I work for a police agency that will accept RA or DETC degrees. I was surprised to learn that DETC accredited schools are accepted. But more surprisingly, my agency will accept a K-W degree as well. I tried to explain the differences in accreditation standards, but it fell on deaf ears. I speculate that as long as they can say that they have X number of officers with degrees, then they are happy because it looks good on paper.
That is one of the reasons why schools like K-W are still in business. I recently worked on assignment in an "organization within an organization" where everyone but four of us had doctorate degrees. Among the four of us that "lacked" doctorate, one confided in me she had K-W doctorate but was too embarrassed to produce it. She knew and she said it that she had been had by K-W for $3000.00. Another staff told me privately she was pursuing K-W doctorate but had to put it on hold for unspecified reasons. When I tried to tell her it was good idea she had it on hold since K-W was not yet accredited, it was received with mixed feelings and I had to back off. I know K-W WILL NOT FLY in this organization because when I told one of the staff where I was pursuing my degree, I was surprised when I was told the next day, that the school met their criteria. Obviously someone verified the school although I have not presented anything to them on paper. Of the four, it appears I was the only one actively pursuing an RA doctorate although the fourth person never spoke to me on his plans. I have since left the organization. My sojourn there was only temporary. The organization deals with health care research issues and publishes paper regularly on peer review journals. oko
Probably a better subject line might have been, "DETC is accepted by a police agency." Still it is rather worrisome that they have no clue. Not in regards to DETC degrees, because it's unclear to me that that would be a poor choice for a police officer, but in regards to K-W. Tom Nixon
Yeah, until somone raises a stink about public money being spent in that way, or someone passed over for promotion in favor of a K-WU grad decides to fight it. This stuff happens, and the publicity for the agency isn't good.
My law enforcement agency will accept RA and NA college degrees only. We will not accept KW, CCU, SCUPS or any other unaccredited degrees. While we are at 51% with AS/AA degrees or higher, we very concerned that the degrees are accredited. We have also formed partnerships with RA and NA on-line universities to assist officers in obtaining their college degrees.
Not accepting ANY unaccredited degrees seems reasonable to me. It might disallow a few real degree holders but it is much simpler. Also the number of bona fide unaccredited schools seems to be getting smaller. So the population size of these type of degree holders is shrinking, from a percentage perspective.
The vast majority of legitimate non-US degrees are unaccredited, although their government approval usually is equivalent to accreditation. I'm not aware that the number of legitimate non-US degrees is shrinking.
If I recall, you work for a Florida law enforcement agency. If so, perhaps you can explain to your agency that it is a violation of Florida Statute to use a K-W degree (see the respective 817.567 Florida statute below). Seems odd that a Florida law enforcement agency would not recognize, and perhaps endorse/sponsor, the commission of a fraudulent criminal act. The 2003 Florida Statutes Title XLVI CRIMES Chapter 817 FRAUDULENT PRACTICES 817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.-- (1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 1005.02, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is: (a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation; (b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government; (c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States; (d) Licensed by the [1] State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities pursuant to ss. 1005.01-1005.38 or exempt from licensure pursuant to [2] s. 246.085; or [Repealed] (e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program. (2) No person awarded a doctorate degree from an institution not listed in subsection (1) shall claim in the state, either orally or in writing, the title "Dr." before the person's name or any mark, appellation, or series of letters, numbers, or words, such as, but not limited to, "Ph.D.," "Ed.D.," "D.N.," or "D.Th.," which signifies, purports, or is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of a doctorate degree, after the person's name. (3)(a) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. (b) In addition to any penalty imposed under paragraph (a), a violator shall be subject to any other penalty provided by law, including, but not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator's license or certification to practice an occupation or profession. History.--s. 2, ch. 89-40; s. 32, ch. 94-310; s. 1039, ch. 2002-387. 1Note.--Section 246.031, which created the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, was repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387. 2Note.--Repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387. Similar material is now found at s. 1005.32 Source Link: http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/in...0817/ch0817.htm