In the Kennedy-Western FAQ, under a question that asks how the institution can assure the integrity of the programs, it responds by saying, "Our faculty, who also teach at regionally accredited universities...". This is a common response from many unaccredited institutions. It is interesting that they seem to be saying that one can rest easy because their faculty members are from regionally accredited schools. What confidence would it offer prospective students if the answer was, "Our faculty, who also teach at other unaccredited universities..." That they refuse to go the accredited route by inferring it is not necessary, but insist on hanging their academic credibility on the fact that their faculty are graduates of RA schools is interesting, to say the least.
You know what would be interesting? If these universities would post specific program or structural reasons why they are not accredited; if actual weakness (say, not enough books in the library) or arguably valuable innovation (fill in the blank as you wish), candor on the point would clear up many misgivings about sincere but unaccredited schools. And no, with rare exceptions such as BJU or WLS, religious blatherskite ain't what I have in mind.
ArsDigita University You want to see candour? OK, how about this: "We do not offer master's degrees because our courses are at the undergraduate level. We do not offer bachelor's degrees because (1) our on-campus students already have them, (2) we do not offer the kind of well-rounded education that one can get from a traditional four-year college. Thus we're not accredited because the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board only looks at four-year baccalaureate programs. [...] If ArsDigita University isn't certified and we do not certify students, how do we expect to compete in a credential-obsessed world?" http://aduni.org/~abangert/adu_archive/webpages/adu/ad_about.html
ArsDigita University is not a degree mill and is in fact closed. While in existance it did not charge any tuition!
Uncle, There is a well known annual pun competition here in Austin each year... The O Henry Pun-Off. Contestants work from categories. My favorite from several years ago came under the category "transsexual" - the contestant thought for a moment, smiled and said, "Susan B. Anthony." My second favorite was in reference to one of our Commanders in Chief... "Inhale to the Chief." Good night...
Universities have several, identifiable roles. One paradigm offers four: teach, research, serve, and credential. For-profit universities are often lacking in two: service and research. But there are even examples of these available, depending on your interpretation. Many students, graduates, and faculties of schools like Capella, Walden, and Phoenix serve society by accepting their roles in it, and they often conduct research--applied and theoretical--in a variety of environments, not just academic. K-W university may or may not teach. It may or may not have people connected with it who serve society. It may or may not have people conducting useful research and applying new knowledge in their respective fields. But where it clearly fails is in the role of credentialing its graduates. Degrees and credits awarded by K-W are not generally accepted as comparable to those awarded by properly accredited schools. And of the more limited level of acceptance that K-W degrees experience, some of that may be attributed to ignorance--employers accepting these degrees without knowing the true nature of the school.
Discussing Rich's credential role a little further. K-W also uses the distinct diploma mill practice of getting the candidate to believe that their life experiences have enabled them to earn a degree with significantly less academic work. It may or may not be true in a specific candidate's case. K-W apparently uses a relatively fixed formula of 5-7 classes per degree and uses "salesmanship" to wave away the difference between 5-7 classes and a real degree. This use of "salesmanship" instead of academic rigor to measure the academic value of the candidate's life experience, tells me that K-W is a diploma mill at its core.
