The nation seems to have suddenly awoken to the reality that for-profit academic institutions are a force to be reckoned with. For so long, they have been ignored as inconsequential, second-rate competition, and vilified for their greed and lack of quality. Two events have changed their image into something far more formidable: (1) the realization…

While most in the academic community know about the attempt to rein in the for-profits, few are aware of its collateral damage. In October, the Department of Education (DOE) issued its Program Integrity Rules, intended to protect federal funds especially from those for-profit institutions with high student loan default rates. Well-intentioned…

Examines the implications of the virtual university for academic labor studies programs by analyzing theoretical foundations of the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative and two rapidly expanding proprietary institutions, the University of Phoenix and Jones International University. (Author)

Examines three recently established entrpreneurial organizations delivering distance education: (1) the University of Michigan's Academic Outreach Program; (2) the University Center at Northwestern Michigan College; and (3) the Michigan Virtual Automotive College. Argues for the emergence of a postsecondary knowledge industry in which new forces…

Europeans lament that their universities are lagging behind those in the United States, while Americans worry that their academic leadership is threatened by complacency. Both groups, however, are missing the tectonic shift that will transform the map of higher education worldwide--the growth of universities in the developing world. Spreading…

The economics of the growing sector of for-profit higher education institutions are examined, comparing the cost-price-subsidy structure of traditional institutions with these nontraditional institutions. Implications for the schools least able to withstand competition with for-profit institutions, generally private colleges and universities, and…

For-profit schools are serviced by commercial companies whose primary goal is to raise student achievement to a designated level within a period specified by contract. Different school systems are discussed along with their positive and negative points. Questions related to possible issues are presented in each case for consideration. Reasons for…