| Type | Public (NASDAQ: CECO) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Education & Training Services |
| Headquarters | Hoffman Estates, IL, USA |
| Employees | 14,479[1] |
| Website | www.careered.com |
Career Education Corporation (CEC), founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound Diagnostic Schools (now known as the Sanford-Brown Institute), and Colorado Technical Universities. And also the former Western School of Health and Business.
The organization operates over eighty for-profit college campuses with approximately 116,000 students enrolled. CEC schools include California Culinary Academy, Brown College (Minnesota), the Harrington College of Design, the Brooks Institute of Photography, Brooks College, the Katharine Gibbs Schools, American InterContinental University (AIU), Colorado Technical University, Sanford-Brown Institutes and Sanford-Brown Colleges, Collins College, Lehigh Valley College, Briarcliffe College, International Academy of Design and Technology and Western School of Health and Business Careers.
Schools owned by CEC are located throughout the US, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. They offer doctoral, master's, bachelor's, and associate's degrees, as well as diploma and certificate programs.
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CEC was investigated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission[2] for various issues of non-compliance in 2005. In January 2008, CEC reported that the SEC has closed its investigation and will take no action against the company.[3][4][5] A Department of Justice investigation began in 1994[6] and was terminated in April 2007, with the DOJ declining prosecution. Another investigation on a different matter was begun by the Civil Division of the DOJ in June 2006 and is currently ongoing. [7]
In June 2005, the U.S. Department of Education prohibited CEC from expanding until it had resolved issues with financial statements and program reviews connected with Collins College and Brooks College two CEC schools.[8] In January 2007, the U.S. Department of Education lifted its restrictions on the company opening new schools or acquiring existing ones.[9]
CEC's most profitable division, American InterContinental University, was placed on probation in December 2005 with its accrediting agency, SACS.[10] The probation status was reviewed after one year, in December 2006, and extended an additional 12 months. [11] On December 11, 2007, CEC announced that SACS has removed AIU's probation and that the university's accreditation remains in good standing. [12]
Brooks College, a CEC owned school, was the subject of an unfavorable examination of for-profit trade schools in the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes which focused on alleged misrepresentations by admission representatives to prospective students. A CBS producer with a hidden camera visited several CEC schools in the New York area, including the Katharine Gibbs School, and uncovered alleged instances of misrepresentations by admissions representatives.[13] In June 2007, Career Education Corporation announced that it will close both campuses of Brooks College. [14]
In January 2007, the New York State Education Department reported deficiencies at the Katharine Gibbs School's New York campus. The problems related to faculty qualifications and remedial course offerings. New enrollment has been limited and the Education Department has stated it will close the college if improvements are not made.[15]
California Culinary Academy, which was purchased by CEC in 1999, was the subject of an unfavorable article in the San Francisco Weekly focusing on misrepresentations and omissions made to prospective students to enroll them in the school.[16] According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, a lawsuit was filed over the matter.[17]
On November 1, 2011 CEC's Chief Executive Officer resigned as corporate profits significantly fell and allegations were made involving inflated student placement statistics. Over the year the stock value dropped about 75%. [18]
After seeking unsuccessfully to sell several of its campuses, in June 2007 Career Education announced that it would close the Brooks College campuses in Sunnyvale and Long Beach, California, and the Pittsburgh branch of the International Academy of Design and Technology. No new enrollments would be accepted, and the final graduation dates would be September 2008 at the Sunnyvale campus, December 2008 in Pittsburgh, and March 2009 in Long Beach.[19]
On February 2008 Career Education Corporation announced that it would also phase out operations of nine money-losing colleges, including several Gibbs College campuses, Lehigh Valley College, and McIntosh College in New Hampshire and to seek permission to convert two Gibbs college locations to Sanford-Brown College campuses.[14]
On February 18, 2008 CEC's American InterContinental University announced plans to gradually close down its Los Angeles campus. Current students would have the opportunity to complete their programs, but no new students would be enrolled. Dr. George Miller, CEO of American InterContinental University, said “the impact of a two-year probation, coupled with the current market for AIU’s programs in Los Angeles, is such that the student population at the campus has decreased significantly, and likely will not reach the sustainable level necessary to support the addition of new programs and necessary resources.”[20]