John F. Kennedy University was a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

based in California with offices in San Jose, California. The university was founded in 1965 to offer degrees and certificates for non-traditional higher education students, taught mostly by adjunct faculty. In April 2009, the university became an

affiliate Affiliation or affiliate may refer to: * Affiliate (commerce), a legal form of entity relationship used in Business Law * Affiliation (family law), a legal form of family relationship * Affiliate marketing * Affiliate network or affiliation platfo ...

of the National University System, initially as an independent university. The institution closed in 2020 with programs transferred to other National University schools.

Academics

The institution was organized as a

collegiate university A collegiate university is a university where functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the Coll ...

comprising four

constituent colleges A collegiate university is a university where functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the Col ...

which conferred

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

and graduate degrees in museum studies,

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

, and

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

. The university did not own a traditional campus and instead taught either through

distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...

blended learning Blended learning or hybrid learning, also known as technology-mediated instruction, web-enhanced instruction, or mixed-mode instruction, is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction onli ...

. Physical locations of the university for blended learning programs were typically housed in leased office sites and business parks.

College of Undergraduate Studies

John F. Kennedy University College of Undergraduate Studies was accredited by the

WASC Senior College and University Commission The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC ( )) provided accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa and Northern ...

(one of the successors of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges). The college offered certificate programs, undergraduate degrees, and graduate degrees, including a JD-MBA dual degree and MBA. The college also housed the university's experimental Institute of Entrepreneurial Leadership (IEL) which offered certificate programs and low-cost office spaces. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy was also housed at the college.

Museum Studies

The graduate program in Museum Studies at John F. Kennedy University had roots at Lone Mountain College in San Francisco; program directors included Diane Frankel; Gail Anderson; and Marjorie Schwarzer. The program offered master's degrees and certificates in museum collection management and registration, education and interpretation, and later the program developed a dual-MBA/collections and dual MBA/education program.

College of Psychology and Holistic Studies

The College of Psychology and Holistic Studies was a graduate institution which offered certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees. The college held

experiential learning Experiential learning (ExL) is the process of learning through experience, and is more narrowly defined as "learning through reflection on doing". Hands-on learning can be a form of experiential learning, but does not necessarily involve students ...

curriculums through three community-based clinical internship programs. The counseling psychology program housed student-operated art camps which taught self-confidence and self-expression to elementary-aged children. The Family Resiliency Project, also under the counseling psychology program, operated with Californian school districts for family counseling and childhood behavioral therapy. The Solt Evans LEAP Project in the Sports Psychology program provided disadvantaged youth life skills lessons through athletics. The college also operated three University Counseling centers in California which provided affordable, confidential access to mental health services.

College of Law

John F. Kennedy University College of Law offered a four-year, part-time program, and a three-year full-time program. The college housed a housing advocacy and legal clinic offering free legal services to elderly locals at risk of

eviction Eviction is the removal of a Tenement (law), tenant from leasehold estate, rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosure, foreclosed by a mortgagee (often ...

. The college had an enrollment of 160 students at the time of closure. Although it conferred the

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree, the college was approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is an administrative division of the Supreme Court of California which licenses attorneys and regulates the practice of law in California. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law ...

rather than the professionally recognized

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

. The lack of ABA accreditation limited the ability of graduates to take bar exams and practice as attorneys outside the

state of California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The college had a California Bar first-attempt pass rate of 33% in October 2020.

References

External links

* {{authority control Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Universities and colleges established in 1964 1964 establishments in California Defunct law schools Defunct private universities and colleges in California Educational institutions disestablished in 2020 2020 disestablishments in California Monuments and memorials to John F. Kennedy in the United States