Postal Service gives a big boost to degree mills

In early 1999, the U.S. Postal Service did a really good thing, by requiring the use of “PMB” (Private Mail Box) before the box number, and outlawing any other wording. Previously, many fake schools operating from mailbox rental services were listing themselves as located at "123 Main St., Suite 117" or even "Building 117." With this rule in place, they had to say, "123 Main St., PMB 117."

According to the April 2001 issue of Home Office Computing, the post office received 21,000 letters complaining about the new rules, many of them from home-office businesses wanting to appear otherwise. The USPS caved in, and revoked the “PMB” rule, but still required the use of the “#” symbol, as in “123 Main St., #117.”

Now even this compromise is under vigorous attack by the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (as US government agency). It seems more than likely that the phony school operators will soon be able to move back into “Suite 117” or “Building 117.” Too bad.

John Bear

 

Or do what the WAUC does: rent space in one of those companies that takes your messages, forwards your mail, and rents office space by the hour/day/week. Then you don't have to list "Suite," "#" or anything else. You just happen to share the same address as a bunch of other, unrelated businesses. Find one of these services located on a street named "University Avenue," "College Street" or something like that and you're golden.

Rich Douglas

 

Just an addendum to Rich's fine assessment of what many LESS-THAN schools and accreditors are doing. After finding an adequate street name, one then needs to find a suitable location , e.g., Cyprus, Denmark,
Norfolk Island, St. Kitts, or the sovereign nation of Mah-hoo-la-Mah-goom-ba.

Russell

 

Excellent assessment Rich. Add to this a photo on your web site or catalogue, like Columbia State (?) did of an old historic landmark and "walla" you look like a school and sound like one. The other amusing thing is when some of these unaccredited schools list suite #'s but show a picture of a huge office complex which they label as the "campus". Of course the only part of this that is the campus is the one office that houses their "school".

North

 

And let's not forget photos of students and graduates, all beaming with joy as they gather on "campus."

Photos of the diploma are always nice, especially with fake signatures. Then there are the pages dedicated to paraphenalia. "OK, now that we got the diploma out of the way, let's talk class rings."

Rich Douglas