Kaplan University
Encyclopedia
Kaplan University is the "doing business as
" (DBA) name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates for-profit
colleges. It is owned by Kaplan, Inc.
, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company
.
Kaplan University is predominantly a distance learning
institution of higher education that is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan University was named in honor of Stanley H. Kaplan
, who founded Kaplan Test Prep.
In 2010 Kaplan and other for-profit education companies came under scrutiny from the U.S. Congress due to concerns that the industry leaves too many students with heavy debts, and with credentials that are of little help finding jobs.
In September 2004, Kaplan College officially changed its name to Kaplan University after it was granted permission to offer graduate-level degree programs.
The university’s school of nursing was awarded a national professional accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in April 2006 from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
(CCNE). In October 2007, all seven Iowa and Nebraska-based Hamilton College (Iowa)
campuses merged with Kaplan University and are now operating under the Kaplan University brand. Concord Law School
merged with Kaplan University in October 2007, changing its name to Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Concord is not recognized by the American Bar Association, which does not accredit online institutions, although students with non-ABA-accredited law degrees are allowed to take California's bar examination and practice law once admitted to the bar
.
, business
, information technology
, arts and sciences, healthcare, nursing
, criminal justice
, and law
. Kaplan serves more than 66,000 online and on-campus students. While Kaplan University is based in Davenport, Iowa
, the main administration building is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. In addition to 10 campuses in Iowa, Nebraska and Maryland (and one Kaplan University Learning Center in Milwaukee), Kaplan has online student support centers in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. Kaplan has more than 3,600 instructors, professors and administrators..
s and federal student loans. The university offers members of the military discounted tuition rates as well as granting service members college credit for some of the military education they may have received while in the service.
(GAO) for deceptive or questionable statements that were made to undercover investigators posing as applicants. The Pembroke Pines
and Riverside
campuses were both cited in the GAO report. Andrew S. Rosen, President of Kaplan, Inc., described the tactics as "sickening" and promised to eliminate such conduct from Kaplan. On November 30, 2010, the GAO issued a revised report with several significant edits, altering key passages and softening several of the initial allegations.
.com, Facebook.com for casual student interaction. All seminars and group study sessions are archived so that students who cannot attend may review them in text form later.
The Kaplan School of Arts and Sciences has purchased a virtual island inside the Second Life
virtual world, intending to have group help sessions and virtual laboratory exercises available for students who obtain avatars
.
lawsuits accusing the university of defrauding the United States government out of more than $4 billion. The lawsuits alleged that Kaplan enrolled unqualified students, inflated their grades so they could stay enrolled, and falsified documents to obtain accreditation for certain academic programs. The three suits were consolidated and filed in the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida in March 2008.
Kaplan moved to dismiss the consolidated suit. The Justice Department maintained that the “parade of horribles” that Kaplan predicted if the case were not dismissed was “entirely illusory”. The government is entitled to a portion of the proceeds if the employees prevail against the company. Kaplan University has denied any wrongdoing.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
has reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a stance in siding with several whistle-blowers in false claims lawsuits against various colleges owned by Kaplan Higher Education. Under the False Claims Act, individuals are allowed to file lawsuits on behalf of the government in cases which involve allegations of fraud.
Kaplan argued that the consolidated lawsuit should be dismissed because it lacks the specificity required in a federal fraud case.
Separately, former employee Charles Jajdelski brought a lawsuit in Nevada alleging that Kaplan’s Heritage College had filed fraudulent student financial aid requests, allegations denied by Kaplan. Jajdelski's request to transfer the suit to Florida to join with the others was denied as a "potential tag-along action". In July 2011, after Jajdelski had amended the original complaint several times, a judge dismissed the suit due to Jajdelski's failure to "state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud".
, the chancellor of the California Community Colleges System
, and Gregory Marino, President of the Kaplan University Group. Under this agreement, students who need a course to meet their associate degree requirements would be able to take it at Kaplan. However, they would have to pay Kaplan's tuition, which is $646 for a three-credit class, compared with $78 at the community colleges. The agreement is controversial because it was signed without any input from community college educators.
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
" (DBA) name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates for-profit
For-Profit School
For-profit education refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses....
colleges. It is owned by Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company
Washington Post Company
The Washington Post Company is an American education and media company, best known for owning the newspaper for which it is named, The Washington Post. The Company also owns Kaplan, Inc., a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses...
.
Kaplan University is predominantly a distance learning
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
institution of higher education that is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan University was named in honor of Stanley H. Kaplan
Stanley Kaplan
Stanley H. Kaplan was an American businessman and scholastic test preparation pioneer who founded Kaplan, Inc., in 1938.Kaplan was born in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents from the present-day countries of Latvia and Belarus...
, who founded Kaplan Test Prep.
In 2010 Kaplan and other for-profit education companies came under scrutiny from the U.S. Congress due to concerns that the industry leaves too many students with heavy debts, and with credentials that are of little help finding jobs.
History
The American Institute of Commerce was established in 1937 before changing its name to Quest College. In November 2000, Quest College's name was changed to Kaplan College after Kaplan, Inc. acquired it with the purchase of Quest Education Corporation.In September 2004, Kaplan College officially changed its name to Kaplan University after it was granted permission to offer graduate-level degree programs.
The university’s school of nursing was awarded a national professional accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in April 2006 from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is an autonomous nursing education accrediting agency that contributes to the improvement of the public's health. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S...
(CCNE). In October 2007, all seven Iowa and Nebraska-based Hamilton College (Iowa)
Hamilton College (Iowa)
The name of Iowa- and Nebraska-based "Hamilton College" no longer exists. All seven campuses are now named Kaplan University.Hamilton College was the DBA name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates independent, private, for-profit colleges. Hamilton College...
campuses merged with Kaplan University and are now operating under the Kaplan University brand. Concord Law School
Concord Law School
Concord Law School , is an online law school based in Los Angeles, California. It is currently known as Concord Law School of Kaplan University. The school is a subsidiary of the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation...
merged with Kaplan University in October 2007, changing its name to Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Concord is not recognized by the American Bar Association, which does not accredit online institutions, although students with non-ABA-accredited law degrees are allowed to take California's bar examination and practice law once admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
.
Offerings and enrollment
Kaplan University offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees as well as certificates in such fields as educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, arts and sciences, healthcare, nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. Kaplan serves more than 66,000 online and on-campus students. While Kaplan University is based in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, the main administration building is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. In addition to 10 campuses in Iowa, Nebraska and Maryland (and one Kaplan University Learning Center in Milwaukee), Kaplan has online student support centers in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. Kaplan has more than 3,600 instructors, professors and administrators..
Academics
Kaplan University is academically organized into ten schools.- Arts and Sciences
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Health Sciences
- Information Systems and Technology
- Legal Studies
- Nursing
- Kaplan Continuing Education
- Concord Law School of Kaplan University
Admissions and financial aid
Kaplan University has an open admissions policy. Applicants are eligible for both Pell grantPell Grant
A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...
s and federal student loans. The university offers members of the military discounted tuition rates as well as granting service members college credit for some of the military education they may have received while in the service.
Alleged misrepresentations
In 2010 Florida's Attorney General opened an investigation of Kaplan and four other for-profit universities for allegedly making misrepresentations to students about several matters, including financial aid. The federal Education Department released data in August 2010 demonstrating that only 28% of former Kaplan students were paying anything off the principal of their student loans. The remainder were paying only interest on their loans, were behind in payments, or in default. For comparison, the federal data show that 56% of students from non-profit colleges in the United States are paying off principal from their loans, thus at twice the rate of Kaplan students.Alleged improper recruiting
Kaplan University was one of 15 for-profit colleges cited by the Government Accountability OfficeGovernment Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
(GAO) for deceptive or questionable statements that were made to undercover investigators posing as applicants. The Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city had a population of 154,750 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous city in Broward County, the tenth most populous in Florida, and the 150th most populous in the United States...
and Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
campuses were both cited in the GAO report. Andrew S. Rosen, President of Kaplan, Inc., described the tactics as "sickening" and promised to eliminate such conduct from Kaplan. On November 30, 2010, the GAO issued a revised report with several significant edits, altering key passages and softening several of the initial allegations.
Course format
Online instructors and professors (licensed and practicing in their fields) are required to hold two online office hours per week, and are also available via email and have to respond within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends if a student emails them. Weekly discussion boards are a part of each class curriculum, with a unit-related discussion topic required weekly for student/classmates and student/instructor interaction. In addition, scheduled weekly seminar sessions are held online with audio chat capabilities. An "Option 2 Alternative Assignment" is offered if students cannot attend the scheduled weekly seminar session, although most professors expect students to attend weekly seminars. Core classes include required weekly exams that must be completed within the weekly deadline, along with required weekly assignments. Assigned, APA formatted, unit study topic-related research papers are expected and electronically/visually monitored for plagiarism by instructors. Courses also have a complete series of live seminars including PowerPoint presentations and audio lectures in addition to curriculum offerings. Seminars are also available in transcripts for student access at the conclusion of seminars.Student interactions
Kaplan University has created pages at social networks such as LinkedInLinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
.com, Facebook.com for casual student interaction. All seminars and group study sessions are archived so that students who cannot attend may review them in text form later.
The Kaplan School of Arts and Sciences has purchased a virtual island inside the Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
virtual world, intending to have group help sessions and virtual laboratory exercises available for students who obtain avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
.
False Claims Act lawsuits
In 2008 three former academic officers at Kaplan University filed wide-ranging federal False Claims ActFalse Claims Act
The False Claims Act is an American federal law that imposes liability on persons and companies who defraud governmental programs. The law includes a "qui tam" provision that allows people who are not affiliated with the government to file actions on behalf of the government...
lawsuits accusing the university of defrauding the United States government out of more than $4 billion. The lawsuits alleged that Kaplan enrolled unqualified students, inflated their grades so they could stay enrolled, and falsified documents to obtain accreditation for certain academic programs. The three suits were consolidated and filed in the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida in March 2008.
Kaplan moved to dismiss the consolidated suit. The Justice Department maintained that the “parade of horribles” that Kaplan predicted if the case were not dismissed was “entirely illusory”. The government is entitled to a portion of the proceeds if the employees prevail against the company. Kaplan University has denied any wrongdoing.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
has reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a stance in siding with several whistle-blowers in false claims lawsuits against various colleges owned by Kaplan Higher Education. Under the False Claims Act, individuals are allowed to file lawsuits on behalf of the government in cases which involve allegations of fraud.
Kaplan argued that the consolidated lawsuit should be dismissed because it lacks the specificity required in a federal fraud case.
Separately, former employee Charles Jajdelski brought a lawsuit in Nevada alleging that Kaplan’s Heritage College had filed fraudulent student financial aid requests, allegations denied by Kaplan. Jajdelski's request to transfer the suit to Florida to join with the others was denied as a "potential tag-along action". In July 2011, after Jajdelski had amended the original complaint several times, a judge dismissed the suit due to Jajdelski's failure to "state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud".
Agreement with California Community Colleges
In 2009 a two-year memorandum of understanding was signed between Jack ScottJack Scott (politician)
Jack Alan Scott is an American Democratic politician. He recently served as a California State Senator, representing the 21st district, which includes Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, San Gabriel, Temple City, and Los Angelescommunities including Tarzana, Encino, Reseda, Van...
, the chancellor of the California Community Colleges System
California Community Colleges system
The California Community Colleges System consists of 112 community colleges in 72 community college districts in the U.S. state of California...
, and Gregory Marino, President of the Kaplan University Group. Under this agreement, students who need a course to meet their associate degree requirements would be able to take it at Kaplan. However, they would have to pay Kaplan's tuition, which is $646 for a three-credit class, compared with $78 at the community colleges. The agreement is controversial because it was signed without any input from community college educators.