This just doesn't end ....

Shortly after this recent fiasco with MIGS the admissions officer of the school, Ric Feinberg had contacted me. He had explained the issue to my satisfaction. I was at the point where I was cautiously willing to put MIGS back on my list of schools to consider.

Apparently MIGS has a talent for shooting themselves in the foot. I received an e-mail tonight from Bruce Forman, the Vice President of Academic Affairs for MIGS.

What follows is the complete text of that e-mail:
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You were evidently given materials that are outdated. Dr. Newman was offered the position as division head a long time ago and agreed to serve. After considering her schedule and her other obligations she decided against participating in our programs. We do not suggest that prospective students contact faculty until assigned to a Faculty Mentor because our faculty are part-time and often have full-time positions elsewhere.Please feel free to direct any questions about our institution to either Ric Feinberg or me.Bruce D. Forman, Ph.D.
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Apparently I was in error for contacting a faculty member without enrolling in the school first. I suppose I should have known that the materials were outdated also. (I mean it must have been obvious!)

I won't even touch the "agreed to serve" part since the person in question was unfamiliar with the program.

Anyway: This e-mail stands on it's own. Read into it what you feel is the correct interpretation.

(Chances are I won't be enrolling anytime in the next millennium!)

 

Wow ... I just re-read my first sentence in my above post. I'm sorry about the poor grammar. (It's late and I am tired and somewhat stressed.)

G'night.

 

According to my conversation yesterday with an officer of the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, a division of the Florida Department of Education, MIGS has been advised that absolutely no recruiting should be taking place from Florida until their licensure is approved. And, being that they had just received the application, a decision is not expected for a few months. The State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities said this applies to any recruiting regardless of where the prospective student is located.

I can now see why Enrique Serna (one of the owners of MIGS), in a conversation a few months ago, repeatedly told me that MIGS did not have any students (only two going through a simulation of the process, as it were), and were not recruiting any students. He told me MIGS had applied to the State of Florida for a license (damn, the mail is slow ) and to monitor the Web site, as there would be a “Grand Opening” announcement and then, and only then, they would begin recruiting students.

So what, exactly, are Ric Feinberg and Bruce D. Forman, Ph.D. doing?


Gus Sainz

 

Gus:

I had a similar conversation with the Florida officials on the 11th of this month. They had received an application for permission to operate in Florida from Enrique Serna. However, the application didn't arrive until May 29th, too late for consideration by the Board at its quarterly meeting on June 8th. (Therefore, it can't be considered at least until the next Board meeting in October.) Also, it was returned with many deficiencies cited.

Although MIGS (and, therefore, the CEU) doesn't have to be licensed by the state to operate the MIGS office, it/they do have to show that the degree programs offered are of the same quality and meet the same standard as applied to Florida-licensed schools. In other words, MIGS/CEU would have to operate at the same level as if it were to go through licensure itself. Serna's application did not attempt to demonstrate this.

They were also dismayed over the use of the term "accredited" at the MIGS website. They were okay with MIGS explaining why meeting Mexican standards met GAAP, what GAAP means, etc. But, rightfully, they didn't like the term "accredited" because that isn't factually what happens in Mexico. They really didn't like the use of the term "fully accredited," feeling that was particularly American and inappropriate for a Mexican school.

They also were furious (you should have heard the tone in her voice) over MIGS continuing to use a Florida address and a phone number that rang in Florida. Furious! As you said, MIGS has been informed not to do so until Florida gives the go-ahead.

I e-mailed these and other concerns to MIGS officials immediately after speaking with the Florida official. I was ignored.

So, what are they doing? Recruiting students and running degree programs would be my guess, just by looking at the website if nothing else. There's nothing there about the school not yet being operational. Oh, and the Florida contact information remains at:
http://www.degree.com/contact.htm


Rich Douglas

 

Well, it seems as though Sheila's minions (or Sheila herself) continue to actively read degreeinfo, because I just checked today, and the "contact" page has been updated and now refers inquiries to a PO box location in Monterrey, Mexico. I'm somewhat surprised they didn't choose Wyoming or Iowa or one of the other haven states.

However, I would be willing to wager that the toll-free number still rings in Florida. And it helpfully says on the message that applications can be downloaded from the website.

Since they cannot (i.e., aren't supposed to) take any action toward recruiting students until their Florida application has been approved, I am guessing that they've pulled the standard degree mill tactic of obtaining a PO box elsewhere from their regular operational location, along with a non-location-specific phone number.

I think that those interested should be sure to keep the Florida licensing authorities up to date on this. My guess is that it will be a little difficult for MIGS to claim that they're a Florida-based orgainzation not doing anything in Florida until their license is approved, while simuyltaneously recruiting people from a Mexican address... but this would seem to fit the standard operating procedures for Danzig organizations.

 

It appears to me that MIGS is more of a degree mill now than ever before. What little credibility they had was lost when Rich (and therefore John) resigned. It's a slippery slop they're on. Slipping down into pure degree mill territory is the easiest path. It appears they are doing more slipping down the hill than climbing up the hill.

 

This is off topic, but Iowa is no longer a haven. The stricter Iowa code requiring that schools have accreditation is being enforced, and "American World University" finally left the state (did so in mid-April). The mailing address skipped to South Dakota, then to Mississippi.



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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com