Western Colorado University, Grand Junction

Any one out there know anything about this school?

 

This school offered non-residential degrees in many fields at all levels. They claimed accreditation by the unrecognized National Association for Private Nontraditional Schools and Colleges, with whom they shared staff and office space. Financial problems set in, and it seems that the doors were closed in the mid-1980s.

The above paraphrased from BG14.
Jack

 

WCU

Jack, What is BG 14? I do know they offered many degrees, but they did require 30 days residency and required face to face defense of dissertation. John Curtis was President. The school might have had a chance today but from what I hear North Central viewed non-traditional education as a big joke during this time.

 

Western Colorado University didn't just share office space with the NAPNSC, WCU created NAPNSC when it became convinced it would not succeed with its RA, the NCA.

As I remember, Western Colorado's materials were more substantive than some other unaccredited schools. I received my first package from them around 1980.

I don't recall any residency requirements.

John Curtis, as reported by John Bear, held his doctorate from East Coast University, a diploma mill that Curtis (and his wife, who also helped run Western Colorado and also claimed a doctorate from East Coast) claimed was a legitimate bible school when he "attended."

It was not the NCA that did in WCU, it was the state of Colorado. The NAPNSC survived, but never thrived--as is well-documented on this board and elsewhere.

"....but from what I hear North Central viewed non-traditional education as a big joke during this time."

Ummmm, no. NCA had already granted candidacy to UECU. It considered the same with Clayton before that school couldn't live up to the challenge. It would very soon offer candidacy to Walden and the International Graduate School. The UWW blossomed under its watch, as did other nontraditional programs like those at Antioch and the University of Phoenix.

(All of the above is from memory; don't make me pull out BG 6.... )

"BG 14" refers to the 14th edition of Bears' Guide, which has had a few different titles and publishers over the years. BTW, BG 15 is now available.

 

At the time I visited WCU, 1979, it was definitely 100% nonresident.

John Bear

 

Western Colodado U

In 1977 I talked twice with an employee of North Central about WCU. The derisive tone and general manner of individual was a real turn off. Of course, attitiude has changed. It is a fact that the School required 30 days of on-campus classes as part of the rquirement for a doctorate. All the profs in the catalogue, except a Dr. M. Singh, had a doctorate from an accredited University. Yes, the Curtis' had phoney PhDs but they were known as good, sincere administrators by the alumni I have talked with over the years. One, I know, received his PhD in clinical psychology and went on to be licensed in Indiana.... Back in the days when APA had not yet put alligators in the moat. Dr. Bear never reported this school as anything resembling a mill.

 

Re: Western Colodado U

Nor has anyone done so in this thread.

Awhile back I was fooling around and doing searches on Google, looking for references to old-time unaccredited schools and diploma mills. The two that stood out to me--because I always felt they were a bit obscure and had both been out of business for awhile--were Western Colorado and Indiana Northern. Those schools put out a lot of degrees. And my recent research implies that "real sounding" names like those--and like Columbia State--can improve the acceptability of one's degree(s). And having a degree from a school with a funny sounding name--like Education America or Capella University--seems to have the opposite effect.

I wish Union would fix its name (once and for all).

 

union institute & university

I think it just has if the Ohio Board of Regents don't shrink it down.

 

Rich,

I agree with this statement. I don't know why Capella didn't think of using more credible names. Since they are located in Minneapolis they could've considered: Minneapolis University, or University of Minneapolis, or even The Minneapolis Institute.
As far as I know there isn't a school of higher education that is using the name of this city. Capella could've taken advantage of this.

And about Union. I think that Union Institute sounds better than Union University IMO. They can get rid of the Union name all together and call themselves Vermont University.

Argosy sounds like, "aaarghhhhhh!!!!!"

-S

 

Union Institute and University is awkward-sounding. I, too, liked "The Union Institute" better. They wanted to "universitize" the school, but probably felt beholden to the "Union" legacy.

A completely new name was, and is, in order.

Vermont University in Ohio? Why not? There's Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

I even like Arrrrrrrrggggghhhhh-osy better.

 

Graduates of Union

The history of official "The Union Institute" designation is I am a graduate of the "Union Graduate School."

 

Two proposals:

Cincinnati Union College and University

Skyline University (though this might get a chilly reception locally).