Steve Martin Academy

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by mbwa shenzi, Aug 22, 2016.

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  1. mbwa shenzi

    mbwa shenzi Active Member

    This is weird

    stevemartinacademy dot com

    The President's welcome message is even weirder: the bloke in the picture is the current President of the University of Illinois but his message is copied verbatim from an unexpected source.

    stevemartinacademy dot com slash index dot php slash about-us slash president-welcome dot html

    That's Charisma University material and, before 2011, also Victorville International University. The 'Mission' section has been copied from the University of Atlanta.
     
  2. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Their crest also bears a rather striking resemblance to the crest used by the University of Pennsylvania.

    I also like the bit about it being a "super land-grant academy."

    Oh, and did anyone notice that the school is named after Steve freaking Martin? They didn't even go with "Stephen" to throw us off. Nope. Steve Martin.
     
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    It also claims (wrongly, I'm sure) to be accredited by ASIC. :laugh: Oh, how I wish it were real! If the actual Stephen Glenn Martin ever opened a school, I'd fall all over myself wanting to enrol. What a writer! Ever read Shopgirl? What a playwright! I still have great memories of Picasso at the Lapin Agile, quite a few years back. Seriously great banjo player too! :smile: I'm a fan -- forever.

    How base and tasteless, that these poltroons would wrongly appropriate the name of such a cultural icon. Shame on them!

    Clowns stole quite a bit of stuff from U. of Atlanta, as well: "Steve Martin Academy acknowledges the longstanding errors published by Wikipedia, whereby they continue to list University of Atlanta as an unaccredited institution of higher learning..."

    It all adds up to a very poor thing indeed. Can't call it a joke - it doesn't qualify. Not funny.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2016
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Also some material stolen from University of Arizona. "From the heart of the Southwest to the edges of the universe, there are no limits to how far we can reach. We'll never stop pushing to make sense of the world and to find ways to make it better. At the University of Arizona, we have the power to make a difference. "Bigger Questions. Better Answers. Bear Down"

    Oh dear. they don't even change it to their own name. they must have an Axact-trained web designer. :sad:

    Time I plagiarized something. Hmmm. Eminem, maybe?

    "Will the real Steve Martin
    Please stand up.
    Please stand up
    Please stand up."


    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2016
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Checked out some of the faculty. Found real doctorates, real people. One is on the faculty list at U. of Atlanta. Others teach at RA schools. SMA shows a pic of a Prof. Catherine Martin on their faculty. Not funny. I found an identical pic of Dr. Catherine Martin on the University of Edinburgh site. She is their new College Registrar in the College of Humanities and Science. She comes to them from her previous post - the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow.

    Obviously, Dr. Martin's picture -and most of the others - have been hijacked by the clowns behind this bogus "academy."

    J.
     
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Whois shows the contact name "Martin Branson" and city as "Indianapolice" (sic) Indiana. There's also a phone number, but I'm not curious. I won't dignify this thing with the name of "fraud." Mentally-challenged pranksters, possibly. Return of Beavis and Butthead? I'm done here.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2016
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    BTW - the "super land-grant" stuff, mentioned by Neuhaus, was cut-and-pasted verbatim from U. of Arizona site. Yes, apparently there is such a thing as a super land-grant. Being a Canadian, I had no idea. I read up a bit.

    From U. of Arizona site: "The University of Arizona, the state’s super land-grant university with two medical schools, produces graduates who are real-world ready, through its 100 percent engagement initiative."

    Well, I must admit that that time, at least, SMA remembered to change the name from Arizona to its own. Also - I'm pretty sure they stole most of the ASIC stuff by mouse-click directly from U. of Atlanta.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2016
  8. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Steve Martin Academy? Which Steve Martin are we talking about? Like maybe the guy from The Jerk?
     
  9. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Did anyone else notice the US DOE seal at the bottom of every page?
     
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    That would indeed be him, Ted. A very deep, talented and versatile man. I highly recommend his books, his plays and his music - banjo & piano both. A shame that these people improperly used his name.

    Short bio. here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2016
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    It's a link, Bruce. Click on the seal and you're at the real page - Home | U.S. Department of Education

    Beavis and Butthead - or whoever the guys behind this are - probably thought it was a cool logo and pinched it from one of the several RA schools they stole other material from, to "add authority" to SMA.

    J.
     
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    "International theft" here:

    Guys at SMA talk about their Annual Open day. Don't know quite where in "Indianapolice" it's supposed to be held. Say, did anyone notify the "Indianapolice?"

    "Whatever your 'thing', you’ll find it and others who share it within our student-run clubs and societies on academy Avenue. Meet people passionate about everything from social justice, Aussie Rules' and black holes to chocolate, Quidditch and gaming."

    The whole page, right down to the Bike Winner is lifted almost verbatim from Australian National University here: Open Day 2016 - ANU Only change was "University" to "academy."

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2016
  13. mbwa shenzi

    mbwa shenzi Active Member

    Yes, there's a lot that's been copied from the University of Arizona, Australian National and the University of Pennsylvania, but why copy things from Charisma University and University of Atlanta? Both schools are ASIC accredited and it's an easy thing to check that SMA isn't.
     
  14. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

  15. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    :thinkerg: Copy and paste university. Welcome to technology.
     
  16. mbwa shenzi

    mbwa shenzi Active Member

    Copy and paste it is. Another university-ish thingy with a welcome message almost identical to that of Victorville International/Charisma University is Triumphant University of Management Science and Technology, Benin: www dot tumst dot org

    Website registration made out to some bloke in Alimosho, Ikeja, Lagos State in Nigeria.
     
  17. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I emailed one of the "faculty" members to make him aware that his information and picture are being used, but no response so far.
     
  18. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2016
  19. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Searching the telephone number was interesting. Or would have been if I knew Chinese.
     
  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes. Timothy Afolabi. His name also shows up on the registration of Al-Dahari Investments. That site is on a list of 419 (scam) websites - here. https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=106513

    I think this is a pseudonym. There is a Timothy Afolabi Street in Alimosho. Likely some local scammer copied the name from a street sign. Glad I'm not a Nigerian cop. These 419 guys would drive me crazy!

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2016

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