Friday, June 3, 2011
May 6, 2011 Meeting
Developed the following letter and mailed.
May 6, 2011
ACOPE
Martin J. Powers
P. O. Box 851306
Mobile, AL 36685
Mrs. Alvena Davis Williams
Director of Internal Audit
Department of Postsecondary Education
Post Office Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
Dear Ms. Williams:
This letter comes to you as per your letter dated September 27, 2010, and as per our subsequent phone conversation prior to my scheduled meeting with the Chancellor on October 29, 2010. You called shortly before the scheduled meeting and advised that the meeting had to be canceled because the Chancellor had a conflict and that the Chancellor had no immediate openings. I asked you to send me a letter to that effect so that we could schedule a meeting at a later date. I reported this to the members of our group.
Here we are six months later and still have received neither a letter from you nor a resolution to the complaint. Maybe the Department of Postsecondary Education has bigger problems than we thought!
I now request that we resume the process for handling our complaint. We also expect the Department of Postsecondary Education to take this matter seriously and to handle same in a more timely manner than has been demonstrated in the past.
Sincerely,
Martin J. Powers
ACOPE
P.O.Box 851306
More Information!!
Please review:
*Colleges within the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) employ individuals, including upper-level administrators, who hold bogus degrees from well-known diploma mills such as Lacrosse University. Others hold a honorary degree;
*College catalogs or other publications include references to these bogus and honorary degrees;
*It is a violation of Alabama State Board of Education (ASBE) policy 221.01 for any community college to publish reference to an academic degree with any person other than an earned degree granted by a duly accredited institution or an honorary degree clearly designated as such by immediate juxtaposition of the word “Honorary.”
*These violations of policy 221.01 continue despite reports to the Chancellor, Vice President of the ASBE, Vice Chancellor of Legal and Human resources, Director of Internal Audit, and Audit Committee Members of the ACCS.
* Colleges within the ACCS may be in violation of SACS Standard 1.1, Integrity
Alabama politics may be keeping this information from the public. Newsworthy matters of significant public interest such as these deserve media attention to hopefully trigger corrective actions. Again, you are encouraged to investigate and report these matters as you see fit. Thank you for your attention.
REFERENCES
-- see p. 274 for reference to Lacrosse University
-- see p. 273 for reference to LL.D., (usually an honorary degree). Selma University is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but it appears that Selma University offers no bona fide doctoral-level degree.
--see p. 273 for reference to Ph.D. Christian Bible College (not found when searched on CHEA's site)
-- see p. 272 for reference to Ph.D. San Francisco University (not found when searched on CHEA's site). Also shows as San Francisco Technical University (not found when searched on CHEA's site) at http://www.bishop.edu/profile_president.html)
-- see p. 269 for reference to Ph. D. Lacrosse University
-- see p. 262 for reference to LL.D. (usually an honorary degree) Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama). The University of West Alabama (UWA) is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but it appears that the LL.D. may be an honorary degree.
Trenholm State Technical College Catalog - http://www.trenholmtech.cc.al.us/fileadmin/CatalogPDF/7Personnel.pdf
-- see p. 282 for reference to Bethany Theology Seminary (not found when searched on CHEA's site). However, there is a Bethany Theological Seminary that is duly accredited. Therefore, this may be a simple misprint or it may be an institution of questionable distinction.
-- see p. 287 for reference to Ph.D. Columbia Pacific University (CPU; not found when searched on CHEA's site). For additional information on CPU see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pacific_University . It may be that CPU was never accredited by an agency recognized by CHEA or the US Department of Education or both.
-- see p. 290 for reference to Doctor of Divinity, Theology, Pentecostal Bible College (not found when searched on CHEA's site).
-- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database lists more than 7,700 degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and more than 18,700 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.
Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education Policy 221.01 Proper Signification of Earned and Honorary Degreeshttp://www.accs.cc/Policies/221.01.pdf and Guidelines for policy 221.01 http://www.accs.cc/guidelines/221.01_Guidelines.pdf
Federal Trade Commission
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Principle of Integrity
Online Stories Covering Lacrosse University
Information!
On behalf of members of the Alabama Citizens for Openness in Postsecondary Education (ACOPE) and as follow up to our phone conversation this morning, I invite you to peruse the links below that likely are useful to validate the public's interest and concern with the (mis)use of bogus or questionable degrees in violation of State Board of Education policy 221.01. Members of ACOPE believe that such matters are of substantial public interest and concern. Among these are:
* Bogus degrees from unaccredited institutions;
* Violations of Alabama State Board of Education policy;
* Alabama's political climate;
* Organizational climates of Bishop State, Faulkner State, and Trenholm State
* Possible ineffective bureaucratic procedures to investigate such matters in a timely fashion;
* Possible inadequate financial and/or human resources to investigate such matters in a timely fashion.
Your effort to inform the public of these matters is appreciated.
Please advise if any of ACOPE's members may be of further service to you.
-- see p. 274 for reference to Lacrosse University
-- see p. 273 for reference to LL.D., (usually an honorary degree). Selma University is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but it appears that Selma University offers no bona fide doctoral-level degree.
--see p. 273 for reference to Ph.D. Christian Bible College (not found when searched on CHEA's site)
-- see p. 272 for reference to Ph.D. San Francisco University (not found when searched on CHEA's site). Also shows as San Francisco Technical University (not found when searched on CHEA's site) at http://www.bishop.edu/profile_president.html)
-- see p. 269 for reference to Ph. D. Lacrosse University
-- see p. 262 for reference to LL.D. (usually an honorary degree) Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama). The University of West Alabama (UWA) is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but it appears that the LL.D. may be an honorary degree.
Trenholm State Technical College Catalog - http://www.trenholmtech.cc.al.us/fileadmin/CatalogPDF/7Personnel.pdf
-- see p. 282 for reference to Bethany Theology Seminary (not found when searched on CHEA's site). However, there is a Bethany Theological Seminary that is duly accredited. Therefore, this may be a simple misprint or it may be an institution of questionable distinction.
-- see p. 287 for reference to Ph.D. Columbia Pacific University (CPU; not found when searched on CHEA's site). For additional information on CPU see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pacific_University . It may be that CPU was never accredited by an agency recognized by CHEA or the US Department of Education or both.
-- see p. 290 for reference to Doctor of Divinity, Theology, Pentecostal Bible College (not found when searched on CHEA's site).
-- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database lists more than 7,700
degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and more than 18,700 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.
degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and more than 18,700 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.
Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education Policy 221.01 Proper Signification of Earned and Honorary Degrees http://www.accs.cc/Policies/221.01.pdf and Guidelines for policy 221.01 http://www.accs.cc/guidelines/221.01_Guidelines.pdf
Federal Trade Commisssion
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Principle of Integrity
Online Stories Covering Lacrosse University
April 1, 2011 Meeting
ACOPE’s meeting of Friday, April 1, 2011 is recapped by agenda item as follows:
1. A follow-up letter to Alabama postsecondary will be drafted and sent, with a phone call following the letter.
2. ACOPE will remain open to a broad focus reflective of its members’ interests, but will take no action at this time on changing the name of the organization.
3. Everyone should help to grow the organization by inviting new members to join the group and the cause.
4. A) Rally – A rally is being planned for April 4, 2011 at memorial park in Mobile. Further information will be emailed to everyone over the weekend, after we receive it.
B) Health – The mental and emotional benefits of being involved in a citizens’ group was discussed.
C) Current Issues – Various philosophical and factual differences were discussed between perceptions held by liberals v. conservatives; union v. non-union; participation v. non-participation in political/governmental processes; public v. private education (including proprietary and religious institutions); the DROP program; Senate bill 310 and its effect on teachers, students, society, and the advancement of knowledge through academic and intellectual inquiry.
D) Regular meeting dates – The first Friday of each month was established as the regular meeting date for the group. No discussion was held as to the location for the meeting.
June 4, 2010 Meeting
1. Opportunities arising from Internal Audit of Department of Postsecondary Education's (ADPE) response to our letter regarding diploma-mill degrees;
2. ADPE's need for "scent policy;"
3. Request for ACOPE to expand to include issues emerging from primary- and secondary-level institutions;
4. Discussion of offices of profit (Attorney General Opinion 2010-061);
5. Review and action on mission and purpose statements;
6. Review of Primary Election results.
See Reply Below:
Developed the following to be sent immediately:
Diploma Mills
Bob Fecht probably is little known or not known at all to most of us. But why would he as a son of Wyoming be of interest to us? Believe it or not, there is a connection. His alma mater, Lacrosse University, appears to be the alma mater of one of Bishop State's top-level administrators, the Dean of Instructional Services, (http://bishop.edu/PDFs/catalogs/BSCC_GC_web.pdf , p. 274) as well as a counselor at Faulkner State Community College (http://www.faulkner.cc.al.us/admissions/catalog0910 , p. 269).
According to a 2009 Cheyenne Herald article's headline,"Lacrosse University was never authorized to grant degrees!" (http://www.cheyenneherald.com/_pdf/February%202009/Breaking%20story%20-%20Lacrosse%20University%20closed.pdf). But this is neither the first mention of Lacrosse University's infamous distinction nor its dubious degrees. In a 2004 article titled, Psst, Wanna Buy a Ph.D.?, Lacrosse University found press in the highly regarded Chronicle of Higher Education. Central to that article is the proliferation of bogus degrees being used to gain jobs or promotions within higher education. The article describes such thusly,
When informed that Mr. del Corral's doctorate is from Lacrosse, his supervisor, Paul A. Spindt, a professor of banking and finance, says he plans to discuss the issue with higher-ups at Tulane. "As a matter of policy, I wouldn't be very happy with people with degrees that are not fully accredited," he says.
Mr. del Corral never met the person at Lacrosse who reviewed his dissertation. He never talked to the person on the telephone. He never sent him an e-mail message. And he never took a single course. When asked if he thinks Lacrosse is a diploma mill, Mr. del Corral says it probably is. On the other hand, he explains, "it gave me what I needed."Apparently started in Louisiana, Lacrosse University was first closed by that State, then later relocated to and was closed by the State of Mississippi (http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.aspx; http://www.bluestemprairie.com/a_bluestem_prairie/2008/02/will-ruthie-hen.html). The State of Michigan rightfully does not accept degrees from Lacrosse University, and other institutions known to be diploma mills (http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=25901). At the same time, several states, including Maine (http://www.maine.gov/education/highered/Non-Accredited/la-mo.htm), clearly show Lacrosse University as unaccredited. This appears to be substantiated through a search conducted from the web site of the Council For Higher Education (http://www.chea.org/). At last, the State of Mississippi has "pull[ed] the welcome mat on outfits without accreditation like Lacrosse University" (http://www.cheyenneherald.com/_pdf/February%202009/Breaking%20story%20-%20Lacrosse%20University%20closed.pdf).
The consequences of diploma mills and the degrees they award threaten the quality of education. Harm also comes to unsuspecting students and to the public who through their tax dollars pay salaries for those touting their bogus degrees of dubious distinction awarded by unscrupulous institutions. Really now, is it appropriate for tax payers' dollars to be used to pay wages to individuals based on degrees awarded by a diploma-mill? Are these degrees considered and used for hiring and promoting individuals in our community colleges? What about integrity -- the integrity of the holders of these dubious degrees as well as the integrity of the hiring officials who hired the holders of these dubious degrees? These and other critical questions need to be raised in the public arena with answers offered by elected and appointed public officials who should be doing a better job guarding the public's interest (http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/colleges/dv/pdfs/TimesPicayune_071604.pdf).
Do you think it reasonable to examine the policies and procedures (or lack thereof) that allow for the publication of these diploma-mill degrees in official publications of our various community colleges? Are we as a State going to allow our community colleges to be humiliated and diminished by publishing diploma-mill degrees in official publications, as if they are bona fide degrees? With so much online information available about diploma-mills, their degrees, and their graduates, I can only imagine that to keep publishing (and possibly recognizing) these bogus credentials will keep Alabama in the forefront of academe as a laughing stock. And what about the possibility of better qualified individuals having missed job opportunities to those who hold these so-called degrees? I think it most reasonable to pursue this matter of diploma-mill degrees as a matter of public interest and as a matter of efficiency and effectiveness of our community colleges.
April 9, 2010 Meeting
Developed Mission Statement as follows:
The Alabama Citizens for Openness in Postsecondary Education (ACOPE) is a non-partisan group of Alabama citizens who have come together to promote their common interest in Alabama’s community colleges. Our membership includes a cohesive group of diverse citizens who seek improvement in the Alabama Community College System through positive means. ACOPE’s mission, in part, is to seek increased accountability through openness and transparency in matters of public interest pertaining to the operation of units comprising the Alabama Community College System.
Organizational Meeting
Concerned Citizens Charter Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2010, 4:30 pm
AGENDA
1. Mission/Purpose Statement 2. Name of the Organization
3. Members (who do we want to join?)
4. Objectives (what drives the organization? or what do we want to accomplish?)
5. Officers (titles and responsibilities)
6. Committees (align with mission and objectives)
7. Meetings (frequency, duration, etc.)
8. Organizational identity/presence
(web page, t-shirts, pamphlets, advertising & promotion)
9. Other
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