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University of the People

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University of the People
File:Seal of UoPeople.jpg
University Seal
Latin: Universitas Populi
MottoTuition-Free University
TypePrivate nationally accredited (non-profit) co-educational, nonsectarian
Established2009
EndowmentUS$1.3 million (2013)[1]
PresidentShai Reshef
Students10,199 (2017)[2]
Location
Pasadena (administrative)
,
California
,
United States
CampusOnline (distance education)
ColorsEggplant  
WebsiteUoPeople.edu

University of the People (UoPeople) is a non-profit[1] institution of higher education. Founded by Israeli[3] entrepreneur Shai Reshef in 2009, the university offers Undergraduate & Graduate School degrees and is nationally accredited and recognized by the United States Department of Education (U.S.DoED), Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). It is also approved by California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).[4]

The university's stated mission is to open the gates to higher education and to give an opportunity to all qualified students who don’t have it, regardless of financial, geographical, political, cultural or personal constraints.[5] However, the alleged financial openness and the advertised "tuition-free" motto are debated due to the compulsory fees that students are required to pay, including the ones in developing countries.[6]

History

University of the People was launched by educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef in January 2009.[7] The first intake of UoPeople students began studying in September 2009, when 177 people from 49 countries across the globe comprised the inaugural class, studying for associate and bachelor's degrees in business administration and computer science.[8]

In April 2014, the University celebrated the graduation of its first intake of bachelor's degree students, who came from the United States, Syria, Jordan and Nigeria.[9]

In March 2016, the university began offering an online MBA, with the course itself beginning in September 2016.[10] The course has an emphasis on business and community leadership, and is designed to provide graduates with skills needed to thrive in senior organizational roles. However, the MBA is not accredited by any business school accreditation bodies (e.g. AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS), and, just like the other degrees issued by UoPeople, does not have regional accreditation.[6]

In May 2016, UoPeople announced associate and bachelor's degrees in Health Science, commencing September 2016.[11]

Tuition

The University of the People bills itself as "tuition-free". Nevertheless, there are costs that a student must pay:

  • Registration fee of $60 to register as a student at the University of the People[12]
  • Assessment fee of $100 for undergraduate assessments and $200 for graduate assessments for each exam a student takes[13]

To complete an associate degree (A.S.), a student must take 20 exams and 40 exams for a bachelor's degree, which cost a total of $2,060 and $4,060 respectively. For the MBA, a student has to pay a $200 exam fee per course for a total of 12 courses, which brings the total cost for the MBA to $2460.

Students who cannot afford to pay may be eligible for scholarships.[14]

Criticism

Critics say that advertising this business model as tuition-free is misleading, because replacing tuition with a series of compulsory fees forces students to pay tuition anyway (which, in this case, is called "fees" instead of "tuition"). Besides, if the school were actually tuition-free, there would be no need to advertise hypothetical scholarships to exempt a student from paying the fees.[6]

Structure and organization

The university is led by a board of trustees[15] and its President's Council.[16] The university's operations are centered on its more than 6,000 volunteers, who fill roles at every level of the organization, from lecturers to administrative staff. These volunteers are supported by a small staff of salaried employees.[17]

UoPeople President's Council offers guidance and support while promoting the university's mission on the international stage, and has gained widespread support from leading academics, none of which teaches any courses at UoPeople. The Council is chaired by New York University President Emeritus John Sexton,[18] and includes:

UoPeople's Board of Trustees[19] is chaired by Goldfarb Seligman & Co lawyer Ashok J.Chandrasekhar. Trustee members include:

University of the People uses instructor support combined with learning by teaching and peer-to-peer learning. The university also employs online discussion forums and online communities in order for students to cover readings, share resources, exchange ideas and discuss assigned questions. Scholars, professors, librarians, master level students and other professionals — many of them acting on a voluntary basis — oversee and participate in both the assessment process and the development of curricula.[20]

UoPeople students also have access to the UoPeople Library & Resource Center (ULRC), a virtual environment delivered through the university course site. The Center's collections are primarily proprietary academic resources, but also include open educational resources.[21]

Awards and recognition

In 2013, the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) Association and MasterCard Worldwide announced that University of People (UoPeople) was the winner of the 2013 ISIC Award for its "innovative approach to education access."[22][23] In 2015, University of the People's President Shai Reshef was named Salt Magazine's "#8 Most Compassionate Businessman in the World."[24] In 2016, Prince's Prize for Innovative Philanthropy has been awarded to president Shai Reshef of University of the People.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b High, Peter (March 3, 2014). "A Conversation With The President Of The World's First Non-Profit, Tuition-Free, Accredited University". Forbes. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  2. ^ "University of the People, Who We Are". University of the People. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  3. ^ Lewin, Tamar (January 25, 2009). "Israeli Entrepreneur Plans a Free Global University That Will Be Online Only". New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
  4. ^ "University of the People". California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. August 31, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Who We Are – In Briefl". uopeople.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference presto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "It's Time to Give Back". Inc. April 20, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  8. ^ "An online university - with no fees". theguardian.com. October 6, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  9. ^ "UoPeople Annual report, 2014" (PDF). www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  10. ^ "University of the People Launches MBA | AACSB BizEd Magazine". www.bizedmagazine.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  11. ^ "Health Studies Degree Launched". www.uopeople.edu. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  12. ^ "FAQ University of the People". uopeople.edu. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  13. ^ "Israeli Entrepreneur Opens Online University in West Bank". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  14. ^ Parr, Chris (March 21, 2013). "University of the People on course for stability | News". Timeshighereducation.co.uk. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  15. ^ "Board of Trustees". www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  16. ^ "President's Council". www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  17. ^ "University of the People demands high standards of far-flung students". The Australian. November 16, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  18. ^ "NYU: Office of the President Emeritus". www.nyu.edu. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  19. ^ "Board of Trustees - Our Leadership". www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  20. ^ "UoPeople Method". www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  21. ^ "Library Services". www.uopeople.edu. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  22. ^ "UoPeople named 2013 ISIC award winner". Uopeople.org. May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  23. ^ [1] Archived November 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Salt | #8 Shai Reshef". Salt. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  25. ^ "News - HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco awards the 2015 Prince's Prize for Innovative Philanthropy to Amitabh Shah of YUVA Unstoppable". www.fpa2.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.

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