Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

I was watching Penn and teller BullXXXX tonight, and the subject was love scams. They had John Grey, the author of Men are from Mars, Women are fom Venus. They said he got his degree from a degree mill that was closed down (I was impressed they knew the term), I saw California in the title, but anybody know the details? I know it was in psychology.

 

Columbia Pacific University.

 

I am not a big TV viewer but I saw the last three programs by Penn and Teller -- I was quite impressed - they make you think and ask the kind of questions that could be a basis for a thesis or disertation topic. (I do not think the language will endear them to a some viewers).

 

"Gray."

He earned a bachelor's and master's from an unrecognized school, then took his Ph.D. from Columbia Pacific University. At that time, CPU was approved by the state of California. I don't believe Gray was ever licensed as a psychologist, however.

CPU wasn't a degree mill, ever. But it had both quality control problems and size, which made it a target of the state. I wish California would pursue some existing miscreants with similar vigor.

 

Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

Which one's did you have in mind, Rich?

 

Columbia Pacific was state authorized and, when the process became available, state approved from its founding in 1978 through about 1995. The two owners for all of this time were Les Carr (who had previously been president of two regionally accredited universities) and Richard Crews (whose MD is from Harvard). Graduates of appropriate programs in state-approved schools were, at that time, eligible to sit for the state licensing exams in psychology, marriage and family counseling, and for the bar exam, etc. but I think it is correct that Gray did not take any exams. Incidentally, I believe the Maharishi-involved school in Europe from which he got his Bachelor's and Master's moved to the US and was reincarnated as the regionally-accredited Maharishi University in Iowa.

Carr now runs Columbia Commonwealth University, Evanston, Wyoming, and says he will be pursuing regional accreditation. (He was the point man for taking Salve Regina University, Lewis University, and New College of San Francisco successful through regional accreditation, so his stated goals are not necessarily smoke & mirrors.) Crews is retired and living in Texas.

John Bear, who consulted with Columbia Pacific from
its planning stages in 1977-78 through 1982-83,
but no connection for more than 20 years.
http://circledance.tripod.com

 

From a postcard available here:-

"Men are from Earth, Women are from Earth - deal with it!"

 

Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

I do not know anything about CPU, but if it wasn't a degree mill then why was it shut down by authorities?

Also what is it that would seperate it from other schools that would be considered a degree mill?

 

Don't be so surprised that Penn and Teller new about Degree mills or any thing else...they are actually very intelligent and well informed and they are also associated with The CATO Instituted; a libertarian thinktank in DC.

 

Re: Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

CPU was considered one of the better California Approved schools at a time when standards were enforced.

CPU was among the largest of the California Approved schools. Much of the evidence presented by CPU indicated that their negative evaluation was predetermined and motivated buy education politics.

Many CPUgraduates taught at R/A schools.

 

I just do not understand what separates CPU and makes it not a degree mill if it had quality control problems and size issues.

Is PWU not CA approved? Do they not have quality control and size problems?

I looked at PWU's website and they require 120 credits for a bachelor degree. Are these not the same standards as other schools?

I saw the article on PWU which made me see it in a very bad light, but how is it that PWU is still CA approved and operating but CPU was closed down?

 

Re: Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

I think the fact that CPU was a pioneer in this field, that it required real work, that it used real, properly credentialed faculty, that it was, at one time, Approved when that meant something. Those are some of the reasons.

 

Diploma mills will list 120 credits on their fake transcripts. It's not the number of credits, but how those credits are awarded.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

How much work is real work? Some would wrongly argue that Hamilton required work even though it was just a little paper according to articles, and then others would argue that PWU and KWU require real work. As you know other schools list properly credentialed faculty. I am not saying either way what I think of CPU because I do not know, but I would like to know how it can be held in higher regard than schools that are still operating in that state. Does this have to do with relationships?

What caused them to become unapproved?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Men are From Mars - Women are from Venus - Degree Mill?

 

John Gray...

I didn't like John Gray even before I knew anything about the less than wonderful nature of his educational background. He's one whining, weasling, wimpy kind of guy to be handing out advice on how to "take care of business" for either sex....

He was very awkward on Penn & Teller's show whenever he thought the camera wasn't on him for the show - unfortunately for him, they showed all of it, his weird little asides included.

Gives me the heeby jeebies just thinking about it!

 

Re: John Gray...

What network is Penn and Teller's show on?

 

Re: Re: John Gray...

Showtime I think.

 

Re: John Gray...

Graduating from a CA-aproved school may or may not be "less than wonderful". That's in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

But personally, I am not willing to treat the CA-approved world quite so dismissively. There are several CA-approved schools that I'd be happy to attend.

Pretty clearly P&T got Gray onto their show through false pretenses. I doubt that he would have agreed to appear had he known that they would try to rip him a new asshole, just for their viewers' titilation.

So they blind-side him, and when he doesn't respond with TV-performer smoothness, that awkwardness supposedly discredits him still further.

To me, it's just sadism, causing people pain for sport.

 

Re: Re: John Gray...

True, except anybody called to be on a show should do their homework, he should have known, hey maybe he did and thought he would fair OK. One never knows.