Effect of Media
How has the media influenced the regulatory environment in the education industry?
I think that stories about career colleges that take a negative slant (doesn't all news coverage lately feature a negative slant?) contribute to the recent trends that are taking place in career college regulation. It seems that many of the accrediting bodies for private career colleges seem to be revising their standards to force career colleges to look and function more like community colleges. If the community college environment worked for career college students, there would be no career colleges. Yet, in order to satisfy accrediting body regulations, it seems that a more academic and less career specific focus is becoming required. If there were more (do I mean some?)positive stories focusing on the successes career college students experience, perhaps the prevailing perception of the career college industry would become less biased and the general public more appreciative of the services provided by the career college industry.
I agree that the career colleges and traditional colleges have migrated toward one another. Ironically, the regulations that some traditional educators pushed for put the career colleges in more direct competition with traditional institutions. That put the traditionals in a situation whereby they had to modify practices to be more competitive - including adding shorter programs (i.e. executive MBAs, etc.) and being more agressive in their student recruitment activies - which makes them act more like the career college sector.
Media is a powerful force and the attention it has drawn certainly can influence the regulators. Others argue that even the bad media attention is positive for consumers as it creates a more skeptical buyer that will do more due dilegence before selecting a college to attend.
I agree with you totally. I feel that we need to broadcast more what our students are doing with a career school degree. I am sure there are success stories that we don't hear about. My school is an art & photography school and you are right about the gen eds. This is the biggest challenge for the students. But I feel that this gives them more prep for entering the workforce.
Unfortunately, when the media reports a negative story on education it seems that the career colleges take the brunt. One failed school or diploma mill and we all get painted with the same brush. The public then wants more oversight and the upshot is more regulations.
I think the public needs more education on what accreditation is and that a school has voluntarily sought it. That it allows us to have Title IV funding available like a traditional school and that we too are following the Department of Education's regulations; that we are not lesser because we are a career college.
Kathleen - You bring up a good point on the fact that accreditation is voluntary. Unfortunately, the link to Title IV funding can paint a picture of motives tied to financial gain versus purely for the sake of creating a compliant campus.
A colleague once made a good point regarding the perception of career colleges versus traditional universities. He asked if I would trust someone with a bachelors degree in business more than someone with a credential from a cosmetology school to cut my hair. My answer was obvious - and I have always respected career colleges for delivering on their objectives.
Twenty years ago, when I started my career in education, the objectives of career colleges were more clearly delineated from the objectives of traditional universities. Over time, with increased regulation and career colleges' expansion strategies, the lines have become blurred. Some career colleges offer higher degree credentials than they did in the past, some have added general education to meet the requirements of higher degree levels and, on the other side, traditional colleges have become more innovative in offering accelerated programs and some have added more "practitioner" faculty in addition to their professors.
By now competing more directly with one another, the skeptics of career colleges have fueled the media by focusing on the "bad apples" that you mention. I agree that the public needs more awareness of the fact that the same regulations (and even more as some have specifically targeted the for-profit institutions)apply to the career colleges.
I couldn't agree with you more about the Title IV connection. I have seen that come back and bite because it can look as if the money is the reason for accreditation.
I also agree with you about focusing on the "bad apples".
When I first started working for the career college I am currently with, I was in a different state. A different school, one of those "bad apples" closed their doors. The students and staff came to school to find themselves locked out. It was all over the press.
What didn't' make the press was all of the career schools that offered similar programs, including he one I was employed by, opened the doors to all of the students.Students were "taken in" without costing them more money. If there program had been completely paid at the other school no money was charged by the "adopting" school. All monies that had been paid at the closed school were credited against tuition charges at the "adopting" school and tuition was lowered to match what the student as originally paying at the closed school.
All the career colleges rallied to save these students at some cost to themselves because of the bad publicity from the one school. It was a good thing the other schools did but had I not been employed by a career college and been involved with the “adopted†students all I would have know was the “bad†school.
Yes! This is exactly what has set legitimate career colleges apart from all other facets of postsecondary education. The fact that we put the needs of the student first. Period. If we are in this business for any other reason, we are in the wrong business!
My deepest concern is that the way things seem to be going with accrediting bodies it may soon be virtually impossible to distinguish a career college from a traditional junior or community college. If the students we serve could find success through traditonal education, we wouldn't have any students. Now, changes in accreditation standards and requirements are forcing career colleges to compete with more traditional colleges because the student niche that we have historically served is not cut out to excel in a traditional environment.I hope I'm wrong because I love this industry and the students we serve, to the degree that I have dedicated my life to it for the past 19 years. Any comments or encouragement from any of you?
Richard, I am a relative newbie to the career college world. I have been in my current position for two years. But what has impressed me the most is the total commitment my for-profit organization has to its students. Sure we want them to be able to receive Title IV funding as it helps pay their bill, but what we really want is for them to learn and to be successful. Our target student is a 25 year old single mother of two. We want to help her get an education that will give her the opportunity to provide a decent living for her children and will allow her choices in her own life. As part of our graduation ceremony each of our students is given the opportunity to speak. The majority of them tell the story of how they got to our college and the help they received to make it through. I have seen our CEO reduced to tears over the stories that come out during those graduation ceremonies. Most of our students would not survive in a traditional college. I wish the media would take the time to hear and print some of the true success stories of career college students so that they, and certain of the regulators, would understand that career colleges are operated and administered by individuals who are just as committed, if not more so, to student learning and success as are community colleges and state run universities. I applaud your commitment!
I have been with a Career College now for almost twelve years and I love it. It is the wonderful success stories of our students that keep us going. I don't think the traditional schools have the heart and soul that we give to our students that would otherwise be lost. So many have never been successful in school or life and we are the helping hand that all of us have needed from time to time. Graduations always bring that point home just by looking at the students' faces and all of the faces of their families, as well as friends, beaming with pride. Wow, are we lucky.
Well, thanks. But there is nothing special about me. This business is special. The students we work for and their families and their friends are special.
Someone on your campus needs to contact the media and invite them to cover your graduation ceremonies. If they don't come at first keep inviting them, or shoot video yourselves and submit them to the news department of local TV stations. Encourage your students to write letters to the editors of local papers telling their stories. If we want positive representation in the press we can't sit around and wait for it because it isn't likely to happen. We need to generate it ourselves.
By the way, welcome to the greatest business on earth, despite the over regulation and negative perceptions, there is still no other business like it.
You are so right, Kathleen, about the graduations bringing the point home. No matter how tough things seem, graduation ceremonies give me that boost and reminder of why we all choose to stand firm on our convictions.
This industry in the ultimate in the "win-win" concept. When it works right, all parties benefit - students by getting jobs, employers by having a pool of trained candidates to fill positions, schools themselves by being successful (i.e. profitable - which should not be considered a bad thing when achieved the right way) and employees of the schools are happily employed by a successful school. As for-profit entities, we also pay various taxes - thereby contributing to government and communities with the monies that go back to work thru those tax dollars as well as impacting employment rates positively. It's amazing to me that such a wonderful model of the multitude of "winners" in the mix that we continue to be subjected to the level of scrutiny which exists.
Other suggestions I have thought of after Richard's encouragement to feed positive graduation stories with the media would be to highlight other postive events as well. Press releases for certain newly hired or promoted key employees, testimonies from happy employers, school sponsored community events, and even new facility launches can be events that may get published if you take the time to provide the media with a release. The media is more likely to publish these if they are concise (easy to fit or edit for space) and personalized to include quotes and/or pictures. Be persistent, like Richard suggested, with all types of submissions. Eventually, you will hit a date when they have space to fill. Another thing I have seen that may help attract media attention is if you have a prominent guest speaker at a graduation ceremony or other event.
As more people go thru this course online, I am hoping we can get additional suggestions and ultimately, start hearing some success stories from those who get results on the ideas presented!
Richard-
I think what has kept me intrigued by this industry for my 20 years in the business is the passion of the people, like you, that this business attracts. Your suggestions are great - we need to encourage everyone to share their passionate stories and the successes of their graduates to get some positive press.
Given the topic of this thread, I thought you may be interested in this article. I prefer seeking positive press on the career schools and do not intend to push negative info about the traditional sector but, this article hit home. In the for-profit sector, the results referenced in this article would be cause for action by an accreditor.
Lori -
Great comments - be sure to check out the article I attached in repsonse to Richard's next posting. Your comment about students not surviving in a traditional college is validated by some rather depressing statistics. Those students frequently end up in our sector - where they get the additional support and attention - as a "second chance" student. I am proud to be a part of an industry that not only offers a second chance but, also provides the means and support needed to increase their odds of graduating and securing a job!
There was a story in the New York Times today (2/23/07) on the need for increased regulation in the career college sector. This I trust will have a powerful impact on legislators as they work through their education agenda in the new congress.
John: Do you have the link to this article? I was unable to find it online and I would like to read it. I agree that media - no matter whether their articles are well researched or mostly opinion - have such impact on our legislators.
I feel that the media's role to enlighten and inform still has value in our industry and others, although it does seem at times that media's focus is on the negative or the sensational in an attempt to “entertain†or "sensationalize" rather than to inform. This tendency perhaps, is to some extent the fault of the consumer. The media focuses on what they think we want to see in order to increase their viewership/readership. However, one cannot deny that sometimes media focus leads to much-needed social change. There have been far too many examples of individuals/organizations gone awry to ignore the value of the media in bringing these situations to the public's attention.
Certainly, there has been a heightened regulatory environment in all industries as a result of the exposure of Enron and others. By shining the light on regulatory issues, the media is forcing organizations to take a deep look inward. Ultimately, that can only benefit all of us and increase public confidence. Unfortunately “for-profit†when linked to education has always been suspect.
I too think it is important that the public is aware that career colleges voluntarily seek accreditation and by doing so become subject to a stringent regulatory environment. Public confidence is shaken when the “bad apples†are exposed. What they need to see is that there are differences and that the “good apple†career colleges serve a very important role in education.
I think that working closely with employers is another area that truly serves us well. When our graduates enter the workforce, the extent to which they are prepared to immediately make an impact is the best word-of-mouth publicity we can get! I am very proud to be part of an organization that truly focuses on the student and their success. The ability to change lives in a very profound way can't help but keep you motivated.
Excellent points, Cheryl. I think many schools underutilize the strength of the employers as a support to our industry. I applaud your institution's focus on students and graduates as they can be our biggest advocates.
John - I would like to see this story too. Can you attach it on this forum?
The media has influenced the education industry by letting schools get an idea of how another school is operating so they can change some of their policies and practices to gain an upper hand in recruiting wars.
