Akamai University NOT spurious

Jack,

It is not unreasonable to expect a reply...but as you may have gathered from our previous interchanges on this forum and others, Akamai chooses not to argue and name call, but we will examine issues openly and cooperatively. I don't consider that "self-serving," just a matter of policy and a reflection of our character as an institution.

Let us then explore together:

...what is Akamai all about?

...what is our purpose?

...what do we really hope to accomplish in higher education?

...what are our plans concerning accreditation?

...how are we improving our educational matters in Asia?

 

What is Akamai all about?

As a young institution, Akamai University struggled with its statement of purpose, weeding out the unworthy elements and ultimately defining a path we were all willing to commit to in the long run.

Our name itself took two months of dialogue.... “Akamai”... meaning "wisdom and intelligence" in the Hawaiian language. A Hawaiian name was chosen to show respect for the culture on whose land we hoped to establish a respected institution.

Our mission statement took even longer to structure and in the end was more similar to that of a human service organization than most traditional institutions of higher learning. ."...dedicated to the betterment of the human condition and sustainability of the planet..." The fields of study at Akamai were selected to address this mission.

Our target audience...mid-career professionals ...dictated a vast array of expectations... bringing into focus individualized study, mentored independent study based in library research and reading, professional explorations and observation, outside training, field study and directed study, in support of the student's progress. To integrate these necessities, with the expectations of higher education mandated excellence in our faculty leadership. An inspection of our faculty leadership and our degree expectations will permit a detailed examination of our basis for quality.

Our educational models, mentored virtual learning, independent study and support seminars, and project-oriented learning environments, permitted us to provide the type of learning most similar to that now successfully provided to full time employed professionals.

At the onset of our institution, the founding members worked with me to structure a statement of our model and how it effectively responds to the issues of quality. I have attached a draft of that paper. Of course, we have evolved beyond that statement, but it will provide a basis for discussion.

Over the past three years, we have grown slowly, permitting us the needed time to mature our educational model, and more importantly, to build the structures necessary to assure academic excellence and the processes of quality.

If you will all allow, I will pursue the topics I have posted, after dialogue concerning this matter: What is Akamai all about?

Kind regards,

Doug Capogrossi

 

Thanks for your reply.
Jack

 

For all of Dr G's good intentions, once the name of his institution gets into the wrong hands - as it evidently did in some Asian countries - then the name is tanished.

The problem basically lies in the fact that Dr G and his team are academics. His providers in other countries are basically business people. Dr G wants to provide quality education; the business men want to turn a buck. Academic work going through the Hawaiian office is probably done to very high standards; the 'academic' work going through the overseas providers is usually copied off the internet and is of the lowest standards.

Dr G, I am sure most on this forum would strongly advise that if you wish to build a strong credible institution of learning, firstly, do not enter into agreements with 'education providers' overseas. If you do anything overseas, ensure that you have control over academic standards and processes. And secondly, think carefully about the wisdom of offering doctoral courses. They may be a popular course and source of income, but does it really fir with your longer term accreditation goals.

 

Hi Douglass: Thanks for the replies. Janko

 

Boy was that ever a good post.

(See, now I'm trying out different forms of rubber stamping.)

 

Re: What is Akamai all about?

A good example of your faculty leadership in Malaysia at your website;

http://www.akamaiuniversity.us/AAR.html#7 is

Professor Dr. Ben Lee, Ph.D., D.Univ
Chief Executive Officer and President


Would you care to comment in what way the above person qualifies for faculty leadership and also enlighten us;

1) Where this person got his professorship and on what basis?
2) Which University awarded him PhD? Was it earned or honorary?
3) Has this person ever taught a course? if yes where and when?
4) Who awarded him D. Univ.?
5) Does this person possess a bachelor degree? If yes from where?

all your great work will be a waste if you let the Akamai University ruined in the hands of these local agents. It is not only Akamai but all others including Irish International, Cambridgeshire , Southern Pacific University, Camden, Miwest, Dublin, Preston, Paramount University and many more are being left entirely in the hands of local agents in Malaysia and are nothing but diploma mills.

 

A Google search finds Dr. Lee's EDS Advance Academy advertising on a website that also has numerous ads for MLMs, steroids, get rich schemes (but not, I think, macarena lessons).
------------------------------
IT'S HERE! MBA, DBA & Phd without EXAMINATION
Categories: Mal-17 Date: 12/10/2004
Ad No. 205563
Contact: Rain Yew
Georgetown, Penang
Telephone:
E-Mail: [email protected]**SP**
FREE 2 DAYS SEMINAR. Normal seminar fees RM 2000. Now only pay RM 150 for 2 lunchs, 4 tea-breaks and lecturer's guide. This EDS seminar fee is fully sponsored by EDS Advance Academy. Certificate of participation jointly issued by EDS ADVANCE ACADEMY and AKAMAI UNIVERSITY, USA, wiil be awarded to all participants who have successfull completed this seminar.
To avoid dissapoinment kindly contact us to confim your attendence for this seminar. Or futher information.
KL: [email protected]
Pg: [email protected]
----------------------------------------
According to the Akamai website, Dr. Lee "was conferred with the Doctor of University Degree by Commonwealth Open University for his outstanding contribution towards executive education." The campus addresses I have for this school are a P.O. box in Spain and a convenience office in the British Virgin Islands. They wrote me last year that they no longer award doctorates based entirely on ones resume + payment. It will be interesting to learn where his Ph.D. is from as well as the answers to the rest of Wan Salleh's very reasonable questions.

 

Adamsmith stated: "If you do anything overseas, ensure that you have control over academic standards and processes. "

At the present time...we are fully revising all of our overseas affiliations...to assure that Akamai itself has full knowledge and oversight for ALL quality elements of the operations with each distance learning students. That does not mean that we did not have knowledge and approval over prior programs, but the proposed changes in daily operations and reporting requirements will better assure:

Quality of Curriculum. Careful review of all curriculum before implementation, with rework as needed, for each module to be associated with overseas affiliations. Curriculum must reflect the minimum expectations of similar degrees developed for the standard distance-learning student at Akamai. All programs will continue to be published to include the target audience, entry requirements, degree expectations, course descriptions and faculty listings. All changes and deviations from the published curriculum are required to be processed through the formal vehicles of review.

Quality of Faculty. Akamai headquarters in Hawaii is assuming ALL responsibility for approval and assignment of instructors and faculty-in-charge, and will be in control of periodic reviews and follow-up to assure maximum effectiveness of faculty orientation and training. The quality of faculty selection must meet the standards established by the University, including educational background and professional achievements. When possible, new faculty will be selected that have a maximum degree of practical experience in the subject matter to be instructed. New faculty orientation is being made easier by an expansion of the online guidelines for faculty and online forms and instructions.

Grading Standards. Akamai is mandating a broader diversity in grading the overseas modules, to include mandated readings and research in the scholarly literature...and these learning materials will be required elements of the citations and referencing of the literature (in Q&A essay-type exams and scholarly papers). Faculty have been provided a five-point grading structure to make their scoring more uniform for academic papers, with focus upon depth of research scholarship, completeness of referencing and citations, meaningfulness of the academic argument and application of knowledge, and quality of the written presentation. Students that fail in any one (or more) of these elements are required to complete a tutorial related to that review elements and then are expected to make the needed corrections and upgrades and re-submit the paper within the time allowed.

Quality Management. Final decisions concerning curriculum, faculty, instructional style, grading and scoring standards, promotions and student services only can go so far in assuring quality. Therefore, a seamless management system is being implemented, permitting synchronous communications with my office and the offices of other senior administrators and faculty. Daily telephone communications, continual exchange of emails, better assure that minor matters are handled appropriately. Akamai is also expanding the information online concerning standards, policies and procedures, and appropriate forms and instructions, making all things more uniform across the institution.

Integrity in Promotions. In all promotions, Akamai initiates and approves materials at the draft stage. All promotional materials MUST fully include the disclaimer related to accreditation. The promotional plans must be written and submitted for discussion and approval before any materials are distributed to the general public.

Expanded Refund Policy. To assure integrity in our outreach and recruitment, students in Asia are provided a 60-day full refund of tuition paid. This longer refund period will permit the student to assess the quality and meaningfulness of the modules and more fully explore and discuss the appropriateness of Akamai as the degree-awarding institution.

These are not the only matters under discussion...but they are the quality issues that have my attention at the present time.
******

Wan Salleh brought to the attention of the forum, Dr. Ben Lee as an example of the poor quality of our faculty in Malaysia. Let me state that Dr. Ben Lee has not been assigned to instruct any Akamai students, nor is he in charge of curriculum or faculty selection in Malaysia, as these matters are handled by the University administration. Dr. Lee is performing well as the chief adminsitrator over scheduling and coordination of an element of the program, we call seminar support. His crew organizes the facilities and manages the particulars to assure our faculty have the very best of accommodations and instructional tools to do the job of the support seminars for our distance learning students in Mayalsia. Although our students are NOT graded for simply attending the seminars, they are provided a small portion of the course grade for the quality of their individual and group participation in the activities of the two day seminars...and a portion of the credit award (one credit) is associated with the support seminars.

I hope this information will help!

Doug Capogrossi

 

Doug,

The website describes Dr. Lee as the President and CEO of the center, as well as a professor. Is that a mistake?

BIOGRAPHIES OF THE PRINCIPALS

Chief Executive Officer and President
Academic Director
Program Coordinator (Asia Pacific)
Academic Consultant
Program Consultant (Strategic Development)
Institutional Development Director

Professor Dr. Ben Lee, Ph.D., D.Univ
Chief Executive Officer and President
Dr. Lee, is the CEO and Founder of EDS ADVANCE ACADEMY Sdn Bhd, a company established to meet the rapidly growing demand for skills development among business owners, professionals, engineers and executives in the Asia-Pacific Region and in particular to provide up to date management knowledge and practices in various fields of management through it's unique EDS (Executive Development Seminar) seminar support programs. Under the direction of Akamai University administration, Dr. Lee provides leadership for seminar support programs in Asia-Pacific region. He is a mentor and advisor to many graduate students in the executive training programs and a member of the Mind Science Association of Malaysia, a non-profit organization established with the aim of sharing the secret power of mind to enhance our lives for better success, happiness and wealth. He was also the member of Malaysian Invention and Design Society. Dr. Lee travels occasionally as a public speaker and seminar leader.
Tom

 

A snowball that can't be stopped before it's too late?

Dr. Capogrossi,

I'm guessing, by your post count (only 4, at this writing), that you signed-up here pretty much just to start this thread. And don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did; and that an opportunity for the conversation that's now going on here was presented. I'll also take at face value your apparent sincerity.

But I have to ask: Did you adequately research the various degree forums out there before choosing this one to make your case? I mean... I ask only because I'm starting to get the impression (and maybe I'm wrong, but it's just a gut feeling) that you thought you could come here and proffer your Akamai spiel without anyone significantly challenging you or it. Indeed, I can think of several places where that would have been the case, but not here.

Instead, what I'm starting to worry (for you) will happen (if it hasn't happened already), is that all of Akamai's infrimities -- whatever they may be, or those of its agents -- will be exposed and examined as they might never have been had you not chosen this particular, and particularly questionable-entity-intolerant, place to attempt to rehabilitate Akamai's image.

There are some fairly bright people around here who pretty much know what's up -- some of brightest of whom you've either now heard from or are about to -- who will get to the bottom, one way or another, of just about everything you write... and will write what they discover here, too... as you're now seeing.

I'm thinking maybe you should decide (or, if it's already too late to stop the damage, then should have decided) if that's really what you want(ed) to happen.

Just a thought. I have so few that I tend to just blurt them out like this whenever one wanders into my largely vacuous cranial cavity. Sorry this one was aimed at you.

 

I for one think that Dr G is completely genuine in what he says about Akamai.

However, I think that Dr G has been completely mislead by his overseas affilates - some poor choices, especially in Malaysia.

I am hopeful that Akamai will withdraw to the US and focus on establishing what may grow to be a very credible institution.

 

I would also say to Dr G that it is better to graduate 5 good graduates a year in the early stages than 100's of rubbishy 'students', even if it hurts the bank balance.

In the education game, you have to focus upon and be passionate about quality education regardless of the cost. However, when the public finally realises and are convinced that your institution and people are genuine about good education, the students and the money will eventually flow...

 

Just curious because the jury is our for me on this fellow and this school: What have you read that makes you think Dr. G is genuine?

 

I've been calling Dr. Capogrossi "Dr. G." (Wrong initial). Sorry about that. BTW I'm not trying to be negative. I'm not sure myself how to differentiate a good unaccredited university with good potential from the other unaccredited schools. It sounds like Dr. Capograssi wrote some things that some of you found encouraging. I was just wondering what caught your attention?

 

Patsfan:

I don't think you can in DL. Unaccredited DL schools have behaved so badly that I don't even think it is worthwhile to try to figure them out. And as an unaccredited school in Hawaii it must be a tough sell what with J. Brunton's crack "Hawaii U- A" team on the lookout.

Dan

 

Gregg L. DesElms stated:
"Did you adequately research the various degree forums out there before choosing this one to make your case?"

Gregg, I have known about DegreeInfo for a number of years, and became familiar with the forum because of the work of Dr. John B. Bear. Dr. Bear and I first spoke by telephone when I was still employed at Cornell University in 1994, before my tenure began as President at Greenwich University. He had warned me to look carefully at the background and principals at the institution.

Over the years, Dr. Bear has been a trusted colleague in my battle against poor quality among distance learning schools. We both did our best at Greenwich University to bring it up out of the grassroots. From the records he left behind, it was clear to me he took a no nonsense approach in his efforts to develop the school. I followed his footsteps and they led by the way of quality and integrity.

When I took leadership in structuring the update to the Hawaii law (HRS446E) governing unaccredited degree granting institutions in the State of Hawaii, Dr. Bear was again a trusted advisor. From time to time, in my work at both Greenwich and Akamai, I received questions of concern from Dr. Bear. His inquiries into the “goings on” at those institutions have always been firm, fair and friendly. On occasion, Dr. Bear has alerted me to matters that needed to be brought to my attention…that needed action. At other times, he made contact to request my assistance in identifying the authenticity (or lack thereof) of distance learning schools in Hawaii.

While I have tried on a few occasions to meet Dr. Bear personally, I have not yet had the privilege. Nevertheless, I have trusted and enjoyed Dr. Bear's professional companionship these many years, and I trusted that he would not long yoke himself together with unethical characters. These are the reasons, Gregg, why I brought my case to DegreeInfo.

If we truly are who we say we are at Akamai, and I know in the end you will find us genuine, we have nothing to fear ... the foundations are meant to shake, so that afterwards, only that meant to remain standing with remain.

DrCapogrossi

 

I have just visited the Akamai website for the first time. It was very attractive and presented much information. I spent a very few minutes looking at the programs that were immediately interesting to me (there were three) and I copied down the names of the four primary faculty members of one of these programs. I did this in order to apply the famous "google test." Of the four faculty members listed, three came up completely blank. This is not consoling. The fourth member, Stanley Krippner PhD came up pretty big with over 300 hits on google. Dr. Krippner works in more than one academic department at Akamai and seems to work at more than one university. That's OK with me, I travel in my job too. I didn't see any information related to costs and that always makes me uneasy. I've emailed the university for that information and I'm sure that it will be forthcoming. Overall, my feeling at this time is that this school is like Walden or Saybrook or CIIS in their early days. If this impression holds true then we can expect good things from Akamai in the future.
Waiting for info,
Jack

 

Does anyone know if azad is in Hawaii?

Jack

 

DesElms:

"Dr. Capogrossi,

I'm guessing, by your post count (only 4, at this writing), that you signed-up here pretty much just to start this thread. And don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did; and that an opportunity for the conversation that's now going on here was presented. I'll also take at face value your apparent sincerity.

But I have to ask: Did you adequately research the various degree forums out there before choosing this one to make your case? I mean... I ask only because I'm starting to get the impression (and maybe I'm wrong, but it's just a gut feeling) that you thought you could come here and proffer your Akamai spiel without anyone significantly challenging you or it. Indeed, I can think of several places where that would have been the case, but not here.

Instead, what I'm starting to worry (for you) will happen (if it hasn't happened already), is that all of Akamai's infrimities -- whatever they may be, or those of its agents -- will be exposed and examined as they might never have been had you not chosen this particular, and particularly questionable-entity-intolerant, place to attempt to rehabilitate Akamai's image.

There are some fairly bright people around here who pretty much know what's up -- some of brightest of whom you've either now heard from or are about to -- who will get to the bottom, one way or another, of just about everything you write... and will write what they discover here, too... as you're now seeing.

I'm thinking maybe you should decide (or, if it's already too late to stop the damage, then should have decided) if that's really what you want(ed) to happen.

Just a thought. I have so few that I tend to just blurt them out like this whenever one wanders into my largely vacuous cranial cavity. Sorry this one was aimed at you."

--------------------------------------------------

Great post Gregg!!!

Thanks for letting me borrow your stamp!