Civil Service Commission rejected applicant

This was posted on a deferent chanel.

My DETC degree is being questioned

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Well, about 3 months ago I applied for a position as police officer with a city in Colorado that specified an "Accredited degree required". It did not specify RA. Some cities have specified RA, like Longmont, CO and one or two others. With my 3 years experience as a Police Officer coupled with my Nationally accredited degree I thought I would be a welcome applicant. However, I just recieved a letter from the Civil Service Commission stating that my application has been rejected because "Your degree appears to be unaccredited". Well, as you can imagine I was angry. I ran over to my computer and wrote a two page appeal stating the facts on accreditation and listed some websites for the commission to visit. Specifically the CHEA database search. My degree has never been questioned before. I even had an interview with the Secret Service and they acknowledged my degree was accredited. The FBI even accepts NA degrees.

Have any of you guys with an NA degree ever have it questioned?


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Another reason you might be running into trouble, quite apart from the DETC issue, is because CFPS is now part of Kaplan College. You might want to get ahead of that next time by noting "now Kaplan College" on your resume or application.

Grads of accredited schools that merge or cease operation often find themselves being falsely accused of holding unaccredited degrees when the people doing the checking are too lazy or inept to get it right. The classic example was Oregon declaring the now-defunct but WASC-accredited West Coast University a diploma mill, making some 30,000 RA degrees illegal in that great state.

 

I agree, I am also a student of CFPS which is now Kaplan University, thus I simply state Kaplan University, School of Criminal Justice, College for Professional Studies, or even easier is to just give them a official transcript with the Kaplan University Seal on it.

Just a thought.

Personally I think they would have accepted a DETC degree if CFPS still had a working website, which they do not. Thus because the school has been absorbed into Kaplan, if all you mention is CFPS, then it would appear to be a non-legitimate school to a Human Resource person who has 50 applicants for one opening and doesn't have time to do in depth research.

 

But part of the job description of someone working in human resources includes researching the background qualifications of the applicants. Inept or lazy human resources personnel should be put on the unemployment line as they are failing to carry out one of their primary tasks. Merely using the presence or absence test of a web site for an educational institution as a basis for qualifying or disqualifying an applicant for employment is bizarre.

 

Not only should lazy and incompetent folks in personnel be sent to the unemployment office, they should themselves be given lazy or incompetent unemployment office workers who throw their benefits applications in the trash!

 

we are asuming that this was the case, and most likely it looks like HR mistake.

The Police officer is apealling, made changes to his resume, obtaining new transkript from Keller etc so maybe this time he will get recognition earned and deserved.

Learner

 

Remove all doubt right on the resume

I still say, and have said here many times, that in this day and age of increased numbers of both degree mills, and lazy and/or uninformed and/or incompetent HR people who either don't know how to recognize them or who think they see them everywhere, people should not be afraid to put a bit more on their resume or CV about their alma mater's imprimatur than one might think is appropriate. For example, let's envision the "education" section of the (hypothetical) resume of someone who got all of his/her degrees via distance learning from various places, and is now practicing law on behalf of poor people in an urban setting in California as both a career and a ministry in a combination rescue mission and poverty law center. The following is what, were I king of the world, the "education" section of his/her resume would look like:

• EDUCATION, LICENSES and MEMBERSHIPS
  
  Associate of Science (AS) in Psychology, Ashworth College, Norcross, Georgia
  Accredited by The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), an accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education and its Council on Higher Education Accredication (CHEA).
  
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Pastoral Studies, Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas
  Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a regional accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education and its Council on Higher Education Accredication (CHEA).
  
  Bachelor of Science in Law (BSL), Northwestern California University School of Law, Sacramento, California
  Approved to by the State of California's Bureau of Private Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE); and registered with the California Committee of Bar Examiners as a granter of bar-exam-qualifying degrees.
  
  Master of Theology (MTh), South African Theological Seminary, Rivonia, South Africa
  Accredited by the South African Council on Higher Education, which is the South African equivalent to the U.S. Department of Education's Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); and the degree has been evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. regionally-accredited masters degree by both AACRAO and ECE, a NACES member agency.
  
  Juris Doctor (JD), Northwestern California University School of Law, Sacramento, California
  Approved to by the State of California's Bureau of Private Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE); and registered with the California Committee of Bar Examiners as a granter of bar-exam-qualifying degrees.
  
  Certificate in Justice and Ministry, Taylor University, Ft. Wayne, Indiana
  Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a regional accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education and its Council on Higher Education Accredication (CHEA)
  
  American Chaplaincy Training School (ACTS), Taylor University, Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Part of the aforementioned certificate program)
  Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a regional accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education and its Council on Higher Education Accredication (CHEA).
  
  Certificate in Rescue Ministry, Rescue College, Kansas City, Missouri
  Accredited by The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), an accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education and its Council on Higher Education Accredication (CHEA).
  
  Attorney at Law, Member in Good Standing of the State Bar of California, CalBar No. 999999; Member in Good Standing of the Bar Association of San Francisco; and Member in Good Standing of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
  
  Rostered Diaconal Minster in a special urban ministry of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

or something like that.

 

DesElms said:
"The following is what, were I king of the world, the "education" section of his/her resume would look like:"

Hey that's a good idea! And good luck with your coronation!

 

I'd be a benevolent dictator. My first official act would be to round-up all the diploma mill operators, have them buried up to their necks in the center of the town square, and then I'd invite the townspeople to swat at their heads...

...but only with Nerf bats.

 

To those interested, I am the applicant that had his application rejected. As of now, 07/17/05, I have not received a reply from my appeal. I emailed someone with Kaplan who said she would write a letter on my behalf. I am also going to write DETC and let them know of my situation. I agree with the "friendorfoe" that if CPS had a working website it would be easier for employers to locate school information.
I did mail them a sealed official transcript with my application. The transcript does have the "Kaplan Colleges" seal, but nothing indicating that it is accredited by DETC. In my appeal, I layed out my defense by indicating the DETC is approved by the CHEA and the U.S DOE. I am hoping they will see that it is recognized and legit.
The city police department I applied with that rejected my application is the city of Pueblo. I have also applied with Colorado Springs, and they accepted my degree without a word said.
I'll keep those interested on the outcome as soon as I hear back from the commission.

 

I believe that this kind of problem is caused by fear of diploma mills coupled with ignorance.

 

DesElms said:

Another good idea! Dr.Bear gets first wack!

 

Maybe one can create a web site (Cheap one) and link it to Kaplan.

Ups I notticed in my previus posts I stated Keller it was a typo I ment Kaplan.

Learner

 

Do not hesitate...

I would take living in the Springs over Pueblo any day...

 

Woud that be a diploma farm?

 

Re: Remove all doubt right on the resume

DesElms: When you get to be king of the world, can I be one of your court lackeys? And what kind of royal subsidy does His Majesty pay his lackeys?

 

UPDATE

I received a reply from the commission on 07/25. The reply stated that the commission has not made a decision on my application. They, the commission gave me a list of what I need to do. First, they need more information on College for Professional Studies, (School history, accrediation process, learning method, etc.). Second, they want info on DETC, (history of the DETC, number of schools accredited, the process of accreditation, etc.)

Also, they said that in my appeal letter, I did everything wrong. (in my letter, I gave the commission the websites for CHEA and the DETC, for them to see that CPS is in fact listed as an accredited institution). They said "you dont give this commission a laundry list of websites, and expect us to do the homework for you. We expect you to give us all the pertinent information regarding your degree, and have it sent to the commission by August 3."
I dont think 2 websites is a "laundry list". Besides, isnt searching the insitutional database at chea.org a pretty flawless way to determine a schools status?
Since I got this letter today, 07/25, and they want information directly from CPS and DETC by August 3, I am not going to pursue a position with them anymore. I am not impressed with the way this has been handled. Like DtechBA said, I would take living in the Springs over Pueblo anyday. I think the commission mailed me the letter close to August 3, knowing it would be difficult for me to get information directly from CPS and DETC and have it sent to them on time.
This is all just a bump in the road for me. I have since applied for the city of Colorado Springs, and Jefferson County, and they have both sent me letters recently accepting my degree, and inviting me to participate in a written test and physical agility test.
Hopefully Ill be able to provide my services to one of these departments.

 

To be honest, if the Dept. and Board were that lazy and pompus, you DON'T want to work for them. It sounds to me like they don't like being corrected and prefer instead to look down their noses at people. Departments earn reputations just like people do and so far this is the only thing I know about this Dept.

As for how I will approach my degree listing on my resume I will put:

Kaplan University
College for Professional Studies
BS in Criminal Justice.

If there is not enough space I will simply put:

Kaplan University, C.P.S.
BSCJ

and hand over an official transcript with the particulars on it.

To me it sounds like these guys were looking for an excuse not to hire you.

 

Its funny how things work out. In a way, Im glad this happend. Pueblo, CO isnt a right fit for my wife and I. Im hoping to find employment up near Denver.

 

Re: Re: Remove all doubt right on the resume

You DON"T have to be burried up to your head and whacked.
(necessarily)
Jack

 

Re: Remove all doubt right on the resume

And don't forget:

Doctor of Philosophy in metaphysical ministry from American College. Some consider this school a degree mill, but I paid $295 of hard earned cash for my degree. It is not a degree mill credential.