| American InterContinental University | |
|---|---|
AIU logo |
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| Established | 1970 |
| Type | Private, for profit |
| Chancellor | George P. Miller |
| President | Stephen J. Tober (CEO) |
| Students | 27,043 |
| Undergraduates | 24,466 |
| Postgraduates | 2,577 |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Campus | Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, South Florida, London, online |
| Website | American Intercontinental University |
American InterContinental University, commonly called AIU, is an international for-profit university with open admissions owned by Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO).
AIU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees.
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American InterContinental University (AIU) was founded in 1970 in Lucerne, Switzerland[1] by American couple Jack and Helen Barnette of Atlanta, and was first known as the American Fashion College of Switzerland.[1] The school was recognized as an American degree awarding institution in 1971, initially offering associate and bachelor's degrees starting in 1974.[1] In 1976 American Fashion College of Switzerland opened a campus in Atlanta and in 1978, the Lucerne campus moved to London, and changed its name to the American College for the Applied Arts.[2]
By 1978, the school had approximately 300 students, and began to expand its course offering beyond fashion to areas such as business. Today, AIU has about 24,000 students and offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in programs such as business, IT, criminal justice and fashion design.[3] More than 80 percent of AIU students attend AIU Online, an internet-based online campus that delivers degree programs 100 percent online.[3]
• Atlanta - Buckhead, Georgia campus 1976
• London, UK campus 1978
• Los Angeles, California campus 1982[4]
• Dubai campus 1995
• Atlanta - Dunwoody and South Florida campus 1998
• Online campus 2002
• Houston, Texas, 2003
• Dunwoody and Buckhead consolidate as AIU Atlanta, 2009
The institution first received SACS accreditation in 1987. Steve Bostic bought the school in 1996 and changed its name to American InterContinental University.[5] In 2001, AIU was acquired by Career Education Corporation, a publicly traded operator of for-profit schools that was established in 1994.
In 2009, AIU was granted accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).[6] AIU, which had been accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) since 1987 , sought HLC accreditation to better reflect the fact that the majority of its students are served through its Internet-based campus which is based in the HLC geographic region.[7] SACS and HLC are among the six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2011, AIU earned accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs [8].[9]
AIU currently has six campuses in the United States and other countries.
On February 18, 2008, American InterContinental University announced plans to gradually close down its Los Angeles campus. The campus will no longer enroll new students and will employ a gradual teach-out process, allowing current students the opportunity to complete their programs. Dr. George Miller, former CEO of American InterContinental University, cited low student enrollment at the Los Angeles campus as the reason for this decision.[14]
The AIU Houston building was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. It was remodeled, and a grand re-opening celebration occurred in February 2009.[15]
Following the June 2009 consolidation of the AIU Buckhead and AIU Dunwoody campuses into AIU Atlanta,[16] the new campus underwent a significant renovation. AIU Atlanta's campus now features an industry-current forensics lab; a virtual firearms training simulator (FATS) lab; drawing studio; dedicated math, science and writing labs; and newly-redesigned studios for fashion design, media production, visual communications and interior design.
The online program started in 2001 but was recognized as a separate campus in 2002. [18] The online campus offices are located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Stephen J. Tober, AIU's CEO, serves as president of AIU Online. The online campus is considered the main campus for AIU.
American InterContinental University was accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools from 1987 to 2009. From 2009, American InterContinental University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. From 2011, American InterContinental University is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
AIU offers Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in a variety of fields. Many instructors are professionals in their field and draw from their real-world experience to enrich classroom instruction and career training. AIU offers classroom instruction in person at the ground campuses and online via the Virtual Campus, or a hybrid of both. The AIU Virtual Campus gives online students access to course materials as well as nearly all the amenities of a traditional campus, such as a library, career services, student clubs and financial aid information. The Virtual Campus was named “Best of the Best” by the Computerworld Honors Program in 2009.[19]
In 2009, My Unique Student Experience (M.U.S.E.) was introduced to a number of courses to supplement learning outside the classroom. M.U.S.E. is a web-based tool that provides access to additional, interactive learning options that help students comprehend course material in a way that appeals to them.[20] The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), formerly the Career College Association, recognized AIU's parent company, Career Education Corporation ("CEC"), for M.U.S.E. with its 2010 CCA Innovation Award.[21]
AIU's parent company CEC has been investigated by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Allegations specific to AIU include reports that the Los Angeles campus misrepresented its programs and classes, made a practice of admitting students who had not graduated from high school, and included in its enrollment numbers students who had never attended class. A CEC representative stated in July 2007 that the issues at AIU's Los Angeles campus "have been addressed and most have long been resolved."[26]
One of the most outspoken critics of AIU and CEC has been AIU's founder Steve Bostic, who alleged in 2005 that "CECO's Board has allowed management to lose sight of the Company's primary mission of providing quality education services; under these directors, CECO management has sacrificed the quality of student programs, resulting in the severe escalation of student attrition - all for the sake of a 'top-line growth strategy' that cannot be sustained."[27]
On June 21, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education put a freeze on approving CEC's new applications for additional campuses or acquisitions while it examined the company's financial records and compliance with federal student aid regulations.[28] This restriction was lifted in January 2007.[29]
SACS placed the university on probation in December 2005.[30] In 2006, SACS renewed AIU's probation for failure to comply with various Principles of Accreditation.[31] On December 11, 2007, CEC announced that SACS had removed AIU's probation and that the university's accreditation remained in good standing.[30]
On May 15, 2009, AIU received initial approval for accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools-The Higher Learning Commission and is now listed as an accredited institution by NCA-HLC rather than SACS.[32]
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General questioned the Higher Learning Commission's decision to approve accreditation of American InterContinental University based on the examination of the commission's standards for measuring credit hours and program length. An assistant inspector general stated in the report, "This action by HLC is not in the best interest of students, and calls into question whether the accrediting decisions made by HLC should be relied upon by the Department of Education when assisting students to obtain quality education through the Title IV programs." NCA-HLC president Sylvia Manning responded that this accusation was "flimsy" because it focused on a single accreditation issue involving a single school. SACS president Belle Wheelan sided with NCA-HLC, calling the OIG report "scary" and emphasizing that American InterContinental University's accreditation under SACS had been in "good standing."[33]
In June 2008, The Quality Assurance Agency closed an audit [34] published in May 2005 based on an examination of the London Campus in 2004. This report had noted that at the date of the Agency's review in 2004, there were "fundamental concerns regarding the academic standards being achieved."[34] Following successful efforts on the London campus to remedy deficiencies, the QAA noted that, "Since the audit QAA has been provided with information that indicates that appropriate action has been taken by the American InterContinental University in response to the findings of this report. As a result the audit was signed off in June 2008."[34]
AIU's critics have scrutinized the university's student recruiting practices. One anonymous professor told The Chronicle of Higher Education: "If you can breathe and walk, you can get into the school."[28] In July 2008, former employees filed a lawsuit alleging that the school's admissions practices defrauded federal grant and loan programs.[35]