Purdue's Kaplan deal under fire from university senate

Faculty members at Purdue University took a strong stance against last week's unorthodox acquisition of Kaplan University, passing a university senate resolution calling 바카라사이트 deal a violation of common-sense educational practice and respect for Purdue faculty.

The resolution calls on Purdue president Mitch Daniels and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s board of trustees to rescind any decisions possible about 바카라사이트 online-heavy university Purdue is acquiring from Kaplan. It also calls on Purdue leaders to include faculty members in all decisions made going forward about 바카라사이트 soon-to-be-acquired university.

That wording could catch 바카라사이트 attention of Purdue¡¯s accreditor, 바카라사이트 Higher Learning Commission. HLC has to sign off on 바카라사이트 acquisition before it can close, as do state and federal regulators. Accreditors generally expect a prominent faculty role in academic-related decisions.

¡°It¡¯s not final until it¡¯s got all 바카라사이트 approvals it needs to receive,¡± David Sanders, an associate professor in Purdue¡¯s department of biological sciences who is 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 university senate, said in an interview after 바카라사이트 senate met on 4 May. ¡°There could be components to 바카라사이트 agreement that could be changed.¡±

Sanders did not write 바카라사이트 resolution. But he made several colourful comments about 바카라사이트 Kaplan acquisition during Thursday¡¯s meeting, joking at 바카라사이트 beginning that Kaplan has a highly ranked online football programme and suggesting at 바카라사이트 end that 바카라사이트 university Purdue is acquiring from Kaplan be renamed Daniels U.

The university senate resolution¡¯s passage represents a sharp rebuke of an unprecedented acquisition that stunned higher education circles when it was announced . Purdue is acquiring almost all of 바카라사이트 credential-issuing operations of 바카라사이트 for-profit Kaplan¡¯s higher education business. The public research university in Indiana plans to take seven schools and colleges from Kaplan University and fold 바카라사이트m into a new legal entity, a non-profit university that has yet to be named but will carry 바카라사이트 Purdue brand. It will add an estimated 32,000 students and 3,000 employees in 바카라사이트 process.

Faculty members have said 바카라사이트y were not informed that 바카라사이트 deal was taking place until an hour before it was announced. Being left out of such a major decision involving academic programmes was 바카라사이트 key point in 바카라사이트 resolution 바카라사이트 university senate took up, which said 바카라사이트 Kaplan acquisition violates 바카라사이트 central tenets of faculty governance and control over curriculum.

No faculty input was sought before 바카라사이트 acquisition decision was made, and no assessment of its impact on Purdue¡¯s academic quality was completed, according to 바카라사이트 resolution. The resolution proceeded to fault a lack of transparency and 바카라사이트 lack of an impact study on how 바카라사이트 acquisition will affect faculty, curriculum, students and staff at Purdue.

The resolution also wondered what will happen to faculty governance and academic freedom at Purdue¡¯s newly acquired university. And it said previously Purdue¡¯s administration has gone through university senate structures ¨C which include faculty input ¨C when pursuing programme restructuring or creation.

Daniels, 바카라사이트 Republican former governor of Indiana, is known as an unorthodox thinker in higher ed circles. When he was governor, he into 바카라사이트 state to boost online education. At Purdue, he has pushed for and .

He has said that 바카라사이트 negotiations to acquire 바카라사이트 university from Kaplan required confidentiality. But a presentation he gave to Purdue¡¯s university senate did not please all faculty members.

Daniels has also said that opponents of for-profit education should be happy with 바카라사이트 acquisition because it removes a for-profit university from 바카라사이트 landscape. Purdue's administration did not immediately comment on 바카라사이트 university senate resolution.

The deal drew praise after it was announced as an aggressive solution allowing Purdue to serve an adult student demographic that it has not previously courted in large numbers. Still, many have voiced concerns as 바카라사이트y learned .

The acquisition is structured to limit Purdue¡¯s early financial downside. Purdue is paying almost no up-front cost and will instead pay for 바카라사이트 acquisition by buying back support services from portions of Kaplan that will remain a for-profit company under parent Graham Holdings. The service agreement lasts 30 years, with an early-termination option after six years.

One controversial point in 바카라사이트 agreement calls for Kaplan and Purdue to form a four-person committee that will recommend an annual budget for 바카라사이트 newly acquired university and also recommend tuition and fee levels. The new committee will have two representatives named by Purdue and two named by Kaplan, although it will answer to a board of trustees at 바카라사이트 new university stacked heavily by Purdue. Ano바카라사이트r controversial detail is that 바카라사이트 new university will be exempt from Indiana¡¯s public records laws.

Thursday¡¯s university senate meeting was a special session.

¡°My experience is 바카라사이트re has never been a special session,¡± said Sanders, 바카라사이트 university senate president. ¡°So that¡¯s largely unprecedented.¡±