AACRAO Boston, MA 3/1/07

Transcription

1 AACRAO Boston, MA 3/1/07

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7 TODAY S PROBLEMS CREDENTIAL SERVICES DEGREE MILLS ACADEMIC RECORDS STORAGE ENTITIES CREDENTIAL EVALUATION ENTITIES GRADUATE VERIFICATION ENTITIES ACCREDITATION MILLS COUNTERFEIT DEGREE & TRANSCRIPT COMPANIES

8 WE HAVE AS MANY FLAVORS OF ACCREDITATION MILLS AS

9 ACCREDITATION DEFINED: TO GIVE OFFICIAL AUTHORIZATION TO, OR APPROVAL OF; TO PROVIDE WITH CREDENTIALS; TO RECOGNIZE OR VOUCH FOR AS CONFORMING TO A STANDARD;

10 TO RECOGNIZE (AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION) AS MAINTAINING STANDARDS THAT QUALIFY THE GRADUATES FOR ADMISSION TO HIGHER, OR MORE SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE; TO CONSIDER OR RECOGNIZE AS OUTSTANDING

11 THE ACT OF GRANTING CREDIT OR RECOGNITION, ESPECIALLY TO AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT MAINTAINS SUITABLE STANDARDS.

12 BENEFITS OF LEGITIMATE ACCREDITATION ASSURES QUALITY OF INSTITUTION ASSISTS IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS ACCREDITATION MAKES THE DEGREES PORTABLE

13 ACCREDITATION MILL DEFINED: AN ORGANIZATION NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION,NOR BY THE COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION WHICH GRANTS ACCREDITATION WITHOUT REQUIRING THE PURPORTED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TO MEET GENERALLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS FOR SUCH ACCREDITATION.

14 IT EITHER RECEIVES FEES FROM ITS SO- CALLED ACCREDITED INSTITUTION ON THE BASIS OF FRAUDULENT MISREPRESENTATIONS, OR IT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THE PURPORTED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY RECEIVING SUCH ACCREDITATION (OR ITS GRADUATES ) TO PERPETRATE A FRAUD ON THE PUBLIC.

15 ACCREDITATION MILL ODDITIES SINCE IT HAS NO OFFICIAL RECOGNITION, IT CAN NOT IMPART WHAT IT DOES NOT HAVE ON OTHERS OFFERS FAST ACCREDITATION OFFERS PERMANENT OR LIFETIME ACCREDITATION HAS FEW,IF ANY,STANDARDS PUBLISHED FOR ITS ACCREDITATION

16 HAS NO RIGID STANDARDS RELATING TO ACADEMICS OR STAFF NO PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO MEASURE LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE OR ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES SOMETIMES ACCREDITS SCHOOLS WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE DOES NOT PERFORM ON SITE INSPECTIONS PRIOR TO GRANTING ACCREDITATION ONLY COMMUNICATES BY MAIL AND TELEPHONE

17 DOES NOT OPERATE AT ARMS LENGTH WITH THE INSTITUTIONS IT ACCREDITS FREQUENTLY MAKES FALSE STATEMENTS REGARDING ITS ADDRESS, OWNERSHIP, STAFF, LENGTH OF TIME IN BUSINESS, SCHOOLS IT ACCREDITS, ETC. SELLS ITS ACCREDITATION FOR A FLAT UP-FRONT FEE SOMETIMES USES ADDRESSES IN WASHINGTON,D.C.,TO IMPLY A GOVERNMENT AFFILIATION,OR NATIONAL IMAGE

18 MAY USE A NAME SIMILAR TO LEGITIMATE ENTITY (DETC VS.IDETC; COPA VS.COPRA, ETC.) MAY PRE-APPROVE A SCHOOL FOR ACCREDITATION - FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY MISLEADS OR DEFRAUDS GRADUATES OF INSTITUTIONS IT ACCREDITS THROUGH ALL THE ABOVE, MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR GRADUATES OF ITS ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS TO DEFRAUD THIRD PARTIES WHO RELY ON THESE DOCUMENTS AND PURPORTED ACCREDITATION.

19 ROLE PLAYED BY ACCREDITATION MILL ADDS APPEARANCE OF LEGITIMACY TO DEGREE MILL SUPPORTS THE CREDIBILITY OF THE SCHOOL VERIFIES ACCREDITATION TO POTENTIAL STUDENTS AND OTHER END USERS

20 HARM DONE BY ACCREDITATION MILL CONFUSES STUDENTS AND THOSE WHO RELY ON THIS ACCREDITATION DEVALUES LEGITIMATE ACCREDITED SCHOOLS DEVALUES LEGITIMATE ACCREDITATION DEFRAUDS STUDENTS AND END USERS

21 WHY DO WE HAVE ACCREDITATION MILLS? WHY GROCERY STORE COUPONS? (SO YOU WILL BUY THE PRODUCT-SAME HERE) AM S ARE STRICKLY A SALES TOOL USED TO SELL THE END PRODUCT (D s & T s) JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE DEGREE MILL SUPPORT NETWORK & TRICKERY OCCURS BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC S MISUNDERSTANDING OF ACCREDITATION IN GENERAL IN PARTICULAR, FOREIGN STUDENTS.

22 MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE ACCREDITATION IS GIVEN BY THE GOVERNMENT SINCE WE HAVE NO FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AS DO OTHER COUNTRIES THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE CONFUSION OVER ACCREDITATION THIS OVERALL LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING ACCREDITATION MAKES STUDENTS & PUBLIC VULNERABLE TO ACCREDITATION SCAMS

23 MANY PEOPLE HAVE READ WARNINGS ABOUT DEGREE MILLS, BUT FEW ABOUT ACCREDITATION MILLS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE GENERAL CONFUSION, IS THE PUBLIC S LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE 8 REGIONAL ENTITIES, SET UP GEOGRAPHICALLY TO ACCREDIT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THEIR REGIONS

24 COMPOUNDING THIS, NUMEROUS DEGREE MILLS EVEN EXPLOIT THIS CONFUSION, BY DISCUSSING ACCREDITATION, SOME SAY, ACCREDITATION IS VERY CONFUSING I CERTAINLY DO NOT THINK SO EITHER YOU HAVE IT, OR YOU DO NOT.

25 WEB SITES CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CONFUSTION BLENDING NAMES OF UNRECOGNIZED ACCREDITING ENTITIES, WITH THOSE OF LEGITIMATE ACCREDITING ENTITIES

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30 Previously Berne University

31 DMs & AMs are like chameleons-they blend in with their surroundings

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38 Is your school Listed as a Member?

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42 WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE: ASCAOR-JEFF BIEL,PHIL.,PA., JONATHAN RABINOWITZ,N.Y.C., YEHEZKEL ARMON,JERUSALEM COHL-ZEKE ARMON,JERUSALEM LA UNIV-BRAD CONINGHAM,MIAMI,FL., ZEKE ARMON, JERUSALEM (ARMON LINKS TO CHESHIRE U,LAMBERHURST U,STRASSFORD U,& THORNHILL U,ETAL.) NEW ENGLAND STATE UNIV. - UNKNOWN DOMAINS BY PROXY,SCOTTSDALE,AZ.

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44 THIS IS WHAT THE ACCREDITATION MILLS/ DEGREE MILLS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ACCREDITATION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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50 Mix recognized & unrecognized together

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56 Is your school one of their 100+ listed members?

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61 WHO ACCREDITS THE ACCREDITOR? THE ACCREDITATION SPECTRUM INCLUDES: FAKE SHAM UNRECOGNIZED NON-TRADITIONAL RECOGNIZED AND LEGITIMATE MANY ASK, WHO ACCREDITS THE ACCREDITOR?

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67 UNRECOGNIZED ACCREDITING ENTITIES SEE HANDOUT FOR NAMES OF 100+ ENTITIES

68 SOME OTHER UNRECOGNIZED ACCREDITING ENTITES AOAA ASSN. FOR ONLINE ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION BOUA-BOARD OF ONLINE UNIVERSITIES ACCREDITATION UCOEA-UNIVERSAL COUNCIL FOR ONLINE EDUCATION ACCREDITATION AAAOU-INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION FOR ONLINE UNIVERSITIES WOEAC-WORLD ONLINE EDUCATION ACCREDITING COMMISSION IOAA-INTERNATIONAL ONLINE ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION

69 ADLP-ASSOCIATION OF DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS (A DIVISION OF NAHE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF HIGHER EDUCATION) CDEA-COUNCIL FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION ACCREDITATION A BRIEF LOOK AT SOME VERBAGE ON THESE WEB SITES

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76 Mix real and unreal

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82 Again, mixing recognized & unrecognized entities

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91 Again, hiding phony with real accreditors

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102 DECEPTION BY DESIGN THE NAMES USED BY THE ACCREDITATION MILLS COUPLED WITH AN OFFICIAL ADDRESS CONNOTE A BROAD IMAGE OF LEGITIMACY ADD PICTURE OF GOV T. BUILDING, OR LIBRARY EQUALS A NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL IMAGE

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106 MOST INSIDIOUS OF ALL DMs & AMs ST. REGIS UNIVERSITY NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION, INC., (NBOE) 80 BROAD STREET, MONROVIA, LIBERIA NBOE IS RECOGNIZED BY THE EDUCATION MINISTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NBOE HAS THE FULL AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE ON LINE SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NBOE DESIGNED ITS OWN SEAL OF ACCREDITATION WHICH IT USED AS A BADGE OF HONOR ON VARIOUS WEB SITES SOLD ACCREDITATION FOR $50,000 ($20,000 RENEWAL)

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114 RECENT EVENTS SUIT BY REGIS UNIVERSITY UNDER COVER OPERATION GOLD SEAL SEARCH WARRANTS EXECUTED INDICTMENTS ISSUED BY FGJ POSITION TAKEN BY LIBERIAN GOV T ALL SCHOOLS, SRU,NBOE, ETC. CLOSED THREE ST. REGIS UNIVERSITY OFFICERS (PROVOST, CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER,WEB MASTER) PLEAD GUILTY OCTOBER, 2007 TRIAL - SPOKANE

115 WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT ACCREDITATION MILLS INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT ACCREDITATION MILLS EXPOSE EACH NEW MILL TO THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT NOTIFY AACRAO; CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, LOCAL EDUCATION REPORTER, INTERESTED INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (TV & PRINT)-THEY MAY WANT TO BUY A DEGREE, ETC. DEMAND SELLERS & USERS BE PROSECUTED SUPPORT H.R.773-DIPLOMA INTEGRITY PROTECTION ACT OF 2007 (FORMERLY H.R IN 2006)

116 CAUGHT USING FALSE CREDENTIALS