| California Coast University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1973 |
| Type | Distance education university |
| President | Thomas Neal |
| Students | 8,000 |
| Location | Santa Ana, California, United States |
| Website | http://www.calcoast.edu |
California Coast University (CCU) is a distance learning private university. It was established in 1973 and is located in Santa Ana, California. It has national accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Since its founding, CCU has offered undergraduate and graduate programs in business, management, psychology and education. The primary method of learning is directed independent study. Research, study, and testing are accomplished off-campus. Traditional classroom attendance is not offered. Approximately 8,000 students are enrolled at any given time.
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The school was founded in 1973 as California Western University with administration and library facilities located in downtown Santa Ana, California. The name was changed to California Coast University in 1981.
The school has been approved by the State of California since 1974. Such approval is currently granted by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education a branch of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.[1]
In 2003, CCU and some other unaccredited schools were investigated by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) as part of a study of subsidies given to federal employees for coursework and degrees from unaccredited schools and diploma mills.[2][3] The GAO report did not indicate any wrongdoing on the part of CCU, which was accredited by a government-recognized agency in 2005.[4] CCU graduates with a degree earned during the school's previously unaccredited status have occasionally run into difficulty when trying to use their unaccredited degrees.[5][6]
CCU received national accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) on January 8, 2005.[4] The DETC is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).[7] As of January 2010, DETC accreditation authorizes CCU to award degrees up to and including the doctoral level. Since DETC has been approved by USDE to accredit professional doctorates, including the D.B.A. and Ed.D, CCU has been granted approval to offer several Ed.D doctorate programs.
In 2009, CCU was accepted for Institutional Membership with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).[8] AACRAO membership is open to postsecondary, degree-granting institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Membership benefits include invitations to participate in workshops and meetings, access to online workshops and courses, and trainings on compliance, FERPA and Federal regulations. AACRAO is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association of more than 10,000 higher education admissions and registration professionals who represent approximately 2,500 institutions in more than 30 countries. Their mission is to serve and advance higher education by providing leadership in academic and enrollment services.[9]
CCU also belongs to the Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA). HETA is a voluntary group of accredited institutions that are concerned with the importance of student mobility, enhancing success in transfer of credit, and affirming the responsibility and prerogative of individual institutions with respect to acceptance of transfer credits. HETA is a Web-based directory of colleges and universities that is open to all institutions that are accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE).[10]
CCU is TA/DANTES[11]/VA approved and offers several special programs for members of the United States Military, enabling members of the armed forces to continue their education through distance learning, even while on active duty.[12] In some cases, military experience and coursework may be accepted as transferable units.[13]
CCU has formed partnerships with both nationally and regionally accredited institutions, to help further the academic success of their students. These universities offer CCU graduates a broad selection of degree programs to choose from, in addition to other benefits including tuition discounts, fee waivers, acceptance of transfer credit, and a fast track to admission.[14]