Springfield College

Is this school accredited, and if so, by whom?

 

If you're talking about Springfield College in Springfield, MA, which is run by the YMCA's of the USA, the answer is that they are regionally accredited by the New England Association. And as a school, it is very credible.

Needless to say, however, it is important to ask in this millieu, which Springfield College? If you're not talking about the one I cited above, we need more information.

 

Same

Steve,
You have the right one. I did a Google and got general information, but nothing as to accreditation.
Thanks,
Clay

 

Springfield College in Illinois (SCI) is regionally accredited

Springfield College in Springfield, MO is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. National accreditation carries issues of credit transferral and or degree acceptance for pursuing higher degrees....

 

Homer Simpson attended Springfield College -- caused some major disturbances in the physics department -- and pretty much washed out.

I know that doesn't answer the accreditation question but this information may be even more important than accreditation when discussing credibility.

 

Same

The lady asking did look like a Simpson. Family tradition? I'd rather fail an accredited school, than a mill. Is it possible to fail mills? I reckon it's possible when dealing with impurities and random potential.

 

Yup, it is definately possible to fail a mill --- just have your check bounce !!

 

Same

We are dealing with similars. I give you a fake check, and you give me a fake degree. They cancel one another. I wonder if some fool, mill operator, ever had the audacity to prosecute a "student" for a bad check?

They both serve a purpose, when you are out of Charmin.

 

Re: Same

Actually, bouncing a check -- even to a diploma mill operator -- could get the maker of the check into far more trouble than would be the diploma mill operator... sadly. It would be far better... er... well... at least safer in terms of potential criminal liability... to use one's MasterCard or VISA and then do a chargeback... though I'm certainly not recommending either! I'm just speaking in hypotheticals.

That said, to be candid, I've thought -- and only "thought" -- about how one could organize several hundred people to do exactly that to whichever diploma mill we'd all like to target. You see, when a VISA/MasterCard merchant (which the diploma mill would be) gets too many chargebacks, the merchant bank will usually drop his account... forcing him (the merchant) to go out and find another merchant bank so he can accept credit cards.

Upon application to the new merchant bank, he'd have to disclose that he was once dumped by his former merchant bank, which will usually cause the new merchant bank to either refuse his application, or charge him a much higher discount rate and transaction fee (because, at that point, having once been dumped by a merchant bank for cause, he'd be considered a high risk).

Then, once he's all set up with a new merchant bank, have several hundred people do it to him again. And again, if that's what it takes... until, finally, no merchant bank -- or even third-party credit card processing service -- will take him.

At that point, most diploma mill operators would not be able to operate at all because it would force them to accept begin accepting checks through the mail... and that, as the SRU experience teaches us, can get one charged with mail fraud by the U.S. Postal Service.

The downside would be that the mill operator would then have everyone's credit card number and would probably post them in a hacker/cracker forum somewhere. But, then again, that's not so bad. All everyone who participates would have to do after doing so is pay the fifteen to twenty bucks to get a new VISA or MasterCard number. I don't know about you, but I'd happily pay $75 in administrative fees to my credit card company to get new credit card numbers after having successfully put it to a degree mill.

But, alas, it's probably not a good idea, in the end. Similar to the trouble one can get into for intentionally bouncing a check -- even to a mill operator -- one can actually get into some not insignificant trouble using credit cards and chargebacks to achieve similar ends. It's just not as likely as it would be with a check.

It's also just plain not ethical, even if the target is a diploma mill operator. Some things just aren't right, prima facie. And either writing bad checks, or making credit card charges that one knows, in advance, that s/he's gonna' reverse, simply isn't right. Better to do it galanga's way and help authorities to do their jobs.

But, hey... one can dream, can't one?

Oooh! Ouch! That'll leave a mark... in a really funky place, too, I might add.

 

Re: Same

As Steve mentioned, Springfield College in MA is regionally accredited. They are a B&M school with several off-campus programs in the Boston area.

 

Same, Kinda

Gregg,
A tad off topic, but doesn't intent play a major part of prosecution? The mill operator intends to give a gullible dolt a phony degree. The dolt could claim he was overdrawn, if he was, and then state he was informed the school was bogus. This would require the crook to prove he had something of value to exchange. He had suffered a loss. Can you be prosecuted for attempting to buy "pie in the sky" through an oversight? I realize this is all hypothetical, but wouldn't the burden be on the mill crook once intent could not be proved against the dolt. I know I'd never arrest and refer to Civil Court.

Also, your "thoughts" made me wonder if your idea would be illegal or unethical? Can you defraud a fraud, with the intent to expose that fraud? You are not intending to commit a crime, rather than expose one. And I don't see how ethics would be involved. You would be performing a service.

Additionally, some credit card companies are issuing a temporary number for computer purchases. The merchant gets the temporary number which equates to the real number, only you and the credit card company know. This would eliminate the problem of posting numbers. About time.

Just thoughts of your "thoughts". The math part of my noodle has been overactive. Great dream, by the way.
Clay