User:Andrewggordon84/Saylor Academy draft

Saylor Academy, formerly known as Saylor Foundation, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization was established in 1999 by Michael J. Saylor, with the goal of providing a free education to anyone on the internet through open courses.

History
Saylor Academy began as the Saylor Foundation in 1999 when entrepreneur Michael J. Saylor contributed personal stock to the foundation. As its sole trustee, Saylor established the charity as an online educational platform. The website offers free, open courses at the college level.

Saylor Foundation began hiring faculty to create materials in 2009 and launched online courses in 2012. In the same year, Saylor Academy established partnerships with Excelsior College, allowing students that have taken free Saylor Academy courses to earn college credit, upon passing a proctored exam. The Saylor Foundation changed its name to Saylor Academy in March 2016. Saylor Academy held the Saylor Higher Education Summit in Washington, D.C. in June 2017. The summit is targeted towards those who work in higher education.

Courses
As of 2016, Saylor Academy offered more than 300 free online classes, available to anyone with internet access. Course materials and online texts are written and created by contracted professors and consultants using Open Educational Resources (OER). Faculty members also create video lectures and tests. All educational materials are reviewed in a three-member peer review process.

Upon the completion of free courses at Saylor Academy, students can take a proctored exam or submit a portfolio of coursework that allows them to enter some colleges with prior credit at a low cost. Through a partnership with Thomas Edison State University, students can transfer college credits at no cost, aside from a proctoring fee, which was $25, as of 2014. Following an invitation from the American Council on Education (ACE) Saylor Academy, among others, submitted online courses to be offered through the ACE's Alternative Credit Project Ecosystem, which helps students potentially earn alternative credits at colleges and universities across the United States. Saylor Academy collaborated with University of Memphis to allow students to finish their degrees through the FinishLine program.