government Expense, General Accounting Office, May 11, 2004
- ^ Diploma Mills Are Easily Created and Some Have Issued Bogus Degrees to Federal Employees at Government Expense, General Accounting Office, September 2004
- ^ "Two less doctors in the house – Hebert, Wilson back away from PhD's issued by ‘diploma mills'". Fort Bend Herald. September 28, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
- ^ Carter, Mike; Kelleher, Susan (September 10, 2005). "Local FEMA chief had little disaster experience". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
- ^ http://www.calcoast.edu/nw/ccu0709/coastlinev5i3.pdf
- ^ "About AACRAO". Aacrao.org. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "HETA Membership Directory". Chea.org. January 29, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Welcome To DANTES Home Page". Dantes.doded.mil. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Military? College Degrees Online from California Coast University allow you to Get Your Degree While Deployed". Militarycollegedegree.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Military – California Coast University". Calcoast.edu. May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Education Partners – California Coast University". Calcoast.edu. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Saipan Tribune". Saipan Tribune. March 20, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ Saturday, February 12, 2005 (February 12, 2005). "Saipan Tribune". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Profile of Philip Wong". Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. English language version of Legislative Council website (home page).
