Lansbridge University

Lansbridge University is a private university based in Fredericton in New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degree programmes completely online, focussing on management education. However, it was told to cease operations by May, 2007, by the Provincial Government of British Columbia, for a number of violations of its conditions for consent for operating within BC. It still appears to be operating out of the province of New Brunswick (indicating the difficulty of regulating online programs in a cross-border context).

Its web site is at http://www.lansbridge.edu. There is a Wikipedia entry on Lansbridge University but at present (February 2008) it has been flagged as needing attention.

The Lansbridge University web site stated:

To answer the growing demand for management education in today's fast economy; Lansbridge has developed two programs. The first is an Executive Master of Business Administration (eMBA) designed for seasoned professionals who require flexible management education. The second is a regular online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program designed for less experienced professionals who want to build solid and dynamic management skills.

Convenience and flexibility for students is a main thrust of Lansbridge University's courses. Classes are open to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere in the world via the Internet. No classroom sessions are involved, and most course materials are available entirely online. eMBA students also have their own team of teaching and support staff to lead them through the educational process. In fact, to facilitate accessibility to support staff in different time zones, the university has set up offices in Fredericton, New Brunswick and has partners in Malaysia, India, the United Kingdom, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. These partners offer the blended model of the Lansbridge University degree programs.

Another focus of Lansbridge University is to deliver a meaningful, up-to-date curriculum. Since courses are delivered via the Internet rather than in classrooms, course instructors and Assistant Professors can be chosen from among the world's leading experts and academics, rather than the small selection who live in the vicinity of a particular campus. Unlike a traditional university, the online university also lends itself to an adaptable curriculum that can be updated quickly to reflect the development of new issues and trends.

Accreditation

University education in Canada is the direct responsibility of each province. Since Lansbridge University is a Canadian degree granting university headquartered in the Province of New Brunswick, this status promotes the global recognition of Lansbridge University as an official Canadian degree granting university.

Unlike the USA, Canada does not have a national or regional accrediting body for MBA programmes. However, an evaluation process must be adhered to before government permission is given for an MBA to be offered. KPMG Consultants successfully completed the required validation procedure for the MBA program on September 29, 1999. The validation committee consisted of a Canadian University President, three Canadian Business School Deans and a Professor with recognized expertise in distributed education. Lansbridge University is based in and operates under the laws of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada.

In June 2005 Lansbridge University became the first Canadian Degree Granting University to receive national accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). DETC is approved by the US Department of Education and recognized by The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

However, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development required Lansbridge University to close operations within the province on May 1, 2007, and to refund unearned tuition directly to students for financial obligations exceeding May 1, 2007, saying the facility has not complied with several conditions of its operations. A provincially appointed inspector found a number of violations, including that the university provided information that could be considered misleading in its application to the degree quality assessment board. (Globe and Mail, February 9, 2007)

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