Thousands of cable professionals who took career development courses through Jones/NCTI (formerly the National Cable Television Institute) are now eligible for a reduction in tuition fees of up to 20%, if they pursue further study from the Jones International University.
Professionals who have already earned an associate's degree through Jones/NCTI can now be admitted to JIU degree programs with full college credit for the work they've completed to learn better job skills. In many educational settings, students lose credits for courses they have taken at one institution when a new institution rejects work from another school.
JIU is the virtual university founded by cable pioneer Glenn Jones in 1997. It currently provides five bachelor's and master's degree programs in business and education, with nearly 30 different specializations.
The online institution is regulated by the Higher Learning Commission, which “gives us a lot of flexibility in determining our business-degree program,” JIU president Dr. David Leasure said.
JIU has determined that the course work offered by Jones/NCTI is worthy of accreditation status, officials said. They added that more than 250,000 broadband professionals have taken classes from Jones/NCTI, dating back 38 years.
But if a student took classes more than seven years ago, he or she will have to take a new course to activate credits for classes taken before 1999, according to school officials.
Leasure said that some past students have accrued more than 12 college units for their Jones/NCTI classes, the equivalent of one year's work toward a higher degree.
JIU reached an agreement to aid Comcast employees in pursuing higher education goals. In addition to the 20% reduction in tuition, JIU will provide Comcasters with information accessible through a microsite at Comcast's intranet.
Under the Comcast program, a new hire installer or customer care agent, for instance, can begin with a job-specific Jones/NCTI training course, then earn a bachelors' degree through the same institution, then opt to study towards a master's degree from JIU, Jones/NCTI president Tom Brooksher said.
Jones/NCTI officials believe more than 29,000 employees of Comcast and its predecessor companies have taken technical courses that now represent accredited collegiate courses. Comcast couldn't confirm that number, as some of the affected employees may no longer be with the company. Comcast's own Comcast University offers tuition help to employees to a variety of educational institutions.
Broadband professionals who want more information on registration at JIU can log onto www.jonesinternational.edu.
