MCC seeks to accredit online diplomas
Ryan J. Garner
MCC will be visited by two members of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) this October in an attempt to determine the schools eligibility for offering distance learning degrees.
The HLC’s two-man “peer-review” team is trained to evaluate MCC’s ability to successfully run an online degree program.
Matthew Ashcraft, MCC Dean of research and planning, expressed confidence in the shift toward offering a stand-alone online program; “We didn’t just decide to do this, we’ve been planning this for a while now. We’ve already made some very large scale changes to multiple areas that will be evaluated.”
Ashcraft alluded to some of the recent changes that were made in attempt to ensure the school’s upcoming approval.
“Canvas,” MCC’s latest evolution in the online department, “is a more robust learning system,” Ashcraft said, “and the HLC looks closely at a schools ability to serve students online. Tech support is a must.”
“The whole purpose of the visit is to ensure the quality of our school translates well into the online realm. We created ‘Quality Matters’ which is a peer reviewed pedagogy program for our faculty,” Ashcraft said.
“The shift is faculty driven, which is how it should be. If a degree can’t be efficiently taught online, we won’t offer it.”
In response to the occasionally negative stigma attached to online education, Ashcraft said, “There are plenty of diploma mills out there, but I know enough about our faculty, (to know) that’s not the case.”
Even amidst the digital shift and falling student enrollment, President of MCC Shouan Pan, said his goals this year; “The college will continue to focus on the students that are here on campus, retaining, supporting them, and helping them to reach their goals … but distance learning is growing, and it’s the general trend with most colleges.”
Student reaction toward online degrees is still mixed, as Anna Allen, a mathematics major added, “It’s completely dependent on the student. I think it works for some, but I prefer face to face. You gain life experience by coming to class. But if someone doesn’t have transportation…” she stopped, “…it’s just a different set of positives. There are a million and one different ways to learn.”
However Khaled El-desouki, a film-making student, offered his own preference to attend a physical campus; “It’s like I’m talking to a computer. I want to see your face. Hear the anger or the happiness or whatever. It seems like an excuse to sit at home,” El-desouki said.
“There are disabilities that would make it tough to physically attend school,” El-desouki continued, “but in a way, the set schedule of coming to school helps to build the habits that will be required in the workplace anyways.”
A representative from the HLC was contacted but was unable to speak on the approval process. Criteria for approval can be found at HLC.org.
