Virginia International Univ.

The following is the exact response (cut-and-paste) I received from the Virginia International University when asked about their accreditation status.

Dear David,
Thank you for your inquiry and interest in VIU. Yes, VIU is an accredited instituition by Virginia Higher Education Instition. Our credits are recognized by all university in the United States. If you want to learn more about our university please see our website. We would like to provide you with the most current information about Virginia International University. I am sending you our e-mail catalogues and brochures version. If you want to know more about specific majors that are listed here, let us know. We will be glad to assist you. Here are the programs which VIU offers.


What's wrong with this picture? VIU is not accredited, period! Is this the response of an uninformed source or a blatant attempt to mislead?

 

Since Virginia International University is a strictly face-to-face institution (no DL), perhaps this belongs in the Off-topic forum?

 

Indeed it does, and that's why I moved it.


Bruce

 

You make a valid observation, David. If VIU is not accredited, why would they make such a statement?

 

Every time I see the subject line of this thread, I misread it as "Viagra International University."

That's not a statement about anything one way or the other; I just thought I'd drop in and mention it, as it seems like such a nice name for a school.


Cheers,

 

Am I alone in finding all of this bizarre?

What point is being made here? What is it that I am supposed to conclude?

VIU is being amateurishly presented? Yes. They should get a native English speaker to write their website text? Definitely. VIU is making misleading accreditation claims? Anecdotal reports suggest that. VIU is a degree-mill? Possible but unproven. VIU has relevance to DL? Little that I can see.

Rich Douglas made an ill-advised choice by associating with VIU? Possible but unproven. Rich Douglas' judgement has been proven worthless? No. Rich Douglas' association with VIU proves Rich wrong about any DL issue at all? No. Rich speaks for any of the rest of us? No.

Degreeinfo has been discredited? No.

Non-accredited schools have been vindicated? No. CCU has been vindicated? No. CA-approval has been vindicated? No.

Wes' views on DL have been vindicated? No. Somebody's disagreement with Wes' views has been discredited? No.

I still don't have a clue what any of this is about except that my gut tells me that it's all about "payback" and revenge.

Perhaps one of you psychologists out there can explain it to me. I have a degree in philosophy, but logic doesn't help until I can at least figure out what propositions are being asserted.

 

VIU is obviously not a degree mill, as there's simply no point to setting up a brick-and-mortar degree mill from a business perspective. There's a reason why the proverbial matchbooks don't say "Fly to our campus and attend classes for four years, then buy your bachelor's for $1695!"

I think it's also important to note that "Virginia International University" didn't make a misleading statement about its accreditation--one person at Virginia International University apparently made a misleading statement about its accreditation.

This is not something that one could reasonably expect an adjunct professor to know about in advance, so there's no reason why it would reflect on Rich one way or the other.



Cheers,

 

VIU

.

 

This was certainly not the purpose for my post, which questioned the misleading remarks of the person at VIU. What does Rich have to do with this anyway?

 

Re: VIU

(I love it!)

Knew I couldn't go through this thread without doing one of these eventually...

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU'RE ATTENDING VIAGRA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

10. The first six classes are free.
9. Sure, the football team's a little injury-prone--but their NASCAR record is flawless!
8. After all those lab courses, who feels like partying?
7. Two words: Grade inflation.
6. Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "stuck-up seniors."
5. Due to the school logo, all diplomas must be at least 11" tall.
4. For some reason, all male students insist on using handouts.
3. The commencement speaker: Bob Dole.
2. The school mascot: Secretariat.

And the number one sign you're attending Viagra International University...

1. The school anthem: "I'm Still Standing."



Cheers,

 

Wasn't DWCox giving him heck for teaching there as an adjunct? (Or is my 102-degree fever doing strange things to my mind?)


Cheers,

 

Re: Re: VIU

And who can forget their sister institution, Vulva U.?

 

I must have missed the in-depth discussion on this, however, my reference was made concerning statements of accreditation by someone at VIU.

 

See VIU Faculty & Staff

Faculty Members

...

Richard Douglas Financial Mmgt, Marketing Mmgt

 

I wasn't aware of this, so thanks for the enlightenment.

 

Right. I'm an adjunct at a start-up university in Virginia. Classroom-based, hoping to someday become accredited. The school has grown to more than 100 students, and expects to be over 200 this Fall. It has many hurdles to overcome on its way. But it is not different from any other B&M start-up. This is much ado about nothing. Thanks, Wes.

 

_______________________________--

Rich, I am not trying to give you a hard time. I do however, have a problem with knowing that you do not support unaccredited schools yet you teach at one. You have stated on COUNTLESS occasions that you simply could never justify recommending an unaccredited bachelor's when hundreds of accredited (even of RA) options exist. The fact that VIU is DL doesn't matter in the least. The argument can't be made that VIU is the only option for your students. Hundreds of accredited DL options exist, which render this argument invalid.

How can you stand in front of 15 or more students every week and participate in the very behavior (the risk of unaccredited) that you WARN so many vsitors to this NG about? You are participating in the very behavior that might cost your students thousands of dollars for a worthless piece of paper.

You don't know that VIU will ever gain accreditation! VIU certainly is off to a poor start by allowing an uninformed source to speak about accreditation and clearly confuse (possibly on purpose) the State license with accreditation.

Maybe you need to admit that your stance on unaccredited applies to some (colleges) and not to others. Quite possibly your stance has changed entirely. You see some unaccredited schools do provide a VERY good education. VIU might even be on this side of the road.

Again, I am not trying to give you a hard time, I'm just trying to understand what you're doing. I have for four years now valued your education opinion greatly. When the time comes for me to write a dissertation on the topic of accreditation I very likely will ask you to sit on my committee. Obviously, I'll be busy with ACCS for at least 2.5 years, and won't likely undertake the task of a dissertation for several years thereafter. I do however hope to maintain contact throughout this timeframe.

 

This just in: Virtually all accredited schools, including the most prestigious, once operated as unaccredited. Film at 11.


Cheers,

 

All of us are expected to act in a manner consistent with [our] beliefs at least those expressed publicly.

I have said all along that every unaccredited institution deserves the right to succeed (if not at least attempt) in the business of education. I believe some unaccredited schools provide a solid education and that the degree holders of these schools should be afforded the same respect as accredited degree holders. Don't confuse the issue at hand, which is I said "some unaccredited" not ALL. But this isn't true in the world we live in as it seems the only way Americans judge quality in education is by accreditation.

Unless, VIU gains accreditation within months, not years many of your students, if not most will have an unaccredited degree that might cause some of them emotional, and financial harm. How can you knowingly participate in this effort?

Why do I think VIU is misrepresenting or not wholly representing the product offerred? Because I asked them in person, and by email and on both occasions I was told that VIU was accredited. Furthermore, VIU makes no public statement regarding accreditation or lack-thereof on the VIU web site. VIU knows not to educate the prospective student for fear the prospective student will decline enrollment, and rightfully so.

This isn't your problem though, is it Rich? The fact that you feel so strongly about the issue (as expressed on this and other NG's) but look the other way, disturbs me. It seems you saw the writing on the wall, regarding MIGS and held out far to long before admitting the issue. Knowing what you know now, about VIU, you might want to see these issues corrected or step away form this institution. You already have the MIGS stigma, you don't need to be associated with another questionally institution or at least one that engages in misleading, or withholding important information. I'd tell VIU to make a posting on the web site or I'd get out.

If it smells spoiled, it just might be spoiled.

Rich, I mean no personal harm to you and to prove it to you I will stop the postings, but I will not forget the topic.