| The 1990s witnessed rapid growth in the American economy fueled by a substantial growth of high-tech industries and economic expansion across the globe. As the financial strength of the nation grew, so also did the demand for a well-educated workforce. Universities attempted to respond to this demand in part through offering nontraditional degree programs. Conventional universities as well as a growing number of for-profit and corporate universities expanded their offerings through such unconventional venues as Internet and weekend or evening programs.;In addition to examining the development of these nontraditional vendors and venues, this study surveyed human resource (HR) professionals in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, metropolitan area regarding their opinions of the value of various degree vendors and venues. The study found that as the economic growth peaked in the year 2001, these HR professionals still considered a university degree to be very valuable when hiring for professional positions. This was true whether the degree came from a traditional university, a for-profit institution, or a corporate university. The study also found that most of the HR professionals had favorable opinions of all venues of university degrees. Their most favorable reactions were toward traditional universities and their programs, but all venues were deemed acceptable---including Internet degree programs. The study further confirmed that HR professionals have a strong preference for institutional accreditation from a regional accrediting body as well as accreditation of individual professional programs. |
