Article today in the Billings, MT paper on how Hamilton morphed into the equally fake Richardson and Wyoming officials just don't get it. http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/04/13/build/wyoming/35-online-school.inc
AP reporter gets it Yeah, looks like a slightly different version of maybe the same story as in the Casper Star Tribune, and linked-to by galanga over in this thread. If so, then I reiterate my observation that that Mead Gruver guy (who showed-up here sometime back and started this thread to begin to acquire some knowledge on the subject) really seems to get it... ...which, of course, is very cool!
The Wyoming legislature is clueless. The Wyoming anti-degree mill laws are some of the weakest in the country. In some states they may not vigorously enforce the laws but, at least the academic frauds have to worry a little bit that they might get arrested. In Wyoming they apparently don't even try very hard to enforce the pathetic laws that the legislature is able to pass. This scam artist has just stuck it in Wyoming's face. I think a few other less complimentary adjectives than clueless applies to Wyoming.
let's go to the beach! Recall that earlier stories have mentioned the free trips to Dubai (lovely beaches, there) and Pakistan given by Preston University to a pair of Wyoming legislators who came home and voted against the bill to require accreditation by (I think) 2007 for licensed schools. That's not clueless, that's...
And now we have the official band for the first annual degree mill convention, whenever that might occur: http://www.fearthegoat.com/MaINpAge.html
There was also a story on Hamilton in the Keys News (Florida) on Saturday April 9, 2005. Apparently the owner of Hamilton is Rudy Marn, a Keys resident, who operated Hamilton from the address of a former motel. Supposedly Hamilton is now disolved.
I'd love to have a link to the Keys article. 60 Minutes learned that Marn is apparently a pillar of the gay community there, grand marshall of parade, frequent donor to local causes, etc. But they chose not to put that in the story.
Here's a goatbag pattern that can be printed out and constructed into a genuine goatbag. http://www.pigs-etc.com/goatbag.html
Goatbag Investigations We have seen what happens when goatbags tangle with the likes of galanga, John Bear, or DegreeInfo. I found this example as to what happens when a goatbag tries to take on a Dodge Durango. http://captionthis.com/view.php?id=579&cat=1
Thank you, Ian. Having seen it now -- it apparently is the Associated Press story by Mead Gruver in Wyoming, picked up by the Florida paper. The Japanese public television crew (NHK) that spent 2 weeks in the US doing a degree mill story actually went to Wyoming twice (all four of them) in search of Marn, and to Florida, and also tried to reach him at his New York apartment, but apparently never connected. They will be airing a 30-minute program in early May. PS: They also took Ezell and me to a fugu restaurant in New York, but neither of us had the courage.
wow googling "Rudy Marn" reveals amazing results...looks like Hamilton is a highly profitable business...and there is even his phone number and adress on the net...
Could this be Mr. Marns partner in American State University? also based in Honolulu, this seems quite possible... http://www.starvedartists.com/storesv2/standard.cfm?Artistid=875&CFID=149866&CFTOKEN=15777424 "Starved Artists" seems to be misleading though
Calling all Degreeinfo members (even lurkers): If you are a resident of the good state of Wyoming (and even if you are not), please read on, and consider seriously contacting the Wyoming Legislature as soon as possible. Dr. Bear: I agree with you that "Wyoming officials just don't get it" and I also agree with Gregg that in all of the articles that he has written thus far, the AP writer guy, Mead Gulver, definitely "does get it." We need to help Wyoming officials to "get it," too! It really is becoming quite embarrassing how the good state of Wyoming is becoming known (among others), all over the world, as the place for a mill shill to be if one seeks to establish an unaccredited entity, or specifically, a profitable diploma mill. The question is this: How can we, as individuals and as citizens, encourage Wyoming officials (legislature, Wyoming State Board of Education, Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming Attorney General's Office, Wyoming Office of Consumer Protection, etc) to do something constructive about this deplorable situation of the state seemingly "turning a blind eye to the proliferation of diploma mills." Quite recently, a proposed landmark bill to require licensure AND accreditation of all private degree-granting operations (DL and B&M) in the state of Wyoming died an unfortunate and untimely death in the Wyoming Legislature. The proposed bill (SF0164 - Private school licensing-amendments-3), which was sponsored on a bipartisan basis by leaders of the Wyoming Legislature's Education Committee, died in committee on March 3, 2005, and did not get to the full floor for a vote. The full text of this "deceased" but promising proposed legislation is here: It is important that as many people as possible, preferably Wyoming State residents, contact the following members of the Wyoming Legislature Education Committee who sponsored this good bill, SF0164, to consider re-introducing it again in the next legislative session. It is my belief that all of us who are proponents of the expansion and enhanced accountability of legitimate DL programs in the entire US (and the world, even) will breathe a huge sigh of relief if and when Wyoming shows the way by passing this bill to become law. The members of the Wyoming Legislature Education Committee who need to be contacted and politely asked to consider re-introducing the SF0164 bill, are here: The legislature members who sponsored the bill also need to be thanked and encouraged to continue their efforts. They are: Senator(s): - Tex Boggs (D), [email protected] - Ken Decaria, [email protected] Representative(s): - Steve Harshman, [email protected] - Jeff Wasserburger (R), [email protected] (Disclaimer: If and when you do contact any Wyoming legislator (as suggested below), please identify yourself only as a supporter of DL or a concerned individual or a resident of the State of Wyoming. DO NOT claim to be speaking on behalf of Degreeinfo. I do not speak for Degreeinfo and I am not asking anyone who reads and acts on my post here to claim to speak for Degreeinfo. I do not recall the charter status of Degreeinfo and whether or not it can lobby/advocate on behalf of specific positions. But individuals, of course, can). Moderator(s): I hope it is not improper for me to submit this post seeking action via legislators. If it is, I apologize in advance and I am sure you will let me know about it. Thanks.
