The 2U concept was sold to 2U's employees as well as to the general public (including public speakers; i.e. Michelle Obama) on the premise that 2U was providing successful #outcomes by affording disadvantaged and disenfranchised humans with an opportunity for an education, of which could not have been realized without us for various reasons (rural communities for example).
That is not an untruth, generally speaking, we were providing an "education". As with any distance/remote education provider, we did so in places or situations wherein students didn't have access to education locally for various reasons.
What wasn't #tansparent was the hefty price tag/ financial burden placed on the student, coupled with shady admission tactics, and other questionable apects of the degree programs mentioned throughout this site (faux "faculty" applicant reviews, the forced narrative that 2U wasn't running the show, or even in existence, etc.).
Outwardly, nothing appeared to be anything less than altruistic. The devil is in the details, as they say. And unless you had knowledge of all of ALL of the working parts, there would be no reason to question 2U or its mission.
From the inside, company "culture" and leadership's ability to gloss over and rationalize all of the details kept us from scrutinizing mandated policies and procedures. I have posted here before - had I not been a victim of the antithesis of the no a**hole policy with my management team, I might still be hiding my identity and putting on the facade that I am employed by .
It is a complex scheme with a lot of moving parts. I think that is why, without knowing all of the in's and out's, one might be inclined to invest in/speak for/partner with 2U.