This article points to an ongoing frustration potential students have with some universities and colleges offering online programs. If the curtain is pulled back on what is being promoted, it’s sometimes discovered that the involvement the given institution has with the program is either non-existent, or questionable at best. Frequently, the name-brand knowledge and reputation of the schools involved are such that large sums of money are changing hands, and students are left with a poor experience and a great deal of disappointment. By extension, I’ve had to warn many former students to steer clear of in-person summer programs at given institutions where companies are simply renting space on the campus to teach a given course, and what is on offer has nothing to do with the host university itself. I fully realize that all educational institutions need cash flow to operate, but misleading and unethical practices like the ones described in the article and what some of my former students have experienced have no place at a university or college that values its reputation and wants to provide both good value and strong educational experiences.
