DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SELECTS UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX TO PARTICIPATE IN DISTANCE EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.Apollo Group Apollo Group, Inc. NASDAQ: APOL is an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona. Apollo Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides higher education to working adults. Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL APOL Asia Pacific Online APOL Alternate Person on Line ) (Nasdaq: UOPX UOPX University of Phoenix ) recently announced that its subsidiary, the University of Phoenix, has been selected to participate in the Department of Education's Distance Education Demonstration Program. Selection to participate in this program is an exciting opportunity for the University of Phoenix to demonstrate effective distance education delivery mechanisms and help the Department of Education develop more realistic and creative ways to administer Title IV student financial aid programs to distance learning students. The Distance Education Demonstration Program was established to help the Department of Education determine how Title IV regulations should be changed to reflect today's technology environment. Congress authorized the program in 1998 in recognition of the rising acceptance and broad application of the use of technology for instructional purposes. The final set of 10 new participants named to the program brings the total number of institutions in the program to 111. The institutions selected to participate in this important program are granted certain waivers, allowing them to experiment with new and innovative ways of delivering financial aid to distance education students. In return, the selected institutions work very closely with the Department of Education to provide feedback about best practices. The projects are expected to continue through the 2003-04 academic year when Congress is expected to consider comprehensive changes to the Higher Education Act The Higher Education Act may refer to an Act of either the Congress of the United States or of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The University of Phoenix is a recognized leader in the field of online computer mediated instruction and has been recognized for exemplary distance education practices by a variety of education policy leaders and associations. They began offering degree programs completely online in 1989, and celebrated the nation's first graduation ceremonies for online students in the summer of 1992. Today the University of Phoenix online campus enrolls over 25,000 degree seeking adult students from all 50 states and 47 foreign countries. Dr. Laura Palmer-Noone, president of the University of Phoenix, believes that the success of the online campus stems from a combination of factors. "Our tightly-knit online learning communities capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. the best features of the Internet -- human interaction and flexibility. However, the real key to our success is our ability to closely monitor our efforts and use the information gained towards continuous improvement." She said, "We hope to use our 25 years of experience in learning outcomes assessment and academic quality management to contribute to the Department of Education's Distance Education Demonstration Program goals. This project is about bringing clarity to the regulations as well as making them applicable to the realities of 21st century learning." The University of Phoenix online campus utilizes the rigorous academic quality management techniques that have been in place since the University's founding in 1976. It has been gathering comparative research on the academic achievement of its online students against that of its campus students since the online programs began. Additionally, the University comprehensively measures and evaluates a variety of student success factors supporting distance education, including the successful and timely matriculation ma·tric·u·late tr. & intr.v. ma·tric·u·lat·ed, ma·tric·u·lat·ing, ma·tric·u·lates To admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university. n. of students at a distance, and the retention habits of students interacting in a solely online environment. Apollo Group Inc. has been providing higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. programs to working adults for over 25 years. Apollo Group Inc. operates through its subsidiaries The University of Phoenix Inc., Institute for Professional Development, The College for Financial Planning Financial planning Evaluating the investing and financing options available to a firm. Planning includes attempting to make optimal decisions, projecting the consequences of these decisions for the firm in the form of a financial plan, and then comparing future performance against Institutes Corp., Western International University Inc. and Apollo Learning Group Inc. The consolidated enrollment in its educational programs makes it the largest private institution of higher education in the United States Higher education in the United States refers to colleges and universities within the United States. Overview The American university system, like the American educational system in general, is highly decentralized because the U.S. . It offers educational programs and services at 58 campuses and 102 learning centers in 36 states, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (pwār`tō rē`kō), island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. , and Vancouver, British Columbia British Columbia, province (2001 pop. 3,907,738), 366,255 sq mi (948,600 sq km), including 6,976 sq mi (18,068 sq km) of water surface, W Canada. Geography . Combined degree enrollment was 116,800 students as of May 31, 2001. |
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