Lehigh Valley College
Encyclopedia
Lehigh Valley College was a college owned by Career Education Corporation
, a for-profit
educational company. The college was located near Allentown, Pennsylvania
, in Center Valley
which is approximately 55 miles (89 km) outside of Philadelphia and offered associate degree programs in a variety of vocational areas, including criminal justice
, graphic design
and accounting.
bought it in 1995 and added programs, doubled enrollment and raised tuition.
In July 2003 it moved to its present location, a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) campus in Center Valley, Pennsylvania
with 97000 square feet (9,011.6 m²) of facility space which includes 40 classrooms, 2 art studios, a photo/video studio, 4 Mac labs, 5 PC labs, library, and wireless internet.
In November 2006, Career Education Corporation
announced plans to sell several of its schools including Lehigh Valley College.
On March 20, 2009, the Board of Trustees of Penn State University approved the purchase of the property for $12 million.
The purchase will not affect a state attorney general probe into the Lehigh Valley College school.
owned institutions, Lehigh Valley College offered associate degree programs in Criminal Justice
; Fashion Merchandising; Graphic Design
; Health Information Technology; Management
/Marketing
; Massage Therapy; Medical Assisting; Network Support; and Visual Communications. No new students were accepted after February, 2008, although currently enrolled students were allowed to complete their programs.
In August 2005, the Allentown Morning Call
newspaper published the results of its investigation of Lehigh Valley College, which cited several alleged issues with the school including misleading and aggressive admission tactics, comparably high tuition costs, minimal transferability of credits, deceptive job placement statistics, inadequate job placement assistance, and weak quality of instruction. However, there were students interviewed who were satisfied with their experience at the school.
Career Education Corporation
Career Education Corporation , founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound...
, a for-profit
For-Profit School
For-profit education refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses....
educational company. The college was located near Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, in Center Valley
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
which is approximately 55 miles (89 km) outside of Philadelphia and offered associate degree programs in a variety of vocational areas, including criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and accounting.
History
Lehigh Valley College, formerly known as Allentown Business School, was founded in 1869 as primarily a secretarial school. Since then, it has expanded and moved four times to accommodate a larger student body and greater selection of programs. The school has operated under at least five owners. Career Education CorporationCareer Education Corporation
Career Education Corporation , founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound...
bought it in 1995 and added programs, doubled enrollment and raised tuition.
In July 2003 it moved to its present location, a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) campus in Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
with 97000 square feet (9,011.6 m²) of facility space which includes 40 classrooms, 2 art studios, a photo/video studio, 4 Mac labs, 5 PC labs, library, and wireless internet.
In November 2006, Career Education Corporation
Career Education Corporation
Career Education Corporation , founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound...
announced plans to sell several of its schools including Lehigh Valley College.
On March 20, 2009, the Board of Trustees of Penn State University approved the purchase of the property for $12 million.
The purchase will not affect a state attorney general probe into the Lehigh Valley College school.
Programs
Similar to other CECCareer Education Corporation
Career Education Corporation , founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound...
owned institutions, Lehigh Valley College offered associate degree programs in Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
; Fashion Merchandising; Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
; Health Information Technology; Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
/Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
; Massage Therapy; Medical Assisting; Network Support; and Visual Communications. No new students were accepted after February, 2008, although currently enrolled students were allowed to complete their programs.
Controversy
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office demanded records from the school covering its financial aid policies, recruitment practices and student complaints in July 2005 in connection with a probe of the school by its consumer protection division.In August 2005, the Allentown Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
newspaper published the results of its investigation of Lehigh Valley College, which cited several alleged issues with the school including misleading and aggressive admission tactics, comparably high tuition costs, minimal transferability of credits, deceptive job placement statistics, inadequate job placement assistance, and weak quality of instruction. However, there were students interviewed who were satisfied with their experience at the school.