Azteca University - International - Foreign Credential Evaluation

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Garp, Jul 27, 2022.

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  1. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    We have had a lot of discussion about Azteca. On one of their FB pages they posted the Foreign Credential Evaluation of one of their graduates. It lists the PhD as equivalent to a US Regionally Accredited PhD.

    The service is the Foreign Credentials Evaluation Service. Doesn't appear to be part of NACES but claims recognition as noted below and by various state education boards (for Teacher Certification). The founder is allegedly a former Higher Education administrator.

    Note that the de-identifying is my doing.

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    "FCSA evaluations are accepted by INS, the Texas State Board of Education, Motorola, Dell, colleges and universities throughout the country, immigration attorneys, and the Texas State Board of Professional Engineering, among others. FCSA’s director, Dr. William Paver, has extensive professional experience in the field of credentials evaluation.."
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2022
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  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'm impressed. Not necessarily all that impressed with Azteca, but definitely with Dr. Paver. Foreign Credential Services of America has been open since 1987, they say. Dr. Paver's background includes 25 years of high-level experience at two major Universities and work with AACRAO. His linked-in page is here. https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-paver-598996b4
     
    Garp likes this.
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    NACES, like accreditation, is a private affair. There is no reason not to expect non-NACES members to have an audience. But to what extent? How useful will this foreign credential evaluation be? And the credential itself?

    At what point does multiplying by fractions give us a less-than wonderful result?
     
  4. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    The problem for cacoleman seems to be actually getting them to respond to his inquiries followed by receiving his degree (assuming dissertation revisions and so on passed) . If he ever does, I would suggest getting the Evaluation as soon as possible. On a spectrum, it is something in terms of credibility and he got a bargain in terms of tuition.
     
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  5. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    Unless it's a NACES member, it will carry little weight. Most organizations will require an evaluation from a NACES member organization, often with a preference for WES or ECE.
     
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  6. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    They list a number of entities both private and governmental that accept their Evaluations (as well as unnamed State Ed Boards for Teacher Certification). Possibly on the strength of Paver's background. In any case, I think cacoleman simply wanted the degree for his own personal benefit. Therefore, this Evaluation (backed by some official recognition of the Evaluator) gives him added credibility and would seem to be a worthwhile investment.
     
  7. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    Basically it depends on each persons scenario and situation, I would put more focus with finding the "right" evaluation agency for you, there are many that are accepted by specific government departments or industries, it all depends on that particular division looking at your credentials and the requirements they deem acceptable. Mainly people choose ones acceptable for use when they're in search of advanced placement, transfer credit, or recognition...

    It really doesn't matter if these credentialling evaluators are recognized by "everyone". There are two member agencies that most credential evaluation services will fall under, AICE and NACES, these guys above are part of the AICE member list, Evaluation Service Providers | AICE - Association of International Credential Evaluators. Inc. (aice-eval.org) - I would highly recommend any agencies that are members of these two.

    There were mentions of California University FCE as being "bottom of the barrel" and recently mentions of Validential, both of which is not part of AICE or NACES, but they get plenty of business and authorizations from colleges and industries to evaluate employee foreign credentials. I have seen several "non RA" institutions that don't even have proper accreditation from their respective countries actually getting MBA or DBA US RA equivalency.
     
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    You can find non-member (of anything) "agencies" out there, as I have said a few times, that will likely evaluate your Prague, Czech Republic driver's license as equal to an RA Master's in something-or-other, maybe Traffic Management, I dunno - and print you up a diploma-looking thingy that appears "University-ish" and says exactly that. IF you pay the fee. Now, people here seem to have differing estimates of the relative values of NACES and AICE - and I'm fine with that. Both sides, fire away - express yourselves. But those "agencies" which have neither -- let us not mention them again. OK? Please?
     
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  9. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Or AICE that is also respected in the field.

    I'm not familiar with Azteca, what is their recognition status?
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2022
  10. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    NACES is like AACSB while AICE is like ACBSP or IACBE.
     
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  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Lerner, Azteca has full recognition with the Mexican Government. There is a caveat, though,

    In the Mexican system, besides the institution being recognized, each degree taught is recognized (or not) by means of an individual, numbered RVOE,(Reconocido de Validez etc.) Azteca (and other recognized Mexican schools) may, as they wish, teach degree programs that have the RVOE recognition, and others that do not (no RVOE). They do not have to seek this permission for every degree program they teach. These degrees without RVOE, from a recognized school, are "propio" or "own title." Such degrees are perfectly legal, but often carry restrictions in their country of origin - e.g. not acceptable for government jobs.

    The RVOE degrees usually receive different (and better) evaluation from Credential Evaluators outside Mexico.

    Azteca seems to be quite heavily involved in dual and sometimes triple-award programs with other schools, outside its own country. That's a caution flag, to me. Some of those other schools ....
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2022
  12. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Thank you Johann,
    Now I understand.
    I guess I'm getting forgetful. Once you mentioned "propio" I remembered a number of treads here about it.
     
  13. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Azteca "may" work for some people (eg cacoleman if he can ever get his degree from them). It is inexpensive but $5,000 is expensive if the degree won't meet your needs and you invested time you can never get back.

    They are accredited to offer an EdD. The long list of PhDs are proprio. And actually according to them non nationals won't get the RVOE stamp of approval on the EdD so it is technically proprio too. I suspect someone would do better with the EdD because the school is recognized AND authorized to award EdDs. A person looking at the degree may not care beyond that based on those two factors.

    In short, not to be entered into without thought.
     
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  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    An employer - very possibly. I doubt a professional credential evaluator would overlook the missing RVOE stamp. And an evaluation is needed more often than not. Some people like crapshoots ... until... "Unlucky player - sevened-out. New shooter comin' out." :)
    True words!
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2022
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  15. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Most people will only need an evaluation once, and in that vein all that matters is that you go with an evaluator that the institution you need to submit to accepts. There is some strategy to consider, because if the institution accepts evaluations from more than one evaluator you'll want to do some research to find out which one will possibly give you the most favorable evaluation. Schools are generally going to be the most likely to have a favorite or a list of favorites. With jobs, there is likely to be more flexibility. Some have found that having an evaluation from any reputable agency already in-hand can work well with employment.
     
  16. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    One of the things I've learned from researching and watching the Spanish propio situation unfold the past 2+ years, is that some evaluators don't care about the accreditation status of the degree program in its home country, they only consider if the program itself is equivalent to U.S. RA based on the merits of the program itself and nothing more. That surprised me because I was always under the impression that if a program was unaccredited in its home country it would be deemed unaccredited by all U.S. evaluators.
     
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  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Surprises me too. A list of those evaluators would be handy! Propio-wonks need to know! Maybe the 'house' will lose its inbuilt advantage and the Mob will have to stop running the casino. Arriba las Grouponistas! :)
     
  18. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    ECE (NACES) is one, Validential (not NACES but has a respectable reputation of acceptance with some states and schools) is another, feedback from IEE (NACES) is that they will evaluate propios as RA grad diplomas or certificates and sometimes for credit. ACEI (AICE) will evaluate them for RA credit only.

    Now of course, each program will have different outcomes so one propio program may get outright rejected (no evaluation), another might get evaluated as a high school diploma (I kid, lol). You never know with evaluators. I've read of very well-respected Doctorates being evaluated as Master's degrees. Anything can happen.
     
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  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Looks like I was right. It IS a Mob-run Casino. Like old Havana! Or Vegas in the late 40s and 50s. Good times! What's not to love? :)
     
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  20. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Give that man a solid-gold telephone.
     
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