American Intercontinental Univ

American InterContinental University , commonly called AIU , is an international for-profit university owned by Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO). It was founded in 1970 in Europe.

AIU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees.

History

American InterContinental University (AIU) was founded in 1970, named American College of Applied Arts

• Atlanta - Buckhead, Georgia campus 1976
• London, UK campus 1978
• Los Angeles,CA campus 1982
• Atlanta - Dunwoody and South Florida campus 1998
• Online campus 2002
• Houston, Texas

The institution first received SACS accreditation in 1987. Steve Bostic bought the school in 1996 and changed its name to American InterContinental University . In 2001, AIU is sold to Career Education Corporation, a publicly traded operator of for-profit schools that had been established in 1994. In 2009, AIU changed its accreditation from SACS to NCA.

Campuses

AIU has seven campuses in the United States and other countries.

United States

• Los Angeles, California
• Weston, Florida
• Atlanta, Georgia (located in the Buckhead neighborhood, Headquarters campus)
• Sandy Springs, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta; known as the Dunwoody campus)
• Houston, Texas (located in the Westchase district)

UK

• London, England

Online campus

The online program started in 2001 but was recognized as a separate campus in 2002 The online campus offices are located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago).

Accreditation

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.

Academics

AIU offers Associates, Bachelors and Masters degrees in various fields

• Business Administration
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Healthcare Management
• Information Technology
• Marketing
• Visual Communication

Controversy

Controversies related to CEC

AIU's parent company has grown rapidly and had become increasingly controversial. CEC has been investigated by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additional allegations specific to AIU include reports that the school 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.

One of its most outspoken critics of AIU and CEC has been founder Steve Bostic, who concluded 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."

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. According to a CEC press release, that restriction was lifted in January 2007.

SACS probation and accreditation status

SACS placed the university on probation in December 2005. In 2006, SACS renewed AIU's probation for continued failure to comply with a number of their Principles of Accreditation regarding integrity, faculty, programs, and governance. On December 11, 2007, CEC announced that SACS has removed AIU's probation and that the university's accreditation remains in good standing.

On May 15, 2009, AIU received initial approval for accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools-The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC) and is no longer listed as an accredited institution by SACS.

QAA audit

In June 2008, The Quality Assurance Agency closed an audit (published in May on 2005 and 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." 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."

Campus closing

On February 18, 2008, American InterContinental University announced plans to gradually close down its Los Angeles campus. The campus will employ a gradual teach-out process, allowing current students the opportunity to complete their programs. The campus will no longer enroll new students. Nonetheless, said Dr. George Miller, former CEO of American InterContinental University, “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.”

Enrollment policies

AIU had come under scrutiny for its student recruiting practices. AIU is an open-enrollment institution, where nearly everyone who applies is admitted. AIU argues that these open standards help create educational opportunities for low-income and minority students who might not otherwise be able to attend college. Others, including current and former AIU employees, have countered that enrolling students who lack adequate preparation and qualification does not actually help them. One anonymous professor stated: "If you can breathe and walk, you can get into the school." In July 2008, a lawsuit was filed by several former employees regarding admissions practices that allegedly defrauded federal grant and loan programs.

See also

• Career Education Corporation
• Educational accreditation

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} The student trap: As American InterContinental University fights to keep its accreditation, students on the Buckhead campus wonder if they've received the education they paid for, by Alyssa Abkowitz, Creative Loafing Atlanta , July 11, 2007.
2. ^ Steve Bostic Sends Letter to Career Education Corporation Stockolders, PR Wired, May 6, 2005
3. ^ ^{a b} Promises and Profits - A For Profit College Is Under Investigation For Pumping Up Enrollment While Skimping On Education , The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 13, 2006, by Stephen Burd; republished in SEC filing by Steve Bostic
4. ^ U.S. Department of Education lifts growth restrictions, Career College News , January 30, 2007
5. ^ ^{a b} American InterContinental University Announces Positive Result in Accreditation Review
6. ^ Southwest Accreditation Report in Self-Study Questionnaire
7. ^ http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91&Itemid=190 NCA-HLC Actions Taken by the Institutional Actions Council, May 11, 2009
8. ^ ^{a b c} American InterContinental University - London Institutional Audit, May 2005.
9. ^ American InterContinental University Announces Plan to Teach-Out Programs at Los Angeles Campus
10. ^ Diamond, L.; Bill Rankin (2009-08-24). "Lawsuit charges university with fraud". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/lawsuit-charges-university-with-122757.html . Retrieved 2009-08-25 .  

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