Kensington University - Need help...

I am looking for information about Kensington University based in Glendale, CA.

I recently interviewed a potential employee for a highly technical position where the posted educational requirements were for a BS in Mechanical Engineering.

This individual looked good on paper, and interviewed well however I am concerned that this is a "Mill" diploma. He has had a number of post-graduate certificates in relevant work fields for schools like University of Texas, and UPenn.

If anyone here knows the exact nature of Kensington, I would certainly appreciate it. I need to follow-up with this individual, and if his degree is bogus, I need to let him know that is why he is not qualified for the position...

Many thanks.... as always...

 

For starters, there isn't any Kensington University in Glendale. The only 'Kensington' listed by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE) is a Kensington College in Santa Ana that offers non-degree legal secretarial courses.

The 'Chronicle of Higher Education' says:

http://chronicle.com/free/v50/i42/42a00901.htm

Kensington moved from California to Hawaii after a statewide crackdown on unaccredited institutions in the early 1990s. Last year authorities in Hawaii forced Kensington to close and fined its owners $300,000.

http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/ocp/udgi/lawsuits/kensington/

 

Kensington University used to operate from California under its notoriously lax "Authorized" category. When California eliminated this category, Kensington couldn't/wouldn't meet the standards necessary for approval. Kensington subsequently "moved" to Hawaii, and Bill tells you their fate there.

Kensington was one of those very busy California-Authorized schools (like Century, Golden State, U. of Beverly Hills, U of Central California, Pacific Western University, Kennedy-Western, and Century) that either moved or died when the Authorized category was eliminated. It wasn't completely unsubstantial, but I wouldn't treat its degrees as valid.

 

Thanks for the input. Does anyone have more specifics on the school prior to its move to Hawaii?

Thanks...

 

Contrary to Rich's comment, Kensington did meet California's new Approval standards, and operated as a state-approved university for a while, and their law degrees did qualify people to take the state Bar (where they actually had a fairly decent record in the late 80s-early 90s; the school was owned and operated by a law firm). They were the first approved school to have that status taken away by the state, which was why they took up addresses (if not actual facilities) in Hawaii and Asia, and were called variously Kensington Pacific, Kensington International, and something else I think.

If your applicant's degree is pre-1994, then it is a legal California degree. My survey of registrars, and Rich's survey of corporate HR people suggest that a Kensington degree would have negligible acceptance in the academic world; somewhat higher in business. And there are scores of lawyers currently practicing in California with a Kensington law degree.

Bad publicity is still a factor to consider, but it seems to me that the graduate work at Texas and Penn may trump that, especially at the Bachelor's level. "Following his Bachelor's degree, Mr. Trisket earned post-graduate certificates in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania."

 

CHE article:
"Kensington moved from California to Hawaii after a statewide crackdown on unaccredited institutions in the early 1990s."

What crackdown? These "schools" operated because state entities (CPPVE,etc.) said they could. They were doing what they were allowed to get away with.

The exact nature of Kensington it seems to me was that anyone interested in DL in those days was presented with scores of these unaccredited "schools" as supposedly legitimate options. And sadly some people went with them.

 

Not sure how to interpret this. Are you saying all these schools either moved or died?

Which Golden State are you referring to?

Thanks!