It all began with an unpopular idea to develop a college program which would serve the academic, professional and scheduling needs of working people who were largely ignored by the academic establishment. The push-back from academe was extreme but the idea was worthy, the learning model was sound and Sperling was a tenacious fighter. History proved that University of Phoenix was a visionary idea. So much so, that a multitude of similar, competing programs have sprung up across the nation to address this need and the University has come to be regarded as a change agent in higher education. Innovation has remained its hallmark.
Sperling’s early decision to establish the University as for-profit rather than non-profit remains controversial. But as a man schooled in economic history, his decision was driven by a sincere conviction that a profit structure would impose strict accountabilities and would impact the organization far beyond the financial statements. This “culture of accountability” is evidenced by the University’s robust performance-based environment which extends from the unapologetic recruitment of students to the rigorous measurement of learning outcomes, which is among the most comprehensive of any college or university in the nation. Thirty years later, University of Phoenix is still in a class by itself – as the largest private university in the nation, it has opened doors and provided access and opportunity to thousands of students the world over. Today it is poised to define the way education looks in the 21st Century.