washington international university

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Adam1914, May 23, 2004.

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  1. Adam1914

    Adam1914 New Member

    Today someone told me they had a PHD from a Washington International University, and from his description of the school I was almost certain it was a diploma mill. Does anyone know anything about this one? :confused:
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    The website tells you all you need to know. No legal authority to award degrees. Tiny faculty. (Which may not exist. With several, Google finds nothing except the WIU listing.) "Washington International" with a phone in Pennsylvania. But the kicker for me is that they ensure the quality of their degrees because each is attested by a notary. What more could one want?

    I'm guessing the school doesn't exist. At least, not as a school.
     
  3. galanga

    galanga New Member

    taking a look

    OK, let's take a look! Phonenumber.com for the number on http://www.washint.edu/ :

    WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
    144 Ivy Ln
    King Of Prussia, PA 19406-2153
    (610) 205-0900

    What else is at 144 Ivy lane?

    FALLENE LTD
    144 Ivy Lane
    King Of Prussia, PA 19406

    So whuzzat? Look at http://www.totalblock.com/About.htm to see that
    It looks like WIU shares a home with a sunscreen distributor.

    The Wash IU site author's English is good, but not native. Chinese, perhaps? An example:
    Let's look at the domain info.

    www.washint.edu = 207.101.100.106
    Registrant:
    Washington International University
    817 Summit Grove Ave.
    Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
    UNITED STATES

    Administrative Contact:
    Kar Yil
    Wahington International University
    817 Summit Grove Ave
    Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
    UNITED STATES
    (610) 527-1757
    [email protected]

    Technical Contact:
    Support
    Catapult Web
    717 Bethlehem Pike
    Suite 160
    Erdenheim, PA 10938
    UNITED STATES
    (215) 402-0737
    [email protected]

    Name Servers:
    NS1.CATAPULTWEB.COM
    NS2.CATAPULTWEB.COM
    NS3.CATAPULTWEB.COM

    Domain record activated: 18-May-1998
    Domain record last updated: 23-Sep-2003

    Who else is at 817 Summit Grove Ave.,
    Bryn Mawr, PA 19010?

    CLARK EUGENE B PAINTING
    DILWORTH WILLIAM POWELL & SONS, BUILDERS
    SOLOMON ANDREA K PH D

    Like to see an old photo of 17 Summit Grove Ave., Bryn Mawr? Click here for a ca. 1908 photo.

    The application (http://www.washint.edu/pdf/application.pdf ) has a coupon on its first page-- that looks like a photoshop job with seams visible in the decorative border above (and below) the "S" in "Savings" among other places.

    Holy cow, the place is expensive! "Guided self study program" as a combined Bachelor's & Master's fee of $12,000!

    The testimonials are umm... odd. They are addressed to "Ruth Strubella" or "Ruth Ruth Strubilla." Google doesn't know about her.

    The catalogue is... unusual? No courses.

    The "student resources" page asks for a four-digit access code. Once a visitor enters a valid access code he/she finds this:

    Welcome To Student Resources
    * Britannica Online
    * Internet Search Engine
    * Weights & Measures


    ... a link to encyclopedia Britannica, Google, and a table of metric-English conversions.

    Weird site.

    G
     
  4. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    So sad...

    It's a very interesting website. It is tastefully done. It really grieves me to know that many unsuspecting people are hoodwinked into spending their hard earned money on these phoney degrees. Looking at the testimonials is a real heart-breaker. :(

    Here are some interesting highlights from their website:
    • Snip...
    • No registration fee - no diploma fee - no graduation fee - no exam fee. These fees are included in your tuition!
    • Combination Master's and Ph.D Degrees $6900.00 (for computers)
    • Combination Bachelor's & Master's degrees $12,000.00 (for business)
    • All degree programs are designed to be completed in one year.
      source
    Lastly, looking at their faculty was pretty interesting.
     
  5. Adam1914

    Adam1914 New Member

    My hunch was right!

    I had a hunch that this one was a fake!! Whats even more pathetic than his trying to pass off this fradulent degree is that he is throwing it around like a Sumo wrestler! I mean the man actually put out a memo demanding to be addressed as "Dr." it said, and I quote: "Absolute titles must be maintained." The reason for the memo is that he was being addressed as 'Mr.' instead of 'Dr.'.

    Well I can't wait to give the good 'Doctor' a copy of the findings on his "absolute title". :D
     
  6. jerryclick

    jerryclick New Member

  7. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    According to your faith, so be it unto you...

    The testimonials indicate that the diploma holders believe that their degree is legitimate and, correspondingly, they present it as such to potential employers in their respective countries. Many foreign governments will accept a diploma mill degree, due to a lack of knowledge about how degrees are accredited or unaccredited.

    Since most foreign countries do not know about "regional accreditation," it seems plausible that these fake degrees are frequently being accepted as legitimate doctorates from the United States. :eek:

    Maybe we need some global accreditation standards? :eek:

    Naw, it'll never happen. :p
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 24, 2004
  8. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Re: My hunch was right!

    Make sure you let us know what happens.
     
  9. JE Brunton

    JE Brunton New Member

  10. Peter Chin

    Peter Chin New Member

    Re: Hope 've figured out the link thing

    This DIPLOMA MILL institution shut down by state of Hawaii and now illegeally operating from PA boldy advertising on weekly basis in newspaper here in Malaysia and probably in other asian countries as well.

    Login in to the student resources by entering student ID: 1104

    http://www.washint.edu/members/

    YOU FIND FOLLOWING
    :
    Welcome To Student Resources

    Britannica Online
    Internet Search Engine
    Weights & Measures

    2001-2004, All rights reserved. Washington International University

    Student Communication Center, Inc


    It looks like asian countries has been the dumping ground for all these diploma mills.

    Peter Chin
     
  11. PaulC

    PaulC Member

    Insist on seeing his dissertation. Then come back and tell us what he said.
     
  12. Adam1914

    Adam1914 New Member

    No remorse!

    I went to the good doctor and mentioned what I discovered about his "PHD" and he said: "Whether some people accept it or not I know my abilities."

    I am thinking of blowing the whistle on this arrogant clown. Just want some advice from all of you on the forum first. Should I spill the beans or leave it?
     
  13. Migara

    Migara member

    I know that they (WIU) advertise heavily in the “THE ECONOMIST” Magazine for Asia Pacific edition that comes every week. I almost applied to Washington International about 2 years ago, thinking it was a good school to study and complete an undergrad degree.
    “The Economist” ad usually says, “Most Americans Earn their Bachelors, Masters, and PhD’s from Washington International Uni than any other Online/Distance Learning in Institution” I thought that was a bold statement.


    Lucky I did not go head with my application.

    Migara
     
  14. Lajazz947

    Lajazz947 New Member

    Re: No remorse

    First let me say that I agree with you on this clown's credentials but since I don't know him I am hard pressed to say that he is no more emminently qualified in his profession than some holders of " real " Phd's

    But it sounds as though the catalyst was his memo demanding that he be called Doctor. While I agree that this is absurd I think that you shoud ignore him. Besides, you already know what his response to you is. What do you have to gain and what's he going to do? Fire you for not calling him Doctor??????

    I guess you could " OUT " him but don't you have enough problems in your life without creating others that don't exist? I certainly do. For Christ's sake, just leave it alone.

    Good luck in whatever you do. My guess is that more people might actually know about him than you think anyway especially if there are degree'd people in the department.
     
  15. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Re: No remorse!

    Just my personal opinion, but I think that academic frauds should always be exposed. They threaten the legitimacy of DL by their actions, and perhaps an "outing" might dissuade the next person.
     
  16. PaulC

    PaulC Member

    Re: No remorse!

    I don't think exposing him is that bad of an idea. Fraud deserves to be exposed to the light of truth. If it means you would be ruining his family, then maybe "exposing" him would be harsh. If outing him just has the effect of being seen a more truthful light than the one he is painting, then I say why not.

    However, you would have much stronger legs to stand on if you insisted he produce his dissertation. What were his topic and his research questions? How about his data collection and conclusions? I would love to hear his response.
     
  17. Peter Chin

    Peter Chin New Member

    Re: Re: No remorse!

    There are probably hundreds of such doctors in US and thousands of them here in Asia and what good would it do to go after one of them. In this case why not do something that shut the WIU and once they are shut and out of business, none of their PhD holders dare to advertise as Rushmore graduates.


    Peter Chin
     
  18. amused

    amused member

    Re: My hunch was right!

    This saga reminds me of a certain barrister in Australia (now residing in an external territory of Australia) who insisted on judges address him as 'Dr' in court. Again, the doctor's degrees were from an unaccredited school!
     
  19. PaulC

    PaulC Member

    Re: Re: Re: No remorse!

    I suggest that, while outing an individual may not end the larger problem, it will demonstrate to others of like mind that to venture down the path of fraudulent academic credentials may have repercussions. In other words, there is a potential deterrent effect. Also, if you are going to be a fraud, don’t be so stupid as to be arrogant about it. If someone in my company send me an email chastising me for not calling him/her a Dr. and I found out it was from a degree mill, I would, at a minimum, confront that person on my own and call them out on it.
     
  20. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    I agree that academic fraud is bad and that it should be exposed. Any problems that may or may not result from exposing the fraud is his fault for becoming a fraud in the first place.
     

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