Virginia University of Lynchburg Accreditation on Warning

[bjcheung77]

The academic warning isn't a short process, it will take a while for them to do the re-evaluation of accreditation to verify VUL has met all the academic warning recommendations for changes or fixes to current issues. I would expect at least a year or a year and a half for this to even pan out properly. Hopefully, VUL is working towards securing accreditation and getting off the academic warning list...

[Airamb]

Deleted....

[Dr_Chirp]

One concern with VUL's accreditation is the #SURVIVINGVUL on X from Coach Doe:
https://hbcusports.com/2023/12/11/the-ba...l-program/

VUL issued their own press release, framing Coach Doe as a disgruntled employee:
https://hbcubuzz.com/2024/02/virginia-un...legations/

VUL Football players stated regardless of prior academic achievement, they were all placed in the same classes. I would expect former employees and students would report these allegations for TRACS to investigate.

[grown1914@gmail.com]

I want to add my "two cents" to this distinction. For many years, people have found any number of ways to demonize and subjugate certain accreditations or institutions as inferior or "less than" to make their educational journey or decision or school seem superior. As long as the US Department of Education has given its stamp of approval and authority to TRACS to accredit schools and provide Federal Aid to millions of students, that's ALL THAT MATTERS. 

Every HBCU, save the large institutions (Howard, FAMU, etc.) struggle. For those who may not understand the struggles dating back to the 1800s, HBCUs started explicitly due to the roadblocks, segregation, lack of funding, outright racism, and evil actions of government-sanctioned bigotry that have plagued HBCUs for generations. VUL is not exempt. I believe what VUL has done is see its challenges, rise to the challenge, and now offer a solid, well-regarded, and in-demand DHA Program that has put VUL on the map and helped secure a better financial future for VUL. 

The DHA program continues to see record enrollment, especially for minority students. The current Healthcare leadership spectrum has a deficient minority representation across the USA. There is a staggering underrepresentation of top-level leaders of BIPOC background all over the USA and other health sectors where the USA has international locations. 

VUL is on the right path, and being on a short probationary period to allow VUL to fix the issues doesn't raise significant concerns. Every year, many schools miss one or two accreditation benchmarks and are given a warning. This situation is not to the point of school closure, loss of accreditation, or VUL DHA program closure.

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The DHA at VUL is the EASY way out. The degree is taking advantage of minority students or those students who want a quick fix vs a standard doctoral degree. There are plenty of options to receive a DHA, You can apply to the top school, the medical university of South Carolina; or you can go to Morehouse School of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Oklahoma State University, or even the online schools Capella, Phoenix, and Walden..

VUL degrees aren’t respected in the healthcare space and the school has a degree mill reputation from other academic institutions. A doctorate that can be earned in one year is not up to the standard of those that take 3 years to achieve.

Now, you have a bias and need for the school to maintain credibility, but I’m sorry you waisted your money.

For others, GO TO A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED institution.

[michaeladsmith2]

I want to add my "two cents" to this distinction. For many years, people have found any number of ways to demonize and subjugate certain accreditations or institutions as inferior or "less than" to make their educational journey or decision or school seem superior. As long as the US Department of Education has given its stamp of approval and authority to TRACS to accredit schools and provide Federal Aid to millions of students, that's ALL THAT MATTERS. 

Every HBCU, save the large institutions (Howard, FAMU, etc.) struggle. For those who may not understand the struggles dating back to the 1800s, HBCUs started explicitly due to the roadblocks, segregation, lack of funding, outright racism, and evil actions of government-sanctioned bigotry that have plagued HBCUs for generations. VUL is not exempt. I believe what VUL has done is see its challenges, rise to the challenge, and now offer a solid, well-regarded, and in-demand DHA Program that has put VUL on the map and helped secure a better financial future for VUL. 

The DHA program continues to see record enrollment, especially for minority students. The current Healthcare leadership spectrum has a deficient minority representation across the USA. There is a staggering underrepresentation of top-level leaders of BIPOC background all over the USA and other health sectors where the USA has international locations. 

VUL is on the right path, and being on a short probationary period to allow VUL to fix the issues doesn't raise significant concerns. Every year, many schools miss one or two accreditation benchmarks and are given a warning. This situation is not to the point of school closure, loss of accreditation, or VUL DHA program closure.

---

The DHA at VUL is the EASY way out. The degree is taking advantage of minority students or those students who want a quick fix vs a standard doctoral degree. There are plenty of options to receive a DHA, You can apply to the top school, the medical university of South Carolina; or you can go to Morehouse School of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Oklahoma State University, or even the online schools Capella, Phoenix, and Walden..

VUL degrees aren’t respected in the healthcare space and the school has a degree mill reputation from other academic institutions. A doctorate that can be earned in one year is not up to the standard of those that take 3 years to achieve.

Now, you have a bias and need for the school to maintain credibility, but I’m sorry you waisted your money.

For others, GO TO A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED institution.

The information you have presented lacks factual evidence. Many universities offer a one-year DBA or similar doctoral degree in Management, Business, and Healthcare. Your assertion suggesting otherwise is inaccurate. Furthermore, your claim that VUL's DHA program lacks respect in the healthcare industry and is deemed a diploma mill is baseless and disrespectful. VUL, as an established HBCU, has never been associated with diploma mill practices. Your remarks are offensive and unsubstantiated.

Additionally, your preference for "RA institutions" displays narrow-mindedness and bias against non-RA schools, particularly HBCUs. Unless you are affiliated with the US Department of Education, it is not within your authority to place significance on the distinction between RA and NA institutions based on personal opinion. The standards set by the USDOE for educational institutions are upheld by accrediting bodies, regardless of their designation or the public's penchant towards subjugating one or the other as "less than." Passing judgment on the reputation of the DHA program without adequate knowledge or experience in the academic and healthcare fields is unjust.

1-year Doctoral Programs: 

1. Doctorate in Behavioral Health, Capella University, Freed-Hardeman University, Arizona State University

Similar short Doctoral Programs (18 months):

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Grand Canyon University, Capella University, Purdue Global University, Maryville University, University of Florida, Gwynedd Mercy University


2. Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Grand Canyon University, Boston University, Temple University

Before making baseless accusations and spreading misinformation, I suggest conducting thorough research. It is possible to earn a doctoral degree in a short period from various universities offering similar disciplines or degrees classified as "professional doctorates."

Lastly, I would like to mention that in the past 3-4 years since the introduction of the DHA program at VUL, we have witnessed many graduates thriving in their respective fields after earning their DHA. Some have become CEOs, C-suite executives, university professors, and have taken on roles in various Local, State, and Federal agencies throughout the USA. Personally, I am currently engaged through a contract with the NM Department of Health.

[ss20ts]

Not sure where you're getting your info on the length of time it takes to complete the degrees you mention but, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy at BU (an RA university) is not 1 year. It is 3 years long full time. This degree is also nothing at all like VUL's DHA. This degree is to become an actual licensed occupational therapist not a healthcare administrator paper pusher in an office. These poor folks can't even call themselves a Dr. unlike the grads of the DHA program. That's just sad!

https://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/dep...urriculum/

For kicks, I went and looked up Temple University's program as well. Hey what do you know it's also a 3 year program and it's 116 credits. There's no way anyone is completing 116 doctoral credits in 1 year especially when actual field experience is a requirement.

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-...p-othr-dot

Temple does offer a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program, but it's for licensed OTs or those who completed their master's in OT, but Temple has ended their master's program. This program is 21 credits and not completed in 1 year. Again, this program is not anything like the DHA offered by VUL so I'm not sure why you're using these programs as a comparison to VUL.

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-...p-ottp-otd

And then there's Grand Canyon University which is a for-profit university not without controversy. Where do you see that they offer a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy? I ask because it's not listed on their website.

https://www.gcu.edu/degree-programs/doctoral-degree

We get it. You love VUL and you're loyal to them. Not being able to see that they - just like every college out there - has faults and flaws is just bizarre. We all know I love UMPI. Doesn't mean that it doesn't have flaws. I love Amberton, but that doesn't mean it's perfect and doesn't have flaws. Nothing is perfect. If VUL were so flawless, they wouldn't have accreditation or finance issues. They've never been RA which is shocking that a college can't get RA accreditation while existing for over 100 years. Their accreditor TRACS is also known for having issues. I wouldn't be surprised to see them fold as there have been a few NA accreditors shutdown recently.

We're seeing many colleges shut their doors. Even colleges who have existed for 100 years are going under. The writing is on the wall for private, small colleges. It has been for quite some time. The DHA is clearly a Hail Mary and it has had numerous flaws throughout the program. I have seen several students have problems with faculty and even graduation. The whole graduation gown situation awhile back was just ridiculous.

Like it or not, RA is still the gold standard. While the US Department of Education today says NA and RA are equal, the fact remains that they are not in the eyes of many states, licensing bodies, and colleges. If NA works for you, great, but that doesn't make it perfect. Again, nothing is perfect.

[openair]

I take a somewhat different perspective. I will likely disappoint both defenders and detractors of this degree. First of all, I think that a short doctoral program (advertised on VUL’s website as “12 months beginning to completion”) will always remain the subject of criticism, regardless of its accreditation status. I live in Europe and I can tell you that such a short doctorate degree would be universally frowned upon. No serious academic institution or foreign degree recognition body in Europe would consider its graduates to be real doctorate holders. The degree does not even have a dissertation-equivalent capstone, which appears with some of the American professional doctorates. And even that would be controversial in the vast majority of countries where a doctorate is synonymous with writing a rigorous PhD-equivalent research dissertation, even if professionally oriented (for example, the UK). On the other hand, the U.S. is known for introducing all kinds of weird professional doctorates that bear no resemblance to a PhD but claim to advance professional practice.

I think that the TRACS accreditation may be an issue for some. But I would also depart from the claim that it is some kind of death sentence. TRACS accredited institutions can be entirely fine for some individuals (not for everyone). But if you earn this particular type of ultra-accelerated and highly controversial doctorate, you should not expect everyone to recognize you as “Doctor so-and-so.” We have many members from other countries on this board and the VUL degree would never pass a doctorate equivalency test in their countries (I am talking about Europe, Asia and Africa). So just bear that in mind. Of course, you can still have successful outcomes with this degree. It is accredited by a non-regional but recognized faith-related accrediting organization in the U.S and can be legitimately seen as really accredited for the time being. I would also be careful with calling VUL a degree mill unless you have proof of that. If you want to say that it has ‘lower academic standards than usual’, I think that’s better way of communicating your disapproval of this sort of degree.

[Jonathan Whatley]

In some disciplines especially in health and social care, it's common for a master's degree to far exceed 45 semester hours.

A Master of Occupational Therapy or Master of Divinity can be 90 or more semester hours. The national baseline for licensure-track master's in social work, clinical mental health counseling, and marriage and family therapy is now at least 60 semester hours. MSN semester hours are often in the 30s, but except special cases, each entrant will already have achieved the hefty BSN degree, licensing, and often a required period of professional practice.

Further, in many fields candidates who complete these supersized masters and go on to a professional doctorate in the same field or a close cognate field (e.g., MSW to DBH) will often have completed, and admission to the doctorate will sometimes require, significant further professional training milestones, such as the discipline's licensing exam and supervised practice.

It's one thing for a professional doctorate to be thinner-sized if most or all candidates have a master's that's supersized or a combination of master's and professional training that's supersized.

The VUL DHA departs from this pattern by offering a 12-month doctorate to candidates with any master's, which is typically going to be 30 to 39 semester hours.

I respect the school and its students and graduates.

[sanantone]

Outside of the licensed health professions that are transitioning from the master's or bachelor's degree to the doctorate, there are NOT many 1-year or 18-month doctorates. They're so rare, I've created threads on just about all of them. With that said, VUL's program technically isn't a 1-year or 18-month doctorate; it is a bizarre doctorate that expects people to have the equivalent of two master's degrees. If you don't have those excess credits, then the DHA is not one year. I don't know if VUL is still requiring the externship for those who fall short, so I might be behind on that. Additionally, OSU's DHA program can also be completed in one year to 18 months just by transferring 30 credits from one master's degree. OSU just doesn't advertise its DHA program as a quick degree, which is the smart thing to do.

I do agree, however, that VUL is taking advantage of minority students who want ties to an HBCU and those desperate for a cheap and quick doctorate in a health-related field. With the creation of OSU's program, I see no reason to choose VUL. OSU's program is cheap, it doesn't require a second master's degree or an excess of 30 graduate credits, OSU is regionally accredited and financially backed by the state, and the program is actually focused on healthcare administration. VUL's program has almost nothing to do with healthcare administration, and many of the professors and instructors in the program neither have an educational nor professional background in healthcare administration or any health-related field. Plus, their practicum courses are bogus.

Those running VUL are dishonest and unprofessional. They lie to their students about the utility of a TRACS-accredited degree, and they spy on students and prospective students in Facebook groups to squash negative comments and posts. VUL even has a questionable history as an accredited, degree-granting HBCU. They barely met the requirements to be classified as an HBCU not that many years ago.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Outside of the licensed health professions that are transitioning from the master's or bachelor's degree to the doctorate, there are NOT many 1-year or 18-month doctorates. They're so rare, I've created threads on just about all of them.

True!

With that said, VUL's program technically isn't a 1-year or 18-month doctorate; it is a bizarre doctorate that expects people to have the equivalent of two master's degrees. If you don't have those excess credits, then the DHA is not one year.

Huh. It's disappointing that VUL's main DHA page describes the program as "12 months-beginning to completion" without stating there that the 12 months assumes all this extra prior graduate credit.