Warnborough: Accreditation Update

The following facts should be noted about Warnborough College (Ireland), and Warnborough College (UK).

There is NO entity named Warnborough University since January 2006.

Warnborough College (Ireland) www.warnborough.ie is in the process of accreditation. Accreditation is a long and involved process, and Warnborough is committed to achieving this goal.

Warnborough College (UK) www.warnborough.ac.uk has been accredited - December 2008 - by the Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) as a Premier College as a result of its excellent performance across all areas of its UK operation (http://www.asic.org.uk/collegedirectory.htm).

ASIC is an independent United Kingdom body which provides an accreditation service for independent further and higher education colleges. It is recognised by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills (DUIS), the United Kingdom Border and Immigration Agency (Home Office), the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), and the United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) www.ukcisa.org.uk

ASIC is recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), Washington DC, USA (http://www.chea.org/intdb/display1.asp?ID=c164).

ASIC accreditation gives reassurance to potential students, their parents and education representatives that the operation of their chosen college conforms with relevant United Kingdom laws and offers genuine courses, which are delivered to appropriate standards with acceptable quality, and which lead to recognised qualifications. Accreditation also provides reassurance to the Border and Immigration Agency (Home Office) that the college meets their requirements for overseas students and, in general, does not harm the perceived quality of the United Kingdom education provision.

Warnborough was assessed on the following Areas of Operation: Premises and Health and Safety; Management and Staff Resources; Learning and Teaching; Course Delivery; Quality Assurance and Enhancement; Student Welfare; Qualifications and Awards; Marketing and Student Recruitment; Relationship with Government Offices and Reporting Mechanisms.

ASIC commended Warnborough on the following areas: its well presented documentation; the application of its procedures developed through ISO and IIP certifications to the continuing real-life work of the College; the cleanliness and general appearance of its premises; the spacious accommodation with more than adequate classroom seating as well as the good working conditions for staff and students and provision for students during their free time; the priority given to health and safety issues; the friendly supportive atmosphere and the strong team ethos enhanced by effective internal communication; the expert attention paid to the conduct of examinations and the secure storage of examination materials; its well qualified and committed staff and their accessibility to students; the commitment to staff development and training; the practical assistance provided to students; the strong support of its students for the College; the commitment to taking students views seriously and to responding positively to student feedback; its ethical approach to marketing and student recruitment; its effective handling of enquiries and applications; and, its impressive electronic database systems.

Achieving UK accreditation confirms our commitment to quality assurance and peer review.

Warnborough

 

A web search for "warnborough university" turned up this as its first hit:

http://www.warnborough.edu/

This thing apparently awards higher education degrees up through the doctoral level.

"In the process of accreditation" from whom exactly? If you have started an accreditation process with any accreditor, anywhere in the world, then please identify it.

Is Warnborough College (Ireland) explicitly authorized by the government of the Irish Republic to award Irish academic degrees? Or is Warnborough insisting that a legal loophole makes that authorization unnecessary? A number of doubtful "universities" purport to operate from Irish addresses. The country's government doesn't appear to recognize them as domestic higher education insitutions. So Warnborough's Irish status still needs a great deal of clarification.

If Warnborough really wants to reform itself and pursue a more respectable but more modest future as a non-degree-granting post-secondary school in the UK, then it would be best advised to immediately close down the very doubtful Irish degree-granting operation. That enterprise is making you guys look terrible and it's seriously undercutting whatever real acomplishments you may or may not achieve in Britain.

 

Meeting standards at all levels

Bill, you may like to know that not all accreditation bodies have the same policies. We are not allowed to mention any details about the accreditation we are seeking for Warnborough College (Ireland). We wish we could do so.

Why would we close Warnborough College (Ireland)? It is a legal entity in Ireland. It is successful, has serious and happy students, and a stable enrolment. We are loyal to our students, alumni, faculty and to our mission. We have a duty of care to support them, and seeking accreditation is part of our goal. What is wrong with this?

If Warnborough College (UK) can meet the high accreditation standards required for Premier College status in the UK, this attests to our commitment, credibility and professionalism.

We are doing our utmost to ensure that quality at all levels is maintained at Warnborough College (Ireland). We have no intentions of 'closing down'.

 

In other words, you won't answer the question.
Which probably does answer the question.

Until an accreditor actually acknowledges Warnborough as an applicant, we only have Warnborough's word that it's seeking accreditation. And until that accreditor actually accredits Warnborough, we only have Warnborough's insistence that it's accreditable.

Whatever you may or may not have accomplished as a non-degree-granting post-secondary school in the UK is only diminished when you try to spin it into some kind of validation for unrecognized and highly controversial (ostensibly) university-level degree programs offered out of a different country.

 

Underhanded action

Bill, as we said before - different countries have different policies about accreditation. In the USA accreditation status is often stated , such as 'candidate status'. In the UK, ASIC have 3 levels and candidates are listed accordingly. But in some countries like Ireland they do not allow any mention of a candidate applying for accreditiation. For example HETAC state:

Until Council has decided to grant Registration to an institution, no representation shall be made on the part of, or on behalf of, the institution regarding any aspect of the HETAC approval, accreditation or registration process. Applicants should carefully note that prior to Registration being granted the applicant shall not in any way represent or imply that HETAC recognises the applicant institution. This prohibition applies to advertising, press statements and responses to queries from current or prospective learners. HETAC may suspend or discontinue the application process if it becomes aware that such representations are being made. It should be noted that any such representation may constitute an offence under Section 47 of the Qualifications Act.

On one hand we believe in full transparency of the status of a candidate. But from our experience, when it was known that Warnborough had applied to a certian accreditation body, 'experts' on this and other discussions groups did their utmost to 'bad-mouth' us to the accreditation body, media and other groups. We have the evidence for this mischief that will be acted upon in due course.

Readers here should note that foul play is not what accreditation is about. Any institution that applies for accreditation should be applauded and not victimised or persecuted. Let the institution be fairly and honestly assessed.

 

I have been trying to locate Warnborough in a list of UK qualifications (such as HERO (http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/home/index.cfm)), but I can find no mention of it. Is Warnbourough able to provide valid programs (i.e. qualified) in the UK?

 

You are the one who started this thread, entitled it "Warnborough Accreditation Update", and announced that your strangely paripatetic degree-granting university college is busily working on becoming accredited. But you continue to stoutly refuse to reveal where and with whom. Meaning that despite the verbiage, there's nothing tangible, only smoke.

If by some outside chance Warnborough College (Ireland) really is pursuing accreditation and if that accreditor doesn't permit applicants to publicize the fact, then perhaps you shouldn't be posting about it.

 

Experience teaches us that common practice of degree mill operations is to proclaim that they actively working on achieving accreditation.
This is why such statements do noting or very little.
I'm not calling Warnborough a mill just explaining how such statements perceived.

If they achieve recognized accreditation then great for them and their graduates.

On the other hand if they are working on it, then it means that hey are not accredited
by recognized agency now otherwise why to state that they are pursuing accreditation if they are already accredited?

Good luck

 

Bill is right. This is just the same ol' same ol'.
Nothin' to see here folks, nothin to see. Move along. Move along.

 

Warnborough listed under ABE on HERO

Hi KariS,

You will see Warnborough College (UK) listed. Go to Hero again (http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/home/index.cfm), and look under Professional Bodies Listing and find Association of Business Executives (ABE). Click on it and you will find us listed under All Accredited Colleges (http://www.abeuk.com/colleges/accreditedcolleges/?start=451).

 

(Post violating terms of service removed by moderator)

 

If the accreditation assessors take notice of internet discussion boards then the process is in a world of hurt. Surely, they examine the evidence objectively and report accordingly. The institution's transparency would easily counter any discussion board's comments.

I would think that discussion boards may affect marketing, not accreditation.

 

I Looked and coud not find any such links. Then I thought what about using the search function! Tried Waranbougough and got:

"HERO search results


Search results

Sorry there are no results for Warnborough across the site. "

It ssems that looking under "Association of Business Executives" on HERO
gets this: http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/reference_and_subject_resources/groups_and_organisations/listings/professional_bodies.cfm

"Professional bodies listing

THIS PAGE contains links to professional bodies, learned societies, and similar organisations which may be of interest to those in the UK education community, plus similar organisations worldwide."

A link to a web site that is off HERO does not mean that HERO recognizes that entity.

As for ABE: http://www.abeuk.com/colleges/

"Colleges
ABE will accredit independent further and higher education colleges operating in the UK and overseas provided The Association's conditions are met. These are:

The college is already operational
Satisfactory accommodation and facilities for teaching and learning
Evidence of suitably qualified teaching staff
Acceptable standards of administration
Control by accountable management
In the UK, all ABE tuition providers are required to pursue accreditation from either the British Accreditation Council, the Accreditation Service for International Colleges or Accreditation UK.
ABE reserves the right at its discretion and without prejudice to refuse accreditation on the grounds of inappropriate competition due to the proximity of existing accredited colleges or for any other reason it deems appropriate.

Wherever possible, the accreditation will be based on an inspection of the organisation.

Accreditation is given for up to three years in the first instance, and is renewable at ABE's discretion. Accredited colleges are monitored closely and if a college does not meet reasonable levels of student recruitment and examination attendance and performance, then accreditation may be withdrawn during the three-year period.

Colleges: for an overview of new UK points-based application system for international students click here."


And there is Waranbourough

"Warnborough College

8 Vernon Place
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 3WH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1227 762 107
Fax: +44 (0) 1227 762 108
Web: College Website
Email: College Contact

Courses available:
Business Management
Business Information Systems
Human Resource Management
Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
Financial Management
Marketing"

Definetly high level!?

So where does the actual authority come from?

British Accreditation Council,
Accreditation Service for International Colleges or
Accreditation UK??

 

Warnborough, do you have any comment on the article on Wikipedia? There does not seem to be much in your history to generate confidence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warnborough_University

 

Wikipedia is unreliable

Hi Bill,

The Wikipedia stuff on Warnborough is very misleading, and as you know any nutcase can edit and add anything. It is not reliable, and that is why colleges and universities ban the use of Wikipedia for research purposes.

Warnborough has a long history to illustrate 'confidence' from when it was founded in Oxford in 1973 until today with its Premier College accreditation status in the UK. Its courses from the start were accepted for credit by American colleges and universities. It has been an official examination centre in the UK for Education Testing Services (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey for nearly 30 years. It was an accredited examination centre for the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations. It hold ISO9001 and ISO27001 certifications - internationally recognised by governments. Investor in People (IiP)status, and various memberships attest to its commitment to quality and best practice.

Our Alumni, students and faculty have confidence in Warnborough because they have first-hand experience.

 

Since anyone can edit wikipedia articles it is unclear why you or someone else from Warnborough doesn't edit the article. My experience is that wikipedia is dedicated to having accurate information. I'm sure they would welcome your input. As for wikipedia being banned by colleges and universities, I wasn't aware this was universally true. Can you show us that this is true?

Also, it reflects poorly on your institution when you send someone like Roemer (aka Cooper) to say nasty things.

 

Interesting article on Wikipedia;

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/02/12/bias_sabotage_haunt_wikipedias_free_world/

 

I can't speak to the excellence of your degrees. However speaking as a former quality assurance manager I can say that quoting ISO 9001 is irrelevant to the excellence of your degrees; it only shows that you have processes in place to ensure that your degree program meets the requirements you have specified for that program.

 

What specifically is inaccurate? What would you have us not believe?