Article - Unaccredited Degree Info: PhonyDiploma.com

State of Alabama Private School Licensure Policy (October 2008): 720.01: Private School Licensure in Alabama

...IV. Minimum School Rules...

 

B. The Educational Program...

 

4. All privately licensed degree granting, post-secondary educational institutions must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), be a candidate for accreditation or in process of application for accreditation as determined and monitored by the Department. This requirement becomes effective beginning October 1, 2008 for any degree granting institutions applying for initial or renewal licensure. The Code of Alabama § 16-46-3 (1975) (a) (7) and (9) lists exemptions to this requirement as follows:

 

(7) Any private school conducting resident courses whose principal base of operation is within the State of Alabama which has been in continuous operation for 20 years or more as of April 29, 1980, and held accreditation as of that date by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

(9) Any proprietary postsecondary institution conducting resident courses that has been in operation within Alabama for at least five years as of July 1, 2004, and that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education shall be accorded the following provision: Upon proof of such accreditation, such schools shall be issued a license and representative permits after required fees are paid to the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education.

Any change of accreditation status must be reported to the Department within 30 calendar days of the change...

State of California: Proposed Assembly Bill 48, California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.

Article 2. Transition provisions

94809...
(b) An institution that did not have a valid approval to operate issued by, and did not have an application for approval to operate pending with, the former Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education on June 30, 2007, that began operations on or after July 1, 2007, may continue to operate, but shall comply with, and is subject to, this chapter, and shall submit an application for an approval to operate to the bureau pursuant to this chapter within six months of that application becoming available. ...

(d) An institution that is permitted to operate pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall not use the terms "approval," "approved," "approval to operate," or "approved to operate" without clearly stating that the institution's application for approval has not been reviewed by the bureau.

Article 3. Definitions

94813. "Accredited" means an institution is recognized or approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

94814. "Accrediting agency" is an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

94830. "Degree" means a recognized educational credential awarded by an institution that signifies satisfactory completion of the requirements of a postsecondary educational program at the associate's level or above.

94831. "Degree title" means the designated subject area of the educational program that appears on the face of the document awarded to a student.

94832. "Diploma" means a recognized educational credential, other than a degree, awarded by an institution that signifies satisfactory completion of the requirements of a postsecondary educational program below the associate's level. A diploma is also known as a certificate.

94869. "To operate" means to establish, keep, or maintain any facility or location in this state where or from which where, or from which, or through which, postsecondary educational programs are provided.

Article 4. Exemptions

94874...
(A) The instruction is limited to the principles of that church, religious denomination, or religious organization, or to courses offered pursuant to Section 2789 of Business and Professions Code.
(B) The diploma or degree is limited to evidence of completion of that education.
(2) An institution operating under this subdivision shall offer degrees and diplomas only in the beliefs and practices of the church, religious denomination, or religious organization.
(3) An institution operating under this subdivision shall not award degrees in any area of physical science.
(4) Any degree or diploma granted under this subdivision shall contain on its face, in the written description of the title of the degree being conferred, a reference to the theological or religious aspect of the degree's subject area.
(5) A degree awarded under this subdivision shall reflect the nature of the degree title, such as "associate of religious studies," "bachelor of religious studies," "master of divinity," or "doctor of divinity."

Article 5. Bureau Powers and Duties

94877. (a) The bureau shall adopt, on or before January 1, 2011, and shall enforce, regulations to implement this chapter pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(b) The bureau shall develop and implement an enforcement program, pursuant to Article 18 (commencing with Section 94932) to implement this chapter. The enforcement program shall include a plan for investigating complaints filed with the bureau.

(c) The bureau shall establish a program to proactively identify unlicensed institutions and take all appropriate legal action.

Article 6. Approval to Operate

94885. The bureau shall, by January 1, 2011, adopt by regulation minimum operating standards for an institution that shall reasonably ensure that all of the following occur:
(a) The content of each educational program can achieve its stated objective.
(b) The institution maintains specific written standards for student admissions for each educational program and those standards are related to the particular educational program.
(c) The facilities, instructional equipment, and materials are sufficient to enable students to achieve the educational program's goals.
(d) The institution maintains a withdrawal policy and provides refunds.
(e) The directors, administrators, and faculty are properly qualified.
(f) The institution is financially sound and capable of fulfilling its commitments to students.
(g) That, upon satisfactory completion of an educational program, the institution gives students a document signifying the degree or diploma awarded.
(h) Adequate records and standard transcripts are maintained and are available to students.
(i) The institution is maintained and operated in compliance with this chapter and all other applicable ordinances and laws.

Article 8. Fair Business Practices

94897. An institution shall not do any of the following:
...
(e) Advertise, or indicate in promotional material, that the institution is accredited, unless the institution has been accredited by an accrediting agency.
...
(i) Use a name in any manner improperly implying any of the following:
(1) The institution is affiliated with any government agency, public or private corporation, agency, or association if it is not, in fact, thus affiliated.
(2) The institution is a public institution.
(3) The institution grants degrees, if the institution does not grant degrees.
...
(l) Use the terms "approval," "approved," "approval to operate," or "approved to operate" without stating clearly and conspicuously that approval to operate means compliance with state standards as set forth in this chapter. If the bureau has granted an institution approval to operate, the institution may indicate that the institution is "licensed" or "licensed to operate," but may not state or imply either of the following:
(1) The institution or its educational programs are endorsed or recommended by the state or by the bureau.
(2) The approval to operate indicates that the institution exceeds minimum state standards as set forth in this chapter.

Article 9. Recordkeeping

94900.5...
(b) The names and addresses of the members of the institution's faculty and records of the educational qualifications of each member of the faculty.

Article 18. Compliance, Enforcement, Process, and Penalties

94932.5. As part of its compliance program, the bureau shall perform announced and unannounced inspections of institutions.

94934. (a) As part of the compliance program, an institution shall submit an annual report to the bureau, under penalty of perjury, by July 1 of each year, or another date designated by the bureau, and it shall include the following information for educational programs offered in the reporting period:
(1) The total number of students enrolled by level of degree or for a diploma.
(2) The number of degrees, by level, and diplomas awarded.
(3) The degree levels and diplomas offered...

94936. (a) As a consequence of an investigation, and upon a finding that the institution has committed a violation of this chapter or that the institution has failed to comply with a notice to comply pursuant to Section 94935, the bureau shall issue a citation to an institution for violation of this chapter, or regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(b) The citation may contain either or both of the following:
(1) An order of abatement that may require an institution to demonstrate how future compliance with this chapter or regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter will be accomplished.
(2) Notwithstanding Section 125.9 of the Business and Professions Code, an administrative fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation...

94943. The following violations of this chapter are public offenses:
(a) Knowingly operating a private postsecondary institution without an approval to operate is an infraction subject to the procedures described in Sections 19.6 and 19.7 of the Penal Code.
(b) Knowingly providing false information to the bureau on an application for an approval to operate is an infraction subject to the procedures described in Sections 19.6 and 19.7 of the Penal Code.

94944. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the bureau shall cite any person, and that person shall be subject to a fine not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), for operating an institution without proper approval to operate issued by the bureau pursuant to this chapter.

"Infraction" is a class of violation not punishable by incarceration under the California Penal Code. (The other categories listed in the CPC are felonies and misdemeanors.)

Here are sections 19.6 and 19.7:

19.6. An infraction is not punishable by imprisonment. A person charged with an infraction shall not be entitled to a trial by jury. A person charged with an infraction shall not be entitled to have the public defender or other counsel appointed at public expense to represent him or her unless he or she is arrested and not released on his or her written promise to appear, his or her own recognizance, or a deposit of bail.

19.7. Except as otherwise provided by law, all provisions of law relating to misdemeanors shall apply to infractions including, but not limited to, powers of peace officers, jurisdiction of courts, periods for commencing action and for bringing a case to trial and burden of proof.

State of Idaho Statutes: Title 33-- Education, Chapter 24-- Proprietary Schools

33-2402. REGISTRATION OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
(1) Unless exempted as provided herein, each postsecondary educational institution which maintains a presence within the state of Idaho, or which operates or purports to operate from a location within the state of Idaho, shall register annually with and hold a valid certificate of registration issued by the board...
(3) The board may deny the registration of a postsecondary educational institution that does not meet accreditation requirements or other standards and criteria established in rule by the board...

33-2405. PURCHASE STATEMENT.
At the time of depositing any moneys to purchase the product of any proprietary school, the proprietary school shall require the student to execute the following statement on an appropriate form which shall be maintained on record by the proprietary school in the individual student's file:

"I understand that (Name of proprietary school) is registered with the State Board of Education in accordance with Section 33-2403, Idaho Code. I also understand that the State Board of Education has not accredited or endorsed any course of study being offered by (Name of proprietary school), and that these courses will not be accepted for transfer into any Idaho public postsecondary institution."

33-2409. ENFORCEMENT.
Any violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be referred to the attorney general by the board for appropriate action including, but not limited to, injunctive relief.

State of Maine Department of Education: Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills

The web site includes a list of unaccredited degree granting entities and a link to Maine's legal code "False Academic Degrees or Certificates." Maine's law includes definitions of the terms "diploma mill" and "accreditation mill."

State of Michigan list: Non-accredited colleges and universities

State of Mississippi list: NON-APPROVED ENTITIES

State of Nevada statutes: CHAPTER 394 - PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ESTABLISHMENTS, RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF TERMS AND GRANTING DEGREES (NRS 394.620 - NRS 394.670) and USE OF FALSE OR MISLEADING DEGREES (NRS 394.700s)

State of New Jersey Commission on Higher Education Statutes & Regulations Regarding Academic Degrees

N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.1. Deceptive diploma practices
A person shall not with the intent to deceive buy, sell, make or alter, give, issue, obtain or attempt to obtain any diploma or other document purporting to confer any academic degree, or which certifies the completion in whole or in part of any course of study in any institution of higher education.

    L. 1986, c. 87, s. 1, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.

N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.2. Use of fraudulent degree
A person or other legal entity shall not use, or attempt to use, in connection with any business, trade, profession or occupation any academic degree or certification of degree or degree credit, including but not limited to a transcript of course work, which has been fraudulently issued, obtained, forged or altered. A person shall not, with intent to deceive, falsely represent himself as having received any such degree or credential.

    L. 1986, c. 87, s. 2, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.

N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.3. Letter designation restricted
A person shall not append to his name any letters in the same form designated by the Commission on Higher Education as entitled to the protection accorded to an academic degree unless the person has received from a duly authorized institution of higher education the degree or certificate for which the letters are registered. For the purposes of this section, a duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.

    L.1986,c.87,s.3; amended 1994,c.48,s.36.

N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.5. Civil penalty
Any person who violates any provision of this act is liable to a civil penalty of $1,000.00 for each offense, which shall be collected pursuant to the provisions of "the penalty enforcement law," N.J.S. 2A:58-1 et seq.

    L. 1986, c. 87, s. 5, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.

 

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Licensure Rules - Subchapter 8
Fraudulent Academic Degrees

N.J.A.C. 9A:1-8.1 Protected degree designations for earned degrees
(a) No person shall use or append to his or her name any academic degree designation, letters, derivatives thereof, or other designations as evidence of having earned an academic degree unless a duly authorized institution of higher education as defined in Section 3 of P.L.1986, c.87 (N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.3) conferred the degree.

 

1. In states without a licensing requirement for institutions of higher education, a duly authorized institution of higher education is one that is regionally accredited or accredited by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or one that is seeking such accreditation.

    

2. Regarding institutions located outside of the U.S. or its possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education is one that is recognized by the appropriate body in the particular country provided that the institution's requirements for awarding degrees are generally equivalent to those accepted in the U.S. by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

State of Oregon Office of Degree Authorization: An Employer's Guide to College Degrees

"This guide has been developed to provide basic information to Oregon employers regarding the nature of college degrees. It covers Oregon law regarding the use of degrees, how to accurately describe degree needs when advertising for a position, how to evaluate a job applicant's claim of a degree, the growing problem of diploma mill degrees, and related issues..."

Information posted by Oregon from NACES members concerning "Berne University" (since renamed "Bernelli University")

Information about some degree-granting institutions not accredited by CHEA-recognized organizations

State of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:

• Fraudulent or Substandard Institutions with a Texas Connection:
  

  All institutions on this list have had some physical presence in Texas or have been affiliated in some way with an institution located in Texas...

  The Texas Penal Code (Section 35.52) prohibits the use of fraudulent or substandard degrees "in a written or oral advertisement or other promotion of a business; or with the intent to: obtain employment; obtain a license or certificate to practice a trade, profession, or occupation; obtain a promotion, a compensation or other benefit, or an increase in compensation or other benefit, in employment or in the practice of a trade, profession, or occupation; obtain admission to an educational program in this state; or gain a position in government with authority over another person, regardless of whether the actor receives compensation for the position." Violation of this law is a Class B misdemeanor.

   

• Frequently Asked Questions about diploma mills, fraudulent degrees, and accreditation. Among other things:
  

  Accreditation is "voluntary," so doesn't that mean it is optional and not necessary?

  Accreditation is voluntary in that the process of accreditation requires the full cooperation with and complete participation in the process of accreditation by the college or university seeking accreditation. At the heart of the accreditation process is a self-study prepared by the college or university demonstrating its commitment to the standards of accreditation.

  Since accreditation is the primary means of determining the legitimacy and quality of colleges and universities in the United States, to describe the process as "voluntary" is not to describe it as "optional" or "unnecessary."

State of Virginia code: Virginia Chapter 21.1 - Regulation of Certain Private and Out-of-State Institutions of Higher Education

State of Wisconsin Senate Bill 431 banning fraudulent degrees

Toward Effective Practice: Discouraging Degree Mills in Higher Education

Database of Institutions Accredited By Recognized United States Accrediting Organizations

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCREDITATION, DEGREE MILLS AND ACCREDITATION MILLS

Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions

Postsecondary Educational Institutions and Programs Accredited by Accrediting Agencies and State Approval Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education

Avoid Fake-Degree Burns By Researching Academic Credentials

Diploma Mills: Degrees of Deception

UNESCO Portal on Higher Education Institutions.

UNESCO Higher Education; Quality Assurance and Recognition; Tools for students. (also available in French.)

ENIC - NARIC (European National Information Centres - National Academic Recognition Information Centres) site

U.K. Department for Education and Skills

U.K. Home Affairs Committee - Eleventh Report: Bogus colleges

Avoiding bogus degrees, from Direct.Gov.UK

U.K. General Medical Council information about U.K. medical schools

Australian Government Warning to potential investors concerning 'Hutt River Province'

The Australian Government does not legally or otherwise recognise the so-called 'Hutt River Province'.

The Tax Office has identified a situation where non-residents of Australia have been offered the chance to purchase international business companies and other entities purportedly incorporated or registered in the 'Hutt River Province'.

We are concerned that the companies and other entities may be sold as part of a tax avoidance or evasion arrangement.

People should avoid any arrangements involving 'Hutt River Province' international business companies and any other entities as well as any associated international dealings because they have no legal basis and could be illegal.

French government higher education information (in French)

• Links to various lists
• the list of recognized universities
• "Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience" (VAE: academic credit for life experience)

  My reading of the VAE material makes me think that only a school that appears on the French government's list of universities is legally empowered to issue French VAE-obtained degrees. This was confirmed by two of my colleagues who are directors of French university units in Marseille. If this is the case, then an unaccredited degree-granting entity that is run from the United States, and that does not appear on the French list, cannot properly award French diplomas through VAE.

Nigerian national Universities Commission

NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

The National Universities Commission (NUC) wishes to announce to the general public, especially parents and prospective undergraduates that the under-listed "Universities" have not been licensed by the Federal Government and are, therefore, operating illegally in violation of Education (National Minimum Standards etc) Act CAP E3 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The "Universities" are:

1) National University of Nigeria, Keffi, Nassarawa State or any of its other campuses
2) North Central University, Otukpo, Benue State or any of its other campuses
3) Christians of Charity American University of Sci. & Tech, Nkpor, Anambra State or any of its other campuses
4) Leadway University, Ughelli, Delta State or any of its other campuses
5) Saint Clements University, along Ado-Ekiti, Iyin, Ekiti State or any of its other campuses
6) Christ Alive Christian Seminary and University, Enugu or any of its other campuses
7) Atlantic Intercontinental University, Okija, Anambra State or any of its other campuses
8) Metro University, Dutse/Bwari, Abuja or any of its other campuses
9) Southend University, Ngwuro Egeru (Afam) Ndoki, Rivers State or any of its other campuses
10) University of Industry, Yaba, Lagos or any of its other campuses
11) University of Applied Sciences & Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin or any of its other campuses in Nigeria
12) Rev. D. O. Ockiya College of Theology and Management Sciences, Emeyal II Ogbia, Bayelsa. (The Degree awarding part of their programmes) or any of its other campuses
13) Blacksmith University, Awka or any of its other campuses
14) Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana or any of its other campuses in Nigeria
15) Royal University Izhia, P.O. Box 800, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State or any of its other campuses
16) Houdegbe North American University or any of its other campuses in Nigeria
17) Atlanta University, Ayingba, Kogi State or any of its other campuses
18) Sunday Adokpela University, Otada Adoka, Otukpo, Benue State or any of its other campuses
19) United Christian University, Macotis Campus, Imo State or any of its other campuses
20) United Nigeria University College, Okija, Anambra State or any of its other campuses. 21) Richmond Open University, Arochukwu, Anambra State or any of its other campuses
22) Samuel Ahmadu University, Makurdi, Benue State or any of its other campuses
23) UNESCO University, Ndoni, Rivers State or any of its other campuses
24) Strategic Business School, Lagos or any of its other campuses
25) Saint Augustines University of Technology, Jos, Plateau State or any of its other campuses
26) Open International University, Akure or any of its other campuses
27) Lobi Business School, Makurdi, Benue State or any of its other campuses
28) The International University, Missouri, USA operating anywhere in Nigeria
29) Collumbus University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
30) Tiu International University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
31) Pebbles University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
32) Aston University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
33) London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions, does so at his or her own risk. Certificates obtained from these sources will not be recognized for the purposes of NYSC, employment, and further studies. The relevant Law enforcement agencies have also been informed for their further necessary action.

Gov. Sam Brownback accepted the resignation Tuesday of the executive branch's new chief information technology officer following disclosure the $150,000-a-year appointee's college degree was acquired from a diploma mill.

Jim Mann, 58, submitted a brief letter of resignation to Brownback — hours after the governor defended him in the wake of inquiries regarding Mann's possession of a business administration degree from the University of Devonshire.

The University of Devonshire isn’t accredited by leading higher education agencies in the United States and United Kingdom. The school is affiliated with an umbrella company regarded as one of the leading marketers in off-the-shelf college diplomas.

"The questions surrounding my qualifications to perform and deliver in this position have compromised confidence in me and in my integrity," Mann's letter said. "As such, I am no longer an asset to your team and your IT mission."

Brownback led a news conference Monday announcing the hiring of Mann to lead an aggressive centralization of technology systems in the state government's executive branch. The Republican governor expressed confidence Mann had the background and skills to reduce costs and improve performance of the network relied upon by state agencies.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Monday afternoon the University of Devonshire was part of a consortium of schools in the University Degree Program, a company viewed as one of the most prolific diploma-production enterprises.

The University of Devonshire isn’t accredited by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation in the United States or the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the United Kingdom.

On Tuesday morning after a Statehouse news conference, Brownback reinforced his confidence in Mann's capacity to reform the state's information technology network. He said he selected Mann based on a thorough review of his record with former employers.

The hiring had nothing to do with Mann's acquisition in 1995 of a business degree through a distance-learning program, Brownback said. The governor wasn't aware until after announcing his hiring the unaccredited institution was a featured actor in the diploma-mill industry.

Brownback said the governor's staff didn't spend much time examining Mann's scholarly record. His resume listed studies at the University of Maryland and the University of Devonshire.

"The education was not a factor in his hiring," Brownback said.

Under questioning, the governor said Mann should be judged by his performance as a state government leader in Topeka.

Brownback joked that he wished Mann possessed a degree from Kansas State University, where the governor graduated before completing law school at The University of Kansas.

Mann submitted his resignation Tuesday afternoon, and Brownback accepted it. The search for a new state chief information technology officer was immediately reopened, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

"Please accept my sincerest apology," Mann said in the resignation letter. "I wish you and all Kansans nothing but the best as you strive to bring excellence to Kansas' information technology systems."

Mann, of St. Augustine, Fla., started work Oct. 31 in the $150,000-a-year job overseeing computer projects and systems for the executive branch. All state agencies, except the Kansas Board of Regents, were directed by Brownback to report to Mann.

Mann most recently worked at Service Brands International in 2010, but he resigned after less than one year in that job amid a philosophical dispute with colleagues at the company.

Before the resignation was submitted, Brownback said he understood many people in the information technology sector performed at a high level without earning a college degree. The governor, a Kansas agriculture secretary from 1986 to 1993, said his technology specialist at that agency did a fine job without a diploma.

"My IT guy was a former meat cutter," the governor said.

Dozens of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided offices at the University of Northern Virginia's Annandale campus Thursday.

The University of Northern Virginia is an unaccredited, for-profit private university that calls itself the most popular American university for students from India. Thousands of students are registered at three locations in northern Virginia.

Agents have removed boxes of documents from a building on Little River Turnpike where the university leases two suites.

The university temporarily can't accept any foreign students, reads a notice posted on the door of the offices. UNVA students must leave the country immediately if they are unable “to continue to attend classes and maintain their active status in a manner required by federal government regulations,” the notice reads.

“Today, officials from ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) served University of Northern Virginia officials with a Notice of Intent to Withdraw (NOIW) UNVA’s authorization to admit foreign students,” read a statement released by ICE spokeswoman Cori W. Bassett.

The school was told it can no longer participate in that program, but no specific reason was disclosed.

No charges have been filed nor people arrested but the school is being investigated to see whether it conforms to federal regulations for the administration of student visas. Those regulations were tightened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The school is not closed, and students can attend class.

Foreign-born students at the campus Thursday said they have attended classes in the building and earned degrees from the school. One said the school helps students get their student visas.

If the investigation discovers the school improperly handled student visas, the school could face severe penalties.

Trinity University is suing an entity that offers online degrees, accusing it of trademark infringement.

The San Antonio liberal arts and sciences university seeks a federal court order barring Trinity Learning Foundation from using “Trinity University” on its website or using that name to promote its programs.

The suit was filed Thursday in San Antonio

Trinity Learning Foundation, headquartered in Delaware, did not respond to requests for comment.

“Because they are using our name, we feel it's an infringement of our registered trademark and can lead to trademark dilution,” said Mary Denny, associate director of communications for Trinity University. “We're very proud of our reputation.”

Trinity Learning Foundation's website says it offers graduate information technology degrees, a master's in business administration and bachelor's degrees in nursing and health management, among others.

But some of those degrees are offered under “Trinity University” on the foundation's website, including degrees the San Antonio institution doesn't offer. It's “a complete infringement and could be damaging to our reputation,” Denny said.

This isn't the first time Trinity University has battled over its name. In 2007, it settled a trademark lawsuit with Trinity College in Washington over that entity's attempt to change its name to Trinity University.

Additionally, Trinity University reached a settlement in 2004 with a diploma mill then known as Trinity College & University.

That deal ended a lawsuit in which the university said Trinity College & University — registered in the British Virgin Islands but with purported offices in Louisiana — infringed on the Trinity University trademark.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The private school principal accused of inappropriately touching young girls has decades of education experience, but some colleges and a state commission said Wednesday their records don't match the credentials he has claimed.

Robert Adams is principal of Creative Frontiers School, which was closed by police and state regulators Monday amid allegations that he inappropriately touched female students over a 15-year period. He has not been arrested or charged and held a news conference Wednesday to declare his innocence.

On a resume filed as part of a 1999 bankruptcy case, Adams stated he had earned a master's degree and received state education credentials at several California universities. But officials at those schools and the state credentialing body said Wednesday their records do not match the claims.

Adams' attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. A telephone number associated with the address for Adams' home in Folsom, another Sacramento suburb, was disconnected.

Adams and his wife, Saundra, filed a petition in December 1998 for protection from creditors while they reorganized their finances under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing said the school in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights was damaged by "catastrophic floods" in 1995, and the school was sued for wrongful termination the same year.

Slow repairs and heavy legal expenses hurt the school's finances and enrollment, the couple said in documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Sacramento.

As part of the case, Robert Adams filed a resume as evidence of his experience as an educator. The document said he graduated from California State University, Northridge with two bachelor's degrees and a California teaching credential.

CSU Northridge spokeswoman Carmen Ramos Chandler confirmed Wednesday that Adams received a bachelor's degree in child development in 1972 and another in psychology in 1975. But she said the school had no record of a teaching credential issued to him.

Databases at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing show no record of any educator credential—for teaching or administration—issued to Adams, spokeswoman Erin Sullivan said. Such a credential is not required to teach in a private school in California.

The resume also stated that Adams attended graduate school and obtained a California administrative credential in early childhood education from the University of California, Los Angeles. It said he completed a master's degree from Pacific Oaks Teachers' College in Pasadena, in "coordination" with UCLA and the now-defunct University of Beverly Hills.

UCLA spokeswoman Claudia Luther said the school could find no record that he had attended, although she said the records are not perfect. Helen Williams, a spokeswoman at the UCLA Extension program, also said there was no match in its records to any student with Adams' name and age.

A representative of Pacific Oaks College, Matt Nehmer, said its registrar's records show that a Robert B. Adams attended the school in 1980, but not that he had graduated.

News reports from the 1990s described the University of Beverly Hills as a nontraditional school that awarded degrees based on life experience, lacked accreditation for at least part of the time it operated and was described as a "diploma mill" by some critics. The school closed in 1986.

SCHENECTADY -- Less than 24 hours after being sworn in as new police recruit, John Laviano was fired Tuesday because the online college where he apparently received credit for life experiences is not accredited.

"It caught everyone by surprise," Police Chief Mark Chaires said Tuesday when asked about the embarrassing episode, which apparently came to light after a local media outlet raised questions about Ashwood University, the college where Laviano majored in criminal justice after graduating in 2010 from Guilderland High School.

"This was just an honest mistake," Chaires said.

Chaires emphasized that Laviano, 22, who also served in the Army in Afghanistan, was not trying to circumvent the system and never attempted to "mislead" city and police officials.

He was one of five recruits to take the oath of office during a City Hall swearing-in ceremony that was to start a six-month stint at the police academy Wednesday. Laviano could not immediately reached for comment.

Chaires said the department relies on the "generally very thorough" county civil service commission to do background checks to make sure the college prospective recruits attended is accredited, a prerequisite for taking the civil service exam.

In fact, the chief stressed that civil service has in the past prevented potential recruits from taking the test because the school they attended did not meet the prescribed standards.

"We operated under the assumption that he had been certified by civil service," Chaires said.

The department's own more rigorous background search also failed to flag the school.

"We'll learn from this and move on," said Chaires, noting that in the future they will double-check a prospective recruit's schooling.

In most cases, there is hardly ever a question of whether area two- or four-year schools, such as Siena College or Schenectady County Community College have the proper credentials.

There is conflicting information online about whether Ashwood is a so-called diploma mill.

One website seeks to dispel that notion and even offers testimonials to back up that contention.

Under the heading "An introduction to Ashwood University," the website, www.ashwooduniversityscam.com, states the school "provides students with authentic and accredited degrees on the basis of life and/or work experience," offers internationally recognized and widely accepted degrees and diplomas, and provides lifetime credential verification service to students.

Specifically, the web site states it is accredited from World Online Degrees Education Accrediting Commission and the Board of Online Universities Accreditation.

Still, others warn would-be students to stay away because the school is a "scam."

SCHENECTADY - Police Chief Mark Chaires admitted Wednesday that mistakes were made when hiring recruit John Laviano.

"This is just something that fell through the cracks," Chaires told NewsChannel 13.

Laviano, a 22-year-old decorated Army veteran who has seen combat in Afghanistan, was sworn in Monday with four other recruits. But when questions were raised about his online college degree from Ashwoord University, Laviano was fired two days later.

"I think what happened is just that this university is somebody that carries it to an unethical and dishonest and illegal extremes," said Chaires, suggesting that the university is a diploma mill.

The website for Ashwood University advertises the chance to get accredited life experience for your online degree, and that for $725, a student can even earn a degree in 15 days.

"Just because they say they're accredited, doesn't mean they are officially accredited," said William Stewart, a vice president with Excelsior College, a distance learning institution based in the Capital Region. He said students should do their homework before getting an online degree to make sure its programs and the accrediting body are officially recognized.

"Most employers will say you need a degree from an accredited institution so if it's not, you may run into a situation like this gentleman did," Stewart said.

"John Laviano is a really good kid he didn't try to misrepresent anything it was a honest mistake, its not police corruption," Chaires said.

The Police Chief said the former recruit showed a lot of promise, and that if he someday gets a legitimate degree, the department will consider hiring him again.

NewsChannel 13 was not able to reach Laviano for comment Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Schenectady County said because of the degree problem, Laviano should also not have been allowed to take the Civil Service exam, and they are looking at the process to see what happened.

You can check out your university at these links:

CHEA: http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp
U.S. Department of Education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

An elite team of computer technicians assembled by the Obama administration to protect Pentagon networks from cyberattack shockingly includes a former Clinton official who "lost" thousands of archived emails under subpoena and who more recently left the Department of Homeland Security under an ethical cloud related to her qualifications, WND has learned.

The administration in May quietly hired Laura Callahan for a sensitive post at the U.S. Cyber Command, a newly created agency set up to harden military networks as part of an effort to prevent a "cyberspace version of Pearl Harbor."

The move raises doubts about the administration's vetting process for sensitive security positions. In 2004, Callahan was forced to resign from Homeland Security after a congressional investigation revealed she committed résumé fraud and lied about her computer credentials.

Investigators found that Callahan paid a diploma mill thousands of dollars for her bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in computer science. She back-dated the degrees, all obtained between 2000 and 2001, to appear as if she earned them in 1993, 1995 and 2000, respectively. She landed the job of deputy DHS chief information officer in 2003...

Previously, as a White House computer supervisor, Callahan threatened computer workers to keep quiet about an embarrassing server glitch that led to the loss of thousands of archived emails covered by federal subpoenas pertaining to multiple Clinton scandals.

Former co-workers say they're shocked that Callahan passed a security background check and landed another sensitive post inside the federal government.

"She's a security risk," said a government computer specialist. "I don't know how she got clearance."

"We're fuming about it," said another federal employee. "Knowing her, I don't see how she could ever be 100-percent honest."

A CyberCom spokesman said Callahan could not be interviewed and did not want her "name in public." Asked for Callahan's title, he claimed such information was "personal."

CyberCom, which began operations last year, is part of the U.S. Strategic Command located in Fort Meade, Md.

The Defense Department last week revealed it recently suffered a massive cyberattack, even as it announced a new strategy to actively combat online threats to national security.

Laura Crabtree Callahan testifying before the House Government Reform Committee in the Project X White House e-mail scandal investigation.

In March, hackers working for a foreign government broke into a Pentagon contractor's computer system and stole 24,000 files. Previous cyberattacks have been blamed on China or Russia.

A new Pentagon study stresses the need to fortify network firewalls against enemy hackers. Callahan will be part of that effort at CyberCom, which will lead day-to-day defense and protection of all Defense Department networks.

"She's a dubious hire, to put it charitably," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a government watchdog in Washington that sued the Clinton White House to retrieve missing emails.

As WND first reported, several Northrop Grumman contractors working on the White House computer system testified in early 2000 that Callahan (née Laura Crabtree) threatened to jail them if they talked about the "Project X" email scandal even to their spouses.

One technician, Robert Haas, said she warned him "there will be a jail cell with your name on it" if he breathed a word about the glitch to anybody outside their office.

Chip Sparks, a White House programmer, recounted a run-in he had with Callahan in 1997. After questioning a technical decision she made, he said she wrote him a threatening note.

"Please be advised I will not tolerate any further derogatory comments from you about my knowledge, qualifications and/or professional competence," Callahan blasted Sparks in a March 3, 1997, e-mail, a copy of which was obtained by WND.

Callahan had to do some quick backpedaling after her House testimony. The day after she testified, she sent an affidavit to the House Government Reform Committee, stating: "I wish to clarify that I did discuss e-mail issues with the Department of Justice attorneys in connection with currently pending civil litigation," referring to a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch. She had denied such contacts at the hearing.

Callahan left the White House under an ethical cloud, only to land a top position elsewhere in the Clinton administration. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman made her deputy chief information officer at her agency, and director of its information technology center.

While there, she oversaw the development of the Privacy Assessment Model, which agencies were to use to better protect sensitive personal data managed by the government.

"It's hard for me, having worked with this individual, to believe that she was able to come in there, do what she did, leave the things in the condition that she left them in and then fly right into an SES (senior executive service) position at the Labor Department," Sparks said.

"I mean, there's political favors there," he added. "It's writ large."

House Government Reform Committee investigators at the time said Labor knew Callahan got her degree from a diploma mill, yet still employed her. They found that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management tipped Labor off to her questionable credentials.

"We have requested the Homeland Security IG to look at why flags that had been raised about her educational qualifications in her personnel file at the Labor Department were not taken further," said House Government Reform Committee spokesman Dave Marin at the time.

He told WND that the government certainly cannot risk hiring someone with "fraudulent credentials" to head a senior position in an area as "sensitive as homeland security" computer operations and communications.

Calls to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management seeking comment about Callahan's latest hiring were not returned.

Dave Serrano hasn't shied away from addressing the scrutiny of his academic credentials in the past, and he certainly wasn't planning to when he interviewed to become Tennessee's new baseball coach last month.

He said he had nothing to hide, and the members of UT's search committee felt the same way.

"I understand when you're working with higher education that it's going to be an issue," said Serrano, speaking with the News Sentinel during last week's baseball media opportunity at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. "I never tried to mask anything or hide anything."

As an assistant at Cal State Fullerton in 2003, Serrano obtained a bachelor's degree from The Trinity College and University. Classified by many as a "diploma mill," the institution is not accredited and will award the degrees for "life experience." According to its website, the The Trinity College and University is registered in Dover, Del., and based out of Spain.

Following a 2007 season in which he was named Baseball America's Coach of the Year for taking UC Irvine to the College World Series, Serrano emerged as a front-runner for the coaching vacancy at Oregon. Shortly after Serrano interviewed, a Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard story raised questions about the validity of his degree.

After Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny told the newspaper he was "reviewing" Serrano's degree, Serrano, who also interviewed at UT during that time, withdrew his name from consideration and ultimately landed at Fullerton.

Serrano, who spent two years at Cerritos College and one at Fullerton as a player, said he was urged by his "superiors" at Fullerton to finish the work toward his degree. The Trinity College and University was "the way they felt he could do it."

"Obviously, sometimes you make choices in life and there's scrutiny out there," Serrano said. "I would prefer to be judged by the people and the players over all my years of my coaching career, what I've done for people as a coach and a mentor and how I've led them in life and being successful.

"People could judge my education, but I know when it comes to coaching and leading young men, I feel like I have a doctorate in that area."

Shortly after former coach Todd Raleigh was relieved of his duties in May, UT, on its online job board, requested that its new baseball coach possessed a bachelor's degree, but it did not require one. That caveat in the job description was atypical of the school's previous and present requirements for its coaching positions.

Currently, UT is looking to hire three assistant coaches - two for men's track and field and one for volleyball. All three positions require a bachelor's degree and prefer a Master's, according to the job descriptions on UT's official website.

UT women's athletic director Joan Cronan, who, as interim vice chancellor of athletics, spearheaded the baseball coaching search after Mike Hamilton's resignation, said she wasn't involved in the hiring process when the job post was drafted.

"We did our due diligence and looked at (academic progress rates) and grade-point averages," Cronan said. "His history in there was as high as any of the coaches we looked at. The importance of graduating his players was very important.

"I thought he was the best total package for Tennessee."

In Serrano's final two years at Cal State Fullerton, his teams notched back-to-back APR scores of 939, 14 above the benchmark set by the NCAA. Only once, his first year at Fullerton, did a Serrano-coached team score below 925.

"I want the proof to be in the pudding with how many kids are graduated from this university and what we're doing with these kids and what they do when they get out of here," Serrano said. "And I don't just mean Major League Baseball."

Inheriting a program that was hit with APR-related sanctions during Raleigh's tenure, Serrano doesn't exactly have much room for error when it pertains to academics. With a hire that she considers to be a "home run" at the helm, Cronan said the program is in good hands with Serrano, no matter how he acquired his degree.

"Anybody who knows Joan Cronan knows that I firmly believe that they're students first and athletes second," Cronan said. "It was important that we hire somebody that academics was important to them. At the end of the day, I felt that academics were very important to Dave Serrano."

It investigated three of the university's link-ups with foreign colleges which shed light on the shortcomings of a system in which academic staff from Wales travel across the globe to vet, validate and moderate overseas links.

In response, a University of Wales spokesman said the institution was making "many transitional and transformative measures".

"In order to continue to safeguard standards and the student experience the University of Wales will, in partnership with its proposed merger institutions, develop a new international strategy which is embedded within Wales," he said.

QAA has, in line with its policy, published a statement on its findings and recommendations on its website.

Here are excerpts from the report:

Accademia Italiana, Bangkok

Reason for investigation: BBC Wales alleged the college was operating illegally, according to Thai authorities.

"The concerns team wished to investigate whether any advice had been taken on legal or financial matters, since the University had provided no papers that indicated that such investigations had taken place.

"However, when the concerns team met with the vetter in a group of Validation Unit staff, he had no memory of having made a visit to Accademia Italiana in Bangkok."

"There was no investigation of the legal status of Accademia Italiana in Bangkok at any time."

"From later correspondence with the university, it has been confirmed that the university relied on assurances from Accademia Italiana in Bangkok that they had 'verbal confirmation' of the approval of the Thai authorities, but not 'approval in writing'.

"The concerns team concluded that the university's vetting of its partner in Thailand was inadequate... The 'validations' carried out were flawed".

"In the matter of approval by the Thai authorities, it appears that the University satisfied itself with oral assurances by Accademia Italiana that approval to operate from the Thai government had been secured, with no primary written evidence from the Thai authorities themselves."

Fazley International College, Malaysia

Reason for investigation: BBC Wales alleged it was being run by a pop star with two bogus degrees.

"No appraisal of the college's accounts", "no financial advice was sought", "no legal advice was sought on the capacity of the partner to contract".

"There is no particular reason to believe in this case had such investigations been carried out, they would have discovered anything that would have undermined the university's confidence...However, this must be regarded as merely good luck".

"The pro-forma tells the university that 'Dr' Yaakob holds a DBA from 'the European Business School, UK'.

"There is a 'European Business School, UK': it is part of Regents College, and awards degrees from the Open University.

"It does not award the degree of DBA. It is a perfectly respectable institution, but 'Dr' Yaakob certainly did not do a DBA there.

"'Dr' Yaakob is not buried in the small print... (the university) had and missed the opportunity to be circumspect about the management and owners of Fazley International College".

The concerns team found no sign that as managing director 'Dr' Fadzli Yaakob had any direct influence on the standards of programmes of study validated by the university.

"However... more 'academic' due diligence might have caused the university, if not to reject the connection with Fazley International Colelge, at least to manage it in a way that gave less room for ridicule".

Turning Point Business School, Singapore

Reason for investigation: Complaints from students. Unnanounced sale of the school by one set of owners who had problems with debts and subsequent disappearance of the second owners one year later, leaving the students unsupported.

The QAA say that "to judge the financial or legal standing of a potential partner, a committee of academics needs professional advice from an accountant or a lawyer; probably, in the case of an overseas partner, a lawyer from the country in question".

In this case University of Wales vice-chancellor, Professor Marc Clement, considered it "sufficient" that one member of the validation board was "qualified as an accountant".

"The university apparently took no legal advice, either in the UK or Singapore, as to the status of the owners."

"The university had not briefed staff involved in 'vetting' on the status of the investigations and judgments they made; and members of the committees charged with making recommendations or decisions did not have a common view as to what they were deciding upon."

The second owners, who later disappeared leaving the students in the lurch, were not checked out either.

"The background of the owners was not investigated, and no information about financial stability was sought. No professional advice was taken on either matter."

The university appoints moderators who must visit partner institutions twice a year for the first five years and once a year thereafter.

Initially, moderators failed to make any visits to this college.

These were replaced by moderators who did make the requisite visits, one of whom had been assigned to 14 different colleges simultaneously even though a moderator is only supposed to be assigned a maximum of five institutions at any time.

"In the light of the disappearance of the first owners, and the long list of unfulfilled demands made by moderators and Validation Unit staff in March 2010, the university's decision to accept the assertions of the new owners at face value... seems culpably credulous".

BEIJING police have arrested 33 suspects for allegedly selling fake diplomas and degree certificates and swindling 7.97 million yuan (US$ 1.23 million) out of 339 people, including nearly 200 senior company executives.

Police said victims paid prices ranging from 20,000 yuan to 190,000 yuan for academic credentials from bogus universities with names similar to prestigious colleges overseas, Beijing Times reported today.

In most cases, no class and test was required before victims were handed over diplomas and degree certificates that appeared authentic with embossed stamps showing recognition from a phony college and China's Ministry of Education.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office needs to fix its treatment of women in the department and prevent deputies from using phony educational degrees to gain pay increases, according to the El Dorado County grand jury's report released Friday.

The grand jury's 2010-11 report focused three of its 12 sections on the Sheriff's Office.

A newly elected sheriff, John D'Agostini, took over the department at the beginning of the year.

The report's section on gender bias in the department outlined a female staffing level far below national averages, and a pattern of gender bias complaints that jumped in 2010.

Roughly 5 percent of sworn officers are women, according to the report. It contrasted El Dorado's level to a national average of 12.8 percent in communities of similar sizes.

The department saw 12 gender bias complaints filed in 2010, double the number for 2008 and 2009 combined, the report said.

Six of the complaints were upheld, yet in half those cases, "individuals did not have records of disciplinary action related to the complaints in their files in the El Dorado County Human Resources Office," the report said.

It also noted a pair of discrimination lawsuits had been filed against the department by female employees.

The report called on the department to give women more opportunities to work in job areas considered critical to advancement and to recruit women and minorities for future openings.

Harassment policies need to be better communicated and enforced as well, the report said.

With respect to educational attainment, the report noted that five sworn officers, including a lieutenant, had gained pay increases – known as educational incentive pay – based on diplomas from questionable sources.

"One officer applied for entrance into Richardson University on August 20, 2004, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice only 27 days later, after completing 22 classes," according to the grand jury's investigation.

The body's report noted that the district attorney has not found enough evidence to prosecute these cases, in part because Sheriff's Office policies were vague and some evidence has been destroyed.

The grand jury called on the Sheriff's Office to cease accepting "diploma mill" credentials and to bring educational compensation in line with what officers receive in other nearby jurisdictions.

The third section of the report to focus on the Sheriff's Office acknowledged cost-cutting in the office, but suggested the department could save more.

It recommended tightening the use of take-home vehicles, reducing duplicate phones – desk and cell – for individual employees and putting civilians in some positions currently filled by sworn officers.

The civil grand jury is a body of citizens charged with looking into government operations.

The grand jury will present its full report to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Elected officials who are served with reports have 60 days to respond. Non-elected officials have 90 days.

When Washington State Patrol Trooper Daniel Mann talks about his days at Berkley – if he ever does – it's probably nothing like you imagine.

No free-speech protests or sit-ins. No dropping acid and sitting in a tree. No examination of the great pinko texts. Or any texts. Not to mention no lectures, no quizzes, no classes.

Mann's "Berkley" experience involved a single 11-page paper written in the fall of 1998, titled "Drugs Should Not Be Legalized." This was his "final" paper, as well as his "initial" paper, as well as his "only" paper. He sent a couple grand to the "University of Berkley" in Michigan and waited for his diploma to show up.

Then he started collecting a bigger paycheck for his educational advancements.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Well, that depends. The information above comes from the scathing conclusions of an investigation into Mann's actions in 2009, in which Assistant Chief James Lever recommends his firing.

"I believe Mann knowingly submitted a phony academic degree from the University of Berkley to the WSP for increased pay and promotional points," Lever wrote. "This act clearly constitutes a violation of the rules, regulations and policies of the WSP. … It is simply not reasonable to believe that he did not realize that a Berkley degree was not legitimate. He knew what he was doing was wrong and the facts of the case clearly demonstrate continued attempts to both cover up and prevent any scrutiny of his actions."

But the State Patrol, after moving initially to fire Mann and several others, chickened out and gave them suspensions of several days. This followed the 10-month paid vacation while they were being investigated. Washington State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins said the discipline was based on the notion that the troopers had used bad judgment, not intentionally defrauded the state. They stopped receiving the extra pay and repaid more than $50,000 – Mann alone repaid nearly $12,000.

The next move for the Diploma Mill Gang was obvious: Sue the state.

The suit – call it Chutzpah v. Common Decency – was filed in King County Superior Court in December by Mann and four other troopers. They allege that the State Patrol defamed them in some public statements – as well as in some of the minor misunderstandings the patrol didn't clear up. It takes a lot of huevos to do what Mann did and then sue the state alleging, among other things, "outrage."

The investigation into the diplomas followed the news in May 2008 that dozens of government employees had purchased counterfeit degrees from a Spokane diploma mill. While the five troopers didn't buy their diplomas from the Spokane operation, they purchased them from unaccredited online "institutions" that award diplomas based on life experience.

A prosecutor said no crime was committed, but Lever's report identified three "proven" violations of the patrol's codes of conduct and ethics. And what the patrol said about Mann publicly is nice and friendly compared to the report. A few examples:

• "It is a proven fact that University of Berkley is a diploma mill. Mann had every obligation to recognize what he was representing as a college degree was indeed a fake and invalid by any reasonable measure."

• "Despite never having taken a class, read a book, or taken a test, Mann argued that he believed his degree was legitimate. It is absurd to believe that an 11-page research paper could be evaluated and graded to determine a person's qualification to receive a four-year degree. It would not even be credible for a single upper division college course (one quarter) to simply require a single 11-page research paper without any additional reading, lectures, tests, or additional assignments."

• "Mann's deceptive behavior demonstrates the clear intent to mislead and deceive the department."

• "One primary function of a narcotics detective, that Mann performed for several years, is to constantly test information to determine reliability and credibility of information they receive. For me to believe Mann was completely duped by an Internet website is simply too much to ask."

• "Mann's dishonest and unethical actions can simply not be tolerated."

Of course, they have been tolerated. The State Patrol still issues a paycheck to Mann, who catches drunken drivers here in Spokane.

I feel a personal connection to Mann's educational experiences, because of my own. I dropped out of college my first go-round, then went back to Eastern Washington University as an adult with a full-time job. It took a lot of work and cost a lot of money, and I'm glad I did it. I didn't get a raise or anything, but it was invaluable.

Maybe that's something you have to experience to appreciate.

"It appears to the reviewer that Mann questions the real value of a legitimate bachelor's degree and therefore felt he deserved the same reward as those who actually went to school and earned a degree," the report says. "Had Mann actually gone to school, studied, and learned his way toward a four-year degree, I believe he would have a completely different perspective."

A so-called doctor fraudulently collected a total of more than $12,000 from five clients who mistakenly believed he was a qualified psychologist, court has heard.

Gregory Carter deceived his victims, most of whom were involved in child custody cases, by misrepresenting his credentials in his Whitby practice, Crown Attorney Michael Gillen told Oshawa court on Wednesday.

Carter, 64, is a psychological associate, which is a step below a psychologist. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of fraud under $5,000.

Last year, the College of Psychologists of Ontario found Carter guilty of professional misconduct for straying beyond his capabilities in diagnosing a father, whom he never met, with "narcissistic personality disorder."

Carter, who frequently testified in family court, claimed he had a doctorate in psychology but the college didn't recognize his credentials and licensed him only as a psychological associate, Gillen said.

One of his alleged victims, who paid $1,650 for therapy sessions for his granddaughter's behavioural problems, testified that Carter identified himself as a psychologist who specialized in children.

David Bulmer, who subsequently lost custody of the child in a court case that used a report by Carter, said the term "psychological associate" never came up. Had he known Carter wasn't a registered psychologist, he never would have used him, Bulmer said.

Carter has a legitimate master's degree, but his Ph.D. is from Pacific Western University in Hawaii, which the U.S. government has denounced as a "diploma mill."

The trial continues.

ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - A CBS Atlanta hidden camera investigation exposed a registered sex offender posing as a psychologist. It is the second time CBS Atlanta found John Bacon, 41, of DeKalb County working without a required professional license.

"I've practiced every form of psychology there is," claimed Bacon to an undercover CBS Atlanta producer posing as a patient.

Bacon and the producer met at a restaurant.

Bacon told the producer that he has been practicing psychology for twenty years and made his first million when he was 21 years old.

Bacon's outlandish claims continued. "I am licensed, certified, bonded, insured," said Bacon.

In an online profile, Bacon is listed as "Dr. J. Olis Bacon." The word "Psychologist" appears under his name.

"I do psychology because I like to help people," said Bacon to the producer.

"I've got this gift. After five minutes of talking to you, I can pretty much tell what kind of person you are."

Bacon is listed on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation website as a registered sex offender. He was pleaded guilty in 1994 to charges of child molestation and aggravated sodomy. He was also convicted of sex crimes against a child while in the Navy in 1990.

In November, CBS Atlanta found Bacon working as an unlicensed plumber after the state professional licensing board had ordered him to stop.

Bacon is not allowed to work as a psychologist because he does not have a state-issued license.

Dr. Kip Matthews, a licensed psychologist and educator with the Georgia Psychological Association, said he is disturbed by the undercover video we showed him. He said it appeared Bacon committed numerous ethical violations. He said he is concerned for Bacon's patients. "Unfortunately, individuals who prey on potential victims do have good social skills. They come across in a very engaging, personal way that pulls you in," said Matthews.

Matthews said he was particularly concerned with Bacon's supposed assessment of the patient's risk of suicide.

"It is just clinically inappropriate," said Matthews.

Investigative reporter Jeff Chirico interrupted the meeting to ask Bacon the Tough Questions.

"You're a registered sex offender. Do you think you should be operating as a psychologist?" asked Chirico.

"I have no problem with it," responded Bacon.

Bacon claimed to have an online doctorate degree. CBS Atlanta learned that school is considered by some to be a diploma mill.

Bacon insisted he is not going to hurt anyone.

Since the interview, Bacon removed the word "psychologist" from his online profiles and replaced it with "hypnotherapist

BALLSTON SPA — A man who worked for four years as a psychologist for the Saratoga County judicial system under allegedly false credentials pleaded guilty Friday, May 27 to first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony in Saratoga County Court.

Steven B. Feldman was under contract with Saratoga County Court from 2006 to 2010 to perform as a psychologist for the office of the public defender and Saratoga County Family Court where he evaluated people petitioning the court and people accused of crimes.

Feldman pleaded guilty to only one of the four charges levied against him including two counts of first-degree falsifying business records and third-degree grand larceny. The initial indictment of Feldman alleged that Feldman "received payment checks from the county of Saratoga for psychologist services that he was not licensed to perform."

The case was prosecuted by Clinton County Chief Assistant District Attorney Timothy Blatchly and was presided over by Clinton County Acting Supreme Court Judge Kevin K. Ryan. They were called in after several Saratoga County Court officials recused themselves from the case because of personal involvement in cases Feldman had worked on.

Blatchley said the guilty plea to the one count is "in satisfaction of all four charges."

"Our main concern was getting a felony conviction," said Blatchley. He said Feldman did have some legitimate licenses, but "he is not a psychiatrist or a psychologist," and a felony conviction for that crime would "absolutely," jeopardize his license.

"We wanted to make sure he wasn't out there doing this kind of stuff again," he said.

Feldman is scheduled to be sentenced July 25. There were no sentencing conditions accompanying his guilty plea. "It is up to the court to decide," said Blatchley.

While Blatchley said Feldman could face up to 1-1/3 to four years in prison, he does not expect him to see the inside of a cell.

"He is in his sixties, in the mid-stages of Parkinson's disease and given the charge jail probably isn't appropriate," he said. "That is what the judge will decide."

The judge has requested a pre-sentencing-report from law enforcement, probation and county officials outlining Feldman's crimes to use in the sentencing.

According to Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III at the time of the original indictment—before he had recused himself — Feldman claimed to have degrees and certifications that were later found to be fabricated as well as a degree from Hamilton University, a university that was described as a "diploma mill" in a "60 Minutes" report in 2004.

As an alleged Hamilton University alum, Feldman joins the ranks of Laura Callahan, the former senior director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who purchased bachelor's and master's degrees from the college and used them to further her career in government, according to the report. It described the college as an office with a few clerical workers and no instructors.

Click here to read the text of the bill, as downloaded from the United States Govenment Printing Office..

A federal grand jury here has indicted the president of a Pleasanton, Calif., university on 33-criminal counts, charging her with an array of violations, including visa fraud, money laundering and alien harboring, as a result of a two-year investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Tri-Valley University President Susan Xiao-Ping Su, 41, who also served as the school's chief executive officer, is accused of engaging in a two-year scheme to defraud the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by submitting phony documents in support of Tri-Valley University's applications to admit foreign nationals on student visas. The indictment further alleges that after obtaining such approvals, Su fraudulently issued visa-related documents to student aliens in exchange for "tuition and fees."

Su was taken into custody Monday morning at her Pleasanton, Calif., home by HSI special agents. She made her initial appearance here in federal court shortly after her arrest.

In carrying out the scheme, Su is accused of making multiple false representations to DHS through Tri-Valley University's use of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which the U.S. government uses to monitor the "F-1" student visa program. Through her false representations, Su was able to unlawfully obtain and issue F-1 visa-related documents without regard to the students' academic qualifications or intent to pursue a course of study required to maintain a lawful immigration status.

According to the indictment, Su admitted and maintained foreign students in exchange for tuition and other payments. In furtherance of the F-1 visa scheme, Su also allegedly harbored multiple Tri-Valley University student-employees to assist her in making the false representations to SEVIS. The indictment further alleges the defendant engaged in multiple money laundering transactions totaling more than $3.2 million using proceeds she derived from the visa fraud scheme.

"Today's indictment alleges a visa fraud scheme through which the defendant accrued millions of dollars and took advantage of others' eagerness to come to the United States," said United States Attorney Melinda Haag. "My office remains committed to working closely with ICE Homeland Security Investigations to identify and prosecute those who undermine the integrity of this country's immigration laws through fraud and for personal enrichment."

"Student visas are intended to enable people from around the world to come to this country to enrich themselves with the wealth of educational opportunities available here," said ICE Director John Morton. "ICE is committed to protecting the integrity of that proud tradition and ensuring it is not corrupted by those seeking only to enrich themselves financially. ICE Homeland Security Investigations will aggressively pursue those who exploit America's legal immigration system solely for their personal gain."

The "F-1" student visa program is designed to allow foreign nationals who are bona fide students to be admitted to the United States on a temporary basis to study at an approved school. F-1 students are admitted for a temporary period during which they are required to pursue a full course of study at an approved school. When a student stops pursuing a full course of study, the duration of status ends and the temporary period for which the individual was admitted expires. In administering the F-1 visa program, DHS relies on the representations made by the schools and students.

The 33 counts contained in the indictment carry maximum penalties ranging from one to 20 years imprisonment. The charges include wire fraud; mail fraud; visa fraud and conspiracy to commit visa fraud; use of a false document; making false statements to a government agency; alien harboring; unauthorized access to a government computer and money laundering.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hartley M.K. West and Wade M. Rhyne with the aid of Janice Pagsanjan and Rania Ghawi.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Su must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A high-ranking city school official, whose resume includes degrees from institutions that require little or no classroom work and which academic watchdog groups have referred to as "diploma mills," resigned abruptly Thursday after questions about his credentials were raised by The Baltimore Sun.

Kevin Seawright, deputy chief operating officer with an annual salary of $135,200, said he resigned his post to enter the private sector. Schools CEO Andrés Alonso revealed the resignation in an email to school system staff Thursday, saying that Seawright "worked tirelessly during my administration to improve our responsiveness to schools."

Seawright's resignation from the position, which he has held since 2008, came one day after The Sun asked school officials to explain Seawright's academic credentials, which include a bachelor's degree in accounting from Rocklands University and a master's degree in business administration from Almeda University.

Rocklands, which is believed to be based in the United Kingdom, and Almeda, which offers degrees based on "life experience," are not accredited or recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, according to a department spokeswoman.

Because they are not accredited, they are not eligible for federal funds and are often not recognized for employment eligibility by public agencies. In addition, private agencies are not required to accept them for employment. Degrees from both universities have also been banned in several states.

Almeda "is a diploma mill for sure, no doubt about it," said George Gollin, a board member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, an organization of degree-granting colleges and universities and national accreditation oversight body.

"It should be a tremendous embarrassment to the Baltimore schools, and the person who vetted these things should really have their head on a plate," said Gollin, who is a physics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "This is pretty serious."

The city school system said that while it could not comment on specific personnel issues, it believes that during the hiring process, a candidate's experience should be taken into consideration along with educational qualifications. A spokeswoman said that online degrees may meet requirements for some jobs.

"As long as a person is honest about their credentials, and the value of their performance is proven, the online credentials might be appropriate for some high-ranking positions, but not others," said schools spokeswoman Edie House-Foster.

"Clearly, they would not be appropriate for educational leadership positions," she said. "But they might have a different significance in the context of a person's experience for operational leadership positions. Ultimately, the question should be what can a person do to serve our kids."

On Wednesday, The Sun asked Seawright about his education, and he provided copies of his degrees and transcripts from both universities. He said he included the information on his resume to the school system as well.

Seawright said he had no reason to believe his degrees were illegitimate. He said Thursday that his resignation was not related to questions surrounding his academic record, adding that he was leaving the district to head project management at a private firm.

"I appreciated working with the district, and I am moving on to the private sector," said Seawright shortly after his resignation. "I feel as though I have served the children of Baltimore to the best of my ability. It was pleasure serving under Dr. Alonso and [chief operating officer] Keith Scroggins and improving operational facilities for Baltimore City children."

On Wednesday, Seawright defended his credentials and qualifications for the deputy chief operating officer position, saying they fit the job description — overseeing, among other things, school facilities, maintenance, transportation, food and nutrition. The deputy COO's responsibilities include managing up to 1,500 personnel, a $150 million operating budget and a $52 million capital budget. The deputy position is the only one of its kind throughout the school system.

According to public personnel reports, Seawright was hired as a special assistant in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer on Jan. 24, 2006, at a salary of $96,000. Seawright had previously worked as the chief fiscal officer for Baltimore City's Department of Parks and Recreation for about six years.

In 2008, he was promoted to the deputy chief operating officer at a salary of $130,000 and received a cost-of-living adjustment that brought him to his current salary of $135,200, city school officials said. City school officials said that Seawright was promoted based on his performance, not his credentials.

Both positions require a bachelor's degree in business, management, finance or a related field, but a master's degree is preferred, according to the job descriptions. On Wednesday, Seawright said he believed he was "more than qualified to do the job."

"There's nothing about accredited degrees in my job," he said. "It was based on experience, too."

Rocklands University, where Seawright said he graduated in 1998, has no current website. A search of Internet archives yielded a website with no description of when the university operated or who operated it, nor any information on how to enroll or obtain a degree. The website also did not indicate if or when the university stopped operating.

An inquiry to the college using an email address on the archived website, the only contact information available, resulted in a return error message.

When asked why there was no record of Rocklands University, Seawright said, "It must have gone out of business."

"When I got [the degree], they did exist," Seawright said. "I paid for the classes, and I don't know if it's accredited."

The Nevis-based Almeda University, where Seawright said he obtained his master's degree in business administration in 2006, awards degrees after staff use a "reliable Prior Learning Assessment method to review your life experience, competencies, skills and knowledge to determine your level of mastery in your field," according to its website. "Based on this evaluation, you can earn a degree commensurate with your level of experience."

Almeda University did not return phone calls and emails requesting information about its academic programs.

The school converts life experience into coursework to provide a transcript. According to Seawright's transcript, his experience equated to 10 courses, including Quantitative Management; Law, Business and Society; and Economics of the Firm.

The enrollment form notes that "college experience is not required to receive your college degree … but could be helpful if you do not have the work experience required by the degree you are seeking." A master's degree assessment costs $499, Almeda's website says.

Degrees from Almeda University have been banned in several states, including Oregon, Michigan, Maine, Florida and Connecticut. Rocklands University degrees have also been banned in Oregon.

Education experts said that both schools are clear examples of "diploma mills" — which have made national headlines as a result of employees in various public sectors receiving raises and promotions based on false degrees.

Almeda University was also the source of a 2004 controversy after a New York man was able to obtain an associate's degree in childhood development for his 7-year-old dog. The university responded on its website that the man had created a false identity to prove a point.

Several state government agencies indicated that Rocklands was operating out of the United Kingdom, and Seawright said he believed it was based in London. Philip Vine, an official with the United Kingdom Department for Education and Skills, responded to an inquiry about Rocklands University by pointing to the department's list of recognized university programs. The list did not include Rocklands University.

"If Rocklands was a legitimate school at some point, or went belly up, I would expect some news story that said Rocklands went belly-up," Gollin said.

"If Rocklands had changed its name, then I'd expect to see that, too. And I would certainly expect to see some information telling people who to contact to get transcripts from their alma mater."

While Almeda University is accredited by private agencies, none of the accrediting bodies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The school also warns that "Almeda University is unable to guarantee acceptance of its degree programs in other postsecondary institutions; public sector employers will not recognize a degree accredited by a private accreditor."

The Baltimore City school board approves appointments via a personnel, employment and payroll agenda, but the school system staff is responsible for vetting candidates to ensure they meet the necessary experience and education for a position, according to Neil Duke, the school board president.

Duke said he could not comment on a personnel matter, but added that "the confirmation of a candidate's credentials and references has been a particular point of emphasis for the district during the last two years."

In 2009, The Sun revealed that Brian D. Morris, a city school board president whom Alonso hired to an unadvertised, $175,000-a-year deputy CEO position, had not been awarded a degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, which was listed on his official resume.

That detail, which resulted from two incomplete classes in his final semester and which Morris said he had been unaware of, was apparently not discovered by city and state officials on multiple levels.

The district then pledged more scrutiny of credentials. The school system said it has checked the credentials and references of every person on a PEP report after establishing the protocol in July 2009.

Seawright was hired before Alonso came to the district, and House-Foster said "it is possible that under a former administration the credentials were checked by [human resources]."

She said that when he was promoted, because "his credentials had been vetted in the past, they were not vetted anew."

Baltimore Sun reporter Yeganeh June Torbati contributed to this article.

The resignation of Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg marks a turning point for Germany's political culture. He may still make a comeback but he will never become chancellor.

What a drama! Just the blink of an eye ago, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was Germany's most popular politician, the hero of his party, the darling of the tabloid press. He was even feted as a potential future chancellor. Now he's gone, evaporated in just 14 days, like a shooting star.

For starters, Guttenberg's departure is a shame. A lot of hopes were pinned on him. He exuded charisma. He had the ability to explain policies and to get people interested in politics. The troops liked their defense minister and voters did too. What more could one expect from a politician?

The Guttenberg case is nevertheless a blessing for Germany's future political culture. It has shown that politicians remain subject to high expectations regarding decency, honesty and reliability -- without exception.

Politicians are role models. Guttenberg violated these standards and is now, very belatedly, paying the price. At first he didn't want to step down, believing that his popularity would save him. But in the end he had to learn that the same rules apply to him that apply to every other politician. He was driven out of office by a storm of outrage over the PhD he obtained through cheating: on the Internet, in the influential academic community and in the middle classes. Guttenberg and the chancellor who protected him for so long weren't able to withstand it. And that's how it should be.

Departure Will Unleash Misunderstanding and Bitterness

The Guttenberg case is a problem for the reputation of the political process. He's the second popular politician to step down in less than a year, after Horst Köhler quit as German president last May. Guttenberg's departure will trigger a lot of criticism and bitterness among the many people who are disenchanted with politics and who saw a kind of messiah in him.

But Guttenberg himself has also contributed to fuelling these sentiments. In his resignation speech, he murmured about the "public and media attention" that had been concentrated so intensely on his person. He said that had created additional burdens for the soldiers in Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr. By saying that, Guttenberg concocted a legend of having been stabbed in the back that could soon be making the rounds amongst the chattering classes: Namely that a group of envious politicians and reporters in Berlin exerted so much pressure on the popular man that he was driven out of office. Or at least something like that.

Guttenberg is a phenomenon. Many seem prepared to forgive any mistake he makes. They have, if you will, blind faith in him. The parties will eventually feel the rage of these voters -- perhaps during the next election or perhaps in a few years when the first right-wing populist party is founded. Something is brewing and it isn't good -- that much is certain.

Guttenberg Could Still Have a Future in Politics

Incidentally, this doesn't necessarily have to be the end of Guttenberg's political career. History has shown that repentant sinners in politics -- in Germany, too -- often get a second chance. The country's parliament is filled with people who have fallen and then risen again, including Cem Özdemir, who had to resign after getting involved in a personal loan scandal and returned to the political stage again to become the co-head of the national Green Party. Or Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who had to resign as head of the Christian Democratic Union party in 2000 after a campaign finance scandal that also ensnared former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. After a cooling-off period -- in Özdemir's case by taking a seat in the European Parliament in far-away Brussels -- it's possible to come back to Berlin.

But history also shows us another thing: People like that do not become chancellor. Guttenberg has lost his shot at the chancellery. A German leader who cheated to get his doctorate? Unthinkable.

As of today, the race for a successor to Angela Merkel is open again. And it's not a pretty sight, either. Guttenberg appeared to be the ideal candidate -- and all of the hopes in the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, had been placed on him. One thing, more than anything else is evident, if one peruses the leadership ranks of the two parties for a potential successor: the emptiness.

Opposition lawmakers sought to entangle German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the plagiarism scandal embroiling her defense minister, even as the public seemed largely willing to forgive him for borrowing large sections of his doctoral thesis without attribution.

Meanwhile, the University of Bayreuth, where Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg received his doctoral degree in 2007, considered his scholarly transgressions serious enough that it revoked the doctorate Wednesday evening. University president Rüdiger Bormann said a panel of professors unanimously agreed "that Mr. zu Guttenberg violated his academic duty to a substantial degree."

Mr. zu Guttenberg, Germany's most ...

Nicki Harrington, who will step down in June as chancellor of the Yuba Community College District, named Al Alt interim chancellor until her successor's term begins — an appointment that spurred support as well as questions from faculty.

"He's a very competent administrator," said Tim May, president of the Academic Senate for Yuba College. "I'm comfortable with Al Alt as interim administrator."

May did cite concerns with what he believes is support on the board of trustees for increasing the $232,429 yearly salary when the new chancellor is named.

"You watch," May said, "they're going to come in at $250,000 to $260,000."

Trustees are scheduled to take up the consultant search for the college district executive and that person's salary when they meet Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Woodland Community College.

Greg Kemble, secretary for the academic senate, said Alt's doctorate from a Mississippi-based business described as a diploma mill is part of the reason he questions Alt's appointment.

"As human resources director, his expertise should be to identify diploma mills — such as the one where he got his Ph.D.," Kemble said.

After a "no confidence" vote by the faculty in 2008, Alt was named vice chancellor of administrative services for the college district the following year.

Alt, the former director of personnel services for the college district, could not be reached for comment Monday. He has said that the doctorate was not a requirement of his Yuba College district job.

"In hindsight, I needed to do a lot more digging," Alt said in 2008 of Madison University. A representative of the Mississippi-based school had said Madison closed in 2006 after five years.

David Wheeler, who began as a college district trustee in December, said Monday that he sought to have the board discuss pay for the new chancellor.

"I don't want to keep escalating it," Wheeler said of the salary. "I don't think it's necessary."

Trustee Jim Kennedy, who also took office in December, said that the new chancellor's salary has not been set. Citing the current $232,429 compensation, Kennedy said, "I hope we can attract somebody for less than that."

"You pay what you need to get the right candidate," he said. "I don't know what it will take."

Xavier Tafoya, president of the board of trustees, could not be reached Monday for comment. Tafoya has voted to increase the chancellor's pay.

Trustees in November approved a $15,000 raise for Harrington that boosted her annual salary to $232,429. They had approved a $29,282 raise for Harrington a year ago — an action that led to a rally and petition opposing her pay boost. Trustees then rescinded the raise and cited a public perception that they violated a state open meeting law by approving the salary increase.

Yuba College professor May said Monday that salary is the focus of many executives at community colleges in California.

"This is the way the club does it," May said. "They jump from job to job."

"It's all part of the management game being played," he added. "It's about money."

Paige Marlatt Dorr, spokeswoman for the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office in Sacramento, said of executive compensation that, "We generally don't comment on issues like that. It is set locally."

ASSURANCE OF DISCONTINUANCE

WHEREAS Stratford Career Institute, Inc. ("SCI') is a District of Columbia corporation with offices at 8675 Damley Road, Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada H4TIX2;

WHEREAS SCI offers and provides non-accredited "distance education" or correspondence programs at the high school level and in a number of vocational areas, including medical office assistant, nursing assistant, and veterinary assistant;

WHEREAS SCI has enrolled students from Vermont and other states;

WHEREAS SCI also has an office that is located at 12 Champlain Commons, P.O. Box 560, St. Albans, Vermont 05478-5560, which is used primarily for shipping, receiving, mailing and some administrative functions.

WHEREAS SCI has represented its address to be in St. Albans, either alone or alongside its address in Mount Royal, including on the company's letterhead, envelopes, academic materials, diplomas, and website;

WHEREAS, effective January 5, 2006, the State of Vermont began to limit the use of Vermont addresses to describe the location of a company that is not based in Vermont, through the promulgation of Consumer Fraud Rule (CF) 120;

WHEREAS CF 120.07(a) (Company Location) provides that "[n]o person shall use a Vermont address in any representation to describe the location of the seller, solicitor, producer, distributor or other person associated with a good or service unless the company is based in Vermont";

WHEREAS under CF 120.01(a), a company is "based in Vermont" if it "currently discharges substantial functions in Vermont. For this purpose, 'substantial functions' do not include such activities as the original development of the goods or services, mail handling or banking, or the presence of sales, distribution or similar staff alone.";

WHEREAS it is an unfair and deceptive trade act and practice in commerce under the Consumer Fraud Act, 9 V.S.A. § 2453(a), to violate Rule 120;

WHEREAS the Vermont Attorney General alleges that SCI was not based in Vermont within the meaning of CF 120, that the company nonetheless used a Vermont address to describe its location in violation of CF 120.07( a), and that as a result, the company violated the Vermont Consumer Fraud Act, 9 V.S.A. § 2453(a);

AND WHEREAS the Attorney General IS willing to accept this Assurance of Discontinuance pursuant to 9 V.S.A. § 2459;

THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

1. Injunctive relief SCI, itself and through its owners, officers, directors, managers, employees and other agents, shall comply strictly with CF 120, including, but not limited to, the provisions of CF 120 relating to the use of the word "Vermont" in any representation of geographic location. Notwithstanding, nothing herein shall preclude SCI from stating a Vermont mailing address in its communications to third parties, students or consumers, so long as SCI maintains an office in Vermont and clearly and conspicuously discloses in each communication (a) the functions discharged at that location (e.g., "shipping and handling"); and (b) no less prominently, the address of its principal place of business, identified as such, except in the case of a self-addressed envelope, post card, or business reply card, an additional address containing the principal place of business will not be required provided the Vermont address contains a reference to "shipping address," "mailing address," or a similar phrase.

2. Civil Penalties and costs. Within 10 (ten) business days of signing this Assurance of Discontinuance, SCI shall pay to the State of Vermont, in care of the Vermont Attorney General's Office, the total sum of $10,000.00 (ten thousand dollars) in civil penalties and costs.

3. Binding effect. This Assurance of Discontinuance shall be binding upon SCI, its officers, directors, managers, employees, and other agents of SCI, and its successors and assigns. The injunctive relief provisions shall become effective upon the date of execution by the parties below.

4. Final resolution. This Assurance of Discontinuance resolves all existing claims the State of Vermont may have against SCI stemming from the facts described in this Assurance of Discontinuance.

Last week Kenya shut more than 100 unaccredited colleges, sending shock waves through the country's academic community as the government delivered on its promise of cleaning up the higher education sector.

The major operation to take illegal colleges out of business started on Tuesday, as Ministry of Higher Education inspectors shuttled between the main urban areas to shut down the institutions.

A list of the 110 colleges to be axed was published by the ministry in the media two weeks ago.

The closures have triggered massive transfer of students from the colleges on the list, with thousands of other students left out of school.

The latest development has also fuelled anxiety and confusion among graduates of such colleges, who have been left holding certificates from institutions whose credibility has been called into question.

The closures follow a string of warnings issued by education officials over the past five years. During this period unregistered colleges have mushroomed in the country's main cities, to cash in on the growing demand for higher education.

Rising transition rates from primary and secondary schools, and limited university places available annually for prospective students whose grades make them eligible for higher education study, have fuelled the demand for college attendance.

Government investment in the education sector over the past five years has reached new heights. The requirement that all tertiary colleges register afresh and have their premises inspected for suitability to offer certificate, diploma and degree courses has been part of a bid to bring sanity to this crucial sub-sector, offering an assurance of quality to students and their parents alike.

Government concluded its college vetting process and published a final list of accredited institutions in December.

Kenya is also spending US$56 million in donor funding on building vocational and technical training countrywide, to help boost the country's skills base.

 

The number of private post-secondary schools suspected of operating illegally in B.C. is growing.

A list on the Regional Economic and Skills Development Ministry website has 45 names, including the American University of London (which was part of the Kingston College scandal from 2006), Rutherford University (also known as Senior University and subject to an investigation in B.C.), the notorious Vancouver University Worldwide (which is believed to have closed following the death in 2007 of owner Raymond Rodgers) and Armstrong University (also part of the Kingston College scam).

Some of the schools have grand names, such as Canada Princeton College, George Washington University, Manhattan University, Kennedy Open University and the Asia Pacific International Graduate School of Management. Others are less pretentious: Bible University, Brainwells University, Generale University and Covenant Life College.

But don't be fooled. The ministry says it has reason to believe the institutions on the list are - or were - breaking the law by offering degrees in B.C. without government authorization.

Find the list here. This government initiative follows a similar effort to raise awareness about bogus institutions several years ago by Robert Clift of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C (CUFA-BC). Clift, a diligent researcher, was a great source of information on the subject.

The ministry says it has taken many steps during the past two years to protect students, enhance quality and strengthen the accountability of private post-secondary institutions.

"Publishing the names of institutions that do not have legal authority to operate in B.C., but may be linked with B.C. in some way, is another important way for us to ensure students can make well-informed decisions about where they wish to study, and we have been doing this since August of last year. We're the first jurisdiction in Canada to do this, but it is common practice in the U.S.," the ministry told me in a statement.

"Our list includes institutions who, in the past, may have been advertising, providing or granting degrees from or within B.C., Some of these institutions have long since shut down - so while the list may have grown from CUFA's previous list, it's not necessarily due to an influx of new issues. Our post-secondary institutions are widely known for the quality of their programs, and our actions are essential to maintaining that reputation.

"In the past, we have been successful in taking action against various institutions including an injunction against Vancouver University Worldwide - but it can be very difficult to track down the individuals responsible. With the internet, anonymity and multi-jurisdictional issues, unauthorized institutions are often able to operate under the radar. It takes significant resources to take action against them."

Anyone with information or concerns about the authority of an institution to offer degrees in B.C. should call 250-387-2040.

• Alternative Medicine Research Institute
• American Liberty University
• American University of London (Kingston College)
• Armstrong University
• Asia Pacific International Graduate School of Management
• Austin College
• Bible University
• Bircham International University
• Brainwells University
• Brixton University
• Canada International Education Center
• Canada Princeton College
• Canadian College of Management and Technology
• Canadian Institute of English
• Can-National Business College (formerly Canada Institute of Business & Technology and HGK International Institute of Business & Technology)
• Covenant Life College
• Distance Learning University
• Generale Polytechnic Institute
• Generale University
• George Washington University Inc
• Information University of America
• International Academic Correspondence Inc.
• Kennedy Open University
• Manhattan University
• Merlion International University
• Mission Institute of Canada
• Mission Institute of Distance Education
• Neurontology University
• Newton University
• Rutherford University
• Saint Michael University
• Senior University Inc.
• Southern College British Columbia
• Stanton University
• Stratford International University
• The Distance University
• The Open University of America
• University Consortium International Inc.
• University of Northern Washington
• University of NorthWest
• Vancouver University Worldwide
• Washington College & University
• Western Imperial College of Canada
• Weston Reserve University
• Windsor Education Academy, Inc.

Congratulations go to several of our colleagues at WHNT NEWS 19 who are now Emmy winners.

WHNT NEWS 19 took home an Emmy for Investigative Series on Saturday, at the 25th Midsouth Emmy Awards.

The Emmy is for 'Breach of Trust', an investigative series that exposed local military members and contractors who purchased diplomas online and then got promotions and higher pay.

WHNT NEWS 19's former investigative reporter Wendy Halloran won the award, along with photojournalist Shane Hays, news director Denise Vickers and graphic artists Joe Glotzbach and Jacob Greene.

WHNT NEWS 19 was nominated in six other categories, in competition with other stations from around the southeast.

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COUNTRY INFORMATION
ASCENSION ISLAND
Blackpool University (in Ascension Island, England, and Ireland) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

AUSTRALIA
Golden State University [also known as Honolulu University of Arts, Sciences and Humanities] (in Australia, Lebanon, and Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

AUSTRIA
American College of Metaphysical Theology [also known as American College of Theology] (in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

BAHAMAS
Richardson University (known in the United States as American State University in Hawaii and as Hamilton University in Wyoming) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution under any one of the three names in either country.

BELGIUM
American College of Metaphysical Theology [also known as American College of Theology] (in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Ateneo di Studi Superiori pro Pace (Institute of Higher Studies for Peace) (in Belgium and Italy) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

CANADA
Taylor University College and Seminary (in Edmonton, Alberta) was renamed Taylor College and Seminary in June 2009 and is no longer authorized to offer bachelor's degree programs.

CHINA
Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

Yorker International University (in China, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE
The Council of Europe, a membership organization of 47 countries in Europe, does not officially recognize any higher education institution or program. No legitimate institution or organization would claim that it does.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

ENGLAND
American University in London is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

Ashbourne University (in London) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Bircham International University (in Bahamas; Oxford, England; Nairobi, Kenya; New Zealand; Spain; Taiwan; Delaware and Florida, United States), established in 1992 as Oxford International University, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the seven countries.

Blackpool University (in Ascension Island, England, and Ireland) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Cambridgeshire University [not in England, but in Malaysia and in the United States: Alabama (claimed authorization), California (fax number), New York (office and Web site), and Virginia (telephone number)] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Earlscroft University (in London, England; Ireland; Seychelles; and Texas USA) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators is not an officially recognized professional association.

International Institute of Management is not an officially recognized professional association.

Manchester College of Professional Studies, established in 2006 but closed by the United Kingdom Home Office in July 2008, was not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

National Distance Learning College is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Oxford International University, established in 1992 and renamed Bircham International University in 2000, was not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

EUROPE
Distance Learning Council of Europe [DLCE] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

European Committee for Home and Online Education [ECHOE] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

European Council for Distance and Open Learning [ECDOL] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

FRANCE
Adam Smith University (in France, Italy, Liberia, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Ecole Superieure Robert de Sorbon (Higher School of Robert de Sorbon) [also known as Universite Francophone Robert de Sorbon (Francophone University of Robert de Sorbon)] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

GERMANY
American College of Metaphysical Theology, also known as American College of Theology (in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

HONG KONG
Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

INDIA
Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka State, has been renamed Bengaluru (which was its original name, in the Kannada language).

Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

INDONESIA
Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

IRELAND
Blackpool University (in Ascension Island, England, and Ireland) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Earlscroft University (in England, Ireland, Seychelles, and Texas USA) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Irish International University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

ITALY
Accademia de Belle Arti di Mendicino (Academy of Fine Arts of Mendicino) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Adam Smith University (in France, Italy, Liberia, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

American College of Metaphysical Theology, also known as American College of Theology (in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Ateneo di Studi Superiori pro Pace (Institute of Higher Studies for Peace) (in Belgium and Italy) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Bernelli University (in Italy and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Centro di Tecnologia Universitaria Straniera (Center for Foreign University Technology) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Eurasia Community College is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

European Institute of Technology (in Italy and San Marino) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country. [NOTE: This is not the same as the European Institute of Technology [EIT] established by the European Union in 2010.]

Instituto Latinoamericano de Psicobiofisico (Latin American Institute of Psychobiophysics) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Istituto di Firenze (Institute of Florence) [also translated as Florence Institute of Design International], a private institution in Florence, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution. Istituto di Firenze is officially recognized by the Region of Tuscany as a postsecondary vocational institution that offers one-year and two-year diploma programs. Students who complete a two-year diploma program can obtain the title of graphic designer or interior designer. Istituto di Firenze also offers post-Laurea programs that lead to a Master diploma (not a Laurea Magistrale or a Master Universitario). The language of instruction is English.

James Monroe International University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Libera Universita degli Studi di Formello (Free University of Formello) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Libera Universita Internazionale G. W. Leibniz (G. W. Leibniz Free International University) [also known as Leibniz Campus] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Libera Universitas Multidisciplinare Umanitaria per la Cultura Internazionale (Multidisciplinary Humanitarian Free University for International Culture) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Marquis Open University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Miranda International University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Non Traditional University of USA [also known as University of USA] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Pebble Hills University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Phoenix International University Europe is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Saint Bernard University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

St. Paul Ottawa College and University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Universite Intercontinentale Le Bon Samaritain (International University of the Good Samaritan) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

West Coast University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Yorker International University (in China, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

LEBANON
Golden State University [also known as Honolulu University of Arts, Sciences and Humanities] (in Australia, Lebanon, and Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

LIBERIA
Adam Smith University (in France, Italy, Liberia, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

MALAYSIA
Cambridgeshire University [not in England, but in Malaysia and in the United States: Alabama (claimed authorization), California (fax number), New York (office and Web site), and Virginia (telephone number)] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these locations.

NIGERIA
Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India. Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

PAKISTAN
American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

PHILIPPINES
The academic year at Philippine Christian University is June to March. A student can enroll in a maximum of 9 credits in the six-week summer term. Educational credentials that listed 20 credits completed in one summer term and which showed a graduation date in October were confirmed not to be authentic.

SAN MARINO
Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

European Institute of Technology (in Italy and San Marino) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country. [NOTE: This is not the same as the European Institute of Technology [EIT] established by the European Union in 2010.]

SAUDI ARABIA
American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

SEYCHELLES
Earlscroft University (in England, Ireland, Seychelles, and Texas USA) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

SINGAPORE
Brookes Business School is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

Brookes University is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

SOUTH AFRICA
Cambridge International University (in South Africa and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

SRI LANKA
American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

ST. KITTS & NEVIS
American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

SWEDEN
Greenleaf University (Sweden and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

SWITZERLAND
Freie und Private Universitat Herisau (Free and Private University of Herisau) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution.

UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] does not accredit educational institutions, it does not grant official recognition to accrediting organizations, and it does not maintain a registry of higher education institutions. Institutions and organizations that claim official approval from UNESCO have made false claims.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Yorker International University (in China, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

UNITED STATES
Accreditation Governing Commission [AGC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Adam Smith University (in France, Italy, Liberia, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Adult Higher Education Alliance [AHEA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

American Association for Higher Education and Accreditation [AAHE or AAHEA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

American College of Metaphysical Theology, also known as American College of Theology (in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

American Council of Private Colleges and Universities [ACPCU] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

American Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation [ACOPA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board [ANMAB] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

American Open University (in Alexandria, Virginia) is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education.

American State University (in Hawaii USA as American State University; in Wyoming USA as Hamilton University; and in Bahamas as Richardson University) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

American University of London (in London, England; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; St. Kitts & Nevis; and Houston, Texas, USA), established in 1984 as American College of Science and Technology, is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of the six countries.

American World University (in Mississippi and South Dakota) is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education.

Ashwood University is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education.

Bernelli University (in Italy and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Board of Online Universities Accreditation [BOUA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Cambridge International University (in South Africa and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Cambridgeshire University [not in England, but in Malaysia and in the United States: Alabama (claimed authorization), California (fax number), New York (office and Web site), and Virginia (telephone number)] is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Clayton University (in China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Nigeria, San Marino, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries. [NOTE: Clayton State University (in Morrow, Georgia, United States) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]

Concordia College and University (in Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Pakistan, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Council on Post Secondary Christian Accreditation [COPCE] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Earlscroft University (in England, Ireland, Seychelles, and Texas USA) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Educational Quality Accrediting Commission [EQAC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Faith in the Order of Nature [FION] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Global Accreditation Organization for Life Experience and Education [GAOLEE] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Golden State University [also known as Honolulu University of Arts, Sciences and Humanities] (in Australia, Lebanon, and Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

Government Accreditation Association of Delaware [GAAD] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Greenleaf University (Sweden and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Hamilton University (in Hawaii USA as American State University; in Wyoming USA as Hamilton University; and in Bahamas as Richardson University) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in either country.

Higher Education Accreditation Commission [HEAC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

International Accreditation Agency [IAA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities [IAAOU] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

International Accreditation Association of Universities and Colleges [IAAUC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

International Accreditation Recognition Council [IARC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

International Open University (in California and Texas) [also known as Standford University] is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education. [NOTE: Stanford University (in Stanford, California) is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.]

International University Accrediting Association [IUAA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Kennedy-Western University [also known as Warren National University] is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education.

Lacrosse University (in Louisiana and Mississippi) is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education. [NOTE: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA) is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.]

Richardson University (in Bahamas; known in Hawaii, USA as American State University, and in Wyoming, USA as Hamilton University) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution under any one of the three names in either country.

Standford University (in California and Texas) [also known as International Open University] is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education. [NOTE: Stanford University (in Stanford, California) is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.]

United Congress of Colleges [UCC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation [UCOEA] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Warren National University [also known as Kennedy-Western University] is not listed in “2008-2009 Accredited institutions of Postsecondary Education,” a publication of the American Council on Education.

World Association of Universities and Colleges [WAUC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

World Online Education Accrediting Commission [WOEAC] is not an officially recognized accrediting organization.

Yorker International University (in China, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and United States) is not officially recognized as a degree-granting institution in any of these countries.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of Indian students who have gotten scammed by a dodgy California-based university had it coming. Tri-Valley University (TVU) had a reputation as a "Diploma Mill" that offered a spurious route to employment and immigration in the US. Inquiring students and professionals knew about it, discussed it in immigration forums, and warned others about it.

But eager beavers looking for a short cut to emigrating to the US through a questionable academic route ignored the red flags. After US authorities busted the scam, an estimated 1500 students, some of them gullible victims, some of them scheming immigrant hopefuls, face financial loss, loss of credits, loss of time, loss of face, and in some cases, even face deportation. ( Read: Hard times ahead for 'sham' US varsity students )

Here's how the scam unfolded: India, from among all countries, has been sending the maximum number of students to US colleges over the past decade – some 10,000 to 15,000 each year. Most aspiring students try and get into the top 50 schools, which have stringent qualifying standards, including exams such as GRE and GMAT, besides TOEFL, an English proficiency test. The process involves gaining admission on the basis of test scores, in lieu of which the university, if it accredited and complaint with US rules, sends an I-20 document to the accepted student, which he or she presents to the embassy or consulate in the home country to get an F-1 student visa. ( Read: Govt probing if agents duped students )

But in recent years, several dodgy universities have come up which waive GRE/GMAT requirements as long as students can pay thousands of dollars up front in the form of various 'fees.' More pertinently, these colleges dubiously facilitate Optional Practical Training(OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT), the two routes to employment at the end of the college degree, from the first day of enrollment.

Typically, in recognized, well-regarded universities, all students must be enrolled as full-time students for a year before receiving CPT/OPT. For the hundreds of thousands of Indian students who have eventually become US citizens, OPT and CPT are the first steps to employment--based visa (usually H1-B), Green Card, and citizenship, in that order.

TVU and similar schools had a "well-earned" reputation of shortening the process by offering OPT/CPT from day one – which meant "students" could get on the employment track even as they began "college." In fact, TVU didn't even have a campus in the traditional sense. It had a solitary, sorry-looking building, bought in April 2010, which housed everything from administrative offices to classrooms, from which random lectures were transmitted over the internet to "students" across the US, including those working other jobs. Under current US law, students cannot take only online courses while on an F-1 status, a scam TVU managed to perpetrate.

Founded by Susan Xiao-Ping Su and run mainly by Chinese Christians, with a few Indians in the "faculty," the school boasted that its mission "is to make Christian scientists, engineers, business leaders and lawyers for the glory of God, with both solid academic professionalism and Christian faith, therefore to live out Christ-like characters, value and compassion in the world, to make an impact and shine as its light."

If that wasn't enough to set off alarm bells, prospective students could have at least seen the writing on the wall – internet forums -- had they bother to trawl any. In an exchange that began in April 2010, students, both prospective, inquiring ones, and those already committed to TVU, duked it out online about the university and its practices. "Has any one got any experience with Tri-Valley University?" inquired one person on an immigration forum. He had heard they offer "hassle free admission, gre, gmat not mandatory, tofel (sic) is pretty much the only requirement low semester fee, OPT, CPT from the day the course starts. no tests, no mandatory online classes, a perfect way to bypass the visa process!"

In no time, there were red flags galore. "TVU is NOT accredited, so you can NOT get a degree from them. Any 'degree' they issue is worthless," wrote one forum member on May 19. "If you use a 'degree' from them for any immigration purpose, it would be fraud. You can also NOT use OPT or CPT from them. Any such use would be fraud." Unperturbed, the inquirer wrote back: "the degrees are worthless, but i thought that its enough to get CPT."

Other immigration forum members, some of them partisans and flaks for TVU, then argued about how if the university was not accredited, it could generate I-20, a document for prospective students that enables them to apply for and get F-1 student visa in their home country. "You are grasping at straws. Probably because you have signed up with them and now have been told that you got scammed. Scamming victims are often in denial...," wrote a user named Jo1234, warning, "I think TVU will eventually get into trouble with authorities...Their "degrees" are worthless. If you try to use them for an H1 or a GC, you would be committing fraud. Spend your money with a real university, not these fraudsters."

It took till January this year for US authorities to cotton on to the scam – or, to look at it charitably, to put together the manpower for a nationwide crackdown. Although TVU was based in Pleasanton, California, it's 'students' were scattered throughout the country, from the East Coast to Midwest to Deep South. Many of them were illegally employed. Although it was allowed only 30 foreign admissions pending accreditation, TVU had managed to work the system to enroll more than 1500 students. Apparently, there were companies across the US which used TVU's F-1 visa-based CPT/OPT to beat H1-B visa requirements, which regulate salary, insist on not replacing American workers etc.

On January 19, after raiding TVU, getting student records from the school, and shutting it down, immigration officials began knocking on the doors of TVU students across the country or serving NTAs (notice to appear) asking them to get in touch with the local office. In some cases, officials merely made preliminary inquiries. In others, students were interrogated for up to three hours. Some had their passports taken away, if they declined voluntary departure. And in rare cases, where officials found egregious violation of visa terms or questionable visas, students were shackled with electronic monitoring devices till further inquiries.

"It was terrifying," said one student who asked not to be named. "Out of the blue, all our dreams came crashing down."

But while there is the usual outrage and fire-spitting in India over the radio collar issue, it turns out that not all students are as gullible as was initially made out. Speaking on background, community leaders, attorneys, and even some students acknowledged that many people knew the whole process was questionable. One giveaway: According to representatives of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), an estimated 95 per cent of the TVU admissions from India are from Andhra Pradesh, a fact that has prompted TANA to arrange legal representation for the students. "They are young kids whose future will be ruined. They are our people after all. We have to help them," says TANA's Jayaram Komati. According to one student, most victims paid up to $ 2800 per semester to Tri-Valley, some of them paying as much as $ 16,000 up front for a full course to obtain a shady degree.

The growing sense among officials and even the Indian community is that many students knew what they were getting into but still risked it. "They know what the rules are - problem is, some of them work within the Indian mentality that the rules are made to be avoided and that the government is a nuisance, not a power to be reckoned with," Nandita Ruchandani, a New York-area immigration attorney who has dealt with such cases, told ToI. Still, many attorneys, some of them working pro bono, are offering to help the students. Two attorneys arranged by TANA in the Bay Area are now working on several Tri-Valley cases.

On Sunday morning TANA arranged for a conference call with immigration attorneys at which more than 200 affected students called in. Among the student gripes, how could the US government undermine the process initiated by a college which it recognized enough to allow it to generate F-1 visas? And if it was a sham university as authorities were now claiming, how and why did the US consulates in India issue the visas?

Meanwhile, a steamed up Indian government, aghast at the radio tagging of a few students, has sought to free them of the ignominy even as the more gullible victims are wondering whether to return to India or keep a foot in the academic door through an appeals process. "We are in a dilemma ...Many students are afraid to go to immigration officers...they are taking away passports pending investigation, sometimes even for those going for voluntary self-departure," a Minneapolis-based student told TOI. The student, who transferred to Tri-Valley from another university, found the Pleasanton school dodgy enough to request a transfer late last year. But she says other schools declined to accept Tri-Valley credits. Stuck in the quagmire, she has gone by the advice of US authorities and phoned into the hotline they have established to provide details of her case. She hasn't heard back from them. It will be a long cold winter for many Indian students in the US.

PLEASANTON -- A Pleasanton university that catered to mostly online students is being called a sham by federal prosecutors who say the university was a front to illegally provide immigration status to foreign nationals.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday were at the Tri-Valley University campus on Boulder Court in Pleasanton and executed search warrants at three other properties owned by school founder Susan Su, including one in the gated Ruby Hill community.

The complaint, filed by the U.S. District Attorney's Office on Wednesday, claims Su was part of an elaborate scheme to defraud, using false statements and misrepresentations to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Since its inception ... Tri-Valley University has been a sham university, which Su, and others, have used to facilitate foreign nationals in illegally acquiring student immigration status that authorizes them to remain in the United States," the complaint reads.

According to the complaint, Su and Tri-Valley University have made millions of dollars in tuition fees for issuing the visa-related documents, enabling foreign nationals to obtain illegal student immigration status.

Calls to Tri-Valley University were not returned.

ICE began its investigation in May 2010. The institution received is approval to issue visas in February 2009 and had the approval for about 30 students. In May 2009 the school had 11 active students that had received F-1 visas, and 939 by May 2010.

According to the complaint, more than 95 percent of students were from India. For more than half of them, the university reported their address was a single apartment in Sunnyvale. The apartment manager told ICE agents that four university students lived there from June 2007 to August 2009 and none since.

Investigators believe TVU reported that most of its students live at the apartment to conceal they don't live in the state.

For a student to maintain the immigration status, they must show proof they are making reasonable process toward completing coursework and physically attend classes.

One of the school's professors, who did not want his name used, said Thursday he was shocked by the investigation. He said he taught online courses out of his home since 2009 and he said his experience with the university has been positive.

"I teach high quality courses and my students are good students and that's all I can tell you," he said.

He said classes were supposed to restart Jan. 10 after winter break, but there was a delay. He said he got an email from Su on Thursday that said classes would begin soon.

Pensacola State College fired a tenured professor Tuesday amid allegations that he presented college administrators with an unaccredited master's degree from an online diploma mill that he obtained while on a paid sabbatical.

Robert Michael Ardis, 48, has 10 days to appeal to the college Board of Trustees for a hearing before the board and 14 days to file a grievance that would see the matter brought before an arbitrator under the faculty union contract.

The associate professor of behavioral sciences and coordinator of the college's criminal justice program is also locked in an outside legal battle on criminal charges of violating a domestic violence injunction involving his 22-year-old wife, a former PSC student.

Charged with 14 counts of contempt of court, Ardis' case is set for trial on Jan. 24 before Escambia County Judge Joyce Williams.

The college's lawyer, Tom Gilliam, has said that the decision to dismiss Ardis is unrelated to the criminal matters. Ardis had been suspended without pay since Dec. 15.

PSC President Ed Meadows made the recommendation to the board to oust Ardis Tuesday. The board unanimously voted to dismiss Ardis who took a board-approved sabbatical in the spring term and first summer term in 2010.

Robert Larkin, a Tallahassee labor attorney who is representing the college, said that Ardis obtained his master's degree from Belford University and that "for another $25 he could have had his diploma say 'cum laude.'"

Larkin said that Ardis then submitted the degree to the college to obtain a promotion and a higher rate of pay.

This prompted Board of Trustees president John O'Connor to wonder if the college had any legal recourse to sue Ardis to obtain the money it paid him during his sabbatical.

He also asked if the college can examine other professors to see if they hold similar bogus degrees.

Larkin said the college could possibly do both.

The Better Business Bureau describes Belford University as a "diploma mill" where students can received their degree in as little as 15 days.

"Consumers report paying hundreds of dollars for diplomas and/or degrees but later discover that credentials offered by this organization are fraudulent and worthless," according to the bureau's Web site which gives Belford an "F" grade.

Belford's lists a Humble, Texas address, but the BBB says it received correspondence from the company in November that says, "We are a Panama-based educational company incorporated as per the laws of the Republic of Panama."

Tom Wazlavek, a union representative with the United Faculty of Florida, appeared at Tuesday's meeting on Ardis' behalf. Ardis did not attend.

"I don't want to go into the specifics of this case, because we are still looking through the college's case," Wazlavek said. "He looks forward to his day in court."

Wazlavek said Ardis will likely pursue the grievance path as having an appeal hearing before the same board that decided to fire him to begin with would not be beneficial.

On Nov. 30, 2009, Ardis' wife filed for a domestic violence injunction against him. The two have a child.

In the complaint, Ardis' wife reported that her husband became violent during an argument about which of them would pick up the family dog at a kennel.

She wrote that he threw a plastic tub to awaken her, dragged her from bed, kicked in a door and placed her in a stranglehold.

On Oct. 25 of last year, Ardis was arrested after his wife accused him of violating the injunction by contacting her via the Internet and discussing family members other than the couple's then-15-month-old son.

Ardis ended up spending five days in jail.

It's a college con job!

The head of a controversial center run by ex-convicts at Brooklyn's Medgar Evers College obtained a "doctorate" degree from an online "diploma mill," an official told The Post.

Divine Pryor, founder of the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions, is suing the CUNY school to block his group's eviction from the campus for lacking credentials.

He claims he earned a Ph.D. from Suffield University.

But the Connecticut Department of Higher Education said it issued a "cease and desist" order against Suffield for operating without a license after a probe.

"We view it as a diploma mill selling unaccredited degrees . . . We shut them down," said Connecticut Higher Education spokeswoman Constance Fraser.

Suffield's Web site offers associate, bachelor, master's and doctoral degrees for upwards of $550, with discounts for multiple degrees.

It admits there are no academic requirements and says, "The whole process can often be completed within 7-10 days."

Pryor -- who was sprung in 1992 after serving 10 years for robbery and burglary -- insisted, "I worked hard for my [Suffield Ph.D.] degree."

Suffield did not return calls seeking comment.

Three people were jailed yesterday for a total of 18.5 years for setting up bogus colleges to help illegal immigrants remain in the UK, following an investigation by our London immigration crime team.

Husband and wife Tiamiyu and Christiana Bello, aged 75 and 67, were arrested following a raid on a property on New Cross Road in south London in July 2007.

Registered to the address were the 'Academic College of Education' and the 'Academic College of Training and Recruitment', institutions for which the Bellos were the principals.

Officers soon discovered that the building was a collection of bedsits and there was no evidence of lessons being taught there.

During a search a large number of documents were seized, including letters purporting to be from the 'Academic College of Education' and counterfeit qualification certificates.

39-year-old solicitor Adeyinka Adeniran was later arrested following a search of his office on Old Kent Road. Many of the files seized from that address contained documentation from the Bellos' college.

Their scam, which continued for several years prior to their arrest, involved the supply of fake qualification documents which were then used to support visa applications to the Home Office. Many applicants were then represented by Adeniran through his legal practice.

Following an 11 week trial at Croydon Crown Court, Tiamiyu and Christiana Bello were found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to possess articles for use in fraud. They were both sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Adeniran was found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. Described by the judge as a 'disgrace to his profession', he was sentenced to 8.5 years behind bars.

Chris Foster, London immigration crime team, UK Border Agency said:

'This was a sophisticated criminal enterprise, which had the explicit aim of helping those who had no right to be in the UK evade immigration controls.

'As this case shows, illegal immigration can be big business. I hope this sends out a message that we are committed to tackling the criminal groups behind it, putting the ringleaders before the courts, and, ultimately, behind bars.

'We now have dedicated teams of UK Border Agency investigators working with police officers across the country to protect our border and prosecute those criminals who undermine and abuse our immigration control.

It comes as we continue a campaign to tackle illegal immigration and organised immigration crime.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'During the summer UK Border Agency officers across the country carried out a major enforcement crackdown which generated a large number of arrests, cash seizures and prosecutions. It also brought fresh intelligence which the agency is using, as seen with this operation today, to further disrupt the activities of people involved in facilitating immigration crime.

'We are also working with other law enforcement agencies to root out criminal networks behind the importation of drugs and firearms and cracking down on white collar professionals who seek to abuse immigration law.

'Illegal immigration puts huge pressure on the public purse at a time when the country can least afford it. Together with the police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency we will continue to make life as difficult as possible for those who to cheat the immigration system.'

The London immigration crime team is a specialist unit of police officers seconded from the Metropolitan Police working alongside our warranted officers to investigate organised immigration crime.

After 26 years with the Fruitland Park Department, Chief Mark Isom called it quits Wednesday after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement filed a criminal charge against him.

He likely will be stripped of his police certification, City Manager Ralph Bowers said, adding that he thinks that's part of the negotiations between FDLE and Isom's attorney.

Isom asked Bowers on Friday to place him on paid administrative leave. Bowers did so, and for now, Sgt. David Borst is the interim chief.

Bowers thanked Isom for his nearly 26 years of "dedicated service, after which he made one mistake."

"We need to forgive him and pray for his future," Bowers said. "Did he mislead the city? Probably."

The latest development comes a couple of weeks after Isom announced he planned to retire Dec. 31 if the FDLE called off its investigation into allegations he got college degrees from a diploma mill.

The state agency continued its investigation, filed the criminal charge against him and now Isom is no longer the police chief.

FDLE charged Isom, 47, with attempted official misconduct, according to records from the agency. That is a misdemeanor.

Assistant State Attorney Anthony Tatti, who is prosecuting the criminal charge against Isom, said Wednesday FDLE was working toward stripping Isom of his police certification. He wouldn't comment on whether prosecutors plan to do that.

Tatti did say that it's not unusual to take first-time misdemeanors who have already paid their restitution and put them in pre-trial diversion programs.

Isom's next scheduled court date is 8:30 a.m. Dec. 29 before Lake County Judge Donna Miller. But it's possible the case will be resolved before then, Tatti said.

Whether Isom retains his police certification or not, Bowers said last week the only job he would give Isom is volunteering for the city's fire department.

Isom was paid $70,000 a year as chief.

Even though the city is not paying Bowers now, it's still paying his l legal fees for the fake college diploma case.

Last week, city commissioners transferred $14,000 from one account to another to pay Isom's attorney fees in this case. That means city taxpayers will pay for Isom's attorney, Robert Trimle of Orlando.

Trimble was in court Wednesday and unavailable for comment.

While Borst is the interim chief, City Commissioner Jim Richardson suggested at last week's commission meeting that Fruitland Park ask Sheriff Gary Borders to send a commander to the police department to oversee it until a permanent chief is hired.

City commissioners did not agree to that proposal.

As for the criminal charge, the affidavit says that between April 15, 2009 and Jan. 29, 2010, Isom received $775.32 "based on his false claim of entitlement to incentive pay for having earned the said degree."

Isom paid the money back to the city after saying he had just learned that Youngsfield University was a diploma mill.

Emails between Isom and the "university" show that, for an $1,100 online payment, the chief would receive printed diplomas, transcripts and two letters of recommendation from professors, the affidavit says. Via his signature, the chief admitted that "I am aware that this is a non-accredited program."

Isom completed no course work with Youngsfield University or any other institution of higher learning for bachelor's or master's degrees, the affidavit said.

FDLE investigators said their efforts to contact Youngsfield University were futile.

Five state troopers investigated and disciplined for using bogus college diplomas to gain pay raises have sued the state, claiming they were defamed.

Filing a lawsuit earlier this month in King County Superior Court, the State Patrol troopers claim their reputations were stained in 2008 when the patrol released details of a probe into allegations that they had obtained bunk college degrees to gain pay raises.

In the suit, the troopers -- Bryan Ensley, Daniel Mann, Gabriel Olson, Dennis Tardiff and Spike Unruh -- each claim to hold degrees from Internet-based colleges that award credit based on "life experience."

Neither school is accredited by any body recognized by the federal Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the two organizations on which the patrol now relies to determine if a degree is valid.

The patrol launched an audit of personnel records in May 2008 after it came to light that a Spokane diploma mill selling counterfeit degrees and transcripts counted dozens of government workers among its customers. None of the troopers involved in the suit was a client of the diploma mill; each had, instead, obtained a degree online.

In 2008, nine troopers suspected of using degrees from unaccredited colleges were placed on paid leave while the allegations were investigated by the patrol. No charges were filed and, according to the lawsuit, each of the five troopers who has now sued was briefly suspended without pay.

Speaking Wednesday, State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins defended the department's actions against the troopers.

"This matter was thoroughly investigated, carefully considered and we think the discipline was appropriate," Calkin said.

Troopers received a 4 percent pay increase for holding a bachelor's degree and an additional 2 percent raise for a master's degree, providing a financial incentive to participate in the programs.

According to the lawsuit, Mann had been receiving educational incentive pay since 1999, when he obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Berkley -- an online institution unaffiliated with the University of California at Berkeley.

The other four troopers involved in the suit received their degrees from Almeda University -- another online university that, for a fee, also awards degrees based on an applicant's life experience -- and began drawing additional pay in 2006, attorney Aaron D. Bigby told the court.

Bigby, of the Seattle law firm Northcraft, Bigby & Biggs, argued in the civil complaint that the State Patrol had no rules for judging whether a university was properly accredited until after the investigation was launched in 2008.

Bigby recounted a July 2008 e-mail purportedly sent by a State Patrol captain investigating the troopers' educational backgrounds. The captain, Bigby told the court, noted that the State Patrol had "no real standard in place regarding what type of accreditation" is required.

Writing the court, Bigby said his clients were placed on paid administrative leave for 10 months while the patrol conducted a criminal investigation. No charges were filed and, after an initial move by the patrol to fire the deputies, the troopers were suspended for three to 10 days without pay.

Now, the troopers contend they were defamed by their employer in statements to the media after the investigation was made public. Writing the court, Bigby also claimed the patrol wrongly tied his clients to the Spokane diploma mill, which was the subject of criminal prosecution.

"Unlike the Spokane diploma mill, Almeda University and the University of Berkley operators have not been convicted of counterfeiting for their operations," Bigby told the court. "By implying a link between (the troopers) and the Spokane diploma mill, the (State Patrol) has placed the plaintiffs in a false light."

Bigby also faulted the patrol for releasing the names, personnel files and photos of his clients to reporters following a public records request.

Claiming his clients have suffered "severe emotional distress," Bigby asserted the troopers are owed payment for the harm done to their reputations, their mental anguish and invasions of their privacy.

The State Patrol has not yet responded to the suit with the court.

There are dozens of websites out there from "universities" like "University of Berkley" and "Almeda University" (not to be confused with Berkeley and Alameda) where people can log on, plug in a bunch of info on their "life experience," then pay a fee and wait while the website shits out a "degree" that they can then pad their resume with. A couple years ago, nine Washington State Patrol Troopers got caught using fake online degrees in order to get pay raises. Now the troopers are suing the state, saying they were defamed when the department implied a link between their fake degrees with those of an even more egregious Spokane-based diploma mill that was busted before the troopers were.

The P-I reported the news today.

 

In the suit, the troopers--Bryan Ensley, Daniel Mann, Gabriel Olson, Dennis Tardiff and Spike Unruh--each claim to hold degrees from Internet-based colleges that award credit based on "life experience."

Neither school is accredited by any body recognized by the federal Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the two organizations on which the patrol now relies to determine if a degree is valid.

Basically, the troopers are arguing that at the time they were disciplined (they were each briefly suspended without pay) the department didn't have a policy in place to determine which universities gave degrees that were valid to use for getting pay increases, and which were bullshit scams whose degrees might as well be cutouts from boxes of Cap'n Crunch.

The state has since more clearly defined its rules, which still hold that the troopers' degrees were bogus.

The case also hinges on a Spokane-based diploma mill that was issuing counterfeit degrees from hundreds of fake schools around the world, and whose owners were criminally prosecuted and sent to prison as a result. Lawyers for the troopers say the department "implied" a link from their client's fake-but-legal diplomas to the Spokane scam's fake-and-illegal ones.

The move seems rather a ballsy slap in the face by the troopers, who were lucky to keep their jobs after the incident.

Hopefully their lawyers aren't using fake law degrees, too.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews has strongly criticised the University of Wales, accusing it of bringing Wales into ridicule and disrepute.

His comments follow BBC Wales' Week In Week Out showed a Malaysian pop star with a bogus doctorate ran a college offering University of Wales courses.

It also uncovered doubts about a college in Bangkok.

Professor Nigel Palastanga, pro vice-chancellor of the university said it noted Mr Andrews' comments.

He said: "We don't think the BBC Wales programme was a fair and accurate reflection of the University's international role, and we have already responded in detail to the specific points raised.

"We have noted the comments the minister has made and our chairman will be responding directly."

Mr Andrews said the university had to "get to grips" with the issues raised. The university has been asked to respond.

Earlier Mr Andrews met Professor Marc Clement, the University's vice chancellor, at a meeting of senior figures from higher education in Wales.

The minister told BBC Wales: "We are fed up with the University of Wales bringing the name of Wales into ridicule.

"We want to see an end to this. We want to see high quality control within the institution."

The programme revealed that Fazley Yaakob, who ran the Fazley International College (FICO) in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, was claiming to have both a masters and a doctorate in business administration. He stepped down following the programme.

Bogus university

But both came from a bogus university, and Thai authorities said Accademia Italiana, a fashion college offering University of Wales validated courses in Bangkok, Thailand, had been operating illegally.

Mr Andrews said he had been in contact with the Higher Education Funding Council and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education about the revelations.

He said: "The governance of the University of Wales will be under scrutiny in my higher education governance review."

Mr Andrews said the university still had many "strong attributes".

He added: "We want to see the University of Wales as a quality benchmark for higher education in Wales and internationally.

"Associations with dubious bible colleges, associations with institutions whose leadership have bogus degrees, that brings the name of Wales into disrepute and it brings the University of Wales itself into disrepute.

"I want to see that they are serious about this issue and they are getting to grips with it."

The University of Wales announced it had suspended its involvement with Fazley International College, pending investigation

A Malaysian pop star with a bogus doctorate has been running a college offering University of Wales degree courses, a BBC investigation shows.

A Bangkok college that Thai authorities say has been operating illegally, is also offering courses leading to degrees from the Welsh institution.

Week in Week Out examined the way in which the University of Wales validated courses in overseas institutions.

The university said it was dealing "thoroughly" with the issues raised.

The programme revealed that Fazley Yaakob, who runs the Fazley International College (FICO) in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, was claiming to have both a masters and a doctorate in business administration.

But both came from a bogus university.

The pop star, who has four hit albums to his name, claimed the qualifications from the European Business School (Cambridge), an offshoot of the Irish International University, which was exposed as a sham by the BBC in 2008.

He said the University of Wales did not ask about his credentials, which were displayed prominently on the college website until he was confronted by BBC Wales' education correspondent Ciaran Jenkins in Kuala Lumpur.

No new admissions

Professor Nigel Palastanga, pro vice chancellor at the University of Wales, said the university was "concerned" about the issues raised in the programme.

"We are not happy about what is happening, we are dealing with it and will deal with it very thoroughly and will learn lessons from what has happened," he said.

The University of Wales announced it had suspended its involvement with Fazley International College, and would take no new admissions to its business administration and MBA courses until the matter had been investigated.

Professor Palastanga said there were no concerns about academic standards at the college.

Meanwhile, Thai authorities said Accademia Italiana, a fashion college offering University of Wales validated courses in Bangkok, Thailand, had been operating illegally.

Dr Sumate Yammoon, Secretary General of the Commission on Higher Education in Thailand, said last week that the matter was in the hands of the police.

However, Professor Palastanga said the situation had now changed.

'Run its course'

"My information is that the college is now operating legally within the Thai system," he said.

Jenny Randerson AM, the Welsh Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said she believed the University of Wales had now "run its course" and that its remaining accredited institutions in Wales - Swansea Metropolitan University, UWIC, Glyndwr University, Trinity Saint David and University of Wales, Newport - could operate independently.

Universities in Wales are bracing themselves for the outcome of a review into the governance of higher education, ordered by Education Minister Leighton Andrews.

He has now instructed the review to look at the issues raised in the Week In Week Out programme.

Cardiff University left the University of Wales in 2004 while the universities of Bangor, Swansea and Aberystwyth decided to offer their own degrees in 2008.

Severed ties

In November 2008, a BBC Wales Dragon's Eye investigation showed that the University of Wales validated courses run by a controversial bible college in the United States.

The university severed its ties with Trinity College of the Bible in Newburgh, Indiana shortly before the programme was broadcast.

Professor Palastanga said it was "not good" for the university's reputation when things went wrong, however he stressed it worked continually with its partners to uphold standards.

The University of Wales validates courses in more than 100 colleges in more than 40 countries.

There are currently 70,000 students studying for University of Wales degrees worldwide.

The university said the profits from its international validation programmes were invested in Welsh higher education.

Responding to a question from Jenny Randerson AM on the investigation, First Minister Carwyn Jones told the assembly the education minister has already asked the review of HE governance to look into this matter.

"Primarily, it's an issue for the University of Wales and its reputation," Mr Jones told AMs.

"So it's exceptionally important that the University of Wales takes note of the allegations that have been made, and then of course takes steps to ensure that if the allegations are correct, that there is no opportunity for anybody to use the name of the University of Wales in an inappropriate way."

The executive director of a Malaysian college offering University of Wales degree courses has resigned after questions about his own qualifications.

Fazley Yaakob, a pop star who runs the Fazley International College (FIC) in Kuala Lumpur, has two degrees from a bogus university.

Week In Week Out examined the way in which the University of Wales validated courses in overseas institutions.

The university has said concerns relate solely to Yaakob and not the courses.

The programme reveals that Yaakob claimed to have both a masters and a doctorate in business administration. But both were from a bogus university.

Yaakob, who has four hit albums to his name, claimed to have qualifications from the European Business School (Cambridge), an offshoot of the Irish International University - which was exposed as a sham by the BBC in 2008.

He said the University of Wales did not ask about his credentials, which were displayed prominently on the college website, until he was confronted by BBC Wales' education correspondent Ciaran Jenkins in Kuala Lumpur.

In his resignation letter, Yaakob said: "My role in Fazley International College is one of an investor.

"Though I hold a director's position, I have never been a part of the academic team nor have I sat at any of the academic meetings.

"As such, you can be assured that at no stage was the academic standards or the reputation of the university put at a compromise. To be honest I have only sat in at management meetings.

"Upon further reflection, I consider that to continue as a director could be damaging to the college, its student community and the dedicated staff who have worked hard to uphold the academic standards and integrity.

"It is quite clear that this continuing public controversy will undermine the reputation and the good relations between the college and the university, which I cannot, in any circumstances, allow.

'Public confidence'

"Therefore, I have decided to tender my resignation as the executive director of the college.

"It is my intention to keep fighting to clear my name and restore public confidence of my reputation.

"I sincerely apologise for having caused the university and its officials embarrassment.

"I do hope that the matter will be laid to rest and that the link between the university and FIC can be restored."

The University of Wales has suspended its relationship with the college - one of three educational institutions it collaborates with in Malaysia - following the controversy.

The university signed an agreement with FIC in 2007 and saw the first students admitted to its validated courses the following year, having gained provisional approvals from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.

But it has now decided not to recognise any additional admissions to its BA (Hons) Business Administration and MBA courses at the college until concerns have been fully investigated. The 35 students currently enrolled on University-validated courses will not be affected.

University vice chancellor Marc Clement said: "The principal doesn't himself teach on the course and I don't want to pre-judge the case, but I've taken this decision as a precaution to protect the reputation of the University of Wales.

"We are proud of the work we're doing internationally to take the educational values of a great Welsh institution to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to study on validated courses, and it is important this mission isn't diluted by doubts about any of collaborative centres.

"Our validation team is experienced and highly skilled and travels regularly to collaborative centres to check the quality of the provision and work with local people to build capacity.

"Their job is to validate the courses we recognise, not the institution itself, and we're confident the university's validated courses at FIC meet our high academic standards.

"Our concern relates solely to the fact that the head of the institution has informed us of a controversy relating to his personal academic qualifications.

"This would not normally be relevant to the validation process, but we feel we have a duty to go beyond the letter of our rules so that the integrity of our courses is beyond any doubt."

The University is the second largest degree awarding body in the UK after the University of London. In 2010, it awarded 20,000 degrees and other awards and had around 70,000 people studying on its courses, of which 13,704 were on validated programmes outside the UK.

Mario Carrillo has made a fatal political error: He has claimed as legitimate two degrees from a diploma mill in the United Kingdom.

And for that, we withdraw our endorsement of his candidacy for Vista City Council.

A reporter from The San Diego Union-Tribune raised the issue in a story last week.

Monday, Carrillo told a North County Times reporter that he isn't convinced the degrees are not legitimate. "I paid tuition, I took the courses and I received my degree, just like I would do for any extension course," he said.

Carrillo said the university told him that the three classes and work performed at Palomar College in the 1970s were enough for the bachelor's degree and that his work experience as a musician qualified him for a master's degree. The university granted him the diplomas "retroactive" to 1978 and 1980, he said.

All of this is flat-out unbelievable ---- no reasonably well-educated person could buy this with a straight face.

Unfortunately, Carrillo's apparent lack of understanding about the diploma mills or the seriousness of the issue betrays a real problem: If he doesn't understand that a couple of "courses" and $1,700 doesn't a university education make, what else doesn't he understand?

The city of Vista is a complex enterprise with a $118.5 million operating budget and a complex redevelopment district. The health of a city and its residents ride on the decisions of the council.

Because of this, we withdraw our endorsement.

We have previously endorsed John Aguilera and stand by that pick.

For the second council seat, Tom Fleming has been active in civic affairs for years, including a stint as president of the Vista Village Business Association. He is fiscally conservative and understands the needs for prudent budget decisions in this economy.

We urge voters to give Fleming a look.

A Vista City Council candidate who has touted his business degree in his campaign has removed mention of it from his website after being questioned by The U-T about the school’s legitimacy.

Mario Carrillo, 54, received his diploma from a group that the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2004 dubbed “the Granddaddy of diploma mill operations.”

“I feel duped,” Carrillo said. “The only thing I can tell the voters is that they were a legitimate institution, and no one has ever questioned me about my degree. All I can say is that I’m human and I apologize.”

Carrillo is an accomplished musician and songwriter who owns a recording studio in the city’s downtown. He is an advocate of greater offerings for Vista’s youth and young adults, and is one of the most prominent local voices supporting Vista’s development of a new skate park.

Carrillo is running for elected office for the first time. He received endorsements from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of San Diego County and the North County Times.

On his website, he had listed a bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Shaftesbury University received in 1978. He also has mentioned his MBA in City Council forums as part of his qualifications for the elected position. Carrillo also noted his MBA in his candidate statement that appears on the sample ballot. “After I earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, I moved to Vista where I have lived for over 30 years.”

The statement conflicts with Carrillo’s explanation of events that led to his receiving the diploma. Carrillo said he called the college in the early 1990s to ask how he could obtain a degree. The university explained that it would combine his previous college credits — he took classes at Palomar College in the 1970s — with his job experience as a musician to achieve the credits needed to obtain a degree. Carrillo said he then paid a tuition fee, and then after a short home course, mailed him his diploma and transcripts, all retroactive to the 1970s.

“I didn’t see anything fraudulent about it at all,” he said. “They were giving me credit for the work I had done in the professional field. This is the way they explained it to me, and I trusted them. Again, I feel ashamed and disappointed.”

The candidate statement cannot be changed because the sample ballots have been mailed to voters, Vista officials said.

Carrillo also claimed to have taken upper graduate courses at University of California, Los Angeles, but he actually took a songwriting course through the UCLA Extension, not the university. Carrillo said he didn’t know there was a distinction.

Shaftesbury University is part of a consortium of unaccredited universities called the University Degree Programs run by Jason and Caroline Abraham starting in the 1990s. According to the 2004 Chronicle of Higher Education article, sales people at call centers in Romania and Israel recruited students over the telephone. In the past, recipients of their degrees have been prosecuted for fraud in connection with the use of their degree for employment.

Unlike many distance-learning education programs, such as University of Phoenix and Kaplan College, UDP students reportedly can pay for their degrees without completing course work. The operation was estimated to have sold more than 30,000 “degrees” and received proceeds totaling $50 million to $100 million, according to the Chronicle report.

People are not required to have a college degree or high school diploma to seek elected office. In Vista, like most municipalities, candidates are only required to be 18, registered voters and residents.

A leading political reform expert said that while Carrillo did the right thing by removing the mention of the degree from his website, he is skeptical that Carrillo was oblivious to the school’s questionable background.

“A legitimate school would have you attend classes and would not issue a degree retroactively,” said Bob Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies, a nonpartisan government think tank.

University Degree Program representatives could not be reached for comment.

When I first asked Lisa Hammond about her doctorate degree a couple of weeks ago, what mainly interested me was what she said after acknowledging she had received it from an unaccredited school.

Having a doctorate "is important to me," said Hammond, 53, who is paid a $55-per-hour consulting fee as a county contract monitor. "I plan to get another one."

She made it sound as if this was a goal like running a marathon — ambitious, but nothing that had to disrupt her life. And I wondered, can studying for a doctorate really be a part-time gig? Can you place what novelist Henry James called "those three magic letters" — Ph.D. — behind your name without the traditional two or three arduous years of class work and at least that many more years writing an original, book-length dissertation?

Yeah, sure, higher education experts told me, especially if you don't care about learning. And judging from the Senate testimony of a Coast Guard officer named Claudia Gelzer, Hammond wouldn't have had to learn much to get her doctorate from Kennedy-Western University.

Gelzer enrolled at the online California school as part of a federal investigation into diploma mills. She was promptly awarded more than half the credits she needed for a master's degree in environmental engineering, based on her work experience, she told a Senate committee in 2004.

"They asked for no proof or documentation," she said. And, "as a note, I have no formal engineering training."

Gelzer quickly picked up more credits by passing open-book exams, the answers for which could often be found in the books' glossaries. George Gollin, a University of Illinois physics professor who has made a sideline of exposing diploma mills, said it appears Gelzer could have finished all of her master's degree requirements in one 40-hour work week — even without receiving credit for life experience.

"To my mind, that makes Kennedy-Western a diploma mill, end of story," he said.

My favorite quote about the proliferation of advanced degrees came from a Washington Post story: "These days, Ph.D.'s are like opinions and pie holes — pretty much everybody's got one." That was in 2002. Due mostly to the increased reach of the Internet, the situation is worse now, Gollin said.

He estimated in 2007 that diploma mills issued between 100,000 and 200,000 university degrees annually. About a third were at the doctoral level, a number rivaling the 48,000 legitimate doctorates issued in 2008, according to a study by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center.

Even that figure may be inflated by questionable degrees awarded by for-profit universities that "have their roots in dog grooming and cosmetology and, over the past decade, have tried to move up the food chain," said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers.

In Hammond's case, the questions don't stop with the quality of the institution. In a resume she sent to the Times about three weeks ago, when Clerk of the Circuit Court Karen Nicolai offered her a full-time $105,000-a-year job (she's since been bumped back down to consultant, but could still make that much money in a year), Hammond claimed a Florida teaching certificate in psychology and economics.

Her teaching qualification has since expired, Hammond said Friday, though she didn't say that on the resume.

Also, Times researcher Shirl Kennedy found the state doesn't issue certificates in those fields, and Hammond makes no mention of them in a 2009 application to serve on the Early Learning Coalition of Hernando and Pasco — just that in 1999 she received a "temporary educator's certificate."

Weeks after it was first requested, Hammond, who also serves as chairwoman of the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission, still hasn't produced a transcript from the Southern Africa Policy Institute in Zimbabwe — from which she claims a "post graduate diploma" on her most recent resume. Nor could she provide a phone number or e-mail address. Researcher Kennedy found no evidence the institute even existed.

Kennedy-Western did exist, though it changed its name to Warren National University in 2007. It closed in March 2009, which happens to be the month Hammond received her degree.

Much of Hammond's work experience checked out, as did her undergraduate degree. And she has generally been praised for her performance with the county.

So maybe it's not fair to label her a fraud. But it is fair to say that phony degrees are a way of dishonestly extracting money. That's usually the whole point, Nassirian said.

Doctorates were once mostly just for academics, he said, and the "perceived value has increased because there are now so many fields in which a Ph.D. is highly lucrative."

When the degree is fake, the employer is stuck with a worker who may be unqualified and is certainly untrustworthy. And in Hammond's case, fellow Hernando taxpayers, that employer is us.

Most of the 100,000 admirals in Nebraska's "Great Navy" hold the lighthearted honor because they've done something for the state in large or small ways.

But there's a less savory, unmerited side to Nebraska admiralships.

At least in recent years, it turns out, some people have found membership in the Nebraska Navy to be an easy way to pad résumés and burnish reputations.

Increasingly, the admiralships are showing up in the hands of African rulers, people who work with diploma mills and others with no significant ties to Nebraska.

The World-Herald has discovered that some awards are collected and distributed through a web of non-Nebraskans who submit numerous nominations. In at least one case, there is an allegation that an admiralship was sold for $2,600.

Former State Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha, who is a Nebraska admiral, said he feels bad that some people are tainting the program.

"It's a long, rich tradition until it goes amok," Brashear said.

Earlier this month, The World-Herald reported that a Nebraska admiralship had been given to Yahya Jammeh, president of Gambia. Jammeh has been criticized for human rights violations.

Gov. Dave Heineman never intended to honor Jammeh. Instead, a San Francisco man requested the admiralship, and Heineman's staff processed it with little scrutiny. The Governor's Office has handled 7,000 or so certificates since Heineman took office in 2005, continuing a tradition that has been in effect since the 1930s.

Heineman has said it wouldn't be a good use of time or money to investigate each nomination, especially since the vast majority are legitimate.

Yet that leaves plenty of opportunity for non-Nebraskans to take advantage of the system.

The World-Herald examined a list of admiralships issued since Heineman took office in 2005 and discovered:

 

• A second African ruler, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, is on the list. A Slate magazine article in 2008 described Obiang as "Africa's worst dictator," outdoing even Zimbabwe's notorious Robert Mugabe.

   

• The Iranian-born San Francisco man who nominated Jammeh earlier this year, Nasser Heydarian, has nominated at least 10 other admirals. None apparently has any Nebraska ties.

   

• Heydarian reportedly was paid $2,600 for the Jammeh admiralship, although he emphatically denies that.

   

• At least 14 admirals from outside Nebraska are linked to unaccredited universities that have been criticized as diploma mills, or to groups that have endorsed some of those questionable schools.

It might be hard for Nebraskans to believe that the admiralship, which confers tongue-in-cheek authority over "seamen, tadpoles and goldfish," could be in much demand among those who have no allegiance to the state.

Nevertheless, admiralships show up on résumés all over the world.

"It's a big thing for some people," said Robert Ray Hill of Kentucky. "Do I have it on my résumé? I think I might."

Stephen R. Barnhart certainly does. Barnhart, who runs a security service in Kansas City, includes the Nebraska honor on his lengthy list of accolades and diplomas, including a number of advanced degrees from unaccredited schools. He also notes that he is a professor for several such institutions. Barnhart did not return telephone calls from the newspaper.

But others interviewed last week say the Nebraska admiralship — certified by the state's governor, after all — adds an extra bit of credibility for those who want to embellish their qualifications. It may help those who pitch higher education degrees, and it can help curry favor with foreign leaders who control business opportunities.

A number of non-Nebraskans with recent admiralships are members of the same organizations.

For example, Heydarian, Hill and Barnhart are listed as "full professorship holders" with the International University of Fundamental Studies, an unaccredited school.

Similarly, The World-Herald also found at least eight admirals have been linked to the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an Italian organization. That includes Barnhart and Heydarian, as well as the leaders of Gambia and Equatorial Guinea, who are considered "international vice presidents."

In an interview, Heydarian said he nominated Jammeh for the admiralship at the request of Georg Reiff, a German man who works with the Italian group. Heydarian also obtained an admiralship for Reiff.

Heydarian, who said he is a medical doctor but is not licensed to practice in the United States, said the original deal was that he could go to Gambia to present the award and perhaps provide some humanitarian assistance. In the end, however, he was cut out of the Gambia trip.

"They're going over there to get some credit for themselves," an angry Heydarian said. "I did this favor because they asked me to do it. They are no good. They are using me."

Reiff could not be reached directly for comment. But Hill — who had nominated Heydarian for his admiralship in 2006 —said Reiff told him that Heydarian had demanded $2,600 in payment in April for Jammeh's certificate.

According to Hill, Reiff said he had no choice but to pay because he already had told the Gambian strongman that the admiralship was coming.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Heydarian replied. "They're playing a dirty game. I never got a penny."

Heydarian said Nebraska's governor should simply void Jammeh's admiralship.

Controversy aside, Brashear said the Nebraska Navy is intended to be a way "to wrap people together in terms of a moment of humor and honor." As speaker of the Legislature, Brashear said, he served a few hours as acting governor in 2006 and doled out numerous admiralships to friends, acquaintances and relatives, including his wife.

But he said there's no reason to name admirals who have no relationship with Nebraska or its residents. He said it is up to Heineman to decide whether the rules need to be tightened.

"After all, he is the admiral of all admirals," Brashear said. "He'll have to protect the fleet."

This too:

Nebraska Navy has 'unsavory despot', Paul Goodsell and Andrea Vasquez, Omaha, Nebraska, World-Herald, October 2, 2010.

For decades, Nebraska governors have handed out thousands of admiralships in the mythical "Great Navy of Nebraska" — a way to honor celebrities, heroes and ordinary citizens.

Astronauts John Glenn and Clayton Anderson. Entertainers Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. Local school board members and police officers.

Now you can add African strongman Yahya Jammeh.

The new admiral, who is the president of Gambia, has been criticized for alleged human rights violations and has said he would "cut off the head" of any homosexuals found in the country.

"This is a real unsavory despot," said Frank Smyth of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based organization that tries to raise awareness of press freedom issues around the world.

So the group was shocked last month when a smiling Jammeh was photographed holding the gold-framed certificate from Gov. Dave Heineman.

It isn't clear whether Jammeh read the entire tongue-in-cheek proclamation, which ordered all "seamen, tadpoles and goldfish" to obey the admiral.

Or whether he knew that Nebraska has no fleet — other than the floating covered wagon depicted on the certificate.

While the certificate declares that the honoree is "a good person and a loyal friend and counselor," Heineman doesn't know the Gambian president, never approved the admiralship and did not personally sign the certificate.

Nor did anyone on Heineman's staff give more than cursory attention to Jammeh's nomination, requested by a man in San Francisco.

It was one of more than 7,000 admiralships bestowed by Heineman since he took office in 2005.

"It's just not feasible for us to do background checks," said Jen Rae Hein, a spokeswoman for the governor. "This is in no way an endorsement from Nebraska of this person's politics."

The governor personally gives a handful of admiralships — perhaps a dozen or so per year — to visiting dignitaries or other noteworthy people, Hein said. Nearly all the awards are handled by staff members, who process nominations by state senators and others who want to honor people for their contributions to the state.

Guidelines posted on the governor's website say either the nominator or nominee must be from Nebraska, but Hein said any current admiral can nominate anyone else, even if neither is from Nebraska.

That was the case with Jammeh's nomination. It arrived in January from Nasser Heydarian, who described himself as a medical doctor but used a San Francisco coffee shop as his mailing address.

Hein said Heydarian did not identify Jammeh as the Gambian president but gave this reason for making him an admiral: "He is very good with poor people and always he is helping them."

Heineman had honored Heydarian as an admiral in 2006, after a nomination from Robert Ray Hill of Kentucky.

Hill has worked for organizations criticized as being "diploma mills."

And a Wikia website identifies Heydarian as president of the "Dominion of Melchizedek," a so-called "cyber-nation" that allegedly is a haven for banking fraud.

It's unclear whether Hill has Nebraska connections or whether he is a Nebraska admiral. Heydarian and Hill could not be reached for comment.

Hein said Jammeh's certificate was mailed to Heydarian at the coffee shop address in February, although it was dated Sept. 10 as requested.

Last month, the certificate was delivered to Jammeh by a representative of the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an Italian organization that has drawn criticism for recognizing diploma mills.

The group also passed along two other "awards" to Jammeh, purportedly from President Barack Obama. A U.S. State Department official said Friday that the White House had no connection with those awards.

Jammeh's honors were publicized in the Gambian press and soon drew attention from outside groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists initially was concerned that Obama and others were giving awards to Jammeh but later concluded that no honors were intended.

The admiralship isn't Jammeh's first state award: Kentucky's governor made him an honorary "Kentucky colonel" in 2008.

Giving admiralships is a long-standing tradition for Nebraska governors. Hein said she didn't know how many were awarded under Heineman's predecessor, Mike Johanns, but staff members who worked for both governors told her the pace is about the same.

Nebraska has no process for rescinding the honor, she said.

Staffers try to catch the most questionable nominations, such as those requested for pets, Hein said. Otherwise, she said, little investigation is done, and few requests are denied. Nominations from current admirals are automatically approved.

"I don't know if it's always going to be automatic now," Hein said.

"There are going to be some people that game the system, but that is not something we endorse. We are relying on the good faith practices of Nebraskans and of those nominating their fellow citizens."

Rick Scott made it official this morning, introducing state Rep. Jennifer Carroll as his running mate on the Republican ticket for governor.

"I am honored that Jennifer is the first African-American Republican woman to be part of a statewide ticket in Florida," Scott wrote in a letter to supporters.

"Jennifer Carroll is the embodiment of the American Dream. She came to America as a young girl, decided to serve her country with the United States Navy, pursued a higher education, started a small business, and then was elected the first African American female Republican in the Florida State Legislature."

Carroll, 51, joined Scott on a campaign fly-around beginning in Jacksonville, a major hub of Republican voters near Carroll's home in Fleming Island. Stops were planned later today in Orlando and Tampa.

The campaign unfurled a "Scott Carroll" placard as Scott and Carroll stood on a platform outside the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, with a Blue Angel jet in the background. Carroll's husband Nolan and two of their three children were on hand, along with Scott's wife, Ann.

"Jennifer has an inspiring story to tell," Scott said.

Noting that Carroll was the first African-American Republican woman in the Legislature, Scott called her a "barrier-breaker."

Carroll, wearing a bright red suit, said she likes Scott's "energetic leadership," and added: "He is totally committed to turning around the economic conditions of this state." But she at first said Scott's "7-7-7" plan would create 7,000 jobs over seven years, not the 700,000 Scott is promising.

Carroll was a supporter of Bill McCollum in the primary, and said she kept her word and that his jobs message resonated with her. Scott declined to discuss the vetting process in detail.

"We're both outsiders and we both come from humble beginnings," Scott said. "Jennifer is clearly not perceived to be an insider."

Asked to cite her proudest accomplishment as a legislator, Carroll asked reporters to "look at my resume," and cited her work in lowering the burden on businesses in Florida.

In choosing Carroll, Scott, himself a Navy veteran, gets a woman with a distinctive personal story who could neutralize the gender appeal of his Democratic opponent, state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink:

 

• In a state where one in every seven voters is black — and nearly all of them Democrats — Carroll is an African-American Republican.
• As a native of Trinidad, Carroll is an immigrant who could help soften Scott's hard-line image on an issue that cuts both ways in a state with a large immigrant population.
• She packs a celebrity punch: Her son, Nolan II, is a rookie cornerback and kick returner for the Miami Dolphins, drafted out of the University of Maryland.

Carroll made Gov. Charlie Crist's short list of possible running mates in 2006. She was also among those listed as possible successors to Mel Martinez, who resigned his U.S. Senate seat last year.

Sink's running mate is Rod Smith, 60, a former state senator and elected state attorney from Alachua County who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006.

Carroll moved to Florida in 1986. She and her husband, Nolan, have three children.

She became the first black woman elected to the Legislature in a special election in 2003.

She retired after 20 years in the Navy, where she rose to the rank of lieutenant commander aviation maintenance officer.

She has a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico and a master's degree in business administration from Saint Leo University in Pasco County.

Her official legislative biography notes that she is a lifelong member of both the NAACP and the National Rifle Association.

Her record is not free of blemishes, however.

Six years ago, after news reports said that she listed a degree from an online "diploma mill," Kensington University in California, she dropped the reference from her official resume.

"This causes me great concern," Carroll told the Florida Times-Union in 2004. "It's a lot of time, effort and money poured into a university I thought was a viable program."

They are safety engineers at nuclear power plants and biological weapons experts. They work at NATO headquarters, at the Pentagon and at nearly every other federal agency. And, as CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales reports, they're employees with degrees from phony schools.

"These degrees aren't worth the paper that they're printed on," says one insider, who asked CBS News to protect his identity.

The man worked at a so-called diploma mill where students pay a lot of money to get a degree online or through the mail for little or no work.

He says he's not surprised to know that there are people working at almost every level of government who have degrees from these types of operations.

Assistant Secretary of Defense Charles Abell has a master's from Columbus University, a diploma mill Louisiana shut down. Deputy Assistant Secretary Patricia Walker lists among her degrees, a bachelor's from Pacific Western, a diploma mill banned in Oregon and under investigation in Hawaii.

CBS News requested interviews with both officials. The Pentagon turned us down, saying, "We don't consider it an issue."

But using such a degree is a crime in some states. Alan Contreras cracks down on diploma mills for Oregon, a state that's taken the lead on this issue.

"You don't want somebody with a fake degree working in Homeland Security," says Contreras. "You don't want somebody with a fake degree teaching your children or designing your bridges."

But we found employees with diploma mill degrees at the new Transportation Security Administration, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Departments of Treasury and Education, where Rene Drouin sits on an advisory committee. He has degrees from two diploma mills including Kensington University.

Kensington was forced out of business by officials in California and Hawaii. Another Kensington alum, Florida State Rep. Jennifer Carroll, just stepped down from the National Commission on Presidential Scholars.

Both Carroll and Drouin say they worked hard and thought their degrees were legitimate.

"The students are being sold a bill of goods that really don't help them at all," the insider says. "There are slick people out there, and it's happening every day, every minute probably somewhere in America."

And taxpayers have paid for bogus degrees some workers used for hiring, promotions and raises

Kenyans have been cautioned against enrolling in five international universities purporting to offer degrees and diplomas.

Yesterday, the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) said Bircham International University, Dublin Metropolitan University and Dorcas International Theological College are not authorised to offer degree programmes.

Unaccredited programmes

Others that are operating illegally in the country include America World University as well as Nation University US. CHE boss Everret Standa said qualifications from such institutions would not be recognised.

"The public is cautioned against institutions that are offering dubious, unaccredited degree and diploma programmes," said Prof Standa.

The alert comes barely a week after The Standard exposed activities of the United Graduates College and Seminary, which has been dishing out honorary degrees to prominent Kenyans.

The institutions, Standa said, are not allowed to offer the degrees and diplomas either on their own or in collaboration with universities abroad.

According to the commission, Bircham International University is not accredited by any recognised accreditation agency in the US. It has also not been granted authority by CHE to collaborate with any institution in Kenya to offer any university education.

On the other hand, Dublin Metropolitan University is also not accredited by any recognised accreditation agency in Britain, and has also not been granted authority by CHE to collaborate with any local institution.

Authority to collaborate

Standa also cautioned that Dorcas International Theological College has not sought nor has it been granted authority to collaborate with any institution either locally or abroad to offer and award any degree level education and qualifications.

"Nations University, which it purports to collaborate with, does not appear in the list of institutions in USA accredited through any of the accrediting agencies recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in USA," he said.

Therefore, degrees issued by the theological college are not recognised in Kenya, said Standa.

There are seven public universities and 13 constituent colleges

A US-based college involved in a controversial dishing out of honorary degrees to prominent Kenyans is now the subject of a Federal Bureau of Investigations probe.

The state of Tennessee Department of Education through its education Commission has already launched investigations into the activities of United Graduate College and Seminary.

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday on telephone from Nashville US, an official from the Commissioner of Education office who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media, said the commission has launched its own investigations to get to the bottom of the saga.

Asked whether they will involve the FBI he said, "In such cases that go beyond our borders, we definitely have to involve the local security agencies including the FBI office."

But he was categorical that the United Graduate College and Seminary has no authority to operate in Tennessee.

It also termed claims that the college is fully endorsed as "wrong and misleading".

But faced with heavy criticism, the colleges’ chief chancellor Prof Clyde Rivers said the institution would dish out more than 2,000 doctorate degrees to Kenyans by the end of next year.

He said he would not be dissuaded by Press reports questioning the credibility of his institution and vowed to continue with his work. He said it should not be a crime to bring honour to many people.

"I have not come here to put up any university, but to honour Kenyans who would otherwise not be recognised," said Rivers.

New York — A string of VIPs in Kenya and around Africa could have paid thousands of dollars to three Americans liberally giving out doctorate degrees to the unsung heroes of Africa.

The letters inviting the selected men and women for the academic honour also asked them to make contributions towards the travel and accommodation expenses of the visiting Americans.

In one instance, the Daily Nation learnt that they asked a potential beneficiary to contribute about Sh240,000 ($3,000) to arrange for the award ceremony. The college's Chancellor of Educational Development Worldwide, Prof Clyde Rivers, at first told the Daily Nation in an interview that his team paid its own way but later admitted that the group had been asking for money.

"We pay our own way... We feel so passionate about Africa that we do it ourselves," said had Prof Rivers. The Daily Nation then confronted him with details that the letters they had been sending out to potential beneficiaries would often close with a request for money and he accepted that it was indeed true.

"We do ask people to cover our hotel. We spend $2,500 to $6,000 to fly here. We ask for that to help cost share. If someone says no, we don't disregard him. I'm just here to truly honour Africa," said Prof Rivers, flanked by two of his colleagues, a mother and her daughter.

And in an ironic twist of events, the president of the United Graduate College and Seminary, Dr Dorothy Wisor, said that she did not know how many students were enrolled in the university and had admitted that they do not have a physical campus anywhere in the US.

The college president said she did not have much details about the college because she only took up her job three weeks ago and had only a short while ago married the founder, Dr Martin Wisor.

The representatives of the internet-based institution have been on a spree around Africa, giving honorary doctorate degrees to the high and mighty. The list of those who have been honoured include House Speaker Kenneth Marende and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

Honorary degrees are usually given by universities to men and women for extraordinary achievements and are usually conferred at university campuses during graduation ceremonies.Neither Mr Marende nor Mr Musyoka had commented on the conferment of the degrees or whether they had given any money to the Americans despite repeated attempts by the Daily Nation to contact them through their aides.

Further afield, the Americans claim to have conferred the honorary degrees to Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni and his wife Janet, Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano.

The university has also honoured the founder of the anti-jigger campaign in Kenya, Mr Stanely Kamau, former Nairobi mayor Joe Aketch and former Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation chairperson Zipporah Kittony.

The university is represented in Kenya by one-time Nairobi mayor Nathan Kahara who signs correspondence as a professor with a string of abbreviated titles after his name.

It is copied to Bishop Arthur Kitonga who is designated as professor and named the Special Advisor Worldwide. Prof Rivers said the institution would honour as many Africans as deserved it and said that they had contacted "Nelson Mandela's people" for the possibility of issuing him with a honorary doctorate.

He said he had been working in Africa since 2005 and had active programmes in Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa and Ghana.Prof Rivers said he had "discovered" that African achievers were hardly honoured and had decided to fill the gap.

His team was also driven by the realisation that many pastors were operating without academic credentials even though they had devoted their life in service to the Christian ministry. He said that despite the many honorary degrees awarded, they maintained a rigorous process and that through the Internet, their reach was global.

Prof Rivers admitted that his institution's Web site did not measure up to international standards and turned the blame on "people from the Third World" whom he claimed had hacked into the site and fraudulently made money out of it.

He said the college would be building a new Web site. He was accompanied at the half-hour interview by Prof Michal Pitzl, the colleges Chancellor of Education Development Worldwide and her daughter, Prof Donella Pitzl, the Vice Chancellor for communications. In Burundi, President Nkurunziza has appointed Prof Rivers as the country's honorary consul to the state of California.

Although the three American professors said that their headquarters were in Jonesborough, Tennessee, their business cards give an address in Victorville California, which is approximately 3,500 kilometres away by road or about seven times the distance between Nairobi and Mombasa.

Though it is at the discretion of a university to confer honorary degrees as they wish, most universities jealously guard the issuance and limit them to maximise their impact. The college's founder, Dr Wisor, said the "college" was able to operate anywhere because all the courses it offered were conducted online.

He also admitted that the college did not have a physical campus. At first she was hesitant to speak, saying she didn't know much about the college's workings because she'd only recently landed the job as its head. She said she was married a little while ago to Dr Martin Wisor, named on the college's Web site as the college's founder.

According to her, the college was established in 1985. Dr Dorothy Wisor also told the Daily Nation on telephone that the college did award many honorary degrees, and those that it gave were in recognition of "humanitarian services the recipients have provided to people in their countries" and because of "their service to God."

She also said that recipients had to be Christians. Asked whether the college was fully accredited, she said it was "fully endorsed."It appears that the college was what is referred to pejoratively in the US as a "diploma mill" -- meaning students can get a degree without doing much work as long as they paid whatever was required.

On its Web site, it says that the United Graduate College and Seminary is "fully endorsed by the United Association of Christian Churches and Ministries International" (UACCMI). On the UACCMI website, Dr Martin Wisor is listed as the association's founder and CEO while Dr Dorothy Wisor is listed as president of United Graduate College and Seminary. It turns out that the college that Dr Martin Wisor founded was "fully endorsed" by the association that Dr Martin Wisor founded.

 

A man who worked as a psychologist for the Saratoga County Public Defender’s Office and the Saratoga County Family Court was arrested by New York State Police Friday, accused of forging his degrees and other credentials.

Steven Feldman faces four felony charges: grand larceny, scheme to defraud, falsifying business records and offering a false statement. He is scheduled to appear in Ballston Spa Village Court Monday afternoon. The case will likely ultimately end up in Saratoga County Court.

According to District Attorney James A. Murphy III, Feldman "claimed he had certain degrees … and professional certifications that he does not allegedly have. He also claims he graduated from schools that State Police have advised are diploma mills."

According to Murphy, the Public Defender’s Office and Family Court used Feldman’s services to evaluate people petitioning the court or those accused of crimes.

Murphy said he believes State Police were notified about Feldman’s suspicious credentials by a person referred to Feldman for evaluation by a Family Court judge. That man researched Feldman’s credentials and came across evidence that one of the schools, Hamilton University, is not an accredited institution, Murphy said.

As an alleged Hamilton University alum, Feldman joins the ranks of Laura Callahan, the former senior director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who purchased bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the college and used them to further her career in government, according to a 2004 "60 Minutes" report.

The report described Hamilton University, located in Evanston, Wyo., as little more than an office with a few clerical workers. A former employee is quoted as saying she never saw a single teacher at the school. According to that news report, the "college" also operates a small church, which qualifies it as a tax-free institution.

In 2004, managing director of the Government Accountability Office’s office of Special Investigations, Robert J. Cramer, addressed a Congressional subcommittee on the topic of diploma mills. He mentioned Hamilton University specifically in his testimony.

"Diploma mills frequently use names similar to those used by accredited schools, which often allows the diploma mills to be mistaken for accredited schools," Cramer said. "For example, Hamilton University … which is not accredited by any accrediting body … has a name similar to Hamilton College, a fully accredited school in Clinton, New York."

Hamilton University’s website, which has since been taken down but is available through an archival website, indicated it was founded in 1976.

The website also states that the school is accredited through the American Council of Private Colleges and Universities, which is not approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The District Attorney’s Office never used Feldman’s services, Murphy said. The vetting process for psychologists and other experts used by the District Attorney’s office is rigorous, he said. "We try to find someone … who has impeccable credentials; we actually do an investigation, a kind of background check, to ensure they have obtained their degree from that particular university and that they are in fact licensed."

Murphy said he could not comment on the vetting process used by either the Public Defender’s office or Family Court. No one was available for comment at either the Public Defender’s office or Family Court by press time Saturday.

Feldman did not respond to a voicemail request for comment.

While the sitting Pakistani heads of government and state continue to patronise bogus degree holders by helping them to get re-elected despite court orders, numerous countries across the globe are taking stringent actions against the elements found guilty of submitting such phoney documents to meet the eligibility criteria for recruitment, to get salary raises, to lure clients and to win seats in the legislative houses.

The very recent conviction of a Saudi woman on charges of forging her educational qualification — the impeachment of former Iranian Interior Minister Ali Kordan in 2008 on similar charges and the interrogation of Sven-Otto Littorin, the Swedish minister for Employment in 2007, for possessing an MBA degree issued by a diploma mill — serve as candid examples of how intolerant the world has been in recent years in this regard.

Other eminent international personalities who are known to have been pleaded guilty of acquiring fake educational degrees include British science fiction writer Ron Hubbard, former Senior Director at the US Department of Homeland Security Laura Callahan, former member of Canadian Parliament Jag Bhaduria, Toronto Stock Exchange’s former Vice President Terry Popowich, famous international football coach George O’Leary, Ireland’s Government Science Adviser Barry McSweeney and noted South Korean movie star Jang Mi-hee, who later became a theatre and visual arts professor at a prestigious college in her country on basis of forged documents.

All these afore-stated personalities had to relinquish their posts after they were found culpable.

By June 2009, more than 180 people from across the Gulf had been blacklisted for holding fake US academic certificates allegedly bought from non-accredited institutions, including 69 from Saudi Arabia and 68 from the UAE.

But in Pakistan, even federal ministers accused of possessing fake degrees continue to make hay without being questioned.

Although the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan is looking after all the activities related to the accreditation of universities and has publicised a list of recognised universities, absence of stern laws not only continues to facilitate unscrupulous characters to buy fake degrees from diploma mills functional both at home and abroad, but a virtually non-existent legislation in this context also encourages fraudulent elements to keep on procuring and falsifying their academic credentials without any fear of being penalised or convicted.

In India, where Section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act 1956 states that degrees can only be granted or conferred by a university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution empowered by an Act of Parliament, the issue of fake educational degrees churned out by diplomas mills continues to plague the whole education system despite checks.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Bombay High Court thus went out ordering the powerful Central Bureau of Investigation in February 2010 to launch an investigation into the matter and curb this menace forthwith.

The Bombay High Court order had come in the back drop of a revelation that as many as 729 cases of fake degree certificates had been identified in the prestigious University of Pune by March 2, 2010 and another 237 phoney degrees were spotted by the Mumbai University earlier this year.

Faced with a rather arduous task to probe into the matter of fake documents submitted by candidates for recruitment, the Indian investigators are still meeting university officials to get closer to the culprits involved, which is a huge headache for the revered Indian universities at the moment.

In Australia, it is a criminal offence to call an institution a university or issue a university degree without authorisation through an act of federal or state parliaments.

Under the Australian Higher Education Support Act 2003, corporations wishing to use the term "university" require approval from the minister for education in Canberra.

Australia thus places strict controls on corporations wishing to use the term "university" and the name must not imply a connection with an existing university. The Corporations Regulations 2001 hence lists only 39 academic organisations, which are permitted to use the title "university."

Specific penalties covered by the provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974, permitting fines in excess of Australian dollars 10 million.

In Canada, the Border Services Agency had reported concerns about "visa mills" in 2006; fraudulent universities operated for the sole purpose of helping foreign nationals obtain student visas to allow them to enter Canada. This of course had led to an organised government action and cartels were unearthed.

In Finland, for the purposes of professional qualification, the use of foreign degree qualifications is regulated. It goes without saying that forging degrees is a felony in Finland too.

In Germany, it is a criminal offence to call an institution a university or issue academic degrees without the authorisation from the respective state’s ministry of education. It is also a crime to falsely claim a degree in Germany, if it does not meet accredited approval.

In Hong Kong’s case, anyone found using false documents with the intention of inducing somebody to accept the same as genuine, is liable for a 14-year imprisonment.

The HK law outlines that anyone who makes or possesses machines that create false documents is also liable for 14-year jail time.

In Malaysia, it is an offence under the Education Act 1996 to establish and operate a higher educational institution by the use of the word "university," except in accordance with any written law.

The Malaysian law prescribes a fine of 50,000 Ringgits or an imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or even both if a bogus institution is set up.

Apart from the penalties prescribed by the Act above, under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, anybody found guilty of promoting any activities for the purpose of establishing a university or college, unless it is being done in accordance with the provisions of this Act, may be fined 10,000 Ringgits or imprisoned for a term of five years.

In New Zealand, the Kiwi authorities announced their intention to take action against unaccredited schools in 2004 and University of Newlands, an unaccredited distance-learning provider based in Wellington, was challenged along with a few others. In Philippines, the falsification of medical certificates, certificates of merit or service is a criminal act.

The law penalises the maker or the manufacturer of such certificates, specifically a physician or surgeon in connection with the practice of his profession and a public official. It also penalises the one who procures and knowingly uses such false certificate.

In Portugal, there has been a growing effort since the year 2000 to define non-accredited universities or accredited institutions and to raise awareness about the problem. In 1999 alone, over 15,000 students enrolled in Portuguese higher learning institutions were found possessing bogus degrees.

Since 2007, Portugal has enforced more inflexible rules for all kind of public and private degree-conferring institutions.

In Romania, various universities have been listed as diploma mills.

Although these universities received accreditation from Romania’s National Council of Academic Evaluation in 2002, their accreditations were cancelled for a large number of specialisations after scams had surfaced.

In South Korea also, it is illegal to falsely educational degrees.

In March 2006, prosecutors in Seoul were reported to have broken up a crime ring selling bogus music diplomas from Russia, which helped many land university jobs and seats in orchestras.

Consequently, people who falsely used these degrees were criminally charged.

Early 2007, a university professor was criminally charged for forging and misusing a degree from the Yale University.

In Sweden, a minister was found possessing a fake degree from a diploma mill in 2007.

After he was found guilty on this count, the employment minister tried to convince the Swedish media and people that the MBA degree was granted to him in good order. Probably due to the fact that he did not let anyone peer review his thesis, he was eventually forced to remove the reference from his official curriculum vitae, but somehow managed to survive.

In Switzerland, it is a criminal offence, under the Unfair Competition Legislation, to use any unfounded academic or occupational qualifications. At least three notable diploma mills were identified in Switzerland, but law eventually took its course against them.

In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to offer something that may be mistaken for a UK degree unless the awarding body is on a list maintained by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. This is difficult to enforce on the Internet, where a site may be based abroad. However, the UK Trading Standards officers have had notable success in countering a large diploma mill group based abroad that was using British place-names for its "universities".

In the United States, no federal law strangely exists to prohibit diploma mills.

Hence, the term "university" is not legally protected on a national level. As a result, the United States is deemed a diploma mill haven from a global viewpoint.

Some degree mills have taken advantage of a relatively lenient law on this issue by representing themselves as seminaries, as religious institutions can legally offer degrees in religious subjects without government regulation in many jurisdictions.

In 2005, the US Department of Education had endeavoured to combat the spread of fraudulent degrees and a number of states have passed bills restricting the ability of organisations to award degrees without accreditation.

Almost 10,000 people had been blacklisted by the US Department of Justice by mid of 2009 for purchasing fake high school and college degrees from a "degree mill" based in Washington.

Moreover, nearly a dozen teachers, counsellors and principals in the US state of Georgia were investigated for purchasing fake advanced degrees from an unaccredited online university in Liberia that grants master’s and doctorate degrees.

On Hickory Street in Uptown New Orleans, not far from the Riverbend area, you may not notice it, but you'll find a university.

According to an FBI search warrant, a duplex in the 8200 block of Hickory is the Internet's Columbus University. The FBI confirms that it recently raided it as part of an investigation, calling it a "diploma mill," and its business of selling diplomas, a fraud.

An FBI spokesperson would not offer any additional comment, calling this an ongoing investigation. But in its search warrant, the FBI lays out a scenario that it says is designed to deceive would-be students from all over the world, and it says the university’s operators are doing so on computers inside the house.

Columbus University would mail out diplomas, law degrees and doctorates, according to FBI agents, in courses like psychology, chemistry, nursing, biology and dozens more, even though the online university has only one professor and no one qualified to award doctorates.

Additionally, Columbus University has no state accreditation from Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama, where it claims to operate, meaning the degrees are worthless.

According to the FBI, Columbus operators are getting help keeping it a secret from students, from a well-known person in a strange place.

The search warrant says Michael O’Keefe Sr., a high-ranking Louisiana state senator for 24 years, was providing instructions to the school's director, a Dr. Mary Martin. That includes not telling students about the true nature of Columbus University's operations, according to the FBI.

The FBI also alleges that the 78-year-old former senate president was doing so from inside of the Butner federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, where he's serving 19 years for stealing from a failed insurance company.

Former U.S. attorney Harry Rosenberg said O’Keefe could be a central figure in the university probe.

"It suggests that O’Keefe was actually the one being the mastermind behind all this, because he was giving instructions as to how to run this diploma mill," Rosenberg said.

When O’Keefe went to jail in 1999, it marked a third federal conviction, the end of a decades’ long legal battle, and a fall from grace and power.

"I am 67 years old. My life is about to end anyhow, but what they've put my family through. It's unbelievable," an emotional O’Keefe said in 1999 after his sentencing.

"His downfall was one of the most spectacular, in the sense of how big it was, how powerful he was, and how far he fell, in my lifetime," said Clancy DuBos, Channel 4 political analyst and Gambit political columnist.

DuBos said the power broker used to be called the "snowman."

"They said he could walk across a field of snow and not leave tracks. Well, that was in the 1970s and '80s. Nowadays, with technology and the federal government having all of its vast powers, it’s very hard to weave webs that can't be seen," DuBos said.

Also inside of Butner prison is O’Keefe's son, Michael O’Keefe Jr. He's doing 18 months for a house-flipping scam involving the federal government. Based on the search warrant of the Hickory Street duplex, the FBI confiscated five pages worth of materials, several computers and hard drives, bank and payroll records and 25 boxes of documents. One of them was listed as bank and tax records for Michael O’Keefe Jr.

"This seems to smack of uniqueness, because you've got father and son, both of whom are serving time for federal offenses," Rosenberg said. "And now both are being investigated again for criminal activities that seem to overlap with their prior offenses."

There is a history that goes back three decades between Michael O’Keefe Sr. and Columbus University's leader, Mary Martin, who was then Mary Blacksher, and served as O’Keefe's accountant. In the early 1980s, both were indicted in a $6 million bank fraud case.

Eyewitness News went to the house on Hickory Street, looking for Dr. Mary Martin and answers about the FBI's probe and the O’Keefe's alleged involvement. A young woman working on a computer in the front room answered the door and said she would get Mary Martin, who never came.

"We're not going to comment," the woman answering the door said.

According to the FBI search warrant, the working operations of Columbus University, in business for a decade, are three women on computers, including Martin. The FBI says she has no advanced degrees. Another woman identified by the FBI is Dr. Shannon O'Brien, the school’s lone professor for 50 degrees offered, whom the FBI says awarded herself a doctorate from Columbus University. The third woman, according to the search warrant, is Helen Anglade.

You can view the Columbus website in English, French or Arabic. The FBI says that’s because Columbus has an affiliate school in Saudi Arabia, and that a Saudi business partner sends money and a list of names to Hickory Street, then the diplomas are mailed back overseas to foreign students.

According to the website, degrees -- or as the website lists them, "degres," one of several misspelled words on the site -- range from $3,000 for a bachelor’s degree, to $3,600 hundred for a master’s degree and $4,200 for a doctorate.

The FBI says the money flows from students to a company called Administrative Inc., which lists 3623 Canal St. as its official address. The building used to house the O’Keefe and O’Keefe law firm as well as Citywide Mortgage, the company at the center of the scandal that sent Michael O’Keefe Jr. to prison.

WWL went to the building to find Administrative Inc., but found no evidence of any of their businesses, only stacked up desks and file cabinets from the O’Keefe law firm, and nothing that speaks to Administrative Inc. or Columbus University.

Despite multiple e-mails and calls for a response, Eyewitness News did not hear back from any Columbus representatives.

Using an alias, a reporter applied to Columbus University for next semester, leaving a phone message, and applying online.

There was this response: "While I thank you for your interest, the university is not accepting new students at this time." It was signed by Shannon O'Brien, faculty adviser for Columbus University.

Again, the FBI says O’Brien is not only the adviser, she's the faculty.

Gov. Jim Doyle has signed into law a bill that makes it a crime to manufacture or use false academic credentials.

The bill Doyle signed Wednesday targets so-called diploma mills, unauthorized schools that issue degrees to students who pay them money and do little work.

Supporters say the new law will help prosecutors go after diploma mill operators and allow employers to take action against those who try to use fake credentials to score jobs or bonuses.

The new law also prohibits unauthorized schools from using the terms "college" or "university" in their names.

A bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie Thursday will prohibit school employees from profiting from degrees obtained from mail-order or unaccredited colleges.

The legislation, known as the diploma mill law, was inspired by the 2008 discovery that Freehold Regional High School District superintendent, H. James Wasser, and several current and former staff members received doctoral degrees from the online, unaccredited Breyer State University.

"This bill requires that our public school employees attend only accredited institutions if they wish to receive tuition assistance," state Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth, said in a prepared statement. "Additional education should be rewarded, and this law ensures that those rewards only go to individuals attending accredited institutions, not some Internet-based diploma mill."

The state concluded in early September 2008 that Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista and a former assistant superintendent must stop using their doctoral titles or face fines, which they complied with. Wasser relinquished his stipend and later apologized to the district.

The law requires several conditions be met for educators to receive tuition assistance and receive pay increases for higher degrees or other academic course work. The course or degree has to be related to an employees current or future job responsibilities and the institution must be accredited.

The law also requires either the superintendent of schools or, in the case of a superintendent, the Board of Education approve course work for which they're are seeking tuition assistance from the district.

"The cost of education is high enough in New Jersey, and there is far too much waste. I am personally very pleased that the governor has taken the correct action to turn off this particular leaky faucet," Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth, said in a prepared statement. "Our public school systems must be protected."

Wasser retires in June, ending 23 years in the district. He currently earns $215,000 a year in addition to benefits such as medical insurance and a vehicle.

The legislation, signed by Christie Thursday, was sponsored by Beck; Casagrande; Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Assemblyman David Rible, both R-Monmouth; state Sen. Richard J. Codey, D-Essex; and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union.

Ontario is vowing to clamp down on private universities that are trying to attract foreign students by offering bogus degrees.

The changes, designed to close loopholes in existing legislation, come as the province aims to attract up to 50 per cent more foreign students to its campuses in the next five years.

New powers to be introduced Tuesday will allow the province to shut down schools that offer university degrees that have not been approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Until now, the only recourse for the government has been through the courts, said a spokeswoman for the ministry. "These are organizations that are calling themselves universities that have not gone through the approvals process," Annette Philips said. "They are mostly targeting international students."

At the centre of the crackdown are such schools as Hawkesbury University, which bills itself online as "an independent, co-educational business and liberal arts international institution of higher learning."

The institution, which is headquartered at Prestige Restaurant in Hawkesbury, Ont., has no approvals from the Ontario government to do business in the province as a university or as a private career college. Earlier this month, the province issued a restraining order under the Private Career Colleges Act, barring the unregistered school from advertising its unapproved programs.

Owner Ashraf Hossain Siddiky had been advertising the school on a bright yellow website, which remains up despite the restraining order handed down April 19. Efforts to reach Mr. Siddiky were unsuccessful.

The ministry says the website was tweaked during the investigation to say the school was "proposed" and that it is "not yet operating." The failure to shut down the website entirely was one reason the university was ordered to close down.

Hawkesbury Mayor Jeanne Charleboise knew something was suspicious the day she got an e-mail asking about the new university in town.

"If there was a university here I would know about it. I would have been at the opening. It’s an election year," said Ms. Charleboise, the top politician in the town of 10,870 people that sits on the Ontario-Quebec border east of Ottawa.

She alerted the province and the police, which are now investigating.

According to the ministry’s report on its own investigation, a designate met with Mr. Siddiky at the school on April 13. He told the designate he was only registered in the state of Delaware, though he tried and failed to get the school incorporated as a federal corporation in Ottawa.

Hawkesbury University had been targeted by the ministry before, but only with a warning. On Aug. 12, 2009, the Postsecondary Accountability branch of the ministry sent a letter to the school telling it to stop advertising. A local news story printed earlier this month spurred the ministry to crack down, the documents read.

All Mr. Siddiky wanted to do was start up a university after his two grown children moved away from home, said brother-in-law Nazrul Talukder from the convenience store he owns in Hawkesbury.

"For a long time he was talking about starting one," he said. "He has an idea that he’s going to make a university because there is no university down here."

He said Mr. Siddiky, a lawyer who got his degree in Britain, came to Hawkesbury about 12 years ago and owns and operates Prestige Restaurant.

As the province targets international students, Ms. Philips, the ministry spokeswoman, said it is import that courses offered to foreign students are legitimate.

In the case of Hawkesbury, the province also was able to take action because it was offering vocation training, which is policed by the province under its career college legislation.

Two Brownsville Independent School District administrators who made frequent and public use of their doctoral titles obtained the Ph.D.s from an online institution whose degrees are illegal in Texas.

Oscar Cantu Sr., administrator of the district’s Adult Continuing Education Department, and his son, Oscar Cantu Jr., special assignment administrator assigned to Brownsville Early College High School, both cite degrees in educational administration from Canbourne University obtained in 2005, and represent themselves as having doctoral degrees, according to documents obtained through a public information request.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board lists Canbourne on its roster of "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas."

Both Cantus had been displaying their doctoral titles prominently on BISD websites and in e-mail and hard-copy correspondence, but all references to "Dr." Cantu now have been removed from BISD websites.

In addition, Cantu Sr. last week said he is in the process of removing all references to the degree from BISD websites, e-mail and hard-copy correspondence.

Susan Fox, the district’s assistant superintendent for human resources, said she told Cantu Sr. by telephone to stop using the title after Brett Springston took over as superintendent in January. She said she assumes the elder Cantu told his son of the directive.

‘NO WRONG INTENTION’

Cantu Sr. defends his Canbourne degree, saying he received a Ph.D. in educational administration by submitting transcripts of post-master’s and other completed coursework.

His resume lists a bachelor’s and a master’s from the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, as well as a mid-management administrator certificate.

"They have a program out of New York City," Cantu said of Canbourne. "We submitted transcripts to the university and we were told that they accepted those."

Canbourne later certified the transcripts and the degree with an "apostille" — a certification — issued by Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Once the apostille was issued, the degree became "a legal document," he said.

"There was no wrong intention here at all," Cantu said. "I’m not being compensated based on that degree."

Cantu Jr. at first spoke with the The Brownsville Herald about his Canbourne degree, then said confidential information was being compromised.

On Friday, Cantu Jr. did not return a voice mail request for comment left on his phone at Brownsville Early College High School.

CANBOURNE UNIVERSITY

Online, Canbourne University seems legitimate. It lists a physical address in London and has a United Kingdom-based website.

However, on that website, the biography of its chancellor, "Paul C. Crosbie, the Lord Paul of Coleshill," is identical to the biography of Richard Vincent, chancellor of Cranfield University, a legitimate and accredited post-graduate university with two campuses in Great Britain.

When informed of the nearly identical biographies, Barbara Clack, an administrator in the vice-chancellor’s office at Cranfield University, said she personally knows Richard Vincent and that the person pictured on the Canbourne site with Vincent’s identical biography is not him.

"I have passed your email to our secretary/registrar, Prof. William Stephens, for further investigation, but it would seem that Canbourne is a fraudulent organization. We will contact you further once we have investigated," Clack wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

Canbourne’s website lists no telephone number — only a fax number.

Prospective students are invited online to apply for degrees ranging from a high school diploma to a Ph.D. by submitting coursework from any collegiate institution, in addition to work and life experience that may qualify them for the degree.

Canbourne’s website lists 14,407 students, mostly outside the United Kingdom, for the 2002-2003 school year — the most recent year for which it gives figures.

DEFINING ‘ILLEGAL’

But what makes a degree from Canbourne University "illegal" in Texas?

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in the preface to its illegal degree list, defines a "fraudulent or substandard degree" as one that is issued by a non-accredited institution or one that was certified by an accreditor not recognized by the board.

Section 32.52 of the Texas Penal Code prohibits the use of such degrees to obtain employment or an employment promotion, "regardless of whether the actor receives compensation for the position."

Diploma mills like Canbourne typically are unaccredited schools or colleges that grant relatively worthless diplomas for a fee.

The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree and the organization is motivated by making a profit. These degrees are often awarded based on vaguely construed life experience. Some such organizations claim accreditation by non-recognized / unapproved accrediting bodies set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity

THE DISTRICT RESPONDS

Administrators receive no additional compensation for having a doctorate under Brownsville school district policy. Teachers, however, earn more for having a Ph.D.

Despite that, the district’s employee handbook does provide for truthful disclosure of credentials.

"It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to furnish accurate information and any falsification of either information or credentials shall be cause for dismissal or refusal to employ," according to the handbook.

Susan Fox, school district human resources administrator, said the Cantus submitted their degrees in 2005, when Johnny Pineda was administrator of the district’s Human Resources Department. Pineda is now superintendent of the Raymondville Independent School District.

Fox said former superintendent Hector Gonzales asked her to check on the degrees in December 2008. She spoke to the Cantus about the questionable nature of the degrees back then, she said, but they continued to use the credentials.

When Springston took over as superintendent, Fox asked him if he wanted her to continue to work on the situation. He told her to proceed.

Charles Lackey, dean of graduate studies at the University of Texas at Brownsville, said diploma mills undermine higher education. He said the university does not accept the fake degrees and checks to ensure prospective students and staff do not try to use them.

"There’s nothing we can do to prevent people from getting them, but they undermine the integrity of education in the U.S.," Lackey said. "Certainly, UTB discourages people from using this type of thing as an ego booster or to deceive themselves."

De naam universiteit en de Nederlandse graden krijgen een betere bescherming van de overheid. Staatssecretaris Van Bijsterveldt schrijft in een brief aan de Tweede Kamer dat ze de voorbereiding hiertoe inmiddels ter hand heeft genomen.

Nu is het nog zo dat elke instelling die dat wil de naam universiteit, hogeschool of university (of applied science) kan voeren. Ook de bachelor- en mastergraden en titels zijn vrij, zodat iedereen zich bijvoorbeeld Bachelor of Arts (BA) of Master of Science (MSc) kan noemen. Dit leidt tot onduidelijkheid bij studenten en werkgevers, oneerlijke concurrentie en regelrechte diplomafraude.

Om hier een einde aan te maken wil Van Bijsterveldt de naam universiteit reserveren voor instellingen die erkend zijn op grond van de Nederlandse wet. Titels en graden mogen dan alleen worden afgegeven door opleidingen die zijn geaccrediteerd door de Nederlands Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie (NVAO). Personen mogen de Nederlandse titels alleen gebruiken als ze zijn verleend door geaccrediteerde opleidingen.

Onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat een verbod op het dragen van de naam universiteit door een instelling die deze naam niet verdient, goed mogelijk is. In de onderzochte gebieden (Vlaanderen, Baden-Württemberg, Noordrijn-Westfalen, Oostenrijk, Verenigd Koninkrijk en Australië) gebeurt dit al. Een uitzondering wordt gemaakt voor buitenlandse instellingen in Nederland die in het eigen land erkend zijn, en de titels en graden van een dergelijke instelling.

---

Google translation:

The name and the Dutch university degrees have better protection from the government. Secretary Of Bijsterveldt wrote in a letter to the House that they do now to prepare has undertaken.

It is still true that any institution that is the name of university, college or university (or Applied Science) can perform. The bachelor's and master's degrees and titles are free, so everyone such as Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Master of Science (MSc) can call. This leads to confusion among students and employees, unfair competition and outright fraud diploma.

To find an end to them will of Bijsterveldt the name of university reserved for institutions approved under Dutch law. Titles and degrees may only be issued by programs that are accredited by the Dutch Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO). Persons Dutch titles may only be used if they are provided by accredited training.

Research has shown that a ban on wearing the name of university by an institution of that name does not deserve the best. In the investigated regions (Flanders, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Austria, UK and Australia) this is done al. An exception is made for foreign bodies in the Netherlands in the country recognized, and the titles and degrees of such an institution.

A month after West Linn city councilors censured her for unprofessional conduct, a state official contends West Linn Mayor Patti Galle may have broken Oregon law by presenting a nonaccredited "degree mill" certificate as a legitimate college degree.

The Oregon attorney general's office is investigating, but Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, which is charged with monitoring candidates' postsecondary accreditations, said there is no wiggle room in assessing Galle's purported English degree from Redding University.

"It is a total fake," Contreras said "It's a civil violation for which she can be fined."

Galle did not return phone calls seeking comment. Her attorney, Jeffrey Seymour, said Tuesday he was not familiar with the law cited by Contreras and that he and Galle believe she will be found innocent of any wrongdoing.

The controversy, the latest for West Linn's first-term mayor, involves Voters' Pamphlet material Galle submitted before the 2008 general election. Among other accomplishments, Galle listed "degreed in English with emphasis on teaching."

Under Oregon law, it's a class B misdemeanor for someone to assert in an official document such as the Voters' Pamphlet that they have received a postsecondary degree unless it comes from an accredited institution.

$395 degree

Redding University appears to exist primarily as a Web site, advertising diplomas in 48 fields awarded for four years of work/life experience related to a major.

"Please do not get the impression that by simply applying, you will qualify for a Ph.D. in a field that you have no knowledge of or experience in," according to the Web site. "On the other hand, if you have a substantial amount of life or work experience, you might qualify for every degree available."

A bachelor's degree costs $395, with master's and doctorates going for $425 and $475, respectively. Frames and shipping are extra.

This isn't the first time an Oregon elected official has run into trouble over Voters' Pamphlet statements, which by law must be truthful and accurate.

Former Oregon Rep. Wes Cooley was convicted in 1997 of claiming that he had served in Korea. In fact, he never left the United States. He was sentenced to two years' probation, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. And in 1984, voters swiftly recalled then-Rep. Pat Gillis after he stated, incorrectly, that he had earned a master's degree.

In Galle's case, her attorney maintains that the mayor's Voters' Pamphlet statements were truthful.

Redding University may not be accredited in the same way that Oregon State University and the University of Oregon are," Seymour said, "but she has a college degree in English. That's what she said in the Voters' Pamphlet and it's true."

He added that Galle is not required to have a degree of any kind to hold the office of West Linn mayor.

"She could have an eighth-grade education and it wouldn't make any difference at all," Seymour said. "We believe that, in the end, this will work out in her favor."

The secretary of state's office first began reviewing the matter after receiving an inquiry. The office's elections division, after meeting with Galle and Seymour, referred the matter to the state Department of Justice.

Tony Green, an attorney general's spokesman, declined to elaborate on the investigation or say when it might be concluded.

String of accusations

The incident is just the latest roiling of West Linn City Hall, where the embattled mayor has rarely been seen in months.

The Feb. 8 censure resolution, passed by a 3-0 vote, claimed, among other things, that Galle has violated the confidentiality of executive sessions, exhibited unprofessional behavior, created a hostile work environment and filed false allegations about city officials to the Oregon attorney general's office.

Galle, in turn, ended up asking the state attorney general to look into allegations of what she called corruption in West Linn. After reviewing Galle's allegations, the attorney general's office rejected her claims

State officials seize West Linn Mayor Patti Galle's computer during search, Yuxing Zheng,, West Linn, Oregon, The Oregonian, April 2, 2010.

Oregon Department of Justice officials seized West Linn Mayor Patti Galle's computer from City Hall on Thursday afternoon as part of their ongoing investigation into whether Galle knowingly provided false information on her Voters' Pamphlet statement.

State justice officials arrived at City Hall around 4 p.m. Thursday with a search warrant, said Kirsten Wyatt, city spokeswoman. Galle also notified City Hall that the investigators had been at her house.

"City staff is unaware of the details of the investigation," Wyatt said.

The justice officials also requested the city to back up e-mails, she said.

A state official with the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization said last month that Galle may have broken Oregon law by presenting a nonaccredited "degree mill" certificate as a legitimate college degree.

Alan Contreras, administrator of the agency, which is charged with monitoring candidates' postsecondary accreditations, said there is no wiggle room in assessing Galle's purported English degree from Redding University.

Galle had listed a '"College Degree in English" under the educational background portion of her Voters' Pamphlet statement. In an August 2008 form she filed to run for mayor, Galle listed she was "degreed in English with emphasis on teaching." She did not name a school in either situation.

Under Oregon law, it's a class B misdemeanor for someone to assert in an official document such as the Voters' Pamphlet that they have received a postsecondary degree unless it comes from an accredited institution.

The investigation is just the latest in a series of disruptions involving West Linn officials. On Feb. 8, city councilors accused the mayor of unprofessional behavior and other problems, and asked her to make changes or resign. Galle has asked everyone from the state attorney general to the FBI to investigate what she called corruption in West Linn government.

West Linn Mayor Patti Galle resigns amid state investigation, Yuxing Zheng,, West Linn, Oregon, The Oregonian, April 17, 2010.

West Linn Mayor Patti Galle resigned late Friday afternoon, two days after The Oregonian detailed court records indicating Galle bought a college degree online and backdated the diploma to support campaign claims that she was "degreed in English."

Patti Galle"I believe that it is in the best interest of the city of West Linn and all concerned parties that I tender my resignation as mayor, effective immediately," she wrote in an e-mail to City Manager Chris Jordan at 5:05 p.m. Friday. "I do this with much regret, but I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of the city."

Galle also said she had sent to City Hall a certified parcel containing a signed copy of her resignation, office keys and a debit card.

The West Linn City Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday to discuss how to proceed.

"We will research and prepare information for the City Council to review on Monday, and at that time the Council will decide how to address the vacancy," Jordan said.

The Oregon Department of Justice is investigating whether Galle misrepresented her education credentials when she claimed she was "degreed in English with an emphasis on teaching" while filing to run for mayor in 2008.

Knowingly making false statements on an official election document is a Class C felony punishable by as much as five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

"The investigation is still ongoing" despite Galle's resignation, Tony Green, a Justice Department spokesman, said late Friday.

Galle and her attorney, Jeffrey Seymour, did not return messages seeking comment Friday evening.

The criminal investigation is the latest in a series of disruptions involving West Linn officials.

On Feb. 8, city councilors censured Galle, accusing her of unprofessional behavior and asking her to make changes or resign.

Galle previously had asked the state attorney general and the FBI to investigate what she called corruption in the West Linn government. The attorney general's office found no basis for Galle's allegations.

On April 1, state investigators searched Galle's home and city office and seized two laptop computers, a cell phone, the diploma and financial records. Galle quietly cleaned out her city office April 10.

The Oregon Department of Justice disclosed preliminary findings of its investigation to a Clackamas County judge last month when it requested the search warrants.

According to the affidavit, Galle's diploma from Redding University was dated 1973, but investigators said the "diploma mill" operation was not established until 2003. Court records indicate investigators also seized a computer receipt showing Galle bought the diploma Feb. 12 of this year.

Representatives of Redding University told investigators that Galle had applied for a degree Feb. 5, according to court documents. The university awards degrees in 48 fields based on life and work experience.

A week later, Galle paid Redding University for an associate of arts degree, which Redding's website lists as costing $375.

The Oregon secretary of state originally launched the investigation of Galle's education credentials after receiving a citizen complaint in January 2009. It forwarded the case to the attorney general's office in March

For only $963, anyone can get a high school diploma, an associate degree and a bachelor's degree based solely on "life experience."

The problem? All three degrees are fake.

With 53 diploma mills -- organizations that issue bogus degrees -- Texas ranks fifth in the United States, according to the British company Verifile, which tracks diploma mills. California tops the country with 134 companies, followed by Hawaii, Washington and Florida.

Some mills issue medical and other degrees that help individuals land jobs that could put people's lives at risk, according to a report co-written by Eyal Ben Cohen, Verifile's managing director.

Others worry that fake diplomas could provide terrorists an entryway into the United States.

Diploma mills tend to locate in areas with the least regulation, Cohen said. And they have become an international, $100 million-plus annual business, with the United States at the epicenter, he said

People only need to tap into online job networking sites to see the evidence.

"The threat is huge," Cohen said. "If you go to LinkedIn and do a search, you will find thousands of people who happily are boasting that they have an education from diploma mills."

Price list

Verifile defines diploma mills as mostly online companies that offer degrees without the legal authority to grant them. Prices range from $100 to thousands of dollars. Some will grant a "degree" based on a résumé detailing life experience and let applicants choose their majors and year of graduation. Others might ask applicants to write an essay, Cohen said.

Belford University, for example, will give students a bachelor's degree based on life experience for $449 and a doctoral degree for $549. Majors include civil and aerospace engineering, psychiatry and medicine, according to Belford's Web site. Package deals are also available, such as a high school diploma, an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree for $963.

Belford claims on its Web site to be accredited by the International Accreditation for Online Universities, which Cohen said is not a recognized accreditation agency. Belford states it will provide complete verification of a student's credentials by phone should an employer need them.

As is typical of such schools, Cohen said, the school provides no address, just a phone number. The Better Business Bureau places the school in Humble, north of Houston.

Ashwood University's Web site says that there's "no need to take admission exams, no need to study." You can "receive a college degree for what you already know!" Ashwood claims to be accredited by the World Online Education Accrediting Commission and the Board of Online Universities Accreditation, neither of which is recognized by the U.S. Education Department. The school has a mailbox listing in Humble, according to the Better Business Bureau

A bachelor's degree can be obtained for four years of life experience relevant to the major, according to Ashwood's Web site. A doctorate requires eight. Lifetime experience includes job experience in any field, military training, educational achievements and "independent reading, viewing, listening or writing," the Web site says.

A bachelor's degree costs $479, a doctorate, $599. The bachelor's degree recipient receives 10 documents: one "accredited degree," two transcripts, four verification letters, an award of excellence, a certificate of distinction and a certificate of membership, the Web site states. A 3.0 grade-point average (a B average) is free. A 3.9 or 4.0 GPA costs an extra $60.

"If you know anything about education, you would know that education is not something [for which] you only need your credit card number," Cohen said.

Dire consequences

The danger is that not all employers take the necessary steps to verify a degree's authenticity, Cohen said. Sometimes they just look at the document that states a person has a bachelor's degree, or they call the "university" and get confirmation that indeed a person "graduated" from it. Sometimes diploma mills give their university a name similar to those of legitimate schools.

The reputable Regis University in Denver, for example, sued in 2004, alleging that the diploma mill St. Regis University and its principals infringed on its trademark. The lawsuit was settled when the defendants agreed to cease using "St. Regis" or any name that could cause confusion with Regis University, said Donnie Veasey, Regis' director of media relations.

The deception about a person's education can have dire consequences. In North Carolina, a Laurence Perry created a doctor's office, wore a white coat and collected bogus credentials to convey that he was a legitimate medical professional, said Sam Constance, a former investigator for the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department.

In 2002, Perry was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license in North Carolina and sentenced to 12-15 months in prison, according to court documents. He was accused of telling the mother of an 8-year-old diabetic girl, Helena Rose Kolitwenzew, to stop her insulin treatments. The girl died Oct. 21, 1999, from diabetic ketoacidosis. The complication occurs when the body cannot use sugar as a fuel source because it has no insulin or not enough insulin.

In Texas, David Karam of El Paso claimed that he had a medical degree from the St. Luke School of Medicine, a diploma mill with ties to California and the West African countries of Ghana and Liberia, said George Gollin, a physics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who researches diploma mills.

In a 2004 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Bio-Life Labs claimed that it had acquired exclusive rights from Karam to "Carcinoderm, a topical ointment that destroys skin cancer cells" without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. The statement says that Bio-Life paid Karam $250,000 plus company stock valued at $29,610. Another filing listed Karam as director of doctoral programs and an adjunct professor in neurosciences at St. Luke and said he received "his Doctor of Medicine degree from St. Luke School of Medicine."

Karam could not be reached for comment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved no drug known as Carcinoderm, FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson said. A 2007 SEC report says Bio-Life "has not engaged in any material business operations for approximately the last two years." The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board lists St. Luke's as having no accreditation from a recognized authority and notes that it was disowned by the Liberian government.

'Lack of oversight'

So why are these diploma companies allowed to operate? Texas law bans the use of fraudulent or substandard degrees "in a written or oral advertisement or other promotion of a business; or with the intent to: obtain employment; obtain a license or certificate to practice a trade, profession, or occupation." Violations are considered a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail.

Diploma mills are also subject to fines. Under state law, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must identify the company and then refer the case to the Texas attorney general's office. The attorney general then can file a lawsuit, seeking penalties of up to $1,000 a day for each violation.

The Coordinating Board knows of no diploma mills currently operating in Texas. In January, the board sent a letter to Ashwood but did not receive a response, agency spokesman Andy Kesling said. The letter to Belford was returned, address unknown, but the agency has sent another letter after identifying a potential Houston address, Kesling said. The attorney general's office reported that no case had been referred in recent memory.

Diploma mills change locations all the time, Cohen said.

"The authorities should go after the money, not the addresses," he said. "In the same way as they track down the money trail helping terrorists, they should do with these institutions. They have bank accounts; they accept credit cards."

Cohen expressed hope for a bill introduced Jan. 27 by U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., that would give the Federal Trade Commission authority to shut down diploma mills nationwide. The FTC would help make the rules. Aside from having unqualified people in crucial jobs, Bishop notes, diploma mills bring the risk that foreigners, possibly including terrorists, can get student visas or visas for sought-after job skills to get into the United States.

"It's all a sham," Bishop said. "If it's all a sham, that really leaves us very exposed."

Bishop notes a 2004 Government Accountability Office investigation of a sample of federal employees that found 463 held degrees from diploma mills and other unaccredited universities. The investigation also found that federal agencies paid more than $150,000 in tuition for fake degrees on behalf of federal employees. Employees simply submitted requests for reimbursement, said Andrew O'Connell, the GAO official who oversaw the investigation.

"It's just a lack of oversight," O'Connell said. "I don't think a whole lot has changed."

A lifelong con man imprisoned in Wisconsin worked with associates outside the walls to operate a suspected diploma mill that was recruiting students for at least two years until authorities uncovered the scheme, The Associated Press has learned.

Kenneth Shong, 44, helped to run "Carlingford University" while he was behind bars, according to interviews and documents obtained by AP through the state open records law. Prison authorities uncovered the scheme in late 2008, but Carlingford's Web site was taken down only this month after AP interviewed its designer.

The school was apparently just a phony moneymaking venture, according to state regulators. Its Web site claimed Carlingford had an office in Mobile, Ala., and a "regional training center" in Green Bay, but both were merely post office boxes.

Web designer Brian Truckey acknowledged in an interview that he ran Carlingford's Web site and that it contained inaccurate information he was told to post. He said Shong, an inmate at Racine Correctional Institute whose criminal career has spanned the globe, was in charge.

"We don't move forward until I get instructions from him," said Truckey, president of a small business in Green Bay called Serpent Technologies.

But Truckey insisted Carlingford was largely legitimate and added he was earning a graduate degree in exchange for running the site, which he said was his "thesis." Hours after the interview, the site was suspended.

Higher education regulators in Wisconsin and Alabama had already sent letters to Carlingford representatives asking them to cease and desist operations.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Carlingford, which boasted of "delivering knowledge at the speed of thought" and offering degrees that were accepted worldwide.

"It has become apparent that Carlingford University is likely part of a criminal scheme being conducted by one or more inmates or ex-inmates," David Dies, executive secretary of the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board, wrote DOJ last year in asking for the probe.

The investigation comes as Wisconsin lawmakers consider a bill that would make it easier for prosecutors to press charges against so-called diploma mills and their customers. The bill would make it a crime to issue and use false academic credentials.

Shong, who has several aliases, including Kenneth Onapolis, has not been charged in connection with Carlingford. But he was put in isolation for 45 days as punishment after prison officials uncovered his role in late 2008 by reading his mail.

A prison investigation found Shong's main partner was David Kaster, a convicted sex offender he met while serving time. Kaster, a former high school swimming coach convicted of sexually assaulting female students, was released in 2007.

He wrote to Shong on Carlingford letterhead to discuss plans to set tuition rates, design degrees and class rings for "CU" and spend money to advertise online.

At least three inmates applied to Carlingford while the prison was investigating and Kaster cashed two $35 checks covering their initial fees. The prison stopped payment on the third. Kaster also contacted groups to market the school to other inmates, the investigation found. It's unclear how many, if any, diplomas were issued or how much the scheme netted.

Investigators obtained a letter sent from Carlingford's "dean of students," another Shong associate, that congratulated inmate Kenneth Fleming for being admitted and noted he had paid $1,740 to enroll.

"Should I just send Fleming a course completion certificate with his 'grades' for the last course he took?" Kaster asked Shong in one letter. "He is looking for something like that."

Fleming wrote to an investigator last year that he considered himself a victim of the scheme and wanted restitution.

Kaster could not be reached for comment, but authorities ordered him to not have any contact with Shong or anyone associated with Carlingford.

In a telephone interview from prison, Shong acknowledged that he had advised others on how to run Carlingford but downplayed his role in the scheme.

"I would not say I'm the driving force behind anything," he said.

He claimed Carlingford was part of a legitimate London-based outfit that offered academic degrees around the world, a claim the prison investigation found untrue. Its London address was an empty storefront, it found.

Shong has been convicted of bank fraud, theft and other financial crimes and has a history of "outwitting, outplaying and outlasting authorities," as one judge wrote in 2005. After years on the run, he was captured by U.S. marshals in Vanuatu, a small island near Australia, in 2002 and returned to the United States to face federal fraud and tax evasion charges.

After his prison term ended, Wisconsin authorities brought him back to finish serving a 12-year sentence on a 1989 sentence on forgery charges. He had escaped while on parole in 1993.

Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh declined comment on the investigation. But Dies said investigators were poring through "a fairly large volume of material" they obtained, including bank records.

At a court hearing in 1989, Dane County prosecutor Ann Sayles said Shong used fake checks, obtained bank credit to buy an expensive car, and defrauded companies to buy plane tickets under a fake name. She called him "a professional con man" and said his shady business activities were continuing in jail. "I'm not so certain," she said, "the public is safe even with him in prison."

The New York Times published a story this week exposing the loose regulations governing the certification of medical equipment inspectors.

Norman Fenton, a well-respected medical physicist, spent three decades inspecting radiological equipment, developing safety procedures, drawing up shielding plans for X-ray rooms and teaching other professionals. He also assisted in the prosecution of Perry Beale a man who used fake credentials to pose as a medical physicist at more than 50 medical facilities, reports the Times.

In 2007, John L. Brownlee, the United States attorney who had used Fenton to help incriminate the imposter, received information that Fenton had actually bought his undergraduate degree from an online diploma mill. Despite claims that he received more than 700 hours of classroom instruction over 25 years, Fenton never formally got his undergraduate degree.

Both Fenton and Beale are currently serving prison sentences for providing false credentials to comply with a federal law that requires certification for inspecting medical equipment.

In response to the fraud cases, the state of Virginia now requires a bachelor's degree for placement on the state's approved list of medical physicists; a high school diploma was required before.

The warning bells were going off everywhere, but no one seemed to care.

Ontario's College of Psychologists had a complaint as far back as July 2008 about a Whitby man now charged with fraud for impersonating a psychologist in court during child custody battles.

But the College only recently decided to "caution" Greg Carter after accusations he was making diagnoses — even though his registration prevented him from doing so — and calling himself a doctor.

Carter is registered with the College as a psychological associate with a master's degree, and not a psychologist with a recognized doctorate in psychology. Instead, he has a PhD from Pacific Western University, the now-defunct school that awarded degrees based on "life experience" and was branded a "diploma mill" in a report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.

"Mr. Carter has made frequent use of the title 'Doctor' in his reports and correspondence," agreed the College in their decision of May 2009, almost a year after the initial complaint. "He should ensure that his letterhead, business cards and signature blocks in his report and correspondence do not make any reference to the title "Doctor."

The woman who brought the first of at least three known complaints to the College lost sole custody of her daughter in April 2008 after Carter — accepted by family court in Durham as a qualified psychologist — submitted a report saying her child suffered from a "mild to moderate oppositional defiant disorder" and that her mom is a "remarkably narcissistic individual."

His diagnosis of narcissism is one popular with Carter — he made it in at least two other disputes where the court removed sole custody.

Durham Regional Police charged Carter, 63, with fraud, obstructing justice and perjury. He also faces a charge of professional misconduct by the College.

"Carter will respond to these allegations in court and it will be clear that he never did anything to mislead anyone," says lawyer Gregory Lafontaine.

"His work was good work and was far from the only evidence that led to the results in the court cases at issue.

"An obvious concern is that the publicity surrounding these charges will encourage false allegations by losing parties who try to profit from this tragedy by using it to attack the results in their own cases," he says.

Sandra insists she should never have lost custody of her daughter based on the assessment of a man everyone in court believed was a qualified psychologist.

After she'd accused her ex-husband of sexually molesting the child, she thought Carter was being paid $10,000 by CAS to determine the safety of their daughter, not to determine who should get custody.

At the time, the little girl lived full-time with Sandra while her father had supervised access. But after "Dr. Carter's" damning assessment was entered into court, Sandra's daughter was suddenly placed solely in her dad's care, with the mom allowed to visit every second weekend.

"They ripped her out of my home," says the broken woman. "If I was on drugs or alcohol or mistreating her, I would understand. I'm a good mom. This should never have happened. How could they just take your kid just because this guy said so?"

Carter told the court Sandra should lose custody because she encouraged her daughter's alienation from her father and the child was too attached to her.

So naturally, the good "doctor" recommended wrenching the little girl away.

It was only after exhausting all her savings — again, a refrain repeated by the others affected by his assessments — that Sandra won more access, so she's now with her 47% of the time.

"I'm broke or I'd still be fighting for more," she says.

In the meantime, she launched her complaint with the College after being shocked to discover the man who cost her custody of her daughter was not the psychologist everyone in court assumed he was.

"Nobody checked," Sandra says angrily. "It's meant three years that have messed up my life. How do you get compensated for that? What are they going to do for my daughter?"

Wisconsin International University could be forced to change its name. So might Heed University. And a job applicant who recently tried to claim a phony degree from Madison Business College could be criminally prosecuted.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would crack down on the manufacture and use of phony academic credentials in Wisconsin by criminalizing both practices. It would also prohibit unauthorized schools from using the words "college," "university," "state" or "Wisconsin" in their names.

The goal is to stop the spread of diploma mills, which essentially sell phony academic degrees to students who perform little work. Higher education officials say such outfits pop up occasionally in Wisconsin, and the bill would give regulators and law enforcement officials more power to stop them.

What's more, the bill would allow employers to more easily fire and press criminal charges against workers who use fake credentials to get jobs, bonuses and professional licenses. Supporters say the bill would ensure Wisconsin does not become a haven for diploma mills as they are driven out of other states.

"I think it's a problem everywhere in the country and yes, in Wisconsin, too," said former University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John Wiley. He said diploma mills undermine confidence in higher education and help unqualified people get jobs as engineers, accountants, and even doctors.

The Assembly's colleges and universities committee will hold a hearing on the bill Wednesday.

If approved by the Legislature, Wisconsin would become the 12th state to make it a crime to use a bogus academic degree, said George Gollin, a University of Illinois professor who is an expert on the issue.

The problem is also getting attention nationally.

A bill introduced in Congress last month with bipartisan support would prohibit the federal government from hiring anyone with bogus credentials and give the Federal Trade Commission more power to regulate diploma mills.

Wisconsin regulators say they've had problems taking action in the few such cases they've investigated.

David Dies, executive secretary of the Educational Approval Board, said the law could give his agency the power to force Florida-based Wisconsin International University to change its name. Regulators have succeeded in convincing the university to stop using pictures of Milwaukee on its Web site and add a disclaimer that it is not connected to UW.

"The name still gives this image to foreign students and others that somehow Wisconsin has endorsed this school," he said.

Dies said he believed the school was "on the borderline" of being a diploma mill.

John Buuck, the university's president, disputed that notion, saying he started the school to promote higher education and form partnerships in countries including Estonia and Ghana. He said he kept the Wisconsin name because that's where he originally founded the school in the 1990s.

Buuck said the school never granted degrees to U.S. students and was turning over its programs to overseas partners. He said he had no problem with the Wisconsin bill because "we're phasing out anyway."

"And if it's an issue that someone thinks there's some confusion there, we could easily change the name," he said.

Dies said his agency has also investigated suspected diploma mill Heed University, which lists Milwaukee as its location on one of its Web sites. He said it is unclear whether the school, which offered degrees in law, business and other fields, remains active. No one returned a phone message left at a number on its site.

The bill would help employers take action when they are burned by employees with fake credentials. One business recently called the approval board to check an applicant's claim that he had a degree from Madison Business College, a once-legitimate school that closed in the 1990s.

Dies said his agency immediately knew it was a fake credential because the transcript and college seal looked nothing like the originals.

"Somebody paid an online service to generate a fake transcript," Dies said. Under the bill, that would be a misdemeanor that carries up to 9 months in jail.

REP. BISHOP ANNOUNCES BILL TO STOP DIPLOMA MILLS, from Congressman Bishop's web site, January 28, 2010.

Washington, DC—Today Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) unveiled new legislation to shut down fraudulent "Diploma Mills" across the country. These fraudulent businesses market worthless degrees, tricking students out of hard-earned dollars and deceiving employers by falsely claiming an attained level of skill or achievement. Moreover, diploma mills create critical issues of personal and national security via their issuance of fraudulent scientific degrees that can be utilized to obtain entrance visas into the United States.

"Diploma mills have proliferated rapidly in recent years, creating dangerous vulnerabilities to our national security, while simultaneously undermining legitimate American institutions of higher education," said Bishop, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, who has worked on this issue for several years. "The Federal government can do more to protect the American public by preventing the expansion of these fraudulent enterprises. This is why I introduced the Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act."

During the press conference, Dr. George Gollin, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told how he aided a federal investigation into a multimillion dollar diploma mill called "St. Regis University," which ran a network of bogus universities and fake government agencies.

"We learned that St. Regis had sold ten thousand degrees to customers in over a hundred countries," said Dr. Gollin. "We do not want untrained engineers designing our airliners or untrained physicians running pharmaceutical research programs. And we certainly do not want our children taught by teachers with purchased credentials."

"CHEA applauds this legislation as a measure to protect the integrity of credentials offered by legitimate institutions, which will benefit students and employers," said Judith Eaton, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. "We need this legislation. This is legislation that everyone should support."

An alarming Government Accountably Office investigation of the credentials of a sampling of Federal employees revealed that, of the Federal employees selected for examination, 463 Federal employees held degrees from diploma mills and other unaccredited universities. The investigation also found that federal agencies have paid more than $150,000 in tuition payments to diploma mills and other unaccredited universities on behalf of Federal employees. More recently, an investigation undertaken in 2008 by federal authorities, including the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security, discovered that at least 20 military personnel and an additional 10 federal employees either pursued or attained degrees from unaccredited diploma mills.

Diploma mills are clearly not a new problem; however expansion can be traced to inconsistent laws across states as well as to technological advances, such as the Internet and electronic mail. Recent criminal investigations of suspected diploma mills have exposed a tangled web of fraudulent behavior spanning across state lines and the United States border.

To prevent the expansion of these fraudulent enterprises, yesterday Rep. Bishop introduced the Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act (HR 4535) to

 

• Legally define what it means to be a degree-granting institution
• Legally define what it means to be a legitimate accrediting agency
• Grant additional authority to the FTC to crack down on diploma mills.

The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Michael Castle (R-DE) and Betty McCollum (D-MN).

Background:

This WHNT/CBS investigative series provides further information on the dangers of Diploma Mills: http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-fake-diplomas-soldiers-51209,0,5264841.story.

This Wired Magazine story details Dr. Gollin's involvement in the St. Regis investigation: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/ff_fake_physics/.

The press conference was held during the 2010 CHEA Annual Conference and International Seminar in Washington, D.C. More than 300 participants from 32 countries met to hear leaders from government, U.S. and international higher education institutions, accrediting organizations and higher education associations address a range of issues including accreditation, quality assurance and accountability; combating degree mills and accreditation mills; and quality assurance practices in countries around the world.

Also:

New Bill in Congress Would Make Diploma Mills a Federal Concern, Tom Bartlett, Chronicle of Higher Education, January 28, 2010.

People buy fake college degrees and use them to get jobs and, in some cases, visas. It's a problem that some states have tackled but that, for the most part, the federal government hasn't addressed.

Rep. Timothy H. Bishop has been trying for years to change that. Today the New York Democrat announced that he had introduced the Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act (HR 4535), a bill that would define diploma mills and accreditation mills. It also would instruct the Federal Trade Commission to take action against entities that fit those definitions and to report its findings to the Department of Education. The bill has two co-sponsors: Betty McCollum, a Democrat of Minnesota, and Michael N. Castle, a Republican of Delaware.

Representative Bishop has been pushing for such a bill since 2005. That's when a Government Accountability Office investigation found that more than 400 federal employees held degrees from unaccredited colleges. At one point, legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act contained language similar to that found in Mr. Bishop's bill, but that provision was later stripped out. Representative Bishop said he had no idea why anyone would object to cracking down on diploma mills.

So why is Mr. Bishop interested in the issue? In part, he said, it stems from his background in academe — he is a former provost of Southampton College of Long Island University. "I know how hard people work to earn their credentials," he said.

The news conference at which the bill was announced was held during the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's annual conference...

Taking Aim at Diploma Mills, Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed, January 29, 2010.

It's not easy to find fans of diploma mills -- advocates for institutions that award bogus degrees for no work don't tend to make their feelings known in polite company. But in the United States and abroad, the phony diploma industry has remained remarkably resilient, fed by often weak regulatory oversight, a ready market of workers looking for easily attained credentials needed for career advancement -- and, not unimportantly, unclear definitions of what a degree mill is that can make it difficult to crack down on them even when they are prosecuted.

While they portrayed it as far from a panacea, a U.S. Congressman and several supporters unveiled legislation Thursday that aims to make at least some progress on all of those fronts. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Timothy Bishop (D-N.Y.) and Michael Castle (R-Del.), would (1) cement in federal law definitions of "diploma mills" and "accreditation mills" (the unauthorized agencies from which the phony institutions claim to derive their authority to operate), (2) bar federal agencies from using degrees from diploma mills to provide jobs or promotions that depend on candidates' educational credentials, and (3) give the Federal Trade Commission more authority to define and crack down on deceptive practices by dubious institutions.

"We have an obligation to see to it that people have confidence in our institutions, particularly our institutions of higher education, and in the credentials they provide," Bishop said Thursday at an international forum sponsored by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which has undertaken a series of efforts to rein in unauthorized colleges and degrees. "I don't presume that our bill will solve all the problems," but it's a start, said the New York representative, a longtime administrator at Southampton University, on Long Island.

Defining the exact scope of the diploma mill "industry" and the extent of the havoc it wreaks is difficult precisely because of the underground nature of many of the institutions, which one audience member at Thursday's meeting described as "chameleon-like" and another compared to the "Shmoo," the L'il Abner characters that "multiplied at such an incredible rate." George Gollin, a physics professor who has developed a growing side interest in unaccredited degree-granting institutions and advised Bishop, estimated that such entities award as many as 200,000 credentials a year and that the federal government spends roughly $300 million a year on raises alone for employees who got jobs or promotions using fraudulent degrees or certificates...

Assembly bill A-3671 doesn't have one of those catchy names sometimes attached to legislation. If it did, it should be called the "H. James Wasser Fake Ph.D. Prevention Act." On Monday, the final day of the lame-duck session, both the Assembly and Senate versions of the bill are expected to be voted on and — thankfully — approved.

Co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth, it would prohibit school employees from receiving tuition assistance or compensation for either academic credits or completion of a degree unless certain conditions are met, including the blindingly obvious ones: namely, that the institution has to be an authorized institution of higher education, not one that sells degrees out of the back of a pick-up truck, and that coursework and degrees have to be related to the employee's current or future job responsibilities.

Casagrande has introduced an additional bill, to be taken up in the next legislative session, that would expand these rules to all public employees. That, too, deserves passage.

The shame of it is that such laws are necessary at all. Educators, of all people, should be models of dedicated scholarship and not shy away from the hard work necessary to obtain an advanced degree. And school boards and superintendents shouldn't be reimbursing teachers or administrators for college work that isn't directly related to what they are, or will be, doing as educators. But then along came the discovery in 2008 that Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent H. James Wasser and several current and former staff members received doctoral degrees from a dollars-for-degrees diploma mill.

There will always be those who are tempted, like Wasser and his ilk, to take the easy way out. This bill will deny them any such opportunity.

DEGREE mills that churn out 'graduates' at the drop of a hat are the sort of dodgy outfits we link with shadier parts of the world, but the problem is a lot closer to home and threatens to harm Singapore's name as an education centre.

Small as it is, the country appears six times on a list compiled by Oregon's Office of Degree Authorisation (ODA).

The American state has strict laws regarding the use of qualifications from unaccredited institutions and those dubbed 'degree mills' or 'degree suppliers'. It requires that a person's business cards, CV and letterhead declare if his degree is from an unaccredited university.

The term - degree or diploma mill - has been used in the United States and around the world to refer to 'substandard or fraudulent colleges that offer potential students degrees with little or no serious work'. They range from those which are simple frauds - an address to which people send money in exchange for a degree - to those that require some nominal work from the student but do not require the college-level study normally required for a degree.

Oregon's laws make its list one of the most comprehensive compiled by a state government body in the United States.

It names six institutions here as offering unaccredited qualifications: Cranston University, Templeton University, Trident University of Technology, Vancouver University Worldwide, Westmore University and Lee Community College.

Names of institutions go on the list if there are queries made by members of the public. Checks are carried out on the status of the university both in the US and with foreign governments before they are put on the list.

Checks by The Straits Times found that Westmore University's website is hosted by a company operating out of Science Park.

Vancouver University Worldwide, which was ordered to be shut by the Canadian government two years ago, had offered its courses here for a few years.

Several insurance industry professionals have MBAs, while some even have doctorates, from the university.

A few Singaporeans were also found to have degrees from Cranston University and Templeton University. Both are listed as online universities, based in Singapore and possibly Nevada.

The Palin School of Arts and Design in Bras Basah lists Trident University of Technology degrees, but Palin officials say that currently they are not offering the degree programme in advertising and design.

ODA's list says Trident was denied approval by the state of Wisconsin and it was never legal in New Jersey as claimed.

But what was surprising was the presence on the list of Lee Community College. The private school has a CaseTrust for Education quality mark and is popular for its diploma courses in counselling and psychology.

The Straits Times found that the school, in Maxwell Road, also offers a degree from the American University for Humanities (AUH), which a staff member said is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education.

ODA's website has this to say about the American university: 'New name for American University of Hawaii, which was closed by court order. Operations claiming accreditation from The American Academy for Liberal Education in Lebanon do not meet Oregon legal requirements and degrees are not valid here. Degrees issued from Delaware are not valid in Oregon.'

Although the school has been offering degree courses for years, a check with the Ministry of Education (MOE) revealed that Lee Community College is not approved to offer any external degree programmes.

An MOE spokesman said the matter would be investigated.

It warned that new regulations require all private schools to seek permission from the new statutory board, the Council for Private Education (CPE) before offering external degree programmes, including online programmes.

Non-compliance may lead to deregistration of the private school and prosecution of its officials.

Lee Community College's chief executive, Dr Frederick Toke, said the school spent over $100,000 to seek accreditation for the degree programme, which was from the American University for Humanities in Tbilisi, Georgia.

It was accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education, a recognised accrediting agency in the US for liberal arts institutions, but was rejected by the MOE.

Dr Toke did not explain why the school continued to offer the degree despite the MOE rejection. He would only say that the school is now seeking MOE approval to run other degree programmes from the US.

Mr Alan Contreras, the administrator for Oregon's ODA, said Singapore never used to feature on the ODA's list.

'The problem Singapore has is that it opened the door to private post-secondary education without establishing a serious governmental oversight process to make those providers prove that they are legitimate,' he said.

'In effect, your government has allowed its name to be used inappropriately because only government authorised colleges can issue genuine degrees.'

Mr Contreras also warned: 'Without enforcement of standards by the government, anything goes. This is why the reputation of degrees issued in Singapore is falling.'

The MOE said that under the new laws that will come into effect by the end of the year, the Council for Private Education will run checks on these claimed partnerships.

'These measures will help ensure that dubious programmes offered by degree mills will not be permitted by CPE to be offered in Singapore,' said the spokesman.

But the new laws have come too late for a 26-year-old who attended evening classes and did course work for over three years for an AUH degree from Lee Community College.

The administrative manager hopes the new laws for private schools will ensure that only valid degrees are offered here.

'I took up the degree because I was interested in a counselling career. I spent more than $20,000 of my hard-earned money to study for the degree. Now I find out that it is worthless.'

It was a piece of paper that was supposed to give Carrie McCluskey a second chance.

Just 10 questions, one week and $250 later, she says the high school diploma stamped with a gold seal was mailed to her Flint home.

Except, she says, it wasn't real.

Now the Baker College student is among three people suing a reported diploma mill in a federal lawsuit to try to shut it down.

"Getting a GED can really help you start your life," said McCluskey, 26, who is studying human resources at Baker. "People who want to give you fake ones are saying they don't care where your life will go. They're just out for your money."

The lawsuit is against www.belfordhighschool.com — whose controversial diplomas have made national headlines and been called worthless by the Council of Better Business Bureau Inc.

A representative who answered a toll free number for the Humble, Texas-based www.belfordhighschool.com disputed claims that the online school is a scam. The counselor, who identified himself as Dom Wright, said the site does not claim to award GEDs — it awards actual diplomas based on life experience or testing.

"If this diploma was not accredited or recognized do you think we would still be in business?" Wright asked.

Despite a warning issued by the Better Business Bureau in August that the diplomas awarded by Belford and other online companies weren't worth the paper they were printed on, Wright contended the school has had 87,000 graduates and is accredited by the International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities and the Universal Council for Online Education.

But the Googasian Firm, a Bloomfield Hills-based law firm representing McCluskey and two other students from Arizona and California is calling Belford a "massive rip-off."

McCluskey, who attended Holly High School but never graduated, said she only recently had an opportunity to go back to school.

She was advised that online GEDs were faster and cheaper, so she typed keywords on the Internet — and that led her to Belford's Web site, which prominently displays the word "GED" on its pages, although it claims it awards actual diplomas.

Her Belford diploma came with a 3.9 GPA.

McCluskey said it was a Baker official who gave her the bad news.

"They told me they couldn't accept that because they had never heard of that school and it wasn't accredited," she said. "I was pretty upset. I had just paid $250 for something, and now I had to pay more. Most people getting their GEDs don't have that kind of money.

"You're trying to move forward and someone out there is trying to make you move backwards. I was doing all this to make a better life for me and my family."

The engaged single mother of two ended up pursuing the GED process again — this time taking an in-person test at Carman-Ainsworth High School.

Belford's Wright contended that Baker College was among a handful of colleges in Michigan that previously had accepted Belford graduates.

Baker College officials declined comment on Belford and the case but said the college does not accept Belford High School diplomas.

"It is an actual high school diploma that is accredited," Wright said. "If they provide us with the rejection letter, we will give them a refund."

But many local colleges say these types of companies are on their radar.

MCC officials said they didn't have any students in their system that listed Belford as their high school, but diploma mills were a concern.

The University of Michigan-Flint also watches for red flags but officials note that students don't necessarily have to come from a high school with specific accreditation — some were home-schooled or attended an international school.

Transcripts combined with ACT or SAT scores is what's most important, said admissions director Kimberly Williams.

"It is a concern," Williams said of mills. "But the bigger concern is that students are prepared academically. They have to show us they are prepared for the rigor of our curriculum."

This isn't the first time Belford High School and Belford University — which is also based in Humble, Texas and also has been accused of selling bogus degrees — have made the news.

George Gollin, a professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, made headlines last year for his crusade against diploma mills after being offered a doctorate in thoracic surgery at Belford University based on his experience reading newspapers and watching the news.

In 2008, Gollin helped authorities unravel a global operation that led to a list of 9,600 people who possibly purchased phony degrees — including government employees.

Along with McCluskey, students Evelyn Reisborff of Arizona and Jaime Yanez of California are also named in what could become a class-action lawsuit against Belford.

The lawsuit, which does not ask for a specific dollar amount and demands Belford be shut down, accuses the online school of fraud among other charges

"If you look around the state of our economy, especially in Michigan, people are really hurting," said Dean Googasian, of the Googasian Firm. "A lot of folks are out of work and they're looking for a way to take that first step toward a better job and better life.

"It's frankly offensive that there are people out there willing to just rip off folks who are looking to better themselves and we're hoping to put a stop to it."

Freehold Regional High School District school board has subpoenaed a news organization's Web site for the names of people who have criticized the district leadership in postings.

According to the subpoena, the district wants to identify forum posters before the board in a disciplinary hearing -- an indicator officials are hunting for district employees.

The board is demanding the full name, address and e-mail addresses registered for about 20 user names on the site, New Jersey Online, nj.com.

Listed user names have criticized Schools Superintendent H. James Wasser's obtaining a doctoral degree from an unaccredited online school. The degree had meant the district paid tuition and a $2,500 annual stipend to the superintendent. Some posts also include unconfirmed allegations about Wasser and district officials.

Howell representative William Bruno on the school board said he was in favor of the Aug. 31 subpoena.

"If they have nothing to hide, what's the problem?'' Bruno said.

But residents say this is the last in a line of attempts to intimidate and silence residents, including one residents' claim he was assaulted by a district security guard and the board's refusal to officially extend public speaker time limits from three minutes to five at meetings.

"(District officials) rule by fear and terror and this is part of it,'' said Jim Sage of Marlboro, a frequent critic of the board. "If it's true (a subpoena has been filed) I think this is a waste of taxpayers' money yet again. Is it an attempt to silence the critics? Absolutely.''

Three years ago, an Erie man pledged to pay $75,000 and move his business out of the state to settle investigators' claims that he was running an illegal online diploma mill.

The state Attorney General's Office says the defendant, Dennis J. Globosky, has not kept up his side of the bargain.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Carm Presogna has gone to Erie County Court to ask a judge to cite Globosky for contempt of court and order him to pay $130,035 in civil penalties and costs.

No hearing has been set in the matter.

Globosky, whose last known Erie address was 204 German St., has not filed any response, according to court records.

The case stems from an investigation that began in 2005 and a settlement that was reached in 2007.

The state Attorney General's Office Bureau of Consumer Protection in July 2005 filed a complaint alleging that Globosky was selling bogus degrees online in violation of consumer protection laws, the Private Licensed Schools Act and the Fictitious Names Act.

Investigators claimed that Globosky, through entities called "The University of Berkley" and "The University of Berkley Online," sold bogus online degrees, which cost between $2,065 and $4,995. The degrees were based on life experience rather than exams.

Globosky also provided customers with contact information for their employers to "verify" the authenticity of the degrees, the Attorney General's Office said.

They alleged Globosky made as much as $34 million selling the degrees. Globosky countered that his students did complete a required curriculum before earning their degrees.

To settle the complaint, Globosky agreed in 2007 to no longer conduct business with Pennsylvania residents and to post a notice on his online education Web sites that the operators of the sites were barred from doing business with Pennsylvanians.

He also agreed to pay a civil judgment of $75,000.

The state Attorney General's Office now says that a review of Globosky's several Web sites in November 2008 revealed that three of them failed to post the notice, as required, that the Web site operators were barred from doing business with Pennsylvanians.

Presogna has asked the court to order Globosky to pay a civil penalty of $15,000 for those violations, plus $34,335 to cover the costs of the state's contempt proceedings.

She also said that Globosky has failed to keep up with a schedule to pay the $75,000 judgment entered in 2007.

She wants a judge to order Globosky to pay the arrearage, $30,700, plus a $50,000 civil penalty for failing to make payments on time.

Globosky should not be permitted to operate any business in Pennsylvania or conduct business with Pennsylvania residents until the matter is resolved, the state Attorney General's Office said.

One of the bills signed by the Governor is AB 48 by Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) - Private postsecondary education: California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.

Click here to see the text of the bill

For immediate release: September 28, 2009 (09-155)

Contact:
Media inquiries: Gordon MacCracken, Communications Office 360-236-4072
Public inquiries: Health Systems Customer Service 360-236-4700

State revokes, suspends licenses, certifications, registrations of health care providers

OLYMPIA: The Washington State Department of Health has revoked or suspended the licenses, certifications, or registrations of health care providers in our state. The department has also immediately suspended the credentials of people who have been prohibited from practicing in other states.

The department's Health Systems Quality Assurance Office works with boards, commissions and advisory committees to set licensing standards for more than 70 health care professions (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, counselors).

Information about health care providers is on the agency's Web site. Click on "Provider Credential Search" on the left hand side of the Department of Health home page (www.doh.wa.gov). The site includes information about a health care provider's license status, the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. This information is also available by calling 360-236-4700. Consumers who think a health care provider acted unprofessionally are also encouraged to call and report their complaint...

Pierce County

...In July 2009 the Registered Counselor and Chemical Dependency Professional Programs indefinitely suspended the credentials of David Charles Larsen (RC.RC.00021390, CDP.CP.00000530). Larsen purchased a Doctor of Psychology degree from St. Regis University, an online "diploma mill". He misrepresented his education and training on a resume he submitted for a counseling position...

In May, WHNT NEWS 19 exposed several people passing off bogus diplomas. They were all connected to the military or missile defense. Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Halloran broke the story and promised to stay on top of it and get answers for viewers. But in some cases, that has been more challenging than we expected.

You may wonder what's the big deal? There are a lot of reasons. Among them, it's not fair to those people who got degrees the hard way and may have gotten passed over for a promotion by someone who took a shortcut. And, in a field where honesty and integrity are expected - in fact demanded - it's ultimately a breach of trust.

Our investigation exposed enlisted members of the military in Alabama who presented degrees they bought for a fraction of what it really costs and got a return on the investment with an increase in pay grade. Your tax dollars footed that bill.

Sergeant Major Tom Gills of the Army Human Resources Command told us, "To have someone who would go and do something like this sickens me." His office responded swiftly. "I can tell you that what it has caused is a great opportunity for change and we couldn't have done this without your help in discovery," he said.

We turned over more than 200 names to the Army's Human Resources Command. A number we described in our initial report as a "battalion of others who potentially flew under the radar."

Gills said, "One is too many. And, each and every one we're going to identify we're going to turn it over to their commanders for appropriate action."

As a result of our investigation, the Army is examining all records in order to identify soldiers who bought fake degrees and transcripts and turned them over for promotions. They even sent out an all-Army message from the Pentagon to raise awareness and reinforce the Army's standards.

"Each case, it is significant and it just smacks at those core values that we live by," stated Gills.

We also exposed a defense contractor with two bogus degrees.

James Samuelson works for Applied Data Trends and has security clearance. He admitted it was wrong and explained what prompted him to buy the phony credentials.

"To be 100% honest, what prompted me to get it was that my daughter was about to graduate from college and I have dealt with years of being highly experienced and not having a degree," he confessed.

We promised to follow up with his employer. ADT CEO Derrick Copeland sent us a statement which indicated the following:

'ADT has and continues to take appropriate action regarding the situation. On the advice of ADT's legal counsel, ADT does not publically discuss internal matters such as this.'

The probe widened to the Department of the Army civilian side after we exposed Army Aviation and Missile Command's Director of Readiness Chris Oleyte. He bought and used a fake degree in a resume he turned in for a promotion and got.

Our report triggered a Commander's Inquiry at Redstone Arsenal. But, getting straight answers about the Oleyte matter and the 15 other names of AMCOM employees we turned over with questionable credentials has been an uphill battle.

For weeks, we've asked for an interview with Redstone Arsenal's Commanding General Jim Myles. Instead, we received a pre-taped statement from Major General Myles supplied to us on a DVD.

In it, Myles states, "One thing I want to say right up front is that this Command is all about integrity."

We were told by e-mail that the three-minute DVD "appropriately addressed these concerns."

In the DVD, Myles went on to say, " There are no operational security issues surrounding false diplomas that anyone has. There are quite simply none."

We responded, letting them know it didn't answer all of our questions and in some cases fueled even more. But still, they wouldn't agree to an interview and relied solely on the DVD.

"Out of the 2,300 employees we looked at, there were only six that we found that still had a false diploma."

We know the actual number of people possessing fake degrees at Redstone Arsenal is a very small percentage of the workforce. A point Major Myles made in his taped remarks when he said, "99.8% of all employees are doing things properly and as they should be in accordance with what our polices are and in place."

We made it perfectly clear in our initial report that we were not suggesting Mr. Oleyte is not qualified for the job he currently holds. But, we still have questions about security, integrity, and a potential double standard. We couldn't pose those questions. All we have to go on is the prepared response in which Myles stated, "I fully support that the chain of command did what it should have done in July 2002. And quite frankly, this is old news."

Our quest for the full story has put us at odds with the Commanding General at AMCOM. He sent out a memo to Team Redstone discrediting our reports - calling them inaccurate, misleading and speculative at best.

We vigorously defend the accuracy of our reports. You can watch Major Myles' entire pre-taped response here.

We're also sharing his memo to the workforce at Redstone Arsenal about our investigation.

YOU do not have to study, seek admission or attend lectures – starting from a few hundred ringgit, you can get a degree of your choice online in a matter of minutes.

A quick Internet search by the Starprobe team resulted in a long list of alleged degree mills worldwide such as Hill University, Rochville University and Buxton University.

All these institutions of higher learning claim to be accredited, but none is recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Authority (MQA) or the local accreditation body's respective foreign partners.

Whether to boost their career development or to improve their social standing, many Malaysians have taken the easy way of buying their paper qualifications online.

And among the holders of these dubious qualifications are some prominent people, including lawmakers from both sides of the political divide.

When the Washington-based newspaper Spokesman Review exposed a bogus degree scam in the United States in July, a list of 10,000 buyers was made public.

Phoney degrees

More than 50 Malaysians contributed to the US$7.3mil (RM25.6mil) generated by the Spokane-based syndicate, which issued phoney and counterfeit high school and college degrees from institutions such as Concordia University, St Regis University, St Lourdes University, All Saints American University and Heartland University.

However, several people who are suspected to be holding these bogus degrees declined to comment or furnish the Starprobe team with their curriculum vitae when contacted.

As the diploma mill trend shows, almost anyone can get a degree.

The standard prerequisites needed are experience, skills, knowledge or expertise in a given field of study, all which the buyer easily meets by declaring so in the registration form without needing to provide any documentary proof.

The buyer can even specify a past date or year of graduation to be stated in the degree.

These sites offer a wide and comprehensive range of qualifications, from high school certifications, Bachelors and Masters degrees to doctorates.

Buyers are promised a traditional-looking degree, which means none of the certificates contain words like online or life experience.

The offers are so comprehensive that some even provide an academic transcript, a certificate of distinction and an award of excellence, plus verification from the university's registrar to boot.

Some even offer packages, which means you could obtain your Bachelors, Masters and PhD at one go at a discounted special rate.

These syndicates promise to deliver your graduation package, which starts from US$150 (RM525), between five and 14 days by courier.

One website even goes to the extent of offering buyers the option to pay in instalments.

Many dubious organisations passing themselves off as universities are legally registered business entities.

Some even submit their annual tax returns in the country they are registered at, but do not conduct any shady dealings in their "home" country, thus not breaking any law in the nation they are registered in.

According to the Irish Embassy, the Irish International University (IIU) is registered as a private company in Ireland, while Dublin Metropolitan University (DMU) had a business address in Cyprus.

According to its website, the IIU, which is now known as the Isles International University, has its main international office in Petaling Jaya even though it was blacklisted by the Malaysian Government in 2005. Its head is executive president Hardeep Singh Sandhu, a Malaysian businessman.

In January last year, a BBC London investigation team exposed IIU as an international education scam that targets foreign students who went to study in the British capital.

"The bogus Irish International University (IIU), which offers sub-standard and worthless degrees, has been allowed to flourish in the UK – virtually unchecked by Government – for the last seven years," said BBC in the report.

Many of its programmes and courses are offered via the Internet to "students" from various nations without the need for it to set up a base in those countries.

As Irish ambassador to Malaysia Eugene Hutchinson shares, the embassy frequently gets enquiries from potential employers or students on the "dubious" institutions.

"They are not recognised as a university or as any other form of academic institution in Ireland. Any awards that they offer are not recognised by any statutory awarding bodies in Ireland and therefore have no academic standing whatsoever in our country," he says.

He adds that the Irish authorities do not view them as universities although their names were clearly intended to convey so. "As can be seen from their websites, these enterprises continue to use the term university in their business names, in contravention of Irish law.

"The IIU and other similar business enterprises are endeavouring to exploit the good name of Irish education for their own ends. Their claims of 'validation' and 'accreditation' deserve very careful critical examination," he points out.

Dubious methods

These organisations are aware that they are being monitored by the Irish authorities, and they try to keep tabs by contacting the embassy in return.

"Frequently, they call to see what we know. Sometimes they pretend to be making enquiries as a third party. We try to keep correspondence with them to a minimum as we do not want them to claim that they were in correspondence with the Irish authorities (thus making it appear as endorsed by them)," he says, adding that Ireland had distanced itself from the IIU and DMU.

Interestingly, Irish deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan highlights that these enterprises do not conduct any of their operations in Ireland.

"They are a registered business in Ireland. They make a tax return annually, hence they are not illegal. I have not heard of any Irish who has obtained degrees from them," he says.

To make themselves even more attractive, some of these "universities" would set up or become a member of an equally dubious "accreditation body".

Many provide hotline numbers and e-mail addresses of the "universities" and "accreditation bodies", which are usually passed on by the "graduates" to their potential employers should these companies want to verify the qualifications of their prospective employees.

Former vice-chancellor of Sunway University College Prof Jarlath Ronayne concurs, also citing the BBC report on IIU, which had claimed that its programmes were accredited and quality controlled by QAC-UK Ltd – a Quality Assurance Commission based in London.

Further investigation, however, revealed that the people behind the "university" were also co-directors of the accreditation body.

"There are a few of these accreditation agencies that are not Government sanctioned or authorised. They are 'private' accreditation bodies and cater to institutions that are not accredited by their respective governments," he says.

Echoing this, a source from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) shares that the formal or legal national accreditation or quality assurance agency of a particular country would be a member of International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

Prof Ronayne highlights that one of the ways for bogus universities to gain credibility was by inviting prominent people such as politicians and business leaders to be the guests of honour at their convocations. He adds that the convocation ceremonies can sometimes be quite grand.

"They have their convocation ceremonies in Oxford and Cambridge where they rent the universities' halls. That would give students a false impression," he says.

Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (Macee) advises students to check with the particular country's educational office to verify if the programme or institution is authentic before signing up.

"If it's an American degree or institution, they should contact Macee as we provide information on all accredited universities and colleges in the United States (US)," says Macee Educational Advising Center coordinator Doreen John.

Students could also check with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org) website as it has a database of institutions and programmes accredited by recognised US organisations, says John.

"If students want to opt for distance learning, they have to be extra cautious. "If the programme they want to do is such a bargain in terms of cost, and they don't need to do any work for it then it is probably fake," she adds.

British Council Malaysia Education and Programmes Director Peter Clack also advises students to check if the British course or institution they are interested in is authentic and officially recognised before signing up.

Students can take several steps, he says, including meeting the institutions' representatives at the Education UK exhibitions organised by the British Council; and logging onto the Education UK website (www.educationuk.org.my) for lists of institutions and courses.

They could also check if the name of the institution appears on the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) website (www.ucas.com), and if the institutions' own website address ends with .ac.uk.

To ensure that the institutions were empowered to offer degrees, students could check the UK's Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills' website (www.dcsf.gov.uk/recognisedukdegrees).

As for accreditation, Clack says the official quality assurance bodies were the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education website (www. qaa.ac.uk) or the British Accreditation Council website (www.the-bac.org).

Students planning to take up Irish courses are advised to consult the list of higher education providers on www.educationireland.ie or refer to Ireland's National Framework of Qualifications at www.cao.ie.

National Association of Private Educational Institutions (Napei) president Assoc Prof Elajsolan Mohan advises employers who were unsure of any prospective employees' qualifications to verify them.

"An individual once applied to my college to become a lecturer but when we checked his qualifications, we discovered the university where he claimed to have done his PhD did not exist," he says.

SO you have been accepted into California Southern University? Don't celebrate yet.

Although the university may sound like the renowned research institution University of Southern California, it is not accredited by the official accreditation agencies in the United States. It may even be a degree mill.

Similarly, University of Hawaii is a major university. Honolulu University, however, is not. Try to figure out which of the following is legitimate: the European Business School in London or the European Business School in Cambridge?

It is difficult to work out which institutions are genuine and which are bogus because the names are similar. The same applies to accreditation bodies – the Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a respected body; not so the Council for International Education Accreditation.

To complicate matters further, today's quick-buck degree mills have more sophisticated operations, complete with "professors" and alumni. Here are a few of the infamous organisations:

Irish International University

Soon after Malaysia's Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) blacklisted the institution in July 2005, it changed its name to Isles International University. It has been operating for about a decade and boasts a long list of faculty and students stretching from Europe to Asia. It still maintains an office in Petaling Jaya.

Dublin Metropolitan University

It also has an international office in the Klang Valley. It was investigated by the Irish government for illegally calling itself a university without the approval of Ireland's Department of Education and Science. The Irish government is looking at measures to deregister institutions like this, which are legally registered as business entities.

Cambridgeshire University

In 2005, an MBA student was refunded her tuition fees of RM13,672.34 by education provider NetAcademy Sdn Bhd, which offered courses from both Irish International University and Cambridgeshire, after she won her case at the Consumer Claims Tribunal. Cambridgeshire University has been blacklisted by the Government.

Preston University

Preston University is a private for-profit unaccredited university with allegedly 30 affiliated campuses throughout the world. Preston was based in Wyoming but moved to Alabama in 2007 after the state's crackdown on diploma mills. In 2009, the Alabama state administration ordered it to cease operations for failing to meet its educational standards. Preston University is now based in Los Angeles, California.

Newport University

Newport University claims to be based in California and has more than 20 branches all over the world, including Belgium, China and Malaysia. It is not recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Pacific Western University

Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was closed in 2006 by the State of Hawaii for not being accredited by any accreditation body recognised by the state. Its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions.

Malaysians are so caught up with degrees that many would go to any lengths for one.

And degree mills — bodies that award degrees with little or no study — are ready to hand out the awards to many who want to boost their business position, social status or political standing.

The Starprobe's search reveals that many Malaysians are buying dubious Bachelor's, Master's and even Doctorates from popular degree "conferring" bodies, among them the American-based Preston Uni-versity and Newport University; Dublin Metropolitan University (DMU) and Irish International University (IIU).

Other dubious institutions which are not in recognised accreditation registries include Connaught University, Pacific Western University, American Northeast State University, Western University, European University, Hill University, Rochville University and Buxton University.

When the Starprobe team conducted a search, including on the Internet, for the "alumni" of these degree mills, the list included prominent personalities in different sectors:

(Photo caption) Cambodian premier Hun Sen (right) receiving his honorary degree from Irish International University head, a Malaysian called Hardeep Singh Sandhu, in 2007.

> a Selangor Umno division chief who is also chairman of a local publishing group (MBA, Connaught University, UK);

> a Kedah Umno division head and Umno Supreme Council member who became a self-made millionaire after school (MBA, Preston University, US);

> a Perak DAP state assemblyman (Bachelor of Business Administration, Paramount University of Technology, US) ;

> a retired Royal Malaysian Police department director who is now serving in a government body (MBA, Newport University, US);

> a leading Chinese educationist with three PhDs (PhD, Kensington University, US);

> a celebrity motivational speaker who has set up a private college (MBA and Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), European Business School Cambridge of European Union);

> a top entrepreneur and chairman of one of Malaysia's leading manufacturers (DBA, Irish International University); and

> a chairman of a local IT media company who was charged with furnishing false statement to the Bursa Malaysia (Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and Management, Connaught University, Ireland; MBA, North West London University, UK; and Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration, Pacific Western University, US).

The questionable "qualification" is evident in the official resumes of these public figures which the Starprobe team obtained from their offices or official websites.

When contacted, some were genuinely surprised to find out that they had been duped but others evaded questions and refused to comment.

One person with two alleged doctorates did not deny receiving the bogus doctorates but simply urged Starprobe to quote his third doctorate from the Southern Cross University, Australia, which is legitimate.

All the universities mentioned claim to be accredited, but none is recognised by the national accrediting body Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) or its foreign accrediting partners.

The IIU was blacklisted by MQA(then known as National Accreditation Board) in July 2005.

A disturbing trend is that these dodgy institutions offer prominent personalities degrees so they can gain credibility with the "qualifications".

This is the standard practice for many of these bogus universities, said a senior Irish academic attached to a local private university who declined to be named.

"These institutions go to another country, especially in the less developed and developing world, and offer local prominent personalities doctorates and other degrees. These are not honorary degrees but they don't ask the VIPs for money either.

"They just invite the important people to put in a 1,500-word essay or write something about themselves, and they 'award' them their degrees.

"It becomes an endorsement of sorts — when the institutions get complaints from parents and students, they will simply point out the important people who have their degrees," he explained, adding that it is prevalent because it is win-win for both parties.

"The institutions get the chance to be set up and the important people get their paper qualification."

Republic of Ireland deputy ambassador to Malaysia Eoin Duggan highlighted another device for these universities to gain credibility.

They would invite VIPs, including politicians, to their convocations and sometimes confer on them honorary degrees.

"Their presence gives the ceremony importance. Having, say, a junior minister's name on their list meanwhile would add credibility to the institution's name," he said.

For example, IIU's previous honorary luminaries include a senator who is famous for championing minority rights, the president of one of Barisan Nasional's component parties and the director of a local think tank.

Although most have wised up and dropped the dubious qualification from their resume, a few still list it in their academic credentials.

Education blogger Tony Pua believes that half of those holding bogus degrees knew that their "qualifications" were not bona fide.

"It lends credence to the university to have VIPs on their list. But if you can get a doctorate without doing any research, it is a fake one. It is impossible to get a credible doctorate via a long distance learning programme, especially if you are studying part-time," said Pua, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.

British Council Malaysia Education and Programmes Director Peter Clack agrees, pointing out that a degree is intended to reward academic excellence and requires hard work and commitment as that is what gives it its value with employers.

"If a degree course sounds too good to be true, then it is more than likely to be a bogus one," he said.

Unfortunately, there is nothing much that authorities can do to stamp out this fraudulent practice.

Although the respective governments are aware of these dubious institutions, they have not been able to fully eliminate them as many are legitimately registered as business entities or exist mainly in the virtual world.

Many can only advise the public about the "bogus" institutions, like Ireland, which is distancing itself from the institutions claiming to be Irish.

However, these "bogus" bodies are experts in evading authorities; further checks revealed that IIU had changed its name to Isles International University. It has even maintained an international office in Petaling Jaya.

The degree mill issue has become such that the United Nations declared a war on this worldwide industry of fraudulent qualifications in June.

Calling it "an emerging academic corruption", the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has issued a guideline for countries around the world to help eradicate these degree mills.

Seven Arab universities have recently been established in The Hague. Some of them train pilots, others offer courses in Islamic sciences or nuclear physics. But far from everybody is convinced that the degrees the universities offer hold any value.

Dr Khalil, an Iraqi man in his mid fifties, is visibly proud of the Free University in The Hague of which he is the vice-rector. He describes it as a 'non-profit organisation' providing education for Arabs who migrated to the Netherlands for economic reasons. Only a handful of people work at his office in a modern building in The Hague; there are no students to be seen. According to Dr Khalil, the actual teaching takes place at another location that is not accessible at the moment of the interview. He adds that his university also teaches by mail and through Paltalk, an internet chat programme.

All teaching at the Free University is in Arabic. "Most of the books written in the English language are translated from the Arabic anyway", explains Dr Khalil. This year, he says, 150 bachelor students, 32 master students and 25 PhD students will obtain their degrees in various subjects, including political science, philosophy and law.

'Friends'
The Free University is not the only one of its kind. There are six more in The Hague, all established by Iraqis in the past few years. In fact, Dr Khalil happens to be the rector of one of them: La Haye University, which is located in the same building. He has established this university himself, he says, because the Free University could not accommodate certain subjects. The website of La Haye University mentions an agreement with the Royal Jordanian Aviation College, to train 100 pilots and 200 aviation engineers.

Another member of the board of directors of the Free University has his own university as well, which is called the Dutch University for Science and Arts. Each of the three universities calls itself the 'friend' of the other two.

Warning
Outside the Netherlands, this mushrooming of Arab universities has already caused some commotion. Some time ago, the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education reported that a certain 'Open University' in the Netherlands sold high academic degrees to Iraqis who did not have any academic training. Some of these degrees, it said, were in very specific fields such as nuclear physics. More recently, the Swedish Ministry of Education issued a warning against fake universities, mentioning in particular the Free University of Sweden, an affiliate of the Free University in The Hague.

Dr Khalil is not concerned about the Swedish warning, saying it is based on a misunderstanding. But in the Netherlands, too, doubts are growing stronger. The Free University was recently expelled from the Dutch organisation the Platform for Recognised Private Educational Institutions (PAEPON) 'for the misleading information it distributes on its website'.

Life experience
Dr Khalil himself holds no fewer than three PhD degrees. One is from the Free University of which he himself is the vice rector. According to a publication of his university, he further obtained a PhD in Administration from the United States, but no particular university there is mentioned. And in his CV, Dr Khalil finally mentions a PhD from Suffield university. This American institute - not to be confused with the well-known Sheffield University in the United Kingdom - issues degrees on the basis of 'life experience'.

In the Netherlands anyone who takes the trouble to visit to the local Chamber of Commerce and pay about 50 euros can put a sign on his door that reads 'university'. That is not to say, of course, that this 'university' and the degrees it offers are recognised by the Dutch authorities. But Dr Khalil is optimistic. Dutch law, he knows, stipulates that a university can only apply for official recognition four years after it is established. So the recognition of the Free University is "only a matter of time."

Cheaters beware. It is now a misdemeanor in Missouri to use a fake degree or one from a diploma mill to apply for a job, admission to a college or in connection with any business, job or public office.

Gov. Jay Nixon is scheduled to sign a bill today that will make it so. In doing so, Missouri joins about a dozen other states that have similar laws on the books.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education had pushed legislators to create such a bill to make sure Missouri is not a friendly place to phony diplomas and transcripts that are readily available on the Internet.

The department discovered a couple of cases in Missouri — including a St. Charles couple who tried to pass off fake degrees from St. Charles Community College and Lindenwood University to get teaching jobs in Florida. (See my story from December that I have pasted below for more on this.)

Leroy Wade, an assistant commissioner of higher education, noted in a news release that most often the use of fake degrees goes undetected.

"Unless an employer has a reason to be suspicious, they often accept documentation at face value," he said. "The new legislation calls attention to the problem and puts people on notice that using phony documents is a crime."

 

A company awarded an important role in the Government's attempt to shut down hundreds of bogus colleges is run by a man who was dismissed from his post at a university, The Times has discovered.

Maurice Dimmock is the director and chief executive of an organisation that inspects and accredits private colleges which want to admit foreign students. The Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) has given 180 institutions the stamp of approval since he set it up in 2007.

Among them is a Manchester college that The Times exposed last month as the front for an immigration scam which helped 1,000 fake students to enter or stay in Britain.

The head office of ASIC, one of seven government-approved accreditation bodies, is a semi-detached house in a village near Middlesbrough. The company has five staff. Its directors are Mr. Dimmock, 59, and his wife, Margaret, 52. The company secretary is her 78-year-old father.

Until 2003 Mr Dimmock was the director of international operations at Northumbria University, with responsibility for overseas students. He and the university have refused to discuss why his employment was terminated, but The Times has established that the Home Office received, and ignored, concerns about ASIC and Mr. Dimmock before it granted the company a contract. Northumbria University wrote to the Home Office in May 2007 to question the role the company was about to be given in distinguishing between genuine and bogus colleges. Two months later Universities UK, representing Britain's 133 universities, wrote to Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, to "express concern about the decision to approve ASIC as one of the accreditation bodies within the new immigration system".

In a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee, which has responded to articles in The Times by holding an inquiry into bogus colleges, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, chief executive of Universities UK, raised further doubts about ASIC. She said: "There is a lack of information and transparency about (ASIC's) management, governance and financial structures. Several of the colleges that it accredits have been associated with inappropriate activities."

In November, ASIC accredited King's College of Management, Manchester, which claimed to have 67 students. The Times disclosed last month that it had enrolled 1,178 foreigners and was offering places to another 1,575. Individuals at the college were selling diplomas and faking attendance records to fool the authorities into granting students leave to stay in Britain.

Mr. Dimmock told The Times that ASIC had rejected 15 of the 195 colleges that it had inspected, including Manchester College of Professional Studies. It claimed to have 50 students, but secretly enrolled 1,797, including 8 of the 10 Pakistani citizens arrested in April for suspected involvement in an al-Qaeda terror plot.

Mr. Dimmock said that ASIC used 25 inspectors, many of them former university professors experienced in international education. Their attempts to separate genuine colleges from those involved in immigration fraud were hampered, he said, by the Home Office's refusal to tell ASIC how many student visas were issued for each college it inspects. "We don't see ourselves purely as acting as policemen. We are there to identify those colleges which are genuine, as far as we can see," he said.

A UK Border Agency spokesman confirmed that concerns about ASIC had been passed to the Home Office, but said that the Home Office relied on the recommendations of Ofsted in determining which accreditation bodies should receive contracts.

An Ofsted spokewoman said that it had assessed ASIC before it became an approved accreditation body in 2007 and was "satisfied that it was operating in a satisfactory manner".

There is no suggestion that most of the 180 colleges accredited by ASIC are linked to immigration scams.

DETROIT - A Dearborn resident who submitted phony college transcripts to universities in order to get bogus transfer credits to gain students admission to graduate and medical school programs, and who helped foreign students obtain U.S. student visas based on false documents, was sentenced to two years in federal prison today, United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced.

Berg was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI and Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Nazeer Hamadneh, 40, of Dearborn, Michigan was sentenced today to 24 months in prison by United States District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff in Port Huron, Michigan.

"This sentence reflects the serious nature of these crimes. Individuals who gain entry into the United States and into a college or university through fraud undermine the vetting process and could put the public at risk," said Brian M. Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of the ICE Office of Investigations for Michigan and Ohio. "ICE will continue to work with our partners to close this vulnerability."

According to court records, Hamadneh pleaded guilty on March 10, 2009 to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Visa Fraud. Co-defendants Abbas Obeid aka Adam Obeid, 34, of Ontario, Canada, Roni Aoub, 27, of Southfield, and Majed Mamo, 40, of Wixom, Michigan all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Abbas Obeid also pled guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

According to the indictment filed in this case, from August 2000 through August 2008, Hamadneh and his co-defendants conspired to defraud educational institutions such as Lawrence Technological University in Southfield and Madonna University in Livonia by submitting fraudulent undergraduate transcripts so that individuals, who paid a fee to the conspirators, would fraudulently obtain transfer credits from those institutions.

These credits were applied toward undergraduate degrees. Fraudulent transcripts were also submitted so that individuals would be accepted for enrollment in graduate programs. The indictment alleges that, in exchange for money, the conspirators submitted fraudulent undergraduate transcripts to medical schools located in the Caribbean and Belize on behalf of students who otherwise had insufficient undergraduate credits to enter medical school.

The indictment alleges that as a result of the defendants' actions, otherwise unqualified students were admitted to medical school based on the submission of fraudulent undergraduate transcripts. In addition, the indictment alleges that defendants Nazeer Hamadneh and Abbas Obeid conspired to submit and submitted fraudulent documents on behalf of foreign students in order to obtain student visas. The indictment further alleges that defendants Nazeer Hamadneh and Majed Mamo tampered with witnesses in an effort to prevent witnesses from providing truthful information to law enforcement.

United States Attorney Terrence Berg said, "The whole of society is victimized by a scheme that allows unqualified persons to pay for phony transcripts and college credits that will get them into a graduate or medical school where they do not belong. Of greater concern is any scheme that permits student visas to be obtained under false pretenses. We will be vigilant to protect against the abuses demonstrated in this case."

"Individuals who buy and sell fraudulent college credits not only cheat the educational system; but when used for medical school admissions may endanger public health. Additionally, this undermines the student visa program by allowing individuals into this country who fail to follow through on their obligation to continue their higher education," said Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken.

 

Timothy Johnson, the newly elected vice chairman of the state Republican party, is listed as "Dr. Johnson" on his and the state GOP's Web sites. But he's not a medical doctor or dentist. And he won't disclose where he earned his Ph.D., leaving the impression that he got it from a now-defunct school once notorious as a diploma mill.

The Indy contacted Johnson to ask whether his claimed "Ph.D., Concentration in Total Quality Management, LaSalle University (2000)" was issued by the defunct LaSalle in Louisiana, the accredited La Salle University in Pennsylvania or another LaSalle.

Johnson responded in an e-mail, "I hope you understand when I say I am not going to answer any more questions about my military experience, education background or personal history."

He added: "It just doesn't matter at this point. I am sorry, but enough is enough. Have a great weekend."

His e-mail signature read: "Timothy F. Johnson, Ph.D."

The accredited La Salle University, a Catholic institution with three campuses in Pennsylvania, confers a doctoral degree only in clinical psychology, according to its Web site.

The LaSalle in Louisiana, however, as the authoritative Chronicle of Higher Education reported in 2001, operated as a diploma mill from 1986 to mid-1997, essentially selling degrees (it advertised heavily on matchbook covers) until the FBI raided and shut it down. Its owner, Thomas J. Kirk, was imprisoned for mail and tax fraud, among other charges. That "university" employed no faculty, only secretaries to handle the paperwork and the money.

In late '97, according to the Chronicle, the Louisiana LaSalle was purchased by seemingly "serious" owners including the then-chairwoman of the Louisiana Republican party. They later folded LaSalle's assets into their newly formed company, the Orion Education Corp., after failing to win accreditation for LaSalle from the Distance Education and Training Council in 1999.

Johnson's résumé is included on the Web site of Leadership 101, a company that offers him as its CEO and "lead consultant." Leadership 101 lists its business is "training leaders for success in the 21st century."

Johnson, the Web site promises, is "entertaining, thought-provoking and inspiring."

Johnson is also employed as an adjunct faculty member at Shaw University's Asheville campus. He was in the U.S. Army from 1984 to 2007 in active and reserve roles, starting as an enlisted soldier and retiring with the rank of major, according to a document he released prior to the state GOP convention when his military service was questioned.

The 1,600 delegates to the GOP convention in Raleigh this month chose Johnson as their No. 2 official, despite the news—widely circulated by his opponents and broken publicly by the Asheville media the week before the convention—that he'd pleaded guilty in 1996 to a felonious assault on his first wife. A resident of Cleveland, Ohio at the time, Johnson received an 18-month suspended sentence contingent on his relocating to Toledo, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. (Johnson was then seeking an Ohio legislative seat as a Democrat.)

Johnson asked convention delegates to forgive his past mistake and, in accordance with his slogan ("It's Time"), make him the first African-American officer in the state GOP since the 19th century.

On the floor of the convention, Johnson campaigned wearing his "Dr. Timothy F. Johnson" name tag despite the rumors already circulating that his doctorate was bogus. At the time, the rumors took a backseat to his criminal record, though, and most delegates seemed to be unaware of questions about his educational background when they voted.

Their attention, moreover, was on the hotly contested race for party chairman, won by former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer. (See "The very, very, very small tent," June 17.)

When he was elected chair of the Buncombe County Republican party in 2008, Johnson did not disclose his criminal record because, he told the Indy in an interview at the convention, it was "nobody's business" except his second wife's, and he did tell her.

Chris McClure, executive director of the state GOP, did not return a phone call or answer an e-mail asking the basis for the party's listing of Johnson, its new vice-chair, as "Dr. Timothy Johnson."

Last year after writing We have our own heroes, we don't need other people's in The National I received an e-mail from a director in the Watani programme that began: "Dear Dr Sultan." I must admit that I thought it was a nice compliment, but the thought stopped there and I promptly emailed him back, thanked him and pointed out that I do not have a PhD.

More recently, one of my students from the Dubai Men's College invited me to lecture at a young professionals network he is part of at a real estate development firm. I decided to focus on ethical and moral dilemmas in life and in the business world such as the "Trolley Dilemma" – look it up on Wikipedia.

The truth is there are plenty of moral dilemmas that confront us in the UAE, many of them dealing with education and credentials. For instance, an acquaintance of mine had casually purchased his degree from a foreign university and is currently running a branch of a major financial institution. Should I inform the authorities and "do the right thing" and potentially harm his young family's interests? There is no easy answer.

One of the most embarrassing moments in the first administration of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came when the country's parliament voted to impeach the former Interior Minister – the former head of the very same ministry that announced Ahmadinejad's recent "landslide victory." The minister, Ali Kordan, was accused of lying about his credentials and holding a fake degree from what he called "Oxford University in London ."

The most notorious case facing the UAE was when The Spokesman-Review, a newspaper based in Washington state, exposed more than 9,600 people who had purchased their degrees from a fraudulent diploma mill. The list included dozens of individuals based in the UAE. These "students" had names that appeared to be Arab, European, African and Asian and they may or may not be currently employed in the UAE or in the region, possibly in influential positions.

A total of 68 Emiratis were among these naive "degree holders" as well as scores of other GCC nationals. These young Emiratis may have travelled abroad with the intention to study but in some cases found themselves spending too much time basking in their freedom. With limited follow up from their families or their embassies abroad, particularly in large countries such as the US and Australia, it would not have been difficult to succumb to this temptation.

This is by far not a challenge specific to the UAE. Last year Singapore announced that it had caught 400 locals and expatriates working there who had falsified their degrees. According to a report published in The Straits Times of Singapore, there are three groups of people who resort to buying degrees. The first is young people who were not successful in their studies and want to prove that they have achieved an academic qualification to get a job and support their families. The second group is comprised of employees who seek to get a raise at their current job or who are trying to find a new one. The third is a group of businessmen – who are already successful – who want the prestige of a qualification that can also help them in their business dealings. For instance, recently The New York Times profiled a UAE personality who had been referring to himself as a doctor. The newspaper discovered that the university where he studied does not even offer PhDs. His spokesperson said that even though he might not have a PhD he does in fact have two MBAs.

In the UAE the greatest danger of the practice of buying degrees is in the fields of construction and medicine. A few years ago I was looking to hire a project engineer for a construction project and the gentleman I interviewed seemed to be very capable and possessed the right qualifications. I was surprised that he was willing to leave a reputable firm to work on a relatively small project. I called his firm one day and asked for the engineering department in that construction firm. I was told that although a person with that name worked in the firm, this gentleman wasn't a project engineer at all but had a much more junior position. I thought to myself how potentially dangerous it would have been had we hired him to oversee a project for which he wasn't qualified.

Buying degrees can be very lucrative but very dangerous in the medical industry. Many people in the Gulf succumb to what amounts to witchcraft and sorcery but feel comforted in being told that these sorcerers are qualified doctors who can cure them from a disease or can save a loved one. Many victims of these tricks are too shy to admit that they have been paying for ineffective medicine. They choose silence over unwanted publicity. So sadly, in the UAE this practice can still pay.

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is a non resident fellow at the Dubai School of Government

 

 

In the past few years many young people aspiring to obtain a university degree have been duped by glamorous and flashy web-based educational advertisements. After taking the bait, they find themselves entangled in legal, professional and ethical dilemmas arising from an affiliation with a bogus institution of higher education, better known as a "diploma mill."

Such organisations award academic degrees and diplomas for substandard or no academic work at all. Their "degrees" are awarded without any official educational accreditation.

Last week, the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued a statement warning prospective undergraduate and graduate students looking into academic study abroad against falling victim to such fraudulent practices.

Like money laundering and drug trafficking, the multimillion industry in fake diplomas is a global challenge that has dire consequences for local communities. As a global challenge, the diploma mill fraud can only be combated through building up a culture of achievement and excellence not only within local educational systems, but within the community at large.

For those of us who were old enough to experience higher education in the 1970s, bogus universities were rarely an issue. The rise of the internet with its capacity to reach a global audience and to present something virtual – or fraudulent – as real has made these practices viable. In cyberspace, I have come across scores of counterfeit diploma websites that instantly "award" a wide variety of degrees for fees ranging from $300 to $5,000 without the need to attend any programme of study.

In the Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, John and Mariah Bear report that there are more than 700 diploma mills that generate more than $500 million annually. In many situations, those degrees are often awarded based on vaguely construed "life experience", suggesting, for example, that a person with 25 years of experience in field crop production should receive a doctoral degree in agricultural studies.

I am dismayed to learn that as much as the United States prides itself on having the finest educational institutions in the world, it is perceived by others to be a haven for a large number of bogus schools and universities. In the 1980s, Operation DipScam, an FBI-led investigative force, led to the closing of many diploma mills across the United States. Yet, the lack of further action by law enforcement agencies, uneven state laws and the difficulty with policing the internet have militated against making any substantive progress.

Four years ago, the US Department of Education launched www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation to combat the spread of fraudulent degrees. A number of states have passed bills making degree awarding contingent on accreditation from certified bodies. But the root of the problem derives from the fact that the United States does not have a federal law that would unambiguously prohibit these practices, and the term "university" is not legally protected or defined.

During my 25-year academic experience in different Arab countries, I remember having had only one or two first-hand experiences with fake degree holders. The bleak side of the story is not just about the potential devastation of fake degrees on a person's reputation, but the irreparable damage they cause to the integrity of their profession.

The story of Marion Kolitwenzew in North Carolina illustrates additional risks. She learnt that her daughter was a diabetic and took her to a specialist for care. According to media reports, the physician seemed impressive, with an office full of medical supplies and a slew of medical degrees on the wall. His advice to her was to take her daughter off insulin. The immediate result was the death of an eight-year-old girl. His degrees were bogus and he had no expertise.

While fingers have often been pointed at those who run the bogus operations that award degrees, I also believe that the responsibility to limit their influence must be shared by the media, by the law enforcement agencies that too often show leniency towards those perpetuating these frauds, and by the people who intentionally purchase these degrees.

Because of the current financial crisis, there may be a surge in this type of fraud that preys on people's aspirations and their desperation.

At its core, however, the issue is ethical. To combat this problem, we need a public culture that encourages merit-based promotion and rewards achievement demonstrated through hard work.

More than 60 former students are suing the now-defunct Warren National University, saying it misled them about its accreditation status.

Warren National — better known under its previous name, Kennedy Western — went belly up in March after a failed accreditation bid. For years it had been one of the most prominent unaccredited distance-education institutions in the country.

The 67 students who are suing Warren National say the university told them that it would be accredited soon or that accreditation didn't matter, according to the Associated Press.

In 2008 information on Warren National's Web site under the heading "Licensure and Regulatory Compliance" stated that the university was accepted by "business, professional, and academic communities." It also stated that the university was licensed by the state of Wyoming. That license was revoked this year, after the university failed to achieve accreditation.

A contractor was convicted Thursday on a host of federal violations involving his work with the Pantex Nuclear Facility.

Roy David Williams, 57, was found guilty of 29 separate counts, including wire fraud and false claims regarding contracts with the plant near Amarillo. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Amarillo before Judge Mary Lou Robinson.

A jury found Williams defrauded the government of nearly $170,000 by submitting falsified timecards and expense claims for contract work.

Williams engaged in unauthorized bid preparations and other management activities for his technical services company, WAATTS Inc., while he was at Pantex and then billed the plant for those hours.

As part of the scheme, Williams listed a business address in Tennessee as his business address, but Williams did little or no business in Tennessee. Williams also listed Oak Ridge, Tenn., as the permanent mailing address on his Pantex badging documents, but he and his family have lived in the Amarillo area since 1992.

Federal court records show Williams submitted 28 false or counterfeit billings to the plant from August 2007 to June 2008.

He was convicted on one count of wire fraud, 11 counts of contractors bonds, bids and public records, 16 counts of false, fictitious or fraudulent claims and one count of theft of public money.

Williams faces about 200 years in prison and $8 million in fines. He remains free on bond until sentencing, which has not been scheduled

Here is the text of the U.S. Department of Justice press release announcing Williams' indictment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/TXN
MEDIA INQUIRIES: KATHY COLVIN
PHONE: (214)659-8600
FAX: (214) 767-2898


CONTRACTOR INDICTED FOR DEFRAUDING PANTEX OF NEARLY $200,000

AMARILLO, Texas — A federal grand jury in Amarillo returned an indictment today charging Roy David Williams, 57, of Amarillo and Lake Tanglewood, Texas, with various offenses related to his defrauding Pantex from August 2007 through June 2008, announced acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. The 29-count federal indictment charges Williams with one count of wire fraud, 11 counts of contractors bonds, bids and public records, 16 counts of false, fictitious or fraudulent claims and one count of theft of public money. Williams is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte on Thursday, April 30, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. for his initial appearance

The Pantex Nuclear Facility is a nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. Pantex is managed and operated by Babcock and Wilcox (B&W Pantex) for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration. B&W Pantex routinely employs subcontractors to perform services for Pantex.

Roy David Williams owned and operated WAATTS, Inc., from an office at the Amarillo National Bank Plaza II in downtown Amarillo. On August 28, 2007, B&W Pantex and WAATTS, entered into a contract for WAATTS to provide technical services to B&W Pantex. WAATTS' staff included Williams, his wife and daughter, and several other individuals.

As part of his scheme to defraud Pantex, Williams listed a business address in Lenoir City, Tennessee, for WAATTTS, however that business address was actually the residence of an acquaintance of Williams; Williams did little to no business in Tennessee. Williams also listed an address in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as his permanent mailing address on his Pantex security badging documents, however, he and his family have lived in the Amarillo area since 1992 and he has no relatives or acquaintances who reside at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, address he provided to Pantex. Williams even provided Pantex a Leonard, Texas, (approximately 350 miles from Amarillo) address for one of his employees, however, that employee has resided in Amarillo since 2004.

Additionally, as part of his scheme to defraud Pantex, Williams engaged in unauthorized future bid preparations and other WAATS management activities, while he was at the Pantex plant and off site, and billed Pantex for those unauthorized hours. Williams submitted payment requests for hours he and his employees worked at the Pantex plant, when Williams knew that neither he nor his employees were at Pantex during those hours he billed. Williams also inflated the hours he and his employees worked, claimed per diem expenses he was not entitled to, and claimed per diem expenses for an employee that he was not entitled to claim.

The indictment alleges that Williams requested that Pantex send wire transfers to his bank account that he maintained in Tennessee and then requested the bank send corresponding wire transfers from the Tennessee bank to a bank account he maintained in Amarillo, all designed to 1) conceal the fact that he resided and did business exclusively in Texas, and 2) to claim fraudulent per diem payments. Williams submitted false, forged, altered, and counterfeited time cards to Pantex in support of service invoices that included hours not worked and hours spent on non-contract work.

According the indictment, Williams fraudulently received approximately $169,858 of public money from Pantex.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. Upon conviction, however, the wire fraud count carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each of the contractors bonds, bids and public records and public money counts each carries a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each of the false claims counts carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Energy - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting.

Thousands of young Pakistanis exploited a hole in Britain's immigration defences to enrol as students at a network of sham colleges, The Times can reveal.

The gateway, opened by fraudsters who have earned millions from the scam, has allowed in hundreds of men from a region of Pakistan that is the militant heartland of al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taleban.

Eight of the terror suspects arrested last month in Manchester and Liverpool were on the books of one college.It had three small classrooms and three teachers for the 1,797 students on its books. Another college claimed to have 150 students but secretly enrolled 1,178 and offered places to a further 1,575 overseas applicants, 906 of them in Pakistan.

The investigation has also revealed:

• those running the scam charged at least £1,000 for admission places and fake diplomas. They created their own university to issue bogus degrees;

• they also charged £2,500 for false attendance records, diplomas and degrees that were used to extend the students' stay in Britain;

• one wealthy associate, Mir Ahmad, linked to two murders in Pakistan, was arrested yesterday after The Times gave the Home Office a dossier implicating two of the colleges.

The Times has uncovered close ties between 11 colleges in London, Manchester and Bradford, all formed in the past five years and controlled by three young Pakistani businessmen.

Each of the three men entered the country on a student visa. One has fled to Pakistan after earning an estimated £6 million from the scam. Fayaz Ali Khan and another man are in the UK.

All but two of the ten students arrested last month over an alleged al-Qaeda bomb plot were enrolled over an 11-month period at Manchester College of Professional Studies. Two Liverpool universities admitted last night that they had given places to four of them, who had used a diploma from the college when they applied.

The massive fraud has fuelled a surge in student arrivals from Pakistan, which the Prime Minister has identified as the birthplace of two thirds of terrorist plots in the UK.Between 2002 and 2007, the number of Pakistani nationals with permission to enter or remain in the UK as students jumped from 7,975 to 26,935.

Manchester College of Professional Studies, set up in 2006, sold places to more than 1,000 students, including hundreds of men from North West Frontier Province, where a battle is raging between Taleban fighters and the Pakistani Army. Others came from mountainous tribal areas near the Afghan border, described by President Obama as "the most dangerous place in the world."

The college was removed from an official government register of education providers last summer but those who ran it have set up other colleges.

Tougher rules on the admission of international students, introduced last month by the UK Border Agency, aim to weed out bogus colleges and close the immigration loophole. The Times has evidence, however, that those involved in some abuses are already seeking to exploit the new system.

Phil Woolas, the Immigration Minister, said last night: "The information provided by The Times has been passed on to the UK Border Agency, which is investigating."

It has been more than a year since the last of eight defendants pleaded guilty in a federal fraud case spawned by a Spokane diploma mill. But the legal gears grind on, as they should.

Some 10,000 people worldwide paid millions of dollars for meaningless college and high school diplomas in a scheme masterminded by a 58-year-old high school dropout. Using a variety of aliases, Dixie Randock dreamed up several phony universities and operated them out of offices in Spokane and Kootenai counties. Randock and seven accomplices, including her husband, were prosecuted and sentenced.

Meanwhile, however, thousands of bogus diploma holders around the globe continue to profit from the fraud that gained them jobs and promotions, many at taxpayer expense.

Among those who acquired bogus degrees, and in some cases counterfeit diplomas from legitimate colleges and universities, were employees in such federal agencies as the CIA, the National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Health and NASA – even the White House staff.

In February 2008, a former deputy U.S. marshal in Spokane, David F. Brodhagen, pleaded guilty to lying on a federal job promotion form because he used a sham degree to qualify him for a pay raise.

Now we learn that the Army is matching the list of the Randocks' customers against its personnel records. About two dozen Army, National Guard and Army Reserve members are facing disciplinary action over invalid academic credentials used to advance their careers. Military officials say it's a laborious process, but a thorough investigation is in order, and not just to prevent lazy soldiers from pulling a fast one. There are at least three reasons it's in the public interest for the military and other agencies to continue the search for opportunists who engaged in the masquerade.

•It's theft of public funds.

•Putting unqualified people in sensitive jobs may endanger public safety.

•Since a degree makes it easier for a foreigner to enter the United States, it could be a tool for terrorism.

With tuition levels soaring, diploma mills will be as tempting as ever. But by tracking down and dealing with service members who collected undeserved benefits, the Army lets unscrupulous and lazy people know that the shortcut isn't worth the risk, which in turn makes the scheme less attractive to potential con artists.

In the meantime, the military, the government and our public school systems need to scour their records and tighten their personnel practices against fraudulent academic credentials.

The State Health Department has accused a social worker and two counselors of using phony degrees from diploma mills. All are accused of buying doctorates.

State regulators accuse Michael Strub, a licensed social workers, with buying a doctor of philosophy in psychology degree diploma and transcript in March 2004. They came from Hamilton University, which the Health Department calls an online diploma mill.

He is accused of misrepresenting his education and training to clients and insurance companies. He worked at Cornerstone Counseling Services in Puyallup.

David Larsen, a registered counselor and chemical dependency professional, is accused of buying a doctor of psychology degree in October 2002. The Health Department said he got it from another online diploma mill, St. Regis University. He was known as "Dr. Larsen," the Health Department said.

He is accused of misrepresenting his eduction and training on a resume he submitted for a counselor job.

He worked at Crossroads Treatment Center in Tacoma and CiviGenics of Tacoma.

He has since retired, according to the Health Department.

Taylor Danard, a registered counselor, bought a doctor of philosophy in psychology degree from St. Regis University in January 2003, the Health Department said. She is accused of misrepresenting herself as a Ph.D. and providing false information to a Health Department investigator.

Investigators also looked into four other providers who got credentials from diploma mills, but they didn't use the degrees in their practices or in the application to get a state license.

She worked at the Madison Park Counseling Center in Seattle.

All three health providers have 20 days to respond to the accusations.

HUNTSVILLE, AL - A WHNT NEWS 19 Investigation into fake diplomas has exposed phony college degrees on resumes of members of the military and powerful people in missile defense.

The bombshell is sending shockwaves through Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, and has touched a nerve across the Tennessee Valley.

WHNT NEWS 19 viewers have responded passionately by posting comments on our website and sending dozens of emails.

One viewer wrote:

"It's all about integrity. Anyone who would try to pass off a fake degree is capable of anything. What has this person not done? I wouldn't want him in charge of an outhouse if he passed off a fake degree as a legitimate degree."

Another praised our reports, writing:

"Great work!!! Now, move in for the kill. This has gone on long enough. Many people already knew this and did nothing."

But, some of you also took direct aim at our investigative reports.

"Your idea of 'finding out the truth' is something to be embarrassed of, not proud."

Another viewer writes:

"I think this is a witch hunt. You should stop because you are going to hurt these people's lives and make it to where they can't get a job in this city again."

Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Halloran broke the story and continues to uncover new information.

We exposed soldiers, a high-ranking civilian on the Army Aviation and Missile Command and a defense contractor. They all have one thing in common. It's not their military background. They bought bogus degrees. We exposed their secret and now it's making national headlines.

Newspaper after newspaper around the country printed the story. The Associated Press picked it up. It went worldwide with the web, including CNN.com.

What's the big deal, you ask?

Secrets, lies, security clearance and access to classified information… it's a recipe for disaster that presents a threat to national security and defrauds you, the taxpayer.

Brigadier General David Grange told Wendy Halloran, "Trying to get information from government employees by foreign agents is a reality that we have to understand and face."

Our 'Taking Action' investigation uncovered a key, essential leader on Redstone Arsenal at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command with a fake college degree.

AMCOM's Director of Readiness, Chris Oleyte, a powerful position with a lot of responsibility, and now there are calls for his resignation.

Brigadier General David Grange told Halloran, "The honorable thing to do is to step down be removed from that command."

We exposed a defense contractor, James Samuelson, who when confronted, admitted the degrees were phony and practically apologized.

When confronted Samuelson said, "Sometimes all of us do things that are not real bright."

Our fake diploma investigation, 'Breach of Trust' triggered an Army probe after revealing soldiers in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.

Now the soldiers we exposed may face discipline because they bought fake degrees and counterfeit transcripts. What's worse? They used them to secure promotions. Instead of doing the hard right, they did the easy wrong.

Sergeant Major Tom Gills told Halloran, "They've had years and years to learn and understand what's right and what's wrong. And, to do something so heinous or egregious as to buy a degree when the Army is willing to pay for it for you pay for your tuition assistance so that you can go actually get the education is just a terrible thing."

Sergeant Major Tom Gills is the Chief of enlisted promotions at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. He said, "From the Army's point of view, the Human Resources Command's point of view, we're very happy that you brought it to our attention because we want all of our soldiers to live and operate within those Army ethics and values that they are taught. And, you bringing this information to us allows us to respond to it to correct that action and to insure that we educate all of our HR professionals and their commanders to be on the lookout for it."

Many of the soldiers we exposed have decorated backgrounds - medals, awards, commendations. It begs the question, "why?"

Wendy asked, "What would prompt a soldier to buy a degree? Is it competitiveness? Why do you think they would take the easy route?" Gills said, "Well, I think it's competitiveness. But, it's also misinformation." He continued, "I travel quite a bit around the Army to teach the soldiers about what they need to do to get promoted. And, I let them know that the evaluation report they get each year is the single most important thing for getting a promotion in the senior ranks. Unfortunately, this myth that getting a diploma equals getting a promotion is not true, yet it's still some, obviously, believed in some quarters."

For a promotion a soldier is rated in five broad categories, including competence, physical fitness, leadership, training, responsibility and accountability. There are 15 total areas where they get points. Higher education is only a fraction of the criteria.

Gills said, "Getting a degree is critically important. I don't want to misstate that it's critically important." He continued, "Education is one of our biggest investments we have in our soldiers, along with military training because that education empowers them with an academic capacity that allows commanders to delegate more authority to them larger missions because they have a better understanding of the world around them."

The Army says it's harder than the armchair naysayer might think to ferret out a fake. Gills said, "Every time we squash one type of institution, they're going to pop up with a different name attempting to lure soldiers to do the wrong thing."

Among the worst is Saint Regis University, a diploma mill operated out of Spokane, Washington.

It was a operation masterminded by Dixie and Steven Randock. A phony degree and diploma-granting racket that sold counterfeit credentials based on life experience to 9,612 buyers around the world. No coursework, no classes. Just cash! The ringleaders raked in millions. Then the Feds shut them down and prosecutors sent the Randocks to prison.

Unfortunately, they're not the only ones cranking out counterfeit credentials. Halloran asked, "Do you think diploma mills, in general, are becoming an even bigger problem in this country?" of Judith Eaton, the President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, based in Washington, D.C.

"The press for credentials at the higher education level is so great. It is tied to so many jobs," said Eaton. "It is such an advantage to have a higher education credential in seeking employment and getting ahead, that 'yes,' there are a number of people who will say, 'Well I can do this an easier way than going to school for four years. I can go online and buy a degree.' And, they'll do it."

Eaton said, "You don't get a legitimate master's degree in two months. You don't get a legitimate doctorate by paying $2,500."

Halloran asked, "Is enough being done by lawmakers?" Eaton replied, "No." She continued, "There are negative consequences associated with having and using a fraudulent degree. People lose their jobs. People don't get promoted. People may be fired. But, right now the negative consequences are minimal. And, we need to pay more attention to it."

Ten states have passed laws making the use of a fake credential a crime and there are restrictions in Michigan and Indiana. Alabama has no laws on the books.

"I think that diploma mills are a very, very serious problem," said Congressman Tim Bishop. Bishop is a Democrat from New York. Halloran spoke with him from Capitol Hill.

"If a bogus credential is being used to acquire a particular position, whether it be an entry level position or promotion and taxpayer dollars are being used to fund that position or fund the promotion, that points once again to the fact that action must be taken," Rep. Bishop said.

Bishop sits on the House Education and Labor Committee. In that role, he's made modest gains in the effort to crackdown on counterfeit degrees. Bishop co-sponsored legislation that became law last year and for the first time, provided a federal definition of a diploma mill. But, by his own admission, that's not enough.

Bishop said, "I think that this diploma mill problem has grown more pronounced as a result of emerging technology. And, now it is the responsibility of the government to deal with a much more pronounced problem than had once been the case."

So, we made him go on record with a promise to get results. Halloran asked, "I just want to hear your commitment to getting a federal law passed that makes this a crime." Bishop replied, "I can commit to you that I will re-submit the legislation that Congresswoman McCollum and I offered now about a year and half ago and I will work as hard as I possibly can to see to it that it becomes law."

Congressman Bishop said he's interested in meeting with Army leaders to discuss the issue. The Army is taking this matter very seriously. Lieutenant Colonel Richard McNorton is the spokesperson for the Army's Human Resources Command. He said if Army leaders or soldiers who are in leadership positions purchase fake degrees, it's a career ender.

Now that we've brought this to the attention of the Army, it's in the process of identifying soldiers who conducted business with diploma mills. They're also warning soldiers about predatory diploma mills and steering them to legitimate colleges.

The issues at Redstone Arsenal are separate from the enlisted soldiers because it involves Department of the Army civilians. We've made the senior command at Redstone Arsenal aware of this problem. And, we've made them aware of additional employees who may have purchased fake degrees.

We requested an on camera interview with AMCOM Commander Major General Jim Myles. He declined our request and instead issued a statement which stated:

"An investigation is currently working to determine the truth about all the circumstances surrounding these allegations. When that effort is complete, we will be able to exactly determine any future action." -Maj. Gen. Jim Myles

We're hopeful Major General Jim Myles will respond to us.

The U.S. Army is investigating soldiers who bought degrees from an illegal diploma mill that was based in Spokane and resulted in prison time for its operators.

It's also warning soldiers to be wary of phony diploma schemes when they sign up for education and tuition assistance.

The Army's Human Resources Command is using a list of customers of the diploma mill operated by Dixie and Steve Randock obtained and posted online last summer by The Spokesman-Review.

"We're doing an inquiry into all of our records," Lt. Col. Richard McNorton, public affairs officer for the Human Resources Command headquarters in Alexandria, Va., said Friday. "It's a very laborious process."

So far, the investigation has turned up about 25 soldiers in the Army, National Guard or Army Reserve who face discipline because they bought fake degrees, and in some cases fake transcripts, and used them to secure promotions, McNorton said. Others have been found who have fake degrees in their files but have since retired.

Retirees might face some administrative action, although the Army's authority is limited after a person retires, he said.

The investigation was triggered by a series of stories by a Huntsville, Ala., television station about diploma mill customers who worked at a local military base and weapons arsenal. Reporter Wendy Halloran of station WHNT asked the Human Resources Command about some Huntsville soldiers, and the office opened an investigation using the customer database compiled by the U.S. Justice Department in the case against the Randocks, McNorton said.

They also used The Spokesman-Review's online version of the database, which lists customers alphabetically and by some e-mail addresses, including military e-mail addresses that end in ."mil." But those were the "low-hanging fruit," McNorton said, and the Human Resources Command quickly moved on to the full list.

The Army's investigation turned up one soldier who purchased eight degrees or certificates from the Randocks. Thurman Towry, a former guardsman and Army Reserve officer who submitted degrees to obtain promotions, faced administrative action short of a court-martial and opted to retire, McNorton said.

"Obviously, with something like this, your career is completely over," he said.

The Army now is concentrating on anyone who obtained a degree from one of several fake institutions, including St. Regis University, which the Randocks created. That fake school prompted a civil suit against the Randocks when Regis University, a Jesuit-run institution in Denver, sued them for damaging the real school's reputation.

Regis University is accredited by the Army and is listed in a "drop down box" on a form that education officers fill out when a soldier is reporting a degree. Some soldiers who bought St. Regis degrees may have told the education officer that it was the same school as Regis and the form was filled out accordingly, McNorton said.

A college degree is not a requirement for promotion within the enlisted ranks, but it can be the factor that leads to advancements when two soldiers are equal in all other categories. It is a requirement for promotion in the officer ranks.

Each case will be investigated by the soldier's commanding unit to see what action is warranted. Some soldiers may have purchased a degree without completing any course work and submitted it to gain a promotion, knowing it was fake, McNorton said. Others may have supplied the diploma mill with transcripts from several other schools, along with a work history, and legitimately thought they were earning a degree. "Not everybody is corrupt. Some may have just been dumb," he said.

The Human Resources Command is also concerned about soldiers, and the taxpayers, being swindled by diploma mills. The military pays soldiers to get more education but requires the education to be from accredited schools – or the costs won't be reimbursed.

They could lose hundreds of dollars of their own money, McNorton said.

This week, the Army posted a "buyer beware" admonition about diploma mills on the Web site that helps soldiers sign up for education and tuition assistance. It advises soldiers to make sure a school is accredited and warns about punishment for entering a fraudulent degrees into personnel records.

"Don't get caught with a 'bogus degree,' " advises Thursday's Tip of the Day from the Army's education Web site.

 

 

A follow-up to a Taking Action Investigation we brought you last October. At that time, we exposed three people who had bought fake diplomas.

Following that report, several people emailed WHNT NEWS 19 who said we only scratched the surface. One viewer claimed buying fake degrees is condoned and rewarded at the highest levels on Redstone Arsenal.

We dug deeper, and indeed, found more deception. This investigation has captured the attention of top leaders from Huntsville to Washington, D.C.

Our investigation reveals the use of counterfeit credentials has infiltrated all levels of the military and missile defense, the core of Huntsville's community. This breach of trust is costing you, the taxpayer, and it could put our nation's security at risk.

This week on WHNT NEWS 19 at 10:00, we'll expose soldiers, civilians and even defense contractors who possess fake degrees.

Our investigation in October 2008 started with retired Master Sergeant Albert Finley, Jr.

"I only inquired, no, I never bought nothing," said Finley.

Finley's military record testifies to a patriotic man, willing to put himself in harm's way for his country. His distinguished record shows he's done everything to be all he can be, from earning the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Global War On Terrorism Service Medal.

These campaign medals, decorations and awards speak volumes. Among the honor, there's another accolade Finley takes credit for: a master's degree in Sociology with a minor in Counseling from Saint Regis University.

His diploma looks official. His transcripts reflect he was an almost straight-A student. But there's one problem, it's all a lie.

The lie was good enough to fool the U.S. Army, until we brought it to their attention. Our investigation essentially shows when soldiers can't be all they can be, they buy it.

Finley told WHNT NEWS 19 he only inquired about buying a fake degree. We traveled to the nation's capitol for answers. The U.S. Army says that's not the case.

"Did Master Sergeant Albert Finley Junior, Retired, turn over a fake degree to the United States Army?" we asked of Sergeant Major Tom Gills.

"He did," said SGM Gills. "We've verified that and I have a copy of it right here for you."

SGM Gills is the Chief of Enlisted Promotions for the U.S. Army. The office is headquartered at the Army's Human Resources Command in northern Virginia.

The fake degree from now-defunct Saint Regis University cost Finley $731. It's one factor in his promotion from Sgt. First Class to Master Sergeant. The promotion meant a bump in pay for him. You've been footing the bill.

"You have a master's degree through Troy University out of Dothan, Alabama, so you know what it's like get the higher education -- the blood sweat and tears -- when you heard of Finley's case what ran across your mind? What entered your mind?" we asked SGM Gills.

"In a word, disgust," said SGM Gills.

"When I think of the hard work, and not just for myself, setting an example for our young soldiers to see what right looks like and to spend those nights and the weekends missing family events and all the other things that all of us do to achieve the degree had to go through, it's not easy of course," said SGM Gills.

"It's very worthwhile, so as you work to make that example for your subordinates and your peers hoping to inspire them, to have someone who would go and do something like this, it sickens me," he added.

"It just adds insult to injury that a senior NCO would take that, that route to go outside of what the Army authorizes as an accredited institution and pay money out of their own pocket again when the Army will pay for their tuition and books 100% to go and actually get the education," SGM Gills added.

The Army's promotions board approved it. However, Master Sergeant Albert Finley's far-from-genuine degree isn't the only fake that slipped through the cracks of the Army's screening process. There are a battalion of others who flew under the radar.

WHNT NEWS 19's Taking Action Investigation has uncovered Major Eliza Watson of Birmingham bought a fake bachelor's degree in Business.

The comment section on the Saint Regis University buyer's list reveals Major Watson took measures to make sure her secret stayed a secret.

Her post said "I am Captain in the Army Reserves and I need a degree to retain my commission; no transaction on e-mail."

Major Thurman Towry of Homewood also engaged in a covert operation, purchasing a total of eight degrees and certificates, including a bachelor's in Business Management, a master's in Management and a PhD in International Management Strategy.

Towry turn all three degrees over to the Army, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Taxpayers paid for his salary raise.

WHNT NEWS 19 has uncovered more than 200 soldiers, Department of the Army civilians and government contractors around the world who bought fake degrees.

"Each case, it is significant, it is egregious and it just smacks right at those core values that we live by," said SGM Gills.

The group who bought fake diplomas includes dozens fighting right now on the front lines. They submitted these degrees into their official military file for consideration for promotion.

"When you're in combat, you've got to trust that man on the right, that woman on the left and certainly that leader who's behind you or in front of you telling you this is the action we're gonna take, and as soon as you give that integrity away by doing something like this, you have now chipped away at a trust factor," said SGM Gills. "How many senior commanders can trust you again or how subordinates can trust you?"

With the Army's strict codes and strict conduct, how does this happen?

"One would never expect that a seasoned leader would do something like this, so you could see how they could slip through the cracks," said SGM Gills.

"There are some civilians and people who are critical of the Army, saying that the Human Resources Command doesn't do enough to stop these bogus degrees from slipping through the cracks. What would you say to people who feel that way?" WHNT NEWS 19 asked Gills.

"Now that this command is aware of it, at this time were going to educate the Human Resources Specialists throughout the Army," said SGM Gills. "We're going to send a message out to the commanders within the Army that same message."

We also spoke with retired U.S. Army Brigadier General David Grange about our investigation.

"I think most of these cases are people getting these credentials in order to obtain a job a higher pay scale," said Grange.

Grange has three silver stars, two purple hearts and one real master's degree in public service from Western Kentucky University.

He serves as the military analyst for CBS and CNN, and spoke with WHNT NEWS 19 via satellite from Chicago.

"Does it concern you, or how concerned are you with fake academic credentials and people defrauding the United States Government?" we asked him.

"Because they're a government person, they belong to the public, in other words that this is an issue I think that the military will crack down on this immediately and weed out anyone that does have bogus credentials," said Grange. "It's not tolerated. I'm sure those that did it wittingly will be punished."

Since the start of WHNT NEWS 19's Taking Action Investigation, we have turned over 12 names of military members in Alabama who bought fake degrees from bona fide diploma mills.

The U.S. Army says it is taking the matter very seriously, conducting a review of all of their records to see if they turned over their fake degrees as part of the promotions process.

One is too many," said SGM Gills. "And each and every one we're going to identify we're going to turn it over to their commanders for appropriate action."

Gills also thanked us for the investigation.

"I just want to say God bless you for bringing this to the Army's attention, for me, at least, to find out about this at this scope or level so that we can take the action," said SGM Gills. "We couldn't do it if you hadn't have brought it to us, so that's the starting point of fixing any problem is knowing you have one."

The punishment for turning over a fake degree ranges from a general officer letter of reprimand, up to an Article 15, which is a non-judicial punishment that allows a commander to take rank, forfeiture of pay, restrict a soldier's activities to the barracks, all the way to a court martial.

If a soldier is court martialed, it becomes a matter of public record. However, because Retired Master Sergeant Albert Finley, Jr. was not court martialed, we'll never know what punishment he was given.

Our Taking Action Investigation is getting more results, too.

The U.S. Army is now auditing all of its records. It is revamping its Human Resource Command to better detect fake credentials, and it is also encouraging those who purchased fake degrees to step forward.

Those who don't come clean could face a court martial.

The Army is also launching an educational campaign that will be broadcast over military radio and television, on web sites, and in newspapers and other print publications.

HUNTSVILLE, AL - It's graduation season all across the country. Thousands of students spent years to get their bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.

However, many people have bought phony diplomas. In Part 1 of our Taking Action Investigation, WHNT NEWS 19 showed you how fake degrees have infiltrated the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Army.

Now, our investigation reveals this breach of trust goes all the way to the top civilian ranks at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal.

The fake degree is in the hand of a key essential leader at the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command, AMCOM. The bogus diplomas are against policy, put a person's integrity in question, and make them a potential target for blackmail.

As Director of Readiness for the Army's Aviation and Missile Command, Chris Oleyte carries the weight of America's missile defense readiness on his shoulders. He's also carrying other baggage.

WHNT NEWS 19's Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Halloran confronted him. "Did you buy a degree from that diploma mill?" we asked.

"Uh, nothing to talk about," Oleyte replied.

Oleyte has top secret clearance, and access to classified information about missile defense. He would probably rather you not know about this secret he's hidden.

"It's on your bio," we say. "Yeah," he replies. "So, I don't even understand why you're talking to me about it," Oleyte said.

Did the system promote him, despite his bogus degree? Does the Department of the Army care that he has a fake credential?

"You have an obligation to talk to us," we say. "No, I don't, you're on my property," Oleyte replies.

Oleyte's secret potentially compromises the integrity of AMCOM and certainly defrauds you, the taxpayer.

"Taxpayers pay your salary," WHNT NEWS 19's Wendy Halloran says. "You don't want to talk about a degree from a degree mill? You're a key essential leader, and that's from a diploma mill."

"I don't appreciate [this]," Oleyte says. "Put the camera down. Please, please the camera."

In 2001, Olyete's impressive government resume boasted a Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management from Trinity College and University out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"To be fair, in a description of Trinity College and University, it's something that lives in a metal box 'that big' that you could use to store cat food basically in, it's completely fake," said George Gollin, an expert on diploma mills. More from him shortly.

Oleyte's resume lists that he got that bachelor's degree in 2001. The next year, he got a big promotion, to Senior Command Representative in Korea... a promotion that moved him up from a GS 13 to a GS 14, and likely afforded him a sizeable increase in salary.

Oleyte had the authority over all AMCOM issues, personnel and equipment in that country and reported directly to the AMCOM commanding general in Korea.

By the government's standards, it's a very important position. That began Oleyte's rise through the chain of command. Two years later, he was reassigned to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the Deputy Director of Readiness. He was later promoted to Director of Readiness.

WHNT NEWS 19's Wendy Halloran further confronted Oleyte about his bogus degree and the position he holds.

"I don't list that as a degree," Oleyte said.

"But you did," we replied.

"It's way back when," he said.

"Yes, but it's still from a diploma mill," said Halloran.

The promotions process in the U.S. government is very stringent. A complex matrix is used to score applicants. Three screeners judge the applicants on eight criteria. Applicants earn points for everything from aviation or missile systems experience to supervisory experience and even higher education degrees.

When Olyete applied for that promotion in Korea, his initial score was 263. A Freedom of Information Act request shows how 6 points were shaved off from the scoring for that bogus bachelor's degree and his total score corrected. It also shows how Olyete fared against 34 other candidates for the Senior Command Representative position. Despite the reduction, his point total still ranked him third on the list and he still retained the promotion. Without a doubt, someone higher up knew about the bogus degree. Chris Olyete's only 4-year degree is the phony one he possesses from Trinity College and University.

The U.S. Army's policy clearly states an employee who intentionally lists bogus educational credentials on a resume or other form of application for merit promotion calls his trustworthiness and integrity into question. It goes on to say when the employee's current supervisors become aware, he or she will notify the AMCOM Security Intelligence Directorate and it will determine what if anything should be done regarding the employee's clearance and access to classified information.

It's all about trust. To WHNT NEWS 19's knowledge, Olyete's bosses swept it under the rug. Nothing was ever done about it.

How could we know? The U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal has not answered many of our questions. At first, request after request for an interview was met with excuse after excuse.

But, in the waning hours before we went to air with this story, Redstone Public Affairs Specialist Dan O'Boyle was authorized to answer only a few questions we submitted in advance.

"Does AMCOM Commander General Jim Myles know about Chris Oleyte's fake degree from Trinity College and University?" we asked O'Boyle.

"We are aware of the allegations and we have convened a Commander's inquiry now, that's a group of senior key leaders who are looking at the facts surrounding these allegations and are charged with the responsibility to determine the truth and then come up with a course of action based upon the findings that come out of the inquiry board," said O'Boyle.

"On a government resume, he lists that degree. Are you aware of that?" WHNT NEWS 19 asked.

"We are conducting this inquiry and we'll make a course of action based upon the facts that come out as a result of our findings," said O'Boyle.

"Chris Oletye, the Director of Readiness for AMCOM, did he list the degree on his security clearance application?" we asked.

"We are currently working with Defense Security Services Personnel to obtain all the paperwork and documentation that surrounds these allegations and the circumstances and once we have that piece of the puzzle in place we'll be able to make a determination," O'Boyle replied.

This is a very serious matter, and WHNT NEWS 19 thinks you have a right to know answers to questions, for example, does this make Olyete a potential target for blackmail? Does it pose a threat to national security?

With few answers from Redstone Arsenal, we had to go elsewhere.

"So here we have someone in Missile Command who is responsible for very hi-tech, very important, very sensitive information who is a possessor of qualifications that are bogus," said George Gollin.

Gollin is an expert on diploma mills. He worked with federal prosecutors, going after the ringleaders of Saint Regis University, a diploma mill operated out of Spokane, Washington. Saint Regis sold fake degrees to nearly 10,000 people around the world.

Gollin is also a professor at the University of Illinois and a board member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. That is this country's standard when it comes to accrediting universities and colleges.

"What if the fellow has a mortgage, what if he's really not in a position to take a pay cut, have to move into a different position because his credentials are not legitimate -- it really does seem to me like someone in that position is very vulnerable to pressure when they really have to choose between giving up their ability to support their family to pay for their home and providing initially what seems like harmless information," said Gollin. "But really, once you provide harmless but classified information, then you've done something that's illegal and that can be used against you," he added.

As a matter of fact, Oleyte does have a sizeable mortgage. Records show his Madison home was worth more than $330,000 when he bought it in 2006. Oleyte's name is also on the mortgage for a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's worth $433,400.

Keep in mind that you, the taxpayer, are paying his salary. But there is more at stake than just taxpayer money.

"Do you think the blackmail issue is a very real threat?" WHNT NEWS 19 asks Retired Brigadier General David Grange.

"Those that have issues financially, those that have issue having to have some type of academic achievement or other awards things like this in order to raise their status and that, are subject to manipulation by enemy agents," said Grange.

Grange serves as the national security expert for CBS NEWS and CNN. He spoke with WHNT NEWS 19 via satellite from Chicago.

"Could this put our troops in harm's way?" WHNT NEWS 19's Wendy Halloran asked.

"Any time someone has accessibility to classified information and has a character flaw, the results could be putting our troops in harms way, absolutely," said Grange.

General Grange says this matter is so serious, there's really only one solution.

"It's disturbing that the individual would in fact do that, not all the checks and balances catch all these types of things, the individual admitted it, the honorable thing to do is to step down be removed from that command and move on, because it's not tolerated," said Grange.

WHNT NEWS 19 believes there are more top leaders at AMCOM installations worldwide with bogus degrees. The Department of the Army is investigating the names that we have turned over.

WHNT NEWS 19 is not saying that Oleyte is not qualified to hold the position he has. He may be qualified, but this is a breach of trust, a question of honor and integrity, and sets a bad example because it flies in the face of the Army's policies and values.

 

All across Alabama students are celebrating the satisfaction of graduating from college and that they've got their diploma in hand.

For most people it's not easy to get a bachelors, masters or doctoral degree. It takes years of studying, tens of thousands of dollars in student loans and endless stress from exams.

What does that diploma get you? The potential for a better profession, higher pay, pride and prestige.

WHNT NEWS 19 has exposed how people in high positions in the military and missile defense have purchased their degree without spending all the time, energy and money that you did.

Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Halloran has revealed how some people tried to take a shortcut, paying a fraction of what it costs to go to school and purchased counterfeit credentials.

In Part 3 of the WHNT NEWS 19 Taking Action investigation we put a man who works for a defense contractor under the microscope.

Jim Samuelson is the Director of Contracts, Proposals and Pricing for ADT (Applied Data Trends).

His job is to get his company awarded contracts with the Department of Defense. He has security clearance on Redstone Arsenal, access to classified information about the software his company makes for the Warfighter and he claims to be an International Traffic in Arms Regulations Empowered Official.

He also teaches continuing education courses in government contracting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Wendy Halloran confronted Samuelson and asked him what University he got his bachelor's in business administration and his master's in business from?

"I really got to go. Please?" replied Samuelson. Halloran then asked, "Does your employer know where it's from?" "Yes, ma'am they do," he said. "And, what university is that sir?" "Please turn that off, turn it off," Samuelson said.

Many people aspire to achieve an MBA. But, Samuelson took a shortcut by buying one from Saint Regis University, a diploma mill. There were no classes and no course work. All it took was cash.

"When I did it, I was requested to fill out enormous amounts of paperwork to justify experience," claimed Samuelson.

The Saint Regis buyer's list we obtained shows he paid $2,917 for the two higher education degrees. Saint Regis University concocted credentials that looked legitimate. But, aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Halloran asked him if he turned the degrees over to get his job at ADT. Samuelson replied, "No ma'am. I did not."

Samuelson's profile on the social networking site, Facebook, provided a wealth of information about his background. He proudly posted details about his decade in the United States Marine Corps, several tours of duty including assignments in Vietnam. He listed his more than 20 years of work experience and his own government consulting business. And, he showcased his higher ed degrees - a bachelor's supposedly earned in 2002 and a master's two years later.

He posted so much detail, but had one glaring omission.

Halloran stated, "Your resume currently lists Regis University." "Then I must have had something mess up," replied Samuelson.

The posting on his Facebook profile indicates his degrees are from Regis University, a legitimate University in Denver, Colorado.

Halloran asked, "Did you drop the 'Saint' on there? Because Regis University has no record of you, sir." Samuelson just sighed deeply.

"We checked with Regis University. The Jesuit University was quick to clarify that it had no record of this James Samuelson attending its institution," said Halloran.

What's the harm you wonder?

"Do you have security clearance onto Redstone Arsenal?" Halloran asked. "Yes, ma'am I do," he replied.

A powerful position, access to classified information and a secret that could be used against him.

"So, I really worry about secrets getting out," stated George Gollin. He's an expert on diploma mills. He worked with the federal government to prosecute the leaders of Saint Regis University.

Gollin said, "We have holes in our ability to keep information secure that this opens up. So here we have a contractor responsible for handling very sensitive information. Information that, if it gets out, puts our armed forces at risk. The person is susceptible to pressure to blackmail to being told that he needs to provide some information or else they're going to nail him. They'll make him lose his job and this is a person in a position of great responsibility. It's really, really frightening."

But, don't just take George Gollin's word for it.

"Any corrupt individual would be harmful to the defense of the United States of America whether it would be this issue or other issues," said Brigadier General David Grange.

Grange spent nearly three decades serving our country. Now, he's a national security analyst for CBS and CNN. He spoke to Wendy Halloran from Chicago.

Halloran asked Grange, "Could this put our troops in harms way?" Grange said, "Anytime someone has accessibility to classified information and has a character flaw the results could be putting our troops in harms way. Absolutely."

Grange said the potential for blackmail is a reality, "Depending on the level of security clearance they have that would be the level of information they could obtain and give to a foreign agent."

Samuelson's Facebook profile indicates he got the job at ADT in June of 2003. Remember, he got that bogus bachelor's in business in 2002 and the phony MBA in 2004.

Halloran asked Samuelson again, "Does your employer know about these degrees?"

He replied, "I'm not. No, the only people who would know about it are thanks to you the whole city."

ADT is a multi-million dollar defense contractor. We requested an interview with ADT's CEO about this matter. We even provided a set of questions in advance. Instead, ADT's CEO Derrick Copeland sent us a statement that said ADT is aware of the WHNT NEWS 19 investigative report. It went on to say "ADT takes seriously such matters and is currently assessing the facts of the situation to determine what action by ADT, if any, is warranted."

A college degree isn't a requirement for a lot of jobs posted at ADT. Samuelson said he didn't use the degree to get the job and now worries it could cost him dearly.

Halloran said, "I'm giving you the chance to tell me exactly what happened here." Samuelson replied, "What you're doing for a living could cost me my living."

With so much at stake and plenty of professional experience, the nagging question remains why?

"Let me ask you why you would get these types of credentials after your years in the service in the Marine Corps. Then, all of a sudden you wind up with a bachelor's and a master's in business administration and government contracting. Is it the pressure to get a job? What prompted you to do it?" asked Halloran. "To be a 100 percent honest, what prompted me to get it was that my daughter was about to graduate from college and I have dealt with years of being highly experienced and not having a degree," said Samuelson.

He went on to say, "There's some discussion that's going to go on. They're going to say 'how could somebody who does what he does be that dumb?' But, you know sometimes all of us do things that are not real bright."

Samuelson said he was taken advantage of, scammed by Saint Regis University. His attorney told WHNT NEWS 19 that Samuelson thought Saint Regis was legit and that he knew nothing of its accreditation status when he applied for the degree online. Samuelson also told us he's trying to get his degree the right way and he is currently enrolled at the University of Phoenix which is an accredited institution.

Samuelson and his lawyer stress that he never got a job or promotion because of the degree and he never represented the degree to be anything it was not. Samuelson's lawyer says he never received personal financial gain as a result of the degree certificate and in fact the attorney said Samuelson "has simply lost money."

A college degree is not required for the continuing education courses that Samuelson teaches at UAH. He is not a faculty member at the school and the people who take his class do not receive academic credit.

There have been few more personally satisfying story endings than what has happened with the bogus degree sellers that once made Cheyenne their home. While it remains embarrassing that the Wyoming Legislature was so slow to act, when it finally did, the exodus was swift and certain.

When unaccredited degree sellers had to move toward accreditation or leave town, almost all left immediately. Only one took a legitimate stab at accreditation. That was the newly named Warren National University (the same business had been known for over 20 years as the infamous Kennedy-Western University).

After the recent story here about Warren National withdrawing their application for accreditation because the Higher Learning Commission, a USDOE-approved accrediting agency, denied WNU candidacy for accreditation, a former senior administrator of Warren National University contacted me by e-mail...

When the founder of KWU/WNU (Paul Saltman) visited the accrediting agency, Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in Chicago, accompanied by this chief academic officer (CAO), his pitch to HLC was the strength of his board of directors. HLC had no interest. "Paul had told me that he had an inroad with HLC and that we were going to get this because he 'greased the skids, so to speak'." ...

"The University (Warren National) would admit anybody," she told me, "if you could write the check, you could come to school." WNU admitted people "who were truly not university quality candidates. So, if you're only modestly prepared to do any of the work, you might have to work really hard to do any of the work." (Note: That might explain Bob Fecht's contention that he worked harder for his bogus Lacrosse degree than he did for his bachelor's degree at SIU.)

Students could also do mediocre work and get good grades, she said.

About exams: Students could log onto a website and pull up the test they were to take. Even tests for master's and doctoral degrees were multiple choice. The exam was graded immediately. A student could then get exam results, along with all of the answers, immediately print it out, and if they did not pass, they could call the exam coordinator and say, "I'm ready to re-take that exam."

What was supposed to happen was that the second exam was supposed to be an "alternate exam" - a different exam. KWU/WNU did not do that. They allowed a retake of the same exam and the student would have the printed answers in front of them when they retook the test.

Every test could be taken twice. The neat thing about the second time is that the student had the answers. Printed out from taking it the first time and having or choosing to take it again...

The credentials of Naperville Unit District 203's next superintendent are being called into question by critics just days after he was hired.

Mark Mitrovich, scheduled to take the helm of one of the state's largest school systems July 1, holds a doctorate from the University of Santa Barbara, but the institution is not nationally accredited. Readers responding online to the news of his hiring criticized it as a result.

Both Mitrovich and the search firm that recommended him say the degree is legitimate and the issue will not affect his ability to lead Naperville schools...

District 203 school board President Suzyn Price directed questions about Mitrovich to Hank Gmitro, an associate with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the search firm the district employed to help it find a new superintendent.

Gmitro said the firm was aware of what school Mitrovich attended and learned during a routine check several days ago that it was not accredited. He was unsure of whether the firm learned before or after the board approved hiring the new leader and said it's typical to focus discussions with candidates more on their experiences.

Gmitro said there is no requirement to hold a doctorate at all in order to be a superintendent. He believes the board made a good selection in Mitrovich, who has both an education and business background...

Mitrovich, 63, begins his new post July 1. He has signed a three-year contract with the district with a starting annual salary of $203,000.

A senator has filed a bill to address the problem with fake degrees that higher ed reporter Kavita Kumar wrote about in December.

Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit sponsored a bill that would make it a class C misdemeanor to use or attempt to use a false diploma.

The Senate Education Committee has heard the bill, and could vote on it as early as next week.

Bartle said in the committee that the bill would not address "diploma mills" that offer a degree for nothing more than money.

The bill is SB 182.

Thousands of words have been printed on the pages of the Cheyenne Herald over the past nearly four years on the subject of unaccredited "institutions" that had set up shop in Wyoming over the past several years.

For years, Wyoming has been the target of nationally criticism based on the State's willingness to allow businesses chased from other states to operate with impunity here. For some reason, there were those who had no qualms about welcoming illegitimate and undesirable businesses elsewhere to set up shop within our borders and ply their fraudulent business all over the United States and world, using a Wyoming address.

Instead of shutting the scoundrels down as the 2006 legislation accomplished, Wyoming first imposed the rather timid requirement of "having a presence" in Wyoming, with at least a single employee here. These outfits rake in hundreds of thousands to several million dollars a year - renting a $350.00 a month office and a minimum wage employee to meet that requirement was no problem.

Basement offices in the Downtown Mini Mall, the old J.C. Penney Building and the Mossholder's Building and second story offices in the Majestic Building and the Tivoli, in addition to office space at the former Aero Tech Building by the airport runway, presented no challenge.

When some in the Legislature tired of being ridiculed nationally, they passed legislation requiring these unaccredited institutions to gain, or at least seek, accreditation or get out of Dodge. Like rats from a sinking ship, most immediately scurried. They were not going to become accredited. They couldn't. They weren't providing an education with merit or value - they were selling hope to the unsuspecting.

Kennedy-Western University has been in business for almost 25 years. "Kennedy." Just imagine how that resonated around the world. Our hero to the free world, John F. Kennedy, had his name usurped by a business that for the past several years could not peddle their product in the state they called home - California.

Degrees from unaccredited universities aren't meant for citizens of the United States. They are designed to give false hope to those in foreign countries. To those who crave an "American" degree. They don't know Lacrosse University of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi - the notorious degree seller - from University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse - a legitimate campus in the highly-respected University of Wisconsin system.

Many of the degree peddlers, more often referred to as diploma mills but I don't think that begins to cover the damage they've done, took grandiose names to fool the students who lived far away, most often overseas, into believing the peddler had a connection with something far better than just a bank account to deposit their ill-gotten gains. American Global University. American Capital University. American City University.

Paramount University of Technology. Three exaggerations in three words.

Trusting foreign students and their parents didn't know these were scammers. But we did. Employees at the Wyoming Department of Education visited these basement and second floor offices. They knew they weren't conducting classes - they weren't providing an education - from these tiny offices. There were no "professors" there to grade papers or accept calls for assistance. But, our people tolerated this charade. This scam perpetrated on unknowing and trusting students far distant from Wyoming - in particular, from Cheyenne was ignored.

Junkets were provided legislators and WDOE employees. When you can go to the United Arab Emirates or London, are you going to blow the whistle on these frauds? Does the reputation of Wyoming mean less to these public officials than travel to exotic destinations? Obviously, it meant far less. In one of the stories readers can link to with this story, I made a terrible mistake. I identified Jayne Mockler as one of those who traveled at Preston University expense. It should have been Kathryn Sessions. A career educator, Sessions went to bat for that scammer. Preston was one of the first rats to abandon the sinking ship of unaccredited institutions - they fled to Montgomery, Alabama before the ink dried on the Governor's signature to the new legislation.

Perhaps the largest of the money takers has been Kennedy-Western University, lastly known as Warren National University. It was not enough to link itself to Kennedy, they grabbed the "Warren" name when they attempted to gain accreditation. Maybe there were less than honorable reasons to take another name after fleecing students for two decades. Maybe they were aware that input from students would be diminished if they didn't realize Warren National was one and the same as Kennedy-Western.

In the long run, nothing they tried worked. They were not recommended for eligibility for accreditation and they will now pull the plug on their nefarious operation.

The subject of Warren National University has heated up considerably in recent days. The Cheyenne Herald has been contacted by students who were concerned about the future of WNU, including one who had been trying to get a refund. Further research uncovered even more disconcerting news about WNU. National forums found the Cheyenne Herald's front page story about former superintendent of public instruction Judy Catchpole serving on the boards of both WNU and its parent company, L3, Inc. Over 500 visits were made to that website on a single day last week.

Another e-mail came from a guy in Illinois. He was upset with that story about Judy Catchpole. He said he had a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from WNU and had worked hard for it. He called my story "horrible." I informed him that it was illegal in Illinois to use a degree from an unaccredited "university" to obtain a job, advancement or higher pay. He didn't know that.

Oregon passed a law in the last couple years that requires anyone using a degree from an unaccredited university like Kennedy-Western or Warren National to show a discrediting statement with it. Read this from Oregon:

"So now Kennedy-Western grads can proudly proclaim their degrees … sort of. Under the new law, those graduates will have to follow mention of their degree by saying that their alma mater "does not have accreditation recognized by the United States Department of Education and has not been approved by the [Oregon] Office of Degree Authorization," the official language dictated by the legislation. The bill, which received only 3 "nay" votes in the 60-member House and 30-member Senate, says that the "disclaimer shall be made in any résumé, letterhead, business card, announcement or advertisement in which the person is claiming or representing to have an academic degree" from an institution that is not either accredited, or licensed to give degrees by the state.

People who do not use the disclaimer will face up to a $1,000 fine for every violation. They could also face criminal prosecution if the omission is a potential public threat, such as in the case of a public health worker."

Looks like that would have made it hard to get many jobs in Oregon with a KWU or WNU degree.

So now that Warren National has failed in its bid to become legitimate and has announced its closing, what about its students? Those with "degrees" should know by now that they could have gotten a comparable degree from a Cracker Jack's box but those who were in the middle of their pursuit are up the creek. Will WNU refund unearned deposits? Probably not. One "Online Degree" forum poster suggested that Wells Fargo Bank was providing loans for students to take the WNU courses. Will they forgive those loans? Probably not.

KWU continues to treat its students with disrespect. In the closing announcement (http://www.wnuedu.com/ or follow the prompt from the Cheyenne Herald Home Page ), WNU told students they could continue their studies at Preston University. You remember Preston, don't you? Another unaccredited scammer that bolted from Wyoming. PU have no intention of becoming accredited. Did WNU make this transfer to avoid litigation for abandoning students in pursuit of a degree? Did they refer students to an equally reprehensible scammer to perpetrate one final injustice to students who trusted them? That story will follow. (According to the Alabama Department of Post Secondary Education website, Preston University's license expired on 12/1/2008.)

A Cheyenne-based online university that at one point had nearly 2,000 students has announced it will close at the end of March.

Warren National University says it has not been accepted as a candidate for nationally recognized accreditation. A state law enacted in 2006 requires all colleges and universities operating in Wyoming to at least be candidates for accreditation.

In a statement on its Web site, Warren National says the Wyoming Department of education has revoked its registration. The statement says Warren National is appealing that decision.

However, the statement says March 31 will be the school's last day of instruction and students need to turn in all remaining work by then if they wish to graduate.

A phone message left at Warren National wasn't immediately returned Monday.

With the internationalization of higher education, the world of accreditation and quality assurance is likewise becoming increasing interconnected. An international seminar hosted by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation this week drew participants from around the world to discuss challenges in regulating diverse higher education systems — and weeding out illegitimate players (i.e., degree mills) wherever they set up shop.

In a presentation that opened the two-day seminar on Wednesday, Carolyn Campbell, assistant director of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, in the United Kingdom, outlined three "Rs" that she sees as hot topics in quality assurance internationally: ranking, regulation and reform. Pursuit of top spots in international rankings is "becoming a national aspiration, almost a badge of honor," Campbell said. "One of the more serious issues around this desire for institutions and countries to identify their universities as 'world class' is [that] by estimates only 3 percent of students in the world go to these top-ranked universities. What about the other 97 percent of students? Who's looking out for their interests?"

That's where the second R — regulation — comes in. Campbell described efforts to redefine quality in terms of learning outcomes, and the growing adoption of qualifications frameworks (more on that later). And then, of course, there's reform.

"In relation to all these reforms and changes, the introduction of new definitions of academic standards, the search for transparency, compatibility and comparability, there was an s word … sustainability. How sustainable are some of the reforms and some of the new initiatives in quality assurance given that we're living in difficult economic times?" Campbell asked. "Will the money be there to carry through some of these reforms? Will some of the dismay and concern and anger at the failure of self-regulation in one sector of the economy, notably, financial services, spill over into other sectors of the economy which are self-regulating, that is, in many countries, higher education? We're not quite sure."

With Campbell's talk as the backdrop, the international seminar continued on Thursday, with sessions on trends in quality assurance and accreditation in Africa, Europe and the Arab region. In another session, Richard Lewis, a higher education consultant, focused in on the development of qualifications frameworks, or lists of competencies a student should demonstrate in order to receive a degree of a certain level. What competencies should the holders of a bachelor's degree demonstrate, regardless of where they earned it? Beyond that, on a disciplinary level, what should the "typical" chemistry major know? (Coming up with common disciplinary-level expectations is done through a process known as "tuning.")

European nations have been developing qualifications frameworks as part of the Bologna Process, which involves creating a common European Higher Education Area and thereby fostering mobility. The United States, however, lacks such a qualifications framework. Or does it?

"Isn't there a general expectation of a number of credit hours one student needs to get a degree?" Lewis asked. "And isn't it fair to say," he continued, that a degree in physics from University A would have similarities to one from University B?

"Does that mean that the United States has an informal qualifications framework?" he asked. "Do informal systems work better than formal ones?"

Another session on Thursday focused on degree mills — illegitimate operators. In outlining steps that can be taken to combat them, John Daniel, president and chief executive officer of the Commonwealth of Learning, placed some responsibility on governments, but also a fair amount on academics. Among his suggestions, he called for the higher education community to maintain informal systems of alerts and blacklists (informal in part because of the litigious nature of some degree mill operators), and also "for everyone to raise their game in checking credentials presented to them." If checking credentials became the norm, Daniel said, "degree mills would soon be out of business."

Participants and panelists also discussed a gray area: low-quality institutions that wouldn't qualify as degree mills. One audience member suggested a clear distinction, however: Diploma mills are operating fraudulently, and must be suppressed, while for substandard institutions, isn't the purpose of quality assurance to bring their practices up to acceptable levels?

The growing demand for college degrees, the globalization of the education market, and the Internet are combining to create a more favorable climate for diploma mills around the world, says Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic, chief of the section for reform, innovation, and quality assurance in higher education at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Ms. Uvalic-Trumbic, who spoke here this morning at the annual meeting of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, explained several measures that Unesco has taken to help prevent fake colleges from succeeding.

One is an Internet listing of higher-education institutions "recognized or otherwise sanctioned by competent authorities in participating countries" — a so-called white list that students, employers, and others can use to check the credentials of a university.

So far, 23 countries are participating in the effort, including China, the United States, Britain, Australia, and Japan, as well as developing countries like Kenya and Nigeria.

The accrediting group, known as CHEA, is an association of 3,000 accredited institutions. It is also working with Unesco to develop a set of suggestions for countries to deal with fraudulent universities.

"It assumes that individual countries take care of their higher education and quality assurance, but there are ways we can work together internationally," said Judith S. Eaton, president of the organization.

Despite the widespread attention to diploma mills in recent years, there are several difficulties over how to define diploma mills, how to prosecute the purveyors of fake degrees, and how to influence foreign governments that sometimes benefit from the fraud, said Sir John Daniel, president of the Commonwealth of Learning, an association of more than 50 countries that were originally part of the British Empire.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 20TH 2009 (CUOPM) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has endorsed the recommendation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Hon. Sam Condor that the Federation's accreditation process for tertiary institutions such as medical schools needs to maintain a very high standard.

Cabinet at its routine meeting on Monday approved the recommendation from the Ministry of Education for the appointment of a new chairperson for the St. Kitts and Nevis Institutions Accreditation Board following the resignation of the Ms. Shawna Lake as chairperson.

The Accreditation Board, established under the Saint Christopher and Nevis Accreditation of Institutions Act, 1999 (No. 21 of 1999), amended in 2001, is responsible for evaluating, certifying and accrediting all tertiary level institutions operating in the Federation, and has the due authority to monitor such institutions over time.

Minister of Education Condor has emphasised that it is important to have the best qualified person fill the post of Chairperson of the Accreditation Board at this time and was proud to have Cabinet endorse his ministry's recommendation.

The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government is committed to attracting only highly reputable institutions to the Federation and continues to view Education Tourism as a major plank of the industry driving construction, transportation, rental, the purchase of goods and services and other forms of economic activity, and implores the new leadership of the Board to pursue this policy with vigour.

Cabinet publicly thanks Ms. Lake for her tenure of service as Chairperson of the Accreditation Board and will announce her successor at a later date.

The institutions accredited by the St. Kitts and Nevis Institutions Accreditation Board are The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (the National College), Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Medical University of the Americas (located in Nevis), International University of Graduate Studies (IUGS), International University of Health Sciences (IUHS), Windsor University School of Medicine, St. Theresa's Medical School, the University of Medical and Health Sciences and the International University of Nursing.

In addition:

Agreement signed for Dixon-Byrd Medical University on St. Kitts, The Communication's Unit, Office Of The Prime Minister Of The Government Of St. Kitts & Nevis, January 21, 2009.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 21ST 2009 (CUOPM) –St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has signed an agreement for the establishment of the Dixon-Byrd Medical University.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Hon. Sam Condor presented the Certificate of Programme and Institution Accreditation to Dr. Dr. Sewell Dixon, who signed on behalf of the university during the signing ceremony.

Dixon-Byrd Medical University is to be located in the area of Ottley's and has been established as a school of medicine with the right to confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine upon students who have completed the prescribed course of study and demonstrated academic, clinical and ethical conduct commensurate with the degree.

Dixon-Byrd Medical University will also develop courses of study intended for the granting of additional degree including Doctor of Dental Medicine and Surgery, Doctor of Public Health, Master of Public Health, Doctor of Health Science, Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant, Bachelor in Radiological Science, Bachelors in Laboratory Science; Doctor of Pharmacy, Bachelors in Pharmacy, Masters in Medical Management and other Germaine and affiliated fields.

The University, which over time will accommodate some 1500 students and a 12-bed University Hospital, is to be built on 25 acres of land.

The University Hospital will also be used for clinical observation and teaching purposes and the teaching at government operated hospitals and local physicians will also have the opportunity to participate in student teaching.

Under the Agreement, Dixon-Byrd Medical University will have a Department of Radiological Sciences that will utilise medical imaging as an adjunct for teaching anatomy and pathology.

The imaging will consist of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging device (MRI), sited on the campus in St. Kitts and a Computerized Tomographic Scanner (CT) on Nevis and will be made available to patients who are residents of St. Kitts and Nevis and visitors.

The Agreement also calls for the training of local residents as technicians and staff to operate, support and work with the imaging devices and locals will be given preference to be hired as faculty members, consultants, staff and other workers if qualifications are the same.

Government has also secured from Dixon-Byrd Medical University, three scholarships for citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis to any degree programme offered by the medical university to be admitted on a yearly basis. The scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, books and equipment.

An additional scholarship will also be made available to citizens of other CARICOM countries who are residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Under the 15-year agreement, the university will be given a 10-year tax holiday.

Note that St. Kitts, which had stated "the Federation's accreditation process for tertiary institutions such as medical schools needs to maintain a very high standard," has chosen to "accredit" a medical school which has not yet been built, and has not yet assembled a faculty.

Three defendants indicted in a scheme to defraud educational institutions, including medical schools, by submitting fraudulent transcripts, pled guilty today in federal court, Acting United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced today.

Berg was joined in the announcement by Andrew G.Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI and Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Abbas Obeid aka Adam Obeid, 34, of Ontario, Canada, Roni Aoub, 27, of Southfield, and Majed Mamo, 40, of Wixom, Michigan all pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Abbas Obeid also pled guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Under the plea agreement, Abbas Obeid faces a sentence of between 10-16 months and/or a $20,000 fine. Defendants Auob and Mamo face sentences of between 0-6 months and/or fines $10,000 fine. According to the indictment filed in this case, during August 2000 and continuing through August 2008, the defendants conspired to defraud educational institutions such as Lawrence Technological University in Southfield and Madonna University in Livonia by submitting fraudulent undergraduate transcripts so that individuals, who paid a fee to the conspirators, would fraudulently obtain transfer credits from those institutions. These credits were applied toward undergraduate degrees. Fraudulent transcripts were also submitted so that individualswould be accepted for enrollment in graduate programs. The indictment alleges that, in exchange for money, the conspirators submitted fraudulent undergraduate transcripts to medical schools located in the Carribean and Belize on behalf of students who otherwise had insufficient undergraduate credits to enter medical school. The indictment alleges that as a result of the defendants' actions, students were admitted to medical school based on the submission of fraudulent undergraduate transcripts.

In addition, the indictment alleges that defendants Nazeer Hamadneh and Abbas Obeid conspired to submit and submitted fraudulent documents on behalf of foreign students in order to obtain student visas. The indictment further alleges that defendants Nazeer Hamadneh and Majed Mamo tampered with witnesses in an effort to prevent witnesses from providing truthful information to law enforcement.

Acting U.S. Attorney Berg said, "Making phony transcripts to deceive a university into granting college credits, or even admission to medical school, to completely unqualified students is a kind of fraud that could have all sorts of dangerous consequences, but this case also involved fake student visas as well. Our office will continue to be vigilant in pursuing all types of immigration fraud."

"Individuals who buy and sell fraudulent college credits not only cheat the educational system; but when used for medical school admissions may endanger public health. Additionally, this undermines the student visa program by allowing individuals into this country who fail to follow through on their obligation to continue their higher education," said Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

"Institutions of higher learning are critical to the advancement of oursocietyand our way of life. Individuals who gain entry into a college or university through fraud undermine the vetting process and depending upon the profession could put the public at risk" said Brian M. Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of the ICE Office of Investigations for Michigan and Ohio. "ICE will continue to work with our partners to close this vulnerability."

The three defendants' sentencings are scheduled for March 24, 2009.

The investigation of this case has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken.

• Press release regarding the indictment of four defendants in this case
• Indictment
• Aoub guilty plea
• Mamo guilty plea
• Obeid guilty plea
• Web site of defendants' business

A Houston County educator was overpaid by about $50,000 over a 10-year period based on his questionable doctorate, according to an internal investigation.

Roy Watford, Houston County Schools secondary curriculum/accreditation director, received extra pay for a doctoral degree he held from the University of Beverly Hills, Houston County School Superintendent Tim Pitchford said. The extra pay amounted to about $5,000 more per year between 1994 and 2004 than he should have received.

Educators are paid according to their years of experience and highest degree level obtained. To get credit for the degrees, they must come from a university or college accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. SACS does not recognize the University of Beverly Hills.

Watford denies any wrongdoing on his part, and said he obtained the degree with the understanding it was legitimate and did not seek the extra pay from the county schools.

"I think there's just somebody who has a vendetta against me and I do not know who or why," Watford said.

Watford holds a bachelor's degree from Troy University, a master's degree from Peabody College and an education specialist's certificate, also known as an AA, from Auburn University. In 1984, while working in an administrative position at the University of Alabama, Watford obtained a doctorate in education philosophy from the University of Beverly HIlls. Watford resigned from the University of Alabama in 1985.

In a 1985 letter to Hubert Kessler, then director of personnel services at the University of Alabama, Dennis P. Prisk, dean of continuing studies, said Watford's resignation had to do with his acquisition and use of the doctorate from the University of Beverly Hills, which he describes as a "diploma mill."

"In short, Roy acquired a bogus degree and was attempting to portray it as legitimate," Prisk said in the letter. "And he committed fraud by telling others the degree was from Auburn."

Watford denies these accusations and said he returned to Dothan to be close to his family.

After resigning from the University of Alabama, Watford got a job teaching in the Houston County Schools in 1986. On Watford's employment application, he makes no mention of his doctorate from the University of Beverly Hills, and, according to Pitchford, the doctorate is not listed on his Alabama teaching certificate.

Watford said he didn't list the diploma on his application because he knew it wasn't accepted and he didn't want to cause complications.

Watford moved up the ranks of the county school system, becoming an assistant principal and later principal of Rehobeth High. Watford said in the early 90s he was approached by Doyle Bond, who was superintendent at the time, and told his doctorate entitled him to a raise.

Bond said Wednesday he approached Watford about the raise after receiving a directive from the state that all education employees with a doctorate should receive increased pay. Bond said he forwarded a copy of Watford's diploma from the University of Beverly Hills to the state and got approval for the raise.

Pitchford and the Alabama Department of Education said no documentation in Watford's personnel file shows state recognition of his doctorate.

"We have no record of any school superintendent submitting a verification of a higher degree for this individual," said Michael Sibley, a department spokesman.

Pitchford said he has consulted with Jere Segrest, county school system attorney, and Segrest recommended that he take no action in the matter. Pitchford said he would likely be talking to Watford and the county school board about the matter again in the near future.

 

Marie Theriault-Sabourin is a manager in the registrar's office at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She has a master's degree in business administration.

Quami Frederick used her bachelor's degree to get into Toronto's Osgoode Hall law school and was offered a job articling with a Bay St. law firm.

Armed with his Ph.D in political science, police tactical trainer Augustus Michalik counts various Canadian and U.S. law enforcement agencies as his clients.

The problem is, their university degrees are fake.

They are among at least 220 Canadians with bogus academic credentials uncovered in a recent probe. Worldwide, fake degrees are a billion dollar industry, even threatening government security, investigators say.

Last week, an undercover Star investigation exposed Peng Sun, a York University grad who forges university degrees from real Canadian universities for $4,000. Sun's client list was not available, but the Star obtained a list of Canadians who bought fake degrees from an American diploma mill busted three years ago by the U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security.

St. Regis University, which granted degrees under various names, was a complete fake. Canadians on its "buyers list" gave the Star one of three explanations: some admitted the degrees were bogus, some claimed they submitted course work (but did not provide proof to the Star), and others thought they were awarded real degrees for life experiences.

"I don't want my name in (the story)," said Theriault-Sabourin, who is the manager of scheduling in the registrar's office at Algonquin, a 16,000-student college in Ottawa. She said she now understands the master's degree she purchased in 2000 for $1,350 is bogus.

Her husband, Leo, bought two, a bachelor's degree in business and an MBA in marketing. The couple have a turbulent financial past and it's unclear what role the fake degrees played. Leo was found guilty in an Ottawa court of tax evasion and fraud last May for evading almost $5 million in income taxes he prepared for dozens of clients, mainly chiropractors.

Marie declared bankruptcy earlier this year with more than $680,000 in debts and Leo declared bankruptcy in 2002, owing $483,000 (Leo was discharged from bankruptcy, and Marie's more recent bankruptcy is facing a court hearing).

"I never used it, and never will use it," Marie said of her degree, which she obtained just before she began her duties at Algonquin. Her husband, who is awaiting sentencing, could not be reached for comment.

Responsibilities of the registrar's office at Algonquin include authenticating degrees from other educational facilities. A college spokesman would not comment.

The couple's degrees came from a Washington State diploma mill. Eight ringleaders pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud charges. They set up 120 fake schools with names like St. Regis University and James Monroe University. There were no courses or classes.

The head provost of St. Regis University was a high school dropout.

The gang raked in more than $7 million in sales to 131 countries. It sold everything from high school diplomas to PhDs and medical degrees. Dozens of U.S. government employees are on the list, including a White House staff member, National Security Agency employees, a senior State Department official, and a Department of Justice employee.

Tens of thousands of people are walking around with "ticking time bombs in their resumes," says Allen Ezell, a former FBI agent who has spent a big chunk of his career investigating diploma mills.

This week Quami Frederick's blew up on her.

A third-year Osgoode Hall Law School student, Frederick, 28, is on the list as having paid $1,109 for a "B.A." in Business Administration, plus a transcript of marks. Using the degree transcript, Frederick got into Osgoode as one of 290 students selected from 2,500 applicants in 2006.

Contacted by the Star several weeks ago, Frederick initially denied everything, suggesting she might be the victim of identity fraud.

"I'm not worried because I never bought any degree from any university," said Frederick, who expected to graduate next year and has a job lined up with Wildeboer and Dellelce, LLP. The law firm noted her degree on its website, welcoming her aboard as an articling student.

This week, after much soul searching, Frederick changed her story.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you," Frederick said. "I should've levelled with you. I figured you'd call the university and theywouldn't tell you anything and that would be the end of it."

The change of heart came after the Star found she never attended St. George's University in Grenada, from where she claimed to have an undergraduate degree. Frederick's case is different from others. St. George's is a real university and it appears the degree mill forged documents from there.

Frederick now says "the truth" is she spent $8,000 for a six-month, "fast-track" online business degree in 2004. School spokesperson Lisa O'Connor said St. George's does not offer this type of online course.

"Her degree is completely bogus," said O'Connor, noting the fake transcript shows Frederick spent four years at the school and made the Dean's honour list with a near perfect 3.93 grade point average. "No one by the name of Quami Frederick has ever been a student at our school."

Frederick told the Star this week that the associate dean of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University has launched an investigation into "a potential breach of academic honesty" and she may be expelled. A York spokesperson said they have a department that verifies applicant's credentials, but would not comment on Frederick's case. The law firm removed her name from its website yesterday and is investigating.

The St. Regis degree mill was shut down in August 2005 after a Secret Service agent, posing as a retired Syrian army weapons specialist, applied for three degrees, saying he needed them urgently to stay in the United States.

The only requirement St. Regis made of this potential terrorist was whether he would be paying with Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Two weeks and $1,277 later, the fictional Mohammed Syed got his degrees in chemistry and environmental engineering, based on his "life experience."

Seeing St. Regis as a threat to national security, a task force comprised of eight federal agencies moved quickly. In six years of operation, St. Regis had spread its tentacles around the globe ensnaring clients across Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia.

Operators used email to spam potential customers with tempting offers that included, "buy one degree at full price, get a second free."

Wayne Victor Cook bought two.

A former provincial and municipal candidate in Ontario, Cook claims his public affairs company Wayne Cook Public Affairs Consulting confers with the president of the United States at the White House. He also claims on his website that he played a key role in getting John Tory elected as leader of the Ontario Conservative Party.

Listing numerous blue chip companies and Ontario universities as employers and clients on his curriculum vitae, Cook also claimed to have an Executive MBA from the very real Heriot-Watts University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

He does not.

What he does have is two bogus degrees, an MBA and a Ph.D., purchased from the St. Regis diploma mill in 2004.

Cook, who ran for the Ontario Liberals in Beaches-Woodbine in 1981 and Toronto City Council in 1997, losing both times, paid $1,133 for a Ph.D. and an MBA in Human Resources Management.

Just hours after being contacted by the Star, Cook's online bios underwent radical changes. His Executive MBA from Heriot-Watts is now "expected" in 2010. All references to his MBA and PhD were deleted.

"I don't have an interest, and really don't have any comments for you," Cook replied when asked to explain the vanishing degrees.

A spokesperson for John Tory denied Cook played any role in his election as leader.

Design engineer Terry A. Hrushka is so proud of his three degrees from St. Regis that he's posted them on his website – a Bachelor of Science in Natural Physics in 1992, a Master of Applied Science in 1994, and a Doctorate in Process Physics in 1996.

The problem is St. Regis University, which falsely claimed it was accredited by the government of Liberia, didn't issue any degrees, bogus as they were, until 1999. What they did do was graduate any student with a credit card on any date they wanted.

"What you have written to me has devastated my life," Hrushka said in an email to the Star, responding to written questions. Hrushka said he thought his degrees were real. "I have now wasted six years of my life and just over $50,000 U.S."

"I wish I had the records to prove all this," Hrushka wrote, claiming he took correspondence courses from St. Regis. "But unfortunately they were lost over time as I moved around a great deal."

Martial arts expert Augustus Robert Michalik counts the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the U.S. Navy Seals, CIA agents and police officers from across Ontario as students of his Police Tactical Training and Black Arts courses he has taught for years.

Proudly posted on his website are certificates of achievement including one issued to "Dr. Augustus Michalik, PhD", by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research for courses in Global Terrorism.

Author of several books, including The Knife Fighting Anti-terrorist Handbook, Michalik purchased his degree in "Political Science" for $1,340 in 2003, and paid for it with a credit card, according to the information compiled by the U.S Justice Department.

"You've got the wrong guy," Michalik said when reached on his cell phone at his base in London, Ont., saying he had just returned from a consulting job in the Philippines. "That's not me."

His Ph.D. is in " political philosophy dealing with terrorism," Michalik said, but refused to name the university. "If you want, you can talk to my lawyer," Michalik said, then hung up.

Days later, all references to his Ph.D. disappeared from the website of Homeland Security Inc. where Michalik is the CEO. The Star was unable to determine which officers from the RCMP or other forces Michalik has trained.

One degree recipient, Dr. Anthony Alsayed, says he has instructed his lawyer to sue the people behind St. Regis in an attempt to clear his name.

A Lebanese-born Canadian with a medical degree from People's Friendship University in Moscow, Alsayed admits he made a mistake in trying to piggyback a PhD from St. Regis on to his medical degree from Russia.

"I'm a victim in this. It's not as if I'm a plumber who was looking for a PhD in education," Alsayed, said in an interview at his Mississauga home. "I have my MD. I'm a real doctor."

His medical degree is recognized in Canada, Alsayed said, but he is not licensed to practice as a physician. Until recently he ran a company that prepped students to take their medical exams.

Alsayed showed the Star a receipt for $1,659 for his PhD in "Medical and Health Care Education." He also paid $650 to a U.S. degree certification company that checked out St. Regis and told Alsayed his degree was issued by a bona fide university accredited by Liberia. What Alsayed did not know was that the St. Regis scam artists had fooled everyone, creating a website purporting to be that of the Liberian government, which heaped praise on St. Regis as a great university.

To add insult to injury, St. Regis took the marks Alsayed got from his medical courses in Russia, and lowered them in the transcripts they sold to him. When he protested, they sent him an email saying a PhD in "Medical Management" from St. Regis was a very tough degree to earn.

"My wife says I'm naïve," Alsayed said of how he fell for the scam. "I thought this was the way they did things in North America."

Teacher Kin-Yau "Kenny" Wong has a real master's in business from the University of Toronto, then went and endangered his career by adding a bogus Ph.D. from Belford University to his academic record.

"I tried to use it at my school, but later on I found out that was wrong," Wong said. "I can frankly say I did not use it for any financial gain," said Wong, who paid $1,540 for the bogus Ph.D. in education.

"I admit I did something wrong," Wong said. "I just tried to satisfy my own ego."

Bogus degrees are a billion-dollar-a-year industry, says former FBI agent Ezell, who has spent most of his career investigating the sale of counterfeit and bogus college credentials and is now vice-president for corporate fraud investigation for Wachovia Bank.

Ezell, who headed the massive FBI investigation in the late 1980s, estimates there are 400 Internet diploma mills spewing out 200,000 bogus diplomas a year. More than 85 per cent are located in the U.S.

The fallout from the St. Regis bust is just now being felt across America.

Fourteen New York firefighters were fined more than $135,000 after they submitted bogus degrees from St. Regis in attempts to gain promotions. Six Chicago-area police officers also purchased bogus degrees. One cop even submitted his "tuition" from St. Regis for reimbursement from the department.

His superior, who signed off on the expense, had also obtained a bogus degree from the same diploma mill.

 

For $3,000, Peng Sun can turn anyone into an instant graduate from the most prestigious universities in the country.

For another $1,000, he'll provide authentic-looking transcripts for the dozens of classes you never attended.

All you need is a bundle of cash and the nerve to meet him in a parking lot somewhere in the GTA. In return you will get a forged university degree virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

We know this because for $4,000, Peng Sun made a York University MBA diploma for a Star operative posing as a Toronto bank employee who needed one quickly to land a high-paying job in China. In three days, Sun produced documents that would take years and hefty tuition fees for a real student to earn.

Education leaders say the widespread production of bogus degrees damages the academic system and police warn that forged documents create security risks.

Sun's counterfeit ring, the brash 26-year-old York University grad claims, has forged hundreds of college and university degrees in the past four years. He started the business while a visa student at York.

"Three (degrees) per week, a good week, I get four," Sun told the Star's undercover operative of the high demand for his bogus degrees.

His work is top-notch. His prices are higher than those charged by diploma mills advertising on the Internet because his fakes are of superior quality, for real universities, printed on thick, watermarked paper, and stamped with university seals.

For the $4,000 Sun also provided two copies of grade transcripts in sealed York University envelopes ready to hand to prospective employers.

"Once you crack the watermark you can forge anything," Sun boasted to one of two operatives the Star used during a two-month investigation. "You can print money."

University of Toronto and York University degrees are the most sought after by his clients, mainly students who don't want to study, or immigrants returning to China who need a diploma to land a well-paying job. Sun said the price for a bachelor's degree, MBA or PhD is the same. For him, it's the same amount of work, paper and ink.

"I have friends from China who spend three years here, didn't want to go to school, but got York and U of T degree (from him) then got a job," Sun boasted. "There are many of them. It's funny."

"My quality is the best. You can't even distinguish. The paper, its weight, quality, pattern, colour, fonts, layout, logo design, stamp, seal are the same as the real thing."

"You will get your return," Sun said to the operative's comment that $4,000 was a lot of money. "If you pay 30 years of tuition fees, you still have to study for 30 years."

Sun advertises his fake degrees on an Internet bulletin board. He did not ask to see any identification before undertaking to make an MBA degree for one of our operatives, who went by the name Calvin Wai Tak Lee. After email and telephone exchanges, Calvin Lee met Sun in the Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot at Yonge St. and Finch Ave. two weeks ago. Our operative gave him a date of birth, the requested graduating year (2006), plus a $400 cash down payment.

Three days later, Calvin Lee had his Master of Business Administration from York's prestigious Schulich School of Business, bearing the embossed slogan "with all the honours, rights and privileges which appertain to this degree." The degree was delivered at a meeting that began in Sun's white Toyota Yaris in the same parking lot.

Bearing a graduation date of June 2006, the degree carries the university's crimson seal and the forged signatures of then-Chancellor Peter Cory and President Lorna Marsden. Cory is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and Marsden is a former Canadian senator.

For the $4,000 Sun also provided transcripts detailing two years of alleged study in marketing courses at Schulich, awarding Calvin Lee an A in Organizational Behaviour, but only a C+ in Strategy Field Study.

Shown the bogus degree and transcripts, York University Registrar Joanne Duklas was both impressed by the quality of the forgeries and outraged that anyone, especially a former student, would undertake such "nefarious" work.

"As a group, registrars of schools are appalled by this behaviour and find it unacceptable," said Duklas, whose forged signature is on the transcripts.

So confident was Sun about the quality of his work that before taking his payment, he drove Calvin to the York University bookstore at the Keele St. campus to compare his newly minted forgery to framed samples on display there.

Back in the car, Sun demanded the remaining $3,600 before turning over the degree, stashing the cash in an empty Godiva chocolate box and shoving it under his car seat.

As he drove the Star's operative back to the Shoppers' lot, Sun sought to involve our operative in another of his scams, asking Calvin (who was posing as a banker) if he could put him in contact with someone at the bank who deals with mortgages and loans.

"Some people want to return to China, sell their passports, SIN cards, and we can use their names to go to the bank and get loans," Sun explained. "Once you get the money in hand ..."

When they reached Shoppers, two Star reporters confronted Sun as he was about to drive off. Startled, Sun said little, then grudgingly handed over the box of money when asked by the Star.

"I'm just doing research," Sun said several times, when told that he had been the subject of the newspaper's probe into fake university degrees.

"I reserve the question," Sun said several times, when asked to explain his actions.

"Can I go now?" he asked, then sped off in the Yaris in the direction of his luxury condo two blocks away on Greenview Ave. Property records show that he paid $410,000 for the unit and it is mortgage free. At a previous meeting Sun had arrived in a $60,000 BMW 525xi, bearing the vanity plate A 001. Subsequent phone calls to Sun's cellphone have gone unanswered.

Sun's own York University degree is real. He graduated from the Atkinson School of Administrative Studies in 2007 with a Bachelor of Human Resources Management and upgraded it to an honours degree this year, the university confirmed. But in discussions with our operatives, Sun played down his academic achievements, saying his degree has been of limited use to him. In China, as it is in Canada, it's who you know and your work experience that counts, he said.

"I've forgotten everything (I learned) in school. All theoretical. Nothing useful."

Sun came to Canada as a visa student years ago and took courses at Humber College before enrolling at York. Known to friends, clients and in Internet chat rooms as "Randy," he has advertised on the Internet for years, primarily on YorkBBS.ca, a bulletin board popular with Chinese visa students. He calls his company Golden China Overseas Studying.

That's where a Mandarin-speaking Star operative saw his ads, not only for diplomas, but automobile insurance, student cards and other types of identification.

Contacted by email, Sun boasted openly of his ability to produce degrees from most Canadian universities, with the exception of the University of Western Ontario in London. A University of Toronto degree would have to carry a graduation date prior to June of this year. U of T has started using holographs on its diplomas, which are harder to copy, but Sun said recently he is now in a position to fabricate the new U of T degrees, for $6,000.

"We have the watermark paper, we have the seals," Sun said. "My quality is very, very, good. As close as you can get to the real thing."

Besides the degrees, he offered for sale numerous other counterfeit documents, which could push the price to more than $10,000. These include forged letters from the Chinese Consulate in Toronto and the Chinese Ministry of Education in Beijing attesting the client as a bona fide student in Canada.

"I can get all these documents pretty fast," Sun said in an email prior to the first of three face-to-face meetings with the Star's operatives. "If it is not urgent, give me a week. The pivotal question is, when you will need it?"

He does not provide samples of his work, he said, because he can't take a chance of being caught with any evidence or have his work fall into the hands of his competitors. "I used to show samples to all customers. One evening I was in a parking lot at Finch and Leslie. I was showing samples. Not even five minutes, police came to us. I was quick. I put them away. Police said someone called police and reported you selling fake documents. I said, no, I'm here chilling out with friends.

"Since then I don't carry any samples with me."

Chinese employers rarely check the authenticity of foreign degrees, he told one of our operatives. Even if they do, universities don't normally give out information over the phone, preferring a faxed request, he said. In that case, the applicant should provide the employer with a fax number in Toronto. Confirmation of the degree will then be faxed to China on the university's letterhead. For his protection, and that of his clients, Sun claims he purges all client information from his laptop, and shreds all documents a week after the transaction is sealed and delivered.

"The last person you want to see, after you buy a degree from me, is me," Sun told one of our operatives.

The bogus-degree market is a billion-dollar industry, authorities say, with hundreds of Internet sites pumping out an estimated 200,000 fake diplomas a year around the globe. Fake degrees pose a security risk in the hands of potential terrorists, who might use them to gain entry into North America or advance into sensitive jobs. Two of the terrorists involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks entered the United States on student visas.

"The dangers posed by a diploma mill are real,'' says University of Illinois Professor George Gollin, who has studied the problem for years. "It is bad enough that persons using fake degrees obtain undeserved status or swindle unwitting victims, but there is a real danger when phony physicians treat the sick, untrained engineers design bridges or teachers with purchased credentials instruct our children."

In April 2007, York Regional Police arrested five Chinese visa students alleged to be operating a "full-service" forgery mill in the basement of a house in Markham.

The gang had produced "hundreds, if not thousands" of top-quality degrees, passports, visas, driver's licences and marriage certificates and sold them on the Internet. Among the hundreds of documents seized by police were degrees from U of T, York, Western, Carleton, Acadia, Brock, Seneca College and George Brown, as well as stamps used to produce the university seals and blank watermarked transcripts.

"This was quite the brazen operation," York Regional Police Chief Armand La Barge said at a news conference to announce the biggest takedown of a forgery den in Ontario's history.

"They were charging $18,000 for immigration papers and enough other documents that you could create an entire false identity."

The sophistication of the degree-making operation was such that diplomas matched the correct university president's signature to the year of the graduation.

"I've never seen quality like this," Det. Mathew Ma, an expert on high-tech crime, told reporters. "I can't tell the difference between the false and the originals."

But the case blew up in court last month after a judge ruled police entered the house initially without a warrant or reasonable grounds. Charges were withdrawn against three of the accused, and Justice Richard Blouin acquitted the other two, a husband and wife.

The quality and volume of fake documents presented serious national security concerns, Blouin said in his ruling.

The Star has no evidence linking Peng Sun to that forgery operation.

Bogus diplomas diminish the value of the work legitimate students put into obtaining real degrees, said George Granger, executive director of Ontario Universities Application Centre, which acts as a clearing house for student seeking admission to Ontario's 21 universities.

"No one really knows how extensive this is, but we do know it is a problem and the universities are taking steps to deal with it," Granger said. Some of those measures include changing the look of their degrees every so often.

Watermarked paper, which is intended to foil forgery attempts, is kept under lock and key. Transcripts are printed on special paper that can't be photocopied without the word "copy" showing through. Each sheet is numbered and spoiled transcripts are destroyed.

"We treat our degrees like currency," said Laurie Stephens, director of media relations for U of T. New degrees are imprinted with a hologram to deter would-be forgers.

Employers and other interested parties can now request verification of any U of T degree online, if they know the student's name, social insurance number or student number. They will get an answer in five days. York University is considering a similar move.

U of T graduates about 12,000 students a year. Both U of T and York get several hundred calls each week from prospective employers and other universities, many of them overseas. Anyone with a concern about the legitimacy of a degree should contact the Registrar's Office at either school.

Canada has no law specific to degree forgery, though in 20 American states it is a crime to use fake degrees and the U.S. Congress is studying legislation to deal with diploma mills.

In Canada, allegations of degree forgery come under the forgery section of the Criminal Code. "Possessing a false document could be defended on the basis that it is a novelty item," said criminal lawyer Scott Cowan, who defended one of the accused in the Markham bust. "But passing off a fake degree as an original in a job application would amount to the offence of uttering a forged document. It could be as serious as using a counterfeit bill."

"Make sure you buy a frame to frame your diploma," Peng Sun told Calvin Lee as he left his car with the bogus degree in his briefcase. "You can even get it from Wal-Mart. If you have a problem, call me. Good luck."

A man who ran a bogus college in a £16m fraud which involved 80,000 students has been jailed for seven years.

Michael Smallman, 45, of Northallerton, was convicted of fraudulent trading while his wife Angela was convicted of money laundering in October.

Smallman ran the National Distance Learning College (NDLC) in Middlesbrough which collapsed in 2001.

His wife was jailed for 15 months. Only 18 students received diplomas from the college, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The college's directors, Peter Kenyon, 43, and John Hornsby, 59, were cleared of fraud after a four-month trial earlier this year.

The court heard Smallman tempted 80,000 students to sign up for his home study courses, netting him £10m in 15 months.

But only 18 of the would-be graduates ended up with a genuine qualification when they finished their studies.

Between September 2000 and November 2001, Smallman's company was running a massive fraud, cheating the students and the government by offering inadequate training, refusing to refund students who chose not to go ahead with the course and claiming the qualification was accredited by the City and Guilds of London Institute when it was not.

'Unlike Robin Hood'

When it collapsed, the business owed £3.5m to creditors. The hearing also heard that millions made from the college had been spent on horseracing and property renovation.

Prosecutor Andrew Wheeler said: "Even at the early stage his (Smallman's) intentions were clear, money was the prime driving factor to the detriment of students.

"This was not just sharp practice, it went well beyond what ordinary and decent people would regard as honest - it was fraudulent."

Peter Woodall, defending Smallman, of Leeming Lane, said that he had not set out to commit fraud but had struggled to keep the college afloat.

Judge George Moorhouse told him that unlike Robin Hood he had robbed the poor to make himself rich.

The article in the Nov. 20 edition of the News Leader ("State Department of Education warns against diploma mills") addresses an important issue for the state of Missouri. Diploma or degree mills -- rogue providers of higher education -- undermine the value of legitimate colleges and universities in Missouri as well as other states.

Mills reduce the value of degrees that are awarded. Moreover, mills and their fraudulent credentials threaten public safety, especially when fake degrees are offered in such vital areas as health and engineering. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation has sent a letter to the governors, attorneys general and secretaries of education of all 50 states, as part of CHEA's ongoing effort to combat degree mills. The purpose of CHEA's letter is to urge that states take additional action, as needed, to discourage and ultimately eliminate fraudulent providers of higher education.

In the letter, CHEA specifically recommends that states consider, if they have not done so, establishing or strengthening definitions in state law for "degree mills." CHEA also urges that states take legislative and regulatory steps, such as those being urged in Missouri, to discourage or eliminate use of fraudulent credentials issued by degree mills.

Working together, we can be effective in reducing or eliminating degree mills in the United States and internationally. Doing so will benefit students throughout the country, including the state of Missouri.

OLYMPIA - Thurston County prosecutors are reviewing State Patrol's criminal investigation of nine troopers on paid leave because they may have used phony college diplomas to receive higher pay grades - but no decision has been made on whether charges will be filed, a prosecutor said today.

Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said Tuesday that State Patrol has made no recommendation in its investigative file as to whether criminal charges should or should not be brought against the troopers on leave. Tunheim said it may take his office until the end of the year to review the investigation and make a charging decision on the nine troopers.

"They specifically have not made any recommendation on charges," Tunheim said of the State Patrol.

State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins confirmed Tuesday that when the patrol presented its investigative file to the Thurston County Prosecutor's office on Friday, there was no recommendation on charges.

State Patrol's investigation began during the summer, after information came to light about a Spokane diploma mill that offered fraudulent online high school and university degrees for a fee, State Patrol Capt. Jeff DeVere has said.

The patrol subsequently launched an audit of its employees to determine whether any of their degree were fraudulent. As part of the patrol's union contract, troopers can obtain a 4 percent pay increase for a bachelor's degree, and a 2 percent increase for a two-year or master's degree, according to DeVere.

Nine troopers, including three sergeants, are on paid leave as a result of the investigation.

The nine troopers who have been on leave since Oct. 13 have been identified as: troopers Bryan Ensley and Gabriel Olson, and Sgts. Jason Linn and Rob Brusseau, all of Vancouver, Wash.; troopers John McMillan and Spike Unruh, both of Wenatchee; trooper Dennis Tardiff of Seattle; Sgt. Chris Sweet of Kelso; and trooper Dan Mann of Spokane.

Jeremy Pawloski covers public safety for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or [email protected].

The new owner of the Kress building in downtown Fort Worth is exploring the idea of turning the exposed brick wall of the building's north side into public art space.

Mark Moran, whose family bought the historic building at 604 Main St. in March, presented a couple of ideas to the Downtown Design Review Board last week. Both ideas, designed by the Kress building's superintendent, Tom LeVesque, were 40-by-80-foot-by-9-inch relief sculptures incorporating the words Kress Fort Worth.

"I knew before we bought the building I wanted to do something," Moran said. "To me, it's a canvas."

Board members expressed enthusiasm for the idea, but suggested that Moran work with the Fort Worth Arts Commission to explore options.

"We've looked at that blank wall for an awfully long time," said board member Bill Boecker.

S.H. Kress Co. built the structure in 1936 and occupied it until 1960.

Continental National Bank used the upper three floors for a decade until the early 1980s. Those floors reopened in 2006 as 24 loft apartments.

The Fox and Hound English Pub & Grille is on the street level, and Hyena's Comedy Club is in the basement.

Does business 'pillar' have dubious degree?

Harold Rafuse, a man described as a respected "pillar" of Waco's business community, apparently bought his Ph.D. from a Wyoming diploma mill that has disappeared in the Bahamas after changing its name.

Rafuse, aside from owning a technology and consulting company that does business with Lockheed, sits on the board of a publicly traded company, Life Partners. Remarkably, the Waco-based Life Partners doesn't give a flip that Rafuse's doctorate in "engineering management" from Hamilton University is, ah, questionable.

All of this came to light because of Barry Minkow.

As a teenage entrepreneur, Minkow launched a carpet-cleaning service called ZZZZ Best that made its money lying to shareholders about revenues.

He emerged from prison claiming to have found Christ and wanting to do good works, like exposing other people's scams and wrongdoing.

Minkow's Fraud Discovery Institute and www.degreefraud.com checks out the credentials of executives and board members of public companies, screens for shenanigans and then alerts the media.

By the way, it sometimes sells the stock short to profit from any negative feedback. So far, TheWall Street Journal and Bloomberg News Service have followed up his tips.

It was Minkow's profit motive, not his revelations about Rafuse's questionable sheepskins, that upset the general counsel at Life Partners, which operates in the secondary life insurance market.

Neither Rafuse nor another top executive of his privately held Advanced Concepts and Technologies International returned our calls. But Scott Peden, Life Partners in-house lawyer, gave us an earful. And some remedial journalism tips.

The rapid-talking company counsel, who called Rafuse a Waco mover and shaker, instructed: "Rumors started by ex-felons should not be used as news sources."

But are they true?

Peden conceded that Rafuse did inaccurately describe an associate's degree from Temple University as a bachelor's.

Rafuse told Life Partners he had received a letter from Temple telling him that the three-year program was "equivalent" to a four-year one. Unfortunately, the letter got lost, Peden said. The company will correctly cite the degree in the future, he said.

As for Rafuse's doctorate, Life Partners stands by it.

"I think it's important to note the degree was awarded," said Peden.

Huh?

Hamilton U., which began life in Hawaii as American State University, moved to that hallowed center of higher learning, Evanston, Wyo., (population 11,400), where it operated until closed by court order. As far as we can determine, it disappeared deep in the Caribbean after reinventing itself as Richardson University.

With a couple of keystrokes, you can do something in just seven days that takes others years to do - get a college degree.

Online school Bedford University makes the claim. All you have to do is pick a field.

The school calls the degrees legitimate.

John Bear has another name. He calls them "truly fake."

Bear is an expert on diploma mills, a billion dollar industry of phony schools that print very real looking degrees.

Some of those degrees have made their way right here to the Valley.

Last year, the Attorney General's Office in Washington state busted a group of bogus schools in Operation Golden Seal.

A list of 10,000 names became public, customers with PhDs, Masters degrees and more.

Click here to see Arizonans on the Operation Golden Seal list

The list includes Mario Rochin, Tolleson's chief building official.

Rochin has PhD in business administration from one of the schools involved in Operation Golden Seal.

Rochin didn't return our calls and had nothing to say to ABC15 at Tolleson City Hall.

Tolleson City Manager Reyes Medrano later told ABC15, "I feel horrible for him (Rochin) for being duped."

While Rochin got the degree after getting his job, Joe Cockrell with Jobing.com said some see these degrees as an easy way to get ahead.

"That's probably going to do more harm than good," Cockrell said. "Ultimately that's going to be discovered."

We had questions about a PhD listed on Dr. Kathleen Gillespie's behavioral health office in Sun City.

It's also on her resume as a part-time instructor at NAU.

Gillespie is on the Operation Golden Seal customer list, but she said she wasn't aware.

While she declined to answer questions on camera, Gillespie later emailed ABC15:

"I was fully aware that the degree being offered from Van Ives was an 'equivalency' degree that was being offered for past education, current education, and continuing education. My purpose for seeking the degree was for educational purposes only, not professional as I had all the education and credentials necessary for practicing as a Licensed Professional Counselor. The degree was never questioned by either of the Universities I have taught for or the over 50 companies I have provided services for. I have since earned an academic Doctorate of Psychology from California Sothern University which is accredited in California and accepted for licensure as a Clinical Psychologist in California."

Gillespie has also taken the PhD off her online biography.

"I call it putting a time bomb in your resume," Bear said.

We put Belford University to the test, applying for a Masters degree in Veterinary Medicine for Joe Ducey's dog, Sedona.

After typing a short description of life experiences and paying $479, the degree arrived from Dubai seven days later, along with a transcript with grades for classes we never took.

A senior student counselor defended Belford, but he was surprised they gave a degree to a canine.

Belford University is not accredited with the U.S. Department of Education.

It is illegal in a dozen states to use an unaccredited degree. Arizona is not one of those states.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education plans to propose legislation that would make it illegal to get a job or a promotion in Missouri using a phony degree. KSMU's Jennifer Moore reports. Officials estimate 200,000 fake diplomas are bought and sold in the United States each year from so-called "diploma mills."

Zora Mulligan Aubuchon, assistant commissioner for the Missouri Department of Higher Education, says the term "diploma mill" can include a range of different scam operations.

Aubuchon said another form of diploma mills is where the applicant does a little bit of academic work in order to get a degree, but nothing comparable to the coursework found at the university level.

One diploma mill went by the name "St. Regis University," which is a bogus institution. It was discovered by federal authorities and shut down in 2005, but not before it had sold 7 million dollars worth of fake diplomas, including ones claiming to be from the University of Missouri.

Aubuchon says new legislation is needed in Missouri clearly stating that producing and using fake degrees is against the law.

MOORE:
"To get an idea of just how easy it would be to fake a diploma, I'm going online right now to Google...I'm gonna type in here "get a fake diploma." Let's see what it comes up with...okay, there are about 500,000 hits..."

Zora Aubuchon says the department of higher education occasionally gets calls from employers who are skeptical as to whether the applicant really holds a degree.

She added that it may not be sufficient just to look at an applicant's transcript or to ask to see a diploma.

Aubuchon said employers can always call a university's registrar, which should be able to tell the employer if someone graduated from that school.

For KSMU News, I'm Jennifer Moore.

The owner of an unaccredited online university that drew attention to Wyoming as a haven for such schools was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for tax fraud.

Rudy Marn owned Hamilton University, a school that existed primarily online but had an office in Evanston. Marn pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to fraud and making false statements for filing a false individual income tax return for 2003.

U.S. District Judge William Downes sentenced Marn in Casper to two years in prison and a year of supervised probation. Downes also ordered Marn to pay $618,937 in restitution to the IRS, according to IRS spokesman Bryan Thiel.

Thiel said Marn must report to prison by Dec. 30.

A message left for Marn's attorney, Tim Kingston, wasn't immediately returned Tuesday.

Thiel didn't know where Marn has been living lately. However, he said Marn has been ordered to satisfy his restitution in part through the sale of a home in Palm Beach, Fla.

According to court documents, Marn reported total personal income of $169,888 on his 2003 tax return. Prosecutors said Marn owed $239,846 that year, which would have required earning several times more income than he reported.

A court document stated Marn "earned a substantial amount of income" from a business in Wyoming. Thiel couldn't confirm whether that was Hamilton University but said Hamilton was still operational in 2003. The school has since shut down.

The television program "60 Minutes Wednesday" focused on Hamilton University in 2004. The program pointed out that the school had an official-looking Web site but was located in a former motel. The television crew saw no sign of faculty or students.

Hamilton's alumni included a high-ranking Department of Homeland Security official and the CEO of Cessna Aircraft, the program reported.

Wyoming has since cracked down on unaccredited colleges. State law now requires schools doing business in the state to at least be recognized as candidates for federally recognized accreditation.

Many online schools have left Wyoming since the law was passed in 2006.

The computer guru behind a Spokane-based diploma mill operation who was caught with 11,000 images of child pornography was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison – the longest term given any of eight defendants in the case that spanned the globe.

Kenneth Wade Pearson was given six months for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud – the diploma mill operation – and a concurrent 48-month sentence for receipt of child pornography.

The 33-year-old Spokane father of three could have faced 108 to 135 months in prison for the pornography, but he began immediately cooperating with federal investigators in Operation Gold Seal in August 2005 – even before he was appointed an attorney.

Pearson served as the webmaster for dozens of online, fictional universities and high schools set up by Dixie and Steve Randock but was only paid an hourly wage of $9 while the masterminds racked in an estimated $8 million. He also set up a false Liberian embassy Web site used by the Randocks as part of their operation.

"He provided crucial details about the scheme," Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs said, helping investigators build their case against seven other defendants.

In newly filed court documents, the federal prosecutor disclosed that Pearson told investigators the diploma mill operation also counterfeited and sold "Microsoft Certified System Engineer" certificates. Court records don't say exactly how many of those bogus Microsoft certificates were sold. A Microsoft spokeswoman had no immediate comment.

After agreeing to talk to investigators in August 2005 during their search of a Post Falls office used by the Randocks, Pearson voluntarily agreed to a search of his home in Spokane and turned over computers he used to support the diploma mill sites.

On one of those computers, investigators found 11,000 images of child pornography. Some of the pictures were of children younger than 12 and portrayed "sadistic and masochistic conduct," according to court documents.

Pearson told investigators he downloaded the images "in an effort to create a legal adult pornography Web site" at the request of his employer, Dixie Randock, court documents say.

Pearson pleaded guilty in October 2006. He became the third member of the diploma mill ring to strike a plea bargain and agree to testify against ringleaders Dixie and Steve Randock, of Colbert. The Randocks and six other defendants pleaded guilty, and there was no trial.

Dixie Randock was not charged with possession or receipt of child porn. She and her husband are serving three-year federal prison sentences for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

The state Commission on Higher Education has ordered six more individuals — including a worker at a psychiatric facility, a professor, and two high school teachers — to stop using doctoral titles that the commission deemed void under state law because they were obtained from unaccredited institutions.

Both educators — English teacher Cheryl A. Lanza of Freehold and teacher consultant Lorraine Taddei-Graef of Lacey — work in the Freehold Township High School in the Freehold Regional High School District.

The orders were issued earlier this month, but issued publicly Thursday.

Lanza and Taddei-Graef had obtained doctor of education degrees from the unaccredited Breyer State University, and had used the corresponding Ed.D., or, doctoral titles.

Freehold Regional Superintendent H. James Wasser, one current and one former administrator had also been ordered to relinquish doctoral titles from Breyer State after Asbury Park Press reports this summer prompted statewide outrage.

Breyer State had been branded a diploma mill by officials in several states.

The situation prompted a bill to ban pay raises and benefits issued because of advanced degrees from unaccredited schools. That measure passed the state Senate Thursday.

"I am appalled that we even need this law," state Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth, said.

On Wednesday, New Jersey Association of School Administrators Director Richard G. Bozza requested that all 1,000 members of the organization fully disclose their education by providing, "the communities they serve with complete transparency regarding their educational credentials," Bozza wrote in a prepared statement.

The Commission on Higher Education investigated the Freehold Regional employees after receiving a citizen complaint.

Taddei-Graef, Lanza and Freehold Regional Board of Education President Patricia Horvath could not be reached for comment.

The Press reported in August that district taxpayers reimbursed Lanza $2,050 for her degree, but Taddei-Graef was not reimbursed.

According to the commission's letters released Thursday, two others received degrees from another apparent diploma mill, Kennedy Western University in Cheyenne, Wyo., now Warren National University.

Wilhelmina P. D'Dumo, an instructor of psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's school of osteopathic medicine, Cherry Hill, and Edward J. Moskal of Kinnelon, an assistant professor of computer science at St. Peter's College, the Jesuit College of New Jersey based in Jersey City, were both ordered to drop their doctoral titles.

A doctorate degree is not necessary for D'Dumo's current position, UMDNJ Media Relations Director Gerald Carey said. D'Dumo received her degree while working at UMDNJ, but was not reimbursed nor did she receive a raise based on it, Carey said.

D'Dumo is also an employee of Lakeland Regional Health Center in Camden County, a psychiatric facility, but no further information was disclosed.

D'Dumo is listed as a member of the Phillipine Nurses Association of Delaware Valley, Inc. advisory committee, with the academic designations related to being a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner, and a Ph.D. in psychology.

She also has a Master of Science in nursing, which is valid, said Jane Oates, director of the commission.

D'Dumo did not return calls seeking comment.

Moskal declined to comment.

Routinely, the commission searches the Web for possible misuses of academic titles. In doing so, they found D'Dumo and Moskal in violation of state statutes that govern academic titles, Oates said.

These four responded to the commission's request, writing that they had complied with the order, Oates said, adding that those letters are on file in the commission's office.

The commission has sent two other letters to people the commission believes have improperly claimed academic titles. Those recipients have not yet responded, Oates said.

The commission has sent a total of nine cease-and-desist letters since the Asbury Park Press began reporting on the Freehold Regional High School District diploma mill controversy July 17.

On Aug. 21, letters were sent to Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista, and former Assistant Superintendent Frank J. Tanzini ordering them to relinquish their doctoral titles, which were obtained from Breyer State University, then located in Alabama, then, briefly, in Idaho, and now in Los Angeles, Calif.

Freehold Regional paid for the administrators' Breyer State degrees, $2,900 each, and awarded all three additional $2,500 a year, upon obtaining their degrees.

Wasser complied with the order to relinquish his doctoral title and stopped receiving the accompanying raise. Although he did not pay back tuition payments or the higher pay he received up until that point.

Later, Wasser publicly apologized at a district board meeting, and the district's Web site, www.frhsd.com, features a video apology from the superintendent.

Nine state troopers are under investigation over college diplomas they claimed to have earned to get higher pay.

Six troopers and three sergeants, including one trooper assigned to Seattle, were placed on paid administrative leave last week when the State Patrol launched a criminal investigation, Capt. Jeff DeVere said.

"We're taking this very seriously. This presents some very serious issues should these allegations be proven true," DeVere said.

The State Patrol began auditing personnel records last summer after the principals in a Spokane diploma mill scandal were convicted of counterfeiting and selling degrees and transcripts from some of the largest schools in the United States, as well as from 125 phony schools.

Dixie and Steve Randock, of Colbert, were sentenced to prison. The federal investigation, which lasted several years, uncovered government employees, including members of the National Security Agency and a White House staffer, who purchased fake degrees.

It was too early to say whether any of the diplomas came from the Spokane company, DeVere said, explaining that he couldn't comment on the specifics of the investigation.

Four of the troopers, including two sergeants, work in Vancouver. Three are assigned to Wenatchee. One sergeant works in Kelso and another trooper is assigned to Spokane, DeVere said.

They all have been employed for eight years or more with the agency. Three have been troopers for more than 15 years, DeVere said.

Under the State Patrol's labor contract, troopers can boost their base pay by 4 percent for earning a bachelor's degree and additional 2 percent for a master's degree. Troopers with a two-year degree are eligible for a 2-percent raise, DeVere said.

The audit, which is ongoing, raised questions about other troopers' degrees that turned out to be legitimate, he said.

"In some cases, we found some small, obscure colleges that are indeed valid," DeVere said. "With these, it wasn't readily apparent, so that's why the investigation has started."

The investigation is focused in some cases on whether troopers put in legitimate course work to earn a degree that would qualify them for the incentive pay, he said.

"Some of the things you look at online, you can put down your life experiences and pay $500 and you have a diploma," he said. "But there are valid online programs through major institutions. So what we're trying to determine is what type of institution was it and what kind of coursework was it."

Stephen J. Arnett, currently under investigation for promoting online and foreign medical schools from Magoffin County, was recently given a license to practice as a surgical assistant in Kentucky.

The license allows him, while being supervised, to assist surgeons with opening and closing incisions and other procedures during surgery. It is not clear whether Arnett is actually working in that capacity. He indicated to the Board of Medical Licensure that he intended to start a surgical assistants company. Arnett was a key figure in Degrees of Harm, a Herald-Leader series in October, that examined his role in recruiting students to treat patients, study in clinical settings or receive online medical degrees. Three men Arnett was involved with have been convicted of practicing medicine without a license -- one in Kentucky, one in Nevada and one in Rhode Island.

In the past, Arnett has described himself as having medical degrees and other medical credentials that he did not have. He has been investigated by state and federal authorities, but has never been charged with any crime as a result of his medical activities. He is not licensed as a medical doctor in Kentucky or any other state.

Kentucky's Board of Medical Licensure denied Arnett a physician's assistant's license in 1988 and warned him not to "hold himself out" as one. The board investigated him in 1997 after a complaint that he was again working as a physician's assistant, but when the board shared the results with law enforcement officials, nothing was done.

C. Loyd Vest, an attorney for the medical board, said that Arnett was granted a surgical assistant's license in March.

The board initially approved Arnett's application on its face, Vest said. However, when questioned by a reporter about it recently, he said: "We are now reviewing the information that he provided to get a surgical assistant's license."

In Kentucky, payments for the work of a certified surgical assistant have recently become reimbursable through third-party insurance.

Arnett has not responded to several requests by the Herald-Leader for an interview. But in a court deposition from a lawsuit against him that was later dismissed, he said he was always honest about his degrees and that they were all legitimate.

After the publication of the Herald-Leader series, Kentucky's medical licensure board began investigating how Arnett helped other people get medical degrees.

Florida clinics

Why, Vest was asked, was Arnett, who had previously been turned down for a physician's assistant's license, granted a surgical assistant's license?

The requirements for the two licenses are different, Vest said. More is required of a physician's assistant, who acts as an agent of the supervising physician and is allowed to treat patients and prescribe medication.

Under Kentucky law, a surgical assistant's license can be obtained if a person is certified by one of several national surgical assistant's groups and completes 800 hours in the three previous years as an assistant in surgical procedures under the direct supervision of a physician licensed in this country.

Arnett presented documents to the board in January showing he had passed a test given by a national group approved by the board -- the North Carolina-based national Surgical Assistant Association.

Officials from that organization did not return telephone calls or respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Arnett also told the board in his application that he had trained as a surgical assistant at two Florida clinics for 850 hours between 2002 and 2005.

One of the clinics was the Hallandale Orthopedic and Outpatient Surgical Center in Hallandale, Fla. That facility's current Web site lists it as Orthopedic Rehab of Hallandale Inc. It does not mention surgical procedures, but advertises chiropractic and alternative and natural medicine services.

A licensed chiropractor on staff at the clinic advertises having a naturopathic degree from St. Luke School of Medicine and Southern Graduate Institute, schools where Arnett once held key titles. Naturopathy involves using only natural elements or the body's own immune system to treat disease.

The Hallandale clinic's Web site also says that the osteopath is a faculty member at a university in the Caribbean that Arnett once promoted.

At a second clinic in St. Petersburg, Fla., clinic director Joseph DiStefano said that Arnett observed several hours of surgery and other medical procedures performed by a licensed physician until the clinic stopped performing surgeries more than a year ago, when a staff member retired.

Arnett's application to the board said he was employed by Kentucky Surgical Arts #2 Ortho-Rehab on James Trimble Boulevard in Paintsville.

Arnett now maintains an office at 624 James S. Trimble Drive inside the Paintsville Ramada Inn, called Health and Sports Wellness Center. A seal on the door says the center is a member of the American Medical Massage Therapy Association. Services listed include massage therapy, neuromuscular therapy, cellulite treatment, naturopathic/homeopathic remedies and reflexology, as well as homeopathic and natural health products and nutritional consultation -- but not outpatient surgery.

Arnett is a licensed massage therapist in West Virginia and Kentucky. He has been licensed as a naturopath in Idaho and Washington, D.C., and as an acupuncturist in West Virginia.

He has also incorporated the Kentucky Association of Surgical Assistant Inc., according to records filed with the Kentucky secretary of state.

A company at the same address is listed in the Secretary of State's records as ISO-Diagnostics Testing of Kentucky, with Steve Arnette -- the last name spelled with an extra e -- as the organizer and director.

In addition to looking into Arnett's credentials, Vest said the Kentucky board is also investigating the activities of the businesses which carry Arnett's name in state records.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure has opened an investigation into whether a Magoffin County man who promoted online and foreign medical schools has broken any state laws, C. Lloyd Vest, an attorney for the board, said yesterday.

Stephen J. Arnett, a former tombstone salesman and Free Will Baptist minister, promoted the St. Luke School of Medicine, an online school based in Liberia, from an address in Falcon, a small Magoffin County community, until 2003. He held key titles at the school, including vice president, and helped recruit students and place them in Kentucky hospitals and clinics.

Vest said board officials decided to launch a new investigation following a three-part series in the Herald-Leader and that the board would turn over any evidence to the appropriate authorities. The state attorney general's office also began investigating Arnett's involvement with the foreign school after a reporter called with questions.

The articles outlined how three men who have been convicted of practicing medicine without a license -- two in Kentucky and one in Rhode Island -- used their affiliation with St. Luke to treat patients or to study in clinical settings.

In the 1990s, Arnett owned and ran several Eastern Kentucky clinics.

State authorities investigated complaints against him, but he has never been criminally charged in connection with his medical activities.

Now a licensed massage therapist in both Kentucky and West Virginia, Arnett now maintains an office at 624 James S. Trimble Drive, inside the Paintsville Ramada Inn, called Health and Sports Wellness Center.

A company at the same address is listed in Kentucky Secretary of State records as ISO-Diagnostics Testing of Kentucky with Steve "Arnette" -- the last name spelled with an extra "e" -- as the organizer and director.

But Arnett is rarely seen in the office, hotel employees said.

"He comes in once or twice a month, checks his mail, pays his rent and you'll never see him till next time," Frankie Tackett, a desk clerk at the Ramada, said yesterday.

Filing cabinets and a lighted Tiffany-style lamp on a desk can be seen through the glass door to the office, located just off the hotel lobby. A seal on the door says the center is a member of the American Medical Massage Therapy Association. Services listed include massage therapy, neuromuscular therapy, cellulite treatment, naturopathic/homeopathic remedies and reflexology, as well as homeopathic and natural health products and nutritional consultation.

A Herald-Leader reporter visited the office three times this week and found the door locked.

Arnett could not be reached yesterday and has declined the Herald-Leader's repeated requests for interviews.

Arnett has been licensed as a naturopath in Idaho and Washington, D.C., and as an acupuncturist in West Virginia. Naturopathy involves using only natural elements or the body's own immune system to treat disease.

St. Luke President Jerroll Dolphin said in a recent interview that he stopped working with Arnett in 2003 and took away an honorary medical degree the school had given him because he thought Arnett was giving degrees without requiring proper course work.

Though some states have questioned the school's legitimacy, Dolphin said St. Luke offered an intensive curriculum and was not a diploma mill -- a school without accreditation that awards degrees for money and little work.

Larry Lammers worked in a chain of accident injury centers in Kentucky and served a jail sentence for practicing medicine without a license.

Court documents show that Arnett recruited him to St. Luke. Lammers completed course work, Dolphin said, but did not receive a medical degree because of his Kentucky conviction.

Arnett arranged for Andrew E. Michael to observe a heart specialist in Lexington. While in Kentucky, Michael was convicted in Nevada of practicing medicine without a license. He served a jail sentence and is back in custody on federal credit card charges. He never completed his studies at St. Luke, Dolphin said.

John E. Curran, who was sentenced in August to 12 1/2 years in federal prison in Rhode Island, said Arnett provided him with diplomas in medicine and naturopathy. Dolphin said Curran was never a legitimate St. Luke student.

There is no agency in Kentucky that oversees online degrees, nor does the state have an office that investigates people accused of practicing medicine without a license.

But Vest has said the board investigates any allegation it receives and that the attorney general's office can seek an injunction to stop the activity.

Fake degrees are illegal in Oregon, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota and Nevada, where they are misdemeanors and punishable by fines. However, violators rarely face prosecution.

State Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, said that she will, for the fourth time, introduce a bill that would make the use of bogus credentials a Class D felony, punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years.

What's happened
Since Alabama has cracked down on questionable for-profit schools,

• One closed

The new rules aimed at cracking down on questionable private, for-profit schools took effect just over a week ago, and already 30 schools have left Alabama, been kicked out or prohibited from setting up shop.

According to information released Thursday by the Alabama Community College System, applications for five institutions to come to the state were denied, four had their operating licenses revoked and licenses for 21 schools were not renewed. Also, one school closed.

State law gives the college system power to grant licenses to Alabama-based private, for-profit institutions, but no staff or money were dedicated to enforcing regulations. Higher education watchdogs decried that method of approval, which they say allowed diploma mills that offer degrees for little or no academic work to set up shop in the state.

In July, two-year Chancellor Bradley Byrne announced an effort to enforce existing rules, then strengthen oversight with stricter regulations that went into place Oct. 1.

Out of the 30 schools Byrne's staff have either closed or kept out of the state, only three have come after the new rules took effect. Simply enforcing the old regulations produced results, but Byrne said the new rules will make it easier to find questionable schools.

"I don't think we're done yet," he said.

It will probably take at least a year to review the more than 200 private, for-profit schools licensed by the college system, he said.

Many of the schools left the state before college system staff could revoke their licenses or not renew them.

"In some cases there are people who saw the handwriting on the wall, but in many cases there was some failure on the part of the institution," Byrne said.

Gregory Fitch, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, praised Byrne's efforts. Fitch began the drumbeat against the state's lax educational licensing process about two years ago.

A bill was introduced into the Legislature to transfer the power to review in-state schools from the college system to ACHE, which reviews out-of-state private, non-profit schools. The bill failed to get a vote in the past two sessions, a failure Byrne and Fitch said prompted the college system to take action.

"He's doing exactly what the state needs him to do," Fitch said of Byrne. "As long as it's being done in the best interest of the state, we're fine with it.

"It's working, and I think there are going to be some real challenges to these schools to slip through, as least legitimately, into our state."

It's difficult to say whether all the schools were diploma mills, since some of the stricter code deals with financial viability, such as requiring institutions to provide audited financial statements. Still, Alabama has been marked by many nationwide as a haven for diploma mills and several unaccredited schools on the list that were kicked out of the state such as Chadwick University, Breyer State University, Carter University and Omni University.

Besides negative actions, Byrne's staff also renewed licenses for 23 schools and approved six more.

• The Queen's University of Brighton, Hamilton, OH (4-23-08)
• Faith in Action Business Access Online, Hayneville, AL (5-7-08) Withdrawal
• Southern State University, Birmingham, AL (8-25-08)
• Madison University of Business & Technology, Gulfport, MS (8-26-08)

  Rejection/Withdrawal

• Paramount University of Technology, Birmingham, AL (9-3-08)

  Revocations

• Columbus University, Daphne, AL (5-19-08)
• *Real Estate Institute, Birmingham, AL (5-29-08)
• Southern Community College, Tuskegee, AL (5-23-08)
• Chadwick University, Birmingham, AL (8-28-08)

  Non-Renewals

• Breyer State University-Alabama, Birmingham, AL (6-23-08)
• *Central Alabama OIC, Montgomery, AL (4-10-08)
• Carter University, Inc., Dothan, AL (4-11-08)
• *Gold Coast Professional Schools, Tamarac, FL (4-16-08)
• *Anvil Property Brokers School of Real Estate, Birmingham, AL (6-5-08)
• North Alabama Driving Academy, Ft. Payne, AL (6-5-08)
• Jomil Driving Academy, Huntsville, AL (6-5-08)
• *Avery Yarbrough & Associates, Eufaula, AL (6-9-08)
• *JME Real Estate School, Mobile, AL (6-9-08)
• *ERA Jefferson School of Real Estate, Phenix City, AL (6-9-08)
• *Alliance Group Real Estate School, Birmingham, AL (6-23-08)
• *Abana School of Real Estate, Vestavia, AL (6-23-08)
• *RESCO School of Real Estate, Tuscaloosa, AL (6-23-08)
• *High-Tech Institute, Nashville, TN (7-3-08)
• *High-Tech Institute, Orlando, FL (7-3-08)
• *Holland Jewelry School, Selma, AL (8-6-08)
• Omniversity, Inc., Mobile, AL (9-10-08)
• *Tuscaloosa School of Real Estate, Tuscaloosa, AL (9-22-08)
• *Alabama Real Estate Academy, Inc, Foley, AL (10-7-08)
• *Realty Now School of Real Estate, Birmingham, AL (10-7-08)
• *Real Estate Career Institute, Ft. Payne, AL (10-7-08)

  Closed

• All American Driving Academy, Decatur, AL (9-01-08)

   

It was the largest case of degree fraud in America, perhaps the world. The investigation into St Regis University, a huge degree mill, ended in jail sentences for its "founders" and some employees in July, and has cast light on the lengths to which sellers of dodgy degrees will go to ensnare people in their web of deceit.

St Regis' tentacles spread around the globe, with clients across Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia, including Hong Kong.

"This was an eight-agency federal criminal prosecution, involving more than 100 countries, 66 real universities known to have had their degrees counterfeited and 150 separate bogus institutions set up by the perpetrators," said George Gollin, professor of physics at the University of Illinois. He had been monitoring the degree mill since 2002 and passed on a great deal of information to investigators that led to the convictions.

"It is the first case of its kind where we have so much information, so we have an extensive profile of how they operated internationally," he said.

A statement from the US Department of Justice said St Regis' customers included teachers, psychologists, engineers and at least one college president. "Many were shipped abroad. The annual degree output from St Regis was about the same as a medium-sized American university," it said.

Investigators calculated that the organisers netted at least US$7.3 million from the sales.

"It was the most sophisticated degree mill because they had 125 different websites of high [secondary] schools, colleges, accredited entities, degree transcript storage and credential evaluation companies," said Allen Ezell, a former FBI agent who has investigated degree mills.

"We now have a better insight into how big this was and how many sales were in the various countries and the type of degrees in demand."

According to documents unearthed by federal investigators, some 30 Hong Kong people wittingly or unwittingly acquired fake degrees, although several Hong Kong individuals bought more than one degree in the space of a very short period, suggesting they knew very well what they were doing...

The annual degree output from St. Regis was about the same as a medium-sized American university...

The man who was "dean of studies" at fraudulent St Regis University is still selling distance learning qualifications in Hong Kong. The US operation was closed following an investigation and its founders were jailed.

But Steve Ho Kwok-cheong - one-time Asia representative of its business school and St Regis School of Martial Arts - continues to provide online courses up to PhD level from "universities" you have probably never heard of and others which have never heard of him.

Until this week, Mr Ho's company - ICL Distance Learning Centre - offered online courses from 11 universities in the US, Central America and the Philippines that it claimed to be authorised to recruit or offer distance programmes for, either through affiliation or collaboration. The courses ranged from sub-degree, undergraduate to postgraduate qualifications.

By yesterday, five of these universities had been removed from ICL website - www.icledu.org - following the South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583, announcements, news) 's investigation into Mr Ho's activities.

The investigation discovered that at least two were either unlicensed or did not exist, and four genuine universities denied having connections with Mr Ho, ICL or Ho's other company, In-Com Link Management Associates.

The search for Mr Ho led to Post reporters trawling through virtual miles of cyberspace, making calls across four continents at all hours this week before arriving at two apparently unconnected addresses in Central - an office services centre in World-Wide House and a tiny public accountant's office in Tsim Sha Tsui.

When a reporter finally made contact with Mr Ho by phone yesterday morning, he said he had done nothing wrong.

"We just provide the course materials," he said. "As this is pure online learning, with no face-to-face classes, we do not need to register with the Education Bureau."

He said the majority of his students were not based in Hong Kong.

However, earlier this week he had been keen to help a Post reporter posing as a customer looking for a fast track to a degree.

ICL's website describes Mr Ho as an "educational professional" who has "been a full/part-time lecturer for different famous worldwide universities/post-secondary institutes, such as University of Sydney, OUHK, City University (UK), University of Heriot-Watt and University of Wollongong, since 1991."

Checks at SydneyU, Wollongong, Heriot-Watt and London's CityU revealed none had a record of employing him. Open University was unable to confirm or deny the connection by the time of going to print.

Mr Ho said the positions had been in Hong Kong - "lecturing" at evening courses run by local companies on the universities' behalf. "I was a lecturer teaching in Hong Kong."

The website also states Mr Ho has a PhD, although it does not specify where he obtained it.

The Post investigation discovered it was from York University, Mobile, Alabama - not to be confused with its namesakes in Canada or Britain - which lists Mr Ho as a member of its academic board.

Inquiries with Alabama authorities confirmed YorkU had no official accreditation and was illegal.

An application for a licence is pending, but Annette McGrady, the private school licence specialist handling the case, said it was "highly unlikely" to succeed due to concerns about the capacity of their faculty.

"They have never been licensed in Alabama," she said. The school had also been given a written warning about selling "honorary degrees" to Hong Kong, she said.

No calls to YorkU - which operates from a lawyer's office - were returned. However, the Post received an e-mail from a "Professor Akiva Fradkin" containing a digital image of a purported official licence. It expired on November 1, 2006.

Mr Ho confirmed his PhD had been from YorkU but insisted it was a genuine qualification.

"I had to submit coursework online and it was assessed," he said.

Mr Ho said being on the academic board meant he could design courses, which could be accredited by YorkU and offered through ICL under the Alabama centre's name.

"I just care about developing a high-quality, pure online learning course," he said.

He said the lack of officially recognised accreditation - YorkU is accredited by an unofficial organisation which only accredits similar small private outfits - did not concern him as accreditation was "very personal."

Mr Ho declined to explain his relationship with the St Regis University scandal, but did not deny involvement.

He said he did not like St Regis' approach of "just selling" degrees without requiring coursework.

"At least [my students] have to complete coursework. They can fail and some of them do," he said.

The Education Bureau has launched an investigation into an online learning portal run from Hong Kong after an investigation by the South China Morning Post linked it to an international web of so-called degree mills and bogus universities.

ICL Distance Learning Centre, whose enrolment address is in Central, also seems to have been offering online courses from prestigious US universities without their consent.

The centre's director is Steve Ho Kwok-cheong, of Lai Chi Kok. The ICL's website claimed he had lectured at four overseas universities, but they had no record of having employed him.

Mr Ho's name has also been connected to the scandal in the US over bogus institution St Regis University. He is listed in court documents related to the prosecution in that case as a "dean of studies" for the St Regis School of Business and the St Regis School of Martial Arts.

This week, ICL's website - www.icledu.org - listed courses from 11 universities in the US, Central America and the Philippines that the centre claimed to be linked to either through affiliation or collaboration. The names of several have since been removed.

The partner institutions included prestigious names such as Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Mercy College in New York and the University of Washington in Seattle.

Contacted by a Post reporter, Mr Ho said his business was legitimate.

However, Post reporters have discovered that one of the universities, York University in Mobile, Alabama, is unlicensed, and another, West Coast University in Panama City, Panama, does not exist. The former's website lists Mr Ho as a member of its academic board.

Spokesmen for Carnegie Mellon and Mercy College said they were not aware of any connection. A spokeswoman for the University of Washington said: "A unit of University of Washington Education Outreach entered into an agreement with [the centre's parent company] In-Com Link [Management Associates] in April 2003, but their last agreement expired April 6, 2006."

She said the university had sent a letter demanding ICL "remove all links or references to the University of Washington from its website."

Mr Ho said he was only acting as a recruiting agent for the universities.

"I did not say these degrees were accepted in Hong Kong," he said.

He said the University of Washington's name was left on the site as a result of an oversight. All references to the institution and to York and West Coast universities disappeared from the site yesterday. References to Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology in the Philippines were removed earlier within hours of a Post reporter confirming the university had no connection to ICL.

A spokeswoman for the Education Bureau said there was no need for schools providing "purely online" courses to register, but the bureau would look into the website. "If there is any evidence that the course information therein is misleading, we shall take action as appropriate."

Listen to the Podcast Hear Steve Ho Kwok-cheong defend his learning centre and academic qualifications at http://www.scmp.com/files/SCMP/Blogs/Static_Files/Q42008/081004_Education_October_4.mp3.

A day after the governor's veto torpedoed three years of discussions about policing the state's 1,600 for-profit and vocational colleges, lawmakers and others were wondering how to protect hundreds of thousands of students at those schools.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday announced he would not sign SB 823, saying the bill failed to "strike a balance between protecting students, while being firm, yet fair to schools." The legislation was confusing and not easily enforceable, he wrote in his veto message.

The veto disappointed consumer advocates, who had argued the continued lack of oversight could lead fly-by-night diploma mills to relocate to California. The state has been without a watchdog since July 1, 2007, when the Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education expired.

"This is almost like after a natural disaster, when you get all kinds of predatory operators," said Betsy Imholz, an attorney with the Consumers Union and a strident supporter of a new bureau. "We need an alert system before people enter a school."

The now-defunct bureau was created to gather complaints by students who believed vocational schools had cheated them. A minority of the schools gave the industry a bad reputation by closing unexpectedly without returning tuition money.

Some schools have been criticized for giving useless degrees and few job prospects to students who paid tens of thousands of dollars.

Critics said the bill was too tightly controlled by its sponsor, Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland. With his term expiring this winter, new legislative leaders should focus on creating a bill that is concise and not as intent on teaching for-profit operators a lesson, said Robert Johnson, executive director of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools.

"I think the governor and his administration have been pretty clear about what they want in a bill," Johnson said. Democrats "are demanding a bill that goes way beyond regulatory measures and punishes the sector.

"We have to have bipartisan leadership."

Neither Perata nor his replacement as Senate president pro tem, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, responded to interview requests Wednesday.

In his veto message, Schwarzenegger asked the Department of Consumer Affairs to educate students about their rights and to investigate complaints. A department leader said Wednesday her agency has been doing both since the bureau closed.

"Basically, there haven't been any major issues," said Patty Harris, a deputy director with the Department of Consumer Affairs. "If one arises, we're committed" to dealing with it.

When Vice Adm. Donald Arthur retired as Navy surgeon general, Adm. Mike Mullen—now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—paid tribute to a "Renaissance man."

"His résumé says a lot," Mullen said. "BA, MA, JD, PhD and of course MD. He's got more degrees than a thermometer."

It was a stirring testimonial, but not entirely accurate. While Arthur's bachelor's and MD were legitimate, he has no master's. The PhD came from a university whose accreditation the federal government doesn't recognize. And the JD, or law degree, was granted by a diploma mill that collapsed after its president was imprisoned for fraud.

Nearly two years before Mullen's rousing send-off, an author specializing in military research told his office that Arthur had claimed questionable academic credentials.

Yet Mullen still made those degrees a centerpiece of his retirement ode to Arthur last year. And those degrees were either entered into Arthur's record or listed in résumés submitted to the U.S. Senate for his promotion up the ranks of admiral and ultimately to surgeon general of the Navy, records show.

Arthur says he was guilty only of being ill-informed about unaccredited institutions—and that a Navy investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing.

But his history raises questions about how well Pentagon brass and the Senate vet applicants to top military positions as the federal government investigates cases of academic fraud.

Arthur, who left the Navy and became a hospital executive in Pennsylvania, defended his qualifications to be the service's top doctor. "The only thing I was hired to be surgeon general for was my MD," he said.

His PhD and JD have since been removed from his official biography but remain in his service record.

An unaccredited JD and PhD would not be as central to a doctor's promotion as an MD, said retired Rear Adm. John Hutson, the Navy's top uniformed lawyer from 1997 to 2000. But Hutson said the law degree and doctorate would have been factors in Arthur's advancement—particularly in an area like health-care management, the focus of his PhD.

"He may or may not be promoted without it," Hutson said. "But one, he had it in his record, and two, there's a pretty good argument that he knew or should have known that people would rely on it, not knowing that they were unaccredited degrees."

Unaccredited institutions range from those whose officials have been prosecuted, like LaSalle University in Mandeville, La., to those like American Century University (formerly Century University) that operate legally but claim accreditation from organizations the U.S. government doesn't recognize.

Within a 14-month period in 1992-93, Arthur obtained a PhD in health-care management from what is now American Century University in New Mexico and a JD from LaSalle University, according to his Navy record.

American Century's dean of instruction, Antonin Smrcka, said students work hard for degrees, adding that the institution had Arthur's doctoral thesis on file before it was destroyed as part of a regular records purge.

But he added: "The U.S. Army or U.S. Navy or U.S. Air Force does not recognize the degree from Century University. ... As a rule, we inform the potential student to speak to his employer [to find out] if his employer would accept the degree."

LaSalle University is not to be confused with venerable La Salle University in Philadelphia. The LaSalle in Louisiana collapsed after its founder pleaded guilty in 1996 to conspiracy to commit tax evasion and other offenses in a scheme that included the selling of degrees.

In interviews, Arthur acknowledged that in the early 1990s he took "some courses from two places that are unaccredited." He said LaSalle had given him papers indicating the school had been accredited. "I could say I was naive, but I was 40 years old. And I didn't understand completely what was going on."

As for the master's, which first appeared in his bio for his 1978 medical school yearbook, Arthur said, "I was in a master's program, but I did not graduate. I do not have a master's degree."

Arthur has come under criticism from a number of retired Navy officers, including Dr. Benjamin Newman, a veteran of the Navy medical corps who retired this year.

Newman noted that the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, which Arthur oversaw as surgeon general, scrutinizes a doctor's record every time he is assigned to practice medicine at a new duty station.

Arthur's "credentials should have been picked up by someone to show that they're not legitimate," said Newman, who has viewed Arthur's records.

In November 2005, B.G. Burkett, an Army Vietnam veteran who has made a career of exposing military fraud, urged Mullen to investigate Arthur, according to letters provided by Burkett.

Arthur said he was stunned by Burkett's allegations at the time and welcomed an investigation by the Navy inspector general. Arthur said the investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing, but he declined to give the Tribune a copy of the report.

The inspector general's office declined to confirm that any investigation occurred, citing confidentiality.

Asked how unaccredited degrees ended up in Arthur's record, Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Davis said, "I have not seen the record. ... Navy policy and the Navy practice is that we don't introduce degrees that are not from accredited institutions."

Operators of a Spokane-based diploma mill, now in federal prison for wire and mail fraud, were attempting to accredit their bogus online universities by bribing officials in Russia, India and Italy, according to court documents.

The documents were filed for today's back-to-back sentencings of Amy Hensley, Blake Alan Carlson and Richard J. "Rick" Novak, who were indicted in October 2005 along with Dixie and Steven Randock, the masterminds of the mill.

Immediately after search warrants were carried out in three states in August 2005, Hensley, Carlson and Novak independently began cooperating with state and federal investigators involved in "Operation Gold Seal" in the hopes of getting lighter sentences, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jacobs said at the sentencing hearings.

With cooperation from a fourth defendant, the U.S. Attorney's Office had lined up half of the eight defendants indicted in the case as prosecution witnesses. Ultimately, the four remaining defendants, including the Randocks, also pleaded guilty earlier this year, and there was no trial.

Some of the evidence in the case, however, has been attached to sentencing memorandums filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Those documents reveal the Randocks paid $100,000 to an unidentified official in India, hoping to get that country to provide "accreditation" for their online schools – an apparent attempt to help legitimize the operation as similar accreditation in Liberia began to fall apart.

Novak went to India at Steve Randock's direction at some point after the Indian official took the money but then failed to provide any accreditation, the documents say.

Dixie Randock, meanwhile, was developing an affiliation with the Russian Education Ministry in the weeks before her arrest, the documents say, and had established an "Italian connection" in Sebora, Italy.

In exchange for their "substantial assistance" to the government, Hensley, Carlson and Novak were placed on three years probation today by U.S. District Court Judge Lonny Suko for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. The judge also ordered Hensley and Carlson to perform 240 hours of community service and Novak to perform 300 hours of service. While noting their cooperation, the federal prosecutor urged the court to send Hensley, Carlson and Novak to prison for up to a year.

The judge told the defendants the assistance they provided to prosecutors saved them from prison terms. The three detailed the inner workings of the diploma mill, which hauled in almost $8 million, and a series of bank accounts set up by the Randocks, including some offshore.

Suko said the probationary sentences he gave the three were appropriate to avoid "unwarranted disparity" with three-year terms given the Randocks, the one-year term given Heidi Kay Lohran and the four-month sentence handed to Roberta Markishtum.

Novak, 58, of Phoenix, took thousands of dollars from the Randocks and used it to pay cash bribes to senior Liberian officials who used their country's board of education to provide accreditation to more than 100 online high schools and universities set up by the Spokane diploma mill.

Novak traveled to Maryland and Washington, D.C., with the Randocks, who instructed him to deliver the bribes to Liberian officials. Novak also went to Liberia and Ghana to make other payments. He was paid $60,000 for being the Randocks' "emissary" with foreign government officials, Jacobs told the court.

Carlson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing foreign officials. Hensley and Carlson pleaded guilty to conspiracy counts.

Carlson, 61, who owns a Hillyard printing shop, sold bogus degree stamps and diploma seals to the Randocks before working as an online adviser, using the alias "C.B. Blackwell." Hensley, 41, worked as an adviser, shipper and bookkeeper for the Randocks' diploma mill and made $90,000 after initially working for Dixie Randock's real estate school, A+ Institute.

Carlson also accompanied the Randocks to Detroit, where the trio sold "several degrees" to members of the United Auto Workers.

"I believe in integrity and honesty," Carlson said, also telling the court he's a deeply committed Christian who has attended the same church for 25 years.

"I was stupid," he told the judge. "Once I realized Dixie's business was a fraud, I was well over my head at that point." Carlson made $41,000 for his role in the scheme.

The documents also disclose that one of the 10,000 people around the world who bought degrees from the Spokane diploma mill was an ambassador in Asia, whose identity isn't provided in the documents.

Asked about that outside court today, Carlson said he couldn't remember any of those details.

Vervalste accreditatie voor CMU
25 Sep, 2008, 17:20 (GMT -04:00)

WILLEMSTAD - Onderwijs-minister Omayra Leeflang (PAR) zal naar het Openbaar Ministerie stappen naar aanleiding van een vervalste brief waarin staat dat de Caribbean Medical University (CMU) door de Antilliaanse regering wordt erkend. Volgens Leeflang kunnen medische scholen niet door de Antilliaanse regering worden erkend.

De bewuste brief is op de 15e van deze maand verstuurd aan Carol Bode, senior research analyst van de International Medical Education Directory. De brief bevat tal van onjuistheden. Hij zou verstuurd zijn door de Antilliaanse regering, maar het wapen van de Antillen telt zes in plaats van de gebruikelijke vijf sterretjes. Aan de andere kant stelt de briefopsteller dat de brief namens de 'government of Curaçao' zou zijn verstuurd. De handtekening onder aan de brief is onleesbaar, maar onder deze handtekening staat niet zoals gebruikelijk de naam van de ondertekenaar, maar louter 'the departement of education of the Netherlands Antilles'.

Leeflang kon er gisteren tijdens de wekelijkse persconferentie van de Raad van Ministers niet over uit hoe brutaal degenen zijn die de brief hebben vervalst. "Medische scholen kunnen niet door de Antilliaanse regering worden erkend. Ze zijn vrij om zich hier te vestigen. Wij hebben hier vrijheid van onderwijs. Het enige wat ze nodig hebben is een vestigingsvergunning. Ze vallen niet onder de onderwijswetgeving en worden niet erkend. Zij dienen zelf te zorgen voor hun erkenning. Dit kan via een universiteit in de Verenigde Staten, Europa of een andere instelling."

De minister benadrukt dat sinds haar aantreden in 2006 medische scholen geen erkenning meer krijgen. Sindsdien staat zij en haar ambtenaren onder continue druk van lobbyisten en vertegenwoordigers van medische scholen die toch een erkenning van de Antilliaanse regering willen. "Maar dit kan gewoonweg niet. Ze vallen niet onder ons onderwijssysteem. Conform onze wetten kunnen wij ze niet erkennen. Blijkbaar kunnen mensen niet hiermee leven en is er besloten tot het vervalsen van officiële documenten over te gaan."

Leeflang kondigde aan deze zaak grondig te gaan onderzoeken en dat zij hiermee ook naar het OM zal stappen.

Forged accreditation for CMU
September 25, 2008, 17:20 (GMT -04:00)

WILLEMSTAD - Minister of Education Omayra Leeflang (PAR) will contact the Attorney General because of a forged letter that states that the Caribbean Medical University (CMU) would be recoignized by the Antillean government. Minister Leeflang holds that medical schools can not be recognized by the Antillean government.

The letter was sent on September 15 to Carol Bode, senior research analyst at IMED. The letter contains numerous mistakes. Apparently, it would have been sent by the Antillean government, but the Antillean coat of arms [in the letter] contains six instead of five starlets. At the same time, the author of the letter states that it would have been sent by "the government of Curacao." The signature at the bottom of the letter is illegible, moreover, contrary to custom, the name of the signatory is not mentioned underneath the signature. Instead, the letter is signed by "The Department of Education of the Netherlands Antilles."

During the weekly government press conference, minister Leeflang went ballistic about the brutality of the forgers. "The Antillean government can not recognize medical schools. They are free to set up shop here, since we have freedom of education. The only thing that is required is a business licence. They are outside Antillean educational legislature and are not recognized. It is their own responsibility to secure recognition, be it through an US based or European based university or through other organisations."

The minister emphasizes that medical schools no longer get recognition since 2006, when she took office. From that time on, she and her staff are continuously pressurized by lobbyists and representatives of the medical schools to grant recognition. "But that is simply impossible. They are not part of our system of education. Based on our legislation, there's no way that we can recognize them. Apparently, this is not to the liking of some people, and the decision was taken to forge official documents."

Leeflang announces a thorough review of the case and also announces that she will contact the Attorney General.

THE Straits Times on Friday made it clear that it was not about to apologise to Preston University for telling its readers the truth about its credentials - or rather, its lack of.

Said Editor Han Fook Kwang: 'We stand by our story and am satisfied that our journalist was accurate in her reporting of Preston University'.

In newspaper advertisements it took out on Friday, Preston University Chancellor Dr Jerry Haenisch confirmed that the university had no accreditation from any US Department of Education body - 'but, a degree mill, absolutely not'.

It did not apply for accreditation, he said, as 'the restrictive nature of the US accreditation system precludes widespread international operations'.

The term - degree or diploma mill - has been used by United States government bodies and newspapers round the world to refer to 'substandard or fraudulent colleges' that offer potential students degrees with little or no serious work.

They range from those which are simple frauds: a mailbox to which people send money in exchange for paper that purports to be a college degree to those that require some nominal work from the student but do not require college-level course work that is normally required for a degree.

Preston was taking issue with an ST article by journalist Sandra Davie, headlined 'At least 218 here have off-the-shelf degrees' on Aug 29. She reported that Preston University was an unaccredited institution and dubbed a degree mill in the US.

Two Singaporeans who graduated from the university were also named, including an options trading expert who said he submitted a thesis and was granted a doctorate within 16 months. He paid $18,000 in fees.

Ms Davie said on Friday her report was backed up by checks with accreditation boards, the highly-regarded US-based Chronicle of Education as well as American newspaper reports.

Oregon State's office of degree authorisation has Preston described as a 'degree supplier' in its database.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also lists Preston as one of the institutions that offer 'fraudulent or substandard degrees'.

In 2001, the Chronicle reported that Preston University, then based in Wyoming, had invented more than half of its faculty list. The university later admitted that only 15 of the 49 faculty member's listed on the institution's website actively teach its students or serve as mentors.

Last year, US media reports said Preston University was forced to move its operations to Alabama because of the crackdown of diploma mills in Wyoming state.

Further checks by ST turned up a commentary in May this year that appeared in the Chronicle.

Mr Alan Contreras, director of Oregon state's office of degree authorisation had this to say about Preston setting up a campus in Finland: 'Who would bother to establish a substandard-degree provider in the depths of Finland?'

'The Americans who own Preston University would. That unaccredited supplier was flushed out of Wyoming and has gone to ground in Alabama, from where it has established what I will generously call a relationship with a Finnish degree supplier called Firelake University, which doesn't appear on lists of genuine Finnish colleges.'

'Preston operates all over the world from its base in Alabama, which has the worst degree-programme oversight in the United States.'

ST's checks found more details about its 'base' in Alabama.

In July, Dr Haenisch reportedly admitted to a newspaper that Preston is a distance-learning operation in the US, without a physical campus.

Ms Davie also noted that Ms Karen Kaylor, director of the United States Education Information Center in Singapore, had written to ST's Forum Page, urging parents and students to apply only to accredited institutions in the US to ensure that the degree earned is deemed valid and legitimate worldwide.

In her letter published on Thursday, Ms Kaylor noted that 'nearly all colleges and universities' would apply voluntarily for accreditation to establish their status.

'Accreditation, a process of peer review, is usually seen as the key to determining whether a degree program meets generally recognised academic, fiscal and structural standards,' she added.

Contacted on Friday, Mr Richard O'Rourke regional coordinator of Education USA disputed Preston's claim that being an accredited university would limit its expansion abroad.

He noted that more accredited US institutions were setting up campuses or offering their programmes overseas. In Singapore alone, there are at least six such universities here, including Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University.

The Straits Times contacted the Centre for Professional Studies which placed the newspaper ads.

One of its directors, Dr Juergen Rudolph, said the centre, which is registered as a private school with the Education Ministry, used to offer Preston University courses.

The ad was placed as a 'gesture of goodwill' to Preston University graduates here, some of whom contributed to the costs of the ad.

Three Freehold Regional school administrators who gained advanced degrees from a suspected "diploma mill" were ordered by the state yesterday to remove the degrees from their titles, while the state also alerted all districts to the laws against using such institutions.

The state Commission on Higher Education sent the "cease-and-desist" letters to Freehold Superintendent James Wasser and two of his assistants who had gained doctorates from Breyer State University, an online program that had at least twice lost its certification.

The degrees had allowed the three administrators to gain raises under their contracts, as well as tuition reimbursements. Whether they would have to return the money was unclear, but they were ordered to remove any credit of the doctorates from their official titles, such as the appendices of "Dr." or "EdD."

In addition, state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy sent letters to every district reminding educators of the state's existing laws barring the use of unaccredited schools to gain certification or other advancement.

...here is a rundown of some of the major legislation that passed yesterday and will be landing on the Governor's desk later this month:

...SB 823 (Perata): To prevent "diploma mill" abuses by private post secondary education and vocational education for which state oversight and regulation has lapsed.

Alabama education officials are cracking down on the exploding market for Internet courses and degrees and have taken action against four unaccredited Birmingham-based online colleges.

"These are not real schools and are operating in ways that are not in the best interest of their students," said Lynn Thrower, the associate general counsel assigned by Bradley Byrne, chancellor of the state Department of Postsecondary Education, to ramp up enforcement.

Last week, Chadwick University, which operates out of an office building on Magnolia Avenue near Five Points South, was notified its license to offer degrees had been revoked. The department also denied applications to operate online schools from Southern State University and Paramount University of Technology, which listed their headquarters in Birmingham but were found to have nothing but mailboxes in the city.

Madison University of Business and Technology withdrew its application after failing to meet requirements, department officials said.

Alabama had become a haven for questionable online operations, which have exploded in recent years thanks to the ease of creating virtual schools on the Web, department officials said. The online for-profit businesses offer a vast array of degrees, from hypnotherapy to doctorates in economics.

Several schools set up shop in Alabama to market degrees to consumers nationally and internationally. Until Byrne assigned full-time staff to aggressively enforce regulations, the department simply was processing applications from the schools.

"It obviously did not get much priority from the previous chancellor," Byrne said, referring to Roy Johnson. "We had not done the job we should have. Now, we are exercising much more proactive oversight."

Byrne said legitimate providers of online education fill an important role in society, but he said the so-called diploma mills can victimize consumers, businesses and legitimate schools.

People often are induced to sign up for large student loans, Byrne said, but once the money is paid to the school, the students don't receive the degree or certification promised.

Some operators offer degrees in exchange for cash, requiring little or no course work. The degrees are marketed in the United States but are also heavily marketed abroad, in Southeast Asia, China and the Middle East, where there is a premium on an American degree.

Businesses duped:

In some cases, customers sign up with the online companies, pay thousands of dollars in tuition, buy books and complete assignments, only to find out later that their degrees are worthless. In general, degrees for the unaccredited schools aren't recognized by other schools or by employers.

But governments and businesses are sometimes duped into reimbursing students for their tuition, and sometimes the phony degrees are used to get raises and promotions.

In 10 states, it is illegal to use an unaccredited degree as a credential when seeking a job or promoting yourself professionally. Alabama is not among those states.

"I think it is important to protect the consumers in Alabama," Byrne said.

A first round of enforcement actions, announced in July, closed the books on 18 private institutions, including Birmingham-based Breyer State University.

Breyer State degrees have been at the center of several controversies across the country. In August, three New Jersey educators were found to have received $10,750 in reimbursement from their employers for unaccredited degrees from Breyer, which allowed them to get $2,500-a-year raises.

Thrower, who has headed the Postsecondary Department's crackdown, said more action is on the way. New rules, effective Oct. 1, will require that schools seeking a license to issue degrees in Alabama have, or be actively pursuing, accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Chadwick started 18 years ago with educational programs by mail. It has never sought accreditation.

It was founded by Lloyd Clayton, who also founded Clayton College of Natural Health, another long-running unaccredited college that is on watch lists of unaccredited schools maintained by several states. Clayton College remains in business.

Chadwick University, until recently, had a virtual campus pictured on its Web site, through which students could navigate to campus buildings housing different departments. The school offered degrees in business, criminal justice and social and behavioral sciences. Now the Web site simply lists contact information.

Thrower said that among many violations the department found, Chadwick did not have the required $20,000 bond that would pay refunds to students if the school failed, and it did not provide the department with educational credentials of its faculty.

'Not a diploma mill':

In response to questions from The Birmingham News, Chadwick officials said the school is not a diploma mill. Chadwick chose not to seek accreditation and was not required to, they said.

"It is absolutely clear that Chadwick is not a diploma mill as Chadwick does not offer degrees for a fee and has always required very substantial work from its students," school officials said in an e-mailed statement.

But a 2004 investigation by the General Accounting Office, now the Government Accountability Office, raised questions about Chadwick. The GAO report found that a manager at the National Nuclear Security Administration received a bachelor's degree in 1992 from Chadwick but never attended classes and obtained his degree based on 30 credits for life experience, plus several college-level examination program tests and nine correspondence courses. The employee reported to GAO investigators that he read a book, wrote a paper and took a final exam for each of the nine courses.

In its statement, the school said that it has not accepted new students since 2002 and has 48 students who are finishing their course work. The school said it planned to end its operation by March 2009. With its license revoked, Chadwick cannot offer degrees, Thrower said, and any student promised one should be due a refund.

Can't give credentials:

On Aug. 14, a postsecondary investigator went to two listed addresses in Birmingham for Southern State University, one at Chase Corporate Center and the other a "virtual office space" - 4000 Eagle Point Corporate Drive - but neither office was staffed or had any equipment. The president's address is in West Covina, Calif.

"You get there, and it is nothing," Thrower said. "No sign of anything. It's just a maildrop."

In correspondence with the department, the school was unable to provide proper financial statements, a description of the educational backgrounds of its instructors or a curriculum that was consistent with accepted standards for universities.

Madison University of Business and Technology withdrew its application after the Alabama Commission on Higher Education declined to approve its education program plan. Though the school lists a Birmingham address, its correspondence is directed to the school president's address in Gulfport, Miss. "We have asked them to cease soliciting students," Thrower said.

An application by Paramount University, which also has no physical office, was rejected after the school failed to offer evidence it was seeking accreditation.

"They were not able to meet the most rudimentary requirements," Thrower said. "Clearly, they were just not knowledgeable about how to operate a school."

Report cards start Jan. 1:

Alan Contreras, administrator of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization, has been a vocal critic of the practices of unaccredited colleges and degree mills. Alabama, he said, had earned a reputation as one of the "seven sorry sisters," states that had lax oversight of the industry. He is pleased with Alabama's new attitude.

"It is really good to see," Contreras said. "A lot of people around the country and around the world are watching what they do."

Tougher enforcement in several states has online operations scrambling to find a place to operate, with many fleeing to California, which let its law on licensing for-profit universities lapse, Contreras said. That's where Breyer State now claims to be based.

Thrower said the Department of Postsecondary Education has developed an annual report card system for both public two-year colleges and private colleges licensed by the department.

Beginning Jan. 1, consumers will be able to go to the department's Web site and check into a school's accreditation, costs, graduation rates and courses offered. "They will have this information that they will be able to use to make an informed decision," Thrower said.

"This is not a witch hunt," she said. "We are trying to move private, for-profit education in a positive direction and close down the diploma mills that give other schools a bad name."

The American Association for Higher Education and Accreditation began in 1870. Or so says its Web site.

But that claim, along with a number of others, falls apart on close inspection. For example, though it lists a Washington, D.C., location, that address turns out to be a UPS mailbox. Its actual headquarters are in Central Florida.

Most significantly, AAHEA has assumed the identity of a now-defunct organization with a similar name—the American Association for Higher Education. It has even acquired AAHE's old phone number. That comes as an unpleasant surprise to AAHE's former leadership, including Michael B. Goldstein, a higher-education lawyer with the Washington law firm Dow Lohnes, and a former member of AAHE's board. "Some of their activities appear, on their face, to be clearly unacceptable," he said.

What are those activities? AAHEA's Web site says the group is "dedicated to the advancement of higher education." However, its only stated goal for 2008 is dealing with "the problem of bullying in school." Under the heading "Sponsored Programs," a collage of photographs features the twin towers of the World Trade Center in flames, and what appear to be bloody footprints. Beneath it are the words "To be announced."

A Chronicle investigation has raised questions about AAHEA, which advertises itself as both a scholarly research organization and a college accreditor. It has also led to the resignation of Charles Grant, the group's chief executive, after just a week in office.

The apparent operator of AAHEA is D.A. (Doc) Brady. While his name is nowhere to be found on AAHEA's Web site, he is listed in the corporate records for AAHEA, filed with the State of Florida in 2007.

In several interviews and e-mail exchanges, Mr. Brady defended his organization against critics he contends are biased against him. He said he and his colleagues were motivated solely by the personal satisfaction of running AAHEA, not by any monetary considerations. "Not a single person has benefited a nickel out of this thing," said Mr. Brady.

It's not for lack of trying. The association offers annual memberships for $99, and its Web site includes a page for visitors to make donations, ranging from $10 to $1-million (those who give the top amount become honorary presidents of AAHEA). Among the programs in the works, which the money will support, according to the Web site, are safari trips to Africa, online art shows, and a "Learning Course of the month contest."

Fuzzy Details

When asked about his background, Mr. Brady said it's "none of your business." An online biography describes him as self-taught, but also says he holds doctorates in clinical hypnotherapy and business administration, though it does not mention the institutions from which he graduated. According to the bio, he has worked as a consultant for television programs, including Dr. Phil, and is a "nationally certified motivational instructor."

Mr. Brady is the chief executive of the National Board of Professional and Ethical Standards, which offers doctorates in clinical hypnotherapy, among other degrees. The doctoral program costs $4,998 and uses the Ericksonian method of hypnosis. According to its frequently-asked-questions page, the organization is under review for accreditation from Mr. Brady's other organization, AAHEA, which it notes is "very old."

Charles Grant said he responded to an advertisement for the position of chief executive of the group. Mr. Grant had just retired from San Jacinto College North, a community college in Houston, after 25 years. He started there as an instructor and ended as its president. The idea of helping a higher-education organization like the association, he said, appealed to him. "I'm a sympathetic person," said Mr. Grant.

When pressed, Mr. Grant said he had no idea how many members the group had, or what exactly it did. Nor had he ever met Doc Brady in person, or anyone else from the organization. He didn't know its financial state or where it was located. He was also not aware of Mr. Brady's other organizations.

Mr. Grant said that he had not received any money from AAHEA, but that he had been told he would receive a salary. A few days after his interview with The Chronicle, Mr. Grant sent an e-mail message to AAHEA with the subject line "Not Working," resigning from the position, and forwarded a copy to The Chronicle.

Connection Disputed

All along, AAHEA has claimed that it is the same entity as the American Association for Higher Education. In fact, AAHE, which promoted the scholarship of teaching and learning for nearly four decades, closed its doors in 2005 after a sharp decline in membership.

Its president at the time was Clara M. Lovett. Ms. Lovett, who is president emerita of Northern Arizona University, said she had never heard of AAHEA. Neither had Mr. Goldstein, the AAHE board member. Both disputed the notion that AAHEA is in any way the continuation of AAHE.

Other assertions by Mr. Brady have also been contradicted. For example, he said that the archives of AAHE, housed at the Hoover Institution Archives at Stanford University, are scheduled to be transferred to AAHEA's headquarters once there is sufficient space.

Not so, according to Brad Bauer, associate archivist for collection development and curator of the Western European collections at Hoover. Mr. Bauer, who is in charge of the AAHE archives, said he had heard "nothing of the sort" and that any such transfer would be extremely unusual. "I've had no discussions of any sort with any organization claiming to be the successor to AAHE," he said.

Mr. Brady has also said that his organization is going through the review process to become an approved college accreditor. Jane Glickman, an Education Department spokeswoman, said that a check revealed that the department had had no contact with AAHEA. Jan Riggs, director of membership services and special projects for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, said she had been contacted by Mr. Brady but that she "had no idea what he was talking about."

In response, Mr. Brady criticized the approval process for accreditors, saying it was too cumbersome. "I think it's retarded," he said. In an e-mail message, he indicated that his association may be reconsidering becoming an approved accreditor because it's "not worth all of this aggravation."

It is unclear how many members AAHEA has signed up, or whether the group has received donations. Michael F. Healy, who works in the marketing and communications department at the University of Georgia's Center for Continuing Education, said he contacted AAHEA recently because he was interested in purchasing its mailing list. He was told that he must become a member first. A colleague at another university, Mr. Healy said, paid the association $1,000 for its mailing list. He declined to name the colleague.

Along with its other problems, AAHEA appears to have borrowed material on its Web site without attribution. In June a law firm working for the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training—an accreditor recognized by the Education Department—sent the association a letter demanding that it remove documents it had copied directly from ACCET's Web site. In some cases, the documents still had the continuing education and training group's name in the text.

AAHEA did not respond, according to Roger J. Williams, executive director of ACCET, until this week, when the documents were taken down. In an e-mail message, Mr. Brady wrote that the documents had not been copyrighted and that the material was not taken verbatim.

When informed that Mr. Brady had accused him of unfairly attacking AAHEA, Mr. Williams was unable to suppress his laughter. "I find their indignation surprising, to say the least," he said.

Jean-Noel Prade has stood out as the outspoken reformer candidate for the Sarasota Memorial Hospital board, calling on the hospital's president to defer her raise and opposing the hospital's Manatee County expansion.

But he has received attention far longer, and from far beyond Sarasota, for running a company that admitted in federal court to violating federal copyright law, and for links to universities that some experts have labeled as diploma mills.

Prade, 61, is chairman of American Universities Admission Program, a company that since 1995 has primarily assisted foreign students hoping to attend graduate school in the United States.

He agrees that his firm violated trademark law, but vehemently disputes any association with diploma mills, so named for how they churn out academic credentials.

Firms like AUAP, generally known as credentials evaluators, review foreign academic transcripts and tell American colleges how that work compares to their course work. Prade said he created the company when his French-born son was planning to apply to American colleges. AUAP employs about a dozen evaluators around the country, Prade said.

AUAP and Prade were sued in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in January 2006 by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers for infringing on its trademark. The association claimed that AUAP used the registrars' logo on its Web site without authorization.

"We were concerned that our logo was being used to mislead institutions, that AUAP's evaluations were being confused as ours," said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of AACRAO, the registrars' group.

In April 2006, the two sides reached a settlement through a consent judgement and injunction. In it, Prade agreed that he and AUAP had illegally used the AACRAO logo to deceive consumers and falsely claim affiliation with the registrar's group.

"I don't consider it, myself, that I violated trademark law," Prade said. "I violated it without knowing it."

The lawsuit was a civil case, not a criminal case, so he does not consider it violating a law, he said.

But the case dragged on for another 15 months. The parties returned to court when the registrars said AUAP had not complied with the agreement and sought a fine and other penalties.

In October, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay agreed that Prade and AUAP had violated the agreement, but gave them another month to comply.

In subsequent hearings, Kay found that AUAP and Prade complied with the agreement, and the judge denied the registrars' request for penalties and an ongoing inspection program. By legal precedent, fines are appropriate only in the most egregious cases, he wrote.

Both sides claimed victory.

"The result is, the claim was denied," Prade said. The judge's rejection of any monetary penalties vindicates AUAP, he said.

Nassirian said the court forced AUAP and Prade to stop using AACRAO trademarks, so his group got almost everything it wanted. "I am not satisfied with the magistrate's decision, because I think organizations like this do a lot of damage," Nassirian said.

After the ruling, the registrars' group issued a statement titled "AACRAO wins lawsuit against diploma mill." Nassirian said the title stemmed from his group's research into AUAP's business relationships.

Alan Contreras, who heads Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization, said Prade and AUAP are tied to a French business that has operated under variations of the name "Robert de Sorbon," not to be confused with the prestigious French university known as The Sorbonne. George D. Gollin, a professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and member of the [board of directors of the] Council for Higher Education Accreditation, researched the ownership of various Robert de Sorbon Web sites and linked them to Prade and AUAP.

On its current Web site, Ecole Superieure Robert de Sorbon describes itself as a class of accredited institution that under French law can award degrees based on life experience. It says applicants pay a fee of about $75 and, if accepted, pay a tuition of about $750. A panel of scholars evaluates the applicant's work history and grants a degree 60 days later.

Old versions of the Web site, from 2004, are for a Universite Robert de Sorbon and list AUAP's mailing address as the "US representative" for admissions. An Internet registry search shows a Dr. Jean Noel Prade, at the candidate's Sarasota home address, as the official contact for the Web site in April 2004.

Prade said Universite Robert de Sorbon no longer exists and that he and AUAP are not affiliated with it. Of Ecole Superieure Robert de Sorbon, he said, "It is an institution of higher learning."

The new Ecole Superieure Web site was registered via a third-party company, which masks the Web site's owners.

Nancy Katz, a board member for the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, said members of her group would not treat the Robert de Sorbon entities as a regionally accredited university.

Prade also is listed as the registrant for the Saint Augustin University Web site. Older versions of the site describe the entity as a degree-granting institution, but the current version says it is only a credential evaluation service. Property records show Prade as the owner of its Englewood street address. Prade said he set it up for a friend.

No explanation, no excuse, no logical reason can be found to even attempt to justify what has happened in the Freehold Regional School District where top school officials got degrees from a university that has been described as a "diploma mill."

Adding insult to injury, the officials were reimbursed with taxpayer money for the tuition and then given higher salaries because they obtained ad vanced degrees.

What superintendent H. James Wasser, assistant superintendent Donna Evangelista and retired assistant superintendent Frank Tanzini did was an absolute ripoff of the district. At least one member of the school board is asking them to return the money.

We're not sure that's enough of a mea culpa. If their students pulled this sort stunt, they would likely be punished harshly.

According to a story first reported by the Asbury Park Press, Wasser, Evangelista and Tanzini received degrees from Breyer State University -- a school that offers courses on line and has been described by officials in more than one state as "an apparent diploma mill." The website of the so-called distance university notes that is not accredited by an agency approved by the federal Education Department.

The Freehold district paid $8,700 in tuition for the educators and gave each of them $2,500 annual raises based on their having obtained doctoral degrees.

Since the charade was uncovered, there has been a lot of fingerpointing. The state Education Department has contended that it is up to local officials to make sure staff members have the appropriate credentials from a school accredited by the federal government. Others have said the state Education Department needs to do a better job of regulating these employees.

All those things are true, but the bigger scandal is that educators, who know better, engaged in this kind of decep tion. These are the people who are supposed to set the educational gold standard for the community. They are sup posed to be role models for children.

State Senate President Richard Codey said he'll introduce legislation to stop this insanity. Education Commissioner Lucille Davy is also planning regulations to guard against a recurrence. Both are appropriate responses.

Still, one has to ask about the integrity of the school officials who did this. Why would it be necessary for a district to tell a top educator that a degree from a diploma mill simply won't cut it? It's akin to writing in the parents' handbook, "Don't lock your child in a dark basement." Shouldn't some things be obvious?

Psst . . . Wanna buy a degree from a diploma mill and stick taxpayers with the bill?

If you're a public school educator, New Jersey won't stop you.

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy said she is powerless to prevent local school boards from handing out tax money to administrators who boost their pay by obtaining degrees with little or no academic value.

When it issued a nine-page report last week, the department entered a growing national controversy about the value of online degrees. But instead of announcing tough new standards, the department made only a few suggestions.

"I feel sorry for New Jersey. Here they had an opportunity to step up to the plate, and they opted not to," said former FBI agent Allen Ezell, who investigated diploma mill fraud for 11 years, then wrote three books on the subject. "I would have thought New Jersey would have had a little more brass than that."

Freehold Regional High School District became the epicenter of the diploma mill controversy in New Jersey when the superintendent and two top administrators obtained degrees from an online school that has been deemed an "apparent diploma mill" by Alabama officials.

After completing an investigation into the administrators' degrees, the education department's report stated there was "no sustainable evidence" that the administrators "possessed the prerequisite intent to deceive when they obtained the degrees" from Breyer State University, which has been chased out of two states and an African country.

The education department report suggested — but did not require — that high school administrators, in the future, earn college degrees from reputable, accredited schools.

None of the three administrators investigated — Superintendent H. James Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista and recently retired Assistant Superintendent Frank Tanzini — was required to pay back the $10,750 they received in taxpayer money to obtain degrees from Breyer State.

The board gave raises — $2,500 each per year — for their advanced degrees.

Breyer has been booted out of Idaho, Alabama and the African nation of Liberia.

"Breyer State is a diploma mill. There's no question about it," said Alan Contreras of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization. "It's obviously a waste of taxpayers' money."

But Education Commissioner Davy said local school boards must write contracts and pay benefits that make sense for taxpayers.

"It is wrong for people to use those diploma mill degrees to increase their salaries," she said. "But I don't have the authority to stop them."

More of the same

On the same day New Jersey issued its report, the Asbury Park Press discovered three more educators who earned what experts say are bogus degrees.

Freehold Regional employees Cheryl Lanza, an English teacher, and Lorraine Taddei-Graef, a learning disabilities teacher consultant, both obtained degrees from Breyer State. Neither could be reached for comment.

Freehold taxpayers reimbursed Lanza $2,050 for her "doctorate of philosophy in education." Taddei-Graef was not reimbursed, according to school district records.

Meanwhile, in the Asbury Park school district, Acting School Superintendent James T. Parham said he paid about $3,000 to receive a "Master of Arts" with a major in special education from Almeda University in Idaho.

Parham said his degree was based on his life experience, and that it took him about a month to put his resume together to get the diploma.

Asked if he received his Almeda degree in return for merely submitting his resume, Parham said, "I also had to do a paper."

How long was the paper?

"The paper must have been about two, maybe three pages," he said.

Parham said the Asbury Park school district did not reimburse him for the master's degree, which he received on Aug. 6, 2006.

Asked why he would pay for the degree, Parham said he thought it "might look good" on his resume, and that "it might add something."

Seven months after receiving the degree, Parham was appointed by the school board at a salary of $110,620 to take the job held by suspended Superintendent Antonio Lewis, who is under criminal investigation by the state Attorney General's Office.

Parham, who was a vice principal in the district, said his Almeda degree did not help him become acting superintendent.

A degree in surgery

Ezell, the former FBI agent, said Almeda's degrees are "a blatant fraud."

With an estimated 4 million students expected to take at least one online college course this fall, national experts like Ezell, University of Illinois professor George Gollin and Contreras say that taxpayers — and students — need to be vigilant against schools offering big credentials for only a little work.

Gollin, a national expert on bogus online degrees, once submitted his resume to a diploma mill and received a master's degree in public administration. Later, he told the school he changed his mind and said he wanted a doctorate degree in thoracic surgery. Once he sent in the money, the school agreed.

Gollin, a physics professor, has never operated on anyone.

He found it surprising that a school superintendent, who is supposed to set the highest academic standards, would purchase a questionable degree, Gollin said.

"We're trying to deal with truth in analysis when we provide education," he said. "To have a superintendent of schools going around, buying false credentials in order to fool people into thinking he has expertise . . . that's just a sign of poor integrity that is astonishing to me."

In his doctoral dissertation, Wasser stated he was mentored by Dominick L. Flarey, the former president of Breyer State.

After investigating the school, Alabama canceled its license and forced the school to leave the state.

So did Idaho. The school currently operates out of a post office box in Los Angeles.

'That's their opinion'

In an e-mail, Flarey said he was no longer president and would not discuss the institution or the degrees awarded to Freehold administrators.

"I have nothing at all to do with the administration of the school. I only teach some courses," he said. Breyer State last week did not list a president on its Web site.

Responding to criticism of Breyer by Ezell, Gollin and Contreras, Wasser said: "That's their opinion."

Wasser staunchly defended the work he did for his degree.

"I did it. I would do it again," said Wasser. "The only thing I would probably do differently, is now that I am aware of this word "accreditation,' I would probably thoroughly research that."

Wasser said he worked for more than a year on his doctoral dissertation and is proud of the final product.

"I am not here to defend Breyer State. If you want to do that, that's your business, or the business of the FBI, the CIA, whoever wants to do it. . . . I can only defend my education and my dissertation."

He said he could have charged taxpayers more.

"In the future, in a few years, what are people going to say about the degrees people earn online? Because online education is the wave of the future now. It's not attending class and sitting in a classroom, which I could have done.

"I could have left my job at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. . . . I could have done that. I chose not to. I could have cost the taxpayers a tremendous amount of money," Wasser said.

In Asbury Park, Parham accessed Almeda University's Web site while he was being interviewed in his office and pointed to an accrediting agency Almeda says has sanctioned its online education program.

But Gollin, who has been calling attention to diploma mills for years, said the bogus schools also often create phony accreditation agencies that try to give a veneer of acceptability to the academically indefensible.

Ezell said only degrees accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation have value and are officially recognized by the federal government. The list of accreditation agencies is available at www.CHEA.org.

"A 10-year-old knows how to use Google," Ezell said. "It's nothing complex. It's all right there."

Jim Harlan is a Harvard-educated venture capitalist with a keen interest in energy policy and a half-million dollars to spend on his campaign. He decided three months ago to make his first run for public office.

Vinny Mendoza, an organic farmer and real estate investor with graduate degrees from a now-defunct diploma mill [LaSalle University], wants quickly to end the war in Iraq and has spent hardly a dime on his campaign. He's run for office four times in the past four years.

What unites them is a commitment to returning Louisiana's 1st Congressional District to Democratic hands for the first time since 1977. Both will compete in their party's primary, the winner to take on U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson...

OCALA -- Bernard LeCorn, who says he is qualified to run for School Board because he has a doctorate degree... from a diploma mill...

Meanwhile, LeCorn's doctorate comes from the American College of Metaphysical Theology, an unaccredited diploma mill that sells doctorate degrees for $249.

The school Web site, which lists a Golden Valley, Minn. address, says you can also get a master's degree for $209 and a bachelor's for $149, all without taking one class. Degrees are mailed within a month of payment in many cases.

LeCorn insists his doctorate in pastoral administration is legitimate because the degree recognizes his life's work as an educator and a pastor for First Missionary Full Baptist Church of Ocala on Southeast 35th Court, just north of Belleview.

"I still feel that my qualifications are better than my opponents," said LeCorn, referring to the colleges that he claimed had awarded him degrees.

The metaphysical college's Web site — www.americancollege.com — acknowledges that it is not accredited. It states that accreditation is not important in theology and metaphysics colleges.

When the Star-Banner called the number listed on the Web site, the phone number was disconnected.

The school site states that paying for a degree can boost any applicants quest for a better job: ''On the day that you enroll in a degree program, you may legitimately add an important line to your resume..."

To get a doctorate, the school site states that after paying $249, a student gets full credit for life experiences through living life in your own community without going to classes. The doctorate also includes "ministerial credentials at no extra charge."

The site defines metaphysics as "the science which investigates first causes of existence and knowledge. It seeks to explain the nature of being and the origin and structure of the world, uniting man's physical, mental, and spiritual character into its true nature of holism."

During a check of LeCorn's background, it was also discovered that the 54-year-old has had his driver's license suspended twice in the last year for not paying his car insurance premium.

He said he quickly paid the fee moments after his license was revoked on June 9. It was reinstated on June 25.

LeCorn was also cited in February 2005 for speeding through the Ward Highlands Elementary School zone. A Marion County deputy pulled LeCorn over for doing 50 mph in a 20-mph zone at 8 a.m.

"I just didn't see the flashing lights," he said.

LeCorn has had financial trouble as well, according to a foreclosure case filed at the Marion County Courthouse. LeCorn purchased the First Missionary Full Gospel Baptist Church near Belleview and the mortgage was held by Robert Hobbs.

Hobbs filed for foreclosure in 2006 after LeCorn fell far behind on his payments, which were more than $1,400 per month. A Marion County judge ordered the church to be sold in August 2006.

Just before it was to go to auction, friends — investors — of LeCorn paid off the mortgage and the foreclosure case was closed, according to court files.

LeCorn said his church congregation started dropping and so did donations and he fell behind on the payments. "It's only as good as the money stream," he said.

When asked if he felt the near foreclosure had any bearing on how he would handle the School District's $628 million budget, he said: "I think that means I know how to get things done when money is tight," he said, referring to the School District's funding shortage. "I know to get things done on a shoestring budget."

Iran's new interior minister has raised an uproar among lawmakers and Iranian media over an apparently fake claim that he holds an honorary doctorate from Britain's Oxford University. To back his case, he's shown off a degree certificate riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

Oxford issued a statement Wednesday denying it ever awarded Ali Kordan an honorary doctorate of law, as he claimed to parliament before it approved his appointment to the post earlier this month.

The Interior Ministry put out a copy of the degree, with an Oxford seal and dated June 2000, aiming to prove its authenticity.

But in the certificate, "entitled" is misspelled "intitled," and it says Kordan was granted the degree "to be benefitted from its scientific privileges."

The clumsily worded document says Kordan "has shown a great effort in preparing educational materials and his research in the domain of comparative law,that has opened a new chapter,not only in our university,but, to our knowledge,in this country" — leaving out spaces after all but one of the commas. It was published in several Iranian papers this week.

Oxford said in its statement that it "has no record of Mr. Ali Kordan receiving an honorary doctorate or any other degree from the university." It added that the three professors whose alleged signatures are on the certificate have all held posts at the university at some stage but none of them work in the field of law and none would sign degree certificates.

Media threatened
The alleged fake has been heavily covered in several Iranian newspapers and Web sites, and parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Monday ordered the body's education committee to look into the degree's authenticity.

The Tehran prosecutors office announced Wednesday that the Alef news Web site, which has carried several reports questioning the degree, has been "banned based on complaints by legal entities," the state news agency IRNA reported. [See http://www.alef1.com/content/view/30890/.] The office said the site had no work license and did not link the ban to the interior minister issue. The site could not be accessed in Iran on Wednesday.

"The Interior Ministry does not have the right to threaten the media for questioning the authenticity of the claim," parliament member Ahmed Tavakoli was quoted as saying on Alef. He said the "truth of such an important issue must be made clear." Interior Ministry officials could not be reached Wednesday for comment on the Oxford statement.

During his confirmation debate, numerous lawmakers argued Kordan was unqualified for the ministry post, some claiming that his Oxford degree was a fake. Kordan was approved Aug. 5 by a relatively slim margin of around 160 of the 269 lawmakers present, a reflection of the concerns. The Interior Ministry runs the country's police and oversees elections.

Kordan was considered a compromise candidate between hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Larijani, who is a conservative but seen as a rival to the president. Kordan was Larijani's deputy when Larijani held a previous post as head of the state broadcasting service, and Kordan later went on to serve as deputy oil minister.

'Torn paper'
Ahmadinejad defended Kordan amid the debates, dismissing degrees in general as "torn paper" not necessary for serving the people.

An Interior Ministry statement this week insisted the degree was authentic, calling claims otherwise "destructive" and "insulting" and urging media to refrain from "lying and suspicious reports."

Tavakoli and other parliament opponents of Kordan have not called for his resignation. Hamid Rasai, a lawmaker who backs Kordan, was quoted in several Iranian papers this week saying parliament approved Kordan despite the degree dispute, but added that the minister should "remove the ambiguities" over the issue.

 

Janet Killen invested $5,500 and four years of her life getting what she thought was a master's degree in nursing education from a Caldwell online college. When she presented her degree in 2007 to Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., where she teaches nursing, she was dumbfounded when administrators told her it was worthless in her state.

Moreover, Oregon state officials told her she must stop touting the diploma she received from Canyon College or she could face civil and criminal penalties for using an invalid degree. She has to notify a hospital where she works that her degree is not recognized in Oregon.

"I felt really violated," Killen said. "I have two associate degrees, a bachelor's degree and an illegal master's degree. Do you love it?"

How can something like this happen?

The Idaho State Board of Education, which oversees for-profit colleges like Canyon, hasn't had the staff to enforce state rules that require schools like Canyon to be registered with the state before handing out diplomas.

But Mike Rush, Ed Board executive director, says he will seek an injunction against Canyon College if it doesn't comply with Idaho law.

Oregon won't accept degrees from Canyon College because the school is not registered in Idaho and is not accredited by federally recognized agencies, said Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization.

Registration helps the state be aware of what programs are available in Idaho. Accreditation gives an assurance that the program meets some minimal standards for quality, state officials say.

"Degrees issued by Canyon College have the same validity as degrees issued by Les Schwab Tires or a neighborhood grocery: zero," Contreras wrote to Canyon College's legal counsel.

Idaho state officials also put distance between themselves and Canyon College.

"Their credits will not transfer into any state-supported college inside Idaho," Harv Lyter, Idaho proprietary schools coordinator, wrote to Contreras in an e-mail recently. "Idaho does not consider Canyon College credits or diplomas valid."

Michael F. Storrs, who was listed as Canyon College president when the school filed business papers with the Idaho Secretary of State's office in 1998, could not be reached for comment. John Denmark, also an owner of the school, declined to speak with the Statesman.

In a letter to Contreras, Canyon College's attorney, Brad Miller, defended the school.

Canyon "takes great pride in offering educational opportunities that would not otherwise be available to a number of individuals at an affordable price," he wrote.

A computer search found no lawsuits against Canyon College in Idaho's 4th Judicial District or any complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.

But Idaho and the school disagree on how much oversight the state should have.

On July 2, Lyter wrote Denmark, saying the school must register with the state by July 31, according to letters the Statesman obtained in a public records request from the State Board of Education.

Miller responded by saying the school offers no degrees from locations in Idaho so it is not subject to registration.

But a law revised in Idaho in 2006 says "if you operated from or purported to operate from a location in Idaho, you are an Idaho school," Lyter said.

In recent days, on some pages of its Web site but not all of them, Canyon College changed its mailing address to a suburb outside of Sacramento, Calif. The phone and fax numbers still have Idaho area codes.

IDAHO A 'SORRY SISTER' ON COLLEGE OVERSIGHT

Canyon College, which is 10 years old, has an enrollment of about 4,000 students, college officials say. Online courses are offered in a variety of fields including theology, Chicano and Middle Eastern studies, criminology and nursing, according to the school's Web site. The school has had an office at 111 Poplar St. in Caldwell.

Idaho hasn't had anyone to focus on for-profit school oversight until Lyter, a former inspector general at Mountain Home Air Force base, was hired a month ago.

"We've had nobody minding the store," Rush said.

Until Idaho beefs up its regulation of proprietary schools, Contreras will classify the state as one of the "Seven Sorry Sisters, the states with the worst regulation of private colleges." The others are: Hawaii, California, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Colorado, although Alabama has recently toughened its enforcement against such schools.

CANYON IS ON A LOT OF STATES' WATCH LISTS

Oregon isn't the only state with concerns about Canyon College. Washington's office of degree authorization wrote Canyon College officials in July, reminding them that academic credentials from the school are valueless in the state and can't be used to help get employment or a license to practice a trade.

Michael Ball, Washington's degree authorization associate director, said the letter was a "shot across the bow" to Canyon College. Don't "think of coming to Washington," he said.

And the Pennsylvania Department of Education notified its school district officials that Canyon College is "not authorized to operate in Pennsylvania" after a group of teachers in a district 60 miles north of Pittsburgh sought reimbursement for attending classes through Canyon College. The classes could cost taxpayers in the West Middlesex School District between $20,000 and $40,000.

"Taxpayers are putting out taxpayer money and not getting the quality of education expected of an accredited agency," said Tom Hubert, school board president. "Idaho needs to step up to the plate. They are ... allowing them to do this. I would hope officials in Idaho could see that and help us out."

CANYON COLLEGE IS NOT UNIQUE, THOUGH

While Canyon has attracted some of the focus of Lyter's office, Lyter also had to pay attention briefly to Breyer State University, a school that made a short stop in Idaho this summer.

Breyer State University, which was in Idaho during the early part of the decade, returned here in late June, according to Idaho Secretary of State business records. The online school moved operations back after it lost its license to operate in Alabama amid a crackdown on what education officials called "diploma mills."

"One of the ... institution's many violations included conferring honorary doctorates on individuals based on life and work experience, a one-time application fee and a monetary contribution to the institution," said a press release issued by Alabama's Department of Post Secondary Education.

On July 2, Lyter told Breyer officials they must register with the State Board under Idaho law.

Late last month, Breyer State changed its address and phone number on its Web site from Boise to Los Angeles.

John Moran, Breyer State's marketing director and dean of students, declined to comment.

The school is appealing the loss of its license in Alabama.

STILL LOOKING FOR A DEGREE

Back in Oregon, Killen, the nursing instructor whose degree was rejected, maintains she got a good education at Canyon College. Killen took about a dozen classes, and she said many seemed in line with those she would have gotten elsewhere but would have cost as much as $600 per credit hour.

Canyon charges $500 per master's course and $435 per bachelor's course, according to the school's Web site.

But Killen is also upset that Canyon College administrators never explained that her degree would not be recognized in Oregon when she started taking classes, she said.

"They should have informed me," Killen said. "I knew nothing."

Contreras, the Oregon degree authorization administrator, wrote Canyon College officials demanding a refund for Killen and reminding school officials that they had agreed in 2000 to notify any Oregon resident that Canyon degrees are not valid in that state.

"We are disappointed that Canyon College continues to take money from Oregon residents," Contreras wrote on July 3. "(T)his kind of crude plunder really needs to stop."

On Friday, Canyon College officials agreed to a refund, but did not mention Killen by name in the letter or the amount it would give back.

Miller wrote that the school agreed to the refund in part because Killen was threatened "with criminal prosecution if she listed having a degree from Canyon College on her resume." Canyon officials also offered to quit accepting Oregon residents if the state would drop whatever issues it has with the college.

Contreras declined.

"The laws of Washington, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Texas, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia disallow the use of degrees from Canyon College," Contreras wrote. "For Canyon simply to cease offering its products to Oregon residents would serve little purpose unless it also agreed to cease offering them to residents of the other states."

As for Killen, she's back on the Internet, looking for another place to get a master's.

"I want a degree," she said.

Brain surgery, anyone?

Just slip on a hospital gown and step into my operating cubicle here at the Tribune.

Let me clear my desk of printouts, unwashed coffee cups and old newspapers so you can stretch out. Comfy? Now, I'll need a tool sharp enough to crack open your skull. Scissors might work, if I hammer on them with my shoe.

There, there. Trust me. I'm a doctor—or I will be as soon as I fork over my medical school tuition.

Recently, I received approval for a series of bogus academic credentials, including a "Doctorate Degree in Medicine & Surgery" from a diploma mill called Ashwood University. All I have to do is persuade my editors to pay $699 "tuition," including a $75 surcharge guaranteeing me a 4.0 grade-point average.

Suddenly, degree mills are a hot topic. Some 9,600 people nationwide—among them Berwyn police officers and a Chicago Public Schools instructor—are suspected of buying junk degrees from St. Regis University, a criminal enterprise in Washington state in which eight employees have pleaded guilty to fraud.

So I decided to test how difficult it was to accumulate credentials based on what the diploma mills call "life experience." Turns out just about any life experience beyond taking aspirin regularly can qualify you for an advanced degree in medicine.

I applied by typing in the names of a number of hospitals I had visited over the years, whether it was to have tonsils removed, visit a sick friend or interview someone. I didn't claim employment at any of them. I didn't even note the dates. The list looked like this:

* Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, Calif.
* St. John Medical Center, Longview, Wash.
* Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Deschapelles, Haiti.
* Thousand Bed Hospital, Vladivostok, Russia.
* Etc.

Fifteen hours later, Ashwood University e-mailed the good news that I could lay the foundation for a new career if I'm ever laid off. The note read:

"Congratulations, Russell Working!

"We are pleased to announce that on the basis of your resume submitted by the Assistant Registrar, the 10-member evaluation committee at Ashwood University has finally approved you for Doctorate Degree."

The bogus degrees in medicine aren't funny, though. Consider the case of John Curran, a phony medical doctor in Rhode Island who charged most patients a standard fee of $10,000, according to a newspaper in Kentucky, where the diploma mill was located.

Among Curran's patients was Taylor Alves, an 18-year-old photographer and model who was dying of ovarian cancer. Curran said he could heal her with a concoction of powdered vegetables in water. So she spent her final weeks refusing other food and died in great anguish, her mother told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

In 2006, Curran was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering.

Diploma mill operators—and buyers—can run afoul of the law in several ways. The federal government has nailed people on charges that include mail and wire fraud. In Illinois it is illegal to produce a false academic degree for profit unless it is marked "for novelty purposes only," said Natalie Bauer, spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office. Both the state and federal governments forbid using bogus degrees to gain employment or advance on the job.

George Gollin, a professor and diploma-mill fraud-buster from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been leading the way in exposing how easy it is to get a fake degree.

Several years ago, he discovered that St. Regis University, based near Spokane, Wash., was offering high school degrees for those who filled out an online form with 100 questions, starting out with, "Where does the president of the United States live?" On a form with four possible answers to each question, Gollin intentionally clicked most of them wrong.

St. Regis was so impressed with his answers, it said he was eligible for both high school and associate's degrees.

"If I were to give the test form to a bunch of pigeons and let them pick answers by randomly pecking," Gollin said, "I would have been outscored by slightly more than 75 percent of the pigeons who took the test."

In my case, I decided to expand my employment options by applying for a PhD in child and family studies from Rochville University. As a doctoral thesis, I submitted the Unabomber manifesto, written by domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski.

Under the title "Consequences of the Industrial Revolution: A Jungian Approach," I submitted a 34,000-word rant by a madman imprisoned for mailing bombs that killed three people and wounded 22. Not to worry. A few hours later, Kaczynski's wisdom had qualified me to hang out in playgrounds and scribble notes on the behavior of other people's children.

For my doctorate in theology and Biblical counseling from the bogus Belford University, I submitted the Hamas charter as my thesis. The work blames "Zionists" for corrupting education and culture worldwide though secret guises as "Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, gangs of spies and the like."

The universities replied positively in remarkably similar e-mails, which made me think they might be different faces of the same diploma scheme.

Then I began getting calls on my cell phone from diploma mill representatives demanding the money. The "universities" kept e-mailing to say I had only seven days to pay. When the deadline passed, they all granted me another seven. I never paid anything to any of them.

Recently, I asked Rochville to change my PhD to architecture and urban planning, and it agreed without asking for additional life experience or documentation. So I sent another e-mail asking to change it to a PhD in theater arts.

"I started thinking I'd like to direct musicals, such as 'Mame,' 'The Fields of Ambrosia,' 'Criminally Insane Puppets' (better than it sounds!), etc.," I wrote, adding, "P.S. It's very important that you spell it this way: Theatre. I'm thinking of moving to London."

They agreed once again.

So I called up Rochville and spoke to a "student counselor" who spoke with a foreign accent, identifying himself as Jason Anderson. When I asked, he said he was in Maryland.

I told him I had used the Unabomber manifesto. Why would the 10-member faculty committee accredit that Kaczynski diatribe?

Not so fast, Anderson said.

"After that e-mail is sent to you, there's a whole process that goes after that," he said. "You get yourself registered, and then actually we go deeper into what you've done, and find out what major you qualify for."

Whew! Glad we cleared that up. I'm sure they all operate that way.

So let's see how confident they are in their own degrees. Would the members of Ashwood University's evaluation committee please line up at my cubicle for their prostate exams?

One of the new principals in the North Hills School District boasts a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh -- no small accomplishment for a 27-year-old with several years of full-time teaching experience.

But after recent events, Dr. Joseph W. Pasquerilla might be reluctant to tout his status as a faculty member with another institution: Canyon College, an online entity that is widely viewed as disreputable.

Courses taught by Dr. Pasquerilla to fellow teachers at his old workplace, the West Middlesex Area School District in Mercer County, have led to problems there and prompted a meeting with his new boss to discuss the Canyon College situation.

The Idaho-based institution is not recognized by Idaho, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Education or any respected accreditation agency.

"They are quite a well-known diploma mill," said Alan Contreras, an expert on the subject and director of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization.

Degrees from Canyon College are essentially worthless in Pennsylvania. A state Department of Education official said the institution is not authorized to operate in Pennsylvania, and its programs and courses are not approved.

"We discussed with him very clearly that at North Hills, if one of our staff members were to partake in any of the offerings at Canyon, it would not be recognized at North Hills," said district spokeswoman Tina Vojtko. "We don't see the affiliation being necessarily relevant here at North Hills."

Officials at Canyon College could not be reached for comment.

Dr. Pasquerilla, who earned his master's degree at Youngstown State University, said he joined Canyon College with noble intentions -- to help teachers at his old district obtain master's degrees at an affordable price and with a curriculum he could assemble.

Under the West Middlesex contract, teachers with master's degrees can earn an extra $2,400 per year.

Dr. Pasquerilla acknowledged he should have sought more information before accepting a contract to teach courses for a fee of $250 per student. He said he did not know a master's degree from the school would not be valid in the state, he did not realize Canyon was not authorized to operate in its home state, and he did not realize the entity was not properly accredited.

"I guess I should have asked more questions," Dr. Pasquerilla, principal of Northway Elementary School, said recently. "Maybe there was some misinformation brought to us by them."

Dr. Pasquerilla's situation is a cautionary tale illustrating the difficulty -- even for people with a doctorate -- in sorting out reputable schools from diploma mills, accredited institutions from those that offer bogus degrees.

"If someone is taking course work to get a degree, they need to do their homework to ensure it is an accredited, legitimate degree-granting institution. Otherwise, they may end up spending money and doing work for what ultimately could be a meaningless degree," Pennsylvania education department spokesman Michael Race said.

Despite the drama in West Middlesex, Dr. Pasquerilla enjoys the support of the North Hills board president.

"I don't know anything about Canyon College and quite honestly I don't really care. What I'm looking for is somebody who can shoot the lights out for the North Hills School District," Jeffrey A. Meyer said.

"We hired a guy to do a job as an administrator. Based on the feedback that we've received from the people who know him best in his previous district, we've received rave reviews."

But Dr. Pasquerilla still needs to sort out for himself whether he will continue to teach for Canyon, something he is not ready to abandon, despite the questions that have arisen.

"Based upon what I know now, I would need to reconnect and re-evaluate the situation with Canyon College," Dr. Pasquerilla said. "I have a commitment to the staff at West Middlesex.''

As for that district, where Dr. Pasquerilla passed out fliers advertising his courses, it has its own problems.

At least 11 teachers studied under Dr. Pasquerilla and his former colleague, math teacher Mark Hogue.

Five of them have successfully sought tuition reimbursement as provided under their contract. The district has paid them $12,000 in taxpayer money, covering the bulk of what they paid Canyon College.

But since concerns have cropped up, the district has put a stop on payments to six other teachers until its solicitor can study the matter.

Dr. Pasquerilla said he found Canyon College on the Internet and was attracted to its promise of allowing him to craft his own curriculum and offer it to peers at a reasonable price.

"We just were trying to do something that was good for the district," Dr. Pasquerilla said. "I had all the right intentions in mind, and that is to help educators become better educators"

His plan blew up when school board members began questioning the reimbursements and asking pointed questions about Canyon College.

"It just didn't seem right," West Middlesex board President Thomas J. Hubert said.

Mr. Hubert's hunch was borne out, and not only in Pennsylvania.

"There's no legal basis for the claim this is a legitimate degree," Oregon's Mr. Contreras said of Canyon College. "The entity itself has no legal authority to issue degrees. It would be like saying I did a bunch of course work for Wal-Mart and they gave me a degree."

Mr. Contreras claims that Canyon has twice violated an agreement to warn Oregon residents interested in its programs that they cannot legally use a Canyon degree in the state.

Idaho is trying to get Canyon to register with the state, but those efforts have so far failed.

"We do not recognize them. We do not recognize the degrees or certificates they may grant, and essentially it's 'buyer beware,' " said Mark Browning, spokesman for the Idaho State Board of Education.

Idaho law states a school must be accredited by an agency recognized by the state or federal government.

Canyon College states on its Web site that it is accredited by The American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board and The Association for Innovation in Distance Education.

The naturopathic group's credentials are questioned by Karen Howard, executive director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

"There's no indication this is a legitimate accrediting organization," Ms. Howard said.

As for the other agency, Jan Riggs, a spokeswoman for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, said neither her group nor the U.S. Department of Education recognizes it.

At West Middlesex, Superintendent Alan J. Baldarelli said he does not plan to approve future requests for tuition reimbursement at Canyon College, something that seems to be in sync with the wishes of his board president, Mr. Hubert.

"The taxpayers deserve a little bit more for their money," Mr. Hubert said.

Steven Karl Randock Sr., described by a prosecutor as the chief financial operator of a Spokane-based diploma mill, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison after his defense attorney made an impassioned plea for home detention.

Randock got the same sentence given to his wife, Dixie Ellen Randock, on July 2 after they both pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

For six years, the Randocks and a team of associates sold high school and college degrees from 121 fictitious online schools they created and counterfeit diplomas and transcripts from 66 legitimate universities.

From nondescript offices in Mead and later in Post Falls, they sold more than 10,000 of the degrees and related academic products to 9,612 buyers in 131 countries ¡V pulling in $7,369,907.

If they hadn't struck plea bargains and been convicted by a jury, they each faced 87 to 105 months in federal prison on the conspiracy charge alone. Companion money laundering charges were dismissed when the Randocks made their plea bargains.

Dixie Randock is appealing her three-year sentence.

Her husband's attorney, Peter Schweda, said Steven Randock has suffered heart attacks, strokes and most recently "cluster headaches" and should be allowed to serve his sentence by being restricted to the couple's home in Colbert.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs argued that Randock, 69, will get adequate medical care in a federal prison. He was allowed to remain free and ordered to self-report to a prison once the facility is identified by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

"It is clear to me that his culpability is certainly in the same category" of his wife, U.S. District Court Judge Lonnie Suko said in sentencing Randock.

The judge said that under court rulings and federal sentencing guidelines, a defendant's age and medical issues are not relevant in determining where a sentence is served unless the defense establishes that an "extraordinary physical condition" exists. Randock and his at torney failed to prove that, said the judge, who was limited to the 36-month term unless he rejected the written plea agreements that called for that sentence.

"There's no constitutional right ¡K to a particular kind of medical care" for federal felons, the judge said.

Schweda said his client had open-heart surgery in April after earlier heart attacks and strokes, and takes 11 prescription medications.

If sent to prison, Schweda said, Randock is "afraid he will end up dead or paralyzed. He's afraid he will die in prison."

In federal prison Randock may not be allowed to take the types of medicines prescribed by his doctors, Schweda said.

He also would be subjected to a "rigid routine, won't have the right pillow, won't be able to eat when he wants and will be in an environment where he could be victimized by younger inmates," Schweda said.

But the prosecutor said it was the seriousness of the crime, not Randock's health, that should dictate where he serves his prison term.

The Randocks were not only selling bogus and counterfeit degrees, the prosecutor told the court, they also were operating fraudulent accreditation and evaluations companies that Steven Randock helped set up.

"This was a very, very serious crime," Jacobs told the court. "It presented a significant risk of danger to the public."

If the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies hadn't begun Operation Gold Seal in early 2005 and obtained grand jury indictments against the Randocks and six others, the number of fraudulent degrees sold by the operation would now be double or triple the 10,000, Jacobs said.

The prosecutor said the federal prison system will do a thorough examination of Randock, as it does with the 180,000 other federal prisoners, and provide the appropriate level of medical care.

His attorney told the court that Randock wasn't a leader or organizer and was only doing what his wife told him to do as part of the conspiracy.

Randock didn't stand to address the court, as is routine, but read a prepared statement, telling the court he wanted to apologize to "my family and friends." He didn't mention the public or customers who bought degrees from the diploma mill.

Randock said he wanted to serve his prison term in home confinement, living with his mother-in-law if his wife eventually goes to prison.

"I don't think I could take the rigorous routines of prison," Randock told the judge. "I'm sorry this has ever happened, and I'll never be in trouble again."

If a bill's impact or importance were measured by its length or the amount of time Congress spent working on it, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HR 4137) would be one for the ages. At more than 1,150 pages, the bill is about 20 times longer than the Higher Education Act of 1965 that it modifies, creating 64 new programs and touching on issues as diverse as the availability of Pell Grants and illegal downloading of digital music and video. And the legislation, which finally passed both the House and the Senate by overwhelmingly margins on Thursday, has been in discussion on Capitol Hill, in one form or another, for most of this decade. It is five years overdue...

The bill became law when it was signed by President Bush on August 14, 2008.

Material related to diploma mills can be found on pages 10 and 17 and is quoted here:

Title I--General Provisions; Sec. 103. Additional Definitions; (a) Additional Definitions:

."..(20) DIPLOMA MILL.—The term 'diploma mill' means an
entity that—

  "(A)(i) offers, for a fee, degrees, diplomas, or certificates,
  that may be used to represent to the general public
  that the individual possessing such a degree, diploma, or
  certificate has completed a program of postsecondary education
  or training; and

    "(ii) requires such individual to complete little or no
    education or coursework to obtain such degree, diploma,
    or certificate; and

  "(B) lacks accreditation by an accrediting agency or
  association that is recognized as an accrediting agency
  or association of institutions of higher education (as such
  term is defined in section 102) by—

    "(i) the Secretary pursuant to subpart 2 of part
    H of title IV; or

    "(ii) a Federal agency, State government, or other
    organization or association that recognizes accrediting
    agencies or associations.

...

Title I--General Provisions; Sec. 109. Diploma Mills:

Part B of title I (20 U.S.C. 1011 et seq.) is further amended
by adding at the end the following:

"SEC. 123. DIPLOMA MILLS.

  "(a) INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.—The Secretary shall maintain
  information and resources on the Department's website to
  assist students, families, and employers in understanding what
  a diploma mill is and how to identify and avoid diploma mills.

  "(b) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall continue to collaborate
  with the United States Postal Service, the Federal Trade
  Commission, the Department of Justice (including the Federal
  Bureau of Investigation), the Internal Revenue Service, and the
  Office of Personnel Management to maximize Federal efforts to—

    "(1) prevent, identify, and prosecute diploma mills; and

    "(2) broadly disseminate to the public information about
    diploma mills, and resources to identify diploma mills.."
  

The quality of an online outlet West Middlesex teachers are using to work toward master's degrees is being called into question, board President Thomas Hubert said.

At least ten teachers used allowances provided through the district's tuition reimbursement plan to take online courses from Idaho-based Canyon College, Hubert said.

The institution is a Web-based operation that top officials in education around the country have dubbed a "diploma mill," news reports say.

A teacher with a master's degree in West Middlesex makes about $2,400 more a year than those without, an outline of their contract says.

Six teachers — Brenda Brooks, Brad Mild, Chad Mild, Nicole Nych, Edward Pikna and Mike Williams — were each reimbursed $2,400 in June for courses completed through Canyon, a record of board expenses shows.

The online college isn't listed among over 250 outlets legally authorized to grant degrees in Pennsylvania, according to a roster compiled by the state Department of Education.

Hubert said another four teachers in the past few months were also reimbursed the same amount for classes through Canyon and all teachers had been approved prior to starting the courses by Superintendent Alan Baldarelli.

Hubert said he wasn't aware that any teachers had completed master's degrees through Canyon or been awarded pay increases.

The board didn't question its Canyon because they believed Baldarelli, who was unavailable for comment Thursday, already had checked out Canyon, Hubert said.

The state Department of Education regulates teacher certification but allows individual school districts to distinguish the legitimacy of a master's degree, said Michael Race, the agency's deputy press secretary.

Teachers in Pennsylvania are required to complete 180 hours of professional development every five years related to their specialty to stay certified, Race said.

"There are various ways to meet it," he said, noting teachers have other options than taking classes toward a master's degree.

A teacher who pursued a master's degree at a local college alerted school directors earlier this month her colleagues were taking online courses toward the same degree in a program that was much shorter, Hubert said.

Race said he's unaware of any problems created by Canyon College in the state or of teachers in other districts using the Web site to get degrees.

The state "wouldn't have any role in accrediting Canyon College," Race said. The institution is headquartered in Caldwell, Idaho, its Web site says.

The institution is independent and provides students distant opportunities to acquire a degree from 80 programs, said Phil, a director of administrator services at the college who declined to give his last name.

"We have good master's programs and you can put us up across the board as far as course content," he said.

The institution has created more than one headache for many west coast departments of education, said Alan L. Contreres, an administrator with the Oregon state Office of Degree Authorization in Eugene.

Contreres said he's found himself at odds with the college several times.

"They've been rattling around there for ten years," he said. "The state of Idaho doesn't list it as an approved school."

Ten states consider a degree obtained from the college to be fraudulent, Contreres said.

Williams said he's certain Canyon College is accredited and is coming under fire because of an unfamiliarity with both the institution and online classes.

"It's not 1950 anymore when you have to have a teacher or a professor," Williams said. "I stand behind what we're doing."

West Middlesex teachers are eligible to be reimbursed for up to $2,400 in continuing education costs each year and are given the money within 30 days of showing proof of satisfactory course completion, their contract says.

Teachers were encouraged to use the Canyon College program by two colleagues, math teacher Mark D. Hogue and former social studies teacher Joseph W. Pasquerilla, Hubert said.

Hogue and Pasquerilla distributed fliers to teachers advertising Canyon College, Hubert said. The fliers list Hogue as the institution's curriculum coordinator. They identify Pasquerilla, as "Dr. Pasquerilla," program director, and show e-mail addresses for both men with the college. Hubert said he didn't know if Pasquerilla's graduate degree came from Canyon.

The fliers say teachers can form "cohorts" of four to 12 teachers who can work together on degrees and submit assignments as a unit.

Pasquerilla referred comment to Canyon College's hierarchy and a message left for Hogue wasn't immediately returned.

Pasquerilla, whose father is Brookfield school board President Joseph Pasquerilla, left the district earlier this summer to take a principal's position with North Hills School District in Ross Township, a Pittsburgh suburb, Hubert said.

Williams said he completed five classes through the Web site this spring and is hoping to finish a master's degree in special education.

Williams said the program's been a plus and inspired him to be a better teacher.

The classes are "really no different" than those administered at Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV in Grove City. The course work isn't as easy as people think and is helping him and others better serve the students, he said.

Hubert said he disagrees with the validity of any accreditation the institution may have and questions the taxpayers' funding of it.

School directors also alerted Southwest Mercer County Regional police and District Attorney Robert Kochems of the situation, Hubert said.

The board meets next at 7 p.m. Monday in the band room at Oakview Elementary School.

A woman on trial for stabbing her estranged husband in the back was found unconscious in her apartment this morning...

Nancy Bautista had attempted suicide in May, and had been suicidal in the months before the trial, her attorney said.

Defense attorney Michael Ferber said her doctor spoke with her Thursday evening at 7 p.m. and she was "in great spirits."

But the defense case took a bad turn Thursday afternoon when a key expert, Roger Carlson, took the stand and admitted that his doctorate in psychology came from a diploma mill in Texas. Carlson was to testify that Nancy Bautista was under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the attack on her husband and that her troubles could be traced to an abusive childhood.

Jefferson County investigator Russ Boatright said he was able to obtain his own Ph.D. in psychology in less than 24 hours from Carlson's alma mater, Belford University, which he said also offers applicants a near-perfect grade-point average for an additional $75 fee.

Ferber said he just found out about the background of his expert Thursday. "It was a total shock," said Ferber. He said Carlson has several clinics in metro area and he has sent clients there in the past...

The state Department of Education is reviewing the validity of doctoral degrees obtained by the Freehold Regional High School superintendent and another administrator. The degrees were issued by an online school that Alabama officials this week chastened as an "apparent diploma mill."

Superintendent H. James Wasser, 58, and assistant superintendent Donna Evangelista, 50, both received degrees in the past two years from Breyer State University, which was based in Alabama at the time.

Former assistant superintendent Frank J. Tanzini, 58, also received a degree from Breyer before his recent retirement — after receiving a raise for being awarded a doctorate degree.

Alabama did not renew Breyer State's operating license last month as part of a crackdown on diploma mills, according to the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education.

"One of (Breyer State's) many violations included conferring honorary doctorates on individuals based on life and work experience, a one-time application fee and a monetary contribution to the institution," the postsecondary education department said in a statement this week. "The institution offers an unheard of self-design degree program that allows the creation of a curriculum based on mentoring."

Breyer State and another cited institution were "apparent diploma mills . . . taking shameful advantage of hundreds of unsuspecting students,"

Alabama officials said in the statement.

Freehold Regional paid $8,700 total in tuition so all three administrators could do course work with Breyer State. The school has moved to an office suite in Boise, Idaho. Calls to the school, picked up by an answering service, were not returned.

The tuition reimbursements for the three administrators were paid after Breyer State submitted invoices with the misspelling "Reciept" in bold letters at the top of the page.

The New Jersey Department of Education is "aware of the situation, and it is under review" to see if the current and former Freehold Regional administrators misused academic titles, said Rich Vespucci, spokesman for the department.

State law provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 for using academic credentials bearing one's name if the credentials were not granted by an authorized institution. Breyer State states on its Web site that it is not accredited by any agency authorized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Carol Fox, president of the Marlboro Parent Teacher Student Organization, said Wasser should pay back the district for the tuition.

"I want schools and teachers and administrations to be above-board," she said. "This is what we have to teach our children. We're supposed to be role models. Getting a degree from that organization is not being a role model, it's teaching how to cheat."

According to Board of Education meeting minutes, Tanzini received a $2,500-a-year raise in November shortly before his December retirement for completing a doctoral degree, based on his contract.

Evangelista was promoted from administrative supervisor for human resources to interim assistant superintendent in December, and from interim to permanent assistant superintendent in April. Wasser received a $2,500-a-year raise for the doctorate degree, based on the terms of his contract.

Wasser received his doctorate in June 2006, Evangelista in June 2007.

Wasser released a written statement in response to questions by the Asbury Park Press that said:

"Engaging in a traditional program or completing research on-line is a personal preference. I chose to take a practical approach to my advanced degree because it afforded me the opportunity for meaningful study without taking valuable time away from what is most important to me: the daily responsibilities of this district and students."

He added, "My two years of study provided me with valuable insights in dealing with at-risk students."

Wasser wrote a 105-page dissertation entitled "The Impact of the Superintendent's Disciplinary Hearings on Identified At-Risk Students' Behaviors." The paper included 74 pages of content, five pages of bibliography citing 90 sources, and 23 pages of appendices.

The dissertation studies 25 Freehold Regional High School district "at-risk" students, identified only with initials. Their problems included poor grades, bad attendance and misbehavior. Wasser's one-on-one method for dealing with these students was researched in his work.

Wasser teaches a class on adolescent counseling at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, where he has taught for 25 years. A Rutgers spokesman said a doctorate is not required to teach the course.

Tanzini said he had not known Breyer State lacked accreditation, but said he had checked out the school before he enrolled.

"I had seen some of the information on their Web site and read some of the dissertations from their students," Tanzini said. "It seemed reputable. . . . I thought it was a good opportunity. The cost was reasonable."

Tanzini said he wants to become an educational consultant now that he's retired...

A diploma ought to mean something, ought to represent some measure of academic attainment that a prospective employer or another educational institution can consider valid. Too often in Alabama, long a haven for "diploma mills," that isn't the case.

That will be changing under the increased scrutiny planned by the state Department of Postsecondary Education and announced -- pointedly -- by Chancellor Bradley Byrne this week. The need for it is beyond question.

Alabama's public institutions face regular accrediting examinations, but the state also has more than 250 private, for-profit institutions that offer degrees. Some of them are legitimate schools, accredited institutions that present legitimate higher education alternatives.

Others, however, are nothing but diploma mills that provide meaningless degrees that employers and other educational institutions do not recognize -- and certainly should not recognize. They are colossal rip-offs for the students who given them money for tuition and fees, often going into debt to do so. They are an affront not only to the very concept of genuine education, but also to the society they brazenly expect to accept their shoddy offerings.

Horror stories are all too common. Last month, the department declined to renew the license of Breyer State University in Birmingham. It's not a university at all, but a textbook example of a diploma mill. It awarded doctorates -- doctorates -- to people on the basis of life and work experiences, along with a financial contribution to the school. Not exactly a model of academic rigor.

In May, the department revoked the license of Columbus College in Mobile. Its "operations" operated out of a post office box.

As the Advertiser's Markeshia Ricks reported, licensing fees for private, for-profit colleges will be increased to an annual minimum of $2,500, with the funds used to beef up department staff for enforcement.

Stricter reporting requirements will be instituted. The schools will have to provide audited financial statements and copies of tax returns. Operators must have clean records, with no convictions involving crimes of moral turpitude and no successful lawsuits against them for fraud or deceptive trade practices in the past 10 years.

The department will take steps to close schools that offer poor-quality coursework. (In some cases, the coursework isn't even that good. It's non-existent, with actual academic work eliminated in favor of dubious "life experience" credits.)

"We are going to adhere to state Board of Education policy, increase our manpower and strengthen our guidelines," Byrne said. "We are not going to allow any college to commit academic or economic fraud on our citizens."

No such fraud should ever be countenanced. It should be noted that there is nothing inherently wrong with for-profit colleges. Some of them provide solid educational opportunities and willingly subject themselves to the same accrediting standards as public institutions. They're supportive of the department's crackdown on diploma mills. It's the bogus schools that have cause to worry now.

This added scrutiny is many years overdue. A good case can be made that the licensing of for-profit colleges should be the responsibility of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and legislation to that effect has been introduced in the last two regular sessions of the Legislature.

It hasn't passed, however, so the responsibility continues to rest with the Department of Postsecondary Education. Given that reality, Byrne is right to pursue this course and to do so vigorously.

An exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation first exposed some state employees and their questionable degrees, and tax payers paid for some of those degrees? Get this - tax payers have continued paying.

NewsChannel 5's Chief Investigative Reporter Phil Williams noted a real education at a real school can cost a lot of money. It turns out a not-so-real education can cost just as much money - just ask the spokesperson for Nashville Electric Service.

"He didn't realize it wasn't a legitimate institution," Teresa Corlew said about NES Vice President Eddie Andrews, whose resume boasts an impressive-sounding Masters of Business Administration.

Andrews has an official-looking diploma from Kennedy-Western University.

"He said the course work seemed difficult," Corlew told Williams. "He also said he wrote a 160-page thesis, so he assumed it was a legitimate institution."

Four years ago, a congressional investigation showed how the unaccredited Kennedy-Western University was a highlighted example of what was dubbed a diploma mill.

"The test was open-book, multiple-choice, a hundred questions," an investigator told the Senate committee.

Committee members heard that students were expected to buy a few textbooks, but the tests could usually be aced by just flipping through the index. If students flunked they could retake the same tests until they passed.

"Based on my observations during the time I worked at Kennedy-Western, I can tell you that there is no value to a Kennedy-Western education," a former employee testified.

In Andrews' case, NES records show he delivered straight A's, and the power company paid the bills: about $15,000 in all for Andrews and two other NES employees...

State Employees List Suspect Degrees, NewsChannel 5, Nashville, Tennessee, July 14, 2008.

When you hire someone for a job, you want someone who's got all the right credentials, but an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation discovered that you've got people working for you whose degrees may not be all that they seem.

NewsChannel 5's chief investigative reporter Phil Williams found people with questionable creddentials on the government's payroll.

"She was a victim, perhaps, of the come-on from this particular company," State Commerce Commissioner Leslie Newman said about Linda Lichtenberger.

Last month, Newman hired Lichtenberger to head the state's codes enforcement training program.

The job description called for "graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree" or an equivalent amount of experience.

"She has almost three times the minimum required equivalent experience," Newman said.

Still, Lichtenberger signed her state application saying she had attended Belford University, receiving a bachelor's in business.

What the commissioner didn't know at the time was this: "It is a sham institution," Newman told Williams.

Belford's slick web site offers affordable bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in just seven days. Get credit for what you've learned in life for only $449.

The commissioner defended Lichtenberger. "I think again it was an innocent attempt on her part to roll up all of the hours of course work that she had taken."

Innocent or not, when Lichtenberger (like all Belford graduated) ordered her degree she could also request transcripts, make up your own graduation date and even pick her grade point average. A perfect 4.0 costs an extra $75.

Williams also went online and applied for the degree "vegetable psychology." When asked for his experience, Williams typed that he had "helped a lot of tomatoes grow." Within seconds he was approved for a bachelor's degree!

"How could she not know this was a sham?" Williams asked Newman.

"I can't answer that," Newman admitted.

Rich Rhoda heads the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and he too looked into Belford and constructed his own opinion.

"Do they think this is how it works? There may be one such person out there," Rhoda said. "It is something for nothing. It's fraud."

Then, there's Frank Reed, the head softball coach for University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Williams confronted the coach in his office.

"You just come in unannounced. I'm sitting here working," Reed said to Williams.

"I've tried to reach you over and over, coach - you know that," Williams responded.

"That doesn't really matter," Reed said.

When Reed was hired seven years ago, the job called for at least a bachelor's - "master's preferred," and his application had both degrees from Western States University.

"Are your degrees fake?" Williams asked.

"No," the coach responded.

In fact, Western States is a now-defunct company, offering "life experience" degrees for things like writing reports, volunteer work and even being a volunteer fireman.

"It's not a reputable institution of higher education," Rhoda said about Western States.

"Do you think parents have a right to know how you got your degrees?" Williams asked Reed.

"They know, and the school knows," Reed insisted.

In fact, a UTC spokesman said Reed "presented the credentials that we requested." Despite the coach's work with students, Chuck Cantrell said his suspect degrees really aren't a problem.

"In terms of that position, he met the minimum requirements," Cantrell said.

"And the minimum requirements were for a legitimate bachelor's or master's degree," Williams notes.

"Well, it said, bachelor's degree," Cantrell answered. "There's no adjective there."

Still, UTC isn't alone. NewsChannel 5's investigation discovered professors at several Board of Regents colleges who call themselves doctors have Ph.D. degrees from unknown universities.

"Dr." William Kitchen, an assistant professor at Nashville State, claims a Ph.D. from Cambridge State University. That's an unaccredited operation that was forced out of several states.

"Dr." Clark McKinney, an assistant professor of psychology from Southwest Tennessee Community College, lists a Ph.D. from Brighton University. That's another operation closed by court order.

"Dr." Michael Wright, also from Southwest, lists not one, but two Ph.D. degrees from the Greenwich University. It also was forced to close.

Still, the Tennessee Board of Regents said all three have legitimate masters' - the minimum requirements - so the board doesn't have a problem with their doctorate degrees.

It's a stance that Rhoda has questioned.

"One thing about academic institutions is that academic integrity is at the very core that's the coin of the realm. I mean you have to be who you say you are," Rhoda said.

As to those trying to get ahead, consumer advocates said degrees from places like Belford usually don't open any doors.

As for those NewsChannel 5 discovered, we can't tell say if any of those people intended to deceive anyone or if they really thought they were getting legitimate degrees. Right now, in every case, their bosses said their jobs were safe.

MONTGOMERY – Alabama has a reputation as a good place to do business, but there's one industry that is no longer welcome: diploma mills.

In a news conference Monday, Alabama Community College System Chancellor Bradley Byrne announced an aggressive new initiative to shut down fraudulent for-profit colleges and better regulate the legitimate ones.

"Fraudulent institutions do not belong in this state – period," Byrne stated. "We are going to adhere to State Board of Education policy, increase our manpower, and strengthen our guidelines. We are not going to allow any college to commit academic or economic fraud on our citizens."

Byrne emphasized that the new regulations, which will become effective October 1, are not meant to hinder legitimate operations. "For-profit institutions are an important part of the educational landscape throughout the United States," he said. "In shutting down the diploma mills, we help protect the reputations of the legitimate proprietary institutions."

In addition to much more stringent guidelines (see attached bullet list), fees will be increased to help the department pay for additional staff to adequately provide oversight to for-profit institutions, Byrne said. The private colleges also will be required to ante up a significantly higher bond to ensure that students' investment in tuition is even better protected. The Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education (DPE) oversees the state's 27 public community and technical colleges and, since legislation enacted in 2004, also licenses for-profit colleges. Previously, the Department of Education handled that duty. During the past legislative session, Postsecondary sought to turn over private school licensure to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, which DPE officials contend is better equipped for the task, but the measure was defeated.

"If Postsecondary is going to be responsible for private school licensure, then we're going to do it right," Byrne said. "Legitimate private school operators have told me they support our new initiatives. I'm putting the illegitimate ones on notice: We're going to run you out of our state."

Currently there are 258 licensed private institutions operating in Alabama, and only three full-time staff members in DPE's Private School Licensure (PSL) Division. Despite being woefully understaffed, PSL has recently investigated and closed the books on 18 private institutions, through either rejection of applications or license revocation or non-renewal.

"For many years, Alabama has been considered one of the Seven Sorry Sisters: states that had bad laws or ineffective enforcement. These states became havens for diploma mills and substandard degree providers," said Alan Contreras, administrator for the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization and outspoken critic of diploma mills. The other states, Contreras said, are Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

"Those of us who work in education quality control are very pleased to see the excellent recent enforcement efforts by the state of Alabama," Contreras said. "This kind of consumer protection effort is crucial for not only your state's reputation, but for protecting the public against people with substandard credentials."

Diploma mills

While many of the institutions closed for legitimate reasons, some – notably Columbus University and Breyer State University – were operating apparent diploma mills and taking shameful advantage of hundreds of unsuspecting students.

Columbus University was issued a license to operate in Alabama in November 2007. PSL staff investigating the institution found that it was first operating out of a condo in Daphne, and later moved its address to a post office box in Mobile. PSL staff revoked Columbus University's license in May after an intensive review of the institution uncovered a number of violations ranging from not requiring general education courses to producing degrees that are not valid or are not recognized by employers or accrediting agencies across the country.

According to the Columbus University website, the school claims to offer 128 associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. This was to be accomplished, PSL investigators learned, with only three faculty members – none of whom were qualified to teach the majority of the courses offered. In fact, some of the faculty claimed degrees awarded to them by Columbus University.

Breyer State University was issued a license to operate in the state in October 2004, and was non-renewed this June. One of the Jefferson County institution's many violations included conferring honorary doctorates on individuals based on life and work experience, a one-time application fee and a monetary contribution to the institution. In addition, the institution offers an unheard of self-design degree program which allows the creation of a curriculum based on mentoring.

Breyer State, according to its website, offers 74 associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. Breyer State claimed to have 120 faculty members holding bachelor's, graduate and post-graduate degrees, however, it was discovered that many of the faculty's degrees did not come from accredited institutions.

Since losing its license to operate in Alabama, Breyer State moved to Idaho.

Going forward

"Next January and every January thereafter," Byrne said, "we are going to publish an annual report card that will allow the public to see at a glance not only how our public colleges are doing, but also know exactly what they're getting from a for-profit institution." K-12 schools in Alabama already provide this kind of information to the public. Byrne said the annual report card will be easily accessible to the public on the Alabama Community College System's website.

"We want to make our educational institutions completely transparent and consumer-friendly," Byrne said. Among the details on the report card will be precise descriptions of course offerings, whether the institution is accredited by any recognized board or agency, and tuition and fees.

Byrne noted that many for-profit institutions offer the same courses available at public community or technical colleges, but at greatly increased tuition rates. "All prospective students should be able to make clear choices and be fully apprised of the cost as they are planning for their future. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous for-profits withhold cost information until the student comes in and gets pressured into signing a contract for exorbitant tuition and fees."

The Private School Licensure Division of the department also expects to implement an online application form and other technology solutions to facilitate transparency, consistency, better monitoring and to make the process more user-friendly.

Public community colleges are committed to affordability and access, Byrne said, especially when state four-year institutions continue to increase tuition.

"It's only fair that for-profit colleges are as transparent as public ones," Byrne said. "If a student compares costs and program quality and still opts for the for-profits, so be it. But we think this report card will open citizens' eyes to the quality education and comparatively modest cost of the quality education available through the Alabama Community College System."

Victor K. Biebighauser, president of South University, Montgomery, supported the department's initiative, saying: "There is no constituency in the state more supportive of appropriate oversight and regulation to protect citizens from illegitimate diploma mills than the accredited school community." Biebighauser, also president of the Alabama Association of Private Colleges & Schools, an association of accredited licensed private postsecondary institutions in the state, added "The Alabama Private School License Law is a good statute, and we applaud the efforts by Chancellor Byrne to apply the provisions of the law in an appropriate and rigorous manner for the benefit of students, taxpayers, and institutions."

Does it really matter whether doctors, nurses and engineers have legitimate degrees?

Of course it does. And it's in the public's best interest to know when people holding responsible jobs bought their "degrees" from an online diploma mill instead of attending college, taking classes and passing exams.

But even though the U.S. Department of Justice knows the identities of more than 10,000 people who bought fake degrees from a single Spokane-based diploma mill, it won't give out that information. The U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington, James A. McDevitt, says releasing the names of the people who bought phony degrees is contrary to Department of Justice policy.

Then the policy is wrong and needs to be changed. The only party that benefits from the policy is the customer with a fake degree. The public and employers are losers.

The owner of the mill – which made millions as part of an Internet scheme – was sentenced last week to three years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Several employees received lesser sentences.

The mill sold fake degrees in nursing, medicine engineering, counseling and other fields from phony institutions such as St. Regis University and James Monroe University. It also sold counterfeit diplomas from legitimate universities, including Texas A&M, the University of Tennessee and George Washington University. It didn't matter if employers tried to check out the diplomas; the mill's owner had a separate operation to handle verification calls.

It's easy to see how the public's safety is put at risk by allowing people with fake degrees to continue in such jobs as nurses, doctors and engineers. But there are also financial considerations. Employers often pay higher salaries, give promotions and provide more lucrative retirement benefits based on workers' educational levels. And many of the phony degrees went to people in public sector jobs, such as schoolteachers and firefighters – so taxpayers foot the bill for the fraud.

At least one of the diploma mill's customers worked in the White House, and dozens of others worked for the Department of Defense. A fake degree even allowed an Army enlisted man to become an officer.

Disclosing the names of those who bought fake degrees – and the resulting publicity – could serve an important deterrent effect. But failure to disclose the names allows the customers to continue defrauding their employers and makes the government an accessory to that fraud.

Most seriously, it puts the public's health and safety at risk.

Operators of a Spokane diploma mill are heading to federal prison, while senior Justice Department officials say they are going to keep secret the names of the [9,612] buyers who used the bogus and counterfeit degrees to get jobs, promotions and enhanced retirements.

James A. McDevitt, the U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington, reversed his earlier public promise to release the names, saying last week that a Justice Department policy prevents him from releasing them.

The region's senior federal law enforcement official took that stand Wednesday after one of his staff prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, said in court that the buyers' use of such bogus degrees in the health care, engineering and other professions "puts the public at risk."

"I was hoping at some time we could release the list of names of these buyers," McDevitt said in an interview.

"I'd love to release the list, but I've been convinced it would be contrary to (Department of Justice) policy," he said.

That decision is expected to draw criticism from higher education and academic accreditation agencies, as well as open-government groups...

Criticism also came from former FBI agent Allen Ezell, who spent most of his career investigating the sale of counterfeit and bogus college credentials. He is now a vice president in charge of corporate fraud for Wachovia Corp.

By not releasing the names, the federal government is providing no deterrent to future purchasers and is aiding the perpetuation of fraud by the buyers, including those who bought counterfeit diplomas from real universities, the former FBI agent said.

"I think it's totally wrong to not make these public," Ezell said when reached on vacation in South Carolina. "The whole purpose of a diploma mill is to sell false academic credentials to people who, we jolly-well know, are going to use them."

By concealing their identities, he said the federal government "is becoming an accessory to fraud and is allowing these people to continue perpetrating a crime.."..

Dixie Randock, the mastermind of a Spokane based phony diploma racket, has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Three years was the maximum sentence that could have been imposed on Randock. She, along with her husband Steve and their daughter Heidi Lorhan pled guilty to to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud charges in March of this year

All three were being sentenced in a Spokane court Wednesday. Lorhan received a one-year prison term while Steve's fate was being decided later Wednesday afternoon.

Another employee, Roberta Markishtum, was also sentenced during the proceedings. She was the last member of the racket to plead guilty, admitting fault to a lesser charge late in March. She was sentenced to four months in jail.

Prosecutors say the Randock family, along with associates, raked in more than $6 million while hawking phony diplomas for universities that don't exist. Operating out of their home in Mead and various businesses throughout the area, some 8200 bogus degrees were mailed from Spokane to customers around the world.

The diploma mill operators most notably invented St. Regis University, showing pictures of Winston Churchill's childhood home as the alleged campus and bribing Liberian officials for accreditation.

Numerous others have been found guilty for their involvement in the ring. Wednesday marks the end of the road for the racket's major players, however a few court proceedings will still be required to bring the matter to a close for some lesser involved people.

The man said he was a retired military officer from Syria, which the American government deems a sponsor of terrorists. He wanted credentials as a chemical engineer, useful for getting a visa to work in the United States. Could James Monroe University help?

For $1,277, it did. Within days, he received three undergraduate and advanced degrees in chemistry and environmental engineering, based on his "life experience," according to documents in federal court. Although the degrees looked authentic, Monroe had no faculty or courses; the "adviser" evaluating "life experience" was a high school dropout.

Monroe was one of more than 120 fictitious universities operated by Dixie and Steven K. Randock Sr., a couple from Colbert, Wash., who sold diplomas for a price, according to a three-year federal investigation that ended in guilty pleas from the Randocks to mail and wire fraud. The inquiry into their diploma mill, which operated most often as St. Regis University, provides the most up-to-date portrait of how diploma factories can harness the rapidly evolving power of the Internet to expand their reach.

The Randocks will be sentenced on Wednesday. Six former employees have also pleaded guilty to federal charges and await sentencing.

Through their lawyers, the Randocks declined to comment; the court documents describe an operation that grew from a trickle to a flood from 1999 to 2005, when the authorities shut it down after its transaction with the Syrian officer, who was actually a Secret Service agent. The company became more inventive and bold, with revenues growing from $5,000 in 1999 to $1.65 million in 2005, and churning out more than 10,000 diplomas for customers in 131 countries.

The Randocks took in more than $7 million, said Thomas Rice, a spokesman for the chief federal prosecutor in Spokane. They created 121 fictitious universities, and produced counterfeit degrees claiming to be from scores of real universities, the court papers say.

"If they got their money, you got your diploma," Mr. Rice said...

CHEYENNE -- A law passed by the Legislature in 2006 to stiffen the requirements for private post-secondary educational institutions is constitutional, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled today.

The uninamous opinion also upheld rules adopted by the Wyoming Department of Education to enforce the law.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Newport International University against the Wyoming Department of Education and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jim McBride.

The 2006 law, designed to discourage so-called "diploma mills," requires private, post-secondary, degree-granting institutions to become accredited within five years, to be licensed by the department and meet the department's minimum standards.

Newport International filed suit when the department rejected its renewal application.

     Academic reputation is restored, Star-Tribune Editorial Board, Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune, July 4, 2008.

In the not-too-distant past, a degree from a private school in Wyoming was greeted with deserved skepticism. The state was the diploma mill capital of the West.

But a new state law passed in 2006, coupled with the Wyoming Supreme Court's recent ruling upholding its constitutionality, has rid the state of 20 post-secondary, degree-granting "institutions" operating in Wyoming.

Before the new law went into effect, these unaccredited schools could operate if they obtained licenses from the Wyoming Department of Education, posted bonds and paid an annual fee.

Now, they are required to become accredited within five years, licensed by the department, and meet the department's minimum standards.

The superintendent of public instruction, Jim McBride, worked with the Legislature to carefully craft the new law so there were no loopholes. The result, McBride said, has increased Wyoming's academic reputation nationwide.

You bet it has. No longer can anyone rent a post office box or a storefront, meet the state's minimal requirements and start selling dubious degrees. The private schools operating in Wyoming have all met the new requirements and are recognized as legitimate operations.

It made no sense for Wyoming to invest so much money in K-12 and post-secondary education, only to serve as a haven for diploma mills. Fortunately, our officials recognized the problem and took action to solve it. Good job.

• Vancouver University Worldwide

   

  On May 1, 2007 the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted a permanent injunction to the Minister of Advanced Education preventing Vancouver University Worldwide (Raymond Rodgers, Vancouver University Colleges Society, Geo Vancouver University Colleges Corporation), from contravening the Degree Authorization Act of British Columbia.

  Under the terms of this injunction, Vancouver University Worldwide is restrained from granting or conferring a degree or from selling or offering for sale or advertising for sale, a diploma, certificate, document or other material that implies the granting or conferring of a degree in British Columbia.

   

• Rutherford University

  ...seems to have evaporated.

   

• Lansbridge University

   

  ...On May 1, 2007, the term of consent ended and Lansbridge University no longer has authority to operate in British Columbia.

   

• Upper Iowa University

   

  ...The board found that Upper Iowa University did not meet the criteria established and published by the minister and recommended to the minister that consent not be granted.

  The minister reviewed the board's recommendation and determined that consent under the Degree Authorization Act could not be granted to Upper Iowa University.

  On April 11, 2007, the temporary exemption under the Degree Authorization Act ended, and Upper Iowa University has closed its Vancouver operations.

   

A founder of American World University says she pulled her controversial college out of Mississippi because of a new law aimed at unaccredited institutions like hers.

"The regulations became too laborious and too much," said Maxine Asher, who started American World University two decades ago. "We decided it wasn't the place for us."

In 2006, Mississippi lawmakers empowered the state Commission on College Accreditation to shut down unapproved colleges and reputed diploma mills. Menia Dykes, executive secretary for the commission, said the law may need to be tweaked to "make it tighter."

A historical lack of oversight has made Mississippi a haven for such businesses.

"We have had some of the most lax higher education regulations in the country," said Tom Head of Jackson, who is co-author of Best Education Degrees and other books on distance learning.

For years, virtually anyone who wanted to start a college could, often setting up shop in Mississippi by way of office space or post office boxes. "Louisiana and surrounding states were tightening their regulations so they would just move across the line," Dykes said.

In 2005, university presidents expressed alarm at this influx of unlicensed schools, saying they perpetuated negative perceptions about Mississippi.

In response, lawmakers passed a law to crack down on these schools, giving the commission the power to ask courts to order these institutions to stop offering unapproved post-secondary academic degrees.

Although tough talk has not translated into any litigation, the 2006 law is having some effect.

After being shown the door in three other states, American World University operated out of Pascagoula before leaving.

In 2005, American World University offered prospective students a special on "all degrees" for $1,000, including a "free graduation gown."

But Asher denied accusations her institution is a diploma mill, saying students seeking a bachelor's degree must complete 130 hours of work.

She said she has plenty of enemies "who would love to get rid of me. They would love to get rid of me because look at the schools that are charging $20,000."

These days, a degree at American World University costs $1,200. "I wish some day I could go on national television and tell it like it is," Asher said. "I have four doctorates, and they still make mincemeat out of me."

Author John Bear, a nationally known expert on diploma mills, said the kind of institution American World University is can be illustrated by the fact Asher lost a $125,000 judgment in Hawaii for failing to state her university wasn't properly accredited.

When Asher was unable to get American World University accredited years ago, she started her own accrediting service, the World Association of Universities and Colleges, which the U.S. Department of Education has never recognized.

Accreditation is overrated in the United States, she said. "The University of Oxford isn't accredited. It's ridiculous."

She said everybody "wants to start a school, and it's not that easy. We do it right, but we're still maligned."

Her association has accredited four of the 11 unapproved institutions listed as operating in Mississippi in 2007.

One of them, Cambridge State University, was closed down in Louisiana in 1998. A year later, Hawaii ordered Cambridge to cease claiming it was accredited. Cambridge then moved to Mississippi.

After being declared a diploma mill by Oregon officials, Madison University set up shop in Mississippi. So did Columbus University.

Dykes pointed out just because an institution is unapproved by the state doesn't mean it's illegitimate. For instance, The University of Phoenix, a well-known online college, is now seeking approval from state officials to operate.

A diploma mill no longer operating in Mississippi is the American University of Hawaii.

In Hawaii in 2005, a judge ordered the closing of the university in that state after officials there complained the institution was illegally offering degrees in law and medicine.

The judge found the university's founder, Hassan Safavi, in contempt for failing to pay $500,000 in civil penalties and for failing to notify students and graduates that he would fully reimburse their tuition.

Rather than shutting down the university, Safavi simply moved the university to Mississippi, where it operated again before he shut it down, this time on his own.

Head suggested Mississippi follow the lead of Hawaii.

"They were the diploma mill capital 20 or 30 years ago," he said. "They changed their laws and cracked down hard. Now there are no degree mills in Hawaii."

National Universities Commission (NUC) has alerted the public on the operations of 15 illegal universities located in different states of the federation.

The commission, in a statement contained in its Monday bulletin, dissociated itself from the aforementioned institutions, warning that their activities have been reported to the police for further action.

It also warned Nigerians against patronising these illegal universities, saying certificates obtained from them would not be recognized for employment purposes.

Meanwhile, the African Development Bank (ADB) has come up with a new strategy aimed at reforming and transforming higher education systems in the African sub-region in readiness for global challenges.

At the 746th regular session of the board of directors of the bank, the members approved the initiative, which would also help in refining and providing greater focus in the implementation of the bank's policy on education sector.

According to the bulletin, board had decided that if Africa must be repositioned to increase its competitiveness, especially in the field of science and technology in education, all efforts must be geared towards "energizing and unlocking the minds for brighter economic prospects."

It said, "This is a landmark decision of the bank to focus on skills in science and technology to sustain economic growth and increase the competitiveness of African economies. As well, the state of deterioration of the infrastructure demands a vigorous and concerted effort to rehabilitate the institutions.

"Similarly, there is need to revisit the concept of centres of excellence and link the entire tertiary education with the productive sectors of the economies.

"The bank will pay particular attention to increasing access of women in science, technology and innovation."

The Illegal Universities

 

• National University of Nigeria, Keffi, (Nassarawa)
• Houdegbe North American University, Mushin (Lagos)
• North Central University, Oturpko (Benue)
• Christians of Charity American University of Science and Technology, Onitsha (Anambra)
• Leadway University, Ugheli (Delta)
• Saint Clements University, Ado Ekiti (Ekiti)
• Christ Alive Christian Seminary and University, Enugu (Enugu).
• Atlantic Intercontinental University, Okija, (Anambra)
• Metro University, Dutse (Abuja)
• Southend University, Ngwuro Egeru (Rivers) University of Industry, Yaba (Lagos)
• University of Applied Science and Management Port Novo, Republic of Benin
• Reverend D.O. Ockiya College of Technology and Management Sciences, Emeyal, (Bayelsa)
• St. Paul University College, Awka (Anambra)
• Blacksmith University, Awka, (Anambra).

Jackson Academy's headmaster, known to some as "Dr. Pat," earned his doctoral degree from a fraudulent university.

Pat Taylor acknowledges it - and so does his boss.

Taylor received a doctorate in secondary education from LaSalle University in Mandeville, La., in 1996 - the same year FBI agents raided the institution.

Its founder, James Kirk, pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion, admitting he used LaSalle and his church to swindle LaSalle students out of $36.5 million, taking $1.5 million of that cash to buy himself a white-columned mansion. He also admitted setting up his World Christian Church as a bogus front to avoid paying income taxes.

Author John Bear, a nationally renowned expert on diploma mills, said about a dozen states have passed laws that make it a crime to claim a degree from LaSalle or similar bogus institutions in resumes. "It's nothing you would want to use in any public way," he said.

Mississippi, however, has no such law, Bear said...

Peter Jernberg, president and CEO of Jackson Academy, defended the educator, saying he was well aware throughout the search process that Taylor had earned his doctoral degree from a diploma mill. "That wasn't even an issue," he said.

A doctoral degree was not required for the position, but a master's in education and significant administrative experience were, he said. "The committee spent the majority of its time exploring the impeccable record of service and accomplishments Pat Taylor had at St. Paul's Episcopal School (in Mobile), where he served for 34 years. Every reference the committee checked gave their highest recommendation of Pat Taylor."

Taylor has never misrepresented anything about his background, Jernberg said. "The headmaster, board and parents of St. Paul's Episcopal School were more aware than us of the circumstances of Pat's doctorate, and they had no issues with it for the 11 years he continued to serve there after earning it," Jernberg said.

JA parents reached Tuesday weren't bothered by the revelation or wouldn't comment. Byron Edgecombe, vice president of the JA Association, said the fact that Taylor earned his degree from a diploma mill "doesn't concern me at all. He's done a very good job when he's been here."

Each year, JA parents pay up to $9,900 a year in tuition.

Taylor said he didn't realize LaSalle was a diploma mill until after he graduated.

Since his release from prison, Kirk has started several other academic institutions, some of them in Mississippi, Bear said.

Taylor said he did, however, know LaSalle wasn't accredited.

Asked why he would get a degree from an institution that wasn't accredited, he replied he was more interested in the help the institution offered...

He said he chose LaSalle because someone on the staff at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital had recommended the institution. (There is a legitimate LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pa.)

Taylor said he could not recall the name of the professor under whom he did his doctoral dissertation, which included research on the best college options for students with learning disabilities.

He said he spent two to three years working on his research, which included a survey of college admission offices. "It was significant survey work," he said...

Rutledge said St. Paul's paid for Taylor's expenses at LaSalle, including paying a typist to type his dissertation...

As for Taylor continuing to list his doctoral degree on his resume, "I feel he earned it. I would not question that."

"Virginia's system of higher education is one of the most highly regarded in the country, and this bill is an important part of maintaining that integrity." That was Governor Tim Kaine's response to the passage of House Bill 766 during the reconvene session yesterday at the General Assembly.

As of July 1 when the law takes effect, anyone who issues, manufactures, or knowingly uses fraudulent academic credentials can be found guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by a sentence of up to 12 months in jail and fines of up to $2,500. Violations of the law should be reported to the Commonwealth's Attorney offices in the location where they occur.

The legislation was drafted after months of hard work by a consortium of stakeholders, including The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Career College Association (VCCA), Longwood University, the Virginia Community College System, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

The bill was sponsored by Delegate Robert Tata, chairman of the House Education Committee and long-time advocate for higher education in Virginia. "When fraudulent credentials go unchecked, it diminishes the credentials offered by legitimate institutions," said Delegate Tata.

The State Council reports that diploma mills have not yet become a problem in Virginia. However, the potential for serious harm should diploma mills begin to operate in the Commonwealth prompted this proactive legislation.

"As more states pass legislation prohibiting diploma mills, Virginia becomes more vulnerable," said Daniel J. LaVista, SCHEV's Executive Director. "That is why it was important to act quickly. I applaud Delegate Tata and the General Assembly for taking this important step to protect higher education in Virginia."

The manufacture and use of fraudulent credentials are cause for concern in a number of areas. First, there are the individuals who knowingly use fraudulent credentials to get jobs. In the case of health professions this practice can be dangerous, even life-threatening. Secondly, there are those who spend hard-earned money in good faith for credentials that turn out to be worthless. Third, employers are victimized when they spend money for what they think is legitimate training and get no value added to their workplace.

Virginia joins the following states in passing legislation against diploma mills: Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

SCHEV is the Commonwealth's coordinating body for Virginia's system of higher education. The agency provides policy guidance and budget recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly, and is a resource for information on Virginia colleges and universities on higher education issues. For more information about the agency or higher education issues in Virginia, visit www.schev.edu.

For more information, contact Kirsten Nelson, Director of Government Relations and Communications, at [email protected] or (804)225-2627.

A bill making its way through the House this month may put in place more oversight of private, for-profit higher education institutions in Colorado. But it will not give the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) oversight of an institution whose predecessor was closed down in Hawaii and was referred to as a "degree mill."

Last week, the CCHE authorized the American University for Humanities (AUfH) to offer degrees in Colorado. AUfH plans to begin enrolling students this fall and will offer undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, business administration, information technology, political science, psychology, "forensic psychology and criminal justice" and "psychology in business," according to AUfH documents.

The approval came after a tense hearing during a CCHE meeting last Friday in which AUfH's public relations director, Matt Wartell, accused the CCHE of blindsiding him with information he didn't have about AUfH's past.

AUfH was formerly known as the American University of Hawaii (AUHawaii), according to court documents and news reports. According to documents obtained through an open records request to the CCHE, the history of AUHawaii includes a still-unpaid half-million-dollar fine in Hawaii, which was assessed to the man who is listed as AUfH Colorado Project Coordinator and as the institution's registered agent with the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Concerns have been raised about the institution's accrediting body, the American Academy of Liberal Education (AALE), which only recently came off suspension from the U.S. Department of Education for failing to comply with DOE standards, according to the documents.

AUHawaii was started in 1999, offering law and medical degrees for sale, according to a lawsuit filed against the corporation by the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection. Jeffrey Brunton, attorney for the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection, told S&GR this week that AUHawaii operated out of a one-room office in Wailuku and that the "Hawaii campus" simply did not exist. AUHawaii was never accredited by any nationally authorized accrediting agency, but a 2003 version of its Web site stated that as a global institution, it only needs authority from the state in which it is located, and does not need to be accredited by a federal agency such as the U.S. Department of Education. AUHawaii had other campuses in the Republic of Georgia, Lebanon and Singapore. All of those campuses have been accredited by AALE, but that accreditation does not transfer or apply to an American-based university, according to CCHE staff and AALE. In those locations the institution is now known as the American University for Humanities.

AUHawaii was sued by the state's Office of Consumer Protection in 2004. Among the claims made in the suit was that AUHawaii offered to sell and sold postsecondary degrees, including medical and law degrees, despite not being accredited by the agencies responsible for those areas. Its failure to be accredited by any agency was a violation of Hawaii state law, according to the lawsuit. The suit named AUHawaii as a defendant as well as its founder, Hassan H. Safavi, also known as Henry Safavi, who was included because, according to the lawsuit, he "willfully participated in and benefited from" the illegal activities of AUHawaii.

After months of delay and a trial, in 2006, a judge for the Second Judicial Circuit of Hawaii found in favor of the state, ordering the defendants to pay a $500,000 fine and to make restitution to every student who had paid for a degree from AUHawaii. Safavi has not paid a single dime of that judgment, Brunton said this week. The judgment is in effect for 10 years, Brunton said, and the state of Hawaii can get a 10-year extension once the first 10-year period expires. In addition, the judge ordered the defendants to remove the AUHawaii name on Web sites that had been set up for AUHawaii campuses in Delaware and Mississippi. Failure to do so would have resulted in Safavi being incarcerated, Brunton said.

Safavi responds

Safavi told S&GR that AUHawaii was never a campus. "Our headquarters were in Hawaii; we never offered degrees in Hawaii -- we did not have a campus, students or faculty," he said. AUHawaii was just the headquarters of a global university, he said, adding that AUHawaii was invited to come to Hawaii by the state and was recognized by the Hawaii House and Senate as "the most innovative institution of higher education in the world." Safavi also said the president of the Hawaii Senate was a member of AUHawaii's board of directors.

Safavi said the lawsuit arose when AUHawaii was on the verge of being accredited by AALE. Safavi said he himself had promoted legislation to shut down Hawaii diploma mills and that Hawaii is the only state in the country that has "institutionalized diploma mills." He said it was strange that the state came after his institution when he was actively trying to shut down diploma mills. "I don't know what went wrong or who was the interested party [attempting] to get rid of us in Hawaii," he said.

Safavi acknowledged that there is still a $500,000 fine pending against him in Hawaii, but he also pointed out that during the course of the lawsuit, two judges suggested mediation, which he said was refused by Brunton. Safavi said one judge ruled in favor of AUHawaii. He added that a second judge suggested mediation "because there was no case" but then changed his mind and issued the final ruling against AUHawaii. With regard to the claim that AUHawaii was offering medical and law degrees, Safavi noted that AUHawaii had had an articulation agreement for the medical degrees with the Yerevian State Medical University of Armenia, although he added that the medical program never came to fruition due to regulations about foreign students in Armenia. The 2003 AUHawaii Web site says the institution offered nonaccredited juris doctorates in law and does not note an affiliated institution; Safavi said that was because they never found one to offer that degree program.

Safavi said AUfH institutions operate with more than 3,000 faculty and 6,000 students in 31 countries, and are recognized as world leaders in many academic areas.

'Bad publicity'

In a December 2007 letter to the CCHE, Michael Harari, vice president of AUfH, said AUHawaii never knowingly breached the laws of Hawaii "despite the incessant bad publicity that Hawaii Office of Consumer Affairs has taken upon itself to propagate at the taxpayers' expense." The legal action against AUHawaii, Harari said, "has been recognized by all to be a political act." Harari wrote that the lawsuit was founded on depositions from "bogus witnesses [and] arranged court dates, and [the state] obtained a faulty judgment all in the span of one month. We came to realize that we were no match with those who hold the political and financial clout in Hawaii ... and we decided to abide and leave."

But according to court documents, the judgment included a "cease-and-desist" order and the fines and restitution ordered by the court were the result of AUHawaii failing to obey that order.

As a global institution and for its campuses in the Republic of Georgia, Singapore and Lebanon, AUfH sought and received accreditation from AALE. But AALE has had its own problems. Last December, AALE was granted authority to accept applications for membership and accreditation, after serving a six-month suspension imposed by the U.S. Department of Education. According to DOE documents, the suspension was recommended in December 2006 by the DOE's National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), based on concerns that AALE had failed to comply with DOE standards. The suspension went into effect in July 2007. In a March 2007 letter to AALE, Spellings noted she was "concerned that since 2001 AALE has been cited consistently for either not having clear expectations or standards with respect to measuring student outcomes, or not collecting and reviewing data on how institutions it accredits measures student outcomes."

Choosing Colorado

AUfH documents say the move to Colorado was suggested by the AALE, "since they feel that [Colorado] is an education-friendly state" and "we have been assured that due permits and licenses will be granted for our operation with least formality."

In Colorado, a private, for-profit entity can open a college or university if it complies with state statutes and CCHE regulations. According to the CCHE, those include documentation that the institution is familiar with accreditation; a mission statement; a listing of the institution's governing board, executive officers and faculty members; degree and academic program information; admissions and academic policies; financial resources; and proof of accreditation status.

During the April 11 meeting, CCHE Chief Academic Officer Julie Carnahan noted that AUfH had completed all CCHE requirements for approval. She noted that in some states, a cease-and-desist order would be sufficient reason to deny approval to an institution attempting to open its doors there, but that is not the case in Colorado. Carnahan said that while the staff was recommending approval for AUfH, CCHE Executive Director David Skaggs had directed them to also inform the commissioners about AUfH's history.

Commissioners initially attempted to delay the vote on approval, seeking more time to find out about AUfH. But Carnahan told them that nothing the staff would find out about AUfH's history would change the staff recommendation, given that AUfH had complied with all CCHE requirements.

Wartell, who said at the meeting that he knew nothing about the history of AUfH, said the problem was probably just a "paperwork issue," and told the commissioners that a delay in the vote might cause AUfH to "give up and move to Los Angeles." And he pointed out that Safavi is no longer president of AUfH.

However, Safavi is listed as "dean of social and behavioral sciences" for AUfH-Colorado, as "Colorado Project Coordinator" in a March 2008 AUfH document, and as the agent for AUfH-Colorado in the articles of incorporation filed with the Secretary of State's Office.

After failing to delay the vote during the meeting, the CCHE voted 5-2 to approve AUfH for operations in Colorado. But Commissioner Larry Beckner echoed the concerns of several commissioners when he said he was uncomfortable with the way the statute reads, because "it does not allow us to do what we need to do."

The situation also alarmed members of the CCHE's advisory board, most notably the legislators, who acted quickly to recommend changes to legislation that would toughen up Colorado's oversight of private, for-profit institutions. But Skaggs told S&GR this week that those changes would not be retroactive and would not deal with the AUfH situation.

Legislators react

On Monday, the House Education Committee amended SB 167, a bill that initially sought modest changes to CCHE oversight of private, for-profit institutions.

Under the original version of SB 167, a private college or university that wants to do business in Colorado would have to be accredited by a regional accreditation association or agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, the CCHE could order the Department of Higher Education to review the institution to determine whether to revoke its authorization or place it on probationary status. However, according to the bill, that revocation could only occur if the institution had lost its accreditation or been placed on probationary status by its accrediting agency.

The bill would also add to state law a section on procedures related to student complaints, stating that the department could investigate claims of deceptive trade practices, but not complaints based on academic or religious freedom or that would question curriculum content.

In response to the AUfH situation, on Monday legislators amended the bill to say CCHE could not approve an application from an institution that had been suspended in the previous two years, prohibited from doing business in another state or had the same ownership or principal officers as an institution that had been prohibited from doing business in another state.

SB 167 now goes to the House Appropriations Committee; its House sponsor, Rep. Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) said he expects a hearing to take place next week.

For two years, the locally unaccredited Bircham International University has been illegally operating in Kenya, wooing unsuspecting students to its distance learning classes.

Questions are now being raised over degrees courses offered by the Spanish institution, in what appears to be yet another angle to an ensuing education scam.

Investigations by Business Daily show that the university charges between Sh250,000 and Sh400,000 in fees for undergraduate, masters and doctorate courses.

This is marginally below what most local accredited universities charge for the same type of degrees.

Most of the bogus colleges are found in congested precincts, often sandwiched between shops and office blocks. They charge lower fees than most universities and are staffed by teachers who lack credentials.

Locally, some institutions are claiming to offer degrees on behalf of Bircham International university. Among them is Maranatha Professional College of Counselling based in Nairobi.

The secretary for Commission for Higher Education (CHE), Prof Everett Standa, says the institution is operating in the country illegally and degree certificates from BIU will not be recognised by the Commission.

Our request to the Spanish Embassy in Kenya on the registration status of BIU in Spain was unanswered by the time of going to press.

On several occasions, BIU has unsuccessfully sought collaboration with some credible local colleges. One such institution is the Kenya Institute of Professional Counselling which is validated by CHE and is already in collaboration with the Egerton University.

It is understood that most of the initial students of BIU had been recruited from KIPC, but later withdrew from the it after word went around that the institution was not locally recognised.

A former student, who enrolled in 2004 and has graduated, told Business Daily that BIU has hired agents to source local students. The agent gets a commission of $1,000 (Sh62,000) for every student who enrols and pays up the whole fees amount.

According to Prof Standa, BIU is not listed in the Unesco's International Handbook of Universities - a list of all registered universities in the World - which the commission uses to verify information on any foreign university.

BIU, which says it has already enrolled 110 students, operates from the 17th floor of Posta Sacco Plaza along University Way. However, the institution's co-ordinator for the East Africa region, Timothy Kiambi, sees no need in seeking accreditation for BIU to operate in the country.

"Ours is a Distance Learning Programme, which is not even regulated in Kenya," he told Business Daily. "We use the local colleges to support our students especially in research, so it is not really something that requires accreditation"

"You don't go to a foreign land and begin operations there without informing the authorities," said Prof Standa, adding that several bogus universities appear each year and students should be wary.

Locally, BIU offers diploma, degrees, masters and doctorates in Forensic Psychology and Criminology, Security Management, psychology and counselling among others.

"Officially validated degrees are required for certain government posts and professional licenses. BIU distance learning degrees can not be used for these purposes," the institution says in its website. A number of factors are coming together to fuel this trend of phony schools.

For education analysts; the rapid globalisation of education is likely to attract a more diverse range of private providers--both local and foreign -- and there could be a greater risk of confusion.

More foreign universities are set to open overseas campuses - and CHE warns that there will be "more of these shadowy organisations wanting to make quick cash."

Although the awarding of qualifications in Kenyan universities is tightly regulated, the rules do not apply for businesses calling themselves "colleges" or "institutes."

Degrees from such universities are mere pieces of paper with no academic value.

Three Washington state residents have admitted to selling thousands of bogus academic degrees through scores of phony online universities, while raking in millions of dollars from customers.

In plea agreements filed late last month in the U.S. District Court in Spokane, Dixie E. Randock, her husband Steven K. Randock Sr., and her daughter Heidi K. Lorhan admitted to having used Web sites and sold degrees in fields that included education, medicine, and nuclear engineering to customers from the United States and other countries from 1999 to 2005. The three pleaded guilty to federal criminal fraud charges.

In 2003, several Georgia teachers and administrators used degrees purchased from one of the bogus online schools, "St. Regis University," to qualify for state pay raises.

State officials accepted the credentials from the phony university, which was purportedly in Liberia, because a Florida-based credential-evaluation firm vouched for their validity. ("Educators' Degrees Earned On Internet Raise Fraud Issues," May 5, 2004.)

Last fall, several other participants in the scheme also pleaded guilty to fraud and other criminal charges. They include charges related to bribery of officials from the government of Liberia, which for a time listed St. Regis University and other entities created by the group as accredited institutions. One other alleged participant reportedly is in plea negotiations with prosecutors.

Risk and Awareness

Alarms about the dangers of global trafficking in bogus academic credentials have been raised by members of the U.S. academic community, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Government Accountability Office, and members of the U.S. Congress.

Only nine states broadly outlaw or restrict the use of unaccredited academic credentials in applying for a raise or a job; an additional two states have more-narrow protections against the use of bogus degrees, according to Alan L. Contreras, the administrator of Oregon's office of degree authorization.

U.S. Senate hearings in 2004 focused on federal employees who bought credentials from "diploma mills"—sometimes with public money—to win raises and promotions in government jobs.

Federal legislation reining in online diploma mills is part of a major higher education reauthorization bill that the House of Representatives passed earlier this year. The bill is currently being considered by a House-Senate conference committee, along with a version passed by the Senate that does not address diploma mills.

The bill, H.R. 4137, for the first time provides a legal definition of a diploma mill, while instructing the U.S. secretary of education to establish lists of legitimate accrediting agencies, colleges and universities, and equivalent overseas institutions. The bill would establish a "diploma mill task force" to develop guidelines to distinguish between legitimate and bogus degree-granting institutions and legislation to address fraudulent degrees. The bill also directs the Federal Trade Commission to designate the offering or issuing of a bogus degree as "an unfair and deceptive act or practice."

Bill a 'Good Start'

George Gollin, a physics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has crusaded against online diploma mills for years, says the House legislation, which was originally developed by U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., is "a really good start."

He estimates that the Randocks' operation, at its height, sold between 2,000 and 3,000 degrees per year. According to the plea agreement, "the cost of a high school diploma was $350-$400, and an undergraduate or graduate 'degree' was $500-$1,200."

Of the online diploma mills in the early 2000s, Mr. Gollin said, theirs was the most "sophisticated in presentation" on the Web, though "it wasn't the biggest in terms of marketing."

Still, said Mr. Gollin, who currently is a member of the board of directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, based in Washington, "I think very roughly, U.S.-based diploma-mill operators are selling between 100,000 and 200,000 degrees yearly."

In K-12 education, bogus credentials seem to be most prevalent among nonclassroom school employees who are seeking degrees to obtain promotions or higher pay grades, rather than teachers, Mr. Gollin said.

Online diploma mills "are easy to create, easy to move," said Judith S. Eaton, the executive director of the Council of Higher Education Accreditation, which oversees domestic accreditation of colleges and universities. Despite a dearth of reliable data on the extent of the problem, Ms. Eaton called it "a cause for concern worldwide—both in the import and export of degrees."

In fields such as engineering or medicine, she noted, allowing people to gain positions of responsibility with bogus degrees could have life-threatening consequences.

Dixie Ellen Randock, a high-school dropout who masterminded a Spokane-based Internet scheme to sell bogus high school and university degrees around the world, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

The 58-year-old Colbert woman, who sold real estate before launching her massive diploma mill operation in the late 1990s, faces three years in prison when she is sentenced July 2 in U.S. District Court.

She started her string of online universities "because she saw it as a good way to make money," according to the plea agreement she signed.

Her husband, Steven K. Randock Sr., 67, and daughter, Heidi Kae Lorhan, 39, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Under terms of separate plea agreements, Steven Randock faces three years in prison and Lorhan faces 12 to 18 months.

As part of plea bargains, the U.S. attorney's office agreed to seek dismissal of money-laundering charges against the Randocks, which carried longer potential prison terms. They agreed to forfeit more than $535,000 in cash seized in 2005 by a special task force, as well as their late-model Jaguar.

The fourth remaining defendant, Roberta Lynn Markishtum, was negotiating a similar plea agreement with the U.S. attorney's office and may enter a guilty plea today, Judge Lonny Suko was told at Wednesday's hearing.

The case is believed to be the first successful prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice of diploma-mill operators, using wire and mail fraud statutes.

"In terms of complexity and numbers of documents, I'd say it ranks up there, if not the biggest, then one of the biggest (cases) that's come across my desk," said Jim McDevitt, who has been the U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington for the past seven years.

New court documents disclose that the conspirators used an airline magazine advertisement to sell at least one "doctor of medicine" degree from their fictional Saint Regis University to a buyer in North Carolina who paid the Randocks $1,531.

A man from Wisconsin bought a nuclear science degree from Robertstown University, another one of the 125 bogus online schools created by the Randocks, the documents say.

There are at least 8,200 purchasers whose names haven't been released by the federal government. McDevitt said Wednesday he's committed to the eventual release of the names of buyers who used their degrees in many instances to get jobs and promotions or, in the case of foreign nationals, to enhance their chances of immigrating to the United States.

At least 300 of the buyers worked for the federal government, including in positions in the Justice Department, the State Department, various military branches and even the White House, it has been disclosed in previous court hearings.

The only publicly announced criminal prosecution of a purchaser involves a former deputy U.S. marshal supervisor who worked in Spokane and bought a degree from Saint Regis. He pleaded guilty to lying on a promotion application and awaits sentencing.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, who headed the multiagency task force dubbed "Operation Gold Seal" that has investigated the diploma mill operation for more than three years. Because of pending court hearings, Jacobs said he couldn't comment.

The federal task force was created in early 2005, following a November 2003 news story in The Spokesman-Review about the diploma-mill operation being run by the Randocks out of an office building in Mead and a house in Hillyard.

After that notoriety, the Randocks moved their operation to a rented basement office in a Post Falls office building, registering their businesses with the state of Idaho as "When Pigs Fly Inc." and "Kaching, Kaching Inc."

Federal interest in the operation ramped up when investigators discovered purchasers included people living in the Middle East they feared could be terrorists who could legally gain entry into the United States with their bogus college degrees.

Four other defendants — Blake Alan Carlson, Richard John Novak, Kenneth Wade Pearson and Amy Leann Hensley — previously pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy and agreed to be prosecution witnesses against the Randocks. Pearson, who worked as webmaster for the Randocks, also pleaded guilty to receipt of 10,000 child pornography images. They all await sentencing.

In her plea agreement, Dixie Randock confessed to making up names of prep schools and universities, creating online Web sites for them and selling fraudulent degrees and transcripts.

She also admitted to manufacturing counterfeit degrees, class transcripts and other academic products, using the names of legitimate U.S. universities, including the University of Tennessee, Texas A&M, the University of Maryland and George Washington University.

Defense attorney Phillip "Dutch" Wetzel said he will ask that Dixie Randock be allowed to serve her sentence under "home confinement," but Jacobs, the assistant U.S. attorney, said he will ask for straight prison time, followed by three years of probation.

Steven Randock's attorney, Peter Schweda, said he expects to ask for little or no prison time because the 67-year-old defendant suffers from heart problems.

Attorneys for both Randocks asked the court to waive pre-sentence reports, which provide the court with a detailed background on the defendants. The prosecutor opposed that request. Suko said he would order the background reports to help craft his forthcoming sentencing decisions.

The Spokane-based diploma-mill operation raked in an estimated $6.3 million in six years of operation, using the Internet to sell more than 8,200 phony college degrees and accompanying transcripts around the world, court documents say.

The online schools claimed they were accredited by the National Board of Education in Liberia. As part of the case, the Secret Service learned Abdullah Dunbar, the deputy chief of the Liberian Embassy, was demanding cash bribes from the Randocks.

The Liberian Embassy official, secretly videotaped in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the investigation, demanded bribes in exchange for lining up "accreditation" for Saint Regis University and other diploma mills and for handing out payments of $50 to $100 a month to Liberian educators posing as "faculty members" for the online universities.

The task force was headed by agents with the Secret Service, with assistance from the Federal Protective Service, the IRS, a Spokane police fraud detective and investigators from the Washington state attorney general's office and the U.S. attorney's office.

Dixie Randock, who used 11 aliases in the scheme, including "Patrick O'Brien, dean of studies at Saint Regis University," declined comment after leaving the courtroom.

She got engraved diploma seals and fraudulent signature stamps for her cast of professors and deans from Carlson, a co-conspirator who operated a stamp shop in Hillyard. He also became "provost and chief academic officer" for Saint Regis University and "dean of studies" for Robertstown University, signing his name as "Professor Blackwell."

Het Amerikaanse controleorgaan van onderwijsinstellingen waarschuwt voor Concordia College and University. Dat is een frauduleuze 'universiteit' die door de Belg Kristiaan D.L. geleid zou worden. Ook de geheime dienst zit op de zaak.

ANTWERPEN: Vorig jaar nog werd in de Vernigde Staten een vrouw veroordeeld die een vals diploma psychologie gebruikte. Dat had ze verkregen van Concordia College and University. Die had ook banden met de even valse Saint-Regis University, waarvan de medewerkers momenteel in de VS terechtstaan.

Vorig jaar werd de Amerikaanse Louise Wightman, beter bekend als Dr. Stripper, in Massachussets veroordeeld voor fraude en het onrechtmatig gebruik van de titel psychologe. Het voormalige Playboymodel en stripster had voor 13.000 dollar een doctoraat in de psychologie gekocht van Concordia College and University, naar eigen zeggen omdat ze vond dat ze "ghet doctoraat verdiend had."

Opmerkelijk is ook dat een radiopresentator uit Fostoria, Ohio, er in 2006 in slaagde via Concordia een bachelordiploma in de wetenschappen te verkrijgen voor een hond.

'Diploma mill'

De Amerikaanse Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), dat de onderwijsinstellingen controleert, roept op om waakzaam te zijn voor de Concordia College and University, een zogenaamde diploma mill of 'universiteit' die tegen betaling diploma's verkoopt via het internet. De diploma's, van masters tot doctoraten, kunnen worden verkregen op basis van 'eerder verworven kennis'. De instelling beweert geaccrediteerd te zijn door Indonesië en Liberia. Dat laatste land liet echter al weten dat de erkenning niet geldig is. Verder wordt ook een erkenning door de National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) geclaimd. Die organisatie wordt door het Amerikaanse ministerie van Onderwijs en de CHEA echter ook als frauduleus beschouwd. De man achter NAHE, Richard Hayer, staat bovendien terecht omdat ook hij via het internet ongeldige diploma's verkocht, via de Saint-Regis University. Ook de VN-organisatie UNESCO bestempelde Concordia als dubieus.

Volgens CHEA is het de Antwerpenaar Kristiaan D.L. die achter de Concordia universiteit zit. Op een oude website van de Concordia-universiteit, die niet langer online beschikbaar is, staat D.L. als afgevaardigd bestuurder van Concordia College and University. De man zou ook een doctoraat en een MBA behaald hebben aan de Trinity College and University, een instelling die in de VS eveneens bekendstaat als een diploma mill. De Morgen had inzage in een brief van de Amerikaanse ambassade in Korea, waarin D.L. gelinkt wordt aan Concordia.

Frauduleus

Daarbovenop had D.L. banden met de frauduleuze Saint-Regis University. Acht mensen achter die instelling worden momenteel vervolgd, onder andere voor fraude. Saint-Regis heeft zo'n 6.000 valse diploma's verkocht, in totaal voor 4,7 miljoen dollar. Bijna de helft daarvan werd 'uitgereikt' aan mensen uit het Midden-Oosten en Azië, die daardoor een visum voor de VS verkregen.

Er is een website, eveneens niet langer online, waarop een 'authentificatie van een Concordiadiploma' te vinden is. Dat attest is ondertekend door Steven Randock, een beklaagde in de Saint-Regiszaak, en duidt D.L. aan als 'directeur en academicus van Concordia College and University'. De Saint- Regisbeklaagden hebben ook valse erkenningsorganisaties opgericht, waaronder het NAHE, dat de Concordia van D.L. erkende.

Concordia is bovendien niet de enige diplomawinkel waaraan D.L. verbonden wordt: volgens CHEA is hij ook de man achter de Capitol University, die eveneens banden heeft met Saint-Regis.

Het heeft er alle schijn van dat ook de Amerikaanse geheime dienst achter de man aanzit, al kan dat niet formeel bevestigd worden. Wel laat een bron binnen de geheime dienst weten dat "er in het dossier beweging zit." Ook CHEA zegt dat "er naar gekeken wordt." Kristiaan D.L. was niet bereikbaar voor commentaar.

Belgian swindler sells in the United States worthless diplomas for coarse money

The American supervisory body of educational warns against Concordia College and University. That is a fraudulent 'university' by the Belgian Kristiaan DL would be led. Even the Secret Service is on the case.

Last year was still in the Vernigde States condemned a woman who used a fake diploma psychology. That she had obtained from Concordia College and University. They also had links with the equally false Saint Regis University, whose staff currently in the US trial.

Last year was the American Louise Wightman, better known as Dr. Stripper, in Massachussets convicted of fraud and the unauthorized use of the title psychologist. The former Playboy model and stripster had 13,000 dollars for a doctorate in psychology purchased from Concordia College and University, to claim because they thought that they "had earned doctorate.

It is noteworthy that a radiopresentator from Fostoria, Ohio, in 2006 succeeded in Concordia via a Bachelor diploma in sciences to obtain a dog.

'Diploma Mill'

The American Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which controls the educational, calls for vigilance for the College and Concordia University, a diploma mill 'or' university 'that charge diplomas sells over the Internet. The diplomas to doctorates, masters, may be obtained on the basis of previously acquired knowledge. The institution claims to be accredited by Indonesia and Liberia. The latter country had, however, already know that the recognition is not valid.

Is also a recognition by the National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) claimed. That organization by the United States Department of Education and CHEA also considered fraudulent. The man behind NAHE, Richard Hayer, also justified because he also via the Internet invalid diplomas sold through the Saint Regis University. The UN agency UNESCO Concordia described as dubious.

According CHEA it is the Antwerp Kristiaan DL who is behind the Concordia University. On a site of the old Concordia University, which is no longer available online, DL as deputy director of College and Concordia University. The man would be a doctorate and an MBA demonstrate to the Trinity College and University, an institution established in the USA also known as a diploma mill. De Morgen had access to a letter from the American embassy in Korea, where DL linked to Concordia.

Fraudulent

There had DL ties with the fraudulent Saint Regis University. Eight people behind that institution are currently being prosecuted, including fraud. Saint Regis has about 6,000 fake diplomas sold for a total of 4.7 million dollars. Almost half of that amount was "issued" to people from the Middle East and Asia, which became a visa for the United States.

There is a website, also no longer online, which is a 'authentication of a Concordiadiploma' can be found. That certificate was signed by Steven Randock, a defendant in the Saint-Regiszaak, and indicates DL as' director and university graduate of Concordia College and University. " De Saint-Regisbeklaagden have also forged erkenningsorganisaties, including NAHE that the Concordia DL recognized.

Concordia is bovendien niet de enige diplomawinkel waaraan DL verbonden wordt: volgens CHEA is hij ook de man achter de Capitol University, die eveneens banden heeft met Saint-Regis. Concordia is not the only diplomawinkel which is linked DL: according CHEA he is also the man behind the Capitol University, which also has ties with Saint Regis.

It has seemed as if the American secret service behind the man aanzit, though not formally confirmed. Well let a source within the secret service that "there is movement in the dossier." Also CHEA says that "looked." Kristiaan DL was not reachable for comment.

Vandella Brown, manager of the diversity program at the Illinois State Library, has a doctorate from the University of Berkley.

That's B-E-R-K-L-E-Y, Michigan. Not B-E-R-K-E-L-E-Y, California. That's one difference.

Another is that the University of Berkley has been identified by Pennsylvania authorities as a "diploma mill" — a for-profit, usually Internet-based operation, that issues fraudulent degrees.

Brown said she considers her Berkley doctorate merely honorary, given in return for a charitable contribution, and that she has never used it for personal gain.

"There's no other proper way to list it, but if anyone asks, I tell them, and it's on my regular resume (as honorary)," she said. "I wouldn't dare try to make something else out of it."

"I have official degrees of master's and BA (a bachelor's degree)," Brown said in an e-mail Friday.

"I do understand that this degree is a honorary degree in conjunction with a charitable donation given through that university. I have never used it for gain and have sited on my resume as honorary. Never tried to use it as gain in my professional, it has been strictly honorary for me.

"I am worried now where my donation really went to," Brown wrote.

Brown's resume lists the Berkley degree as: "UNIVERSITY OF BERKLEY, Berkley, Michigan, DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE, Honoris Causa, June 2004."

However, Brown has signed at least one memo as "Vandella Brown, Ph.D," and her biography on the North Suburban Library System doesn't suggest that her doctorate is an honorary one.

Henry Haupt, spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state's office, under which the library is managed, said he was not familiar with Brown's educational background, but soon would be.

"This is something we'll have to look into further. Secretary (of State Jesse) White takes very seriously the credentials of his employees," he said.

If there's a university in Berkley, Mich., it's apparently well hidden.

"We're only 2.2 square miles, and we only have a population of just over 15,000. We could have a small university, but I don't know where we'd put it," said Jane Bais-DiSessa, Berkley's city manager.

The Web site for the university has a couple of disclaimers at the bottom of the home page, including that it was founded in Berkley, Mich., and "has no affiliation or connection whatsoever with the University of California at Berkeley campus!"

The school's telephone number has a Chicago area code.

And the Web site says that the owners and operators of the site may not conduct business with people who live in Pennsylvania. That may be because the Pennsylvania attorney general's office sued the University of Berkley in 2004.

The suit arose after the school, which then was based in Erie, Pa., awarded a master's degree in business administration to a cat named Colby. The cat's application actually was filed by the attorney general's office.

The suit identified Berkley's owner as Dr. Dennis Globosky, a former New Mexico state trooper, and accused him of selling fake degrees since the late 1990s. The Web site now lists Globosky as university president. (Also available on the school's Web site is a downloadable version of a song Globosky wrote and sung back in 1981, honoring the memory of John Lennon.)

A person who answers the phone for the University of Berkley said that to get a degree, an applicant will receive a portfolio in which the applicant can include "all work related to the degree you seek, or even remotely related." A committee "sorts out" that information and assigns the applicant a project, the person said.

The cost scale for a degree also is on the Berkley Web site. Prices range from $2,795 for an associate's degree to $4,995 for a doctorate. Discounts are offered for one-time payments.

The school's slogan is: "True to reality ... not tradition."

Brown said she was approached by Berkley about getting a doctorate degree through a woman's organization she belongs to. She declined to provide the name of the organization.

"It first came to me in the form of a letter, and I don't remember how all it came about," she said.

"I think the donation was $1,000, and it also entailed writing a long statement about yourself. There was no test. It was totally an honorary donation to a group of children they were helping in Zimbabwe."

Brown's resume says she earned the honorary degree in 2004. Her salary history indicates she was hired by the state in September 2000 at a salary of $62,280 annually. She now makes $84,816, though there was no jump that indicates she rose a pay level because earning a degree...

What's in a name? Probably everything in the education sector. Schools and colleges with a history, reputation and a string of well known alumni behind them tend to attract more interest from sponsors, parents and students, giving them a huge potential base from which to earn income in the form of fees, grants and endowments.

It is now emerging that parents, guardians and self-sponsored students in Kenya could be losing millions of shillings in fees and other charges in the belief that they would get certificates from two famous UK universities — Cambridge and Oxford — through a correspondent relationship with the Digital Advisory Learning Centre (DALC).

The centre, which has eight campuses across the country with a high concentration in Nairobi, claims to offer diploma and degree certification from the two universities but the reality is different.

DALC collaborates with two institutions in the UK — Cambridge Association of Managers and Oxford Association of Management — which run two separate colleges offering management courses but which have no working relationship with either Cambridge or Oxford Universities.

The colleges are accredited by Quality Assurance Commission Limited owned by a Malaysian businessman and which is not recognised by UK education authorities."There are two accreditation bodies in the UK and QAC is not one of them," Mr David Higgs, the head of British Council in Kenya told The Business Daily. Accreditation bodies in the UK fall under two categories, public and private.

Private colleges are admitted through the British Accreditation Council and Accreditation Service of Independent Colleges. Mr Hicks said QAC is registered as a limited company.

DALC shares the accreditation body with Irish International University (IIU), which has been locked in a scandal since investigations by the BBC found that it had issued fake degrees and diplomas to more than 5,000 international students in the last seven years.

To pass off as a partner of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, IIU used to rent facilities for graduation at Oxford or Cambridge universities. DALC, on the other hand, insinuates in their marketing that they get certificates from the renown universities.

They market their services on the strength of association with the two which, according to the BBC findings is nonexistent. The report concluded that the accreditation body was fake and had over the years presented bogus certificates to unsuspecting international students.

The BBC findings contrast sharply with claims on DALC's website. "Assessments and issuance of certificates are done by the upgrading university at their discretion. All Cambridge or Oxford courses are assessed by Cambridge or Oxford and certificates are issued from UK."

Then the reputation bit. "The Cambridge and Oxford courses have very good recognition and upgrades to bachelors or masters degrees are guaranteed as long as the student meets the performance criteria alongside other requirements of the accepting university." DALC has recently put up an elaborate television advertisement campaign where it states that it has an approval certificate from the Commission for Higher Education .

A source at the commission, however, said the institution had only recently applied for a collaboration approval and that the commission was looking at the documents. "We have not issued any certificates to DALC. We are verifying the application," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The British Council has also disassociated itself from the institution following complaints related to examinations and failure to confer credits for direct transfers to Oxford and Cambridge.

"Questions arose from the kind of activities that the institution was involved in. We cut our ties with them in public interest," a British Council official said in a telephone interview. He declined to be quoted because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

DALC head of mission Humprey Obura, however, said the institution was looking at developing its own curricula after cutting ties with QAC sometime last year. He said the website would be updated to reflect this.

"We are in the process of initiating a new system where students assessment will be based on our curricula. We have however made it very clear that we are not a university," he said. The institution is in the process of seeking approval to administer its own programmes.

When asked about the relationship with the questionable QAC, Mr Obura said the institution had cut his links with the body and was in the process of sourcing for other colleges in other parts of the world to link with.

A statement from DALC website on the other hand read: 'You will receive a certificate from Quality Assurance Commission, UK (QAC-UK) confirming this accreditation which you can use uniformly in the world for acceptance of the credits hence exemptions from whole level of learning or particular subjects or modules.'

When asked about the relationship between DALC and Oxford or Cambridge universities, the head of the mission said: "We need to meet and talk on issues surrounding accreditation and international university education."

A web search for Royal Rhodes Institute (ostensibly based in Canada) — which he said DALC would collaborate with, however, returned no entries. Bogus institutions targeting international students have been on the spotlight in the UK recently.

"Some of the colleges will say that they have been accredited but when you ask by whom, they name an institution which is in fact owned by them," a leading academic Professor Geoffrey Aldermann recently testified before the Home Affairs Committee.

Accreditation experts in the UK estimate there may be as many as 1,000 private colleges operating across the UK targeting international students, which would fail quality standards.

Many are found in congested precincts, often sandwiched between shops and office blocks.

DALC has been operating in the country for close to four years and flags a validation certificate signed by Prof George Saitoti in fliers. It has listed a number of respected professionals in health, finance and other fields as its alumni. When contacted, a few of them declined to comment on the issue.

A related story at the same URL: State to publish list of accredited colleges

A list of all accredited colleges operating in Kenya will be published next month, effectively exposing bogus institutions purporting to be offering degrees on behalf of foreign universities.

The Commission for Higher Education (CHE), the body charged with the responsibility of overseeing the establishment and accreditation of private universities has raised a red flag over a deluge of complaints from parents and students who had paid millions of shillings to such colleges.

CHE secretary Prof Everett Standa says the Commission has already finalised a national audit on all institutions and a list submitted to the Government Printer for gazettement.

However, he says efforts to identify unregistered institutions have been slowed by capacity constraints.

This has seen the Commission revert to a wait and see attitude, relying mostly on complaints from students, parents and the general public.

"We are working very hard on behalf of students to ensure that all private institutions meet strict quality standards.

"Where we are not satisfied that this is the case with a particular college, we will not hesitate to investigate and if necessary, close it down," said Prof Standa.

Educationists and employers have questioned the degrees and accused the colleges of churning out half-baked graduates, at a time when unemployment is biting in the country.

"There are hundreds of institutions which had been licensed to offer certain programmes, but they had ended up rolling out different ones and we have identified them," Prof Standa told Business Daily.

The end result is expected to be graduates with skills that can help them compete for jobs.

The scenario in the local higher education sector is one where demand for vacancies has outstripped supply as indicated by the high number of student exports to Uganda, the US, Malaysia and the UK.This, Prof Standa said, had opened loopholes for rogue institutions offering degrees and diplomas to thrive, dealing a blow to the commission's reputation.

"I would encourage all new students to carefully check the credentials of the college they wish to enrol at and if they have any concerns, contact their local trading standards team."

Analysts said mushrooming of bogus colleges was brought about by the past inadequacies of CHE — which had the mandate of approving such institutions.

The university education crisis continues to deepen every year, culminating into a large number of qualified high school graduates missing out on admission.

Last year, for example, 63,104 out of 243,453 candidates who sat for KCSE qualified for university admission, but only 10,000 places were available in the six State universities. The remaining 53,000 had to fight for the few places in private universities or pursue their aspirations through parallel degree programmes.

A government-appointed committee to assess the state of higher education recently warned that the number of students qualifying for university education annually will be more than 230,118 in 2015.

According to Prof Standa, CHE has accredited at least 20 foreign institutions to offer degree programmes in collaboration with Kenyan universities and colleges over the last one year.

Currently, CHE is vested with the responsibility of overseeing the establishment and accreditation of private universities. It also acts as the quality assurance authority for curriculum and degree programmes offered by the institutions.

Public universities on the other hand, are established by an Act of Parliament with the supervisory role of programmes offered resting with respective university senates.

In October last year, Education Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi said out of 544 registered colleges, only 10 offered courses recognized by the Kenya National Examination Council. The rest registered students for courses that were not approved by the council, the only institution with the mandate to vet programmes below university level.

An editorial from Business Daily Africa: Close dubious colleges, Nairobi, Kenya Business Daily Africa, March 6, 2008.

In our editorial yesterday, we tackled the question of phoney schemes.

But what is worrying are alarm bells and revelations that thousands of Kenyans could be armed with questionable degree and diploma certificates that have been acquired from bogus colleges still operating in our midst.

The Commission for Higher Education—which has been charged with the duty of validating higher educational programmes — has raised the alarm over dozens of un-accredited institutions which have mushroomed across the country purporting to offer all sorts of courses, mostly from foreign universities. We want to say: shut them down and lock up the proprietors.

Parents, guardian and self-sponsored students have put millions into such institutions, in the belief that they will get certificates from foreign universities. They don't.

With CHE saying it cannot police such institutions to ensure they are registered and their courses validated, policy gaps are apparent. But CHE cannot hide behind such a wall.

Most owners of the institutions do not even bother approaching the Commission for validation of the programmes they are offering.

The statistics were telling — just about 10 colleges have been allowed by CHE to collaborate with foreign universities to offer several programmes.

The rest, believed to be many registered students for courses that were not approved by the Commission, which is the only institution with the mandate to vet programmes at university level.

CHE can do better by educating Kenyans on the registered institutions. However, it must be pointed out that there are some middle-level colleges that offer their own courses and certificates with approval from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Before condemning those un-accredited colleges, we must also acknowledge that some of them may be offering international examinations recognised outside the country.

The danger, however, as CHE boss Everett Standa puts it, is that locally, they are not recognised. Then serious questions arise.

Just how many students have fallen prey to this mess and will employers start investigating the origin of the papers they have. What explanations will be given by the State for the fate of such Kenyans, who could end up jobless.

Raising the alarm is perfect but the Government must crack the whip on the dubious colleges.

Neither parents, guardians nor the students have the capacity to do this. If this is not done the higher education sub-sector is in danger of getting bogged down in a credibility crisis.

A federal task force that's three years into investigating a Spokane-based diploma-mill ring filed new charges this week against a man who is accused of running a "copy-cat" online university after working for Dixie Randock.

Richard H. Cleigh is scheduled to appear Thursday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Frem Nielsen after being charged with one count of wire fraud and a second count of mail fraud.

The 55-year-old Spokane man is tentatively scheduled to enter a guilty plea, the court docket shows, but it doesn't specify whether he will plead to one or both counts.

If he enters a plea, a written plea agreement is expected to detail how he set up his own online university.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, the lead prosecutor for the "Operation Gold Seal" task force investigation of Spokane-based diploma mills, said today he couldn't comment on the new case but would offer details when Cleigh appears in court.

As part of an expected plea agreement, Cleigh likely will seek "substantial assistance" and the prospects for a lighter sentence by agreeing to testify for the prosecution in the forthcoming criminal trial of Randock and three other remaining defendants. They were indicted in October 2005 and now are scheduled to stand trial in June.

Between Aug. 1, 2003, and Jan. 24, 2004, charging documents say, Cleigh "created and operated an Internet diploma mill under the fictitious name "Saint John University of St. Vincent & The Grenadines."

As part of the alleged scheme, Cleigh communicated with consumers using the name "Brother Andrew, creating the false impression that he was a member of a religious organization," the documents say.

The charges don't disclose how many degrees Cleigh sold or how much money he collected

"Cleigh falsely advertised that St. John University was founded in 1862 and was a private, non-secular university with a long and rich tradition of excellence," the charges say. He also claimed St. John was "the world leader in online degree evaluation" and that its degrees were "fully legal and valid."

In truth, the charges say, Saint John University "was neither an existent or legitimate academic entity."

The mail fraud count charge against Cleigh is linked to a separate, unrelated scheme in which he offered to sell South African Krugerrands.

"He offered to sell non-existent gold coins to unwitting eBay purchasers," the charging document says.

It lists 16 eBay customers who mailed $19,628 to Cleigh "who accepted their money but never sent the gold coins that had been promised."

Unauthorised universities continue to blatantly operate through offices in the Kingdom despite periodic warnings by the Ministry of Higher Education through advertisements in Arabic newspapers, says Saudi Gazette.

These suspect foreign universities include American University of London, Al-Shurook University, Belford University, and Al- Ishraq University.

These universities have struck deals with commercial offices, telling them to enroll people wanting Bachelor's or Master's degrees and even PhD's online. "No studies, no admissions and no attendance required. Get a degree for what you already know," says Belford University in its website, making it clear that there's very little study, if at all, involved.

No wonder the Ministry of Higher Education wants them out. "Universities that have not received permission from the Ministry of Higher Education are considered illegal and should be closed," said Mohammed Al- Owhly.

The Ministry of Higher Education's website makes periodical announcements of which universities are allowed to operate in the Kingdom. Al-Owhly said four illegal universities' operation from Dammam was closed last year at the end of their first semester.

Ahmad Al-Jamal, PR manager for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said they do not grant a foreign university permission to open an office in the Kingdom without it being accepted by the ministry concerned. He said the Ministry of Higher Education has the responsibility of weeding out illegal universities and institutions.

It is often the case that illegal university operations spawn from projects licensed for other legal work.

"We grant permission to universities that meet all universal requirements, otherwise we never issued any permission," Al-Owhly explained. "The Ministry of Commerce would license a project for a specific field but then the project operators would expand their activities to other unapproved fields." Establishing legal universities in the Kingdom requires several procedures.

"We start by studying the project and sending a letter to the Minister of Higher Education. When he accepts the project, we transfer it to the legal affairs," said Dr. Waleed Al-Daly, Higher Education general manager. The proposed programmes, syllabus and training plans are studied and evaluated, Al-Daly said, involving several ministries and not only the Ministry of Higher Education.

Al-Owhly said newspapers that publish advertisements of unauthorised universities and institutes should be taken to task.

Samir Al-Zini, assistant marketing manager assistant at Al-Usbo'eyah weekly, said. "There is no control on such issues, we can easily publish anything, checking the advertisements' content is not our work."

Al-Zini however said they do double check on advertisements of medical cosmetics, creams and makeup as these products could have dangerous effects. They do not publish such advertisements without the permission of the Ministry of Health.

Zakiyah Al-Bishi of Marketing at Bidoon Waseet weekly newspaper, which publishes many university advertisements, said the legality of the universities was not their business.

According to Al-Owhly, private universities and colleges that are approved for operations in the Kingdom are: Prince Sultan University, Arab Open University and Al-Faisal University in Riyadh, and Dar Al-Hekma, Effat College, Business Administration College, Soliman Fakih College for Science and Nursing, and Prince Sultan College for Tourism in Jeddah.

A senior Federal Government executive has been sacked after being accused of using fake qualifications to get a job with the very department that warns employers to be wary of fraudulent degrees.

Bobby Singh had been recruited to a senior position within the former Department of Employment and Workplace Relations before his credentials were scrutinised.

Checks revealed he had included on his curriculum vitae allegedly fake degrees from Harrington University and the Trinity College and University, in the United States. The two universities have been described as "degree mills," which sell degrees over the internet and require no educational assessment.

The Sunday Age has obtained copies of the degrees that state Mr Singh has been awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy and a Masters of Science, both with a major in information systems, from Trinity, and a Masters of Business Administration from Harrington.

A spokesman for the federal Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Department — which carries warnings about fake degrees on its website — said Mr Singh was employed as an executive level 2, with a salary of between $79,691 and $98,900 in 2005 after a merit selection process. He was sacked in December 2006.

His case was due to go before the Federal Magistrates Court, but was settled out of court last year.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians are thought to have overstated their educational achievements on their CVs. A PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic investigation of the CVs of staff at a large financial institution in 2003 found 40% contained "serious mis-statements", including fake qualifications.

New anti-money laundering legislation has forced employers to become more vigilant, but a fake qualifications expert, Dr George Brown, says most employers accept background documentation at face value.

"That's the problem," he told The Sunday Age.

"How many people check? What skills and knowledge do they have to verify the authenticity of an academic qualification?"

Dr Brown said that in today's "credential-conscious" society, "academic qualifications are items of value that are being falsified by people wanting to move ahead in society."

Faking it

* JANUARY 2008 Former Qantas engineer Timothy McCormack will stand trial in the NSW District Court for forging a maintenance engineer's licence. McCormack had been responsible for safety checks on the airline's fleet of Boeing 747s.

* 2006 Former Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld was revealed to have a PhD from Pacific Western University, which has been debunked as a diploma mill for handing out doctorates for the flat fee of $US2595 ($A2800).

* 2003 Glen Oakley was sacked from his $1.2 million role as general manager of Sydney's Randwick Council after faking academic qualifications, including an MBA from Harvard University.

An East St. Louis woman has been charged in federal court in Springfield with stealing more than $50,000 from a Montgomery County residential substance abuse treatment facility, a job she obtained with fake college credentials allegedly purchased online.

She's also accused by the agency's board of failing to show up for work as required and neglecting to pay the Continuing Recovery Center's bills, leading to the Irving facility's utilities nearly being shut off. Janese E. Jordan, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury Feb. 6, but the indictment was sealed until she was arrested and appeared in court, which happened Monday.

Federal authorities allege that from December 2004 to December 2005, Jordan used her position as executive director to steal or embezzle more than $50,000, paying for such things as personal cell phones, a big-screen TV, vehicle repairs and a health club membership...

"We fired her and went into her office, and there was at least six inches of bills and correspondence on her desk and another eight inches underneath," he said. "There was a letter from the power company that said they were going to shut off the gas and power the next day."

The indictment alleges that Jordan forged names on checks using names of the center's board of directors, submitted false receipts for reimbursement and directed money to friends or family for her own personal use.

Among the items the money was used for, according to prosecutors: cellular phones for her, her family and friends; the purchase of a big-screen television from Best Buy delivered to her home in July 2005; payment of $950 worth of someone else's dental work; payment of someone else's $543.94 credit card bill; a $950 repair bill for her own vehicle; and a $700 family membership at the Leisure World Health Club.

Jurgena said Jordan had also made unauthorized donations of the center's funds to a rugby club she belonged to. According to a team roster, Jordan plays for The St. Louis Sabres. The club's Web site says the all-women team is St. Louis' oldest women's rugby club and was established in 1975.

The indictment also accuses Jordan of falsely representing in her job application that she had bachelor's and master's degrees using a diploma and transcripts she had purchased for $1,114 from an Internet site. The paperwork was from St. Regis University, but she never took classes there...

The charges are a result of an investigation by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. Patrick Hansen, assistant U.S. attorney, is prosecuting the case...

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a major higher education reauthorization bill that includes language to crack down on so-called diploma mills that sell fraudulent degrees and transcripts.

The "College Opportunity and Affordability Act" includes portions of another anti-diploma mill bill sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat.

Her legislation was drafted in part in response to a major diploma mill based in Spokane that sold 6,000 university degrees worldwide. Many of those phony degrees were sold to individuals in Saudi Arabia who used them to get enhanced immigration status – becoming an issue of concern for U.S. Homeland Security officials tracking suspected terrorists...

The new legislation, House Resolution 4137, passed Thursday on a vote of 354 to 58.

Although she didn't sign on as one of several co-sponsors of the anti-diploma bill legislation introduced by McCollum, Eastern Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted for HR 4137. Her office didn't immediately issue a statement about the new legislation.

Provisions of the legislation will "prevent the sale of fake degrees by creating clear standards of recognizing legitimate academic institutions and giving law enforcement officials the information to identity and prosecute diploma mills," said Bryan Collinsworth, a spokesman for Congresswoman McCollum.

"This legislation is an important first step toward ensuring that every college degree reflects the high quality of our higher education system," McCollum said in a prepared statement.

Fake diplomas, she said, "undermine that quality, and they have been used to carry out deceptions and crimes that are absolutely repugnant."

Provisions of the "College Opportunity and Affordability Act" will instruct the U.S. Department of Education to create a list of accredited institutions and valid accreditation associations for immigration and federal employment and hiring purposes.

The legislation also will establish a task force of higher education and law enforcement experts to develop a "strategic diploma integrity protection plan," and encourage the state to take similar steps.

The legislation also will empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on diploma mills.

A Senate companion version to the bill passed last year. Now, the House and Senate versions will go to conference committee to reconcile differences.

"Though the Senate bill did not include the diploma mill provisions, the House language will likely be included in the final bill unless strong objections are raised," Collinsworth said today.

Despite strong criticism from the Bush administration, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday that would establish a federal list of the nation's most expensive colleges and crack down on the way student loan companies try to curry favor with college officials and gain access to their students.

The bill, approved on a bipartisan vote of 354 to 58, broadly seeks to hold down costs at colleges by dissuading them from raising tuition. It would require the federal Education Department to publish a list of the most expensive colleges, and it would cut down on states' eligibility for new federal grants if the states reduced financing for public colleges.

The administration has opposed many provisions in the measure, including one that would limit the Education Department's authority to regulate colleges through accreditation. But the White House has stopped short of a veto threat. Similar legislation has passed the Senate.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle spoke strongly in favor of fighting rising college costs.

"The bill will create a higher education system that is more affordable and easier to navigate for consumers," said Representative George Miller, Democrat of California and chairman of the education committee.

Representative Howard P. McKeon of California, the committee's ranking Republican, praised the bill, even as he criticized Democrats for blocking amendments offered by Republicans...

A federal judge in Spokane heard arguments Tuesday over whether to send a team of defense attorneys, prosecutors and investigators to Africa at taxpayers' expense as part of the forthcoming criminal trial of the accused operators of a diploma mill.

Defense attorneys for Dixie and Steve Randock want to take sworn statements from top-ranking Liberian officials, including a former ambassador who was videotaped taking cash bribes from a diploma-mill co-conspirator in a Washington, D.C., hotel room.

The defense team argues the Liberia trip is essential for a fair trial – to show that the Randocks believed their various online universities were accredited by the National Board of Education in Liberia.

"We need these (Liberian) witnesses to prove they weren't bribed," defense attorney Phillip "Dutch" Wetzel told the court.

But federal prosecutor George Jacobs said the Liberian "accreditation" was nothing more than a lie on top of other lies perpetrated by the defendants, who routinely manufactured degrees and transcripts bearing signatures of fictitious university officials, along with counterfeit diplomas from legitimate U.S. universities.

The testimony from the Liberian officials would be "irrelevant, speculative and inadmissible," Jacobs said.

Arguments on the defense request to travel to the African country came after Judge Lonny Suko issued a 27-page ruling, denying an earlier defense motion to toss out evidence seized in March 2005 by a federal task force in the basement of a Post Falls office building.

That evidence included billing records and names of individuals who purchased college degrees and accompanying transcripts from 125 universities operated by the defendants.

The evidence, contained in cardboard boxes, was in an unsecured basement hallway, accessible to other building tenants and adjoining an office rented by the Randocks.

Investigators got a search warrant to seize the evidence but left those documents with the building owner, not the Randocks.

Using a ruse to keep their investigation secret, agents left a scribbled note on the hallway wall, saying the boxes of documents had been taken to a landfill by an "angry tenant."

Suko ruled that the government had a "legitimate justification for its deception" to keep an ongoing investigation secret.

"This is not a case where the government engineered and directed the criminal enterprise from start to finish or where the police employed physical or psychological coercion against the defendants," the judge said.

His ruling was a setback for defense attorneys, who argued the evidence seizure involved "police misconduct" and shouldn't be used at trial. Suko didn't immediately rule on the Liberian trip.

The judge scheduled another hearing for Friday and is expected to rule then or within days.

Wetzel attempted to bolster his argument for the trip with testimony from defense investigator Brian R. Breen, a retired Spokane police detective.

He spent 16 days in Liberia late last year, tracking down and interviewing some of the witnesses.

Breen hired a driver and a bodyguard during his trip to the war-torn African nation, but he testified that he's been to other places "where I was more concerned about my safety."

He said he saw U.N. peace-keeping troops and bomb-scarred roads. Breen also said that he didn't see much evidence of Western influence and was frequently approached by beggars, "but my impression was they really liked Americans."

Wetzel also used a telephone conference to elicit testimony from Miguel Caridad, an assistant federal defender in Miami, who has made three trips to Liberia in preparing a defense for Charles Emmanuel, who is accused in the United States of torturing people in Liberia between 1999 and 2003.

"I thought it was very safe," Caridad said of his trips to Liberia.

Caridad was interviewing victim-witnesses, not Liberian officials who may have broken U.S. laws by accepting bribes, Jacobs countered, calling U.S. Secret Service Agent John Neirinckx to testify.

Neirinckx, the lead investigator in the diploma mill case, testified that his consultation with other U.S. officials has led him to conclude there would be "safety concerns" for U.S. Justice Department personnel if they went to Liberia...

A Rixensart, un vieux scientifique russe distribue des diplômes et titres. Un vrai moulin à diplômes. Même l'ex-dictateur du Turkménistan en a reçu un.

Avenue des Azalées à Rixensart. Un beau quartier près des grands magasins et du cinéma. Une villa anodine et défraîchie.

Nous voici pourtant au quartier général de l'Académie européenne d'Informatisation (AEI). Son président, Eduard Evreinov, 80 ans, de nationalité russe, nous reçoit sans sourciller. Il emmène le visiteur directement dans une pièce en contrebas. Son modeste bureau et son ordinateur représentent le campus de cette université virtuelle qui distribue des diplômes à tire-larigot et donne des migraines aux responsables de la Direction générale de l'Enseignement en Communauté française.

M.Evreinov a obtenu en 1999, grâce à un avocat anversois, la personnalité civile pour son Académie. Un an plus tard, il débarquait en Belgique avec un statut de résident étranger. Sa notoriété de scientifique est grande et prestigieuse. Il a obtenu le prix Lénine en 1957. Mais ce qu'il va entreprendre en Belgique, dans un pays où la protection des titres universitaires est couverte encore par une loi de 1933 et où règne une très grande liberté d'enseignement, relève de la plus grande plaisanterie.

Selon ses statuts, l'Académie est "une association internationale à but philanthropique, scientifique et pédagogique" qui n'a pas de but lucratif. Elle se propose, comme objectif suprême, "la formation d'un espace d'information mondial uni" et de dispenser des cours dans à peu près toutes les disciplines possibles, du cinéma jusqu'à la communication sous-marine.

Un moulin à diplômes

Mais surtout, l'Académie est ce que les Américains appellent un " moulin à diplômes ." En quelques années, l'Académie a distribué des centaines de diplômes à des gens qui, pour certains, n'avaient aucune qualification scientifique. Evreinov assure, sur ses multiples sites Internet, que pour recevoir un " Grand Doctorat " de l'Académie - appellation qui n'existe pas dans le monde universitaire belge -, il faut notamment avoir publié de 15 à 20 articles scientifiques et " trouvé une solution originale à un quelconque problème" . Il insiste sur le fait que les diplômes sont délivrés par des recteurs d'université.

A lire la liste des récipendiaires cependant, le bien-fondé de cette démarche paraît complètement fantaisiste et semble servir l'ego des heureux élus, généralement des personnalités importantes en Russie. Ainsi l'ancien dictateur du Turkménistan, Saparmourad Niazov, a reçu le grade d'académicien pour "son apport éclairé à la démocratie en Turkménistan.".. On retrouve aussi les noms de l'ex-ministre russe Vladimir Boulgak et du maire de Moscou Youri Loujkov.

L'Académie - qui opère aussi sous le nom de World Information Distributed University (WIDU) - a également accordé en 2001 un certificat et une médaille à l'ancien secrétaire général de l'Onu, Kofi Annan qui a promis, dans une lettre de remerciement, de continuer à "aider à résoudre les problèmes globaux." Deux Belges - Pierre-Henry Wigny, aujourd'hui décédé, et Guy Massange de Collombs, pendant trois à quatre mois en 2000 - ont figuré parmi les membres fondateurs de l'Académie.

"La Belgique est un pays très libre pour moi", dit Eduard Evreinov. "J'essaie d'introduire un nouveau système en Belgique. Mais c'est très difficile. Le gouvernement belge ne le veut pas. Nous n'avons pas de diplômés en Belgique", assure-t-il.

Malgré de nombreuses lettres de requête, Evreinov n'a jamais reçu la moindre agréation de la Communauté française. Il n'a pas plus obtenu la naturalisation belge, étant, dit-il, "trop vieux et un peu sourd."

 

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In Rixensart, an old Russian scientist distributes diplomas and degrees. A real diploma mill. Even the former dictator of Turkmenistan has received one of them.

Avenue of azaleas in Rixensart. A nice neighborhood close to the department stores and cinema. A faded house.

Here we are at the headquarters of the European Academy of Informatisation (AEI). Its president, Eduard Evreinov, 80 years of Russian nationality, greets us without winking. He brings the visitor to a room directly below. His modest office and computer are the campus of the virtual university that distributes diplomas to his heart's content and gives migraines to officials of the General Directorate of Education in the French Community.

Mr. Evreinov won in 1999, thanks to a lawyer in Antwerp, civil status for his Academy. A year later, he landed in Belgium with a foreign resident's status. His reputation as a scientist is significant. He won the Lenin prize in 1957. But what he will undertake in Belgium, in a country where the protection of academic titles is still covered by a law passed in 1933, where there is a great tradition of academic freedom, is a big joke.

According to its statutes, the Academy is "an international association with philanthropic, scientific and educational goals", which is not-for-profit. It describes its primary objectives as "the creation of a global unified information space" and the offering of courses in almost every discipline possible, ranging from film to submarine communication.

A diploma mill

But above all, the Academy is what Americans call a "diploma mill." Within a few years, the Academy has distributed hundreds of diplomas to people who, for some, had no scientific qualifications. Evreinov assures, on his various Internet sites, that to receive the "Grand Doctorate" of the Academy - a title that does not exist in the Belgian academic - you must have published 15 to 20 scientific papers and found an original solution to some problem. " He maintains that diplomas are issued by the administration of a university.

To read the list of rcipients however, the merits of this approach seems completely fanciful and seems to serve the ego of the chosen, usually important people in Russia. As the former dictator of Turkmenistan, Saparmurad Niyazov, has been given the rank of Academician for "his enlightened contributions to democracy in Turkmenistan" ... There are also the names of the former Russian Minister Vladimir Boulgak and the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov.

The Academy - which also operates under the name World Information Distributed University (WIDU) - also granted in 2001 a certificate and a medal to the former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, who has promised in a letter of thanks, to continue to "help solve global problems." Two Belgians - Pierre-Henry Wigny, now deceased, and Guy Massange of Collombs for three to four months in 2000 - were among the founding members of the Academy.

"Belgium is a country that is very open for me," says Eduard Evreinov. "I am trying to introduce a new system in Belgium. But it is very difficult. The Belgian government does not want it. We have no graduates in Belgium," he assures.

Despite numerous letters of complaint Evreinov never received any approval of the French Community. He has not become a naturalized Belgian because, he says, he is "too old and a little deaf."

The court could decide on the candidate's eligibility by early February.

David P. Aey says he's proved he has the qualifications to be Mahoning County sheriff, and questions why the incumbent won't accept that.

As promised, attorneys for Sheriff Randall A. Wellington filed a legal motion in the Ohio Supreme Court asking that the Mahoning County Board of Elections remove Aey's name from the March 4 Democratic primary.

The elections board ruled Friday that Aey, of Boardman, is eligible to run for sheriff over the protest of Wellington. After the hearing, Wellington said he'd quickly file legal action with the court.

"I am on the ballot, and the voters of Mahoning County have a right to choose their elected officials by voting on March 4," Aey said. "Mr. Wellington does not want to give the voters that same right. I find that insulting."

Aey says he wants to debate Wellington on issues such as stopping violent crime, properly running the county jail and spending tax dollars in a lawful way.

"That's fine," Wellington said. "My main issue is to prove he's not qualified to run for sheriff."

Wellington, of Youngstown, contends Aey doesn't meet minimum supervisory requirements under state law to be a sheriff candidate.

Citing a 1996 Ohio Supreme Court decision that states they "must liberally construe in favor of the person seeking to hold office," elections board members voted to keep Aey on the ballot.

In Tuesday's filing, Wellington's attorneys said the elections board ignored a 2000 Supreme Court decision that says the requirements to be sheriff are not subject to "interpretative rules."

The elections board will file a response with the court, which could rule on Aey's eligibility as soon as early February. The Democratic primary is March 4. Aey and Wellington are the only candidates in that primary. Republicans didn't field a sheriff candidate. The independent candidate filing deadline is March 3.

Eligible sheriff candidates must either have at least two years of supervisory experience as a peace officer at the rank of corporal or above, or have served at the rank of sergeant or above in the five-year period before the filing deadline. If a candidate has neither of those, he must have at least two years of post-secondary education from an accredited college or university.

Aey's attorneys acknowledged their client doesn't meet the educational qualifications. Aey received a diploma from Belford University, called an online diploma mill by experts.

Aey never rose above the rank of deputy during his 15 years with the sheriff's department. But the elections board determined that his time as a field supervisor for the U.S. Marshals Service's Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force was equivalent experience.

A throng of supporters showed up at the Legislature yesterday to testify in favor of Paul Suba's appointment as chief of the Guam Police Department, but there were a few critics who questioned his management principles, ethics, and attempt to use a degree from a bogus online institution to pad his credentials.

Among those who endorsed the confirmation were Homeland Security advisor Dennis Santo Tomas, University of Guam Prof. Ron McNinch, police commander Joaquin Reyes, businessman Joey Lopez, and private citizen Cole Hendon, who all attested to Suba's leadership skills, professionalism, and dedication to his duty.

"He's shown his sincere dedication to serving first hand on the front lines when called to duty. We need people like Paul to help us in moving the island toward progress," Santo Tomas told the public safety committee, chaired by Sen. Ray Tenorio, R-Yigo.

"I know this man to have a good heart and his leadership will greatly enhance the Guam Police Department," Reyes said.

Lopez said he is convinced that if confirmed, Suba would further try to do his best within the limited resources that GPD has.

McNinch, for his part, described Suba as "a true hero," adding that "we don't appreciate him as much as we should."

Criticism

But Ben Pangelinan, D-Barrigada, criticized Suba for endorsing a budget reduction for GPD, which the senator said has always been shortchanged.

The chorus of support for Suba was further interrupted by tirades from Tumon precinct commander Lt. Fred Bordallo, who raised questions about the acting police chief's higher education, ethics in government, and management principles, which he said "have caused me to oppose the confirmation."

Bordallo revived the issue regarding Suba's degree from Rochville University, an online institution that is believed to be a bogus diploma mill.

"The Department of Administration rejected Captain Paul Suba's documents indicating he obtained his college degree at Rochville University as an institution of higher learning during his application for Police Major. Captain Suba went on record in media interviews that he would investigate this institution because he 'felt duped,'" Bordallo said.

He said his own research revealed that Rochville University has also "graduated" a terrorist.

"I believe that it is the duty of you senators to examine the application packet of Captain Paul Suba, if in fact Rochville University is included as a listed education credential, that for the record it be noted that the Guam Legislature does not accept Rochville University as valid education credentials, and the applicant can take those documents or diploma, and take the appropriate disposition of them," he said...

A former deputy U.S. marshal who held a supervisory post in Spokane faces a federal criminal charge for allegedly using a bogus college degree he bought on the Internet to get a $16,000-a-year job promotion.

The case is the first criminal prosecution of an estimated 6,000 customers who bought degrees from about 125 bogus online universities operated out of Spokane and Post Falls, senior Justice Department officials said Monday. Some purchasers used their bogus degrees to get jobs and others used them for promotions.

David Floyd Brodhagen, who retired Dec. 23 from the U.S. Department of Justice at age 47, was charged four days later with "official writings" – making and delivering as true a statement knowing it contained false information. The federal misdemeanor carries a maximum of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and a year of supervised release.

"Brodhagen submitted an application for advancement within the U.S. Marshal's Service which contained a representation that he held a college degree from Saint Regis University," a criminal complaint says.

It also alleges the deputy marshal "presented the U.S. Marshal's Service with a transcript of courses taken and grades received from Saint Regis, which he then and there well knew was not a legitimate post-secondary institution."

The criminal complaint against Brodhagen was filed by Carl E. Rostad, a special attorney to the U.S. attorney general, who reviewed the results of an internal investigation by the U.S. Marshal's Service...

"Getting the degree is not fraud," Rostad said Monday when reached at his office in Great Falls. "It's how you use it that constitutes fraud, and that's what we're alleging here."

Brodhagen is expected to appear Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno – the same courtroom where the former deputy marshal guarded prisoners over the past two decades...

Brodhagen claimed to be a "Saint Regis University graduate" when he applied to move from a GS-12 position to the supervisory post, which was rated as GS-13, Kline said.

For 2006, the Office of Personnel Management listed the maximum pay for a GS-12 employee at $80,975 and a GS-13 at $96,292...

A former deputy U.S. marshal who bought a bogus college degree online and used it to get a $16,000-a-year job promotion is scheduled to plead guilty to a federal crime next week in U.S. District Court in Spokane, public records show.

David F. Brodhagen is scheduled to enter the plea next Tuesday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge John C. Coughenour from the Western District of Washington. That date was rescheduled from Jan. 24.

The judge from Seattle was assigned the case after judges in the Eastern District of Washington, who all have worked with the 47-year-old deputy marshal in various criminal cases, recused themselves from his case.

Brodhagen retired from the U.S. Marshals Service on Dec. 23 and was charged four days later with "official writings,'' a federal charge accusing the public official of providing his employer, the U.S. Government, with a document containing false information.

It is the first criminal prosecution of an estimated 6,000 customers who bought phony college degrees from 125 so-called "online universities" operated by a Spokane-based diploma mill operation.

Eight members of the ring were indicted in 2005.

In a seven-page written plea agreement filed in court last week, Brodhagen said he intends to plead guilty to the federal misdemeanor. It carries a maximum possible sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and a year of probation.

According to a criminal complaint, "Brodhagen submitted an application for advancement within the U.S. Marshal's Service which contained a representation that he held a college degree from Saint Regis University.''

He got the supervisory job in 2003, moving from a GS-12 rank with a 2006 salary of $80,975, to a GS-13 employee with an annual salary of $96,292.

In his plea agreement Brodhagen admits he "knew the information (he) provided was false."

If the court accepts the plea agreement, which it is not required to do, the government prosecutor will recommend Brodhagen be given two years of probation, 80 hours of community service and a $500 fine.

As part of the plea bargain, Brodhagen would waive his right to appeal any sentence he receives...

United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana
P.O. Box 1478
Billings, MT 59103

CONTACT
Jessica T. Fehr
Assistant U.S. Attorney
(406) 247-4637

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in the Eastern District of Washington on February 12, 2008, before Senior U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour from the Western District of Washington, DAVID BRODHAGEN, a 48-year-old resident of Reardan, Washington, pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of false statement by a public official. Sentencing is set for June 10, 2008, in Spokane, Washington. He is currently released on special conditions.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On November 11, 2002, BRODHAGEN, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, submitted an Internet application to Saint Regis University. In this application, BRODHAGEN stated he wanted a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Science/Liberal Arts. BRODHAGEN paid $731 by credit card to obtain this degree. As part of his submission package, BRODHAGEN stated, "At this time in my career, I feel it is important to obtain a BA Degree. Without it, I will not be able to go further up in my career ladder. With only seven more years remaining before retirement, it is too late to go to the conventional route of a four year college. This is my primary reason for applying for a degree based upon my experience, training, and college education." St. Regis asked him which classes he wanted on his transcript and what grades he wanted reflected as having received.

The Internet application for Saint Regis University contained a warning stating that the applicant understands they are not enrolling in a school of any type and that Saint Regis University will not provide any representation of accreditation.

Approximately 21/2 months later, on or about January 28, 2003, BRODHAGEN applied for a position as the Supervisory Deputy United States Marshal in the Spokane, Washington, office of the United States Marshals Service. Within the job application, BRODHAGEN claimed he had a Bachelor's degree and was entitled to a 12 point rating indicative of such a degree. He also included a copy of a degree from Saint Regis University indicating he had obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice on June 5, 2002.

BRODHAGEN was interviewed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and stated he located Saint Regis University from an advertisement he read in a magazine. He went to their Internet site, completed their enrollment forms, and paid them $731 to obtain a college degree for "life experiences." He admitted that he never completed any classes from them. BRODHAGEN also stated he did not possess a Bachelor's degree from any other institution.

BRODHAGEN stated he also included a transcript of courses allegedly taken at Saint Regis University, even though he admitted he took no such classes. The transcript showed he completed 29 different classes and received between a "B" and an "A" for every class. The grade point average for his degree was shown on the transcript as 3.65. BRODHAGEN said Saint Regis had previously asked him what grade point average he desired on his transcript, and he told them 3.65.

BRODHAGEN signed a certificate at the end of his job application for promotion within the United States Marshals Service stating, "all information provided in the application are true, complete and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief."

BRODHAGEN told the OIG that a short time after submitting his promotion package, he noted in his Saint Regis University transcript a course entitled "Defense Class For Women," in which he received a grade of an "A-." BRODHAGEN realized he should never have received credit for this class as he was not a woman. He allegedly called the Marshals Service Human Resources Department and questioned an unknown female whether he could receive credit for this course and if the degree was in fact valid. She told him to call some other colleges to determine if they would accept his courses from Saint Regis University. BRODHAGEN subsequently called Concordia College, which he attended in 1994, and found they would not accept the Saint Regis courses.

BRODHAGEN said that over the course of several telephone calls with the unknown female in Human Resources, it was agreed upon that BRODHAGEN would not receive any credit in his promotion package for obtaining a four year degree from Saint Regis. BRODHAGEN claimed he subsequently submitted a revised education page to his promotion package showing he did not possess a four year college degree and his education points were downgraded from 12 points to 4 points.

BRODHAGEN was adamant that he initiated the inquiry with the female in the Human Resources Department concerning the validity of the Defense Class For Women credit and the validity of his degree.

Contact with the Chief of the Merit Promotion Department within the Marshals Service and two other employees was unsuccessful in determining who BRODHAGEN may have talked to about the Saint Regis degree. The Chief of the Merit Promotion Department said BRODHAGEN would have had to talk to her or the other women interviewed as they were the only people involved in the application and hiring process. She also noted that BRODHAGEN'S application package had been lost. [A copy of the application was retrieved from BRODHAGEN during the investigation].

BRODHAGEN was selected by the U.S. Marshal of the Spokane, Washington office for the position of Supervisory Deputy United States Marshal. The Marshal said whether BRODHAGEN had a Bachelor's degree never came up, nor was it an issue in him being selected for the position. He relied on the list of suitable candidates from the promotion packet provided to him by the career board to make his selection. He was not allowed to interview any candidates. The Marshal said it was to BRODHAGEN'S advantage in that he was the only candidate the Marshal knew.

BRODHAGEN claimed that, although he never took any classes from Saint Regis University, his life experiences, other college courses, and job experiences as a United States Marshal entitled him to the Bachelor's degree from Saint Regis University. BRODHAGEN said at the time, he believed the degree to be valid and that he did nothing wrong.

In October of 2007, BRODHAGEN took a polygraph examination to evaluate whether he could have sincerely believed that he could legitimately claim that he had a legitimate college degree. He failed conclusively, but made no admissions.

BRODHAGEN faces possible penalties of 1 year in prison, a $100,000 fine and 1 year supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl E. Rostad prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

# # # #

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638

Operators of a Spokane-based diploma mill were counterfeiting and selling degrees and transcripts from some of the largest universities in the United States, in addition to cranking out degrees from fictitious online universities, new court filings say.

Dixie and Steve Randock, the Colbert couple who used a Hillyard print shop and a rented basement office in Post Falls, are accused of selling counterfeit degrees from the University of Maryland, the University of Tennessee, Texas A&M and George Washington University.

The Randocks face a June trial on federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. Investigators believe the operation hauled in $5 million.

The revelation that the Randocks also sold counterfeit degrees and transcripts from bona fide universities is expected to stir interest among employers, university and college registrars and others in academic circles pressing for additional levels of validation for college degrees and transcripts.

Thomas C. Black, the registrar at Stanford University, said Monday the Spokane case points out the need for electronic validation of degrees and transcripts by employers and others.

"I join a number of my colleagues around the country in feeling at times enraged or deeply disturbed about credential fraud and the havoc caused by diploma mills," Black said in an e-mail.

"Some of us have gone beyond cease and desist orders to devise a new way to deliver and validate credentials electronically through digital signature technology," Black said, referring to the same technology that protects Internet e-commerce sites...

The sale of counterfeit degrees from legitimate universities is detailed in 250 pages of documents and exhibits just filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jacobs, who is opposing a defense request to travel to Liberia. Defense attorneys for the Randocks and two other defendants want U.S. taxpayers to pick up the cost of sending them to Liberia to get sworn statements from seven of that country's high-ranking officials. The defense team claims the Randocks' online universities were "accredited by the National Board of Education" in Liberia.

It's essential to the defendants' rights to a fair trial, the defense argues, to travel to Liberia to question a Liberian Supreme Court justice and that country's former ambassador to the United States, Abdullah Dunbar, who was secretly videotaped accepting a cash bribe from a diploma-mill co-conspirator in a Washington, D.C., hotel room in 2005.

The federal prosecutor said it's irrelevant what accreditation the defendants believed they had because they "routinely manufactured degrees, transcripts and other academic products that bore the signatures of fictitious university officials." Dixie Randock used at least 11 aliases as part of the scheme, court documents say.

"The defendants also manufactured degrees in the names of legitimate universities operating in the United States," Jacobs wrote in his 22-page brief.

They counterfeited a bachelor's of science in criminal justice degree and an accompanying academic transcript in the name of the University of Maryland, and a bachelor's of business administration degree and transcript from the University of Tennessee, Jacobs said.

A counterfeit degree from Texas A&M University bore the signatures of two fictitious university officials, "Patrick O'Brien" and "James Cooper," two of the aliases used by Dixie Randock, Jacobs said.

At the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Amy Blakely, assistant director of media relations, sounded stunned when reached for reaction.

"We've just heard of this and, if the allegations are true, we are disappointed that someone would use the university's name for such purposes," she said.

At the University of Maryland in College Park, spokesman Neil Tickner said senior university officials "don't want to comment, probably because it seems so obvious that it's a terrible thing.."..

Almost half the colleges checked on an official list of approved providers for overseas students have been struck off, the government has said.

Following fears about bogus colleges, the government said it had inspected 256 colleges since 2005, leading to 124 being removed from the list.

There are about 2,000 private colleges on the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills' register.

A place at one of these colleges is a means to getting a UK student visa.

A DIUS spokesman says that colleges on the register of education and training providers are now facing unannounced inspections.

'Dodgy'

But Conservative university spokesman, David Willetts, expressed concern that so many colleges on the government's approved list have turned out to be bogus.

"It begs the question of how they got on to the list in the first place and suggests the government's process for accrediting them is not up to scratch," said Mr Willetts.

A BBC investigation this week revealed an example of a college offering courses with no legitimate accreditation - described as "dodgy" by its own chancellor.

There has been a longstanding problem with bogus colleges - often either set up to sell fake degrees or else as part of an immigration and visa scam, allowing people to enter the UK as students.

The approved register of education providers was created in 2005 to prevent such abuses - requiring applicants for student visas to show that they would be attending a legitimate institution.

But this register, the gatekeeper for those seeking student visas, is now under scrutiny - with an unspecified number of bogus colleges among those removed from the list.

Dius says that the check ups, aimed at preventing bogus colleges, might also have found other technical reasons for removing the registration of institutions.

It also remains unclear how many of the remaining 1,750 colleges have ever been physically inspected before or after inclusion on this register.

Among those currently on the list is a college whose website content is mostly links to services including online gambling.

Fees

Bogus colleges charge overseas students thousands of pounds in fees for a place - which is then used as a way of entering or remaining in the UK on a student visa.

Such bogus colleges often claim to have well-equipped campuses, but in reality are operating from temporary office addresses. Websites can have pictures of college buildings or landscapes which are nothing like their authentic locations.

Overseas students are required to attend courses for at least 15 hours per week. But they are allowed to work - and their spouses and children are also entitled to work in the UK.

A DIUS spokesperson says that the integrity of the list is taken very seriously - and that the vast majority of private colleges are legitimate.

The introduction of unannounced inspections in November was intended to catch bogus colleges which might not really have the students, facilities and staff claimed when they registered.

But the list does not make any assurances about the quality of the education available at these institutions.

 

An international education scam that targets foreign students who come to study in the capital has been exposed by a BBC London investigation.

The bogus Irish International University (IIU), which offers sub-standard and worthless degrees, has been allowed to flourish in the UK - virtually unchecked by the government - for the last seven years.

Although the organisation is unaccredited, hundreds of students have been given educational visas to enter Britain and take its exams at private colleges in London.

The IIU, which has 5,000 students worldwide and thousands of graduates, maintains the illusion of a valid education through its elaborate but highly misleading website.

This illusion is enhanced by the university's continued use of Oxford and Cambridge facilities to stage its award ceremonies.

After each event photographs appear on the IIU website showing happy students receiving awards at the UK's best seats of learning.

Our investigation took us from London to Dublin, Oxford and finally Monte Carlo in search of those behind the IIU.

A BBC journalist and an actor posing as fake academic were invited to the IIU's award ceremony which, surprisingly, was held at the Divinity School, next to the Bodleian Library, in the very heart of Oxford University.

The ceremony was due to go ahead at Cambridge, but after BBC London alerted the university authorities the event was cancelled. That did not stop the IIU switching venues to Oxford at the last minute.

Dublin campus?

In Oxford, our journalist and actor secretly filmed the award ceremony and recorded meetings with university boss and Executive President Professor Hardeep Singh Sandhu, a Malaysian businessman and faculty member Dr Edwin Varo.

Dr Varo, told us that the IIU was not bogus and was registered in Ireland and that it had applied to the government and had been given approval to use the word university.

In Dublin, Sean O'Foghlu, Chief Executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, told BBC London: "To use the word university in a title it needs approval from our Department of Education and Science - no such approval has been given by our department."

The university website clearly stated that the university had a campus in Dublin. We visited the address given by the IIU on its website - there was no campus, just a mailbox.

The website also claimed that the IIU's educational programmes were accredited and quality controlled by the impressive sounding QAC-UK Ltd - the Quality Assurance Commission, based in North London.

During secretly filmed meetings, Professor Sandhu told our undercover team that the QAC was an "independent body" that maintained the quality of education in the UK and elsewhere.

Faculty member, Dr Varo explained that the QAC staff: "Focus more on your curriculum - on your teaching; focus on your evaluation - they focus on your faculty - who are your faculty - what amount of real teaching takes place."

The QAC website listed an impressive roll-call of staff including the QAC Commissioner General and an Acting Commissioner General.

Our reporter visited the QAC and instead of finding a commissioner general we found four telephonists fielding calls for countless companies at yet another virtual office.

A further check at Companies House revealed that far from the being "independent" the QAC is in fact owned by university boss Professor Dr Sandhu.

Bona fide academic, Professor Geoffrey Alderman, gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the subject of bogus institutions.

He told us: "Some of these colleges will say, 'sure we're accredited', but when you say 'by whom?', they name an accrediting institution which in fact they themselves own."

University boss Professor Sandhu, who sits on the governing council is a Doctor of Letters, a doctorate awarded by another unaccredited university based in the Caribbean.

His professorship is "honorary", awarded by a European association set up to give out professorships.

On the website he also called himself "Sir H Sandhu" but his knighthood was not bestowed on him by the Queen.

One person missing from the Oxford award ceremony was the university's Honorary Chancellor, His Excellency Baron Knowth - real name Professor Jeffrey Wooller - a successful chartered accountant from London.

Professor Wooller, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, owns a £1.2m townhouse in Kensington but spends most of his time living as a tax exile in Monte Carlo.

Our actor, again posing as a fake academic, arranged to meet Professor Wooller, at a hotel in Monaco. We secretly filmed this meeting.

'Dreamt up'

He told our fake academic that the IIU was not "recognised anywhere."

He admitted to our actor that the website was an illusion: "When you look at the website, it's a figment of someone's imagination. Someone's dreamt up what a university should look like, and that's what's on the website."

Professor Wooller told us that students paid a lot of money to attend the award ceremonies, adding: "If you can mention Oxford, Cambridge then the whole world thinks that it must be a good university."

He then said of the university's operation: "The whole thing's dodgy." He even said that the IIU's governing council, of which he and Professor Sandhu are both members, did not exist.

A BBC London reporter then confronted Professor Wooller:

Reporter: You said the whole thing is dodgy.

Mr Wooller: It is dodgy!

Reporter: Oh so you admit it's dodgy?

Mr Wooller: Of course it's dodgy.

He also told our reporter that he had been given his professorship by the IIU and that he had bought his "Baron" title.

Professor Wooller refused to quit as honorary chancellor stating that most IIU students were happy and that the university was good value for money.

Professor John Arnold of Loughborough University has seen coursework from an IIU graduate.

He said: "Students are paying for this, what I would regard as worthless and bogus qualifications. I would say buyer beware from the point of view of students.

"You know I really think that they'll probably be getting qualifications which are unlikely to be taken seriously at least in Western Europe."

'Banned'

Following BBC London's investigation the IIU will now no longer be allowed to use Oxford and Cambridge's facilities to stage their award ceremonies.

Oxford University issued a statement stating that they would not be renting its facilities to the Irish International University in the future.

The IIU website survives but since our investigation it has undergone a radical overhaul.

The reference to a Dublin campus has been removed, the QAC is "no longer involved with the Irish International University" and its logo no longer appears on the website.

Professor Sandhu told BBC London that the university will not renew its affiliations with any private colleges in London.

The government is promising that by 2009 all colleges wishing to bring overseas applicants into the country will need to be accredited.

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said: "Our universities are rightly regarded as world class and any attempt by bogus institutions or conmen to tarnish this hard won reputation will not be tolerated.

"The UK has some of the toughest regulations in the world governing the award of higher education qualifications. The vast majority of private colleges in London operate lawfully and provide a high-quality service to their students.

"We are working very hard on behalf of students to ensure that all private institutions meet strict quality standards.

"Where we are not satisfied that this is the case with a particular college, we will not hesitate to investigate and if necessary, close it down.

"I would encourage all new students to carefully check the credentials of the college they wish to enrol at and if they have any concerns, contact their local trading standards team."

APA-Monrovia (Liberia) The National Commission on Higher Education has closed down several 'universities' in the country for failing to meet the minimum requirements set by the Ministry of Education, APA has learnt here.

Making the disclosure to reporters in Monrovia this week, the Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education, Dr. Michel P Slawon named the affected universities as Berea Theological Seminary, Vision International University and Bible College, St. Martin College of Career Development, C.C. Pennoh Community College on Gurley Street, Liberty Theological Seminary , Liberia College of Professional Studies, Liberia College of Technology, Lloyd Faulkner Theological Seminary and ALL Charismatic Theological Seminary all located in the capital Monrovia.

Others are St. Clement University, Global Univeity, Evangel Christian University and Liberia University Colege.

Others affected are John Evangelical Seminary, Monrovia University and the Christopolis University.

Dr. Slawon said in line with a survey conducted by the secretariat of the Commission, those universities had not demonstrated the potential to grow into degree-granting institutions in the country.

He also pointed out that the action was based on the fact that those institutions had no mission statements, qualified faculty and staff, student services, libraries, institutional policies and programs.

Other reasons cited by the Commission for shutting down the sub-standard institutions also include poor curriculum without detailed course descriptions and programs, poor instructional facilities and poor institutional materials and equipment.

The Commission has also announced the closure of all unknown and known distance learning/online universities claiming to operate in Liberia.

The Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education named these institutions as the Concordia University, Virtual University, James Monroe University, Global University, St. Clement University, Brendan University, Evangel Christian University, St Luke School of Medicine and Adam Smith University.

Dr. Slawon named the government-run University of Liberia, Episcopal Church-run Cuttington University and the William V.S Tubman Technical Colege as the only fully accredited institutions of higher learning in Liberia.

These institutions fall in category 1 of a Resolution presented by by the secretariat of the Commission on Higher Education, he said.

Institutions which fall in category 2 have been permitted to operate. They include the United Methodist University, African Methodist Episcopal Zion University College, Stelle Maris Polytechnic, African Methodist Episcopal University and Liberia Theological Seminary.

According to Dr. Slawon, these institutions are recognized by the government but not accredited, adding these institutions may operate while seeking accreditation.

He explained that these institutions have acceptable facilities, limited library holdings, fair curriculum, but without clear and detailed course descriptions and programs.

TSS/tjm/APA
2007-12-29

Documents: Motions in support of depositions trip: Phillip Wetzel | Brian R. Breen

Defense attorneys for four remaining defendants in a Spokane-based diploma mill case want to travel to Liberia to depose seven of that country's high-ranking officials, including a Supreme Court justice.

U.S. taxpayers would pick up the as-yet-undetermined bill if the request is granted by U.S. District Court Judge Lonny Suko, who's assigned the wire fraud and money laundering case.

Included on the list of Liberian officials to be deposed is that country's former ambassador to the United States, Abdullah Dunbar, who was secretly videotaped accepting a cash bribe from a diploma-mill co-conspirator in a Washington, D.C., hotel room in 2005, court documents say.

Bribes allegedly made to Liberian politicians helped the accused Spokane operators of 125 bogus online universities obtain "Liberian Board of Education accreditation" for diplomas cranked out at a Hillyard print shop and mailed out with phony transcripts from the basement of a Post Falls office building, federal investigators say.

The U.S. attorney's office had no immediate response Monday when asked if federal prosecutors would oppose the unusual travel request.

In new legal filings, attorney Phillip J. "Dutch" Wetzel, who represents defendant Dixie Randock, said the trip to Liberia is needed to "preserve testimony" from the Liberian officials whose testimony may be crucial to the defense case.

"Our request is to take depositions to preserve their testimony in case they can't or won't appear at the trial," Wetzel said Monday.

In federal criminal cases, attorneys must get a judge's permission to depose a witness "in order to preserve testimony for trial" if the court concludes it's warranted "because of exceptional circumstances and in the interests of justice."

The Liberian officials are beyond the reach of a U.S. District Court subpoena, so they would have to voluntarily agree to travel to Spokane to testify as defense witnesses at the trial of Randock and her husband, Steve, and co-defendants Heidi Lohran and Roberta Lynn Markistum.

"Our hope is still that they would agree to testify at trial, too," Wetzel said.

A hearing date for the travel request hasn't been set, but prosecutors and defense attorneys are scheduled to be back in U.S. District Court in Yakima on Jan. 10 for closing arguments on a pending defense motion to suppress evidence.

Indictments in the diploma mill case were returned in October 2005 after a nine-month multiagency investigation called Operation Gold Seal.

The indictments charge the Randocks and six other defendants with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. The Randocks also were indicted on a charge of conspiring to launder more than $1 million they collected from selling the bogus degrees.

The jury trial is now scheduled for June in Spokane.

Wetzel declined to estimate how much it would cost to send him and other members of the defense team to Monrovia, Liberia, or whether the depositions would be videotaped.

Defense investigator Brian Breen, a retired Spokane police detective, made a court-authorized 16-day trip to Monrovia, Liberia, in late October to contact and interview various witnesses.

Now, based on Breen's fieldwork, Wetzel and defense attorneys Pete Schweda, Tim Trageser and Richard Wall say in court documents they want to depose Issac Roland, the former director general of Liberia's National Commission of Higher Education, and Ambassador Prince Porte, the former chargé d'affaires at the Liberian embassy in Washington, D.C.

Also on the list are Aaron B. Kollie, the former chief of mission at the Liberian Embassy in Washington, and Kabineh Ja'neh, associate justice with the Liberian Supreme Court.

Worthless university degrees "conferred" by criminal rings that help dupes and wrongdoers obtain fraudulent credentials have played a part in foreign terrorists' plots to skirt federal immigration and visa laws, say backers of a bill pending in Congress that would crack down on the practice.

Earlier exposes of the wide extent of degree mill abuses committed by federal technologists, first reported in Government Computer News, led to the exposure of credential misrepresentation by one senior Homeland Security Department official, who lost the No. 2 job in the department's Chief Information Officer's Office, in addition to credential fakery by dozens of other government information technology employees.

That award-winning, yearlong series of stories prompted two federal investigations, a Senate hearing and changes in the government's methods of evaluating higher-education credentials. Attention now has been focused on the prosecution of a fake degree ring centered in Spokane, Wash.

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and eight other Democrats in the House have sponsored the Diploma Integrity Protection Act as the first federal legislation since the creation of the Internet to directly confront the problem of fraud related to diploma mills...

When prosecutors in three states won convictions against bogus medical practitioners who sought degrees from Kentucky-based Internet medical schools, there were no laws to target the diploma mills that handed out the fake credentials.

The scenario was further complicated because some of the schools claimed to have foreign campuses.

Now there's a bill moving through Congress that would result in federal sanctions against diploma mills -- and the measure has picked up support from Kentucky Congressmen Hal Rogers and Ben Chandler.

In promoting the legislation, sponsor Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., is citing the case of a Rhode Island man who received what prosecutors say were fake naturopathy and medical degrees from a Kentucky-based Internet school.

John Curran, who said he got the degrees through Stephen J. Arnett of Magoffin County, treated hundreds of patients before he was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his practice. Two other men, one in Nevada and one in Kentucky, who said they got their medical educations through Arnett have been convicted of practicing medicine without a license...

A bill McCollum sponsored was recently folded into a larger higher education bill. It is expected to be voted on by the full House of Representatives in the next several weeks. The House Education and Labor Committee unanimously approved it Nov. 15.

If passed, the legislation would direct the Federal Trade Commission to target diploma mills that say they are legitimate schools. The legislation would also create a commission of higher education, law enforcement and legislative experts to promote federal-state cooperation in identifying diploma mills and facilitating enforcement and prosecution.

McCollum introduced the legislation because of problems with diploma mills in Washington state and concerns of federal officials that some clients of diploma mills might be entering the United States to conduct terrorist activities, said her press secretary Bryan Collinsworth.

She has reviewed the Kentucky cases and is using them to illustrate the problem, he said.

"We need to be able to trust that our doctors, engineers, scientists and public officials have earned their degrees legitimately," McCollum said. "The use of fake diplomas for criminal purposes -- to pose as a doctor and treat patients, or enter our country illegally to do us harm -- is an outrage that has to be stopped."

Chandler, who noted that Kentucky has had problems with degree scams, said the proposed legislation "is a good first step in combating this problem."

Rogers also mentioned the effect such degree mills have on the state.

"Cracking down on individuals who peddle bogus diplomas ensures the integrity of higher education," he said. "This kind of fraud undermines our region's strong community college system and their students who work very hard to obtain degrees. It should be recognized for what it is -- criminal activity that shortchanges everyone else who plays by the rules.."..

Their teenager was facing an excruciating death from cancer. His parents searched frantically for a way to ease his pain.

David and Laura Flanagan of suburban Denver believed they found that, and more, in the office of Dr. Brian O'Connell. O'Connell assured the Flanagans he could not only relieve 18-year-old Sean's suffering from late-stage bone cancer, he could cure Sean as he had others.

O'Connell's treatment of choice: photo luminescence, a form of "energy medicine" using light waves. O'Connell would take a vial of blood from Sean's body, expose it to ultraviolet light from a device, then inject the treated blood back in a hydrogen-peroxide solution. Although the treatment was unconventional, the Flanagans took comfort in O'Connell's charisma and in his impressive credentials as a naturopathic doctor.

"The certification and accreditations were plastered all over his wall," David Flanagan said. "There wasn't a bare spot. Everything seemed legit."

Everything was not.

Two days after Sean's treatment by O'Connell began, the young man was rushed to the hospital with an infection caused by the injection. Six days after that, as O'Connell administered another round of treatment, Sean begged, "Please, God, no more." The next day, Dec. 19, 2003, Sean died — about six months sooner than his medical doctors had predicted...

But even in their sorrow, the Flanagans never suspected O'Connell was anything less than he claimed to be. It wasn't until months later — when they saw him on television, being led away in handcuffs — that they discovered they had been cruelly duped.

O'Connell, 35 at the time, had been arrested for practicing medicine without a license. After the Flanagans told law-enforcement officials Sean's story, criminally negligent homicide was added to the charges. O'Connell was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

But what of that wall of degrees and certificates in his office? It was a facade of legitimacy. O'Connell had no formal medical or government-accredited naturopathic training.

Rather, The Seattle Times has found, he and scores of other "energy medicine" practitioners are graduates of a multimillion-dollar industry that gives them deceptive credentials.

These people buy the appearance of legitimacy through an international network of unaccredited health-care schools and murky trade associations.

Many operators of "miracle machines" have used sham credentials to lure unsuspecting patients into expensive, dubious and sometimes-fatal treatments.

The Times found:

• At least 104 unaccredited schools dole out alternative-medicine degrees or certifications that are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Most operate only through the Internet or by mail order. The largest alternative health-care school in the United States, Clayton College of Natural Health, is an unaccredited home-study program that claims it has issued more than 25,000 degrees.

• Some of the largest and seemingly independent health-care credentialing organizations are in fact controlled by one of two businessmen — one in Las Vegas, the other in Texas. Their organizations are mail-order factories that issue professional titles and hand out accreditations to more than 100 schools.

• Many buyers of energy devices receive credentials and certificates from manufacturers who operate or sponsor training programs. Device operators use these titles to market themselves as health-care practitioners.

Meanwhile, the alternative-medicine schools that are accredited by the federal government are dismayed by the explosion of untrained and uncertified operators...

One of the framed certificates on O'Connell's wall was from the American Naturopathic Medical Association (ANMA). Impressive-sounding, to be sure — but it comes from a Las Vegas post-office box. The businessman who founded the organization in 1981 has feuded for years with AANP and the mainstream, state-licensed naturopathic community.

Donald Hayhurst, 71, is the godfather of mail-order health-care credentials. He has issued thousands of credentials to practitioners, and he accredits some schools.

Hayhurst has doled out 4,000 ANMA memberships, at a cost of $350 apiece. Each year, its members attend a convention in Las Vegas that includes speakers, training and products. More than 1,000 people attended this year's convention at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, where vendors aggressively pitched dozens of energy devices, lasers and herbal concoctions...

Hayhurst's chief competitor is Donald A. Rosenthal, 56, who orchestrates a network of accreditation and credentialing organizations around the world. That network claims to include more than 4,000 members and nearly 100 health-care schools.

Rosenthal said he has degrees as both a medical and a naturopathic doctor. But he is not a licensed doctor in any state. His degrees were issued by schools that are not accredited by the Department of Education.

Rosenthal maintains a low profile from a small office in Galveston, Texas, the base of his parent organization, the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. After a bankruptcy in the 1990s, he lives in a $78,000 home near town.

Many energy-medicine operators nationally have certification from Rosenthal and describe themselves as "drugless practitioners." Rosenthal said the idea for this designation was developed in 1990 when he talked with chiropractors who sought a way to bolster their professional credentials.

Becoming a member of the association is as easy as faxing in a brief application with a photocopy of a driver's license and $260. In return, applicants are issued certificates that declare them a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner.

One man who took advantage of this ease of certification from Rosenthal was Ralph Mitchell, who parlayed his "drugless practitioner" title to draw patients into his Greenhouse Health & Wellness Center in Molalla, Ore. Mitchell, who called himself a naturopathic doctor, used unproven energy devices to treat seriously ill patients.

Among those devices were an ion footbath called Body Cleanse, which purports to extract toxins from the body, and a skin-response biofeedback device made by BioMeridian that Mitchell used to diagnose medical conditions, state records show.

The Oregon Attorney General's Office investigated Mitchell and found that the medical conditions of clients worsened under his care. In September, Mitchell agreed to pay $25,000 to the state and is now prohibited from practicing medicine.

Easy credentials

For schools wanting accreditation from Rosenthal, the process is just as simple. They are required only to mail a copy of their curriculum, and a fee. Rosenthal does not visit the school or interview owners, instructors or students, he said.

Some of the schools accredited by Rosenthal include the Academy of BioEnergetics in Utah, the Energetix College of BioEnergetic Medicine in Georgia and the Florida Vedic College.

None of the institutions is accredited by the federal government.

For instance, the Holistic Healers Academy was opened in 2002 and operates from a post-office box in Convent Station, N.J. Home courses cost $160 each with subjects such as "advanced energy healing."

Co-founder Kristen Lauter doesn't rely on Rosenthal just for accrediting her academy. She is Certified Holistic Health Practitioner #76892201 — a credential issued by Rosenthal.

And her bachelor of science degree came from Clayton College of Natural Health of Birmingham, Ala., the nation's largest unaccredited alternative health-care school. Clayton boasts accreditation from both Rosenthal and Hayhurst.

Founded in 1980 by Lloyd Clayton Jr., the college offers home-study courses that range from $4,300 to $6,400, for degrees from natural science to holistic health.

Clayton officials said the college fulfills a mission to provide quality training to students who do not desire a traditional four-year education...

 

A talented young woman, 18 years old and already a successful filmmaker, actress and model, is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. America's best medical centers say they can do nothing more to help. In despair, she turns to a doctor who says his treatments will make her well. On his office wall are diplomas from the "St. Luke School of Medicine." The doctor prescribes an odd vegetable drink and insists it will heal her, but only if no other food is eaten.

This treatment, which the woman strictly follows, does nothing to relieve her pain. Instead, it condemns her to spend the last weeks of her life not only battling the final stages of cancer but starving herself to a weight of 80 pounds.

This is what John Curran did to Taylor Alves in 2002, with the assistance of a phony medical degree from the "St. Luke School of Medicine." For $3,500, this completely fraudulent "diploma mill" mailed Curran two official-looking degrees -- no training, no coursework and no questions asked. Curran then sold his services as a physician in Rhode Island...

Allen Ezell, who ran the FBI unit that used to prosecute diploma mills, estimates that scam schools in America now sell more degrees each year than are awarded by the entire 34-campus University of California and Cal State systems...

Diploma mills also pose a serious threat to national security.

A few years ago, a Syrian chemical weapons expert applied for three advanced degrees from "James Monroe University" -- along with a note saying that he wanted the degrees as soon as possible in order to acquire a skilled worker visa and remain in the United States.

Within weeks, the phony James Monroe University sent Mohamed Syed diplomas in chemistry and engineering. The only question asked was whether he would pay with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

Fortunately, Syed was not a terrorist, but a federal investigator posing as one. The elaborate diploma mill that provided these degrees, however, has sold thousands more to customers in the Middle East who could use them for illegal entry into the United States...

Taxpayers are picking up the tab for this fraud, with hundreds of millions of dollars in excess salary paid out each year to federal employees who have gained promotions through fake degrees they knowingly purchased or unwittingly accepted.

The problem of diploma mills is too large to be addressed by state and local law enforcement alone. Modern diploma mills are often multinational enterprises...

The Diploma Integrity Protection Act is the first federal legislation since the creation of the Internet to directly confront the problem of diploma mills and their fraud schemes. On Nov. 15, the House Education and Labor Committee unanimously approved a major higher education bill that included the language of this legislation.

If passed, this bill would empower the U.S. Departments of Education and Homeland Security to stop the use of fake degrees for purposes of federal employment and immigration, and direct the Federal Trade Commission to act against diploma mills that claim to have been recognized as legitimate universities. It would also assemble a commission of higher education, law enforcement and legislative experts to promote federal-state cooperation in the identification of diploma mills and enable efficient enforcement along with swift prosecution. The bill now goes to a vote in the full House...

Betty McCollum, D-Minn, is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. George Gollin is a professor of physics at the University of Illinois and a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Accused diploma mill operators Dixie and Steve Randock, of Colbert, told a federal judge they believed a hallway adjoining their leased Post Falls office suite was the designated private storage space for their companies.

Their testimony came at the end of a protracted evidence suppression hearing where a team of defense attorneys asked U.S. District Court Judge Lonny Suko to suppress 20,000 pages of documents stored in 11 cardboard boxes seized from the hallway by federal task force officers on March 29, 2005.

Defense attorneys Phillip "Dutch" Wetzel, Peter Schweda, Tim Trageser and Richard Wall argued during the eight-day hearing that the evidence should be tossed out because government agents committed "misconduct" by leaving a handwritten note – a ruse – instead of a federal search warrant with employees Heidi Lorham and Roberta Lynn Markistum. The two worked in Suite 8B in the Post Falls Professional Building, 601 W. Seltice Way.

Three months into "Operation Gold Seal," the federal task force drew a bead on the Post Falls office suite, suspecting the companies registered there with the state of Idaho as "Kaching, Kaching Inc." and "When Pigs Fly Inc." were nothing more than fronts for an estimated 125 online universities selling phony degrees around the world.

The Randocks, the accused masterminds of the diploma mills, hastily moved their operation to Post Falls in August 2004 from an office at 14525 N. Newport Highway in Mead after a series of news stories about the operation were published in The Spokesman-Review, witnesses testified at the hearing that concluded Friday.

If the evidence from the Post Falls office hallway is suppressed by the judge, it would eliminate one significant building block in the yearlong federal investigation that ultimately led to indictments two years ago. The seizure of the cardboard boxes and other investigative work, including undercover purchases of college degrees and transcripts, led investigators to search several other locations in August 2005, including the Randocks' home in Colbert, their "Home Boys" office building in Mead and the Post Falls office.

In October 2005, the Randocks were among eight defendants indicted in U.S. District Court in Spokane on charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. The Randocks also were indicted on a charge of conspiring to launder more than $1 million they collected from selling bogus degrees.

Suppression could lead defense attorneys to seek dismissal of criminal charges against the defendants.

Dixie and Steve Randock separately took the witness stand Thursday and Friday, as their attorneys argued that investigators were guilty of "government misconduct" by not leaving a copy of a search warrant with the occupants of Suite 8B. After taking the boxes, an agent left behind a handwritten note saying the boxes were taken to the county landfill by an "angry tenant."

That was merely a legal ruse used by investigators who didn't want the Randocks to know they were the subjects of an ongoing federal investigation, prosecution witnesses testified.

Investigators complied with federal search and seizure rules by delivering their search warrant to the building owner who, prosecution witnesses testified, had control over the publicly accessible hallway where the boxes were stored. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge said the legal issues before the court deal with the search warrant, issued by an Idaho judge to seize the boxes, and the subsequent conduct of officers who made the seizure. He scheduled closing arguments for Jan. 10 in Yakima, but they could occur earlier if his other scheduled cases settle and there is an opening in his court docket.

Mark Schoesler, the Washington state senator who represents both Pullman and Cheney, has an understandable interest in protecting the integrity of academic diplomas granted by Washington State and Eastern Washington universities.

Now his one-time legislative colleague, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, has a chance to reinforce Schoesler's efforts at the federal level, where she's on the House committee that is considering a bill to curb bogus diploma mills.

Schoesler labored for two years in Olympia pushing a measure that finally became law in 2006. It makes it a crime to sell or use phony academic credentials, a practice that can lead to unjustifiable public expense, among other complications, and can even threaten homeland security.

The issue is particularly germane in Spokane, home to Saint Regis University, the operation of Dixie and Steve Randock, of Colbert. The Randocks are awaiting trial on federal charges that the diplomas they sold over the Internet defrauded consumers around the world. Four of their co-defendants already have pleaded guilty, one of them admitting he paid thousands of dollars to Liberian officials so their nation would accredit Saint Regis.

The case played an influential role in U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum's decision to sponsor the Diploma Integrity Protection Act. The Minnesota congresswoman and several fellow Democrats want to ban the sale and use of fraudulent college degrees used for federal purposes.

Job promotions – and the pay raises that accompany them – could be one such federal purpose. So could evaluation of visa applications by foreigners seeking admission to the United States. A college degree can improve an applicant's chances of being admitted, and Saudi Arabia, home to the 9/11 terrorists, is one country where many of the degrees sold by Saint Regis went, federal officials say.

According to McMorris Rodgers' chief of staff, Connie Partoyan, the Eastern Washington congresswoman backs the intent of McCollum's bill, but has some reservations she hopes to resolve in the bill itself. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, where the measure has been referred, McMorris Rodgers will have that chance.

We hope she pursues it diligently.

Taxpaying Americans shouldn't have to shoulder the cost of inflated salaries for public employees who buy their way up the salary ladder with purchased rather than earned degrees. Nor should they be put at risk because private-sector workers have sneaked into sensitive positions they weren't honestly prepared for. And none of us should have to face the consequences of hastening the arrival of prospective terrorists who are gaming our immigration system.

And, oh yes. Let's not overlook the fact that upright citizens who study hard and do the work that goes into a legitimate degree are entitled to the benefits of their accomplishments when they compete for their place in the economy

A federal task force that cracked a diploma mill based in Spokane set up a bogus Web site as part of the investigation, according to new court testimony.

That testimony came from Secret Service Agent John Neirinckx at a U.S. District Court hearing in Spokane, where defense attorneys are asking Judge Lonnie Suko to suppress evidence taken from a basement hallway in a Post Falls office building in March 2005.

The evidence suppression hearing began in mid-October and was suspended until Tuesday because of witness-scheduling issues. It is expected to continue through Thursday.

The judge will then decide if task force agents overstepped their legal authority when they took cardboard boxes containing 20,000 pages of business records with a search warrant issued by another federal judge.

Defense attorneys representing Dixie and Steve Randock and two of their employees contend task force agents committed "government misconduct" when they failed to leave a copy of the search warrant used to obtain the boxes with the Randocks, who had leased Suite 8B in the Post Office Professional Building. The boxes were in a hallway outside the suite.

Federal investigators say the boxes were left unattended in a publicly accessible portion of a basement hallway that was under the control of building owner Ray Guerra, who was given a copy of the search warrant.

When the Randocks discovered the boxes were missing, they reported a "theft" to the Post Falls Police Department and filed a $200,000 damage claim with their insurance company, according to testimony.

When a Post Falls police detective went to question the Randocks about their reported theft, he was joined by a plainclothes Spokane police detective who was assigned to the task force. Surveillance photos of that meeting were introduced at the evidence suppression hearing.

The undercover operations being carried out as part of "Operation Gold Seal," the federal agent testified, included purchases of bogus college degrees and transcripts by another U.S. Secret Service agent.

The degree purchases and online transactions involved the use of an undercover Web site, known as "RADTU" [Randolph Addison Davis Technical University], set up by the U.S. Secret Service, Neirinckx testified.

The investigation centered on the manufacturing and sale of fraudulent college degrees to consumers worldwide over the Internet, using various entities, including Saint Regis University, James Monroe University, Robertstown University, Trinity Christian School and others.

The operators of the diploma mills also branched out, selling "accreditation" and "transcript verification" to other bogus online diploma mills, according to documents filed in the case.

More than 6,000 bogus degrees were sold, raking in an estimated $5 million, according to court documents.

The investigation ultimately led investigators to the basement Suite 8B in the Post Falls Professional Building, the lead investigator testified. Records on file with the Idaho Secretary of State showed the businesses in that office were using the names "Kaching Kaching Inc." and "When Pigs Fly Inc.," Neirinckx testified.

After taking 11 boxes on March 29, 2005, the agent testified he left the search warrant with the building owner and taped a handwritten note to the hallway that said: "Whoever left their boxes of stuff in this hallway can look for it at the county landfill."

Neirinckx said he authored the note as a ruse because he didn't want to tip off the occupants of Suite 8B to the federal investigation and continuing undercover operations.

Information obtained from the boxes taken in March 2005 led investigators to serve a series of other search warrants in August of that year.

In October 2005, the Randocks and six others were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Four defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the Randocks, Heidi Kae Lorhan and Roberta Markishtum. Their trial is scheduled for next June.

Federal legislation inching its way through Congress would outlaw "diploma mills" like those at the center of a criminal case being prosecuted in Spokane.

Eight members of Congress are co-sponsoring the proposed "Diploma Integrity Protection Act," introduced earlier this year by Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn.

The legislation would "reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for federal purposes."

Even though the impetus for the proposed legislation was the worldwide diploma mill operation uncovered in Spokane, the region's congresswoman has declined to be a co-sponsor.

Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers has "reservations about the legislation" currently supported only by House Democrats, according to her chief of staff, Connie Partoyan. "We are very supportive of the spirit and intent of the bill," Partoyan said Friday.

However, McMorris Rodgers thinks the proposal contains some "duplication" of oversight provided by existing laws and government agencies. "We are working to make the bill better," Partoyan said.

The Eastern Washington congresswoman, meanwhile, "is pleased that in Spokane they are taking this issue seriously and prosecuting, at the federal level, those who run diploma mills," Partoyan said.

Possibly as early as this week, the bill – or at least significant portions of it – is expected to be attached to higher education reauthorization funding that's before the House Education and Labor Committee. As a member of that House committee, McMorris Rodgers will get to vote on the legislation.

She has been urged to support McCollum's legislation by the Rev. Robert Spitzer, president of Gonzaga University.

Spitzer's support comes in part because Gonzaga's sister Jesuit school, Regis University in Denver, was caught in the confusion created by "Saint Regis University," one of 125 bogus online universities and high schools created by the Spokane-based operation.

"The impact on Regis University by this 'Saint Regis' pseudo-university, coming out of this diploma mill here in Spokane, had been significant," said Dale Goodwin, public information officer for Gonzaga.

"Father Spitzer was more than happy to urge Rep. McMorris Rodgers to go ahead and co-sponsor this bill," Goodwin said. The Gonzaga president "supports any tightening of the rules on these diploma mills."

Regis University in Denver also strongly supports the proposed federal legislation, said spokeswoman Kristen Blessman.

Regis president, the Rev. Michael J. Sheeran, S.J., said the university's "name and good reputation were significantly damaged by the efforts of a diploma mill known as Saint Regis University."

"Although government authorities were sympathetic, there was minimal legal protection for (our) university," Sheeran said last week. "It's important that these same authorities be better armed in the future with laws that protect legitimate institutions of higher education, employers and future students from fraud."

McCollum, a co-sponsor, said she was "incensed" by news reports about the phony college degrees being sold around the world by the Spokane-based diploma mill operators.

"I care about quality higher education, and it was shocking to learn about the prevalence of fake degrees and the dangers they pose," she said. "My legislation ensures that we will be able to trust the credentials of our doctors, engineers, government employees and skilled immigrant workers."

McCollum said last week she hopes the language of her bill will be integrated into the Higher Education Act by committee chair Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.

U.S. Attorney Jim McDevitt, the chief federal law enforcement official in Eastern Washington, said Justice Department policy prevents him from commenting on proposed new laws "but we're always looking for new and better law enforcement tools, especially ones that clarify certain areas of the law."

He oversaw the work of a multi-agency state and federal task force that spent nine months investigating the Spokane diploma mill, first publicly detailed in a story published in November 2003 in The Spokesman-Review.

Investigators discovered that many of the people who bought the bogus credentials – from bachelor's to doctoral degrees – were foreign nationals. They used the degrees to get H-1B visas and improve their chances to immigrate to the United States.

The revelation that potential terrorists could use bogus degrees to enter the United States caused homeland security concerns that reached the highest levels of government.

In October 2005, for the first time in the U.S., a federal grand jury returned a multicount indictment against eight people for the operation of an Internet-based diploma mill that defrauded "consumers worldwide."

Those indicted included former Spokane Realtor Dixie Randock, her husband, Steven Randock, and her associates who operated out of offices in Hillyard, Mead and Post Falls.

The Spokane-based operation raked in an estimated $4.7 million in sales of fraudulent college degrees, court documents say.

Four defendants have pleaded guilty, but Randock and her husband await trial next year on the charges, also including money laundering.

U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) introduced legislation today to address the soaring price of college and remove other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students to go to college.

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 would reform and strengthen the nation's higher education programs to ensure that they operate in the best interests of students and families...

Note that the bill includes a 15-page portion titled "Part H Diploma Mill Prevention" beginning on page 579. I have archived a copy of Part H here. The text includes much of Congresswoman Betty McCollum's House Resolution 773, The Diploma Integrity Protection Act of 2007.

Diploma mills in the Philippines have been placed in a spotlight recently after 13 officers from the South Korean army were sacked and prosecuted for faking Filipino university degrees.

An Agence France Presse report said military prosecutors have indicted the 13 lieutenant-level officers for getting fake degrees in Manila. A defense ministry spokesman said eight people waiting to be commissioned as officers were also found to have forged degrees from the same university.

"Their commissions have been canceled. They have been ordered to complete obligatory military service as enlisted soldiers," the spokesman said.

South Korea recruits hundreds of college graduates as officers each year in addition to military academy graduates.

Yonhap news agency said investigators flew to the Philippines on a tip-off in August that the officers had stayed in the country to secure forged college degrees through a broker.

The scandal erupted in early July when government prosecutors investigated Dongkuk University professor Shin Jeong-Ah for fabricating a Yale doctorate.

Shin, 35, was arrested last month with her alleged lover Byeon Yang-Kyoon, a former top policymaker. He was charged with influence-peddling by allegedly abusing his position to help Shin further her career.

President Roh Moo-Hyon dismissed Byeon and expressed embarrassment over the scandal, which prompted a probe into the academic backgrounds of thousands of professors and civil servants.

In recent months dozens of celebrities from the cultural, entertainment and religious worlds have either confessed to faking their academic records or were found out.

Education experts say the tendency to emphasise paper qualifications rather than ability, combined with loose verification systems, tempts some Koreans to forge academic backgrounds.

When we pay the high cost of college tuition, we assume those in front of the class are well qualified and highly educated.

But are they?

CBS 42 News found a number of college professors who hold PhD's from schools that the state of Texas describes as substandard.

On Thursday night CBS 42 investigative reporter Nanci Wilson looked at higher education and professors -- who some say -- took a short cut to a PhD.

Michael Ringer is a credential verifier. He makes sure college degrees are legitimate. Some aren't.

"There have been doctors that aren't legitimate, therapists and a few cases of engineers that are approving bridges that have no right to be approving bridges," Ringer said.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board posts a list of institutions whose degrees are illegal to use in Texas.

We found a number of professors with degrees from schools on the list.

One of Baylor University's top educators -- Anne Grinols -- earned her PhD in Business Administration at Kennedy Western University -- a school the state of Texas doesn't recognize.

She is Baylor's Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and College Initiatives.

Karen Pickard is the Assistant Professor for Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Her Masters in Healthcare Administration came from Kennedy Western, too.

According to her email response -- she didn't know the school isn't recognized.

But the U.S. Congress knows.

In 2004 it held hearings about federal money being spent on degrees from diploma mills. A former admissions counselor for Kennedy Western University testified.

"I soon discovered this was like no other school I had ever seen," said Andrew Coulombe, the former Kennedy Western Admission counselor. "I saw immediately that I had been misled by Kennedy Westerns' recruiter. I was not going to be counseling anyone. I had been hired to be a telemarketer, using a script to sell Kennedy Western just like any other product."

Coulombe said he called about 500 potential students per week.

"We were also instructed to tell applicants that at Kennedy Western, they would be taking the same classes that students took at real schools, like Harvard or Princeton," Coulombe said. "I went to a real school. Kennedy Western is not a real school."

He told lawmakers -- credit was given for little work.

"Based on my observations during the time I worked at Kennedy Western, I can tell you that there is no value to a Kennedy Western education," he said. "Anything you learn there can be learned by buying a book and reading it on your own."

Lawmakers heard about another school -- California Coast University. That's where Deanna Sutton got her Masters and PhD. She's now an Assistant Professor at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.

California Coast is on the state's list of institutions whose degrees are illegal to use in Texas.

"It is a misdemeanor and they can be charged," says State Representative Fred Brown.

Brown sponsored the legislation.

"I thought we were just sending the wrong signal to our students in our university system that they are out there working as hard as they could to get their degree and then we have people going online to get their degrees and getting fat increases in their salaries because of it," Brown said.

It didn't take long to find -- that anyone with a computer and printer -- can get a quickie degree.

It only took me about three minutes, and I've got four PhDs. One in Anthropology -- Neurology -- Mechanical Engineering and Nursing.

The problem, of course -- these degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Not all non-accredited schools make it this easy. Some do require students do some kind of work. But the director of standards for the state's Higher Education Board says the level of work required doesn't meet the state's educational standard. Still, some students insist they earned and deserve an advanced degree.

"It's unfortunate that people who do that, actually let themselves believe it's a legitimate credential," said David Couch with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

And some work hard at convincing others it's no big deal.

"It is a big deal," says Brown. "I mean, it's the whole deal! Because they are sitting there teaching our students every day, bringing them up, giving them an education, but they are saying it's right to break the law?"

Brown says authorities need to act.

"Really, what needs to happen is we need to have a number of people charged with a misdemeanor," Brown said.

So if you are using a degree from a school the state doesn't recognize, beware.

"That they are going to get caught. Somebody is going to come get them," Brown said. "They need to get ready. Either that or they need to pull that diploma down, because it's wrong in every aspect."

The penalty -- if convicted -- for using a degree from a non-accredited institution in Texas -- is a $2,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

When Florida's top juvenile justice official, Walt McNeil, pursued a master's degree, he said he wanted to combine his two passions of religious faith and criminology.

But even though he lived in a state capital with two major universities, he chose an obscure correspondence school in rural Louisiana, a decision that has brought criticism from academic experts.

McNeil, Gov. Charlie Crist's well-respected choice to restore trust in the juvenile justice system, received a master's degree in criminal justice from St. John's University. It's not connected with the better known school in New York City and is not accredited by any agencies recognized by either the U.S. Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

During McNeil's term of study in 2001, St. John's, which claims to be widely known for its antiterrorism curriculum, ran its operations from a converted house near the town of Springfield, La. (pop. 400). Until 2001, the school was listed in Louisiana corporate records as the St. John's University of Practical Theology. The school relocated to a house in Nashville in 2005.

McNeil's degree links one of the Florida's top law enforcement officials to a long-festering national problem: the proliferation of degrees from institutions that are widely considered to be questionable. Experts estimate there are thousands of such institutions - and hundreds of thousands of people who have used them to cut corners, pad resumes and, in the view of critics, perpetrate academic fraud...

McNeil is "putting himself on the same standard as other people with legitimate master's (degrees). It's not morally acceptable," said Allen Ezell, a former FBI agent who has written books on the issue and now investigates corporate fraud as a Wachovia vice president in Tampa. "He's a cop. He's a law enforcement officer. He's supposed to lead by example.."..

McNeil brought a solid record as police chief. "Very disciplined, very honest, very straightforward," said his predecessor, retired Tallahassee police Chief Mel Tucker.

But his appointment also opened the door to a murky, alternate universe in higher education.

In an initial interview last week, McNeil said he could not remember any courses he took at St. John's or the names of any professors or how much tuition he paid. He also was not sure whether he wrote a master's thesis. "I think I did," he said.

Friday, McNeil said he was not required to write a master's thesis. He said it took him from 18 months to two years to complete the work and that his duties included teaching online courses to undergraduates.

His transcript shows McNeil took three classes, for which he was awarded 10 credits, and received nine credits for teaching undergraduates. He received 19 more credits for past work, which he says included six credits for professional experience and 13 credits for previous graduate study at the University of Virginia.

McNeil holds an associate degree in law enforcement from Jones Junior College in Mississippi and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also took courses in 1996 toward a master's degree in business administration at Nova Southeastern University.

A police chief who McNeil said encouraged him to attend St. John's, John Packett of Grand Forks, N.D., has a doctorate in criminal justice from the school but said he does not list it on his resume.

"It's just not an appropriate academic credential," said Packett, a former St. John's instructor. He said that while St. John's students did legitimate coursework, he viewed it as continuing education or in-service training.

St. John's "was not a diploma mill, but at the same time it wasn't accredited," Packett said.

Packett recalled that McNeil was a "top-notch" student in his community relations course, where assignments included reading assigned text and answering discussion questions.

An Internet search for St. John's yields little up-to-date information. But an old St. John's Web site from 1999 shows an array of degree offerings - from mainstream subjects like criminal justice and psychology to alternative areas such as parapsychology and hypnotherapy. The site says St. John's "was the first fully accredited University in the United States to offer Associate, Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees totally through external studies."

Beneath links to programs and student information, another link says, "Important Announcement: How You Can Be Free From The Smoking Habit Now!!"

Pamela Winkler, the retired president of St. John's and widow of its founder, said the school has "private accreditation." A 1998-1999 St. John's catalog says the university was accredited by the Beebe, Ark., Accrediting Commission International.

"It's basically a guy in some church," said Alan Contreras, who heads Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization, which closely tracks schools with questionable accreditation. "Anything accredited by ACI in Beebe, Ark., is either fake or substandard, as far as I know.."..

The government of Liberian has insisted that it will not weaver in its quest to close down all bogus universities operating in the country.

Education Minister Dr. Joseph Z.B. Korto made the declaration Friday when he hosted a press conference to reemphasize government's stance on the issue.

Dr. Korto said while it is true that government will not relent on its decision, it would also be cautions because, according to him, most ex-combatant students undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration programs are enrolled at these unfit institutions.

He said such care was necessary so as not to create instability and trouble. He said affected students attending these institutions could turn disgruntle and go on the rampage as a result of closure of these institutions they attend.

Dr. Korto said the existence of these substandard tertiary institutions is an age old problem that should have been halted by previous administration, but this government, he vowed, will not hesitate to curtail the situation.

What is even more disappointing, the Minister indicated, is that owners of these bogus universities got official permits and clearances from past legislature before they proceeded to the Education Ministry and the National Commission on Higher Education for final clearances to operate.

Dr. Korto said the Ministry is currently working on criteria for the establishment and accreditation of standard universities or higher institutions of learning in the country.

He said government was supportive of extension of universities to all parts of the country to absorb the growing number young Liberians wishing to seek college educations. This, he however pointed out, does not mean that government would support the existence of bogus universities.

He said when the new guideline is developed, higher institutions of learning that do not meet it will be asked to do so or shut down.

Meanwhile Dr. Korto has left the country to participate in this year's general meeting of UNESCO in Paris, France. He is expected the address the gathering and hold top-level discussions with UNESCO secretary general on education in Liberia.

Four Spokane-area residents accused of operating a fraudulent world-wide diploma mill are attempting to have evidence gathered against them suppressed in U.S. District Court.

Attorneys for Dixie and Steve Randock, of Colbert, and Heidi Kae Lorhan and Roberta Lynn Markishtum, both of Spokane, are asking Judge Lonnie Suko to suppress evidence or dismiss federal criminal charges they face because of what they contend is police misconduct.

All were indicted by a grand jury in October 2005 on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Additionally, the Randocks were indicted on money-laundering charges...

The defendants are accused of operating as many as 125 Internet-based diploma mills – selling worthless college and university degrees, and even high school diplomas – to more than 6,000 purchasers, including firefighters, military personnel and government officials who, in some instances, used the bogus degrees for promotions.

A lengthy task force investigation, headed by the U.S. Secret Service, revealed that at least half the phony college degrees from the online universities operated by the Randocks were sold to foreign nationals.

Foreigners – including potential terrorist suspects – who purchased the bogus degrees for a few thousand dollars each were given preference in getting "H1-B" visas, using their educational backgrounds as reasons for legitimate entry into the United States, investigators said.

The operators of the diploma-mill operation, court documents allege, claimed their various universities were accredited by the Board of Education in Liberia.

One of four other defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case admitted he got money from the Randocks to make a series of cash bribes to pay three top-ranking Liberian diplomats in exchange for the so-called accreditation.

At the suppression hearing, defense attorneys argued that evidence gathered against the Randocks should be suppressed "due to outrageous government misconduct," violating the defendants' Fourth Amendment rights, protecting the right of privacy.

The conduct at issue involves the seizure of several cardboard boxes of documents related to the online diploma mills. The boxes were left in the basement hallway of a Post Falls office building where the Randocks had leased a small office for part of their online operation.

Agents who seized the boxes left their search warrant with the building owner and a note in the hallway saying "whoever left the boxes ... can look for (them) at the county landfill."

In the government's response, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jacobs said the defendants "are asking the court to adopt a theory of the Fourth Amendment akin to J.K. Rowling's Invisible Cloak – to create at will a shield impenetrable to law enforcement view even in the most-public places."

"The defendants do not have an expectation of privacy in a hallway in a commercial office building that society would accept as reasonable," Jacobs said in opposing the motion to suppress the evidence.

As the three-day suppression hearing began Monday, the federal prosecutor told the court that he expected to call more than two dozen witnesses.

The first three witnesses, including other building tenants and a maintenance man, said the hallway where the boxes were left was behind a door that couldn't be locked, just outside a locked storage vault used by other occupants.

Kevin Kimpton, a certified public accountant who leased an office in the professional building, testified that the area where the boxes were left was accessible to the public and frequently was "used to store junk," including paint cans...

The "targets" of a diploma mill investigation reported a $200,000 theft of business records in 2005, two months after 11 boxes of documents in cardboard boxes were seized with a search warrant in a Post Falls office building by a federal task force operation dubbed "Operation Gold Seal."

Bryan Tafoya, a Spokane Police detective assigned to the task force, joined Post Falls Police detective Dave Beck when they went to the Post Falls Professional Building on Seltice Way on May 31, 2005, to investigate the reported theft.

Under questioning by defense attorneys today at an evidence suppression hearing in U.S. District Court, the Spokane Police detective conceded his primary reason for going to the business office and interviewing Steve and Dixie Randock and their employee Roberta Markishtum was to gather information for the federal diploma mill investigation.

Defense attorneys are attempting to have the evidence found in the boxes suppressed or the charges against the Randocks, Markishtum and Heidi Lorham dismissed because of what the defense contends is "outrageous police conduct."

The hearing is expected to conclude this afternoon or Thursday before Judge Lonnie Suko issues a ruling.

The defense attorneys argued that the Spokane Police detective, while really a member of the federal task force, used a ruse to trick the Randocks into believing he was a Post Falls Police officer, investigating their theft report.

Tafoya testified the task force was interested in learning if the Randocks were attempting to file a fraudulent insurance claim by reporting to police that the boxes of records were worth $200,000.

The defense also argues the task force left a copy of a search warrant served in March 2005 with the building owner and not with the Randocks and their employees who leased basement Suite 8B adjoining the hallway where the boxes were stacked and accessible to anyone.

Under questioning by defense attorney Peter Schweda, Tafoya testified that the boxes contained credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal data from people who made online purchases of college degrees from various Internet schools operated by the Randocks.

Tafoya testified he was prepared to tell anyone who asked that he was a Spokane Police detective, assigned to "Operation Gold Seal," but no one did.

The Spokane Police detective testified that the Randocks were extremely vague and evasive when he asked them about the nature of the businesses they operated out of the Post Falls office building. Tafoya testified he was federally deputized in September 2005 when his continued work with the task force required him to accompany Secret Service agents out of town...

HIGHER learning institutions in the country are facing critical shortages of lecturers, undermining the production of competent graduates, it has been revealed.

Various University Dons, who met in Dar es Salaam during the Inauguration of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Principals and Provosts in Tanzania, said that the situation was even worse in private universities since most of them do not have capacity to hire qualified lecturers.

They noted that the situation was the same in the newly established universities, including public ones.

"We have not established exact figure of required lecturers but the situation is evidently pathetic. We foresee a serious problem in this area ," said the Executive Secretary of Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), Prof Mayunga Nkunya.

Prof Nkunya said that a university must, at least, have a permanent lecturer for each of the core course something he said was not the case with most of the private and newly established universities in the country...

Prof Msolla also reiterated the government's commitment to deal with unaccredited universities offering fake degrees, saying that his office was in the process to prepare a bill that would give TCU legal mandate to verify degrees and PhDs obtained abroad.

The TCU Executive Secretary said most of fake degrees came from United States of America and India universities, calling on parents and student to verify the status of universities they intend to join before enrolling.

Six people have been arrested since June and accused of submitting fake degrees in applications for jobs with the New York Fire Department, the authorities said yesterday.

According to the city's Department of Investigation, the Fire Department's candidate investigation division became suspicious of diplomas held by three men and three women who applied for jobs as firefighters, emergency medical technicians and a clerical associate. An investigation revealed that four of the candidates had submitted fake high school diplomas or equivalency certificates, and two had submitted degrees from Belford University, an online diploma mill, according to the Department of Investigation.

An investigator went to the Web site of Belford University and obtained a bachelor's degree with highest honors in aerospace engineering for $509.15, the department said. After failing an "entry exam," the investigator was urged by the Web site to take it again, and was sent the answers. The investigator had entered his age as 12 and had written, "I luv planes and rockets," the authorities said.

One applicant was arrested in June, three in September and two on Thursday. A report released in January found that 14 members of the Fire Department had submitted fake degrees to be promoted or hired. The Fire Department said it rejected all but three of the fake diplomas and later fined all 14.

Charges in the latest inquiry include felonies of falsifying business records.

Sixteen Sacramento city firefighters together pocketed $50,000 in extra pay after using bachelor's degrees purchased from online diploma mills to obtain raises, a Bee investigation has found.

Fire officials became suspicious only after a dozen more firefighters applied for the 5 percent education incentive raises using the mills' diplomas, said Deputy Fire Chief Leo Baustian. Eight of the 28 total were captains.

Yet the firefighters already paid raises between April 2005 and April 2006 were allowed to keep the extra money and no firefighter was disciplined, according to Fire Department documents, city payroll records and other documents obtained under the California Public Records Act.

By contrast, similar conduct in other cities has led to fines, discipline and more. New York City was among the most aggressive, publicly lambasting 14 firefighters following a law enforcement investigation into their behavior and last month collectively fining them $135,000.

Baustian defended the Sacramento Fire Department's handling of its cases, pointing out that officials rescinded the raises once they learned of the problems and that the clerk who processed the raises retired. Efforts to recover the money were opposed by the firefighters union, he said, and disciplinary action also was ruled out.

"We felt the burden of proof in a discipline case would be on the city to prove there was intent (by firefighters) to deceive and that was going to be a difficult matter," Baustian said.

However, New York's Department of Investigation commissioner, Rose Gill Hearn, who oversaw the probe there, said such schemes need to be publicly denounced, and people punished, as a deterrent.

"How is (Sacramento's) approach fair to other Fire Department members who went out and really did the work, went to the courses so they could get the degree to get to the next level?" Hearn asked.

Retired FBI agent Allen Ezell, a co-author of "Degree Mills: The Billion-Dollar Industry That Has Sold Over a Million Fake Diplomas," also criticized the Fire Department's response to what he called fraud.

"Taxpayers' money is knowingly allowed to be kept by people who presented phony degrees to get raises?" he asked. "Is this the example the Fire Department wants to set in the community?."..

The Bee investigation found that the use of diploma mills to gain raises has spread to at least one other fire department in the Sacramento area, but that agency appears to have taken a tougher stance than the city department.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, which provides fire protection to unincorporated Sacramento County, confirmed that it is investigating a dozen employees after seven firefighters submitted degrees from two online universities to get 10.5 percent raises.

"People have been disciplined and there's still more to be punished," said general counsel Richard Margarita.

Though the fire district declined to release documents about the matter, citing the ongoing investigation, Margarita said the firefighters have been ordered to repay the extra money they earned, plus interest. Other discipline, he said, has ranged from written warnings to reduction of vacation time.

Firefighters not questioned

Alarm bells went off in the Sacramento Fire Department after officials realized that 19 of the 28 firefighters applying for or already receiving the education raises had used bachelor's degrees from Madison University, which awards degrees "without the normal course work and study required with higher education," internal city documents show. The remaining degrees came from Almeda and Rochville universities.

Education officials in several states and Ezell, who has investigated the diploma mill phenomenon for more than a decade, have identified all three universities as diploma mills that issue degrees for cash with little or no course work or classroom study or work.

For example, the Rochville Web site promises a buyer a bachelor's degree "on the basis of what you already know"; Madison's site offers credit "for prior experience"; and Almeda's states it grants degrees based on "life experiences."

Texas education officials include the three on that state's list of institutions that grant fraudulent or substandard degrees. Texas is one of the few states to aggressively investigate and prosecute diploma mills. There, it is a misdemeanor to use those diplomas to get a job, a state license or a raise. No such law exists in California.

Baustian said his department didn't question any of the firefighters directly about what they did or why, instead communicating with their union leader, David Charron -- a city firefighter and vice president of the Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522...

"There was confusion about the meaning of accreditation; the (union contract) language was not clear," Vina said. "We took a proactive stance and nobody intimidated us. We stopped the raises, we cleaned up the language, and the problem has been fixed."

Fargo declined requests to discuss whether she was satisfied with the way the matter was handled.

Applications surged in '06. How the Sacramento Fire Department managed its diploma mill problems, behind closed doors and with zero publicity, stands in sharp contrast to responses of other agencies in the past year:

 

• Fourteen New York City firefighters were publicly named in a New York City Department of Investigation report n January that described their conduct as "dubious at best and in some cases simply dishonest." The 27-page report said that the men had submitted bogus degrees from four diploma mills to secure promotions. Two weeks ago, the Fire Department fined the firefighters a total of $135,000. In announcing the fines, Hearn, the commissioner, said the misconduct undercut the diligence, honesty and hard work of firefighters who had legitimately earned degrees.
• Two Naples, Fla., police officers were fired in 2006 for submitting Almeda University degrees to get raises of $80 a month. Though the Naples city manager later overturned their firings, the officers were suspended for 10 days without pay and ordered to return the money and take an ethics course. Naples also hired an independent consultant to help it tighten the Police Department's education credential verification.
• Sgt. Jack Burright of the Benton County (Ore.) Sheriff's Department withdrew as a candidate for sheriff in July 2006 after the Corvallis Gazette-Times raised questions about his education background, including why he had used a degree purchased from diploma mill Farington University to try to get a promotion. Burright was fired by the department for that and other alleged misrepresentations about his credentials but has sued for wrongful termination.

The education benefit has been available since 1987 in the Sacramento Fire Department, but it was not until spring 2005 that the firefighters in question began submitting degrees from diploma mills to get the extra pay, documents show. In spring 2006, applications surged.

On April 15, 2006, the city canceled the 16 raises it had granted and denied raises to 12 other applicants.

Fire and city officials initially took steps to recover the money, proposing a lump sum repayment or a series of payroll deductions, city documents show. That's when lawyers stepped in from the firm representing the union, Mastagni, Holstedt, Amick, Miller, Johnsen and Uhrhammer. Union Vice President Charron filed a grievance in May 2006 to oppose the efforts to cancel the raises and recover the $50,000 paid out in salary increases, documents show.

Neither lawyers at the firm nor Charron responded to telephone messages and letters requesting interviews.

'Good intentions' claimed The highest-ranking firefighter who received a raise for his unaccredited degree was Marc Bentovoja, a captain and acting battalion chief. Payroll records and internal city e-mails show Bentovoja was told last January that he had wrongly received $4,216.87 in education incentive pay for his diploma from Madison University.

Reached by telephone, Bentovoja, of El Dorado Hills, declined to answer questions. Last week, however, he issued a written statement through Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette.

In it, he said he had heard good things about Madison and "sent them my resume which included my college transcripts, my Associate of Arts Degree, and my life and work experience history. I paid my tuition, which was over $2000.00, and purchased my books. It took me about 7 months to complete the courses, which included tests and written assignments."

"I obtained this degree only under good intentions," he added. "At no time was I aware that there were different 'accreditation organizations.' "

Doucette said he did not know what work or classroom study Bentovoja did to get his bachelor's degree in fire science. Specifying that it was his personal opinion and not the department's, Doucette added:

"These guys didn't all try to screw the city over. There's no doubt some did, but not all."

Madison was by far the most commonly used diploma mill, the choice of nine others who received raises: Capts. Richard Hudson, Robert Johnson and Rick Vasquez; apparatus operators Stephen Campbell, Sean Dail and Michael Smith; and firefighters Travis Decampos, Sean Filben and Jason Meyer.

Using Rochville University were Capt. Bryon Mefford, firefighter Craig Wexler and apparatus operator Don Morelan. Almeda University was chosen by apparatus operator Robert Arbaugh and firefighters Dawn Ogden and Jeffrey Shilin.

The men did not respond to requests for comment made through Doucette and their union.

However, Shilin, a bodybuilder once featured as a bare-chested Mr. August in a firefighter charity calendar, did respond when Leo Baustian informed him in an April 10, 2006, e-mail that his raise was canceled and an investigation would begin into his "overpayment" of $3,586. He fired back a bitter reply.

"Sure would be nice leo if you, the administration and the city would stop trying to take from firefighters and try giving once in a while, gee what a concept!" Shilin wrote in the e-mail, obtained through the state Public Records Act.

City settled with union In February, the union grievance was rejected by Edward J. Takach, a city labor relations officer.

"Local 522 provided no documentation to support that these degrees at issue here were obtained through normal course work and study," Takach wrote. "To allow the incentive to be paid for these degrees would open the door to other degrees which can be obtained just by submitting a check."

In his grievance, Charron claimed that the degrees had come from universities accredited by the World Association of Universities and Colleges. That met terms of the union's contract with the city, he maintained, which does not specify which accreditations are acceptable.

Takach responded in his ruling that WAUC is not a proper accreditation agency and is not recognized as one in the higher education world.

"No request has come from the union to expand the standard to online degree programs from diploma mills," he wrote. "The union interpretation would lead to a nonsensical result."

Despite Takach's ruling, the union took its dispute to binding arbitration on Feb. 9. That move, Baustian said, left fire officials worried they could end up worse off if they continued efforts to recover the $50,000.

"We feared if we lost the arbitration, it would open the door to people coming in and using more of these diplomas," he said.

The city settled the dispute with the union on July 23. The deal was simple: The union withdrew its grievance while the city dropped plans to recover the $50,000 in incentive pay and agreed not to punish those who submitted the degrees.

Two of Fort Bend County's top elected officials this week have opted to stop referring to themselves as doctoral recipients, having been informed they may have broken Texas law.

In 2004, County Judge Bob Hebert took credit for earning a Ph.D. from California Coast University, while County Clerk Dianne Wilson began referring to herself as "Dr. Wilson," based on a title she earned through Kennedy Western University, now known as Warren National University.

It turns out since at least 2005, however, it is a crime in Texas to promote degrees from either school. The Texas Legislature that year passed a law which let the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board created a list of schools, "whose degrees are illegal to use in Texas." Both California Coast and Warren National were included on the list.

The law made it a Class B misdemeanor to use "substandard degrees" to apply for jobs in Texas.

Wilson, who has been particularly insistent on calling herself a doctor, this week changed her standard telephone greeting, which for years thanked individuals for "calling the office of Dr. Dianne Wilson, Fort Bend County Clerk."

"I took an oath of office that I would uphold the laws of the state and country, and that's now a law in Texas, so I'm honoring it," she said on Thursday.

The hubbub, say both officials, began on Monday when a reporter with Houston's Channel 11, KHOU, told them of Texas Penal Code 32.52, which is the law passed by the Legislature in 2005.

"Certainly when I realized there was a law like that, I removed it from my (campaign) Web site and took it off my wall," said Hebert.

Hebert said he found a reference to his California Coast degree on the county Web site, and had it removed. Otherwise, no changes will need to be made to any county stationery or legal forms, he said.

Wilson, however, said she will alter references to herself in county paperwork as well as in software programs used by the county.

Both California Coast University and Warren National University (then Kennedy Western) in 2004 were named by the U.S. General Accounting Office as "diploma mills." The GAO, which monitors federal spending, specifically took to task the use of taxpayer money to pay for federal employees' enrollment in the schools.

California Coast University on its Web site does claim accreditation by Distance Education and Training Council, but that agency is not recognized for accreditation by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

As for Warren National, it does not bother with any accreditation.

"The true recognition of a Warren National degree comes from its voluntary acceptance by the business, professional and academic communities," states the school's web site...

Degrees granted for little or no academic work would be banned in Virginia – and the people issuing or using them would be criminals – under a resolution passed Tuesday by the State Council of Higher Education.

The resolution asks the General Assembly to consider legislation in the 2008 session to outlaw so-called "diploma mills."

The council proposed that anyone who operates or advertises such a service, or awards degrees or certificates from an otherwise legitimate one without requiring the work, would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Knowingly using such fraudulent credentials would be punishable by a fine of as much as $500. And anyone damaged by such activities could sue.

Similar federal legislation was proposed in 2006 but never passed, a State Council report said. Fourteen states have enacted laws prohibiting the practice.

"As other states pass legislation against the production and use of fraudulent credentials," the report concluded, "Virginia becomes more attractive as a home for those who wish to produce them."

Virginia hasn't yet seen much evidence of "diploma mills," but Linda Woodley, who oversees private and out-of-state schools operating in Virginia, said she has been getting calls.

"We want to take a proactive stance against this fraudulent activity," Woodley told the council.

The law would target postsecondary schools that issue degrees or certificates without requiring "substantial student academic work" or appropriate exams.

Among the problems, the council's report concluded, are unqualified people using such credentials to get jobs – potentially life-threatening in health professions. Students waste money obtaining credentials that turn out to be worthless, and employers are cheated.

The fraud also diminishes the credentials of legitimate institutions, the report said...

The prosecution is investigating 20 professors who allegedly obtained their doctoral degrees from foreign unaccredited universities and used those records to get their jobs.

The Korean Research Foundation submitted a list of 100 people who got their doctoral degrees from foreign unaccredited higher educational institutes since 2003 to the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office. Based on this, the prosecution tracked down their careers and found 20 of them working for universities in Korea.

It is now questioning university officials whether this is a reflection on the hiring process. The names of the 20 may be revealed, which is expected to damage the reputation of the education field now voluntarily searching for graduates of diploma mills.

Meanwhile, the prosecution indicted Kim Ock-rang, the head of Dongsoong Art Center and professor at Dankook University's art management department, without detention Tuesday.

She obtained a master's and a doctor's degree in art at Sungkyunkwan University with her bachelor's degree from Pacific Western University, which was an unaccredited institute in the U.S. She also used the degree to apply for the university professorship.

An unaccredited institute of higher learning is a school not approved by the state government as a legal academic institute. Such schools are operated under business licenses only, or black-listed for offering a curriculum deemed inadequate, but issue degrees or use deceptive advertising about their institutions.

Kim reportedly admitted all the allegations saying she had no chance to study because she was married young, and she needed a diploma to start her career. The prosecution found Kim had donated tens of millions of won to Dankook University, Sungkyunkwan University and many others, but said they were not kickbacks for her professorship.

Kim is one of many prominent figures in society who are, or will be, under the prosecution's investigation over diploma forgery. Art curator Shin Jeong-ah who was dismissed from Dongguk University, renowned architect Lee Chang-ha who also quit teaching at a college and actress Jang Mi-hee who allegedly faked her diploma from Dongguk University to teach at Myongji University, are those who are allegedly among the prosecution's...

The website of Rochville University in the United States carries the message, "Order now and receive your degree in just five days!" "No studies, no attendance, no examinations," a separate notice reads. A Bachelor's or Master's degree costs US$499, while a PhD costs $599. There's even a three-for-one special at a $559 discount where a customer can buy all three degrees at once for $1,038. There are many more places like Rochville University in the U.S. that serve as on-line "diploma mills." They are about the size of a small language school and hand out Master's degrees to people who submit just six reports and PhDs to people who write up 12 reports. Kim Sang-keun, the head of the Korea Research Foundation, says an investigation of 31,387 people who got PhDs overseas between 1982 to October last year shows around 1,000 of them got them from non-accredited universities, most likely from bogus institutions like Rochville University.

We must prevent people with bogus degrees from teaching students. There are over 60,000 full-time university professors in Korea. According to the investigation by the Korea Research Foundation, around one in 30 has a dubious diploma. This makes it possible that there are hundreds, if not thousands of professors with bogus degrees.

Koreans earning overseas PhDs are required to report their degrees to the Korea Research Foundation, but that organization does not have a system of checking the quality of the degree. In the end, the hiring university must be in charge of vetting their qualifications. The former Dongguk University assistant professor Shin Jeong-ah and Dankook University professor Kim Ock-rang are among the more prominent cases of fraud, and those universities have now vowed to check the degrees of all of its professors. Other universities must follow suit, at least for those whose degrees seem less than perfect. Only when fake degree holders are banned from teaching at universities can we see the reputations of such institutions being restored, while keeping our students from becoming victims.

Meanwhile, it is true that it can be rather difficult to assess the real ability of a person based solely on his or her degree. We must make it possible for talented people with years of experience in the arts, business and government to teach at universities even though they do not have PhDs. In that light, it is highly significant that Dongguk University hired as a professor of arts Lee Yun-taek, head of the Seoul Performing Arts Company, who has just a high school diploma but years of valuable experience.

It usually takes four years for students to graduate from a university and get bachelor's degree, and at least two to three additional years for master's or doctoral degrees.

However, all of the degrees can be obtained in one week at unauthorized foreign colleges, often dubbed "diploma mills."

Many of Korea's high-profile figures who were found to have fabricated their academic records, obtained their degrees in the U.S., and most of those American schools are unaccredited by the U.S. educational authorities.

Rochville University is one of the 731 unaccredited colleges listed on Web sites of the educational offices in the U.S. as not being authorized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...

"You don't have to take lectures. We attach importance to 'life experience.' We offer doctorates to those who have more than three years of work career," the school's enrollment advisor was quoted as saying.

Asked about how the school copes with companies' demand to verify its accreditation, the advisor said that Rochville issues diploma certificates and provides 24-hour telephone service to cover companies' such request about degrees.

The diploma mill business is booming despite the U.S. Government Accountability Office's crackdown in 2004. It is said a growing number of Asians who have difficulty in promotion or job change is seeking those colleges.

Such universities dish out diplomas to students without proper education. Usually providing online lectures, some of them have similar names to those of prestigious universities.

Some of the diploma mills include: Pacific Western University, Pacific Yale University, Cohen University, Belford University, and Columbia Pacific University. In 2005, the Korea Research Foundation said it would not recognize diplomas from Pacific Western University and Pacific Yale University.

Laurie Gerald, who received a guilty verdict for fraud by co-operating Columbia State University, a diploma mill with similar name of Columbia University, said in his statement at the court, "Columbia State University had no faculty, qualified or otherwise, no curriculum, no classes, no courses, no tests, no one to grade tests, no educational facilities, no library, and no academic accreditation."

"If a student wanted a master's degree, he would have to do the book summary and a six-page paper; a doctorate meant a book summary and a 12-page paper. There was nothing that could pass for 'academic rigor' at Columbia State University," he said.

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers' ("AACRAO") trademark infringement lawsuit against Jean Noel-Prade and the American Universities Admission Program ("AUAP") has concluded with full vindication of AACRAO's trademarks and condemnation of the practices of AUAP and Prade. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered judgment holding, among other things, that AUAP and Prade violated AACRAO's trademarks, falsely designated AUAP's services as affiliated with AACRAO and unfairly competed with AACRAO. The Court permanently enjoined Prade and AUAP from claiming any type of affiliation with AACRAO, from making any use of AACRAO's trademarks, and it forced Prade and AUAP to destroy all of AUAP's records and materials related to its unlawful use of the AACRAO trademarks.

Diploma mills and the credential evaluation services that perpetuate the fraud rely on the perception of legitimacy created by a false affiliation with reputable organizations like AACRAO.

In the case of Prade and AUAP, AACRAO refused to tolerate their falsely asserted affiliation. In a process that began over twenty months ago when AACRAO filed the lawsuit against AUAP and Prade, the lawsuit has finally concluded after a nine month period during which the court supervised and ordered AUAP's and Prade's compliance with the Injunction. "While I appreciate the court's willingness to compel Prade's compliance with the Injunction, trademark owners should not have to undertake such a lengthy process to enforce their rights," says Barmak Nassirian, Associate Executive Director with AACRAO. "It shows that at least for now the courts have not fully grasped the harm to all of us in education caused by diploma mills.."..

The rise of the Internet has been a bonanza for those who peddle phony college degrees. Governments at all levels have been slow to respond, even though they are among the primary victims.

...Around the country, scores of political candidates have withdrawn from local political races after their opponents or the news media, or both, have revealed bogus the candidates' bogus academic credentials. In other cases, "expert" consultants with phony degrees have obtained lucrative government contracts.

In Pennsylvania diploma skill scams sometimes are pursued under standard consumer protection laws, but there is no specific statute to deal with what should be a serious crime.

Only two states, Michigan and Oregon, have specific laws defining what constitutes a legitimate degree-granting institution, and defining diploma mills. Michigan lists more than 600 diploma mills and Oregon names nearly 300.

Recently U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, introduced a bill that would define diploma mills. She cited not only known cases, but the danger that diploma mills also could be used to secure visas for foreign applicants who obviously are not interested in course work.

McCollum's bill is very broad. It would only begin the process of appropriate penalties.

The state Legislature, which has the added incentive of protecting the value of legitimate credentials from universities in Pennsylvania, should develop a bill to identify diploma mills and outlaw them, rather than leaving the matter to individuals to sort out as a consumer issue.

When Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle came under scrutiny last year for authorizing $27,000 for a controversial study written by her mother's boyfriend, she defended the study and its author saying, "He's a Ph.D. He's qualified."

Lee Otto Johnson, who submitted the 85-page report on city health issues that consisted of reports written by other agencies and an essay on race and religion, does list a doctorate on his resume from Columbia State University. But it's a school that never existed except as a company that sold phony degrees to people willing to buy them.

Columbia State University, which had no campus, no faculty and no class work, has been shut down by federal authorities who declared the wildly profitable Internet company a "diploma mill." Its owner pleaded guilty in 2004 to fraud charges.

"The only thing the buyer is doing is sending in a check or money order. They know what they are buying," said Allen Ezell, former head of the FBI diploma-mill-busting task force. "The diploma mill knows what they are selling. The third party is in the dark."

With the advent of the Internet and escalating demand for academic credentials in a competitive job market, the popularity of diploma mills has soared and many states, including Pennsylvania, have been slow to pass legislation to outlaw them.

Hundreds of nonexistent schools are selling degrees on the Internet and dozens more sell exact replicas of degrees granted by real colleges and universities.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., has introduced a bill in the U.S. House that would "reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for federal purposes."

The bill, which is still in committee, was written in response to an investigation that found thousands of bogus degrees were sold to federal employees on congressional staffs and with NASA, U.S. Customs and the Pentagon.

If it becomes law, the likelihood of imprisonment could increase for federal employees who resort to desperate means to impress their colleagues or gain an unfair advantage in the workplace.

So far, only a small number of states have passed laws addressing the problem...

Anyone can buy unearned credentials for any and every profession, as well as fake transcripts and recommendations.

"I bought a Harvard medical degree for $40 and it was a perfect replica," said John Bear, an author who tracks diploma mills and served as an expert witness for the FBI on the subject.

The companies selling these degrees have thrived because many employers don't bother to check employees' educational credentials, and many of the diploma mills use legitimate sounding names like Columbia State or University of Berkley, which could be confused with the actual University of California, Berkeley.

Using broad consumer protection laws, the Pennsylvania attorney general early this year cracked down on the University of Berkley, a notorious diploma mill operating out of an industrial park in Erie. Its owner, Dennis Globosky, was fined $75,000 and ordered to shut down the diploma mill Web site...

In another case that made headlines, the Pennsylvania attorney general sued the owners of a diploma mill called Trinity Southern University in 2004 after state employees paid $398 to obtain a master's of business administration for a cat named Colby Nolan...

More recently, a Pennsylvania Gaming Board agent was arrested in May last year after officials learned his college degree came from an online diploma mill.

Michael Ray Rosenberry was charged with two counts of false swearing and three counts of unsworn falsification. He told investigators during his background check that he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Stanton University. The truth was he never attended a class, bought a book, met any instructors or prepared one paper for his degree...

The Distance Education and Training Council in Washington, D.C., is a federally recognized accrediting agency for online colleges and universities. Michael Lambert, executive director of the council, said diploma mills will even fabricate their own accrediting agencies to create a smoke screen. Two diploma mills tried to steal his council's name in the past.

"Diploma mills have the slickest, most inviting and most convincing Web sites in cyberspace today," Mr. Lambert said. "They are marvels of design and viewer interactivity. They use all the high-sounding phrases one associates with a university education, but they are hollow idols 'tarted up' to look like real colleges."

Mr. Lambert suggests that employers and consumers verify that distance learning schools are accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency because no diploma mill has ever been accredited by any of them.

The easiest way to check for accreditation is the Web site of the Council For Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org. DETC's Web site, www.detc.org, also has a comprehensive list of accredited online degree institutions...

Action News 36 recently uncovered the fact that the man in charge of homeland security in Franklin County doesn't meet the educational requirements for the job.

Our findings prompted KY State Rep. Susan Westrom to draft legislation making forgery of an academic degree a Class D felony.

"You talk about dumbing down of our country offering on-line degrees without any academic achievement whatsoever is a real easy choice for some people to make," says Westrom, who did manage to successfully pass the bill two years in a row in the House. Both times the bill made it to the Senate but it never got any further than that.

So why the opposition?

"I'm sure there are stretches all over and I'm sure they even really hate to open the envelope and start digging in resumes because it could be kind of scary at this point," Westrom speculates.

She says she's discovered employees with diploma mill degrees everywhere from the Transportation Department...

"Now stop and think about people building our roads and our bridges with fake diplomas. There's a huge danger factor there."

To the Department Child and Family Services.

"I'm hearing about therapists who are doing court-ordered child custody evaluations that do not have degrees with accredited universities and there's a real danger there," Westrom continues.

It's estimated that more than $500 million a year is being spent on diploma mill degrees -- more than 300 of which are federal employees managing the war on terror...

Greg Fitch, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, is determined to rid the state of fraudulent diploma mills.

He calls himself a "gunslinger" when it comes to his management style. And he is an unlikely top-ranking higher education official, having started his academic career by flunking out of college. After a few years in the Army, he returned to college with a whole, new attitude about hitting the books.

Fitch laughed when he said that his office actually received Internet messages about how to obtain fake degrees.

"We get spam from colleges here in the office, which is kind of fun," he said, recalling language from one of the emails. "With little study -- you can get master's degree."

Such "universities," are a multi-billion dollar industry nationwide. And while Alabama officials are always looking for new industries, this is one the state doesn't want, Fitch said.

In an effort to make sure Alabama doesn't become a hotbed for hot degrees, Fitch offered legislation during the last legislative session that would have given his office more control over awarding official school licenses. The measure didn't pass, but Fitch said he'll be back.

"We'll try to revive it in the next legislative session," he said. "It got caught in the logjam, and lobbying against it."

Currently, the private, for-profit entities can incorporate through local authorities without having to go through his office, Fitch said. Because of that, Alabama is beginning to be recognized across the nation as a starting point for such diploma mills, he said...

In 1977, he earned a master's degree in English literature from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan. He also holds a Ph.D. in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1989.

Those degrees and a knack for solving problems led Fitch to hold top positions in education administration in several states in the West.

Those jobs, coupled with his upbringing in that region, is what makes Fitch think of himself as a "gunslinger" out of the Old West mold. Now he's solving problems in the suit-and-tie world of higher education.

He has been executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education since July of 2006 and was confirmed by the state Senate for the post in May...

Frankfort Fire and EMS Chief Wallace Possich said he intends to find a way to piece back together what he termed a "fractured" department at odds over personnel policies.

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1017 President John Haden agreed the department is divided, but he said it will take more than just listening by Possich to mend " he says firefighters need to see action from their chief to assuage the department's differences...

But the most divisive issue on Haden's list, he said, concerns Deron Rambo, the city director of emergency management and homeland security.

Rambo was at the center of a storm recently when it came to light that he doesn't hold a legitimate college degree, while his job description calls for one. He has a master's degree from an unaccredited school "the online LaSalle University based in Louisiana" yet no bachelor's degree.

Rambo has said he believed his master's degree was valid because he received tuition assistance from state government, for which he was working when he took the online classes. Possich and city staff said they had no reason to doubt it when he was hired and they have repeatedly stood behind the quality of Rambo's work.

Haden said the city's decision not to fire Rambo and to reimburse him for his schooling is hypocritical. He said the city is overlooking its own rules.

The city has decided to reimburse Rambo for classes he needs to obtain a bachelor's degree. And Possich said this resolution to the controversy is what the City Commission agreed upon. Haden said he's not so sure it's over...

...From a nondescript office in Grandview, Stephen Barnhart grants college degrees in subjects as varied as computer technology and philosophy.

Though he never earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, Barnhart serves as chancellor of the International University of Ministry and Education. He founded the online school in 1994 and said he had issued about 200 degrees, mostly to students in foreign countries.

His university is not accredited by any agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It's not certified by the state of Missouri because the state has deemed its application deficient.

Higher education experts marvel that schools such as Barnhart's, which has wrestled with state officials for years over whether it meets certification criteria, are allowed to continue operation. They said Missouri's paper-thin regulatory staff and lax laws made the state an inviting home for such unaccredited schools.

In addition to Barnhart's, nine other Missouri schools appear on a list of unaccredited degree suppliers compiled by Alan Contreras of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization.

"The whole idea that a place can operate when they haven't met the standards is a bad, bad policy," Contreras said. "What you need is the state government to take these entities seriously. There are lots and lots of bogus (online) operations out there issuing degrees out of somebody's basement."

Barnhart said most of his coursework was at least as rigorous as any traditional college's. He offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in various programs, with the average student earning a bachelor's degree in about a year for roughly $2,500.

The school's lack of certification, he said, reflects a "personal vendetta" against him by Leroy Wade, who heads the proprietary schools certification program for the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Wade countered that Barnhart's application was inadequate because of questionable course content and faculty qualifications, among other things.

Asked why Barnhart should be allowed to issue degrees for years despite an inadequate application, Wade said his office attempted to work cooperatively with schools toward certification rather than adopt an "adversarial" stance.

Every year, Wade's staff receives about 35 applications for schools seeking certification or a religious exemption from state oversight. With the equivalent of only two full-time employees in the office, the review process can sometimes stretch out for years...

Missouri criticized over its religious exemption to degree-granting schools, Steve Rock, The Kansas City Star, July 14, 2007.

Two other unaccredited schools in Missouri illustrate problems with the state's proprietary schools certification program, according to higher education experts.

The International University in Independence secured a religious exemption in 1986 and has operated with virtually no state oversight. Western States University for Professional Studies in Doniphan, Mo., first applied for state licensure in 1985. Its application was never accepted or rejected, but the school was allowed to grant degrees for more than 20 years.

George Brown — an Australian expert whose paper "Degrees of Doubt: Legitimate, Real and Fake Qualifications in a Global Market" appeared in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management — called Missouri "a laughingstock of the international community."

Brown is particularly critical of Missouri's exemption from state regulation for schools "owned, controlled and operated by a bona fide religious or denominational organization." Fewer than half the states in the United States offer a similar exemption, according to the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization. Kansas doesn't grant religious exemptions.

The International University in Independence offers many degree programs, such as a Ph.D. in philosophy and a "fast track" MBA. One of its Web sites quotes a price of $7,800 for a bachelor's degree and claims more than 260,000 graduates since 1973. It doesn't mention a religious affiliation.

For years, people from across the globe have queried Missouri's Department of Higher Education about the legitimacy of the school. Recent responses from Leroy Wade, who heads the state's proprietary certification program, note that the university "is not regarded by this department as being a part of the recognized academic community in Missouri."

The school's small, stone house headquarters — without identifying signs — is sandwiched between a gas station and a store called the Chop Shop on Noland Road. A school Web site, however, shows students walking near a large, white building.

The school's founder and chancellor, John W. Johnston of Independence, didn't return several phone calls from The Kansas City Star. Nobody answered the door when a reporter went to the school on two recent occasions.

When the school received its religious exemption, state law did not restrict the degrees that exempted schools could issue. The law was changed in 1991, limiting degrees to those that are religious or theological in nature.

Asked whether the school complies with state law because it appears to offer nonreligious degrees, Wade said: "That's something we'll need to review.."..

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia will push for a law defining and banning "diploma mills" - businesses that sell fraudulent academic degrees - before they become a problem in the state, officials said Tuesday.

The council is responding to calls from the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to crack down on such outfits, said Linda Woodley, who oversees private and out-of-state colleges and proprietary schools.

She said Tuesday that she has begun receiving calls from people wondering about schools.

In addition, there have been "warning signs" in Virginia, such as schools' offering degrees based entirely on "life experience" and not requiring classes or schoolwork, said Kirsten Nelson, director of communications and government relations...

13 Investigates has found two cases at IUPUI [Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis] that have prompted Indiana University to investigate possible ethics violations over alleged "Degrees of Deception."

"It's essential that people maintain academic integrity," said Dean Greg Lindsey from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. "This is an important situation, and we're committed to investigating it and resolving it appropriately."

The first probe of the investigation is centered on Dr. Natalia Rekhter, a lecturer in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hired in 2003 with a Masters from the University of Michigan, she teaches undergrad classes and ethics seminars. Rekhter also claims work with the US State Department.

On her website she declares a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from the "World Information Distributed University" in Belgium. The school touts a "royal decree" from its government, but national accrediting officials say it only means WIDU operators have set up a business, not a school. They have alerted IU officials to the fraud after receiving an overseas tip.

"WIDU, in my opinion, is a diploma mill. It does not have appropriate authority to issue secondary degrees from any jurisdiction," said Alan Contreras from the Office of Degree Authorization.

Rekhter reported the Ph.D. a year after she was hired at IU, but no one checked its validity. The dean says the degree wasn't necessary for her job.

"Clearly this person has to stop using that fake degree, or she will have no credibility, and the institution's reputation will be laughed at around the country," Contreras said.

"Our inclination is to try to clarify these matters as rapidly as possible, and we're committed to doing that because these things are serious," IU's Dean Lindsey said...

Letters from the Belgium government and the US Department of Education are in agreement. The dean has removed the credentials from the website for now...

New and Developing Offshore Medical Schools

Applications for initial provisional accreditation have been received from the following:

 

• The St. James School of Medicine (SJSM) for a new school to be established on the island of Anguilla,
• The British International University (BIU) for a new school to be established on the island of Montserrat, and
• The University of Science, Arts and Technology (USAT) which is located on the island of Montserrat.

Site visits were made to these institutions in February 2007.

DECISION

The CAAM-HP at its meeting held on May 12, 2007 in Kingston, Jamaica, took the following decisions:

SJSM: The CAAM-HP after examination of the reports agreed that provisional accreditation be granted on the following conditions:

 

1. That the school in its promotional material, states clearly, that it is provisionally accredited.
2. That the conditions for the requirements in the document Accreditation Guidelines for New and Developing Schools, be followed.

The CAAM-HP will wish to visit in six months time to monitor the progress the school is making towards setting up the facilities for the admission of the first class of students.

BIU: The CAAM-HP after examination of he reports agreed that provisional accreditation be granted on the following conditions:

 

1. That the school in its promotional material, state clearly, that it is provisionally accredited.
2. That the conditions for the requirememnts in the document, Accreditation Guidelines for New and Developing Schools, be followed.

CAAM-HP will wish to visit at least six months before the admission of the first class of studnets to monitor the progress toowards meeting the accreditation Standards of the Authority.

USAT: The CAAM-HP after examination of the reports determined that it could not grant provisional accreditation for the programme as presented.

You may not have noticed, but California's Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act expired on July 1. So the bureau that oversees the state's 1,600 private trade schools has shut down, which means that schools no longer need to seek or maintain approval or registration to operate in California.

This is ludicrous.

All the major players agree that the state should have a law in place to protect the 400,000 students who attend these schools. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last September rejected a bill to extend the law, citing a 2005 report by a special monitor, which said the bureau overseeing trade schools had a record of "fundamental problems" that needed fixing.

At that time, Schwarzenegger promised he would offer a comprehensive reform package "shortly" and would work with the Legislature to "pass legislation early next year."

That never happened.

Senate Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has a bill (Senate Bill 823), but it is poorly drafted and encompasses far more than needed to cover schools that are not part of the public college and university system or are not private independent institutions accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Perata's bill has drawn significant opposition from important groups and failed to pass before the July 1 sunset of the old law. A stopgap bill to bridge the old bureau and a new bureau (Assembly Bill 1525) through Feb. 1, 2008, also hasn't passed in a timely fashion.

Schwarzenegger and legislators have had nine months to work out a deal on a reform package to enhance protections for students that will ensure that they get what they pay for when they attend a trade school. Their failure to do so is irresponsible and inexcusable.

The problems with the expired law were real. California is considered to be a state where it's easy to operate poor quality, unaccredited schools, because California has had a weak agency structure and limited enforcement. The bureau almost never assessed fines against poorly performing schools. It never placed a school on probation or revoked a school's license.

While politicians haggle, the bureau has closed and California students have few protections from schools offering bogus certificates and degrees. The lapse of the bureau marks a return to the bad old days when California had a reputation for being one of the worst centers for "diploma mills" in the country, turning a blind eye to schools that provide neither an education nor a usable credential, at great cost to students.

With the lapse of the bureau, students also could run into problems trying to use degrees, diplomas or certificates from unaccredited schools that are no longer approved by or registered with the state...

One day after California shut down an agency charged with screening out diploma mills, the state of Oregon warned Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that a lack of oversight will affect graduates who try to use their degrees in other states.

Alan Contreras, administrator for Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization, said Oregon is one of 10 states that don't recognize degrees issued by unaccredited schools unless those institutions are approved by the state in which they are located.

Use of such degrees in Oregon can carry a civil and criminal fine of up to $1,000, he said.

"We cannot recognize degrees issued by unaccredited schools unless those schools undergo a state approval process," Contreras wrote in a letter dated Monday. "The reason for this is to ensure that an appropriate state agency prevents the operation of diploma mills and similar low-end operations."

Oregon's law applies to degrees earned after Saturday -- the last day of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, California's consumer protection body charged with regulating approximately 1,500 for-profit schools with more than 400,000 students.

State law dictated that the agency needed to close unless lawmakers and the governor agreed on legislation to continue it, which they have been unable to do.

Since state oversight began in 1989, the bureau has been criticized by consumer advocates for failing to provide adequate consumer protection, while for-profit vocational and postsecondary schools lobbied for less-cumbersome regulations...

"I can't believe they let this happen," Contreras said in a telephone interview. "I assumed they had it lined up, and then the clock rang midnight."

...As the debate continues in Sacramento, an official in neighboring Nevada says it's ironic to see the regulation die in the Golden State, which was once hailed as a role model for cracking down on unscrupulous schools that charged high prices for useless degrees or certificates.

"We got a lot of diploma mills when California started regulating," said David Perlman, administrator of Nevada's Commission on Postsecondary Education. "They might move back to California now, because there's no oversight."

Perlman said California has made itself vulnerable to fraud.

"Who's going to stop me if I want to open Dave's Thermonuclear Bomb-Building School?" he said.

A senior Swedish minister's MBA was taken at a notorious American 'degree mill' it has emerged.

Labour Minister Sven Otto Littorin lists on his CV on the government's website an MBA taken at Fairfax University in the United States. The MBA was on the subject of 'a service company's establishment in the United States'.

But Swedish blog Friktion has reported that Fairfax University is listed as a so-called degree mill by many US states.

Degree mills are institutions which are not accredited by the state authorities. Use of their degrees to gain a job is an offence in many parts of the United States. States including Maine, Texas, Oregon and Michigan list Fairfax University as a degree mill. One criticism often levelled at degree mills is that they take undue account of previous life experience.

Fairfax University applied in 2000 for accreditation from the Louisiana Board of Regents, but then withdrew its application, Friktion reports. The board noted in its minutes that "by withdrawing its application, Fairfax University agrees to discontinue operations immediately in Louisiana as an academic degree-granting institution."

Fairfax, now known as Fairfax University Institute, is today registered in the Cayman Islands.

Littorin says he took the MBA as a distance-learning course while working for Swedish-owned PR agency Strategy XXI in New York.

"I considered it to be a serious course, as I had contact with a tutor," Littorin told Expressen on Monday. Asked where the university was situated, he said he did not remember.

The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education was unimpressed by Littorin's qualification.

"We would not rate a degree taken there," said Lars Petersson, head of the department for evaluation of foreign qualifications, to Svenska Dagbladet...

LINCOLN, Neb. - A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from a California man accused of running a diploma mill in Nebraska.

Daniel Gossai of Lawndale, Calif., had said Nebraska officials illegally rebuffed his attempts to offer education to poor and Hispanic students.

Gossai operated the California Alternative High School, which offered classes in Omaha and Lincoln, primarily to Hispanic students.

The state sued Gossai, saying that the program misled students into thinking their $575 investment would result in a high school diploma. A judge ruled in 2005 that there was no evidence the school's certificate would help students get into college.

In February, Gossai was ordered to pay a total of $6,250 in restitution to 18 Nebraskans, and $18,000 in civil penalties to the state, according to Attorney General Jon Bruning.

Gossai sued the state in 2004, saying the attorney general, the state education commissioner and other state officials conspired against him, destroying his business after he tried to comply with state law. U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf dismissed the lawsuit, and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision...

Gossai's schools have been shut down, and he has faced legal action in California, Arizona and Iowa.

A 2004 investigation by the California attorney general discovered that students were taught that there are 53 states in the United States, that World War II began in 1938 and ended in 1942, and that there are two houses of Congress _ the Senate and the House, and "one is for Democrats and the other is for the Republicans, respectively.

The Director General for the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Michael Slewon is urging colleges and universities that have not met accreditation requirements to do so immediately, lest they face sudden closure.

Dr. Slewon told journalists recently that there are some colleges and universities which have not been accredited, but are enrolling thousands of students every academic year.

He said his Commission has the mandate to close down such colleges and universities, but observed that such action, if taken by the commission would negatively affect a large number of students seeking higher education.

Dr. Slewon is meanwhile asking all proprietors of universities to properly scrutinize students applying for admission at the various higher institutions of learning before registering them as bonafide students. He said the inability of school authorities to properly vet students seeking entry into these colleges and universities has contributed to the insincerity of students.

Dr. Slewon is also asking government to employ additional personnel at the Commission in order to enhance its work.

Any medical school wanting to be listed in the World Health Organisation directory must have a proper campus and be in full operation for some years before any consideration is made.

This advice is contained in an email from WHO to the health ministry in 2005 while consultation was underway between then health secretary Vaine Teokotai and WHO.

The email is part of a report prepared for cabinet by an investigation committee into the South Pacific School of Medicine.

Last month government withdrew its support of the medical school which was founded by American Dr Larry Sands with a sister campus in Mexico that exists only because of the Rarotonga campus.

Yesterday, the Cook Islands News was directed by the office of the deputy prime minister to the 2005 email correspondence between Teokotai and WHO in response to comments made by the school's local partner Lily Henderson in yesterday's paper.

Henderson said that the principals were prepared to invest a considerable amount of money to build a $5 million campus after the school received WHO recognition.

But the report says prerequisites for WHO listings are that:

1. The medical school is duly recognised and registered by government as a training institution;
2. The medical school has been in existence for some time, preferably several years with the course running and students/facilities present in country; and
3. Evidence of government recognition/registration of the school.

Dr Ezekiel Nukuro, the regional advisor for WHO, pointed out to Teokotai that the school could not be listed if it was only proposing to build a campus.

The report also noted that the SPSOM would not be eligible to apply for registration to WHO world medical school directory until 2011.

This week Henderson said that despite government's withdrawal, the school would still operate because the Development Investment Board had informed them that it was business as usual.

DIB's chief executive Mark Short says that in his last phone conversation with Henderson on 10 April, he advised her that the medical school case was with the solicitor general Mike Mitchell.

"I also noted that any involvement by DIB would have to adhere to the requirements under our legislation. I understand that at this point in time, the DPM's office is dealing with this matter."

The report to cabinet has proposed that a policy or law be designed by cabinet to ensure that any application to set up a medical school in the Cook Islands is not approved by cabinet or considered by DIB without the written support of the education ministry and national human resources department.

Henderson says that if the SPSOM was encouraged it would have provided aspiring young Cook Islanders the chance to obtain a medical degree on full scholarship.

"This would be to an international standard, not the limited recognition that a graduate obtains from the University of the South Pacific (USP). When I say this I am not decrying that institution, but graduates do require additional qualifications to practice outside the Pacific region."

Last week's B.C. Supreme Court ruling that ordered Vancouver University Worldwide to stop granting degrees in B.C. brings up an interesting question: where exactly is your university located? With the rise of distance education made possible by the Internet, you can take an array of classes from just about anywhere, from Nunavut to the Queen Charlotte Islands. While correspondence courses can be very convenient, the lack of physical campuses of some institutions is making it difficult to pin down just what jurisdiction a university is located in, and what laws apply.

That is just the problem that has fueled a 15-year dispute between B.C. and Vancouver University Worldwide. B.C. says that the private university, with offices on Beatty Street in Vancouver, is breaking the province's Degree Authorization Act by offering degrees without permission. But the university's president Raymond Rodgers says that the school does not operate in B.C.

"We don't conduct degree programs in B.C.," Rodgers said. "The degrees are printed in other jurisdictions and signed outside of B.C. and have been for some time." Degree ceremonies also take place outside the province.

But Judge Stephen Kelleher disagreed. He ruled that because some degrees are mailed out from within the province, the university is indeed in violation of the act. "If a degree is posted in B.C.," he wrote in his ruling, "I am satisfied that it amounts to conferring a degree in B.C. although the recipient may be elsewhere."

Dr. Virginia Hatchette expressed her concern about monitoring private institutions operating online in a report prepared for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada last year. She notes, "Currently no provincial or territorial degree-granting legislation specifically addresses e-learning."

Hatchette argues that there is need for specific legislation because of the gap been public perception and law. "The perception of the general public is likely to be that if an organization is advertising in the jurisdiction, then the organization is legally authorized to operate in the jurisdiction."

However, often that is not the case. Vancouver University Worldwide was first warned not to advertise its degrees in B.C. 15 years ago when the government took issue with the institution using the word "university" in its advertising. Yet, even after the latest ruling, Rodgers says that there will be no change to the university's programs.

According to its website, the only degrees that Vancouver University Worldwide offers in B.C. are in theology, which is exempted from the Degree Authorization Act.

What constitutes operating within a given jurisdiction is very unclear in Canada and has made it difficult for B.C. to stop the university from disregarding the law...

Hatchette also warns of "degree mills" in her report, which she describes as "fraudulent business ventures that sell degrees or have either no academic requirements or have standards that are too low to warrant a degree credential."

"The result is a plethora of certificates and credentials being awarded to individuals who presume, or are led to believe, that they are transferable to further learning," Hatchette wrote.

Quality assurance for institutions appearing to operate in Canada has become of mounting concern as a number of school closures have led to China and India warning students of studying in Canada.

Last month the Times of India reported, "A group of Indian students who traveled across the globe in pursuit of their MBA dreams are living their worst nightmare." The article pointed to the recent closing of Lansbridge University in B.C. as a grim reminder to be careful about Canada's post-secondary system. The school was ordered to close by the government after an investigation ruled that Lansbridge was in violation of the Degree Authorization Act. Approximately 300 students, mostly from India and China, were left without credentials after spending thousands of dollars to study in Canada.

"We are in shock," an unnamed Lansbridge student told the Times of India. "We never imagined that something like this could happen in the developed world too."

China also released a statement late last year entitled, "Don't Apply to Canadian Private Schools Blindly.."..

The Vancouver University Worldwide case is the fourth time recently that the B.C. government has taken action against private universities. In addition to the Lansbridge closing, Kingston College and Upper Iowa University were also shut down.

Rutherford University was also warned not to advertise degrees in B.C. last year. That case is now before the Attorney General.

 

Lucy Wightman, who drews stares in the 1970s and '80s as the celebrated stripper Princess Cheyenne in Boston's Combat Zone, today held the gaze of 16 jurors as a state prosecutor accused her of fraudulently posing as a licensed psychologist and treating children whose parents had no idea she lacked the proper credentials.

"This is a case about trust, broken trust, and breaking that trust to commit theft from parents and their children," Assistant Attorney General David Andrews said as Wightman went on trial for allegedly treating children with eating disorders and other serious problems without a license from 1998 to 2005.

Wightman, 47, of Hull, who had a practice in two affluent Boston suburbs, faces 14 counts of felony larceny, five counts of filing false healthcare claims, five counts of insurance fraud, and one count of practicing psychology without a license. Andrews said she made nearly $40,000 while posing as a licensed psychologist after buying what he called a bogus doctorate online from a diploma mill.

But Wightman's lawyer, Katie Cook Rayburn, said her client had a master's degree in psychology and studied five years at the accredited Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology before withdrawing for reasons she said her client will explain while testifying in her defense later in the trial.

Feeling that she had completed her academic training as well as many hours of internships, Wightman bought a doctorate online from the Dominica-based Concordia College & University, that she believed to be legitimate, Rayburn said. Nonetheless, Wightman denies telling her clients that she was licensed, Rayburn said...

On May 4, 2007 a "Boston jury returned guilty verdicts on 19 of 25 counts against Wightman."

The education ministry has asked the University Grants Commission to sue West Coast University of Panama for offering bachelor's courses without official permission.

The ministry in a letter issued on April 10 asked the commission to file a case with the local police station or the court against the university under Article 13 of Private University Act (amendment) 1998.

Signed by a deputy secretary, the letter said, 'The Bangladesh centre/Khulna campus of blacklisted West Coast University has been enrolling students and running illegally.' In response to a query of the ministry about the West Coast University's centres in Bangladesh, the commission in a letter to an assistant secretary to the ministry, Hafiz Ahmed, on March 21 urged the government to take necessary steps to close down the centres.

Sources in the ministry and commission said that West Coast University has been offering courses in electrical and electronic engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering and architecture.

'The Khulna campus has been running under the Dhaka-based AMDA Foundation since December 2006 and the classes started on February 19,' an education ministry document says.

An UGC official said the authorities of AMDA Foundation started selling certificates in the name of running study centres. Earlier, the UGC published a notice in different dailies, warning against launching courses by any private university or institution without approval from the commission.

According to the Private University Act 1998, no private university can be established or run and no undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma or certificate course can be offered, and no degree, diploma or certificate can be provided in Bangladesh by any foreign university without authorisation or certification from the government.

Sen. Liston Davis again has introduced a draft bill into the 27th Legislature that would prevent businesses like International Graduate Center from operating in the territory without meeting rigorous guidelines.

If passed, Davis's bill will prohibit nonaccredited, private degree-granting institutions from operating in the territory. The bill would put the territory at the forefront of ongoing efforts during the last several years by states to crack down on diploma mills and unaccredited schools. Davis is chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Culture and Youth.

The territory currently has no law governing diploma mills...

The bill: To prohibit the operation of non-accredited private degree granting post-secondary education institutions in the U.S. Virgin Islands and for other purposes.

Section 1. Prohibition against operation of institutions

Any private degree granting post-secondary education institution shall be prohibited from operating in the United States Virgin Islands unless it has been accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Section 2. Prohibition against operation of agents

Agents of any degree granting post-secondary education institution that has not been accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education shall be prohibited from soliciting resident students.

Section 3. Prohibition against assistance of government officials and agencies

Unless a private degree granting post-secondary education institution is accredited as provided for in Section 1, no official or employee of the Virgin Islands Department of Education, or the University of the Virgin Islands or any school district of the territory, shall:

(i) Permit the institution, or proprietor or agent thereof, to solicit business in any public school within the Virgin Islands; and

(ii) Provide any list of students or other list of prospects to the institution or proprietor or agent thereof.

Section 4. Penalties

a) Any person violating the provisions of this act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment not to exceed six (6) months, or both.

b) Each violation of the provisions of the act shall constitute a separate offense.

c) Any person violating the provisions of this act may also be enjoined from the continuation of the violation by proceedings brought by the attorney general, any school official or any aggrieved citizen, regardless of whether criminal proceedings have been instituted.

Section 5: Effective date

This Act shall take effect immediately upon its enactment.

Gov. John deJongh Jr. issued an order Tuesday to Acting Education Commissioner Lauren Larsen to rescind the V.I. Education Department's accreditation of an online business that has the earmarks of a diploma mill...

International Graduate Center came under the governor's scrutiny after The Daily News published a special investigative report on Feb. 12 questioning the legitimacy of the online operation and questioning Larsen's current and retroactive authority to do the accrediting.

The report described International Graduate Center's links to a similar operation, called Berne University, that the St. Kitts and Nevis government shut down in that country last year. The Daily News report also disclosed that International Graduate Center was not accredited by any nationally recognized accrediting entity, such as the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and that universities do not recognize the center's diplomas or accept course credits for transfer.

In some states, use of such diplomas to obtain a job or promotion is illegal.

DeJongh directed Larsen to inform the organization that it is not "an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States Virgin Islands." The governor also told Larsen, "Please transmit to me a copy of your correspondence to the International Graduate Center."

The V.I. Board of Education announced at its January meeting that based on Larsen's accreditation of International Graduate Center, the board would give credit for degrees and courses offered by International Graduate Center. The decision came amid increasing efforts by both the V.I. Education Department and the board to comply with a federal mandate to increase the ranks of certified teachers in the public schools.

The Daily News special investigative report showed that Education and board officials missed a number of warning signs that should have raised questions about the organization's legitimacy...

Warning signs

The Daily News found that International Graduate Center does not meet national standards for a legitimate academic institution.

Its shortcomings include:

- International Graduate Center gives graduate-level academic credits for non-academic work, at a cost of $200 per credit. The center describes the credits as "Life Experience" credits. It counts up to 9 such credits toward a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. degree.

- The center's St. Croix office, referred to as an "instructional" and "satellite" office in its advertising literature, is a mail delivery box in Christiansted.

- International Graduate Center's faculty and administrators had worked for Berne University, a diploma mill that operated out of St. Kitts and Nevis and provided fraudulent, substandard degrees and courses. The St. Kitts and Nevis government withdrew its accreditation of Berne University last year. Berne's degrees are considered illegal in four states that regulate diploma use.

- Advisers to International Graduate Center's president who were listed on its website said they had not been involved with the organization for "years" and at least one adviser asked to be removed after being questioned by The Daily News.

- The center changed its website when The Daily News asked about the adviser list. The website no longer includes a list of advisers.

- International Graduate Center, which was incorporated in 2006 in Vermont, has not registered with the V.I. Lt. Governor's Office nor obtained a V.I. business license since it began doing business in the territory in November 2003, when the Education Department gave International Graduate Center a license to operate as an academic services provider for the period from Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2007.

- International Graduate Center has not been accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the only accrediting agency that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes in this region. The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by Middle States. Accreditation measures an institution's academic quality and is a lengthy process of external quality review, according to The Council of Higher Education Accreditation in Washington, D.C. A normal accreditation process often includes a period of self-study, site visits by independent teams and peer reviews. In other words, the center's accreditation by the V.I. Education Department is meaningless outside of the Virgin Islands. Students could not transfer coursework taken at the center.

- International Graduate Center lists only four faculty members in addition to president David Gibson and vice president for academic affairs Charles Knisley. All four work as professors for other universities, and none works full-time for International Graduate Center.

Fraudulent and substandard

International Graduate Center is on a number of states' lists of questionable degree-granting institutions.

In Oregon, a state with a reputation as a fraud watchdog, residents are breaking state law if they use a Berne University degree to gain employment, and an employer who knowingly recognizes such a degree also is breaking the law, according to the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, a state agency that monitors educational institutions "to provide for the protection of the citizens of Oregon and their postsecondary schools by ensuring the quality of higher education and preserving the integrity of an academic degree as a public credential." ...

An educator's use of credentials from unaccredited institutions like International Graduate Center and Berne University devalues all academic credentials by giving people - whether students, parents or other teachers - the impression that its holder will offer an educational experience of a certain quality, Contreras said. Quality control assures people that a teacher has attained a certain degree of teaching skills and a greater ability to teach students, he said.

"You assume the students and teachers are going to get a better educational experience," Contreras said...

The center's operations

International Graduate Center's brochure and website say that it offers master's and doctoral degrees in education on a full-time or part-time basis through a combination of distance learning and at least one two-week to four-week summer program, which the center refers to as a "residency" period on St. Croix. The center also offers a V.I. history course that does not require students to be enrolled in a graduate course.

The center has no physical facility. It has two postal addresses: one in Rutland, Vt., and one in Christiansted.

The center awards its master's degree after two 15-week semesters and a two-week summer residency program on St. Croix worth six credit hours. Students can get a doctoral degree - either an Ed.D. or a Ph.D. - in four semesters and one or two week-long summer stays on St. Croix, according to the center's literature.

The center's St. Croix "instructional office" is a mail delivery box at Mail Boxes Etc. in Christiansted.

It rented St. Joseph High School's facilities on St. Croix for the summer residency program.

The V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has no record of International Graduate Center ever receiving a license to operate in the territory, and the Lt. Governor's Office Division of Corporations and Trademarks has no incorporation papers on file for International Graduate Center Inc. David Gibson, president of the center, has said that he planned to file the necessary paperwork with the Lt. Governor's Office.

Before May 10, 2006, International Graduate Center existed under the auspices of MC Squared Inc., which was incorporated as a nonprofit operation in Vermont in 1999. International Graduate Center began as an MC Squared project, but it was spun off on its own so it would have a greater chance of receiving regional accreditation, Gibson said.

MC Squared Inc. has a website that describes the company as providing consulting and professional development services for educational organizations, universities and schools. The operation is in Montpelier, Vt., and is headed by Robert McLaughlin, the founder of International Graduate Center.

McLaughlin was listed as a dissertation reader for Berne University, the now defunct operation on St. Kitts that lost its accreditation in that country and bears a number of similarities to International Graduate Center.

Gibson and Mario Golden are listed as corporate officers on MC Squared's incorporation documents.

In interviews with The Daily News, Gibson and vice president Charles Knisley described International Graduate Center as a start-up online university that offers an alternative to UVI and gives teachers a new method to meet their educational goals.

International Graduate Center charges $400 per credit hour. A master's degree costs $14,400 for 36 hours. A doctoral degree in education costs $26,400. By comparison, UVI charges $110 per academic credit for resident students and $330 per credit for non-residents.

Berne University connection

International Graduate Center has ties to Berne University. Administrators and a board of trustees member working for International Graduate Center held positions with Berne University.

The fourth edition of Webster's New World College Dictionary defines a diploma mill as "an unaccredited school or college that grants relatively worthless diplomas, as for a fee."

Berne University Global Graduate Education opened in 1993 and received accreditation from the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Education, Labour and Social Security in 1998. It offered graduate degrees in a number of fields, including business and education.

As is the case with International Graduate Center, Berne University was a distance learning operation with two-week to four-week summer programs on St. Kitts. It claimed to have offices in Basseterre, St. Kitts, and in Wolfeboro Falls, N.H.

Berne's location on St. Kitts was a post office box. The summer residency classes were on the campus of Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in Basseterre.

The St. Kitts and Nevis government officially withdrew its accreditation of Berne University last year because "the university has failed to provide relevant information and to meet the requirements to maintain its status as an accredited institution," according to a written statement.

In addition to McLaughlin, Knisley and Gibson worked for Berne University, along with an International Graduate Center board of trustees member.

Gibson was a leadership and cross-cultural studies professor for Berne University, according to Berne's website. Knisley, an elementary school principal in Vermont, worked as Berne's director of academic technologies and student support.

Kenneth Hood, who was dean of academic affairs and a faculty member for Berne, also is a corporate officer for International Graduate Center. Hood also is secretary of International Graduate Center's board of trustees.

In interviews with The Daily News, Gibson and Knisley both said their involvement with Berne University did not have any effect on International Graduate Center, and both said they eventually quit their posts at Berne.

Other than the physical set-up of the universities, the two operations could be not be more different, according to Gibson. While Berne offered numerous programs in different subject areas, International Graduate Center offers only degrees and courses related to education.

He said Berne's faculty and the its board of trustees had diverging ideas about the university's role.

Unlike Berne, International Graduate Center is focused heavily on the use of the Internet as a learning tool, whereas Berne used mail and telephones to run its courses, he said.

Golden, the former assistant commissioner in the V.I. Education Department who now sits on International Graduate Center's board of trustees, has said that no connection between the two institutions exists other than Gibson and Knisley working there. Golden is also listed as an officer on MC Squared Inc.'s incorporation documents and has received a stipend from the organization in past years.

Golden said he worked closely with McLaughlin and Gibson in previous years. In particular, Golden said, McLaughlin has organized and run a number of successful professional development programs for the territory's teachers and facilitated technology-based projects in some of the territory's schools.

In an earlier interview, Larsen said he knew McLaughlin when he worked with the V.I. Education Department in the mid-1990s through the National Institute for wCommunity Innovations, an MC Squared program.

However, McLaughlin is no longer involved with International Graduate Center. He left to focus his attention on other projects, Gibson said. His name does not appear on the center's website or in its literature.

CHEYENNE -- Preston University has moved to Alabama -- where there's less oversight of post-secondary education -- now that Wyoming requires private universities to be accredited.

Preston is now based in Montgomery, Ala., and joins at least one other online school, Rutherford University, that has left Wyoming in response to the law.

"They don't require accreditation, and they allow you to operate there before you get accredited," Preston Chancellor Jerry Haenisch said of Alabama's laws.

A new school, Fairmount International University, meanwhile, will offer an online business program from Preston's former Cheyenne offices. Preston and Fairmount share the same owner and president, Abdul Basit, and chancellor, Haenisch.

Haenisch said Fairmount is seeking accreditation through the Distance Education and Training Council in accordance with Wyoming's new accreditation law. The law went into effect last July and requires all private universities to be accepted as accreditation candidates and to become accredited within five years.

The new school won't offer classroom instruction. Nor will it have affiliations with schools overseas, like the dozens of Preston-linked schools in Pakistan and other countries.

"Because we were complying with the Wyoming law, we changed the name of the school here to Fairmount International to differentiate from Preston," Haenisch said...

Call them the phony faculty members. Their names appear on the Web site of Preston University, an unaccredited institution here. But they have never taught a course for Preston or supervised any of the university's students.

Preston has a list of 49 faculty members on its Web site (http://www.preston.edu/faculty.html), which includes William Lieberman and Kenneth Dolbeare. But both -- selected at random and contacted by The Chronicle -- say they have nothing to do with Preston.

"I'm not affiliated with Preston and never was," says Mr. Dolbeare, who teaches political science at the University of Colorado at Denver...

Jerry P. Haenisch, chancellor and chief executive officer of Preston, has a simple, if incomplete, answer. Professors like Mr. Dolbeare and Mr. Lieberman usually end up on Preston's faculty list, he says, because they responded to a university advertisement seeking professors with doctoral degrees to supervise students.

"They send us their transcripts and credentials, and we put them on our faculty list and say, 'You're an adjunct faculty,' " he asserts. If Preston enrolls a student seeking a degree in that professor's field, the student will be paired with the professor, but "for 50 percent of our faculty, that never happens," says Mr. Haenisch. He acknowledges that it is misleading for the university to say Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Dolbeare are Preston professors, and admits that only about 15 of the 49 faculty members listed on the institution's Web site actively teach students or serve as mentors...

FOSTORIA, Ohio (AP) -- The city's police chief and police dog have degrees from the same online school, according to a defense lawyer challenging the chief's authority.

The issue gives "one pause, if not paws, for concern" about what it takes to get a degree from the school, based in the Caribbean, Gene Murray wrote Monday in a motion seeking to have the dog introduced as evidence.

Chief John McGuire and Rocko -- listed as John I. Rocko on his diploma -- are graduates of Concordia College and University, according to copies of diplomas that are part of Murray's motion.

Murray did not say how he knows the criminal justice degree is for the dog or how Rocko supposedly enrolled in the college.

A woman who responded to an e-mail from The Associated Press Thursday listed on what appeared to be the school's Web site said that the college is legitimate and that no alumnus named Rocko was listed in its database. The woman, Elizabeth C. Marley, said the diplomas may have been issued by someone operating a spoof of the school's site.

However, the woman would not provide a phone number, and it could not be confirmed that she was a spokeswoman or representative for the school.

Dean Henry, McGuire's lawyer, said the department had the dog before McGuire was hired.

"My client had absolutely nothing to do with any animal getting a degree from an institution of higher learning," Henry said. "The whole thing is bizarre."

Murray argues that a drug charge against his client should be dismissed because McGuire was not legally employed and had no authority as an officer.

McGuire, hired as chief in this northwest Ohio city a year ago, is to go on trial this month on charges of falsification and tampering with records. A special prosecutor said McGuire lied on his application and resume about his rank, position, duties, responsibilities and salary in three of his previous jobs...

An Australian man has been arrested in Uganda, accused of illegally operating a university and fleecing students who paid almost $A2,000 a year to attend online seminars.

Police arrested 52-year-old Tony Lenart in the capital, Kampala, on Tuesday and also allege he issued students with fake degrees, diplomas and certificates in an illegal enterprise that spanned five years.

"Lenart has been awarding students fake degrees, diplomas and certificates since 2002 when he established the fake university. He did not register it with the relevant authority," said Criminal Investigations Department officer Muhamed Atepo.

He alleged Lenart has been charging hundreds of students tuition fees of $US750 ($A950) per semester.

"Lenart had more that 200 students who have been attending lectures on internet. He claimed that he wanted then to study on the internet so that they (could) attend same lectures with students in Australia," Atepo said.

Police allege Lenart disappeared with students' fees about a month ago.

He was arrested on Tuesday when he went to a building linked to the university enterprise to pick up a computer.

He is expected to face court soon, charged with defrauding students and unlawfully establishing a university.

The National Council of Higher Education, responsible for registering universities in Uganda, said it had never registered Lenart's, which police named as the World University of Leadership.

The World University of Leadership website, which lists its head office in New York, carries a link to "our agents in Africa" including: The Institute of Advanced Leadership - Uganda."

The institute's site (www.uganda.advancedlearning.org) says that since its first workshop in Uganda in 2000 "our International Chairman Tony Lenart has trained over 1,200 people from 100's of organisations, in 14 seminars."

It says the institute has a small campus with 14 training rooms and was once contracted to train the country's resident district commissioners who report to the president, and had been asked to train Uganda's top military officials.

The institute claims to have trained more than 3,000 government, charity and corporate leaders from Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo "and others."

It even boasts that in 2002, "the Institute trained the entire rebel Government of Eastern Congo (DRC) in the skills, approach and attitudes necessary to achieve peace with their opposition - in a war that has already cost over 3 million lives, and which has left 15 million starving."

Gene Morrison, 48, of Hyde, was described in court as a charlatan who had tricked judges, lawyers and police.

About 700 cases he worked on over 26 years, across the UK, will now have to be re-assessed, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

Judge Jeffrey Lewis said Morrison, who was convicted of 20 charges, was an "inveterate and compulsive liar."

The charges included obtaining a money transfer by deception, obtaining property by deception, perverting the course of justice and perjury.

He was cleared of one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

The court heard Morrison was paid at least £250,000 in taxpayers' money for giving apparently expert advice, but had actually bought his qualifications from a sham university.

Morrison's firm, Hyde-based Criminal and Forensic Investigations Bureau (CFIB), had been hired to give evidence in court. Many of his reports were cut and pasted from the internet.

Judge Lewis said: "You yourself had no expertise worth speaking of. Your business was built on a whole series of lies.

"My impression of you as an inveterate and compulsive liar is borne out by the verdict of the jury.

"Your activities in various ways struck at the heart of the judicial process.

"You did not care about the truth, you were wholly dishonest, you did not care of the consequences of your actions to the administration of justice."

Morrison admitted to police he began working as a forensic investigator in 1977 after buying certificates by post for a BSc in Forensic Science, a Masters with excellence in Forensic Investigation and a Doctorate in Criminology...

The court heard he held degree certificates for a BSc in Forensic Science, a Masters with excellence in Forensic Investigation and a Doctorate in Criminology – gained, not from years of study and learning, but from accessing a website, www.affordable degrees.com, and paying a fee. The qualifications were awarded by Rochville University in the United States.

Users could even chose their own grades Morrison, awarded himself his MA "with excellence."

Morrison set up a firm called the Criminal & Forensic Investigations Bureau (CFIB), motto "Exposing unrighteousness for the sake of righteousness" and a website which boasted he had more than 20 years of experience in forensic investigations.

Working from an office near his home in Hyde, Cheshire, he placed advertisements in the Solicitors' Journal, and started out by hiring real forensic scientists to carry out handwriting and fingerprint analysis which he would then claim as his own and charge clients twice the true price.

Later he cut and pasted old reports together and changed details claiming the analysis was new.

He was hired by legal firms, insurance companies, private businesses and individuals to carry out original work and examine other expert reports.

Firms of solicitors hired him to work on the defence of their clients – paid for by the taxpayer. They should have checked his credentials but many failed to do so.

The defendant gave evidence in cases involving armed robbery, rape, death by dangerous driving, unexplained death and drugs offences.

As states elsewhere tighten their restrictions, more and more unaccredited schools are migrating to places like Alabama, where regulations are lax.

Offering courses in a variety of fields, what some of these unaccredited institutions actually provide is an impressive-looking sheepskin in return for an appropriate fee from the consumer.

Some require little or no academic work, crediting consumers with "experiential learning" outside the classroom. Others may ask for a perfunctory essay.

This is fraud, purely and simply. It enriches hucksters, devalues legitimate college degrees and confuses employers and professional licensing boards.

Sometimes even the consumers are bilked. After completing and paying for a full course of studies, usually offered via the Internet, they are surprised find their academic credits won't transfer to an accredited college.

Not all unaccredited schools are fraudulent. But all too often they are. In large part, that's the fault of the state for failing to keep pace with technology.

Alabama is the only state in the country with a two-tier system to license and oversee out-of-state schools that dates back to the days when correspondence schools taught courses by mail. The Internet has given more mobility to diploma mills.

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education has a rigid set of guidelines that it uses to approve out-of-state colleges doing business in Alabama. But until a change approved by ACHE goes into effect this spring, online colleges can get a waiver and buy a license from the Department of Education, registering as an in-state corporation.

ACHE voted in December to close that loophole. But officials say they don't have the staff to do thorough reviews of all online institutions.

There are other problems as well. Current state law requires only that private colleges prove they are financially viable and offer what they claim to offer -- regardless of the actual education value of their course offerings.

ACHE and the Department of Postsecondary Education hope to get the Legislature to pass a law this spring that would consolidate the review and licensing processes within one agency

Meanwhile, the exodus from other states to Alabama continues.

Recently, the Wyoming Legislature passed a bill to give colleges and universities five years to become accredited, begin the accreditation process -- or leave the state.

Preston University in Cheyenne, which had only a few students in Wyoming but thousands at affiliated campuses around the world, opted to move to Alabama because of its more relaxed rules on accreditation. Maintaining that it is not a "diploma mill," school officials say they can offer quality courses without accreditation.

Oregon took a no-nonsense approach by establishing an Office of Degree Authorization to find and stop diploma mills. It approved strong penalties for violators. Alabama would do well to follow suit.

Under pressure to get more certified teachers into Virgin Islands schools, the V.I. Education Department and the V.I. Board of Education now will accept credits from a questionable online operation similar to one that the St. Kitts and Nevis government shut down there.

At a meeting last month, the Board of Education announced that it would give credit for degrees and courses offered by International Graduate Center because it had been accredited by the Education Department.

A Daily News investigation of International Graduate Center shows that Education and board officials missed a number of red flags.

V.I. accreditation

On Nov. 22, 2006, Deputy Education Commissioner Lauren Larsen signed an accreditation certificate that retroactively accredited International Graduate Center back to June 1, 2006, and further accredited the center until Dec. 31, 2010.

Larsen did not officially become acting Education commissioner until Jan. 1, 2007.

In November 2003, the Education Department gave the center a license to operate - meaning that Education recognized International Graduate Center as an academic services provider - for the period Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2007.

Larsen said he was surprised to hear questions about International Graduate Center. Larsen said he has personally visited a summer residency session put on by the center and that the classes appeared legitimate and "rigorous."

"I haven't seen anything suspicious about their intent," Larsen said.

He said that International Graduate Center went through the same accreditation process as any non-public school approved by the Education Department. Non-public schools must have V.I. accreditation in order to operate, but higher education institutions do not, he said...

"We mostly do the non-public, private and parochial schools in the K-12 spectrum," Larsen said.

The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, which is the regional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Larsen said that the V.I. Education Department previously had accredited only such higher education institutions as trade training programs and ministry schools.

Now, the Education Department has accredited International Graduate Center, which competes with UVI to enroll students seeking credits for teacher certification.

Larsen said that International Graduate Center approached the Education Department about accreditation and submitted documents that department officials compared to a checklist of requirements that an organization must meet in order to to be accredited. Those requirements include delineating its mission, looking at its courses and evaluating its facilities, Larsen said.

Education Department accreditation inspections are conducted by a committee made up of a rotating group of retired educators, principals and administrators, who use a checklist, Larsen said.

The accreditation team did not examine any facilities related to International Graduate Center, however, because it is a distance learning school, Larsen said.

International Graduate Center also did not meet the first requirement on the department's checklist: proof of V.I. incorporation and a V.I. business license.

The V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has no record of a license for International Graduate Center to operate in the territory, and the V.I. Lt. Governor's Office Division of Corporations and Trademarks has no corporation papers on file for International Graduate Center Inc.

Responding to questions from The Daily News, International Graduate Center president and founder David Gibson said that he planned to file the necessary paperwork with the V.I. Lt. Governor's Office.

Before May 10, 2006, International Graduate Center existed under the auspices of MC Squared Inc., which was incorporated as a nonprofit operation in Vermont in 1999. International Graduate Center began as an MC Squared project, but it was spun off on its own so it would have a greater chance of receiving regional accreditation, Gibson said.

MC Squared Inc. has a website that describes the company as providing consulting and professional development services for educational organizations, universities and schools. The operation is in Montpelier, Vt., and is headed by Robert McLaughlin, the founder of International Graduate Center.

McLaughlin was listed as a dissertation reader for Berne University, a defunct operation in St. Kitts that lost its accreditation in that country and bears a number of similarities to International Graduate Center... Teacher certification struggle

For the V.I. Board of Education and the V.I. Education Department, the accreditation of International Graduate Center could reduce a significant problem: the comparatively large number of uncertified teachers in V.I. public schools.

The Board of Education is an elected government organization that develops policies for the territory's public schools. It prescribes rules and regulations for teacher certification, administers the territorial scholarship program and conducts reviews and hearings on complaints in disciplinary and promotion issues.

The board and the Education Department, which administers and operates the territory's public school system, have struggled for years to meet federal No Child Left Behind Act requirements, which include teacher certification.

To be considered "highly qualified," a teacher must hold a bachelor's degree, be certified and be proficient in the subject matter taught.

Fewer than half of the territory's teachers are certified, putting the department years behind the rest of the United States in meeting the "highly qualified" requirements of No Child Left Behind.

After years of public criticism, the board made improving the certification process a priority in its first meeting of this year and announced initiatives to certify more teachers.

The Education Department's human resources division did not recognize courses or degrees from unaccredited institutions and has not accepted any of those from International Graduate Center since it began operations in 2003. However, in January the board agreed to recognize International Graduate Center - and, in particular, V.I. culture and history courses - for use as credits toward the territory's teacher certification requirements. V.I. law requires that teachers complete a V.I. history course before they can be certified.

The board's decision signifies that Education can reimburse teachers for taking International Graduate Center courses to meet certification requirements.

Education already reimburses teachers for the cost of UVI courses toward certification, but International Graduate Center charges nearly four times as much per credit as UVI charges.

Degrees offered

International Graduate Center will offer an alternative to the University of the Virgin Islands and allow teachers to meet their educational goals at their own pace, Gibson said.

The center's brochure and website say that it offers master's and doctoral degrees in education on a full-time or part-time basis through a combination of distance learning and at least one two-week to four-week summer program, which the center refers to as "a residency" period on St. Croix.

The center also offers a V.I. history course that does not require students to be enrolled in a graduate course.

"The program is rather intensive and very good," Board of Education executive director Carol Henneman said. "I felt very comfortable with it."

The center has no physical facility. It has two postal addresses: one in Rutland, Vt., and one in Christiansted.

The center awards its master's degree after two 15-week semesters and a two-week summer residency program on St. Croix worth six credit hours. Students can attain a doctoral degree - either an Ed.D. or a Ph.D. -Â in four semesters and one or two summer residencies on St. Croix, according to the center's literature.

The center's St. Croix "instructional office" is a mail delivery box at Mail Boxes Etc. in Christiansted.

St. Joseph High School's facilities on St. Croix have been the site of the center's summer residency program.

St. Joseph principal Marla Matthews said International Graduate Center began using space at St. Joseph last summer. The school has benefited from the arrangement, she said, and she cited wireless and videoconferencing equipment received from the center.

"They've done a lot for us," Matthews said, adding that she never had reservations about International Graduate Center.

Comparative costs

International Graduate Center charges $400 per credit hour. A master's degree costs $14,400 for 36 hours. A doctoral degree in education costs $26,400.

By comparison, UVI charges $110 per academic credit for resident students and $330 per credit for non-residents.

International Graduate Center awards credits for non-academic work at a cost of $200 per credit. The center describes them as "Life Experience" credits. It counts up to 9 such credits toward a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. degree.

An institution that offers credit for life and work experience should always be examined closely, said John Bear, a nationally recognized expert on diploma mills.

In addition, The Council for Higher Education Accreditation warns on its website that any school that places emphasis on life and work experience credits should be scrutinized closely.

UVI does not award credits based on work and life experiences outside of the academic environment.

Berne University

International Graduate Center has close ties to Berne University, a defunct institution formerly accredited in St. Kitts and Nevis and now listed in at least four states' Education databases as a suspected diploma mill.

The fourth edition of Webster's New World College Dictionary defines a diploma mill as "an unaccredited school or college that grants relatively worthless diplomas, as for a fee."

Berne University Global Graduate Education opened in 1993 and received accreditation from the St. Kitts and Nevis government's Ministry of Education, Labour and Social Security in 1998. It offered graduate degrees in a number of disciplines, including business and education.

As is the case with International Graduate Center, Berne University operated as a distance learning institution with two-week to four-week summer programs on St. Kitts. It claimed to have offices in Basseterre, St. Kitts, and in Wolfeboro Falls, N.H.

Berne's location on St. Kitts was a post office box. The summer residency classes were on the campus of Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in Basseterre.

The St. Kitts and Nevis government officially withdrew its accreditation of Berne University last year because "the university has failed to provide relevant information and to meet the requirements to maintain its status as an accredited institution," according to a written statement.

Berne University then went out of business.

A degree from Berne University is considered fraudulent or substandard in Maine, Michigan, Oregon and Texas. Those four states have laws regulating the use of degrees from unaccredited institutions and diploma mills.

For example, the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization lists Berne University among foreign degree-granting institutions that it does not recognize. An Oregon resident would be breaking state law if he used a Berne University degree to gain employment, and an employer who knowingly recognized such a degree also would be breaking the law, according to the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, a state agency that monitors educational institutions "to provide for the protection of the citizens of Oregon and their postsecondary schools by ensuring the quality of higher education and preserving the integrity of an academic degree as a public credential."

Berne University had close ties with a number of people also involved with International Graduate Center.

Two Berne University administrators and a member of the Berne board of trustees are International Graduate Center corporate officers, according to its Vermont incorporation documents:

- David Gibson, the president of International Graduate Center, was a leadership and cross-cultural studies professor for Berne University, according to Berne's website. In addition to being International Graduate Center's president, he is listed on its faculty for three programs.

- Charles Knisley, International Graduate Center's vice president for academic affairs, was Berne's director of academic technologies and student support. Knisley, who is the principal of a public elementary school in Vermont, is listed among International Graduate Center's faculty for three degree courses.

- Kenneth Hood, who was dean of academic affairs and a faculty member for Berne, also is a corporate officer for International Graduate Center. Hood also is secretary of International Graduate Center's board of trustees.

In interviews with The Daily News, Gibson and Knisley both said their involvement with Berne University did not have any effect on International Graduate Center, and both said they eventually quit their posts at Berne.

"There's no institutional connection with that at all," Gibson said. "The institution really got off track and was heading in the wrong direction."

Knisley said Berne left a bad taste in his "professional mouth."

"It was a situation where the board of trustees was doing something, and all of us were doing something else," Knisley said. "That was a sad time in a lot of people's lives. It was not a good time."

Other than the physical set-up of the universities, Gibson said, the two operations could be not be more different. While Berne offered numerous programs in different subject areas, International Graduate Center offers only degrees and courses related to education.

Unlike Berne, International Graduate Center is focused heavily on the use of the Internet as a learning tool, whereas Berne used mail and telephones to run its courses, he said.

"You may see some similarities, but I see a lot of dissimilarities," Knisley said.

St. Kitts and Nevis government officials did not return calls from The Daily News requesting further comment and information about Berne University.

Personnel questions

Two of the three people that International Graduate Center's website listed as "advisers" told The Daily News that they had not heard from anyone involved with the organization since they first were approached about the concept.

Eva Kampits, director of the Executive Director's Office of New England Association of Schools & Colleges Inc., was listed on International Graduate Center's website as an adviser.

She asked Gibson to take her name off the list after she received inquires from The Daily News about her role.

Earlier this month, Kampits' name was removed from the site and a message that preceded the organization's list of advisors was added, stating: "These experts provide informal personal advice to the President from time to time on a wide range of issues in education."

That message did not include the words "from time to time" until after The Daily News contacted Kampits.

As of this weekend, that message was changed again, deleting "from time to time."

Leslie Conery, deputy chief executive officer of the nonprofit International Society for Technology in Education, has not had any formal communication with International Graduate Center since she was contacted a couple of years ago, according to Marlene Nesary, communications manager for the society. Nesary said Conery did give the center permission to use her name.

Gibson e-mailed a statement to The Daily News about the advisers' roles.

Gibson said in that e-mail: "Notice that I try to say on the website that these are informal advisors to me. I approach them when and if I have a question that relates to their areas of expertise."

"I have indeed not called upon any of these advisors recently in the context of IGC, but they are "there for me" when needed, and I believe that I have good relationships with them all," Gibson wrote.

"The point of having powerfully connected and very smart people in a personal network is to be able to seek outside advice when needed. I have not needed them much recently, so IGC will not be on the tip of their tongues," Gibson also wrote.

Other advisers listed on International Graduate Center website include Helen Barrett, portfolio development advisor for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; Terry Dozier, former assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for postsecondary education; Camilla Gagliolo, chairwoman of the Information Technology Council of International Schools; and Joellen Killion, director of special projects for the National Staff Development Council.

In the same e-mail, Gibson said that he and Barrett were good friends and co-authored articles together in the past but that that he has not spoken with Dozier "in quite a while."

Conceding that Barrett has not provided advisory services to International Graduate Center, Gibson wrote: "But I bet if you asked 'what's going on with IGC,' she'd say 'what's that?'" Gibson wrote.

The Daily News could not reach Barrett or Dozier for comment.

One of the others on the adviser list, Joellen Killion, spoke highly of the program. "The folks that are involved in this are very experienced and well-known educators," she said. "This is a serious and rigorous educational program."

International Graduate Center's faculty and administration list also raises questions about its legitimacy.

According to its course catalogue, the center has only four faculty members in addition to Gibson and Knisley. None of those faculty members works full-time for International Graduate Center.

All four work as professors for other universities.

International Graduate Center's faculty members are Gina Amenta-Shin, an associate professor of education at California Lutheran University; Judy Carr, an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of South Florida; Christy Hammer, an associate professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern Maine; and Gayle Moller, an associate education professor at Western Carolina University in North Carolina.

In an e-mail to The Daily News on Sunday, Hammer said she worked only for the 2003 summer on St. Croix and taught about 20 people. Hammer said she then followed up with them "virtually" - via online communication - on their master's and doctoral thesis work. She described the the program as "innovative."

She could not be reached by phone on Sunday.

The three other people listed as faculty members did not return calls for comment.

The faculty serve "as needed," depending on class sizes, according to International Graduate Center's catalogue. The catalogue says the center plans to offer them full-time tenure-track positions in the future.

Gibson responded to questions about the small size of the faculty by saying the institution was working to increase the number, but with only about 30 students enrolled this semester, the faculty-student ratio is comparable to graduate programs at major universities, he said.

"It's hard to start up a university," Knisley said.

Gibson said he was working on setting up cooperative programs with UVI.

UVI Provost Al Hassan Musah confirmed that he met with Gibson a while ago. He said that cooperative programs or courses may be considered in the future, but International Graduate Center "has a lot of work to do" before that can happen.

Identifying diploma mills

John Bear, one of the nation's foremost experts on diploma mills and unaccredited schools, said International Graduate Center -Â especially because of its close ties with Berne University and its lack of permanent facilities - "raises some red flags."

Bear is co-author with Allen Ezell of "Degree Mills: The Billion Dollar Industry That Has Sold More Than a Million Fake Degrees" and has helped the FBI investigate degree mills. He lectures widely on the subject.

Bear said he once visited Berne University's offices in New Hampshire when it still offered degrees and found what appeared to be a shuttered one-room office in a strip shopping center.

Operations such as Berne University provide enough instruction and veneer of credibility with the backing of dubious accrediting agencies to fool people, he said...

...Alabama education leaders hope to reverse the state's reputation as a haven for diploma mills by strengthening laws regulating how private colleges like Chadwick [University in Birmingham] are set up.

As other states have toughened their stance on diploma mills, which offer degrees for little or no academic work, those schools have migrated to states like Alabama, which has lax regulations.

"It's a concern in all states, but some states have moved faster than others," said Gregory Fitch, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Watchdogs decry Alabama's dual system for private college approval, which has allowed diploma mills to work the system for an operating license.

To obtain a license, some are sent to ACHE and others to the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education. Until this year, ACHE waived some colleges from review, and the Department of Postsecondary Education does not review the quality of the education offered.

Fitch and Thomas Corts, interim postsecondary chancellor, have agreed that ACHE should take over the approval role, and plan to introduce a bill this legislative session to change state code...

In Alabama, there are currently 10 state-licensed, degree-granting institutions operating without accreditation, generally considered the seal of approval for educational quality. Chadwick is seeking to have its license renewed.

A school without accreditation is not necessarily a diploma mill, but nearly all diploma mills lack accreditation.

"If Alabama could have a truly centralized oversight, it would be more efficient and prevent these institutions from setting up," said Alan Contreras, administrator of degree authorization for the state of Oregon, which has strict standards for institutions...

He's noticed the movement of diploma mills around the country, with many of them moving from Idaho and Wyoming, which recently changed approval laws, to Alabama, Mississippi, Hawaii and California.

Even the states with relaxed regulations are dwindling, as Hawaii legislators debate changes to its laws. Mississippi passed minor reforms a year ago.

"These are people looking for some place to go, and they are quickly running out of places," Contreras said. "If you want the message sent that these creatures aren't welcome, you need to start a process to change regulations.."..

American Liberty University, a school given a waiver from a full review, set up a "campus" in Montgomery but comes from California. On its Web site, ALU lists that it is licensed by the state but does not inform visitors that ALU is not recognized by the federal Department of Education as an accredited institution. That means its credits will be nearly impossible to transfer to accredited institutions.

The school also gives credit for "experiential learning," defined as "previous life or work experience outside of the classroom, or self-study in some courses and departments."

...diploma mills can still turn to the state's postsecondary education system. Though state guidelines allow postsecondary officials the authority to review programs and conduct on-site visits, the department does not have the staff to do such in-depth reviews in all cases, said Joan Davis, general counsel for the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education.

Currently, the law requires only that private colleges prove they are financially viable and offer what they claim to offer, regardless of whether the actual offerings are of questionable educational value, Davis said.

"We're pretty much hamstrung by the law," she said. "We cannot ensure quality, and we are hoping to tighten the loopholes with this bill."

For example, Chadwick University in Birmingham has been labeled a diploma mill for granting degrees with little or no work in most courses. One person who claimed a bachelor's degree from the school was later hired by the National Nuclear Security Administration, one of 463 federal workers identified in a 2004 Government Account-ability Report as having obtained degrees from unaccredited universities.

In 2005, Chadwick was re-approved to operate in the state by the postsecondary education system. Its license expired in January this year, but the school is seeking re-approval, Davis said.

Like many diploma mills, Chadwick gives credit for life experience. Its Web site claims enrollment is full and no more applications are being accepted.

Its founder, Lloyd Clayton, could not be reached for comment. An office suite address listed for Chadwick in a four-story building on Birmingham's Southside was labeled instead as the location of Magnolia Corporate Services. A call to a phone number listed for Chadwick went to voicemail for Magnolia Corporate Services, where Clayton's name is listed first in its phone directory.

Clayton also started the Clayton College of Natural Health, which claims to be accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, which is not recognized by the federal government as a legitimate accreditor.

"The problem with Clayton is their accreditation is not recognized so there's no known oversight," Contreras said. "We don't know what they do, and that's why people who get degrees there can not be licensed in Oregon."

But the leaders of two non-accredited institutions in Alabama say colleges can be legitimate without accreditation.

"That's a journey, and it's expensive, but our goal is to do that," said Dominick Flarey, president of Breyer State University-Alabama.

Breyer State is licensed to operate in the state until March 2008, and the approval process with postsecondary education included a two-day site visit. If ACHE is put in charge of approval instead, Flayer said he has no problem with that.

"If the legislation and goal is to strengthen, and there is no hidden agenda, we welcome that," said Flarey, who lives in Ohio. Breyer State also counts life experience toward credit, and allows students to self-design their own doctoral degrees. However, Flarey maintains his school is not a diploma mill.

Course syllabi are listed on-line, as are faculty and their credentials, he said. Credit for life experience adheres to standards held by traditional universities for portfolio experience, he said.

"Just because someone calls you a diploma mill does not make it so," he said.

Breyer State claims to be accredited by the Central States Consortium of Colleges and Schools, which has accredited two other online colleges, according to its Web site. The consortium is not recognized as an approved accreditor by the federal government, a fact Breyer State acknowledges on its Web site.

But Flarey heads both Breyer State and the consortium. In other words, Flarey is the executive director of the body that accredited his own institution.

In response, Flarey said he hired three outside evaluators to evaluate Breyer State.

"Of course, I did not do the evaluation," he said. "That would be stupid."

Accrediting bodies do not need to be recognized by the federal Department of Education to ensure quality, Flarey said. The consortium [was] created to provide standards for those not accredited by federally recognized organizations.

"We are not claiming to be an approved accreditor," he said. "We are very clear on our Web site about that. What we are saying is, we've developed good standards, which are on the Web for all the world to see, and we comply with those standards."

Jerry Haenisch, another leader of a nonaccredited school, said accreditation is voluntary. He is in the process of moving his college, Preston University, to Alabama from Wyoming. The postsecondary education system licensed Preston until Dec. 2008.

Haenisch, Preston's chancellor, lobbied Wyoming officials not to force out non-accredited institutions when lawmakers there were debating changes to its laws, but failed.

Most of Preston's nearly 3,000 students are international students, and the university does not need the student federal aid money that accredited schools are eligible for, Haenisch said.

"The United States accreditation system constrains schools from operating internationally," he said. "We can exist as a quality school and deliver a good education without it."

He said he's moving the college to Montgomery because the state allows non-accredited schools to operate, and he hopes state officials do not implement sweeping changes that force him out.

"We are seeking for Alabama to have very strict academic guidelines without requiring outside, private accreditation," Haenisch said.

The school grants credit for experiential learning, according to its Web site, but Haenisch maintains that Preston is not a diploma mill...

The United Nations fired a staff member in November because his academic degrees turned out to come from a well-known Internet diploma mill, not a legitimate university, a U.N. official said Friday.

The incident was especially embarrassing because Trinity College and University is on a list of universities and colleges offering degrees for life experiences rather than formal education that had been circulated at the United Nations, U.N. staff members said.

Jonathan Blankson, chief of the Human Resources Information Technology Section, had been suspended for 11 months before he was terminated, the staff members said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

A photocopy of his fake degrees said Trinity College and University had conferred a Bachelor of Science with honors in Computer Science on Jonathan Michael Philip Blankson on June 12, 1996 and a Master of Science in Computer Science and Information Management on May 21, 1997. It said he met all requirements of the Board of Regents and Examiners.

According to the Trinity College and University website, the master's degree cost 195 British pounds, about US$390 — and the bachelors degree with honors for just 150 pounds, about US$300. The website said the college "is an organization, registered in Dover, Delaware, and running its degree program from Spain."

Description: Requires the state post-secondary education commission to adopt licensing standards to govern unaccredited degree granting institutions consistent with the minimum educational standards used by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Doctors or other professionals who present an employer with a fake education degree would be guilty of forgery under a proposed state law being pushed by House Democrats.

The bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled House but foundered in the Republican-led Senate last year, gained prominence after a Herald-Leader series last year documented the cases of three men who have been convicted of practicing medicine without a license...

"It's one of the fastest-growing crimes in our country," said Democratic Rep. Susan Westrom of Lexington, who is sponsoring House Bill 175. "For $400, you can select what you want to be."

Diploma mills, or schools without accreditation that award degrees for money and little work, now offer degrees that look so realistic that many employers have difficulty discerning their authenticity. For example, the state Transportation Cabinet has received applications containing seemingly-authentic engineering degrees that later turned out to be forgeries, Westrom said.

The entire House Democratic Caucus endorsed the diploma mill bill yesterday as part of its "Commitment to Kentucky Families" agenda, giving Westrom hope that it will soon become law.

"The federal government is going after the people making the diplomas; we're going after those who are presenting the diplomas," Westrom said.

Fourteen employees of the Fire Department of New York bought phony diplomas over the Internet and submitted them to the city in an attempt to meet educational requirements for being promoted or hired, according to a report released yesterday by the Department of Investigation.

Of the 14 employees, 3 were promoted in 2001 and 2002 based on the phony degrees; they did not have the required college credits.

The other 11 turned in phony diplomas that were subsequently rejected; 10 were promoted or hired anyway because they eventually obtained enough legitimate credits, but one was improperly promoted without proper credits...

The phony diplomas were purchased from St. Regis University, described by federal prosecutors as a diploma mill that churned out thousands of fake degrees, at hundreds of dollars apiece, from a base near Spokane, Wash., using various Web sites.

In October 2005, a federal grand jury in Spokane indicted eight people at St. Regis on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Three have pleaded guilty. The other five cases are pending, including those of Dixie E. Randock and Steven K. Randock Sr., who were described as the main owners of St. Regis and were also charged with money laundering.

St. Regis had called itself an "online distance learning institution," based in Liberia and accredited by the Education Ministry there.

"The officers simply paid for a piece of paper," according to the investigative report, which added, "In fact, all of the officers admitted that they did no work beyond writing a short life experience essay.."..

According to the report, some confusion led officials to accept three phony diplomas. In 2002, Victor Herbert, a supervisor of tenure and promotions, wrote a letter that appeared to validate the St. Regis degrees when, in fact, he mistakenly believed the degrees were from Regis College, a legitimate Catholic liberal arts institution in Weston, Mass.

The three officers promoted based on their phony diplomas were identified as Deputy Chiefs Paul Ferro and Richard Howe and Battalion Chief Daniel O'Gara.

Ten others were promoted or hired based on legitimate credentials, after submitting St. Regis degrees that were rejected: Battalion Chiefs Gary Esposito and John Polly; Capts. Donald Brown, Martin Cass, Mark Barra, Thomas Fitzgerald and Lawrence Sloan; Lts. Ralph Talarico and Matthew Zitz; and Firefighter Mark Thalheimer.

According to the report, Edward O'Donnell was promoted to captain in 2004, even though his St. Regis transcript had been rejected and he did not have enough credits...

Fourteen FDNY members caught submitting bogus college credits bought from an online diploma mill have agreed to pay fines totaling about $136,000, The Post has learned.

The individual penalties range from about $4,000 to $25,000. "They agreed to this settlement in lieu of going to [administrative] trial," said a source. The Department of Investigation reported in January that 13 members of the FDNY and one civilian applying to become a firefighter provided fake degrees and course work from "St. Regis University" or its affiliates.

DOI said the college was a fake that peddled academic credentials to anyone who forked over its fees, typically several hundred dollars.

In some cases, DOI said the coursework was backdated "so the FDNY members could comply with the necessary educational requirements in order to be hired or promoted."

Sources said all the personnel involved, including battalion chiefs, have since completed genuine courses to qualify for their jobs.

Many of the hundreds of online colleges and universities that are operating in Alabama are nothing more than cheap diploma mills, state education officials say.

Some started out as correspondence schools advertised on the backs of matchbooks.

Now, the online schools that promise accelerated degrees at cheap prices are advertised frequently in flashy television commercials and constantly pop up on Internet portal sites.

Gregory Fitch, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, estimates that more than 300 online institutions are operating in Alabama. Some grant academic degrees, while others award certificates in programs ranging from veterinary assistant to child-care worker to bridal consulting...

Most states have tightened their regulations over online schools over the past few years, forcing many to move their operations to more hospitable environments in Alabama and Mississippi.

"It's been quite some time since there has been any initiative in Alabama to govern the private proprietary sector," said Elizabeth French, director of institutional effectiveness and planning at ACHE.

"There are a number of institutions that are currently attempting to cross the border into Alabama that have been essentially eliminated from other states."

Of the more than 300 online institutions operating in Alabama, only about 70 have gone through ACHE's full program review, she said.

The rest are operating with a license from the state Department of Postsecondary Education and/or an incorporation certification from the secretary of state.

Two-part system

Alabama is the only state that has a two-part system to license and oversee out-of-state schools. Online colleges that don't want to submit to ACHE's strict review process simply buy a license from the Department of Education and register as an Alabama corporation.

Their "campus" could be a post office box or a motel room, said Fitch...

Indiana University joins Carter in expressing concern about sales of fake documents The Indiana Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit and obtained a preliminary injunction against an Indianapolis company and its owner for selling fake diplomas online. A Marion Superior Court has signed an order halting Allen Kleiman d/b/a Noveltyworksdegrees.com from selling the fake diplomas which were marketed as 'highly passable' and 'realistic'.

"The products being sold were not only unauthorized replicas of university and high school trademarks, but they also helped others to commit fraud by using them as authentic documents," Attorney General Steve Carter said. "This perpetuates academic fraud that has consequences for employers and the universities and schools whose reputations are at stake."

Noveltyworksdegrees.com manufactured and created university diplomas and transcripts designed to give the appearance of being authentic. The company represented that the products had benefits and characteristics that it knew, or should reasonably have known they did not have. The diplomas and transcripts do not indicate they are not authentic and have appearances of being genuine...

"There is no legitimate use for this sort of document, and we at Indiana University are pleased that the Attorney General has acted decisively to shut this business down," Applegate said. "The potential for abuse here is enormous. People depend on the high quality of legal training that an IU degree represents. We cannot stand back and allow someone to sell fake and fraudulent legal credentials.."..

"These products have a damaging impact on the reputation of educational institutions and serve to help others commit fraud by potentially representing they have more credentials and qualifications than they have earned," Carter added.

FEDERATION of ST. KITTS and NEVIS - Government officials in this tiny Caribbean nation are investigating a medical school started by a Latrobe man who was fired from another school for falsifying his academic credentials.

St. Theresa's Medical University opened last year in St. Kitts, where Thomas M. Uhrin holds himself out as a doctor even though he has admitted he did not complete medical training and has never been licensed as a physician.

Uhrin, 43, of 17 Barbara Road, the chancellor and executive dean, has not responded to repeated requests to discuss the school attended by a dozen students last semester. In the British West Indies, St. Theresa's is more than 2,400 miles away from its headquarters in Latrobe, where Uhrin's employees field phone calls, collect mail from a post office box and handle admissions applications, financial information, advising and faculty hiring, according to its Web site, staff and students...

Lord help those kids that are there. I don't know what they're getting," said R.J. Simms, of Boca Raton, Fla., vice president of administration and finance at the International University of the Health Sciences in St. Kitts.

Simms said Uhrin was terminated in September 2004 from the university that provides the bulk of its instruction online after it was revealed he lied about earning a doctoral degree and other matters.

"You always have a target on your back when you are a Caribbean medical school. We're working to improve things. Tom Uhrin isn't someone we wanted to be in charge of a medical school," Simms said.

Incomplete training

Records show Uhrin graduated in 1985 from St. Vincent College near Latrobe with a degree in religious studies and later earned a master's degree in education from Duquesne University. He said he also earned a doctor of medicine degree in February 1999 from Central American Health Sciences University, but that could not be confirmed because registrar Martha Castillo said student information is not public record at the school, which has campuses in Belize and Mexico.

In a professional portrait in St. Theresa's reception area, Uhrin is wearing a stethoscope and white physician's lab coat embroidered with his name and the designation "M.D."

Appearances aside, in 1999 he admitted his training is incomplete. He publicly apologized for being misleading and resigned as medical director of a Greensburg clinic after a Tribune-Review investigation revealed he had not completed medical training and was never licensed.

The newspaper contacted campuses but found no records to support Uhrin's claim that he'd earned a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, United Kingdom, Wales. Uhrin also admitted that his certificate of completion for a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular pharmacology was produced on a friend's computer...

 

The time-honored practice of awarding university degrees for money is alive and well in Cambodia. After being turfed out of Malaysia for being neither Irish nor a university, the Internet-based Irish International University of Europa is showering Cambodian political leaders with degrees and establishing an "Asian campus" in Phnom Penh.

The advent of the Internet and a growing thirst for university degrees in Asia have coalesced into a potent combination for diploma mills, organizations that award degrees with little or no academic study. Unrecognized by official accrediting bodies, they have nonetheless given the sheepskin to some of Asia's top bureaucrats and politicians, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, and used the publicity surrounding those awards to deluge prospective students.

The Irish Embassy in Malaysia said in an emailed statement that the Irish government has informed IIU that by using the term university in its business name it is violating Irish law. "Any awards it makes...have no academic standing whatsoever in our country," the statement said. In Cambodia, however, Irish International University has found a relatively prestigious partner. In April 2005, the organization teamed up with Cambodia's largest private higher-education institution, Build Bright University, which is accredited by Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports. That officially made BBU Irish International's "Asian Campus." Its East Africa campus is located in Kenya.

Next year BBU expects to begin awarding up to 100 Irish International doctorate degrees. Posters of Irish International graduations adorn BBU's main hall and a degree template with the phrase "your name here" sits in its administration office.

The dean of the faculty of business at BBU, Samrith Chanheng, holds an MBA from Irish International University as well. He said that he obtained the MBA by transferring online credit from the US-based Americus University and paying $500 to Irish International. According to the US state of Maine, Americus University degrees are not accredited in the US.

In large color advertisements running in November in major Khmer-language newspapers, Cambodian tycoon and Senator Mong Reththy's company announced that its owner had received a PhD in Business Strategy from Irish International University.

The ads show Mong Reththy, a construction and palm oil magnate, dressed in red academic gown and cap, standing before a stately building in Cambridge, England with his wife at his side. Asked about his new degree, Mong Reththy acknowledged that he had not taken any courses or completed any assignments at Irish International University.

"They gave it to me through looking at the previous working leadership," he said. "I didn't spend anything, only for a flight on the plane," he said. "I don't know if it is faked...they organized such a big ceremony and is it even faked? I also don't know."

Mong Reththy is not the first prominent Cambodian to receive an award from Irish International. Hun Sen got his honorary doctorate in April 2004. The Phnom Penh degree ceremony is prominently featured on the university's website.

After an investigation, it appears BBU students paying $4,500 for an Irish International University PhD may not be getting the academic qualification they or employers are seeking. Irish International's "degrees" are not recognized in Ireland, where it says it is based. Nor are its degrees recognized in the UK, where the group also has offices.

Last year, the Irish Ambassador to Malaysia asked the Malaysian government to close Irish International University, according to media reports. Emails to the Irish Embassy in Malaysia were returned by Lesley Hoh, who directs the educational consulting agency affiliated with the Embassy. Hoh said she has brought the information that Irish International is operating in Cambodia to the Embassy's attention and that the Embassy "has been concerned for some time about the activities of the so-called Irish International University ("IIU") and other such enterprises."

"IIU is not recognized as a university in Ireland and its awards have no academic standing there," she wrote. "IIU has a business address only in Ireland."

No longer in Malaysia, Irish International has told Build Bright that it is accredited to deliver university degrees in the UK. However, upon closer inspection and despite a contorted explanation of how it is permitted to offer UK degrees, it turns out the UK government does not recognize Irish International degrees either.

The UK Department for Education and Skills officially recognizes institutions that can award degrees. Its Web site maintains two lists, one of recognized degree-awarding bodies and one of other institutions that can offer courses that lead to a degree by one of the degree-awarding bodies. Irish International University is not on either list.

"Only those organizations on the above lists are permitted to award UK degrees or offer provisions that leads to a UK degree. If an organization is not contained on one of these lists then it is NOT offering a recognized UK degree," the department Web site states. "It is an offence in the UK for any organization to offer a degree qualification which could be taken to be that of a recognized UK institution...Such organizations will be reported to the appropriate Local Trading Standards Department for investigation which could lead to prosecution."

Irish International claims that its masters and doctorates are approved by something called the Business Management Association, which is also not on the UK government list. While it is not accredited by the official British Accreditation Council, it claims to be accredited by the little-known Christhomas Consortium.

The Web site for Christhomas no longer functions, but in paid advertisements placed in a book put out by a private publisher entitled "British Qualifications," Christhomas shares the same office address as Irish International University: 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London, raising questions about whether the university and its supposed independent accreditation body are in fact the same group of people.

BBU Rector In Viracheat on Monday said that BBU believes the claims for accreditation offered by Irish International. But in the face of clear lack of recognition by the British and Irish governments, the accreditation claims, however elaborate, matter little.

These claims included advertisement in the unofficial "British Qualifications" book and a "Quality Mark" given by a newly formed private company called the Quality Assurance Commission UK. This body, founded in 2004, has so far accredited 18 institutions, none of which are recognized by the UK government.

"We knew from the beginning that this is distance learning and that is something new, not recognized by most governments," BBU Vice Rector of Academics Dy Davuth said Monday. Producing a stack of actual PhD thesis proposals to be forwarded to Irish International, the BBU official said that local Irish International staff do not actually read the proposals...

Emailed questions to Irish International Executive President H Sandhu about accusations he is operating a degree mill were returned by an assistant named Olivia, who referred all questions to the university's Web site.

That Web site claims Irish International can award degrees based on a proposed European Union European Qualifications Framework that has not yet been adopted by the EU. That framework is intended to translate national qualifications from one country to another, not supplant the UK or Irish recognition systems, however.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said the way Irish International has flourished here is a sign of deep problems in academic accreditation here.

"Higher Education is a disaster in this country," he said. "The government needs to establish a body to carefully monitor the curriculum and training that these private university. What will happen to Cambodia with all these certificates issued to people with no skills or training? In Cambodia senior officials want to be called Iodom [Excellency] or Okhna [Knight] or General and now they want to add Doctor to the title. It is a disturbing trend."

In January advertisements announced that Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh had received a doctorate from America's Ashwood University, which also not accredited to offer degrees in the US, according to several US state governments.

Chan Roth, the director of the Education Ministry's Department of Scientific Research in charge of Master and PhD programs said that Dy Davuth had assured him of Irish International University's ability to grant degrees. Nonetheless, he said he would investigate the matter. He said that he had not yet seen the UK or Irish Web site lists that exclude the institution...

• Irish International University web site
• IIU rosters of "faculty" and "external examiners" have included Colin Thompson, Gryphon Sou, Christopher R. Campbell, Mokhtar Abdullah, and Richard J. Hoyer (March 2006); Hans Kempe as Vice Chancellor (August 2006). Campbell, Hoyer, and Kempe had also been listed as professors by "St. Regis University."

A Santa Cruz County fire department was recently caught in one of the fastest-growing scams on the World Wide Web.

A degree from an online university — unaccredited, requiring no tests or classroom time, and selling diplomas for as little as $199 — proved enough to grant an employee a $7,000 raise and promote him to assistant fire chief under the Central Fire District's policy of paying more to employees with higher education.

District leaders, having discovered the loophole in June, revoked the extra pay that came with the degree, and to make sure they weren't caught off guard again, put on the books specific guidelines to steer them through the quagmires of the Internet age.

"We found a problem and we fixed it," district Fire Chief Bruce Clark said.

Policies to specifically address online degrees are rare, and Central Fire District is one of few public agencies nationwide to create such rules.

But experts say that may change.

"People are just learning to ask, 'Accredited by whom?' " said Judith Watkins of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a national organization that scrutinizes accrediting organizations for quality.

"The biggest problem with phony online degrees is that most employers don't have clear policies," she said.

An investigation by the federal General Accounting Office in 2002 discovered more than 1,200 resumes on a government Web site listed degrees that came from the Internet...

For many years Central Fire, with 88 employees and a $13.5 million annual budget, has awarded firefighters with promotions and higher pay based on education.

A firefighter with a master's degree makes an additional $240 a month while a bachelor's degree earns $180 more a month and an associate's degree $120.

Roughly 26 of the department's firefighters have a college degree. Problems arose when the department conducted an audit this summer.

Assistant Fire Chief Steve Van Den Heuvel, a 32-year veteran of the department, was found to have obtained an associate's degree in fire science in 2005 from Rochville University...

Rochville claims to be an online university, internationally recognized with accreditations from Board of Online Universities Accreditation and Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation. Its Web site boasts "study while working" and alleges to have served more than 38,000 students.

A message from Rochville's president is signed on the site with an illegible name, and there is no phone number or address for the university's administration.

With the degree, Van Den Heuvel was making about $135,000 a year. His pay has been reduced to $128,000, and he has retained the assistant chief position...

The fire department's education standards now state only degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation are accepted. Course study and degree programs must be preapproved from the department's training chief as part of the new rule.

Clark said the diploma-mill problem took the department by surprise, and when writing the new policy, they called around to other fire departments and found none had a similar protocol.

 

Sen. Adlah Donastorg Jr. is not the first gubernatorial candidate to put a questionable degree on his resume.

Former V.I. senator Alicia Hansen, who ran for the territory's highest office in 2002, claimed to have received a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration from St. Regis University in June 2001.

St. Regis University, a Dominica-based operation that claimed to be accredited by the Education Ministry of the Republic of Liberia, sold degrees over the internet largely based on applicants' personal experiences...

V.I. Police Commissioner Elton Lewis also listed a questionable degree on his resume when he was appointed to the territory's top law enforcement post in 2003. Lewis claimed to have earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Columbia Pacific University in 1984.

In 1999, a California Superior Court judge ordered Columbia Pacific University to cease all operations in the state. Columbia Pacific appealed but lost. In 2001, the court ordered it to shut down, pay thousands of dollars in fines, and refund student fees...

The man who designed and maintained 125 phony online university and high school Web sites for a Spokane-based diploma mill pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal conspiracy and child pornography charges.

Kenneth Wade Pearson's plea in U.S. District Court was part of a deal that should guarantee him less prison time in exchange for his "substantial assistance" in helping federal prosecutors convict the alleged ringleaders, Dixie and Stephen Randock, of Colbert.

The case involved the paying of substantial cash bribes to Liberian diplomats, including one hand-off that was caught on video in a Washington, D.C., hotel room by U.S. Secret Service agents.

The Liberian "Board of Education" was offering accreditation for the online diploma mills in exchange for the bribes, federal court documents say.

Pearson, the 31-year-old webmaster for the scheme, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and receipt of child pornography. He became the third of eight defendants who have struck deals to testify against their former associates...

Pearson admitted that between September 2002 and August 2005, he "joined a conspiracy" with the Randocks, Heidi Kae Lorhan, Amy Leann Hensley, Roberta Lynn Markishtum, Richard John Novak and Blake Alan Carlson "to operate so-called 'diploma mill' universities that were falsely accredited and sold fraudulent degrees." Novak and Carlson previously pleaded guilty and will be prosecution witnesses.

"During this period, the diploma mill universities run by the Randocks sold approximately $1.9 million in fraudulent academic products to thousands of persons located in the United States and other locations," Pearson's plea agreement says...

Federal prosecutors handling the case, Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jacobs and Joseph Harrington, have not revealed the list of approximately 6,000 purchasers.

But Pearson's plea agreement says those who bought the bogus degrees include firefighters and military personnel, among others, who used their enhanced educational portfolios to win job promotions and pay increases.

Morlin obtained a copy of the (publicly available) plea agreement for case CR-05-180-8-LRS and CR-06-010-LRS filed October 10, 2006 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington. The case is United States of America, plaintiff vs. Kenneth Wade Pearson, Defendant. A scaned version of the document Morlin obtained is posted here:

• pages 1 - 13 (2.8 MB pdf)
• pages 14 - 26 (2.8 MB pdf)

A related story:

Federal employees bought degrees, Bill Morlin, Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review, October 12, 2006. (The Spokesman-Review has given permission for a copy of the article to be posted here.)

An unidentified member of the White House staff and employees of the National Security Agency are among 6,000 people who bought online college degrees from a Spokane-based "diploma mill" now at the center of a criminal case, a federal judge was told Wednesday.

Others who paid thousands of dollars for the bogus diplomas include a senior U.S. State Department employee stationed in Kuwait and a U.S. Department of Justice employee who works in Spokane, defense attorney Peter Schweda told U.S. District Court Judge Lonnie Suko...

The primary operators of the diploma mill, Dixie and Stephen Randock, of Colbert, are named in a federal indictment accusing them and a half dozen other defendants of conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud and laundering almost $2 million that the scheme brought in between 2002 and 2005.

Their trial is now scheduled to begin Oct. 1. Three defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to be prosecution witnesses in exchange for lighter prison sentences.

At the status conference, the defense attorneys for five remaining defendants asked the judge in a separate closed-court proceeding for funds to send defense investigators to Liberia and build a computer network to analyze a mountain of digital evidence associated with 125 Web sites that sold degrees.

Defense investigators want to travel to Liberia because officials of that strife-torn nation are accused of accepting cash bribes in exchange for the Liberian "Board of Education" offering accreditation for the online colleges and universities set up by the Randocks.

The defense wants to investigate reports that the U.S. Department of Education threatened to withhold U.S. aid funds for Liberia unless its government officials cooperated with the diploma mill investigation, Schweda told the court...

No one knows how many "doctors" are practicing with a degree from one of the online medical schools that Stephen J. Arnett of Falcon, Ky., has operated or promoted over the years.

Even if someone did know, there's no agency in Kentucky that oversees the authenticity of online degrees.

But three men who did seek medical diplomas online -- John Curran, Andrew Michael and Larry Lammers -- have been convicted of charges associated with practicing medicine without a license. Michael and Lammers, who both turned up in Lexington hospitals and clinics, served jail time. Curran was sentenced in August to 12 1/2 years in federal prison.

Over the last decade, local, state, and federal officials have all been aware of Arnett's medical activities, records show.

But no action was ever taken against him. Arnett has never been charged in connection with the schools.

Todd Leatherman, the executive director of consumer protection for the state Attorney General's office, said he was not aware of the Kentucky connection to the three convicted men until he was contacted by the Herald-Leader.

He acknowledged, however, that he was familiar with Arnett. Both men served on a legislative commission to craft new alternative medicine laws for Kentucky in 1999. That task force met 13 times...

Both Lammers and Michael were students at St. Luke School of Medicine, an online school whose legitimacy has been questioned in the United States and abroad. Because they said they were medical students, they were able to observe medical procedures or work with patients in Kentucky.

Officials at Kentucky's Board of Medical Licensure say its primary focus is on physicians who are already licensed by the state...

For the last three years, State Rep. Susan Westrom, (D-Lexington), has unsuccessfully introduced a bill that would make the use of bogus credentials a Class D felony, punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years.

"It's a no-brainer piece of legislation," Westrom said. "When you have people who have lives in their hands and they have a diploma on the wall, you want to be careful that they are legitimate. But people in the general population have no idea how to go about checking credentials."

The bill has always passed the House, Westrom said, but has never been heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee...

Doctored Diplomas: For Some Medical Degrees, It's Log On, Pay Up--A trail of bogus claims and life-threatening consequences, Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington, KY Herald-Leader, October 1, 2006.

When prosecutors here talked about the cruelty of John E. Curran, it was the face of Taylor Alves they saw.

The young woman, who, at 18, was a filmmaker, photographer and model, was described by her mother as "born with wings." She was also dying of ovarian cancer.

Curran, who billed himself as a natural healer and physician, told her he could make her healthy with a green drink, a concoction of powdered vegetables in water. The promise of recovery led her to spend her final weeks refusing other food.

"He did so much harm on so many levels," Rhonda Alves, Taylor's mother, said recently. "I don't blame John Curran for Taylor dying. What I blame John Curran for is the anguish he brought to her life."

In August, Curran, who charged most patients a standard fee of $10,000 for his treatments, was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Curran, 41, followed the same course of study as two men who appeared on the Kentucky medical scene: Andrew E. Michael and Larry Lammers.

Michael was welcomed to Lexington's Central Baptist Hospital in 2003 and briefly observed heart specialists there treating patients.

In 2004, Lammers cared for patients at several accident injury clinics in the state. Lammers and Michael have also been convicted of practicing medicine without a license and have received jail sentences.

Curran, Michael and Lammers all worked toward medical degrees from online schools that were promoted from the remote mountain community of Falcon, Ky. There, sitting at a computer, was the man behind the schools -- Stephen J. Arnett, 47, who had been a Free Will Baptist minister before becoming involved in the medical field, court records say.

Arnett first opened several medical clinics in Eastern Kentucky, where he worked without a license as an assistant to the very doctors he hired. When the clinics closed, he moved on to promoting various online schools that offered degrees in medicine and naturopathy -- a system of healing with natural substances. The schools were neither accredited nor licensed.

Yet the people who received degrees from the schools that Arnett promoted opened real clinics, practiced in real offices and treated real patients...

Arnett has been investigated by state officials for more than a decade but never prosecuted. He has been free to open clinics, assist physicians and place would-be doctors in hospitals and clinics...

The most prominent of the schools Arnett has been associated with is St. Luke School of Medicine, which has had a number of incarnations. St. Luke and its Southern Graduate Institute -- a division that focused on naturopathy -- are central to the criminal cases against Curran, Michael and Lammers.

Arnett was also tied to Lady Malina Memorial Medical College; the University of Sciences, Arts and Technology, with an address on the volcanic island of Montserrat in the Caribbean; and the Asian-American University.

Prosecutors say that the degrees that Lammers, Curran and Michael received while Arnett was involved with St. Luke were bogus.

St. Luke President Jerroll Dolphin, contacted in Liberia, West Africa, said Arnett had been affiliated with the school and that, at one point, the two planned to establish a school in Kentucky. However, when Dolphin received calls from people he didn't know were students, he suspected that Arnett was granting St. Luke diplomas without the appropriate course work.

In 2003, the two men severed their relationship and Dolphin said he revoked Arnett's honorary medical degree...

By 2002, Arnett was forming new Internet medical schools, according to state records.

He incorporated a company called Foreign Alternative Medical Education, as well as St. Luke School of Medicine. Both had a Falcon, Ky., address that Arnett used.

Not long afterward, Robert Irving, a student from one of Arnett's online schools, was warned by the state medical licensing board to close a medical practice he had begun in Elizabethtown, according to board documents.

Irving said he received a doctor of naturopathy degree from Southern Graduate Institute, a division of St. Luke, in 2001. His contact was Arnett. Irving did six-week rotations for orthopedics, physical rehabilitation and anesthesiology at an Accident Injury Center in Lexington where Larry Lammers worked.

In 2005, Irving said he was still studying at St. Luke and was pleased with the education he received.

Irving, Curran, Lammers and Michael have all said they thought they were receiving a legitimate medical education from schools Arnett was promoting.

Michael's use of his so-called education was particularly egregious. He practiced medicine without a license for two years in Las Vegas before he came to Kentucky. He supervised potentially dangerous injections for MRI patients and told patients he had trained at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Last year, when Las Vegas District Judge Valorie Vega sentenced Michael to six months in jail, she had another way of describing the way he had used that education:

"This was a time bomb ticking," she said.

Credentials Arnett has claimed, Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington, KY Herald-Leader, October 1, 2006.

Stephen J. Arnett of Magoffin County has presented himself as a man of many degrees and titles. This is a description posted on the St. Luke School of Medicine Web site around 2002-2003:

 

• M.D., N.M.D. (Medical Doctor, Naturopathy Medical Doctor)
• Vice president, St. Luke School of Medicine
• Director, public relations, student loan programs at St. Luke
• Director of alternative education and research at St. Luke
• President, Southern Graduate Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, Kentucky
• Doctor of Medicine, Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines
• M.D. (M.A.), Open International University for Complementary Medicine, Sri Lanka
• Diplomate, National Board of Naturopathic Examiners
• Senior Professor of Naturopathic Medicine: Alternative Medicines Research Institute, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Clayton College of Natural Health, Birmingham, Alabama
• Indian Board of Alternative Medicine, Calcutta, India MD (AM)

Med schools scrutinized: State Board Opens Investigation, Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington, KY Herald-Leader, October 5, 2006.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure has opened an investigation into whether a Magoffin County man who promoted online and foreign medical schools has broken any state laws, C. Lloyd Vest, an attorney for the board, said yesterday.

Stephen J. Arnett, a former tombstone salesman and Free Will Baptist minister, promoted the St. Luke School of Medicine, an online school based in Liberia, from an address in Falcon, a small Magoffin County community, until 2003.

He held key titles at the school, including vice president, and helped recruit students and place them in Kentucky hospitals and clinics...

St. Luke President Jerroll Dolphin said in a recent interview that he stopped working with Arnett in 2003 and took away an honorary medical degree the school had given him because he thought Arnett was giving degrees without requiring proper course work.

Though some states have questioned the school's legitimacy, Dolphin said St. Luke offered an intensive curriculum and was not a diploma mill -- a school without accreditation that awards degrees for money and little work.

Note this June 4, 2002 internet archive of the SLSOM list of graduates:

Alumni
Peter Michael Kolosky, M.D.: August 10, 2001
Laurie Ann Luisi Kolosky, M.D.: August 10, 2001
Michael Hejazi, M.D.: August 24, 2001
Mary Anthony Julve, M.D.: August 24, 2001
Astara Sunrise Burlingame, M.D.: August 24, 2001
Ilene Susan Young, M.D.: December 14, 2001
Munawar Hussain Shah, M.D.: January 4, 2002
Rita Patangia, M.D.: January 18, 2002

Recent Graduates
Stephen J. Arnett, M.D.: March 22, 2002
Brenda C. Arnett, M.D.: March 22, 2002
Herbert W. Winstead, M.D.: March 22, 2002
Edwin Muniz, M.D.: March 22, 2002
Thomas J. Mulvi, M.D.: March 22, 2002
Egbert G. Phipps, M.D.: March 22, 2002
John E. Curran, M.D.: March 22, 2002

Doctoral Candidates
David A. Belshaw: June 2002
David Karam Wade: June 2002
Antwi Boakye: July 2002
Masilamony Pauliah: July 2002
Alfred Egedovo: August 2002

Jerroll Dolphin published a list of some of St. Luke's students in the original March 11, 2010 filing (on paper) of the lawsuit St. Luke School of Medicine, et al. vs. Repubic of Liberia, et al. as Exhibit 1. The contents of the exhibit were changed in the electronic version of the original complaint filed some weeks later, and in the first amended complaint. The April 14, 2010 first amended complaint included the document "An Analysis of the St. Luke School of Medicine" as Exhibit 41.

A May 29, 2004 internet archive of the St. Luke School of Medicine faculty roster includes these entries, among others:

Stephen J. Arnett, M.D., N.M.D.
Vice President, St. Luke School of Medicine; Dean, Department of Natural Medicine; Director, Public Relations, Student Loan Programs, and Director of Alternative Education and Research
President, Southern Graduate Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, Kentucky
Doctor of Medicine, St. Luke School of Medicine
M.D. (M.A.), Open International University for Complementary Medicine, Sri Lanka
Doctor of Naturopathy (N.D.), Clayton College of Natural Health, Birmingham, Alabama
Diplomate, National Board of Naturopathic Examiners
Professor of Naturopathic Medicine: Alternative Medicines Research Institute, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Indian Board of Alternative Medicine, Calcutta, India MD (AM)

Jerroll B. R. Dolphin, M.D., President of Medical School & Board Member
Doctor of Medicine, Spartan Health Sciences University, St. Lucia
Doctor of Naturopathy, Southern Graduate Institute
BS Physics and Mathematics, San Jose State University
ECFMG Certified, Chief Advisory Physician, African Development Foundation
Responsible for school administration and program development and coordination. Primary curriculum developer for USMLE Part 1, Part 2, and CSA examination contents.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland higher education officials are proposing to toughen accreditation standards in order to protect Maryland students against phony degree-granting institutions known as "diploma mills."

The Education Policy Committee of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, which is writing the proposal, wants to require all for-profit schools to be accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

"It's about not wanting our students to invest a lot of money in an institution only to find out that it's a diploma mill," said Dr. Regina Lightfoot, the commission's director of planning and academic affairs.

The policy committee's proposal is still several steps from taking effect.

First, the Education Policy Committee must present the proposal to the full commission. Then it must be subject to public comment for 30 days. Then it will return to the Education Policy Committee and once again to the full commission before it can become part of the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

If approved, the regulation probably won't affect the state's existing four-year or community colleges, most of which are already accredited.

But the specialized trade schools like beauty academies and technical schools which are not accredited or are members of a specialized agency not sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education may need to apply for accreditation. At the end of fiscal year 2005, there were about 60 non-accredited career training schools with over 5,000 students enrolled across the state...

To prevent questionable programs from gaining a foothold in the state, the commission's proposal also would require an independent audit from a certified public accountant and includes an ethics clause that lets the commission stop any institution whose governing board members "have a history of fraudulent educational practices" from operating in Maryland.

The man named to run the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center lost the chance after he failed to offer tests or other papers to verify that he completed course work for a master's degree.

County court officials withdrew their job offer Friday, a week after Troy Hoppes was named superintendent and the same day The Indianapolis Star reported that the master's degree he claimed to have came from a "diploma mill" shut down by the Federal Trade Commission in 2003.

While stopping short of saying Hoppes deliberately misled them about the University of Ravenhurst diploma listed on his resume, officials suggested that possibility.

Robert Bingham, Marion County chief probation officer and the man in charge of reforming the troubled juvenile center, took responsibility for the failure to adequately check Hoppes' educational credentials. One reason, he said, was his unfamiliarity with online universities. "This was new to us," he said.

Checking backgrounds has been a problem at the center. In June, it was revealed that more than one-fourth of staff members who supervised youths had criminal records. Officials criticized what they called inadequate vetting of employees' backgrounds.

In the latest case, Bingham said the issue was a matter of Hoppes' "presentation" of his credentials. Ron Miller, Marion County court administrator, called it "a question of ethics..."

• New hire's degree from diploma mill: Court official says origin of master's is a 'nonissue', Tim Evans, The Indianapolis Star, September 8, 2006
• Offer withdrawn for incoming juvenile center director, Sandra Chapman, Indianapolis, WTHR-TV, September 8, 2006

From Permanent Injunction and Final Judgment Against Defendant Hassan H. Safavi:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that:

1. Defendant Hassan H. Safavi and his agents, servants, employees, attorneys and those persons in active concert or participation with him, directly or indirectly, individually or in concert with others, or through any corporate or other device who receive actual notice of this order be and hereby are permanently enjoined from any of the following:

 

a. Providing any post-secondary instructional programs or courses leading to a degree;

b. Acting as or holding himself out as a "college, academy, institute, institution, university" or anything similar thereto;

c. Failing to comply with Hawaii Rev. Stat. Chap. 446E (2005) or § 480-2(a) (2005)in any particulars; and

d. Owning or operating any business in the State of Hawaii, claiming to operate under the laws of the State of Hawaii, having a presence in Hawaii or maintaining a website using the name American University of Hawaii until all restitution and civil penalties entered herein are fully satisfied.

 

2. Defendant Hassan H. Safavi be and is hereby liable, jointly and severally with Defendant American University Hawaii, Inc., for restitution to consumers as set forth herein. To the extent not already done, upon entry of this judgment, Defendant Hassan H. Safavi be and hereby is ordered to notify all American University of Hawaii degree holders and degree applicants who enrolled or received their degrees subsequent to July 1, 1999 in writing that they are entitled to full restitution (conditioned only on the return of any diploma awarded). Said notice shall be in a form agreeable by Plaintiff and shall also notify the recipients of their rights under Hawaii Rev. Stat. §480-13. Defendant Hassan H. Safavi or Defendant American University Hawaii, Inc. shall provide a full refund to any recipient requesting one by certified check within fourteen days of receipt of the request for such and the return of the diploma, if applicable.

3. Defendant Hassan H. Safavi be and is hereby liable to Plaintiff for civil penalties pursuant to Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 480-3.1 in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00).

4. Defendant Hassan H. Safavi be incarcerated until such time as he terminates the website using the name American University of Hawaii, agrees to and notifies each student as required by this Court's prior orders, in a form agreed to by the State of Hawaii, of his or her right to restitution, provides the State of Hawaii with a list of the names and addresses of all of its students who enrolled since Hawaii Rev. Stat. Chapter 446E (2005) became law, and changes the name of the Mississippi Corporation to something other than the American University of Hawaii.

 

From 01-13-2006: American University of Hawaii, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Honolulu, Hawaii), January 13, 2006:

On January 31, 2005, the Second Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii entered a Permanent Injunction and Final Judgment Against Defendant American University Hawaii, Inc. PDF Icon The judgment has not been appealed and is in full force and effect.

Under the terms of the judgment AUH was required to offer and pay full restitution to its graduates and students. Although AUH claims to have written its students and graduates offering them restitution, to our knowledge it has not actually paid any restitution. In addition the judgment imposed a fine of $500,000. AUH has not paid one dime towards the fine. Hassan H. Safavi, the proprietor of AUH, has sworn that AUH has no assets or income to satisfiy the judgment and our office deems the judgment uncollectible.

As a result, AUH is prohibited from offering courses leading to degrees, holding itself out as a university, receiving tuition payments, enrolling students or offering degrees.

Rather than shut down as ordered, Safavi, continued operations by creating a new corporation of the same name in the State of Mississippi and continuing to run AUH overseas.

A motion to have Safavi held in contempt for evading the judgment was heard by the court on January 4, 2006. The trial to decide whether Safavi will be held personally liable and the amounts therefore also concluded on January 4, 2006.

On May 17, 2006 the court entered its decision in the form of Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. That document can be found online at http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/ocp/udgi/lawsuits/AUH. The court has ordered Safavi liable, with the corporation, for restitution and imposed a $500,000 penalty against him individually. Moreover, the court found him in contempt and ordered him incarcerated until such time as he terminates the website using the name AUH, provides the restitution notice to students, and changes the name of the corporation. Final judgments incorporating the decision have been entered. The judgments against AUH and Safavi have been deemed uncollectible in the State of Hawaii.

Prospective students are warned that AUH has no affiliation or connection to the legitimate, accredited University of Hawaii or American University.

You should address future complaints about AUH to the appropriate authorities in either the country in which you enrolled or to the state of Mississippi:

 

Ms. Menia Dykes
Executive Secretary
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
www.ihl.state.ms.us

or

Mr. Grant Hedgepeth
Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
State of Mississippi
P.O. Box 22947
Jackson, MS 39225-2947
www.ago.state.ms.us

The proprietor Hassan H. Safavi is believed to reside in the State of California. The government agency in California dealing with education issues is the

 

Bureau For Private Postsecondary & Vocational Education
Department Of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street Suite 5000
Sacramento Ca 95814
www.bppve.ca.gov

Iran: Wrangle Continues Over Diploma Mill, Bill Samii, Radio Free Europe, September 20, 2005.

In his 16 September Friday Prayer sermon in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati demanded to know why nothing has been done about the case of the American University in Hawaii. Approximately one year ago, Iranian legal officials reported that the American University of Hawaii, a diploma mill with headquarters in the United States, was issuing degrees that the government did not recognize.

This institution granted degrees in exchange for the payment of fees, and it did not require class attendance. On 15 September, "Iran" newspaper criticized the judiciary for its failure to take action.

In August, the university case was referred to the judiciary for action. But since then, according to a 7 September "Jomhuri-yi Islami" report, there has been a bureaucratic tie-up. When the case first came to light, Iranian newspapers noted that a number of government and judiciary officials had gotten their credentials from the American University of Hawaii.

Justice Minister and Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad tried to allay in early September any concerns about the possibility of a conflict of interest. According to the "Jomhuri-yi Islami" report, he said, "Some media organs have suggested that since a number of individuals who are currently working in different parts of the judiciary are graduates of that university, the judiciary as a whole does not intend to investigate and process this legal dossier seriously." He continued, "Full investigative and judicial work on this dossier will commence during the coming month."

According to its website, the American University of Hawaii has campuses in 19 countries, and Iran is not the only place where it is having problems. The U.S. state of Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has filed several injunctions against the institution. The founder of the institution, Hassan Safavi, will go on trial in the state on 7 November 2005. The complaint against the institution notes that it is not accredited by any recognized agency or association, is "engaged in the operation of the unaccredited degree granting institution," and "offered to sell and sold post-secondary degrees..."

Domain registration information for "American University of Hawaii's" internet domain auh.edu:

Domain Name: AUH.EDU
Registrant:
   American University of Hawaii
   981 Highway 80 East
   Clinton, MS 39056
Administrative Contact:
   Hassan Safavi AUH
   981 Highway 80 East
   Clinton, MS 39056
   (310) 234-9211
   [email protected]

Domain registration information for "American University for Humanities Tbilisi College Campus" internet domain auhtc.edu:

Domain Name: AUHTC.NET
Registrant Contact:
   American University of Hawaii
   Henry Safavi [email protected])
   (310) 234-9211
   1722 Westwood Blvd., #201
   Los Angeles, CA 90024-5610
Administrative Contact:
   American University of Hawaii
   Henry Safavi [email protected])
   (310) 234-9211
   1722 Westwood Blvd., #201
   Los Angeles, CA 90024-5610
Technical Contact:
   American University of Hawaii
   Henry Safavi [email protected])
   (310) 234-9211
   1722 Westwood Blvd., #201
   Los Angeles, CA 90024-5610
Name Servers:
   ns1.1mediawebsolutions.com
   ns2.1mediawebsolutions.com
Creation date: 04 Jan 2005 21:14:47
Expiration date: 04 Jan 2011 21:14:47

College students will soon be hitting the books. The goal, diplomas and good jobs. But others may cheat. Some opt out for the "easy degree" churned out by illegal diploma mills. Officials with the Institution of Higher Learning say Mississippi is a mecca for these "degrees of suspicion..."

One higher education official told WLBT they don't have a grasp of just how big this multi-million dollar world of diploma mills is in Mississippi. Non-approved entities operating in Mississippi according to the Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation include the following.

 

American University of Hawaii in Clinton, Gulfport; American World University of MS, Inc. in Pascagoula; Bienville University of Mississippi in Woodville; Cambridge State University, Inc. in Jackson; Columbus University in Picayune; Lacrosse University, Inc. in Bay St. Louis; Madison University in Gulfport; Novus University International, Inc. in Diamondhead, Slidell, LA and University of Central Europe (Global Headquarters-Mississippi) in Pascagoula.

We tracked down Cambridge State University, Incorporated. It operates out of Jackson. There's a phone number but you won't find an address...

College professors, even employees working in upper echelon corporations have bought and used these phony credentials on resumes. WLBT contacted the Institutions of Higher Learning for comment. The IHL tells us a tougher law went into effect July 1st making it easier to go after non-approved degree businesses cropping up in the state. It reads in part, "all colleges and universities not already authorized to grant degrees to students graduating from their courses must be approved by the commission in order to grant diplomas of graduation or degrees. The provisions of this section shall not apply to private commercial schools and colleges."