DEREE - ACG / The Open University Partnership - A unique collaboration between Greece's largest private college and Europe's largest university to ...
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DEREE – ACG / The Open University Partnership A unique collaboration between Greece’s largest private college and Europe’s largest university to deliver value to DEREE students
Office of the President
PARTNERSHIP GOALS
1. Give DEREE students the best learning
experience
2. Give DEREE graduates the strongest
graduation credentials
3. Support other potential initiatives
(e.g. distance learning)
1Office of the President
PARTNERSHIP CHRONOLOGY
1. Exploration of UK degree validation* options: fall 2008
* Degree validation is a distinctive UK process by which the validating institution
(OU) assesses both the overall quality and the specific academic programs (“majors”)
of the validated institution (DEREE) in order to present the graduates of the validated
institution (DEREE) with the award (degree) of the validating institution (OU). Upon
successful completion of all requirements DEREE graduates will get two diplomas:
the “American” degree (accredited by NEASC) and the OU award.
2. Visit to OU for initial exploration of partnership: February 2009
3. OU policy change to validate in Greece: Spring 2009
. EU directive to Greece
. DEREE - ACG stature
4. Following ACG board of trustees approval, OU affiliation process began officially in
October 2009 – typically minimum two-year process
5. OU “institutional approval” recommended by OU review committee in September 2010
6. DEREE economics major recommended for OU validation by OU review panel in
September 2010 (2% of student majors)
7. Business majors (except ITHM), psychology and communication recommended for
OU validation by OU review panels in December 2010 (83% of student majors)
8. Other majors scheduled for review in March 2011 (15% of student majors)
NOTE: Final confirmation of program details will still be pending following the March 2011
reviews. Additional changes are possible.
2Office of the President
WHY THE OPEN UNIVERSITY?
1. Widely respected as an international higher education leader/innovator
. Selected by British government for validation process
. Ranked among the highest UK universities in student satisfaction
.
Largest degree validating institution in the world (potential international network
available to DEREE students)
2. Compatible core values
. US non-profit and UK public: resources deployed for educational mission not
personal profit
.
Collegial governance: faculty drive curriculum and are fully engaged in academic
policy development and implementation
. Student-centered (e.g. learning experience evaluation, governance participation)
. Professional development/engagement of faculty
. NEASC and QAA focus on learning assessment
NOTE: OU is accredited in the United States (i.e. its educational system and policies meet
American standards).
3Office of the President
NEW MODEL: THE BEST of
AMERICAN and BRITISH SYSTEMS
1. Traditional American system focus on classroom experience as foundation for the
learning process remains (no change to DEREE faculty/student relationships)
2. American system ability for wide student choice retained through general admission
and majors, double majors, minors and free electives
3. American system emphasis on development of lifelong learning skills/capacities (e.g.
writing, critical analysis, breadth of knowledge) as well as assurance of student mastery
of knowledge enhanced:
a. General Education program
b. Assessment of student performance (e.g. pass requirement at each graded evaluation)
4. American system of co-curricular learning and enrichment retained
5. More “structured” British approach will bring positive change, e.g.:
a. “Second marking”: greater assurance of fairness to students and consistency
across classes
b. Class repeat options (10 vs 7) and only improve “F” to “D”: more consistent
with American practice and fairness
c. Structured progression through “course levels” (i.e. “4, 5, 6”) is somewhat less
flexible than typical American system with pros and cons debatable
4Office of the President
DEREE – ACG and The Open University
Frequently Asked/Anticipated Questions
1. Can the registration timeline for the spring semester be pushed back a week?
Yes; we have changed the beginning of spring semester registration to February 7, 2011.
2. Why did the general information and advising processes not begin sooner? If all the
OU-based changes will not be finalized until later this year, why are we implementing
this academic advising process now?
The majors covering the vast majority of DEREE students were reviewed by OU just
before the recent Christmas break. Once those reviews were successfully completed we
then had a reasonably reliable basis to speak with students about the specifics of the
new programs. We have begun the advising process now to give current DEREE students
as much time as possible to plan and to select their alternatives under the new system.
However, until a new College catalog is finalized and all DEREE majors have official OU
approval some additional change is possible.
An example of the type of changes that may occur is that we were informed by OU very
recently (after the meeting with students in Goody’s on 1/22/11) that current DEREE
students cannot repeat courses completed prior to validation to satisfy the course
requirements of a validated award. As you will see below, we have attempted to adjust
our plans to assist students as much as we can under this new guideline.
3. How will OU degree validation affect DEREE – ACG’s NEASC accreditation?
NEASC has already given approval to DEREE – ACG for this change of academic program.
4. Will OU degrees be recognized by the Greek state? What will be the benefits of an
OU award for gaining professional rights in Greece or elsewhere?
We cannot speak for the Greek state. However, OU degrees have been recognized in
Greece in the past, including this year in the case of a DEREE faculty member. Currently,
Greece is under an EU directive requiring the recognition of the professional rights of
graduates of universities of other EU member states. OU has not validated degrees
in Greece in the past, but the recent private college bills (2008 and 2010) provided
for licensed private colleges in Greece, of which DEREE – ACG is one, to make degree
validation agreements with EU universities.
We believe that the largest private college in Greece (DEREE - ACG) partnering with the
largest university in the EU (OU), which is also the largest and most experienced degree
validating institution in the world, represents as strong an affiliation as possible for the
purpose of degree validation – an affiliation that is consistent with Greek law and has the
force of EU law behind it.
5Office of the President
We also believe that an OU award will prove beneficial in a variety of employment
and other recognition circumstances. For example, in some countries outside Greece,
recognition of a degree is based on the recognition of the degree in the home country
(in our case, Greece). Some private employers in Greece also use public recognition as a
basis for salary and other determinations.
5. Can all current DEREE students apply to pursue an OU award? When do I have to decide?
Yes, all current DEREE students can apply to pursue an OU award by following the terms
of the new catalog. The full OU award requires students to earn 360 UK credits (72 current
DEREE credits) in an approved sequence (e.g. 120 credits in “Level Four” courses, 120
credits in “Level Five” courses, 120 credits in “Level Six” courses).
However, not more than180 UK credits (36 current DEREE credits) can be “transferred”
from previous DEREE courses towards an OU award, and 180 UK credits must be earned
from DEREE courses under the terms of the new framework/catalog. Students should
see their academic advisors for the specific requirements applicable to their individual
programs and plans.
We must provide OU with our list of current DEREE students who are choosing to pursue
an OU award at the beginning of the fall 2011 term. Therefore, current DEREE students
will have until September 7, 2011 to make this decision and to inform the DEREE OU
Validation Office. We encourage all current DEREE students to meet with advisors now to
begin this academic planning process.
6. How will the new academic programs developed as a result of the OU partnership
affect the requirement of students to complete the programs stated in previous
DEREE - ACG catalogs?
As stated in the College catalog, students have the option of completing an academic
program under the terms outlined in the catalog of the year in which they entered
the College or choosing to follow a different program outlined in a subsequent official
College catalog issued prior to the student’s graduation.
Programs leading to an OU validated award will be outlined in a new College catalog
scheduled for publication later this spring. An OU validated award will be available only
to students choosing to follow this new catalog’s program requirements. DEREE students
entering after the spring 2011 semester will be required to follow the terms of the new
catalog until and unless a subsequent catalog is published.
6Office of the President
7. How will course repeat policies be affected by the OU partnership?
OU’s policy on course repeats is quite different from current DEREE policy and practice
(e.g. in our new framework only courses that are failed can be repeated but only a grade
of “D” can be attained through the repeated course). ACG policy and practice on course
repeats is also quite different from many US institutions. The new catalog will contain
all the policies that will be required for both the “American” degree and an OU award in
the future.
In order to assist current DEREE students in the transition to a different repeat policy
system, course repeats according to the policies outlined in the fall 2010 catalog will be
allowed for courses to be applied to the “American” degree for the spring 2011 semester,
the summer 2011 session, the fall 2011 semester, and the winter 2012 session.
8. How much will the OU change increase the cost of studying at DEREE?
Tuition for 2011-12 will not be set until later this spring or early this coming summer by action
of the board of trustees. Any increase in DEREE tuition resulting from additional OU costs (i.e.
excluding general inflation factors) will not exceed 5% for the 2011-12 academic year and is
likely to be closer to 4%, based on the charges OU has been discussing with us to date.
For those current DEREE students who elect to accept the one-time offer of transferring
up to 180 UK credits (36 current DEREE credits) towards an OU validated award, there
will be a one-time charge of 185 euro (exactly what OU will charge DEREE for registering
these students in the OU award system) in the fall semester bill.
9. What will current DEREE students not getting an OU award be charged?
Current DEREE students who do not elect to pursue an OU award will be coded separately
in the DEREE billing system and will have the OU “increment” deducted from their per credit
hour charge. This deduction will be maintained through the 2013-14 academic year.
10. What if it is not practical for me to get an OU award in my current major because there
are not enough courses to take at the various levels without repeating a course taken
prior to validation, but I am interested in pursuing a second major that will lead to an
OU award? Or, what if I can complete my intended major and complete the OU award
requirements, but this will require extra course work beyond the 128 credits required
for the “American” degree?
In either case, we will work with you to determine how much additional study would be
required for an OU award. Current students who enroll under these circumstances for
extra study (study beyond 128 credits) at DEREE in order to get an OU award will have
tuition waived for any credits above 128.
7Office of the President
11. Will all graduates in the future receive both OU awards and the “American”
DEREE degree?
Essentially, yes. There may be some exceptional circumstances in which a graduate in the
future satisfies all the “American”degree requirements but not the OU award requirements,
and, therefore, receives only the “American” degree. However, DEREE’s degree programs
going forward will be designed to lead simultaneously to both credentials.
12. Will DEREE alumni be able to get an OU award?
We know that some DEREE alumni have an interest in getting an OU award. Once we have
the structure in place to cover current DEREE students, we intend to explore with OU the
possibilities for DEREE alumni as well. Although we have had preliminary discussions with
OU about this topic, it is too early to tell whether a practical system can be developed.
We will work towards this end and also attempt to keep any time and cost requirements
as low as possible.
13. Will DEREE continue to try to gain recognition in Greece for its “American” degree?
Yes, but at least for the foreseeable future it seems that the focus of EU states will be on
aligning the EU educational system across EU member states. We think, therefore, that
our dual credential approach (“American” plus “EU”) provides the maximum advantage,
especially for our EU-based students.
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