Degree Mills - Résumé & Application Fraud 2010 Career Industry Mega Trends

Transcription

1 Degree Mills - Résumé & Application Fraud 2010 Career Industry Mega Trends Dr. G. Jay Christensen, Management Professor Emeritus California State University, Northridge CDI s Expert Research Trends Division

2 Résumé & Application Fraud False Degrees What is Fraud? False Credentials False Activities /Education/Job Titles

3 More Legal Definitions of Fraud Misrepresentation of Qualifications on Employment Résumé Claiming legitimate degrees/credentials from Diploma Mills Using Résumé in State(s) That Have Strict Laws against Résumé Fraud

4 Triangle of Fraud: Résumé-Padding (Connell of AccuScreen)

5 Laws about Diploma Mills Only 12 states even have laws... With WI adopting Mentioning a diploma mill Misdemeanor (Washington State) Against charge of wrongful termination Misrepresentation of Employment Qualifications a Criminal Offense No laws for lying on a résumé Terminated for just cause

6 The 12 States with Heavily Enforced Diploma Mill Laws

7 States Where Diploma Mill Laws Poor/Poorly Enforced

8 Rights of Employers to Go After Employees Falsification of Qualifications Falsified information being material Process of contesting just-cause quite expensive Depending on state and Nature of Misrepresentation Employee Not Prevailing Lying on résumé may not be defensible reason for discharging.

9 Chris Crew s Signs to Help Employers 1. Dates on Degree are not in order-- from high school to graduate degrees. 2. Branded and Accredited Institutions are skimmed off using well-known names (e.g. York Univ. & Barrington Univ.).

10 Chris Crew s Signs continued 3. Spelling and grammatical mistakes are placed on degree certificates. 4. Degrees are earned in a very short time.

11 To Applicant: Send an Unambiguous Message to Prospective Employer Make no claim disproven by employer s and school s files Documents can provide clear evidence of fraud. The documents are sufficiently material to cause termination.

12 Résumé & Application Fraud New Terminology Morality Disengagement: Term Used by Wexler, 2006 E.g. An executive of a company hasn t gotten caught before in falsifying the résumé; so, the problem doesn t exist. It wasn t as if the books were cooked by the executive. No harm, no foul. Never mind, the person s credibility.

13 What is Moral Disengagement? The Executive Thinks: Hmm? My résumé doesn t matter that much. If I do an excellent job, I haven t done anything wrong. The job matters, not the résumé.

14 Morality Disengagement Examples Executives Not Worrying about Inadvertently Faking Résumé Portions Avoiding Personal Responsibility for Their Actions Rationalizing Their Excuses People Being Fired for Much More Heinous Acts.

15 New Terminology continued Tuning: E.g. A lesser form of fraud occurs with a job seeker puffing up job titles. Or... Responsibilities look more important than the person is.

16 Examples of Tuning Turn a phrase Swap Inserted Word Insert word or two Puff the language Inflate job title Create responsibilities

17 Definitions of Diploma/Degree Degree: title bestowed by reputable academic institution Diploma: piece of paper or certificate that shows a degree was awarded

18 Résumé & Application Fraud Selected companies don t always use the resources at their disposal to do background checks. Therefore, these groups perpetuate résumé fraud, reaching epidemic proportions. A whole industry is evolving from the need for background checks and searches to make sure job seekers are telling the truth. Education is no longer the least checked item on the résumé.

19 Professionals Who Cheated on Their Résumés Type of career also makes no difference making news in recent months: High-level CEOs Notable University Deans A recognized California Poet Laureate A Chef for the Food Network, Dinner Impossible Sports Writers Federal, State, and Local Officials

20 Résumé & Application Fraud: Degree Mills USA Today reported that in 2003, over 400 diploma mills and 300 counterfeit diploma Web sites exist. Distance Learning has also entered the picture, because legitimate colleges and universities are offering online degrees.

21 Ways to Identify Diploma Mills Diploma Mills change their names quickly. Most states lack oversight of this private higher education. No formal legal authority exists for school to issue degrees. Different countries laws affect degree compliance.

22 Top Five States with Diploma Mills

23 Phony Degrees, An International Scandal Alleged Pakistani Politicians and Judges Politicians World Wide, including Iranian interior minister in recent past 3. Accused Jeffrey Howard Archer, author and member of English Parliament

24 US and UK False Degrees from Consortium of Degree Mills 1. Lebanese parliamentarian and 14 Lebanese politicians 2. Nigerian politician and former governor High-ranking U.S. state officials, including three managers responsible for emergency operations at nuclear facilities

25 US and UK False Degrees continued 4. Greek politician and member of New Democracy Party in London 5. Deputy Chief Information Officer in Homeland Security for the U.S. (2003) 6. University of Dahka Degree for Singaporian, jailed for four months

26 The Pothole of Claiming Fake Degrees Upwards of over 100,000 fake diplomas are in use. George Gollin, physics professor & researcher on fake diplomas, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

27 Résumé & Application Fraud Strategies as career professionals exist that we can use to help our clients identify résumé and application fraud!

28 Strategies for Job Seekers & Career Professionals 1. First, look for whether the school is accredited by a reputable accrediting agency. 2. Check with licensing boards and professional associations about what the program delivers. 3. Go beyond classified advertisements to see if the right programs and courses are listed. 4. Check on whether distance learning degrees are actually legitimate institutions.

29 Strategies for Job Seekers & Career Professionals continued 5. Call or write the attorney general of the state in question or the Better Business Bureau. 6. Find out whether the school is connected to an established, reputable parent company. 7. Check about whether credits can be transferred.

30 Strategies for Job Seekers & Career Professionals continued 8. Check on numerous links whether the institution or college is legitimate. 9. Ask the candidate for proof of the school s existence with accreditation and proof of the degree. 10. Realize that just because it says edu after an educational institution does not mean it is legitimate. Diploma mills and illegitimate institutions use this designation with impunity.

31 Simple Survey Reveals the Fraud Issues An ivillage.com poll revealed that out of 120 surveyed people, 70% said they never lied on their résumé 21% said they lied about only minor details 9% said they would do it again

32 Conclusions & Recommendations Diploma mills are difficult to detect and continue to proliferate. Job seekers can spend upwards of $3,000 or more to obtain all types of degrees, including doctorates. Job seekers should be wary of sites that look like legitimate universities or colleges. Simply purchasing a degree without doing the coursework and counting one s experience should be a red flag that something is wrong.

33 Conclusions & Recommendations Career service professionals should warn applicants that paying little attention to the educational section of a résumé and faking degrees or putting down diploma mills may be found out. Many recruiters and prospective employers are sharp readers and may easily spot diploma mills. Individuals have already been indicted and more to come for promoting degree mills and faked diplomas. St. Regis University (Internet) in Washington state is a perfect example. Background checking will continue to increase.

34 Conclusions & Recommendations Recognize that distance learning is not all bad. Unaccredited institutions do not automatically mean diploma mills. Internet has contributed to perpetuating diploma mill fraud. Create public awareness of the seriousness of fake diplomas and mills.

35 Helpful Websites (University of IL) (Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education) (State of Oregon, Office of Degree Authorization)

36 Selected Bibliography

37 Selected Bibliography continued Slide 12: Wexler, Mark N. Successful Résumé Fraud: Conjectures on the Amorality in the Workplace. Journal of Human Values 2006: 12, , March 2006 Slide 14: Downing, William. Tips for Combating Résumé Fraud. On-line posting. Nehra.com 9, January Slides 18, 23, and 34: Contreras, Alan. A Return to the World of Diploma Mills. On-line posting. 24, July Live Discussions of The Chronicle of Higher Education. 24, July 2008 < Slides 23, 24, and 25: Phony Degrees: Pak Law Minister Not Alone. India Today 28 March 2010: April

38 Selected Bibliography continued Slide 26: Stein, Jeff. Degree Mills Offer Consumers a Variety of Fake College Diplomas. The Cornell Daily Sun 29, March 2010: April Note: Search for keywords, Diploma Mills Slides 9 and 10. Berger, J.D. White Paper: Application Fraud. 18, July 2010: , July 2010<

39 Contact Information Author: Dr. G. Jay Christensen, Management Professor Emeritus, CECC, CFRW California State University, Northridge Co-author of On-the-Job Communications for Business, Industry, the Professions and Government Web site: Career Directors International: Phone: Web site: Learn more about CDI s Mega Trend Reports at CDI s Expert Research Trends Division