University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix is a for-profit university, founded in 1976 by John Sperling, that specializes in adult education in three modes: Ground (in classrooms), Online (a virtual campus), and FlexNet (a combination of the two). Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it has a total of 170 campuses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. http://www.phoenix.edu/factbookweb Since 1995, the university's enrollment has grown roughly tenfold, http://www.phoenix.edu/factbookweb/34-Enroll-area.htm as has the stock price of its parent company, the Apollo Group. http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?pg=qu&sid=13742&osymb=APOL&time=10yr&uf=0&x=19&y=17

Related Topics:
For-profit - University - 1976 - John Sperling - Adult education - Virtual campus - Phoenix, Arizona - United States - Canada - Mexico - Puerto Rico - Apollo Group

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The university has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1978. It is now the nation's largest private university, with about 230,000 students in 2004, more than half of whom were enrolled in its online campus. (This represents nearly 90 percent of the total enrollment at Apollo's four higher-learning institutions.) http://www.apollogrp.edu/annual-reports/2004.pdf

Related Topics:
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - 1978 - 2004

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The university was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education during 2004-05 for its recruiting practices and for its student funding programs. In September 2004 the department reviewed complaints from 60 employees and former employees. Some of the practices were considered to be illegal or unethical. Reports indicated how admission counselors were sent to a glassed-in isolation room, called the Red Room where underperformers were put on display. The University of Phoenix settled out of court, paying $9.8 million.

Related Topics:
U.S. Department of Education - September 2004 - Illegal - Unethical - Underperformers

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In August 2005, Apollo Group was fined $343,000 for two federal violations that involved student funding programs. The Office of the Inspector General stated that the university improperly used funds creditting student accounts for fees on prior learning assessments. Another discovery was that it had issued funds to students enrolled in ineligible programs.

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For context, the $343,000 in Title IV funds from 2002-04 that were repaid represent less than one percent of the federal funding the company received during the period http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/050826/1156924.html?.v=1, and Apollo's after-tax income for the three-year period was nearly $700 million. Founder John Sperling and his son are the two richest men in Arizona with $1.8 billion each http://list-of-billionaires.ask.dyndns.dk.

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