The Cincinnati Enquirer
WALNUT HILLS - A private, national university headquartered in Cincinnati has made sweeping changes in its Ph.D. program after separate investigations by the Ohio Board of Regents and the U.S. Department of Education.
Union Institute and University, known for its flexible program that allows working professionals to help tailor their studies to earn a degree, will now adhere to stricter reporting requirements.
Students will continue to talk to professors over the telephone or via e-mail instead of attending lectures in a formal classroom. But they must now follow more stringent rules when they document their academic progress and apply for financial aid.
Among the changes:
• Union created a credit-hour system that more closely mirrors traditional college programs. Previously the school had not assigned credit-hours to specific coursework.
• The college also set up more concrete semesters, which will define a student's eligibility for financial aid. Before the change, students were not required to re-enroll.
• Students are now required to complete their doctoral program in no less than three and no more than seven years. The requirement had been no less than two years and no more than 10.
• Students must also complete academic progress reports every six months. Before the changes, the time period was much more fluid, school officials said.