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May 11, 2018

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GCU probably pays around $7M-10M per year in property taxes on their campus. If they are a non-profit, they pay zero. Not sure if this is a lot of money for them or not, but is one benefit (and of course another loss for the impoverished governments in AZ).

I suspect it's also an optics/PR move as potential students become more suspicious of for-profit universities.

They've grown too big, too fast. Their nursing program, once one of the best, has been put on notice to improve or else. Too large a percentage of their graduates are unable to pass the state licensing exam.

why is it when you mix religion and education, the chase for the $$$$$ becomes the major focus. .???

John Calvin of course. And the spawn of Elmer Gantry.

Exactly.

Like the man says:

"Now I ply my trade in the land of king dollar
Where you get paid and your silence passes as honor
And all the hatred and dirty little lies
Been written off the books and into decent men's eyes."

I remember hearing at the time Clifford purchased GCU, that he gave himself an Honorary Doctorate! I also heard that he did not have a college degree. Wonder if this is true?

Restructure the Arizona University System to provide greater accessibility, affordability, and accountability to a public university education for many more Arizonans:

http://PSUandAzTech.blogspot.com

In my experience of business,there are streakers and plodders.When a streaker grows much faster than everybody else,there is usually a illegal or illogical reason for it.Put your money on the plodder.There are no shortcuts to success.

Then there was the spat between ASU's Michael Crow and GCU over admission to NCAA Division I athletics. Crow's question was whether a for-profit should be admitted to NCAA DIV1, but one suspects there were lots of other issues at play here, not the least of which was competition between the GCU and ASU online education programs. We're competing while we are not competing. https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat-index/2017/08/17/gcu-president-brian-mueller-blasts-asu-president-michael-crow-remarks-z/576023001/

I got my M.A. at Grand Canyon in 1996 when it was still College, not University. Tuition was high, I had student loans, some teachers still prayed befor the start of class. The best part? Class sizes were small.....my largest was maybe 80, my smallest 1........me.

It is VERY different now.....not sure it’s better, but it’s different.

@Reubin: Nursing school is doing great.

https://news.gcu.edu/2018/07/nursing-students-post-stellar-licensure-exam-rating/

@Hamblin: the largest classes on campus are still less than 100.

I'm not particularly a fan of what I call the corporate Jesus school, but I will say this. No other entity has bothered to invest in redevelopment of the area at this scale. GCU's recent and very visible expansion in the Camelback corridor between I-17 and 35th Avenue has cut crime and added some new architecture of substance to what was the 'hood. I have driven through this area for 20 years daily to work, and there's no denying the physical change for the better. So as I pass it each day, it is with mixed feelings.

GCU was granted non-profit status before this article was published.

My apologies, they were granted nonprofit status one month after this was published.

Exactly!!! You're forgiven. I graduated from GCU in 2003 when it was originally a non-profit. I gave up full-ride scholarships to all of the state universities only being offered a 20% tuition waiver at GCU. At that time it was $300 a credit hour. Why did I go? It was a science-driven university and promised smaller classes for undergrads, essential for those who prefer more personal interaction with their professors. My education and experience were important to me going in as pre-med. At the time Kirksville College of Medicine shared the tiny crappy campus. I was able to take gross anatomy and physiology with human cadavers as an undergrad...unheard of anywhere else. I graduated in 2003 with a BS in Human Biology went on to get a Masters of Medical Science and now finishing my doctorate (too many years later). My point is when I graduated it was truly an exceptional program with elite professors. I was published as an undergrad as a result of GCU's relationship with Boswell Hospital's research program. There were opportunities that would not have been offered as an undergrad at ASU, NAU or UofA. Maybe things have changed but please respect what the university has been to many graduates and I hope it continues.

Correction graduated in 2000. Too many years ago, regardless all of the above still applies.

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