Western California University - Panama

Western California University - established in Panama, the site says. On the accreditation page, q.v. WCU claims accreditation from 7 bodies, plus its ACBSP membership (not accreditation). Among its approvals, it claims accreditation from WAUC, the agency that was owned by the late Dr. Maxine Asher. I thought WAUC had ceased operation some time before the demise of its owner, but who am I to argue?

The President is listed as Dr. William G. Walter, although he-from-whom-I-stole-this suggests that the school is owned by Dr. Dai Xulong, the founder of Victoria University Switzerland, www-dot-vubs-dot-ch I have no idea, of course.

You can see WCU at www-dot-uwcedu-dot-org.

A thread on WAUC: http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/46464-do-we-say-bye-bye-maxine-asher-her-dreadful-accrediting-agency-university.html

J.

 

Also a site on Victoria University Switzerland (said to be same owner as Western California U.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_University,_Switzerland
A (very old) DI thread on Victoria U. http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/13146-victoria-university-europe-will-not-divulge-degree-granting-authority.html

OOPS - sorry. Disclosure, caveat & disclaimer: - I stole the WCU info from another forum. Belated thanks, etc.

J.

 

BTW; I should amend that link to Western California University - try www-dot-uwcedu.org-forward slash-w-forward slash-dash-id=about-05-dot-html

J.

 

Although it says (somewhere) on the site that the school is established in Panama, it says somewhere else "Our lush, 20-acre campus in offers a safe and secure home base that’s within arms reach of the greatest city in the world — Los Angeles."

The school site also says WCU has BPPE approval. I checked with the BPPE. None shown.

https://app.dca.ca.gov/bppe/view-voc-names.asp?schlname=Western+California+University+International&Submit=Search
https://app.dca.ca.gov/bppe/view-voc-names.asp?schlname=Western+California+University&Submit=Search

 

Oh yeah, the Panama thing. The only time it's mentioned (that I could find) is on the accreditation page:

"Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) based in Chicago USA has recently accredited Western California University (WCU) Panama (emphasis mine - J) and granted international member Status."

Knew it was somewhere! Panama? Los Angeles? Where you at, WCU?

J.

 

To complicate matters, there is a "University of Western California" which IS BPPE approved - and IS in L.A. Must be a different school from WCU. Most of School #2 (U. of Western California's) curriculum has to do with Massage Therapy and Real Estate courses. Can't be the same multi-major life-experience-degree school as we've been discussing.

Here's the BPPE approval for that second school... https://app.dca.ca.gov/bppe/view-voc-names.asp?schlname=University+of+western+california&Submit=Search The school's website is under construction.

G'night, folks...

J.

 

One last note:

The two schools have to be different.

School # 2 (U. of Western California) has BPPE approval, is a one-location co. with about 9 employees. No distance education, no Panama connections etc. etc.
School # 1 (Western California U.) is the one offering life-experience degrees, having no BPPE approval I could find (despite its claims) and having some Panama connections.

J.

 

Wow. Accredited by WAUC, CUFCE, IAO and IADL and as if that wasn't enough, they're also accredited by ASET, the Accreditation Syndicate for Education and Training, UK (Bircham International University, West Coast University Panama, Pebble Hills University, Eton University, Poma International Business University, Isles International etc) and recognised by the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership, Delaware. Impressive, I guess.

 

UWC is accredited by several interesting agencies, such as the Global Accreditation Council for Business Associates, GACBE. which accredits the Rochville siblings Cranville and Keton University. There's also IACEP, the International Accreditation Council for Engineering Professionals, an agency that accredits Willington University.

CADLA, I think it's an acronym for Central American Distance Learning Association, accredits UWC, Riverwood University and Walesbridge University, both of which are in the list of Axact clones. UWC is also accredited by MEAC, "an international agency working to enhance the standards of education for working adults in the MENA region". Another clone accredited by MEAC is Queensburg University.

And last but certainly not least, UWC is accredited by CAEL, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, an organisation that has accredited West Coast University Panama.

 

If there was a Nobel Prize for fraudulent universities... :sad:

J.

 

I find it hard to believe that UWC and Victoria University, Victoria School of Management have the same owner, to be honest, but in the list of people who are members of VU's Academic Council, there's one I. Mackechnie: I wonder if that's Ian Mackechnie, who is on Charisma University's Board of Directors.

 

So do I. In fact, too hard to believe, so I don't -- unless I see proof, and I haven't as yet.

 

Same man, I think. At least, I read his profile on both university sites and they match up. Holds Australian and American degrees. I believe he may also have taught at Bulacan State U. in the Philippines.

It can be confusing, I agree. For instance, there's a Dr. Iain Mackechnie, a coastal archaeologist at Victoria University, a fine school here in Canada. Neither he nor the Canadian VU have anything at all to do with the schools under discussion here.

J

 

I believe Dr. Mackechnie is associated with a company called Nimac Education Services, based in Kuala Lumpur. He is also adjunct faculty at Malaysia University of Science and Technology and other schools. Quite an extensive web-presence, Facebook etc.

J.

 

Indeed, it becomes increasingly improbable. I checked whois for www-dot-uwcedu-dot-org and it comes up with a Greek name - someone giving an address of Limassol, Cyprus. However, the owner of Victoria U. does appear to have some interest in at least one of two recently-discussed State-licensed universities in South Dakota; they're discussed in another thread, here: http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/53934-2-new-universities-south-dakota.html

J.