Maxine Asher and American World University

A recent thread dealing with Maxine Asher had the rather unprepossessing title "OT: A story of unparalleled literary magnitude," and specifically dealt with what may or may not be a new "literary masterwork" discussed on her Atlantis quackery Web site. Since the topic matter was, basically, Maxine Asher and American World University, people who are interested in Maxiniana may not have known to look at this thread. In any case, the important thing to know is that the thread concluded with my own brilliant contributions, and, since I don't want anyone to have a poorer, less enriching life because they missed out on those contributions, I quote them below:

Narcissistic Personality Disorder? No! Asher is just someone who likes to write letters to the editor of Time expressing support for Delta Burke's fat and proud of it attitude and telling the world that she's 40 pounds overweight and that her clients (?) have been picking on her about it for years, and to the Los Angeles Times telling the world that she had her mother "declared insane" for frittering away money on contests.

I don't yet own a copy of Asher's deathless novel because some misguided book dealers at bookfinder.com have the notion that the "first edition" is infinitely rare and desirable. When there's a copy for $10.00, I'll buy it. I'm certainly not going to buy the current edition from Asher since I'm not interested in enriching her by one cent--although I do have an agent who has ordered a copy of her fabulous new all-color American World University catalogue or brochure, with pictures of Arafat accepting his AWU degree and of incredibly shabby graduation ceremonies with Asher presiding. The ceremonies look like they're taking place in especially cruddy church basements. You can see these pics at awukorea.com. Anyway, it's only 6 bucks and I figure it's a very helpful resource which will help me to explain to the world in full detail just what kind of "universities" Asher runs.

Speaking of Asher's literary accomplishments, I have a copy of the authentically rare (and entirely undesirable) "A Layman's Guide To the Right Brain," which is even autographed by La Asher herself!, self-published (it looks like a poor-quality mimeograph job or something created with stone-age carbons) in 1982. I just love that it's a "layman's guide." She's an expert and she's presenting us with the simplified, layman's version of her insights? This book will at least be helpful because it discusses her Walden dissertation. I have been trying to get a copy of that dissertation but may never manage this because not only was it done too early to have been sent on to University Microfilms, but the original copy actually at some point got up and walked away on its own from a basement (or lower-level) storage room at Walden's Minneapolis offices where all its fellow dissertations from Asher's year remain happily ensconced. Very suspicious.

I haven't yet read it cover to cover, but it's full of wonderful crackpot stuff about the joys and benefits of getting in touch with the "right brain" (i.e., crackpot) side of your mind. It'll help with "energy transfer between mates" and protect you from the "psychic training for sabotage [that] is now taking place in Moscow." All of this published under the aegis of the Ancient Mediterranean Research Association. Now, when the U.S. government decided to give all sorts of benefits to non-profit corporations such as the AMRA, I'll just bet that they had in mind the importance of first-class travel for Asher (a lifetime AMRA member has told me that Asher always goes first-class all the way) and sterling academic publications such as this. No doubt Asher's scholarship was heightened by psychic communication with ancient Atlanteans.

Of course, if you want really nauseating reading, try her Ann Miller book "Tapping Into the Force," in which she, writing for Ann Miller, tells the world all about the joys and wonder of Maxine Asher. She creates dreadful Socratic dialogues with supposed Miller friends who are simply matchstick figures to whom Asher can then impart her "wisdom" and tell how her right-brain thinking brought her closer to "the spirit world," and enabled her to see 100s of bloody ghosts as she lay in bed at a Scottish or Irish castle.

The book includes in passing Iris Schirmer, the widow or divorcee of Mr. Schirmer of the Schirmer music publishing fortune. Presumably, Asher met her through Miller. In any case, Asher, Schirmer, and Asher's old confederate Julian Nava formed in 1989 the corporation "Schirmer, Asher, Nava International, Inc." According to the California corporations Web site, this firm was "suspended." I'm not sure what that means, but I don't think it's good. Mr. Nava and Ms. Schirmer have told me that they no longer have any contact with Asher, but were not more forthcoming about the corporation's purpose or any other details, although Ms. Schirmer did say, with exclamation marks, that she hopes never to come across Asher again.

Finally, if anyone wants to know about Asher's recent television appearances, her basic contribution to the ABC special on the "science" behind Disney's "Atlantis" was a statement that the ancient Atlanteans may not have actually been wondrous beings in white robes and who flew about in space ships. And for TLC's "Atlantis In the Andes," she stated, "So all of the television specials, the books that have come out, even if people are skeptical, all will help toward the ultimate discovery and validation of Atlantis. Look at Heidrich [sic] Schliemann and his discovery of Troy, look how he was ridiculed in his lifetime, and yet Troy is now valid. There have just been endless things that have been discovered, and Atlantis is the next one. We're ready for Atlantis now." Imagine this with Asher's accompanying smug and phony smile.

If anyone ever comes across documentation about her appearance or appearances on "The Quiz Kids" in Chicago in the 1940s, back when it was a dazzlingly successful radio show on a par with today's "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," I'd love to hear about it. Although it did have one tyke who went on to become Nobel laureate James D. Watson, a lot of the kids were just smug little tots who were full of themselves. So, you see, Asher has been at this since early childhood. Now if she would only learn, at age 70, how to write competent English . . . .

 

As the person responsible for starting the off-topic discussion of Maxine Asher, I must point out that

(a) My original post, while probably within our posting standards, was probably at the edge... it was not about enriching knowledge of distance learning, but more about making fun of one of the more colorful mill operators and her non-mainstream beliefs. As such, while not a personal attack, it doesn't exactly follow the Golden Rule.

(b) Some of the other commentary continued in this vein, and the current poster's comments generated several communications among the moderator/admins as to whether or not it (and my original post) constitutes a personal attack on Maxine Asher. And while the moderator/admins don't hold any particular fondness for Dr. Asher, rules are rules, and we do try to be consistent, particularly when someone reminds us that we might not be.

So... I believe that at the moment, the admins viewpoint is that the posts aren't exactly kind to Asher, they probably don't quite qualify as attacks.

However, I will consider this as a reminder to myself to try to be a little kinder to people when I'm posting.

I'm quite sure that Maxine, in her heart, believes that she's making a meaningful contribution to society with her work on Atlantis. And I am not the person to judge whether she is or isn't... lots of fantastic, outrageous, unbelieveable ideas have become mainstream once everyone bothered to look at the facts.

Is this the case about Atlantis? I don't know. But I will try to refrain from passing judgement on the issue, as amusing as it might be to those of us who know of Maxine's other exploits.

 

Since Chip has discussed philosophical matters related to the discussion of a degree-mill operator's other activities, I think I should add my own perspective. I agree with Chip that such a discussion does not constitute an attack. After all, Asher is avid to spread her views. Repeating them--no matter how ludicrous or comical I or others find them--is just reportage, a republication of things Asher has herself said.

I do think that Asher's "new-age" interests and activities do constitute an important commentary on the level of quality one can expect from her American World University. For example, when I first became curious about AWU last winter, I contacted Asher and, although I personally have no interest in pursuing distance education at any institution, stated that I very much wanted to earn a degree in history studying the works of Erich von Daniken, the author of the much-excoriated "Chariots Of the Gods." This was a-okay with her. I have also found online the Web page for a "Spiritual Mentor, Energy Therapist, Intuitive Counselor, Animal Communicator" who, besides being an "ordained minister" of the "Universal Life Church" (mail-order ordinations of any stripe you like, be it satanic or your own newly-created cult), earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from American World University. When I contacted her to ask what attracted her to AWU, she stated that at AWU she had the chance to have as her "advisor" Ron Roth. According to one of many Web sites that discuss the work of this charismatic, "Ron Roth, Ph.D. [from AWU?], is a modern mystic with the ability to literally heal body and soul through the power of the Holy Spirit." So, this is one of AWU's unlisted faculty members? I think this new-agey junk is pertinent to discussions of Asher and her institutions.

Discussing Asher in depth also brings out important details about her business activities and relationships with other degree-mill operators. If there were enough interested journalists to look at each degree-mill operator in detail and report on them in detail, I think that public outrage would build, laws would have to be changed, and this would not be such a troubling phenomenon.

As for Asher's good faith, while it might be very appealing to grant someone every benefit of the doubt, I think that would be overgenerous. Anyone with such an institution who is making millions of dollars off the backs of poor people in third-world countries, many of whom must be throwing away money they can't afford to lose, should not get a free pass just because she believes she's doing a service for the little people.

All of this is stuff I believe should be read and considered by anyone who is so unfortunate as to be interested in American World University. Of course, in the hours, days, and months ahead, I welcome and encourage people who might want to continue this thread to discuss more technical matters about AWU and to talk less about Asher and her personality cult.

 

It sounds as if you've spent over a year on this one institution, putting countless hours into studying the life and work of Asher, AWU, and anything connected with either of them. While I share your distaste for questionable unaccredited schools that thrive on the poor, there are other examples, and AWU isn't even the worst of the bunch. I suppose I have to ask: Is all of this based on a negative experience that you, or someone you know, had with AWU? Because if so, that's the story we need to hear -- not waves of anger and resentment about this one person, Maxine Asher, because that sort of focused verbal attack on a single person, no matter who that person is, tends to alternate between boring and creepy, usually with more of the former than the latter. So could we try to shift the topic to AWU itself, and lower the temperature of the discussion a tad?

Peace,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Since Tom Head asks about my interest in AWU, I'll say that I was surpised last winter to discover AWU listed in a database of Iowa City Web sites. Since I'm in Iowa City, and neither I nor pretty much anyone else here had ever heard of AWU, I was curious about this invisible institution. It's something that sounded fishy to me from the get-go.

Nothing I've learned has made me change my mind about that, and everything I've learned has deepened my conviction that it is a fishy institution. I'm not sure that this discussion does have a high temperature, but, yes, it does make me angry when I deal with people or institutions who lie to me. For example, when Asher learned that I live in Iowa City, she told me that I wouldn't be able to enroll while they were based there (not that I ever wanted to actually enroll) because it would be "illegal" for an Iowa citizen to enroll. Which is patently untrue and is apparently a means to escape legal jeopardy by avoiding students based in the same state jurisdiction; she was unable to provide any laws that would back up her statment. Asher also lied to Spy magazine about the institutional history of the World Association of Universities and Colleges (the states where it was based, when and why it moved to certain states) when they had a short phone interview with her several years ago. Etc., etc.

The more I learn, the more I want to know just what's going on here. I want to "get to the bottom of this." That may be boring (and I don't think it's creepy), but it could make a big difference when I eventually publish my findings.

 

I'm in Iowa City also -- perhaps we should meet at the Java House for some DL schmoozing? I'd like to know about that database of Iowa City Web sites (when I'm not the DL guide, I do web work for small businesses & nonprofits -- one is an Iowa City/Coralville/Johnson County guide at http://www.atoz-directory.com/ -- and you won't find AWU there!)

I heard about AWU somehow several years ago when I was at the Center for Credit Programs at the University of Iowa, and got their (very thin) catalog (when you didn't have to pay $6). I've lost it somewhere -- my recollection is that there was a building pictured on the front that I recognized as the Colonial Park office building on Highway 6 (it rented offices to small businesses, including, I think, a telephone answering service).

For some time until April this year, AWU had a mailing address on College Street. Again, a place with several small offices; AWU was not listed on the directory but again, a telephone answering service was. Around April 15 the mailing address changed to South Dakota. Checking today (June 27, 2001) I see the mailing address for the "Corporate Office" is 4014 Main Street, Moss Point, MS 39563.

Back in March, I requested info from AWU (using my real name and personal e-mail address, but not mentioning About Distance Learning). Asher replied and said that AWU was moving, but was vague about the reason, saying something about other states being better for schools (I wish I could find her e-mail but can't seem to dig it out). But I'd received an e-mail from an individual at the state education department saying that AWU's grace period would run out April 15 and they'd have to comply with Iowa law requiring DOE-recognized accreditation.




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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com

 

Kristin, the database I was searching was an internet domain name registration site at dotcom.com. I've just looked at the page, and it looks quite different now. The function I used was "seek registered sites," which you could refine geographically. If the site doesn't let you do that now, you could try the phrase in google, I suppose. I was looking up Iowa City Web sites out of pure nosiness because I am by nature extraordinarily inquisitive (surprise, surprise). I definitely think such searches regarding Web site registrations are a somewhat iffy proposition, since people in registering Web sites may not realize that they may prefer to use P.O. box numbers, corporate names, etc. For example, I found the home address for a famous, best-selling author . . . . Very iffy.

What I don't understand about AWU's running out of time from the DOE is how AWU can remain a ghostly presence in the corporation records of the Iowa Secretary of State, and in other states, by which I mean that AWU has not satisfied standards demanded of it by Iowa and Louisiana, at least, and yet it continues to be listed as a nonprofit corporation with an "active" or "perpetual" status as a corporation in those states. That seems very wrong to me. What, then, is the point of corporate registration? Could an institution such as AWU hop from state to state, returning to such states with the seasons? Anyway, I think the Secretaries of State should put the kibosh on these "active" and "perpetual" registrations.

I like your suggestion about Java House, but I'm finishing up my book on an 19th-century artist, and I'm a bit of a mess. Maybe I'll be good company in a year, once my book is sold to a publisher and on its way to making publishing history. Hmmm, maybe I should, like Asher, turn to Mellen University's Edwin Mellen Press . . . . But, no, I want to be paid and not the other way around. And, anyway, my book will be expensive to produce.

If we do meet at some point, I would probably be more keen on Bo-James. I've never been to Java House, and it strikes me as scene-y and full of poseurs who probably have surgically attached Gitanes. And the Cottage. The Cottage is scene-y, too.

 

I think the glitch here is that registering a corporation and operating as an educational institution are two different things. The Iowa code on registration of postsecondary schools -- see http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/2001/261B/ -- is being enforced.

Filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State is a separate thing. Merely having "university" or "college" in a corporation name wouldn't trigger any investigation. You & I could incorporate a non-sceney coffee shop business as "Coffee College" and, since we wouldn't offer degree programs, never run into problems.

AWU apparently left the state (as much as it was ever in it) after it filed its biennial report in January 2001. They don't seem to have filed a "Statement of Change of Registered Office or Agent." Since the corporate office mailing address is now in Missouri, I wonder how that will affect AWU's renewal. Perhaps I should e-mail [email protected] and ask.

And AWU's incorporation as a domestic non-profit certainly warrants investigation by the secretary of state -- and the IRS.

(And I believe the surgically-attached Gitanes are to be found at the Tobacco Bowl. I have thought of doing a coffeehouse guide which would include a table with counts of laptops and piercings.)

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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com

 

Kristin, I assume that when you mention "Missouri" in your last message that you were still intending to say "Mississippi."

I was talking with my mother regarding the new Mississippi AWU address and how I haven't immediately found online the details about this secretarial service mail-drop address. She joked that, given that it's in Mississippi, perhaps it's in some old sharecropper's shack, the kind on stilts, with chickens poking in the dirt outside, and someone on the porch a-picking on the banjo.

 

Malaysia, Minnesota, Mississippi... I take it you're moving down the "M" column of "Countries and/or states that I can say something ignorant about"?

In all seriousness, I would be very surprised if there's an official AWU presence down here. We have one unaccredited DL school: the legitimate Cook's Institute of Electronics Engineering. Our higher education laws are pretty solid.

But if you've heard something, please do tell.

Peace,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Sorry, man; didn't realize your mother said that. Different story.

Well, then. Where in Mississippi, exactly?

(In case you're wondering why my skin's just a little thin on this topic, click the "Info" field. My assumption was that you were digging on me because of the whole "don't obsess over Maxine Asher" business, and maybe you were. But assuming you really have found an AWU campus down here, I'd like to know about it -- and especially, I'd like to know why they chose Mississippi when Alabama, one of America's two loosest states when it comes to higher education laws, is right next door.)


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Well, I'll be.

Starrmustgo, it looks like I owe you an apology. There is an AWU campus here in Mississippi -- Moss Point, to be exact. The CorpSnap record for it is here.

I've never been to Moss Point, but I've heard about it -- it's a rural area somewhere. I mean, literally, somewhere; I can't remember which direction (north Mississippi, I think).

So I've learned something today, I guess. So how are they running a site here with Mississippi's higher education laws being as they are? I have no idea. Maybe the laws have gotten looser on the accreditation issue, or maybe they don't apply to foreign corporations. Hrm.


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Starrmustgo:

I really do owe you an apology. I'm sorry. I flew off the handle big-time. It seemed so completely inconceivable that AWU would have a presence here that it didn't even occur to me that maybe there actually is one. I hope there aren't any hard feelings on this.

Very depressing situation, here. One of the things I've always liked about Mississippi is that, throughout the 80s and 90s, it was completely immune to this sort of thing. I wonder what happened. Strange.


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Tom Head, I'm really glad to know about the Mississippi corporation info, since I hadn't been able to find a search function when I searched the site before, but there is a problem here. Maybe they turn off the computers' search function when they go home at night and they only run during business hours, but I have repeatedly tried to use your link and also to go through the extra "searching" stages myself, and nothing will make the corporate record pop up. All I get is what is essentially a blank page and the message "Document: Done" at the bottom of my computer screen. If you are able to access the record and can highlight and copy any pertinent info, that would be helpful. The page should at least say who the "registered agent" is.

Do you know any people in Mississippi's Department of Education or Secretary of State offices to whom one should write about AWU concerns? What are the major papers in Mississippi which one should contact?

Also, an excellent way to make up for being so very, very mean to me would be if you ever want to take a road trip (I guess it would have to be during weekday "business" hours) to Moss Point and find out just what sort of dazzling facilities and staff AWU has there. All I've seen online is that the same address is being used by the election campaign of someone running for mayor of Moss Point.

Thanks.

 

That narrows it down... LOL

My guess is that they are simply operating without state-approval.

 

I can do one better: call The Secretary of State's Business Services Customer Service Division at (800) 256-3494, and ask them anything you'd like to know about the registered corporation with Business ID number 701381. They can even send you certified copies of the records.

A kindly soul just told me that Moss Point is near Pascagoula; there is a newspaper in Pascagoula, but I can't remember the name of it. The largest newspaper in Mississippi is probably the Clarion-Ledger.

The Secretary of State, a Mr. Eric Clark, can be reached through his assistant at [email protected].

Hmmm... Wouldn't be possible for me to do it myself (I'm practically in another state from Pascagoula), but I think I know a couple of people in that general area...


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

If anyone does get to Moss Point, MS, another address for AWU is that for the registered agent for service of process, which I have now been able to view online. The agent is Ashley Everett (that name somehow sounds familiar), at 9500 Frank Snell Road, Moss Point, MS 39581.

 

Worth mentioning: If my understanding of corporate law is correct, the registered agent does not necessarily have any direct relationship to the corporation in question beyond that of being a registered agent. The more direct representative of the corporation would be the listed officer.


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Tom --
Thanks for catching me on my Missouri/Mississippi confusion.

I've sent e-mail to the Mississippi Secretary of State, asking for information and also providing some AWU history.

One interesting point -- AWU incorporated in Iowa and in Mississippi as a domestic nonprofit corporation. However, I can't find it in the IRS's database of exempt organizations, indicating to me that it has not filed for -- or not received -- 501(c)3 status as an educational, nonprofit entity exempt from tax. This may be worth some attention. Remember how they got Al Capone....

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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com

 

Kristin writes, One interesting point -- AWU incorporated in Iowa and in Mississippi as a domestic nonprofit corporation. However, I can't find it in the IRS's database of exempt organizations, indicating to me that it has not filed for -- or not received -- 501(c)3 status as an educational, nonprofit entity exempt from tax. This may be worth some attention. Remember how they got Al Capone....

That was one of the elements of Taft University's successful legal action against WAUC: that WAUC had billed themselves as non-profit (one of the reasons Taft signed up), but turned out to be profit-making, or at least was unable to provide any evidence of nonprofit registration.