Beware of almeda college, almeda university - fake scam.

[deedoo]

Almeda is one of the largest selling diploma mill over the internet.
The degree they are offering is not real. they claim to provide you with a life experience degree. :shock:

[Sister]

Life experience? LOL!!! How much does that cost? I sincerely hope no one has bought into that, that's sad.

[chloe2006]

Wow, thanks for the warning. I did chance upon their website and found it too good to be true.

[ashah91]

thanx for telling the cheating and fraud by diploma mill bcz almeda saying to me that they r geniune and they r accrcated thanx plz tell me more abouit this if some have information

[Thomas Smith]

HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF KENNEDY WESTERN UNIVERSITY ? I THINK IT IS ALSO A DIPLOMA MILL !! IM ALSO LOOKING AT PENN FOSTER UNIVERSITY , WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS

[johann]

Kennedy Western - Unaccredited by any CHEA-recognized accreditor as yet - I read they might have applied to DETC for accreditation under new name, something like Atlanta University. (New state law requires schools to get accredited or leave Wyoming.) Lengthy articles on either or both of www.degreeinfo.com and www.degreediscussion.com. Recommended reading!

Penn Foster College - 100% legit, DETC accredited - grants Associate degrees. If a nationally accredited associate degree (in about 13 business or tech fields) suits your purpose, have a look at their site - Google \"Penn Foster.\"

They were formerly known as Thomson Education Direct and originated from ICS -hence their new name - Penn for their Pennsylvania roots and Foster for the founder of ICS. (1890s?)

[Sister]

Kennedy Western seems to have some mixed reviews from what I've seen. Some people rate the quality as being decent while others don't.

[childeroland]

I've been looking at Westwood College. Does anyone know anything negative about them?

[karenlyn]

No, I haven't heard anything about Westwood... though I did read somewhere else about Almeda.

Childeroland... is your name from the Stephen King book or the poem?

[Kyle]

I've been looking at Westwood College. Does anyone know anything negative about them?

Checkout John bear post at http://online.degree.net/showthread.php?t=125

Also check at www.chea.org (http://www.chea.org)

[ladygirl99]

I can't believed that folks willing to provide anything just to make quit bucks. I also was naive too that online college schools were last place to find scams.

[Unregistered]

Penn Foster is a Scam. I ordered a course from them and they never sent the material. I requested it twice and nothing. I asked for my money back and they said "sorry, you signed a contract".

BEWARE of Penn Foster.

[ShotoJuku]

Penn Foster is a Scam. I ordered a course from them and they never sent the material. I requested it twice and nothing. I asked for my money back and they said "sorry, you signed a contract".

BEWARE of Penn Foster.

Hey Unregistered - until you have a name and ID, keep your anonymous opinions to yourself, particularly when your spreading crap - get some toilet paper!!

[Unregistered]

I've been a plant/operations manager for 28 years. The plants I've managed have employees from 40 to 300. Every plant I've managed has experienced a 30% growth a year. I just finished a consulting job for a 40 billion dollar a year company because they were trying to get into another consumer market. They needed my assistance. I've trained employees for companies in ISO certification. I only have a High School education.
Everytime I see a job that I'm more than qualified for I send a resume. I never get a reply. Go figure. They're looking for college grads.
If Almeda can get my foot in the door I can take care of the rest.
Should I go to an accredited college? What can they teach me? Or better yet what can I teach them?
I got to admit one thing though, when I receive a resume I look at education before I look at experience.

[Kyle]

Should I go to an accredited college? What can they teach me? Or better yet what can I teach them?
I got to admit one thing though, when I receive a resume I look at education before I look at experience.

I'll tell you what will happen, you go and you post almeda university in your resume ! thats already wrong ! once somone see's almeda university in your resume he will think that you are just another moron without a college degree and trying to scam you way inside his work place !
Look to become an accredited college the goverment does not ask alot
they ask for normal standards and one of them that you will learn somthing :)

Now according to your resume you experience should get you inside anywhere.

[ShotoJuku]

If Almeda can get my foot in the door I can take care of the rest.
Should I go to an accredited college? What can they teach me? Or better yet what can I teach them?
.

I wonder what you will learn in Jail by using a fraudulent degree; a misdemeanor in some states and a felony in others - Good Luck.

[Brian R. Fey Sr.]

I wonder what you will learn in Jail by using a fraudulent degree; a misdemeanor in some states and a felony in others - Good Luck.


What makes you think that people turn up to jail? And no not SHOUT BY USING HUGE LETTERS! In this forum WE DO HAVE EYES IN OUR HEADS!

You must feel angry because you have thousands of dollars of student loan for years to pay while others have found cheaper way to get a LEGAL degree and better job!

[ShotoJuku]

What makes you think that people turn up to jail? And no not SHOUT BY USING HUGE LETTERS! In this forum WE DO HAVE EYES IN OUR HEADS!

You must feel angry because you have thousands of dollars of student loan for years to pay while others have found cheaper way to get a LEGAL degree and better job!

Hey you must be my ******* twin or a wanna be perhaps; nice fraudulent use of a name. Perhaps you have MPD - Multiple-Personality-Disorder and are off of your meds?

Why do you feel so defensive and outraged, not to mention childish in using my name as a member name?

Student loans? Never had one little boy and never will. Why would you make such a ridiculous statement?

As much as I would like to continue to be entertained by your feeble and weak skills in trying to insult me I must move on to other things.

Perhaps if you earned a legitimate degree in a professional college or university you wouldn't feel so hostile.

Then again you may just have an anger management problem?

Yes, I'm sure everyone one here does have eyes in their head, but I'm not so sure about brains in yours; are you missing something?

If needed, you can enlarge the font again, otherwise have nice day!

XOXO

[Kyle]

I dought anyone will go to jail for a fake degree. But you will receive a police records, or sued by goverment, employer.
Another thing that happened a few years back is that they closed a fake university called Columbia state university they got the student records, and checked went through them one by one, they informed the employer. they just brought shame to them one by one.
Happened in New York.

So now it's not how you use the degree it's from who you buy it also if the company is based in the U.S it will get closed down sooner or later and it will get all personal information on the people who purchased a fake degree and used it !

And with a criminal record you can't even get a job in McDonalds.

might as well be homless now before getting the degree.

[ShotoJuku]

I dought anyone will go to jail for a fake degree. But you will receive a police records, or sued by goverment, employer.
Another thing that happened a few years back is that they closed a fake university called Columbia state university they got the student records, and checked went through them one by one, they informed the employer. they just brought shame to them one by one.
Happened in New York.

So now it's not how you use the degree it's from who you buy it also if the company is based in the U.S it will get closed down sooner or later and it will get all personal information on the people who purchased a fake degree and used it !

And with a criminal record you can't even get a job in McDonalds.

might as well be homless now before getting the degree.

The only degree these people will earn is a Misdemeanor in the First Degree. Check out - FSS: 817.567 (Florida State Statute) First Degree Misdemeanor. There are 37 people currently serving their sentence now.

817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.--

(1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 1005.02, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is:

(a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation;

(b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government;

(c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;

(d) Licensed by the 1State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities pursuant to ss. 1005.01-1005.38 or exempt from licensure pursuant to 2s. 246.085; or

(e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program.

(2) No person awarded a doctorate degree from an institution not listed in subsection (1) shall claim in the state, either orally or in writing, the title "Dr." before the person's name or any mark, appellation, or series of letters, numbers, or words, such as, but not limited to, "Ph.D.," "Ed.D.," "D.N.," or "D.Th.," which signifies, purports, or is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of a doctorate degree, after the person's name.

(3)(a) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(b) In addition to any penalty imposed under paragraph (a), a violator shall be subject to any other penalty provided by law, including, but not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator's license or certification to practice an occupation or profession.

[Fenner]

A degree accredited by the Dept. of Education of the country where the issuing university is located is accepted as of right by American and many other authorities worldwide.

Fenner

[Unregistered]

Has anyone heard any thing good or bad about Rochelle University? It is also fair to use life experiences for degrees confirmed by some states as well as some academic programs-so is the problem everyone is having have to do with the "total" credits or dgree earned not that there cant be any credits used toward degree completion?

[ShotoJuku]

Has anyone heard any thing good or bad about Rochelle University? It is also fair to use life experiences for degrees confirmed by some states as well as some academic programs-so is the problem everyone is having have to do with the "total" credits or dgree earned not that there cant be any credits used toward degree completion?

Rochelle website????

[johann]

For Shoto Juku -

Brian, I don't know why either of us bothers with this one. The posting smelled a bit funny and the school name smelled all too familiar. I tried in vain to find a website. It is very close to legit schools - La Rochelle, and New Rochelle.

I found it REAL fast on the Oregon Office of Degree Athorization List!!

http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html

I guess they couldn't find the website either because they say "probably related to Rochville University - not the same as the legitimate College of New Rochelle in New York or Universite de la Rochelle in France."

Rochville is right next to Rochelle on the Oregon List - and there it is on the web, accredited by the non-CHEA-recognized BOUA etc. Need I say more?

http://www.rochvilleuniversity.org

As always, I wish you well. :-)

Johann

[ShotoJuku]

For Shoto Juku -

Brian, I don't know why either of us bothers with this one. The posting smelled a bit funny and the school name smelled all too familiar. I tried in vain to find a website. It is very close to legit schools - La Rochelle, and New Rochelle.

I found it REAL fast on the Oregon Office of Degree Athorization List!!

http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html

I guess they couldn't find the website either because they say "probably related to Rochville University - not the same as the legitimate College of New Rochelle in New York or Universite de la Rochelle in France."

Rochville is right next to Rochelle on the Oregon List - and there it is on the web, accredited by the non-CHEA-recognized BOUA etc. Need I say more?

http://www.rochvilleuniversity.org

As always, I wish you well. :-)

Johann

Thanks for the heads-up; I just like to check them out when they come up - looks like another mill, an expen$ive one at that!!!

[johann]

Why would anyone CARE if/why a particular diploma mill was successful?

Are you employed in that business, or thinking of starting your own mill?

I think the best use of this forum is to help people AVOID diploma mills - not speculating on why they sell diplomas. However, here's a hasty explanation, which I'm sure you've heard before.

Mills sell degrees by the thousands because they are excellent at market segmentation.Their pitch is targeted to people with low intelligence and self-esteem, who also meet these criteria:

(1) They are foolish - some are SO foolish they get caught breaking laws with their bogus scrap of paper.

(2) They think (mistakenly) that employers and others are also foolish enough to accept fake degrees.

(3) They have enough ready cash that they can WASTE it on a useless, fraudulent piece of paper.

By the way, your ad link leads, among other places, to "degrees in 5 days for life experience" - so that tells me enough about YOU! :-(

Johann

[Kyle]

The only degree these people will earn is a Misdemeanor in the First Degree.

thanks for the information. But I have a question I am not familiar in U.S law.

Let say: I am from California will the ruling of holding a fake degree be the same?

[Kyle]

When they are fake, how do they become largest online diploma selling mil? who are buying from them? and why?
They have good sales person? have you ever gave your phone to those scammers ? they are explaining to you how quickly you will earn your money back you will get a better job withi higher salary I need to record a conversation with them one time when I got time.. they are sharp with there answers.

Hey if somone is selling you a dream will you not buy it?

[johann]

No -I won't buy the dream if it SMELLS bad. Would you?

Johann

[Winthrop2]

Almeda is one of the largest selling diploma mill over the internet.
The degree they are offering is not real. they claim to provide you with a life experience degree. :shock:

Technically, Almeda is not fake or a scam. They have been running a legitimate business since 1997. [Notice I say "business" and not "College"].

They have a satisfactory track record with the Better Business Bureau including satisfaction with claims and refunds. The problem is that in addition to their real ONLINE courses, they offer a LIFE EXPERIENCE DEGREE. This is the problem with them. Most people do not consider LE degrees "education."

Almeda operates legally (albeit taking advantage of legal loopholes). Their degrees may not be worth the $600 they charge, and they may even get you fired. Before you even consider a degree from Almeda you better check that you are not in a restricted state and that your employer will accept it. Almeda is the only one of the parasite schools that discloses what states do not accept their degree.

Almeda is the least parasitic of the parasite schools that include Belford, Redding, Rochville, Suffield and others. Tread with caution.

[johann]

Hi

Is there supposed to be merit in being "least parasitic?" Is that kinda like the comforting knowledge that "Big Ike" is the least-violent serial killer in the whole Penitentiary? I'm reluctant to subscribe to the "lesser degree of badness" notion.

Agreed, charging $600 for a worthless piece of paper is no crime - or all the stockbrokers in the world would be in jail (not a totally bad idea imo). However, merely avoiding criminal charges does not make Almeda good!

A Freudian slip - I typed "La Merda" instead of Almeda by mistake! As you say, walk carefully! I prefer not to walk in this stuff at all! :-)

By the way - Has ANYONE EVER actually taken an on-line course through Almeda? Just asking.....

Johann

[Ahmed]

Hi

What a pity it is to pay $600 for a piece of worthless paper, it is very important that people check the status of schools they apply at, it seems that countless warning just fall on deaf ears.

Johann, you have said the same things over and over, but people still enroll at schools like Almeda, if it can be called a school

[johann]

Hi Ahmed -

Who ever took my advice anyway? People do what they want - and at some point I'll have to realize that. Pretty soon I'm gonna stop givin' advice and resign my commission in the Degree Mill Police!

Maybe I'll re-enlist and go "on patrol" in South Africa somewhere, so I can take advantage of their excellent schools and pay for it by trudging a trail in the Transkei for a living! Naah, maybe not! For currency reasons, South African Schools are kinda like South African wines - both best enjoyed overseas!

Another South African export I like is her music. I've been a Juluka fan since 20 years ago when they were "Searching for truth beneath the stones of Malawi". I'm a dabbler with accordion, so I like Township Jive - and even well-known more commercial-appeal acts like Malathini and the Mahotella Queens. Neighbouring countries like Lesotho have a lot to offer, too!
Musically, that is - I haven't a clue about schools there!


Cheers, bro! :-)

Johann

[Ahmed]

Well, i cant comment on the wine, because I dont drink alcohol, although some girlfriends of mine abuse them. The music is nice especially the mix of african and english (its called kwaito, the younger generations love it, especially when they high).
Juluka is no more on the scene, there are a few new artist around, very good as well, You should come for the 2010 world cup, and just enjoy it
thanks bro

[krol_dean@yahoo.com]

Almeda is one of the largest selling diploma mill over the internet.
The degree they are offering is not real. they claim to provide you with a life experience degree. :shock:
Hello, Can you share with me the fact to say that Almeda University is not real. Can you recommend me others University which internationally recognized via online studies.

[krol_dean@yahoo.com]

Hi.. I agreed with you. I am also looking a certification that can certified my professional competency. I have been working for more than 13 year in Accountancy field. My experiences compared to the qualified accounting practioners are almost at the same standards. If Almeda University can give me the way to ehance my career development. Why not I go for it....

[Ahmed]

Go for it if you want to, but dont expect to get a job with it. The difference between a Graduate and a non-Graduate is that piece of paper that he/she has.
As johann mentioned would you give an engineer a bridge to build that has a life experience degree, or a graduate?

the choice is yours

[johann]

Hi -

Why on earth would you risk getting a BOGUS qualification from Almeda?

Malaysia has a pretty strict legal code, and I can't even imagine the penalties for doing accounting work - handling the resources of a company worth millions - without the required professional license, etc!!!

There are perfectly good opportunities to learn in your own country. Open University of Malaysia has a Bachelor of Accountancy program which should give you everything you need.

They're at www.oum.edu.my

Places like Almeda are a shortcut to nowhere...or worse than nowhere! WAY worse, in some countries.

I wish you every success in legitimate studies. :-)

Johann

[Ahmed]

At least you will be able to embazzle money, and blame it on your Almeda degree.

Jokes aside, an accountant works with balance sheets, income statements, etc. A person of this calibre has to have an accredited formal education to be appointed to this post, no corporate company will hire a person as an accountant, if he/she holds a life dgree.

I dont even think Almeda will hire you with their degree, they just want your money, dont be a Victim, sorry I meant a jerk

[tony_ramos]

1000% for sure Almeda is a diploma mill. One of the guy connected to Almeda is "Richard Smith". Not sure he uses this as fake name! And his star professor is Dr. Carum. Dr. Carum is a full time professor at a major university and works for us as a consultant. He earned his PhD from a prestigious institution in Western Europe, has been teaching for over 20 years, and has served on numerous dissertation committees throughout his distinguished career.



At least you will be able to embazzle money, and blame it on your Almeda degree.

Jokes aside, an accountant works with balance sheets, income statements, etc. A person of this calibre has to have an accredited formal education to be appointed to this post, no corporate company will hire a person as an accountant, if he/she holds a life dgree.

I dont even think Almeda will hire you with their degree, they just want your money, dont be a Victim, sorry I meant a jerk

[johann]

Hi -

Here are some comments from the archive (mine). I thought we'd dismissed "Dr. Wald Carum," whom alex_weiss06 introduced us to, 'way back when.

Stop it, Tony! You're convincing nobody...

"I read the ... uh -- dissertation on the link. Didn't take very long to read this Ph.D. document! In "works cited" I see the Bible, a dictionary and a lot of websites -that's OK, but zero professional/academic JOURNALS, which strikes me as rather odd.

This "Dr." Pariseau's bio tells a lot. He's been a court commissioner for 20-odd years, with NO education beyond high school. THEN he gets a bachelor's and master's 3 MONTHS APART (life experience, I guess) from Almeda in 2001. Now he's got a doctorate from the SAME PLACE!

As far as the dissertation supervisor goes, I couldn't find anybody named Wald Carum via Google. But "Wald" means "wood" (place of trees) in German and "carum" is a genus of about 20 flowering plants, mostly old-world, best known of which is carum carvi -- we know it as caraway.

I think the Dissertation Supervisor's name MIGHT be as made-up as the REST of this 3-DIPLOMA HOAX! :-(

I'm tired of this CRAP. Kyle, can we close the thread? :-( "

AND...MUCH TO HIS CREDIT, KYLE KINDLY CLOSED THAT THREAD! TONY, DO I NEED TO ASK HIM AGAIN?

Johann

[ShotoJuku]

I agree that in certain extreme cases and entire thread should be removed, yet this may be better off being left open. Not for the crap and debate but to highlight the fact that Almeda is a fraudulent degree mill.

Hell, if these idiots want to send $$$$ for a worthless piece of toilet paper just to claim that they have a degree let them - it's their money.

Here's one better, if they don't want their money they can send it to me - I'll print up a diploma and for no extra charge grant them academic honors too. Please send your old $$$ to - www.Shoto'sDiplomaMill.edu today!! SUCKER!! :shock: :rolleyes:

[mary solomons]

why not see for urself and confirm the alleged calims of accreditation,
first Check accreditation of the online degree at US Department of Education
second Check legitimacy of the Internet University at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
third Write to the Diploma Mill Police that authenticates Internet Institutes of Education.
http://www.aboutonlinedegrees.org/

[tony_ramos]

Hi all,
Do you know her?
Her name is Madison.
http://www.degreeinspector.com/

"My experience in applying for a Life Experience degree from seven different online colleges. This report includes information about the legitimacy and credibility of Almeda University, Belford University, Glendale University, Rochville University, and Suffield University"

"Did the school reject my fake/bogus application?
Almeda - Yes. Almeda rejected my bogus application. They sent me a letter stating I did not qualify and suggested I go to a traditional college.

Belford - No. Belford did not reject my bogus application. They did not even review it. The application just took me to a payment form. I could have written that I was Czar Nicholas II of Russia and died in 1918. I would still have been able to get my degree from Belford.

Colton - Don't know. There was never a response from this university. No response to the application, no response to any e-mail inquiries. Nothing.

Glendale - Yes. Glendale rejected my bogus application. I think. They simply ignored it. No letter of explanation. No response. But they did approve me when I sent my valid resume.

Redding - Exactly the same as Glendale. They simply ignored the bogus application. I sent it TWICE and it was ignored both times. Like Glendale, they did approve me when I sent my valid resume.

Rochville - No. Rochville did not reject my bogus application. They approved the bogus application based on the 7 words. They stated that they had a 10-member committee review it -- and the collective genius power of the 10 of them decided it was worthy of a 4-year degree. (The part about the genius was me editorializing).

Suffield - Yes. Suffield rejected my bogus application. They sent me a letter stating I did not qualify and suggested I apply again with more information. Unfortunately their e-mail to me was full of grammatical mistakes.

[johann]

Tony -

This site encourages people (in exact words) to obtain bogus "life experience" degrees as a JOB-SEARCH AID! It's basically a "Rating Guide" to the MILLS NAMED ABOVE and shows how ridiculously easy it is to qualify for their "degrees." Madison offers you a link to her friend at http://www.aboutlifeexperiencedegrees.com which is another MILL-PAGE.

Here's a quote from there! First the site discourages people from applying to the Big 3 (Excelsior, COSC and TESC), naming all 3 of those legit schools. THEN they hit you with:

"The cost of a Life Experience Degree is about 1 to 2 percent of the cost of a traditional 4-year college. However, the success rate of finding gainful employment with your Life Experience degree is about 60 percent of the success rate you would have with a traditional college degree. For many people, the Life Experience Degree is a better buy for the money. "

(Emphasis mine, Johann)

Tony - these sites are basically ad-sales-and-promotion for DEGREE MILLS. As such, I don't want 'em.
Kyle - ShotoJuku - should we be carrying links and ads for the MILL-MEISTERS? :-(

Johann

[johann]

Hey!

http://www.aboutlifeexperiencedegrees.com (Madison's buddy) takes direct aim at our Forum! Here's a quote!

"Don't believe the garbage you read on any website that tells you that Life Experience Degrees are fakes or scams or that these degrees will get you fired. Those websites (such as degree.net) are written by the people that run and dominate the "institutions of higher learning." They want to dictate the rules and set the terms with an iron first. You conform to their standards or you're railroaded off to the unemployment line, the hell with you as far as they're concerned. Like all dictators, they understand quite well that to control the population you must control the education system. You either toe the party line or you're an outcast or worse - they call you names, claim you're inferior, and disparage your experience and degree, saying you got your Life Experience degree at a "diploma mill" rather than somewhere that recognizes your experience and rewards you for it. They are totally against private institutions and hate Life Experience Degree programs because they see student loans, financial aid, and the tuition money (paid by student loans and financial aid) as a huge source of revenue."

(Emphasis mine - Johann)

Kyle - maybe you want to sue these guys - or just disregard them - I dunno! Tony, maybe you want to surf better sites!

Johann

[Dennis Ruhl]

The easiest thing I ever did in my life was earn my first degree. I just kept going to school. It seemed a lot easier than really working. Buying a degree and seeing it as some sort of accomplishment takes a particular kind of self-deception.

I think that maybe life experience could make up 30 out of 120 undergrad credits. Any more credits than that or credits at the grad level are simply bogus, even if they come from TESC.

[johann]

Yes, Dennis -

I'd agree with your remarks above. And legit schools grant such credits only on well-documented, relevant experience.

What we've got in THIS thread is "life experience credits" as awarded by Almeda, Colton, Belford, Glendale, Rochville, Suffield and Redding.

Even a SINGLE credit awarded by these schools is bogus, as I see it. Bogus schools, bogus credits, bogus degrees - but bought with real money!

Johann

[johann]

Hi -

I just noticed Degreeinfo, Degreediscussion and Degreeboard ALL have threads on "Madison" and her friends...maybe I'm reading too much of this stuff!

The guys/gals over at these fora were more "relaxed" about it than I was....Then again, you KNOW how I get! It never takes much to get me raving! The prevailing opinion was the same - a "how-to" ad for fake degrees!

Here's what they have to say in the other fora:

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=27989

http://www.degreediscussion.com/viewtopic.php?t=5344

http://forums.degreeboard.com/showthread.php?t=25167

Johann

[Sweety53]

HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF KENNEDY WESTERN UNIVERSITY ? I THINK IT IS ALSO A DIPLOMA MILL !! IM ALSO LOOKING AT PENN FOSTER UNIVERSITY , WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS

I attend Penn Foster currently and it is accredited and approved by the VA, US Government. Credits are transferrable to four year universities as well.

[WA8VUV]

As far as Kennedy western University goes, I went there and didn't consider it a diploma mill. In addition, I never received all that experience credit that some want to inject into the equation, but don't enroll there since the school carries too much mud on its shoes. The verdict is still out on their accreditation and don't get stuck, like I did, with a degree that everyone laughs at. Even if KWU, now Warren National University, becomes accredited through the HCL's North Central Association, a degree would still be looked upon by some as questionable.

I am also a graduate from Penn Foster College with two associate degrees. The two schools are apples and oranges. Penn Foster is accredited by the DETC, an NA organization. Their course work is rigorous, you learn, and what is of most importance, you will walk away with an accredited degree and credits that can be transferred to many NA and Ra schools.

[johann]

Hi -

I wouldn't call KW/Warren a mill either -solely because they never outright "sold" degrees, as far as I know. Some coursework was required. Substandard? Probably. Lots of people seem to agree on that.

They sure-as-heck musta had a LOT of complaints! Seems their Better Business Bureau Accreditation (yep - that's the word used) has been revoked, for failing to address these complaints in the timeframe required. See the link.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=28067

If they can't stay "accredited" by the BBB, what chance do they have with ANY CHEA-recognized accreditor?

Say, what's that in the background? Do I hear the fat lady singing yet...? :-)

Johann

[MAXX]

Has anyone on this site heard of WGU? Western Governors University right here in the USA issues fully accredited life experience degrees, although they have another name for them. Several other countries offer these degrees as well, France for one example with their VAE program. So I guess when all of these NON PROFIT universities catch up those of you who are so against it will have less to gripe about. It is inevitable that the USA will catch up because the alternative is that more and more people discover these programs, and use them.

[MAXX]

Dennis Ruhl? I would agree with you, earning my first degree was the easiest thing I ever did as well, from a fully recognized University in Indiana. I'm not sure then why a minumum of 8 hours a day applying what you so easily learned for lets say 10 to 15 years might not be worth as much.

[Dennis Ruhl]

Dennis Ruhl? I would agree with you, earning my first degree was the easiest thing I ever did as well, from a fully recognized University in Indiana. I'm not sure then why a minumum of 8 hours a day applying what you so easily learned for lets say 10 to 15 years might not be worth as much.

I said it was easy not that I didn't learn anything. The thing about jobs is that for the most part they are repetitive and normally call on a thin wedge of knowledge. In accounting, my occupation, people can work 10 to 15 years and fully understand the mechanics but might have trouble passing a intro accounting exam.

What I do respect are certain programs like the ACCA/Oxford Brookes University program where you write something like 10 challenge exams and a paper and end up with a degree. You do not write a paper saying what you know, you write really tough exams proving what you know.

[Mort Telford]

What I do respect are certain programs like the ACCA/Oxford Brookes University program where you write something like 10 challenge exams and a paper and end up with a degree. You do not write a paper saying what you know, you write really tough exams proving what you know.

That is a great point! Even with all the media attention people continue to look for the easy way out. So many of them are just sure that they have the "experience" equivalent to a bachelors or masters degree but the real challenge is to prove it. Passing rigorous exams covering the specific subject areas will demonstrate competency at a certain level better than writing a paper or submitting a resume.

[ham]

That is a great point! Even with all the media attention people continue to look for the easy way out. So many of them are just sure that they have the "experience" equivalent to a bachelors or masters degree but the real challenge is to prove it. Passing rigorous exams covering the specific subject areas will demonstrate competency at a certain level better than writing a paper or submitting a resume.

The whole idea behind life experience degree is that you can turn intangible assumptions about your life into a degree. Even if you are a millionaire, it doesn't follow that you can pass German 400 with an 'A', or Composition 300...that is why degree mills love the concept.

[janiwoker]

I have the same here!

http://www.lorenzuniversity.com/university/BachelorsProgram.asp#2