What happens in Vegas -- in this case, at the Career College Association’s annual convention -- will apparently stay in Vegas.
The association, which represents many of the colleges in the fast-growing and much-scrutinized for-profit higher-education industry, has decided to bar reporters from covering its three-day conclave this week in Las Vegas.
The decision, a break from the group’s past practice, comes at a time when many for-profit colleges are facing tough questions about their admissions practices and financial dealings from federal and state regulators, as well as from their own investors.
The news media’s coverage of for-profit colleges has also been particularly intense in the past year, while the colleges themselves have been especially active politically, lobbying Congress to change federal law to make it easier for them and their students to gain access to billions of dollars in federal student aid.
Nancy Broff, general counsel for the 1,270-member association, said the decision to bar reporters from all sessions of the three-day convention, except for an awards luncheon, was made out of concern that participants would be inhibited from speaking frankly if reporters were present.
“We want our educational sessions to really be that -- education sessions for our membership,” she said in voice-mail message left with a Chronicle reporter last week.
The convention, sheduled to begin on June 22, typically draws hundreds of college owners and employees, as well as repre-sentatives of companies that provide services to the colleges, such as banks that provide student loans, and vendors of admissions and marketing services.
In addition to social activities, the event features several days of workshops aimed at helping profit-minded colleges operate more effectively.
Sessions on this year’s program include “Compliance & Ethics in the Admissions Office,” “How to Effectively Market on the Internet,” and “Little Known Techniques to Identify At-Risk Online Students to Increase Retention and ROI.” (ROI stands for return on investment.)
More than 760 people have signed up to attend the event, including representatives of publicly traded companies like Career Education Corporation, Corinthian Colleges Inc., and ITT Educational Services, all of which have recently faced investigations and lawsuits.
Association members also include some nonprofit institutions that offer career-oriented curricula.
Three of the organizations that accredit many of the for-profit colleges -- making them eligible to provide federal student aid -- and a number of investment-bank analysts who follow the publicly traded companies will also be at the convention.
http://chronicle.com Section: Money & Management Volume 51, Issue 42, Page A25
