Over the past three decades, bogus schools, degree mills and unaccredited institutions have mushroomed into billion dollar transnational businesses. They have persuasive eye catching and attractive Web sites snaring the unsuspected and ignorant and those in quick need of a "MacDonald's Burger Degree". Not surprisingly, among those who actually purchased worthless degrees were doctors, lawyers, judges, police officers, prisons and probation officers, counselors, teachers, university professors, school principals, military personnel, intelligence agents among others. A former president of a tertiary institution in Trinidad and Tobago who had a doctoral degree from the well-known degree mill, La Salle University, Mandeville, Louisiana was forced to flee overnight when his bogus qualifications were highlighted in the media.
Allen Ezell, former FBI agent and head of DipSCAM (an undercover investigative operation of all these unaccredited institutions), and Dr John Bear in their book (Degree Mills: The Billion Dollar Industry That Sold over a Million Fake Degrees by Prometheus Books, 2005), pointed out the dire consequences of purchasing a fake degree. Listed among the unaccredited degree institutions are Monticello University, California Coast University (this one has sought accreditation from the Distance Education Training Commission (DETC) and is now accredited by that agency), Almeda, Kennedy Western University, Century University, Bienville University, Rochville University and La Salle University, Louisiana.
Another form of educational fraud unearthed by Prof George Gollin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) was the University Internet Degree Scam Programme (IDSP). This is available to those who want to purchase ready-made doctorate, with all the honours you want conferred. Of course, you must pay for it by Mastercard or Visa. According to Gollin, such bogus universities include the University of Ravenhurst, University of Belford and University of San Moritz. Peggy Bell Hendrickson, Director, Transcript Research on Bogus Institutions and Accrediting Bodies, also lists many of these institutions (available at www.transcriptresearch.com/bogus.pdf)
Reasons for proliferation of degree mills
With respect to many of these unaccredited schools, Dr Bear has pointed out that "for many years, California had a law that stated that the main requirement for being authorised by the state to grant degrees was ownership of $50,000 worth of property....and that during the 1960s throughout the early 1980s dozens of shady operators decided that their homes or book collection was worth $50,000 and proceeded to sell degrees with wild abandon."
As California tightened its laws, schools were drawn to Hawaii because of its lax statutes and weak state laws. Other states that had lax laws and statues include Idaho, Montana and Mississippi. However, in recent years, these states have begun to implement stringent legislation pertaining to educational institutions.
Why is accreditation important?
Accreditation of an institution is important for a variety of reasons. Such reasons include employability, proceeding to a higher degree, and also transference of credits. This brings me to another question: What then is the purpose of accreditation? This column would like to suggest some possible answers, namely, quality of degree and guarantee of acceptance to pursue higher education, ability to transfer credits, access to state funding, and in the case of the US, federal and state grants and recognition by employers of the institution and caliber of its graduates.
With respect to quality, when an institution is accredited its faculty members, programmes, curriculum development, its libraries, student services and other relevant issues have met established standards. On the matter of funding, no governmental agency would want to disburse funds or grant scholarships to unaccredited institutions. Rather, they would want to ensure that the institutions maintain high standards and quality.
Responsibility to protect
Given the proliferation of the growing dynamic of degree mills on a global basis, Governments and their respective state entities do have a legitimate responsibility to protect the public from 'fly by night' unaccredited schools, bogus institutions and those with similar sounding names like those of well-established universities. Taking advantage of the Internet and communications technology and globalisation of markets for profits, these shady operators use multiple addresses, mail boxes and fax/phones, with carefully prepared speeches to mislead the unsuspecting public. Accordingly, the Government, its offices of consumer protection, and various ministries, together with its foreign counterparts must continue to educate and inform the public of these threats to the quality of decent educational attainments. In a particular sense, the University Internet Degree Programme Scam can be compared to educational fraud and money laundering.
There are several governmental agencies that the public can contact to confirm and verify the authenticity of any institution at home or abroad. Locally, one can contact the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, and also the University of the West Indies. With respect to schools, colleges and universities in the UK, Canada and the USA, the presence of their respective high commissions and embassy in this country is not only assuring, but these foreign missions possess listings of all the accredited schools, colleges and universities in their countries. No one need to be confused or perplexed.
Next week....Why National Security fails the nation on drugs, guns and corruption?