Английская Википедия:Bottega University

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Bottega University is a for-profit, accredited distance learning university headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

Accreditation and institutional recognition

Bottega University is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bottega University is also an institutional member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers.

History

Bottega University was launched as Andrew Jackson University in 1994 by Robert McKim Norris Jr. and D. Michael Barrett, both graduates of the Cumberland School of Law and colleagues at a Birmingham, Alabama law firm. The school was designed as a university catering the needs of adult learners that was both accessible and affordable. Andrew Jackson University was founded as a not-for-profit. The first classes took place in 1994 in Birmingham, Alabama.

UniversityNow, Inc. acquired the school in December 2010 and officially changed its name to New Charter University in early 2011. As part of the transition, the university was reestablished in San Francisco, California as a for-profit institution. In June 2012, the university was awarded a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through its Next Generation Learning Challenges organization, and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to fund research into innovative delivery models in higher education that have the potential to generate high student outcomes at an affordable cost. UniversityNow's funding to relaunch the university came from investors including Kapor Capital, University Ventures, Novak Biddle Venture Partners, Charles River Ventures, Greylock Partners, SV Angel, Floodgate, and 500 Global, with $42 million in total capital raised over four rounds, ending in September 2013. During an October 2013 interview regarding UniversityNow’s decision to pursue venture funding and eschew federal, Title IV, funds, UniversityNow co-founder and President Emerita of Mills College, Dr. Janet Holmgren, described its approach as having “married for-profit with social justice.”

In January 2015, the university relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah when it was acquired by Global Heritage Education and its parent, Knod Global Learning Foundation. Knod's leadership and board included Graham Doxey, cofounder of Neumont College, William Hansen, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, Dr. Henry Eyring, president of Brigham Young University, and Dr. Nicholas Donofrio, Connecticut Board of Regents Chair for Higher Education. Knod’s leadership and investors had successfully established new institutes of higher education in the United States, Malaysia, China, and Australia. The foundation’s stated mission was to help develop the global middle-class by enabling students, educators and employers to collaborate on real-world projects together, generating the hands-on experiences its graduates would need to jumpstart their careers. In May 2015, Knod announced an investment of $6.2 million and extended the university’s bachelor’s degree program to students in Africa. The program, launched in Kenya, offered sponsored, hybrid-online education, with a focus on project-based learning and corporate competencies development. In July 2015, the university signed an agreement with the European School of Economics to offer degrees in finance, management, and marketing, as well as internship programs located in London, New York, Rome, Milan, Florence, and Madrid.

In April 2018, New Charter and Bottega announced a strategic partnership to integrate their respective technologies to offer students a new software development learning management system and educational platform called Code Lab. During a keynote speech at Utah’s annual technology conference, Silicon Slopes, Bottega announced a donation of more than $5 million worth of Code Lab programs to high school students and teachers in Utah. The company further committed to donate another $5 million by the summer of 2024. According to Eric Wold, Bottega’s CEO at that time, the programs aimed to address the skills gap and the digital divide in the state, while also collecting insights to improve the companies’ learning platforms. Wold stated two main goals for the donations of coding programs to Utah. The first goal was to introduce coding to thousands of young people, especially young women, who made up more than one-third of the participants, and Wold indicated that this percentage was higher than the national average and that the participants learned advanced computer science skills. The second goal was to address the lack of instructors with computer science teaching credentials, which limited the availability of computer science classes in schools. Bottega said that it had received approval from the Utah State Board of Education to offer its training to public teachers for free. At the time of the announcement, 119 teachers had started the training, which the company expected to increase the number of computer science classes in Utah schools. Wold explained the motivation behind the donations as a belief that technology education could benefit everyone and that the private sector had a responsibility to contribute to the state’s economic and educational development; he credited Utah Governor Gary Herbert, with whom Wold announced the programs, for creating the favorable environment for novel educational programs such as these.In August 2019, following the public launch of the Code Lab, Global Heritage and the university were acquired by Bottega, LLC, and DEAC granted Bottega permission in June 2020 to change the university's name to Bottega University.

In October 2019, Paul Ahlstrom of Alta Global Ventures announced an investment of $10 million in Bottega to train 6,000 students in Jamaica annually. The program, Coding Foundations, was designed to train 1,000 students in full stack engineering and 5,000 students in computer science. The first year of training was supported through the Bottega Perpetual Endowment Fund, partly funded by Ahlstrom and other investors at Alta Global Ventures.

In April 2020, the VASS Group, a global solutions consultancy headquartered in Madrid, announced that its foundation led an investment with Bottega to launch bilingual versions of its courses in Spain. The round was led by the VASS Foundation in partnership with the Adecco Foundation, the Mapfre Foundation, the Bankinter Foundation, the Universia Foundation, la Caixa Foundation, and the Endesa Foundation. In June 2023, the VASS Group extended the partnership with Bottega to launch a technology training campus, VASS University. Coursework includes certifications in full stack development, agile project management, communication, and management.

Academics

Bottega University offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs in business, communication, computer science, and technology. Specializations include entrepreneurship, finance, health care management, human resource management, marketing, and technology management. Certificates in business and full-stack development are offered as well.

Distance learning

From the time of its founding in 1994, the university has delivered all of its programs through distance learning, allowing students to learn remotely, without being physically present in a classroom. Its founders and subsequent leadership cited social justice factors including affordability, class mobility, and accessibility as being their primary motivators for this approach. The history of providing distance learning as an act of social justice dates back to the 19th century, when the University of London offered remote examination and correspondence courses through its External Program, now known as University of London Worldwide. Referred to at the time as the “People’s University” by Charles Dickens, the External Program provided access to higher education to students from less affluent backgrounds, and its charter by Queen Victoria in 1858 made the University of London the first university to offer distance learning degrees to students. However, it wasn't until the late 20th century that distance learning began to gain broader popularity, with the founding of the Open University in the United Kingdom and Athabasca University in Canada. In 1985, The New School, in the United States, launched the world’s first fully accredited degree delivered entirely online, with no in-person requirements.

Virtual Learning Environment

For its relaunch in 2012 and through multiple funding rounds, the university developed a proprietary, online, virtual learning environment (VLE) to conduct courses, facilitate proctored examinations, and manage all student information, including applications and admissions. Historically, VLEs have been used in distance learning to facilitate the management of educational courses by teachers for their students. VLEs are digital spaces that include learning management systems, student information systems and other educational technology. Following the university’s rollout in Africa, faculty subsequently published research on the difficulties that virtual learning faced in developing countries, with Kenya as the basis for the study. The findings cited socio-economic factors, internet connectivity limitations from low public sector investment, and inadequate teacher training as critical factors that hindered broader virtual learning expansion for the region at the time.

Competency-based learning

With its relaunch in June 2012, the university redesigned its educational framework to utilize competency-based learning.

Competency-based learning (CBL) is a framework for teaching and assessment of learning that focuses on outcomes and real-world performance. In a CBL framework, students demonstrate their learned knowledge and skills in order to achieve specific competencies. The set of competencies for a specific course or at a specific educational institution is sometimes referred to as competency architecture.

CBL is an evolution from traditional educational models because it is learner-directed. In a CBL framework, students have more control over their learning and can therefore pace themselves. Additionally, CBL allows different students to move at varying paces within a course, which can help ensure that each student has the opportunity to master the material. CBL also focuses on the demonstration of competence when considering students' progress and measures it by formative assessments. This approach is different from traditional learning methods that use summative testing. Finally, CBL provides individualized support for students, which can help ensure that each student has the resources they need.

One of the biggest challenges with CBL is ensuring that the competencies being assessed are relevant and meaningful. Additionally, CBL requires a significant amount of time and effort to develop and implement. Despite these challenges, CBL has the potential to improve educational outcomes by ensuring that students are prepared for success in the workforce.

Project-based learning

With the rollout in Africa through the Knod Foundation, the university integrated a project-based learning model into its curricula. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching and learning approach that emphasizes real-world problem-solving and collaboration over traditional delivery models. In a higher education context, PBL is a pedagogical approach that involves students working on projects that are designed to be complex and open-ended. These projects are often interdisciplinary and require students to apply knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines in order to solve real-world problems.

In a PBL framework, students work in teams to identify a problem or challenge, conduct research, develop a solution, and present their findings to an audience. The process of working on a project helps students develop a range of skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Additionally, PBL can help students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and its relevance in real-world contexts. Knod’s method utilized sponsors from corporate environments who were mentors and coaches to the students in the program.

PBL can be an improvement over traditional educational models because it is learner-centered and emphasizes learner engagement over traditional delivery models. By working on projects that are relevant to their interests and goals, students have shown increased motivation to learn and are more likely to retain what they have learned. Additionally, PBL can help students develop a range of skills that are valued by employers, including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Other universities leveraging project-based learning include:

• Olin College of Engineering: Olin College is a private undergraduate engineering college located in Needham, Massachusetts, USA. The college has a curriculum that is entirely project-based and emphasizes hands-on learning and collaboration.

• Aalborg University: Aalborg University is a public research university located in Aalborg, Denmark. The university is known for its problem-based learning approach, which is similar to project-based learning.

• Iowa State University: Iowa State University is a public land-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, USA. The university has a strong focus on technology and offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs that incorporate project-based learning.

Schools and affiliations

Bottega operates two schools, the College of Business and a Career Training Division. The curricula of the College of Business focus on professional competency development for adult learners; Institutional Learning Outcomes are used to assess analytical abilities, business knowledge, collaboration and adaptability, critical thinking skills, communication aptitude, social responsibility, personal ethics, and quantitative acumen. The curricula in the Career Training Division focus on technical competency in full-stack software development by emphasizing a project-based learning approach, including the delivery of capstones and the development of project portfolios. The university maintains academic and corporate university partnerships, including articulation agreements and opportunities to transfer credits among affiliate institutions through its partnership with Sophia Learning:

• Alabama State University
• Colorado State University Global
• European School of Economics
• Istituto Marangoni
• Liberty University
• Purdue Global
• University of Arizona Global Campus
• University of Maryland Global Campus
• University of Massachusetts Global
• Upper Iowa University
• The Workshop School
• Waldorf University
• VASS University

Lecture series

The university hosts an annual lecture series, The Congresses, offered to honors students pursuing careers in medicine, science, or technology. The series is chaired by Scientific Director, Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Speakers include Nobel Laureates, university deans, and leaders in scientific research and technology. Past speakers have included:

• James P. Allison, Ph.D., 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Sidney Altman, Ph.D., 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Michael R. Barratt, M.D., NASA astronaut
• Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, President of the Salk Institute
• Larry Brilliant, M.D., M.P.H, CEO of Skoll Global Threats Fund
• Michael S. Brown, M.D., 1985 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1998 National Medal of Science
• George M. Church, Ph.D., Co-Inventor of CRISPR, Board Member of The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
• Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D., Surgeon General of the United States (1993-1994)
• Joachim Frank, Ph.D., 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Leland Hartwell, Ph.D., 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• William G. Kaelin Jr., M.D., 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Mary E. Klotman, M.D., Dean of Duke University School of Medicine
• Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2007 National Medal of Science
• Virginia Man-Yee Lee, Ph.D., 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
• Thomas H. Marshburn, M.D., NASA astronaut, Medical Operations Lead for the International Space Station
• Stephen Ray Mitchell, M.D., Dean for Medical Education at Georgetown University
• Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D, 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• David Roberts, M.D, Dean of External Education at Harvard Medical School
• Sir Richard Roberts, Ph.D., 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Michael Rosbash, Ph.D., 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Paul B. Rothman, M.D., Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Robert Satcher, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., NASA astronaut
• Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Jack Szostak, Ph.D., 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• J. Craig Venter, Ph.D, 2008 National Medal of Science, Founder of Celera Genomics
• Drew Weismann, M.D., Ph.D. 2023 Nobel Prize Physiology or Medicine
• George M. Whitesides, Ph.D., 1998 National Medal of Science

Notable alumni

• Dustin Burleson, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor at Children's Mercy Hospital and Founding Fellow at McLean Hospital
• J. Shane Hatcher, Chief of International Affairs, Security Cooperation & Foreign Disclosure Officer, United States Military Academy at West Point
• Nicholas Mwendwa, president of Football Kenya Federation
• Michael Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer, California Correctional Health Care Services
• Christopher Withrow, Chief Technology Officer, Warren County Schools and Board Director, Stride Inc.