University of the People (UoPeople) is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit institution of higher education. Founded by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Reshef in 2009, the university offers Undergraduate & Graduate School degrees and is nationally accredited and recognized by the United States Department of Education (U.S.DoED), Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). It is also approved by California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).
The university's stated mission is to open the gates to higher education and to give an opportunity to all qualified students who don't have it, regardless of financial, geographical, political, cultural or personal constraints.
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History
University of the People was launched by Israeli educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef in January 2009. The school has no campus or offices, and uses a PO box in California in order to qualify as American institution. It was officially announced at the United Nations in New York on May 19, 2009.
The first intake of UoPeople students began studying in September 2009, when 177 people from 49 countries across the globe comprised the inaugural class, studying for associate and bachelor's degrees in business administration and computer science.
University of the People received accreditation in January 2014, through the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), formerly the Distance Education and Training Council. The DEAC has been formally recognized by the now-defunct U.S. Office of Education as an accreditor of higher education institutions since 1959, and specializes in the accreditation of distance education programs. On the other hand, the school didn't seek regional accreditation.
In April 2014, the University celebrated the graduation of its first intake of bachelor's degree students, who came from the United States, Syria, Jordan and Nigeria.
In March 2016, the university began offering an online MBA, with the course itself beginning in September 2016. The course has an emphasis on business and community leadership, and is designed to provide graduates with skills needed to thrive in senior organizational roles. However, the MBA is not accredited by any business school accreditation bodies (e.g. AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS).
In May 2016, UoPeople announced associate and bachelor's degrees in Health Science, commencing September 2016. The degrees aim to counter the shortfall of skilled health care workers in many countries - an urgent situation highlighted by a series of health crises, most recently the global outbreak of the Zika virus.
By May 2017, the University had accepted over 7,600 students from almost 200 countries.
University Of The People Graduates Video
Structure and organization
The university is led by a board of trustees and its President's Council. The university's operations are centered on its more than 6,000 volunteers, who fill roles at every level of the organization, from lecturers to administrative staff. These volunteers are supported by a small staff of salaried employees.
UoPeople President's Council offers guidance and support while promoting the university's mission on the international stage, and has gained widespread support from leading academics. The Council is chaired by New York University President Emeritus John Sexton, and includes:
- President of Duke University Richard H. Broadhead
- President of Boston University Robert Brown
- UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks
- Rector Emerita of the Academy of Paris Michèle Gendreau-Massaloux
- President Emerita of Vassar College Catharine Hill
- Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) Professor Devang Khakhar
- Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of Indira Gandhi National Open University Abdul Waheed Khan
- Oxford Vice-Chancellor Sir Colin Lucas
- President Emeritus of Rhode Island School of Design Roger Mandle
- Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Edinburgh Sir Tim O'Shea
- President Emerita at University of Saint Joseph Pamela Trotman Reid
- President Emeritus of Columbia University George Erik Rupp
- President Emerita of Barnard College Judith R. Shapiro
- President Emeritus of George Washington University Stephen Joel Trachtenberg
- President Emeritus of the Rockefeller University and Nobel Prize laureate Torsten N. Wiesel
UoPeople's Board of Trustees is chaired by Goldfarb Seligman & Co lawyer Ashok J.Chandrasekhar. Trustee members include:
- Utah Supreme Court Hon. Justice Christine M. Durham
- Hofstra University Law Professor Daniel J. H. Greenwood
- Professor of Finance and former Dean of INSEAD Dr. Gabriel Hawawini
- Chairman of Sinocare Group Mr. John Porter
- UoPeople President and founder Shai Reshef
University of the People uses instructor support combined with learning by teaching and peer-to-peer learning. The university also employs online discussion forums and online communities in order for students to cover readings, share resources, exchange ideas and discuss assigned questions. Scholars, professors, librarians, master level students and other professionals -- many of them acting on a voluntary basis -- oversee and participate in both the assessment process and the development of curricula.
UoPeople students also have access to the UoPeople Library & Resource Center (ULRC), a virtual environment delivered through the university course site. The Center's collections are primarily proprietary academic resources, but also include open educational resources.
Academic programs
University of the People offers seven associate, bachelor's and master's degrees:
Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.) in Business Administration
- Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) in Business Administration
- Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.) in Computer Science
- Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) in Computer Science
- Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.) in Health Studies
- Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) in Health Studies
Graduate
- Master of Business Administration Degree (M.B.A.)
However, the MBA is not accredited by any business school accreditation associations (such as AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS).
UoPeople students must meet three criteria to gain admission: a high school diploma, proficiency in English, and be aged 18 years or older. Each course consists of individual homework assignments and online discussions, both of which are peer-reviewed. Class sizes usually comprise 20-30 students from around the world.
Tuition
The University of the People bills itself as "tuition-free". Nevertheless, there are costs that a student must pay:
- Registration fee of $60 so to register a student at the University of the People
- Exam administration fee of $100-$200 for each exam a student takes
To complete an associate degree (A.S.), a student must take 20 exams and 40 exams for a bachelor's degree, which cost a total of $2,060 and $4,060 respectively. For the MBA, a student has to pay a $200 exam fee per course for a total of 12 courses, which brings the total cost for the MBA to $2460.
Students who cannot afford to pay may be eligible for scholarships.
Partnerships
UC Berkeley
In April 2016, UoPeople entered into a partnership with University of California, Berkeley. Under the terms of the partnership, UoPeople students who complete an associate degree have the opportunity to apply to Berkeley to complete their bachelor's degree, although there is no guarantee that UC Berkeley will accept them. UoPeople President Shai Reshef praised the agreement as "the ultimate endorsement of the value of our degrees." Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks (a member of the UoPeople President's Council) said that "UoPeople's mission is closely aligned with the mission of Berkeley, to open the gates to a quality higher education to every deserving student."
Yale Law School Information Society Project
University of the People and Yale Law School ISP (Information Society Project) announced a digital education research partnership in 2009. Jack Balkin, Yale ISP Director and Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School, serves on the Arts and Science Advisory Board of University of the People.
New York University
In June 2011, New York University (NYU) announced a collaborative agreement with University of the People to identify those UoPeople students eligible for admission to New York University's Abu Dhabi campus. Recognizing that many of UoPeople's students are economically disadvantaged youth, eligible students who qualify for admittance to NYU Abu Dhabi, as well as qualify for financial aid, may receive generous financial aid to enable them to afford attendance at NYU Abu Dhabi. John Sexton is the chairman of the University's council of Presidents, and all three UoPeople deans hail from NYU.
Microsoft4Afrika
Through the Microsoft4Afrika scholarship program, Microsoft has pledged to sponsor African students to study at UoPeople. Scholarship recipients will further enhance their skills and experience through participation in additional support programs, including professional training from Microsoft, mentorship by Microsoft employees, internships, and job opportunities with Microsoft and their affiliates in Africa. The university plans to replicate this partnership with further corporations in the future.
Hewlett Packard (HP)
University of the People and Hewlett Packard (HP) announced a partnership in June 2011 to open up virtual research internships for UoPeople students as part of HP's Catalyst Initiative--a global network of consortia that brings together educational institutions and nongovernmental organizations.
Additionally, Hewlett-Packard was the first corporate sponsor of the University of the People Women Scholarship Fund, with a donation of $200,000 to sponsor 100 women towards the attainment of their associate degrees. HP also gave the University a 200,000 general donation, and donated computers to the University's learning center in Haiti.
United Nations
Working under the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, GAID was approved by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006 in recognition that ICT must be effectively integrated into development activities if internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, are to be achieved within the agreed time frame. On May 19, 2009, UN-GAID announced the launch of University of the People at a press conference in New York to reporters, and its President, Shai Reshef, was named as a high-profile advisor to UN GAID.
In November 2014, the university announced a partnership with UNHCR to offer higher education to refugees and asylum seekers.
Clinton Global Initiative
Clinton Global Initiative Advances University of the People Pledge to Democratize Higher Education in Haiti. In August 2010, UoPeople was invited to become a member of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), and announced its commitment to Haiti, in which UoPeople committed to accepting 250 qualified Haitian youth to study at the University for free, helping them access education and develop the skills needed to rebuild their country. The commitment was fulfilled in May 2014.
In 2012, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $500,000 to University of the People, as well as helping its work toward receiving for accreditation.
OpenCourseWare consortium
OpenCourseWare is a free and open digital publication of high quality educational materials, organized as courses. The OpenCourseWare Consortium (OCWC) is a collaboration of more than 200 higher education institutions and associated organizations from around the world creating a broad and deep body of open educational content using a shared model. As a member of OCWC, UoPeople strengthens its commitment to advancing the current education system via the Internet.
Asal Technologies
University of the People moved its IT development to Ramallah via a technology partnership with Asal Technologies, as announced on March 7, 2012. One of the primary drivers behind this move is that the University states it is determined to not only provide educational opportunity, but also job opportunities to regions in need of them. Palestine is one such region. Since opening the center, part of the university's student services and financial support services have relocated to Ramallah as well. University of the People also announced it is currently considering moving a large part of its back office operations to Ramallah, in order to provide additional jobs.
Ashoka
Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries putting their system changing ideas into practice on a global scale. In recognition of his revolutionary venture, UoPeople President Shai Reshef was elected an Ashoka Fellow in December 2009. The program lends Reshef professional support, including access to a global network of two thousand peers throughout the world.
Awards and recognition
In 2013, the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) Association and MasterCard Worldwide announced that University of People (UoPeople) was the winner of the 2013 ISIC Award for its "innovative approach to education access." In 2015, University of the People's President Shai Reshef was named Salt Magazine's "#8 Most Compassionate Businessman in the World." In 2016, Prince's Prize for Innovative Philanthropy has been awarded to president Shai Reshef of University of the People.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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