Type | Private university |
---|---|
Established | 1998 |
Accreditation | The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) |
President | Ahmed Alwani |
Students | 17 (2021–22) |
Location | , , United States 38°50′59″N77°20′52″W / 38.8496°N 77.3478°W |
Colours | Red and blue |
Mascot | Tiger |
Website | www |
Fairfax University of America (FXUA, formerly Virginia International University) is a private university in Fairfax, Virginia. It was established in 1998, and then as a non-profit 501(c)(3) university in 1999. [1] The university is certified to operate in Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)[ citation needed ] and was formerly accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). However, in 2016 the United States Secretary of Education denied ACICS's accrediting status for failing to meet 21 recognition criteria. [2]
ACICS came under heavy scrutiny by regulators for its lax accreditation standards and failure to flag deficient programs at several institutions, including Fairfax University, which was "blasted [for] the quality and rigor of its online education program" by state regulators in 2019 and nearly closed down. [3]
The university's website states that the institution was founded in 1998 as Virginia International University. In 1999, the university was incorporated as a non-profit corporation and obtained 501(c)3 non-profit status. [4] The first commencement was held on May 4, 2006, with 20 graduates in attendance. [4]
In March 2019, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia threatened to revoke VIU's license to operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia after a 2018 audit found defects in the academic rigor and quality of VIU's online courses, run under Alwani's predecessor, publishing a report that Inside Higher Ed called "scathing". [5] [6] The audit cited several concerns including widespread instances of plagiarism and its admissions policy that allowed international students who demonstrated "abysmally poor" English language skills to attend the university. [7] Although the audit was focused on the schools online courses, auditors suggested that the issues likely impacted face-to-face classes as well, noting that online courses and in-person courses shared common teaching faculty, while the English proficiency issues were common among students attending in-person classes. [7]
In June 2019, the State Council reached an agreement with VIU to allow the college to continue operating on the condition that they pause its distance education for at least three years. [8]
The university's name changed to Fairfax University of America (FXUA) on January 1, 2020. [4]
On December 13, 2021, the State Council completed their audit, finding FXUA to be in full compliance of SCHEV regulations, permitting FXUA to immediately begin offering distance education again. [9]
The university's academic units are organized into two schools: the School of Business and the School of Computer Information Systems. [1] In Fall 2021 there were 5 full-time instructional faculty and 13 part-time instructional faculty. [10]
Fairfax University of America operated a research institute, founded in 2019, the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a foreign policy think tank operating out of Washington, D.C. [11] New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and New Lines magazine, edited by Hassan Hassan and focusing on the Middle East now operate as independent entities from FXUA. [12] [ verification needed ] New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is licensed in Washington, D.C. as of 2022 and neighbor to the Brooking's Institute and Carnegie on "think tank row".[ citation needed ]
17 (8 undergraduate) students were enrolled at the university as of 2022. [13]
University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree levels. It is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has an open enrollment admissions policy for many undergraduate programs. The school is owned by Apollo Global Management and Vistria Group, two US private-equity firms, but is in the process of being acquired by Four Three Education, a non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Idaho.
The Art Institutes (AI) was a private for-profit system of art schools in the United States. All Art Institute schools will close on September 30, 2023, with little warning.
Capella University is a private for-profit, online university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school is owned by the publicly traded Strategic Education, Inc. and delivers most of its education online.
The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is a non-profit education corporation that was recognized until 2022 by the United States Department of Education and until 2017 by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an independent and autonomous higher education accrediting body.
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The headquarters of the organization is in Chicago, Illinois.
Westwood College was a private for-profit college owned by Alta Colleges Inc. with 15 campus locations in five states and online learning options. Westwood was nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). Since its inception in 1986, Westwood graduated more than 37,000 students. The college closed in March 2016.
Stratford University was a private university based in Virginia. Founded in 1976, Stratford delivered online, classroom, and blended online/classroom programs. It closed at the end of the Fall 2022 semester after losing its accreditation.
Virginia College was a private for-profit college located primarily in the southeastern United States. It offered classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions such as health sciences, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. It also offered online degree programs.
The Institute of World Politics (IWP) is a private graduate school of national security, intelligence, and international affairs in Washington, D.C., and Reston, Virginia. Founded in 1990, the school offers courses related to intelligence, national security, and diplomatic communities.
The University of Fairfax is an institution of higher education headquartered in Salem, Virginia. It offers online graduate degrees in cybersecurity, cloud computing, computer science and engineering, and business as well as several graduate certificates. The entire program is provided via instructor led conference calls and online instruction.
The University of Management and Technology (UMT) is a private for-profit online university headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It was founded in 1998 and offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees as well as certificate programs.
Silicon Valley University (SVU) was a private, non-profit higher educational institution located in San Jose, California. The university was accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) at the bachelor's degree and master's degree levels until December 7, 2017. On April 5, 2018, the state regulators of California ordered SVU to close and refund students' money within 45 days. On May 24, 2021, SVU was granted an Approval to Operate for an Institution Non-Accredited by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) by the State of California.
Global Health College is a private for-profit nursing school in Alexandria, Virginia. It offers a Practical Nursing program, an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing degree for Registered Nurses, and a Certified Nursing Assistant program.
Columbia College is a private, for-profit vocational college located in Vienna, Virginia, which offers certificates and associate degrees.
Huntington Junior College (HJC) is a private for-profit junior college in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1936 and its campus is currently located in the former Cabell County Public Library building. The college offers six associate degree programs as well as stackable certificates and micro-credentials. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
For-profit higher education in the United States refers to the commercialization and privatization of American higher education institutions. For-profit colleges have been the most recognizable for-profit institutions, but commercialization has been a part of US higher education for centuries. Privatization of public institutions has also been increasing since at least the 1980s.
Purdue University Global, Inc., formerly Kaplan University, is a public online university that operates as a public-benefit corporation, and is part of the Purdue University system. Its former profit owner, Graham Holdings Company, is entitled to receive 12.5% of Purdue Global's operating revenue.