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The University of the People (UoPeople) is a private online university, in the United States, based in California. It is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. Most of its students study business administration.
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| Type | Private online university |
|---|---|
| Established | February 2009 |
| Accreditation | DEAC[1][2] |
| President | Shai Reshef |
Administrative staff | 57[3] |
| Students | 152,933[4] |
| Location | , , United States |
| Website | uopeople.edu |
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University of the People was started by Shai Reshef in January 2009.[5] The university has no campus due to its online distance learning nature; it uses a shared office in Pasadena, California as an office of admission.[6][7]
The first UoPeople students began classes in September 2009, studying for associate and bachelor's degrees in business administration and computer science.[citation needed]
In 2016, the university began offering an online MBA.[8]
In 2017, the University of Edinburgh partnered with the school so that Health Science graduates of the University of the People could complete a bachelor's at UE.[9]
In 2018, the university announced the new online Master of Education in Advanced Teaching in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate.[10] This new program started taking in students in 2019. IB started to offer 80 scholarships for eligible M.Ed. students in 2020.[11]
UoPeople in Arabic, announced in the World Economic Forum[12] in April 2019, launched in September 2020 with its own website in Arabic; it uses a different website in Arabic and does not require proof of English knowledge.[13][14]
In 2020, the UNESCO launched the "Global Education Coalition" in response to the Covid 19 pandemic.[15] The University became a member of this coalition.[16]
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Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
In February 2012, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the University of the People a grant of $613,282 for the purpose of helping the university earn national accreditation.[17] Two years later, the university was accredited for degree-granting programs through the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).[1][2]
WASC Senior College and University Commission attempt
University of the People received "candidate" status in June 2021 with WASC Senior College and University Commission.[18]
According to WASC, "Candidacy indicates that the institution meets all or nearly all the Standards at a minimum level. Candidacy is not accreditation and does not ensure eventual accreditation".[19]
In its March 2023 report on their November 2022 - February 2023 accreditation review (their second) of University of the People, the WASC commission assessed that the university again met most accreditation criteria, sufficient to be listed as a "candidate" for accreditation (with no promise of eventual accreditation).[20][21]
But the commission assessed that the university had inadequacies in setting and monitoring defined curriculum outcomes; inappropriate grading (including allowing "peer evaluations and grading" to somewhat substitute for faculty grading of students); and inadequate analysis of long-term education outcomes. Other areas of shortfall, cited by the commission, included extensive concerns about data record-keeping and analysis (including student progress and outcomes); lumping all students together, rather than individualized approaches "to support inclusive student success"; inappropriately conflating "co-curricular programs" with "student support services"; inadequate long-term budgeting and planning; and a lack of "clear and consistent... metrics across departments".[20][21]
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The "main campus" of the university is a facility in Pasadena, California.[22]
University of the People Education Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary[23] which provides support services to the institution.[24] The subsidiary is registered with the Israeli Corporations Authority[25] and maintains an office in Tel Aviv, Israel.[26]
According to the University of the People, the university charges no tuition fees but students must pay some administrative fees to cover course assessments, ranging from $2,460 for an associate's degree (two years) to $4,860 for a bachelor's degree (four years).[27] These include processing fees for applications.
The university does not participate in federal financial aid programs,[28] but it does offer scholarships to eligible students.[29][30][31]
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