Are less-than-wonderful degrees still a problem in higher education?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Bruce, Apr 10, 2017.

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  1. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    It appears so.

    The thread about the high school reporters catching their principal with a phony degree got me thinking about the prevalence of fake or otherwise suspect degrees in academia. I used to search for these things just for sport, and it always shocked me at how easy it was to find people at legitimately accredited schools with less-than-wonderful credentials.

    I decided to take a look tonight, and while it doesn’t seem to be as prevalent as it once was (or maybe my Google skills have atrophied), but it was still fairly easy to reel-in a bunch of fish;

    Belford University - https://duke-jjnurseleadership.duhs.duke.edu/directory/person/jeffery-j.-mcneil

    Belford University - https://www.southwesterncc.edu/directory/employee/cynthia-m-brantley

    Belford University (David Teets) - Faculty - Blue Ridge Community and Technical College - Acalog ACMS

    Belford University (Kitty Koepping) - Directory: Part-Time Faculty - Hagerstown Community College - Acalog ACMS

    Rochville University - https://webapps.utrgv.edu/aa/dm/index.cfm?action=profile&user=frank.ambriz

    Rochville University - Justin Lerfald

    Rochville University (Charlotte A. Garrabrant – Nursing) - Faculty and Administration - Joliet Junior College - Acalog ACMS

    Rochville University (Michael Hiltbrunner, hilariously an Ethics teacher) - Directory - Mount Carmel College of Nursing - Acalog ACMS

    Those were just based on simple searching for the names of 2 LTW schools, and took about 15 minutes.
     
  2. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Probably a problem everywhere. Due diligence is so long overdue as to be classified as MIA.
     
  3. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Definitely.

    I've taught/teach at both RA and NA schools, and all of them did the right thing in requiring official transcripts sent directly from the school for all of my degrees.

    I know some crooked places will mail "transcripts", but you have to wonder what some places are thinking when they just take people's word for it about having a degree(s).
     
  4. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    That's good to see as I descend into my COB(Cynical Old Bastard) phase of life.
     
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I think it might well be, Bruce. The sport, as you aptly call it, has changed a bit. Unfortunately, there are 'way more "schools" to check, these days. And most of the grads of the past crop of mills have been outed & rousted etc. New phonies have taken their place. Once one set of names is exposed a new one takes its place. I doubt there are many St. Regis grads to be found on RA ground any more -- but back in the day...

    You tried with two of the oldest and best-known "schools" of the Axact (Pakistan) chain. Nowadays, they've created about 350 bogus universities, high schools and accreditors. And there are plenty of phony schools that have nothing to do with Axact. I've seen the "grads" pop up just about everywhere. Some years ago, Dr. Steve Levicoff reported in foro that he'd been considering signing up for a distance program at the local University I attended, here in Canada. He canned the idea when he found one of the instructors had a bogus degree. And yes, I've found them - on my own - at major RA US universities. There's a life-cycle to these things. Once one set of names is exposed and people are "outed" - a new one takes its place. I doubt there are many St. Regis grads to be found on RA ground any more -- but back in the day...

    There's just no end to it. Only the "University" names change. ...Oh, so many names! I notice we saw a High School principal with a Corllins "degree" exposed by student journalists, last week. Wow! That's the first Corllins exposure I've seen for a long time. Corllins is another Axact school, several years old.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2017
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I WAS WRONG! NOT AN INSTRUCTOR! A TEXTBOOK AUTHOR! Holy Moly! That was a long time ago! Years before my time on DI! I looked it up and tried reading for comprehension this time.

    It's here, from 2003. The "bogus" degree in question was from California Pacific U. That school was never accredited and closed amid litigation around 2002, IIRC. http://www.degreeinfo.com/off-topic-discussions/9388-wishes-more-wishes.html

    My apology to Dr. Levicoff for mis-stating the facts and to everyone if I have bored you with all this old, old stuff.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2017
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    No - that was Columbia Pacific that closed amid litigation, etc. California Pacific survived until around 2015 - no litigation I know of, but it was sold and the new owner received a citation from BPPE prior to the school's closing - and a fine.

    I think that textbook author Dr. Steve encountered likely had his doctorate from Columbia Pacific. California Pacific was a long-standing, legal-unaccredited school that taught solely business degrees. Columbia Pacific, never accredited, close amid litigation around 2002, IIRC. It's likely the school in question, as it conferred Psychology Doctorates and Cal Pacific never offered Psych degrees of any kind.

    All done, now (I hope).

    J.
     
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  8. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    Yes, it's real--Click at your own risk.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]



    Sadly it appears he's been very successful over the years. He also holds a real accredited D.Bag. I thought this website was a satire page making fun of him, nope, it's real. Read the FAQ's and listen to him explain away his fake degree, it's hilarious.

    Peter Sacco: Canada's Author of Best Selling Novels & Books Online
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2017
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    From recent article, linked on DI today, co-authored by Police Detective Nick Selby and Dr. John Bear:

    "Every year in the United States, universities award 45,000 legitimate doctorates, and another estimated 50,000 people buy themselves fake Ph.D.s."

    As long as fake doctorates outnumber real ones, we're not exactly winning the war, are we?

    J.

    PS. Full article here: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/04/11/spot-animposter
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2017
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    No - I was right. According to Dr. Levicoff's account, the author was also the course instructor. I'm getting paranoid about making errors, in my old age. Lighten up, Johann!

    J.
     
  11. Gabe F.

    Gabe F. Active Member

    These searches can easily be performed on LinkedIn as well.

    I logged into LinkedIn, entered "Belford Univerisity" (quotations included), and it yielded 1,482 hits under 'People'.

    A search for "Rochville University" yielded 1,273 hits.

    And since "Corllins University" has been in the news, I took a look there as well: 782 hits.

    Oh, and just for fun I searched "Saint Regis University", 23 hits, and "St. Regis University", 54 hits.
     
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure it's all that sad that Peter Sacco has succeeded, for two reasons:

    (1) Columbia Pacific degrees were always unaccredited - but at least they 100% legally granted - up to 1997, I think. Author John Gray (Men are from Mars, etc.) earned a Ph.D. from here, as did his ex-Mrs, Barbara DeAngelis, who also wrote relationship books. Columbia Pacific was a better (though unaccredited) school in its earlier years than in its latest years, which culminated in the litigation that closed it.

    (2) Sacco has done work in a few important fields - from battered women to bullying. Hopefully he's done some good. He's also provided some legit TV entertainment - never a bad thing.

    And come to think of it, he's also earned legitimate degrees to compensate for the shortcomings of the Columbia Pacific thing, so I'll cut him some slack. 13 years after Dr. Levicoff's post, he continues to teach at both McMaster University (which I attended) and Niagara University, across the border in NY State. He also started the Criminal Psychology program at my other alma mater, Niagara College. His website states that he received the excellence in teaching award at McMaster U., after 3 previous nominations. So he must be doing something right. He obviously isn't hiding anything from McMaster or Niagara U.

    Yeah - he's a tireless self-promoter all right -- but not a parasite, as I see it. He's atoned insofar as one can, for his one "clinker" degree, and the gift of gab likely makes him a good teacher. The type of guy students could listen to all day. Maybe they'll learn something. Maybe I'll learn something from him. I might drift back to campus this fall and take a course from him. I could do worse, I'm sure...

    If you want to get a good look at his page, try this link: Peter Andrew Sacco - Author of Best Selling Books & Novels Some of those links given previously just gave me single jpeg images.

    J.
     
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  13. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    I absolutely love the positive outlook you have on the situation. He still uses Doctor in interview and TV shows though. At any point could you sit for licensure as a Psychologist with them in Cali?

    Nothing can make up for those pics................
     
  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I don't think you do. You're just being a bit sarcastic - which is perfectly OK. Fire away!

    No, absolutely not - at any time. And I'm sure he didn't even try, either. And you'll notice, I didn't call him "Doctor." I As long as he's not in a clinic, treating someone as a health professional that he isn't , I'll let the "doctor" bit go. But I have a thing about people who use the title "Doctor" based on an unaccredited degree, in a health-care setting - mental or physical. It's not good at any time, when people umm...use the term "Doctor" loosely. Sad - but not criminal, as long as the dubious "Doctor" is not doing stuff he's not authorized to, by means of other, proper qualifications.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2017
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    To sum it up - the Universities and the College that employ him know all about the source of Sacco's doctorate, his good performance on the job and his other qualifications. Nobody's in the dark here and Sacco seems to be using his obvious gift of the gab for good purposes. I'll let it be.

    Wow, never expected to end up defending somebody that Dr. Levicoff had panned. He'll probably descend from his rig, flamethrower in hand. SSSSSSSSSSS! Yeowch! :shock:

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2017
  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Besides, how could you fire the guy who won the "Teaching Excellence" award - and was nominated for it at least four times? Careful, now! That might make you look silly! :laugh:
    And after all, what's he teaching at McMaster? Non-degree, night classes. So...

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 12, 2017
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Must admit though - in my own experience at that school, I NEVER encountered an instructor claiming a bogus credential. Mostly excellent teachers, with a couple of funny ducks thrown in, as there shall always be - at any school. But even the funniest of them had degrees from the proper places.

    J.
     
  18. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    No, I was being serious that's some legit good stuff you pointed out. I tend to see the bad a lot and its nice for someone to be able to see the good someone does for a change.
     
  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    OK Thanks - I misjudged. Do that a lot, lately. Must be old age. (Gotta be some excuse.) It would have been OK either way.

    J.
     

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