'Tis the season for threats: Stonebridge Associated Colleges

friendorfoe: "When was the last time degreeinfo received threats from UofP..."

Two of the most impressive legal threats I ever got were from the University of Phoenix.

The first came when they were very new, and I reported in Bear's Guide how the two major higher education associations in Arizona (one of faculty, one of schools) passed resolutions urging North Central not to accredit them. They, not I, used the words 'diploma mill.' UoP's law firm -- I've never seen so many engraved names on a letterhead -- demanded a public apology and retraction, and the immediate destruction of all books, sold or unsold, with that information included. They didn't deny it had happened, they simply said it was irrelevant and should not be in my book.

The second came when I wrote about how UoP opened its office in Stockton, CA, with a full-page ad in the Stockton Record, inviting people to join the distance and evening programs "of UoP." Didn't spell out the name of the school. Stockton's major resident university, the University of the Pacific, known locally as UoP, expressed major annoyance. This time, the letter from the law firm was a little more mellow -- I suspect they must have seen the humor in it -- but the retraction demand was firm.

I did not reply to either, but I did turn them over to the publisher's legal counsel, and she may well have communicated with the lawyers; I never knew.

 

DegreeInfo has never received a threat from UoP, in spite of the fact that, back in the archives, a lot of not-very-nice things were said about them.

Unlike the various diploma mills here (and say what you will, UoP is definitely not in that category), I suspect that UoP attorneys or staff were aware of the comments on degreeinfo and did, in fact, do their due diligence and figured out that they would do far more harm than good by threatening us.

However, we did receive a very cordial contact from them saying that they would be interested in promoting their program with us, that their president was available to speak with us to discuss any of our concerns, etc.

At the time, we felt that the with combination of negative commentary about UoP on degreeinfo, both from students and staff, that this was not a school we were interested in promoting, so we politely declined.

Given that they seem to have since cleaned up their act quite a bit, it would not be inappropriate for us to now advertise their program, but we haven't been doing much toward getting any schools to advertise with us recently

 

"Help! Help! My cachet has been stolen!"

The University of the Pacific (The first U.S. university on the West Coast, IIRC) is a very good school with a beautiful campus. Well, at least it looked beautiful to me who attended a CSU where the most of the early buildings were designed by a guy who primarily built state prisons. I lived in Stockton for many years, and a good friend received his bachelor's from there in philosophy. People in his workplace (a large government agency in California) constantly ask him, "You studied Platonic philosophy at UoP? I didn't know they offered that, I thought it was just business and IT stuff. You sure you really have a degree, mister?"

You have no idea of the depth of grievance one can have with a school they never attended until you ask my friend about Phoenix.

 

I noticed that one key difference here is that the school had actual lawyers contact you rather than the owner or CEO of the school threatening to have lawyers contact you. Kind of throws out a bit of contrast there...

 

My former company had a branch in Pueblo, CO. I was surprised that several employees had degrees from USC (University of Southern California). Turns out there was a University of Southern Colorado (USC) in Pueblo and the gate has a hugh USC sign on each side.

 

The true USC is the University of South Carolina

I guess you really can't copyright acronyms...

 

which is now known as Colorado State University Pueblo.