Senior University International

www.sfiu.edu PLEASE HELP!! I have completed a BBA International with Senior University who has changed its name to Stratford International University and now Rutherford University (see link). Can anybody out there please advise me why this University does not accredit themselves? The quality they offered were unsurpassed and excellent after sales services also. They are state licensed but I donna if this is enough? Thanx guys

 

Stratford/ Senior/ Rutherford et al has always puzzled me. I think John Bear (who is away at the moment, so will not be able to reply) knew of the founder, but their history is complicated. There have been some rather unflattering articles written about it over the years. They appear to be running from something - what that is, I have no idea.

Cheers,

George

 

Hi George:

Well, since the feature-spot pix on the new Rutherford website shows an old guy with three young girls on a park bench in the dark, that may explain the running.
Also, why have all correspondence strenuously directed to Richmond BC if the thing is in (FBOW) Evanston Wyoming?

Hi Eben: Welcome aboard. Don't mind me--I'm the resident bosbefok old fart.

 

Two core samples: Jewish Studies was totally opaque, and the JD program in legal studies did not look remotely like a normal JD, but rather like a legal studies degree with the wrong degree name on it.

The faculty list is very long, and the credentials claimed range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Eben, can you share with us a bit more specifically what was required of you for your degree? The school mentions life experience credit many times. This makes me suspicious, since lots of less-than-wonderful schools award glopping hunks of credit for holding a job, etc., without the authentic kind of portfolio preparation and scrutiny used by the so-called Big 3 (Charter Oak, TESC, Excelsior). Did "life experience" come into play in your work with this school, or did you just do course work? If there was life experience credit given, how was it assessed and quantified?

I ask you this not to put you on the spot, but to try to get a better notion of what this school is like.

 

Uncle Janco and George

To anser you question I had to submit a comprehensive porfolio, at first even they didn't want to accept my previous subjects (10 distinctions) with the local Technikon cause they needed proof of legality. That gave me the sort of good intention. I have 10 years back to back senior administration level experience and have a Diploma in Psychology, H Diploma in Business Management and National Certificate in Import- and Export Management. I had to complete Projects on Marketing Management and Management leadership. Must say their approach was highly professional and they are highly familiar South Africa, my problem though, accreditation! I still do not know whom to contact taht may provide me with a substantial reference? The head quarters appear to be in Wyoming and they operate from Richmond. Guys I need you to be totally honest with me, my experience was great, but my experience will not suffice! Awaiting your feedback and thanx

 

http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/directory/index.php?institution=&state=WY&submit=Search&form_submitted=TRUE&status=historical

Hi Eben: The above link shows that Senior/Rutherford is NOT accredited by the North Central Association, one of several regional bodies whose accreditation is recognized by the US Department of Education. This accreditation would be equivalent to that enjoyed by the government-run universities and technika (ag shame, I mean technikons--the old Greek teacher couldn't resist a virgin plural).

If you click on the link for articles at the very top of the page, you will find a discussion of how accreditation works (?) in the USA. I don't know how familiar you are with this.

Apparently (I'll recheck this) Senior/Rutherford does not claim a spurious accreditation. That's good--better no claim than a deceptive one. As you may be discovering, the utility of an unaccredited degree is often severely circumscribed.

I hope someone with specific involvement in "Big 3" portfolio aseessment will post here so that you can compare procedures specifically with them.

Be aware that I am more "accepting" of unaccredited schools than many posters here. If you look at other would-be distance learning fora, you will see us caricatured as "RA", that is, regionally accredited, "or no way." This ignores the other form of US accreditation, often called "national'" which, paradoxically, is generally seen as ranking below regional in terms of prestige and quality. Most of us, however, would grant that there is an occasional unaccredited school which does possess real academic integrity.* Most of us, also, would not recommend unaccredited schools because of the quality problems of most and the utility problems of virtually all such schools.

What is your specific need in regard to the accreditation question? Are you concerned about what you should say in a job interview or application? I am sorry not to be very encouraging so far, but I hope that collectively we can give you some useful advice.

*I emphasize "occasional"--"rare" would really be a better term. Bob Jones University is the most often cited example.

 

Hi Eben,

This is what confuses me. I do recall some time back Senior was making attempts to attain SA accreditation, but it was not pursued. Yet you suggest that it has some recognition in South Africa. I understand that the SA Higher Education Authorities are very strict (they will not even let Monash University and Bond University, two well known Australian universities use the word 'university' in their operating name). As such, can you please elaborate by what you mean as 'highly familiar'. Is Senior University (or whatever version it is called now) registered and accredited in SA to offer degree programs?

Cheers,

George

 

Uncle Janco thank you for your persistent advice, do appreciate it! My main concern is per se that certain fraternities do not accept qualifications if the relevant University doesn't have the said accreditation. Numerous inquiries with Senior University concluded that the accreditation is an expensive process and they do not or are not willing to resort to loosing capital? Is this a valid reason for them not to obtain accreditation? I am sure to visit your site asap

George, Senior University pursued accreditation yes, I even noted their name on the Department of Educations site under preliminary accreditation, according to Dr Wicks (Chancellor) they have to submit an annual report on their financial status and secondly they have to have valid resources such as a library to meet the accreditation criteria. My personal opinion is that they were very dedicated and comparing the study material with local Technikons (which I attended) they surpassed entirely with reference to the standard for sure! Thank you for posting the feedback, please respond if you have time.

 

OK, but did they get it?

Cheers,

George

 

Guys to add to Georges question. I for instance tried obtaining membership from the South African Institute of Management (SAIMS) and they confirmed that they had dealings with Senior University before and scrutinized their content and have good relations with the University. They stated also that the University has been familiar to them for many years, my membership was approved through SAIM.

 

George, the courses were registered under Hampton Community College (local College in Durban where Dr Wicks is Chancellor as well). But I noted that not even one overseas university got accreditation and some whom had were rejected later on like Business Chool of the Netherlands. To answer your question their name never appeared on the site, de-accredited universities included university of Wales that I couldn't understand myself, newspapers alluded to Bond University not continuing their business in the SA anymore, wonder why?

 

OK - yes the link is at http://www.hamptoncollege.co.za/index.html

Well, I think we better stop flogging a dead horse. The university has changed its name a few times - I have no idea why, but it is not a positive sign.

They are licensed in one of the laxest states in the US for licensing. Their accreditation status in Canada? From what I can gather, it is nil.

Notwithstanding all of the above, you asked the initial question 'why doesn't it accredit itself?' Well, I think you have the answer - too costly was one response from the university, too hard (in South Africa) was another. It looks like you cannot get any further info unless you go straight to Dr Wicks. As for your degree, well you have an unaccredited degree. As to the utility of this? Well, it's in the eyes of the beholder, I guess.

Cheers,

George

 

George, thank you for your patience. My other question is if they are licensed does this mean this particular degree is ligit or legally issued? If they are scrutinized by Wyoming Department of Education to issue Bachelors, Master, Doctorol degrees why then needed for accreditation? Why will the Education Department or State of Wyoming issue this licensed if they think the University is not authentic or on some kind of standard? I am fom South Africa and do not understand concept as yet? The name change bother me also? Lastly I want to thank you for you time, we'll sure to have contact again in future.

 

This may help you:

http://www.k12.wy.us/ao/f/programs/psl/faq.asp

It is a very confusing area - I agree - and is foreign to us who hail from Crown colonies, but that's the yanks for ya!

Cheers,

George

 

Uncle Janko wrote:

"This accreditation would be equivalent to that enjoyed by the government-run universities and technika (ag shame, I mean technikons--the old Greek teacher couldn't resist a virgin plural)."

I'm sorry, I have nothing to contribute to this discussion, I just thought of taking this opportunity to commend Uncle Janko for his unremitting adherence to language purity.

John D

 

Just for the record, I've had two private inquiries from Malaysia this month asking about Rutherford University, which apparently is advertising aggressively there. While licensed in Wyoming (automatic process) it appears to be run by Dr. Hassam from British Columbia. And it has more people with dubious degrees on faculty and staff than I've seen in a long time.

(Rutherford was formerly Stratford and before that Senior, when it was co-owned by Les Carr, formerly Columbia Pacific, now Columbia Commonwealth).

 

For the record, Carr assures me he has had nothing whatever to do with this institution for more than two years.