Ludicrous Web page with graduation ceremony.

I first came across this Web page ages ago, but I found it pretty ludicrous:
http://www.fepesmig.br/je/Jeold/2000/jedez2000/Page5.htm

I don't know Portuguese, so I don't know the extent to which "distance learning" is involved, but a member of the "faculty" of American World University gave a speech. (BTW, the lady at the top of the page looks like a South American version of Maxine Asher.) I particularly like the follow-up speech by a prof. with "PUC de Campinas." In its google translation it reads, "the paradigms of History Practical Front to the Pedagogical one of the Professors in Upper Ensino: Paths and Embezzlements in Fetching of the Quality."

 

If you want to have the page translated, go to http://www.systransoft.com/ , plug in the URL and select Portugese to English.

 

Wenn Sie die Seite übersetzen lassen möchten, gehen Sie zu http://www.systransoft.com / schließen Sie das URL an und wählen Sie Portugese zu Englisch aus.

Now that's cool!

 

Actually, the story concerns various defenses of dissertations by various faculty members, and the last paragraph speaks of the fact that the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas has greatly increased the number of faculty holding Master’s degrees. It goes on to state that in November two additional Professors earned their degrees. First, Professor Maria das Graças de Oliveira Prado presented “The Scholastic Administrator: Vision and Clarifications” the Master’s thesis that she submitted to the American World University of Iowa. Subsequently Professor Glauco Biaggini presented his Master’s thesis from the PUC of Campinas, “Historical Paradigms and the Pedagogical Practice of Professors of Higher Education: Proven Methods and Pitfalls in the Search for Quality.”

Although it is interesting to see how successful and widespread the marketing efforts of institutions (?) such as AWU are overseas, it is particular disheartening to see the inroads they have made into academia in developing countries. However the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas is by no means (or stretch of the imagination) such a wonderful institution of higher learning. By clicking on the back arrow at the bottom of the page twice, one comes to a story (and this is the student newspaper, mind you) about how the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Minas and a Federal Congressman had to visit the school to assure the academic community that the degrees (diplomas) offered by the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas were valid and “state-approved” after the Governor changed the management of the institution by state decree. The ex-Rector of the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas had accused the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas of loosing their “accreditation” by such a move.

All of this just underscores the problems in evaluating foreign degrees and institutions, and that one must look beyond GAAP, IHU, and UNESCO and ascertain whether an institution passes GAAS.


Gus Sainz

 

Gus, your information is very interesting and informative. Naturally, it is much more learned than my post. But I'll pat myself on the back by saying that at least my initial cavils led to your instructive post.

I continue to wonder in particular about your knowledge about American World Univesity. Since I don't know Portuguese or Spanish, I am rather handicapped when it comes to learning about AWU in Brazil and Spain. I hope to at least learn more--in the next year or so? If you or anyone else can help me unravel the details, I'd be glad to learn about it. For my freelance journalism on American World University, I believe in investigating what lies underneath each and every rock where AWU is concerned. Feel free to email me at yahoo.com, Gus.

 

All of this just underscores the problems in evaluating foreign degrees and institutions, and that one must look beyond GAAP, IHU, and UNESCO and ascertain whether an institution passes GAAS.


You of course, are being facetious, right!!!!!!

 

Not at all. Please see my post in the thread New Proposed Criteria which can be accessed at: http://www.degreeinfo.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000650.html.

Gus Sainz

 

My apologies for the inoperative link. The correct URL for the above post should be:
http://www.degreeinfo.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000650.html


Gus Sainz