Collins College

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Collins College
Image:Collins College logo.gif
Established: 1978
Type: Private, For Profit
President: Joshua Padron
Provost: Dr. Tim Dosemagen
Dean: George Fitzpatrick
Faculty: 80+
Staff: 200+
Students: 2000+
Location: Tempe, AZ,, USA
Campus: Urban
Affiliations: Arizona Private School Association, Tempe Chamber of Commerce, Career College Association, American Advertising Federation, International Association of Graphic Designers, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Printing Industry Association, Inc. of Arizona, Better Business Bureau, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Website: CollinsCollege.edu

Collins College is a private for-profit school [1] and is a subsidiary of Career Education Corporation. Collins College offers two locations in Arizona – North Phoenix and Tempe. Collins College teaches career skills in industry-current academic programs. Students can earn a Bachelor’s or Associate degree in a variety of programs, including the Graphic Design Program, Game Design Program.

Contents

[edit] History

 This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Against the advice of many local industry professionals, Al and Florence Collins founded Al Collins Graphic Design School in 1978 at a Phoenix location. The school initially offered a small evening program. Day classes were later added and larger facilities were obtained. In 1982, the school became accredited by the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (NATTS).

In 1985 the school moved to a larger campus in Tempe due to growth in its student population. The following year, the Computer Graphics program was added and in 1986.

In 1987, the Arizona State Board for Private Post-secondary Education and NATTS granted the school the approval to offer an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in Visual Communication and in 1991, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication.

In February of 1994, the school was acquired by Career Education Corporation (CEC).

In 1997, several revised and additional programs were licensed by Arizona and approved by the ACCSCT. The Associate of Arts degree in Visual Communication was revised and expanded to include optional specialty tracks and the BA Visual Communication received a general education component.

The Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Personal Computer/Network Technology was offered in 1997. Separate certificate programs in Multimedia Production and Digital Video Production were added, in addition to a Certificate in Computer Graphics program. In 1998, the school implemented the Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Animation.

As the student population continued to grow, from 1999 to 2001 additional property was acquired adjacent to the main campus. The school changed its name in 2001 to Collins College.

In 2001, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Animation was implemented. In 2002, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Game Design was approved. All associate of Occupational Studies degrees were converted to academic degrees with the addition of general education courses for the Associate of Arts degree in Animation and Associate of Science degree in Personal Computer/Network Technology. The Bachelor of Science degree in Network Technology program was also implemented in 2002.

In 2003, the Associate of Arts degree in Media Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts programs were implemented. These programs were revised into the Associate of Arts degree in Digital Video Production and Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Video Production in 2007. In July of 2003, the college expanded locations with a Phoenix Campus facility offering classes in Visual Communication and in October of the same year courses in PC/Network Technology. This campus was approved as a Branch campus in 2006.

In 2004 the Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design and Interior Design were implemented. In 2005 the Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts with a major in Game Art was approved.

In 2007 the school moved the Media Arts department into a 26,000 sq. ft. facility. The 14th St. Studios house two large sound stages equipped with professional lighting and electrical grids. [2]

[edit] Accreditation

Collins College is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Schools of Technology. [3][4][5][6]

[edit] Programs

Collins College offers the following programs.[7][8]

  • Game Design Program – Bachelor’s Degree
  • Graphic Design Program – Bachelor’s Degree (may be closing this program)
  • Interior Design Program– Bachelor’s Degree
  • Film & Video Program – Bachelor’s Degree
  • Network Technology Program – Bachelor’s Degree
  • Visual Arts with a major in Game Art Program– Bachelor’s Degree
  • Digital Video Production Program – Associate Degree
  • Visual Communication Program – Associate Degree (may be closing this program)

All students at Collins College are enrolled in career focused degree programs which have a core career component, and a general education component. The general education classes are in writing, oral communications, mathematics, business law, ethics, marketing and other courses and vary according to the specific degree program.

[edit] Campus

The Collins College main campus is approximately 108,000 square feet and offers students large classrooms, computer labs, video editing bays, photography studio and a digital print room. The West campus is 22,357 square feet and includes various classrooms, administrative offices, a library / resource center and common areas for both students and faculty.

Both campuses are located in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

[edit] Controversies

The United States Department of Education conducted a 2003 Program Review of Collins College and found several serious problems with the school's administration of federal financial aid programs including: "many students failed to meet the attendance threshold...[and that the College's] practice of not considering failed courses as part of the [cumulative GPA] at the time that students fail the course...may...be falsely permitting those students to remain eligible for Title IV disbursements"[9] and "Collins College had used "a coordinated subterfuge to under-report the effect" of federal financial aid dollars disbursed in order to show compliance with the so-called 90/10 Rule." [10][11] The issues with Collins College were a major contributing factor to the Department of Education's 2005 decision to prohibit its parent company, Career Education Corporation from expanding,[12] a prohibition that was lifted in 2007.[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Carnegie Foundation, classification
  2. ^ Collins College Announces it will be a Major Sponsor of 2008 Phoenix Film Festival, March 26, 2008 Yahoo Finance News
  3. ^ Demanding Credit, Inside Higher Education website, dated Oct. 19, 2005 by Scott Jaschik
  4. ^ Tussling Over Transfer of Credit, Inside Higher Education website, February 26, 2007 by Doug Lederman
  5. ^ What is the Difference Between Regional and National Accreditation, Yahoo! Education website
  6. ^ Types of Accreditation, Education USA website
  7. ^ Arizona Department of Education, programs list
  8. ^ City of Tempe, Arizona, educational facilities
  9. ^ Securities Exchange Commission Proxy Statement (DFAN14A) Re filed by Bostic R Steven Career Education Corp on 5/10/06
  10. ^ Steve Bostic Urges Stockholders to Vote to Restore Integrity and Sound Educational Values at Career Education Corp. to Protect the Value of Their Investment; Urges Fellow Stockholders to Vote the BLUE Proxy Card, The Free Library, May 10, 2006
  11. ^ Department of Education Program Review of Collins College filed July 14, 2004
  12. ^ Career Education Corp · 8-K · For 5/23/06
  13. ^ Career Education announces the U.S. Department of Education lifts growth restrictions, Reuters, January 22, 2007

[edit] External links