American Liberty University

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by peng88, Jul 12, 2007.

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  1. peng88

    peng88 New Member

  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Doesn't look good

    If you mean this place, they claim to be state licensed by Alabama, which is worthless even if it's true.

    -=Steve=-
     
  3. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    I think that they were recently claiming to be in Billings Montana too. But now it seems that they are planting themselves in Fullerton California.

    The California BPPVE is temporarily defunct and have taken down their directory. But the state Employment Development Department has this for American Liberty:

    http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/aspdotnet/databrowsing/empDetails.aspx?menuChoice=emp&empid=561612854&geogArea=0604000059

    But despite only having 1-4 employees, American Liberty is nothing if not ambitious.

    http://www.aluniversity.edu

    Their School of English obviously needs upgrading.

    And I notice that they offer "degrees" in subjects (nursing, acupuncture, chiropractic, engineering, psychology, physical therapy) that are regulated by law here in the United States. It's hard to imagine that an American Liberty "degree" would qualify anyone to practice in these fields and practicing without a license could be a criminal offense.

    Not only is this thing academically doubtful, it could very well be dangerous both to its customers/"graduates" and to their would-be patients and clients.
     
  4. peng88

    peng88 New Member

    Thank you Bill Dayson for replying. Your insight into this institution will save a lot of hassle, sweat and tears. It seems to me that it may just be another fly by night operation on the prowl for unsuspecting onlookers.
     
  5. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Soltani incorporated them in California in 1999 and in Alabama in March 2001.

    Their so-called move from California to Alabama brings to mind Jess Unruh's comment when California Superintendent of Public Instruction Max Rafferty moved from California to Alabama, "thereby raising the average level of intelligence in both states."
     
  6. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    They also still claim approval by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. Wonder how long it'll take to get that updated. Or maybe the California legislature and the governator will find some way to create a new BPPVE (maybe even one with enough funding to have some teeth) relatively quick-like. Who knows?
     
  7. peng88

    peng88 New Member

    Can Soltani be trusted as the owner of the institution?
     
  8. slycordinator

    slycordinator New Member

    For acupuncture, most states require that you have taken the NCCAOM licensing exam and to do that you have to have gone to a school that's accredited by the ACAOM. And lo and behold, this school isn't accredited and is not in candidate status for accreditation. So if you went there and wanted to practice you'd have to choose either a state that doesn't license acupuncturists or jump through hoops to prove you know your stuff (assuming you really do).

    Here's a telling sign:
    From their website:
    In other words, they're telling you "We can't guarantee which states you can work in" unlike the schools that are accredited.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2008
  9. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I watched the video, and saw their campus buildings are huge. I don't know if they just rent only a small office in that building. Just like my friend, who open a business...and has an office mailing address. But that office mailing address leads to a Postal Office Box.

    I would recommend stay away from any school are not DOE or CHEA.
     
  10. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    My response today to an overseas inquiry about American Liberty University

    I'm not very familiar with ALU, but from the examples of poor writing on the website, I would judge it as a non-standard institution of higher learning. Moreover, it offers so many different degree programs that it seems unlikely that the quality of the scholarship is high.

    The University claims to be state-approved in Alabama, which probably means that is operating legally and providing some value to it's students. However, in the States, regional accreditation is very important and ALU has not achieved it, which means those degrees are academically worthless here in the States. You can read more about it at this thread:

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=27024&highlight=american+liberty+university

    I'm sympathetic toward small, less expensive academic institutions without regional accreditation, but they are not useful for obtaining academic credentials. (Academic freedom here in the States is a messy business, where schools can operate legally and provide some good value to students, but not be recognized as "academically legitimate".) Those schools are certainly non-standard and possibly substandard.

    I hope it helps.
     
  11. raristud

    raristud Member

    Hello Peng. The council for higher education accreditation has a database of college and universities that are accredited in the United States and abroad.

    "The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database lists more than 7,600 degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and more than 18,700 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.

    I did a search on the Chea website and found no listing for American Liberty University. I do encourage caution. If you are interested in finding a distance learning program offered by an college or university that meets your needs, we'll be glad to help.

    http://chea.org/search/default.asp
     
  12. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Just to qualify the italicized words above based on some feedback... The unaccredited degree may not be academically worthless in the sense that it prepares one to teach in another discipline with respect to subject matter expertise. However, the unaccredited degree is nonstandard by definition, which substantially diminishes its value in the eyes of those unwilling or unable to assess it.
     
  13. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    But what if the claim is untrue?

    According to ALU's website:
    However, American Liberty University does not appear on the ADPE's current list of licensed schools.

    I suspect that ALU may have been licensed in Alabama at one time. However, Alabama recently toughened its licensing rules, and has denied relicensure to many unaccredited institutions. Might want to check with ADPE to see if ALU's claims regarding Alabama licensure are in fact valid.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2009
  14. liposuctionguide

    liposuctionguide New Member

    LipoSuction Guide

    American Liberty University is currently operating in Malaysia through its "affiliated campus". Not a good school.
     
  15. raristud

    raristud Member

    Do you give discounts for liposuction? :D
     
  16. AussieInLondon

    AussieInLondon New Member

    I have a serious question about this establishment. Here in the UK my wife was treated by one of the "graduates" of American Liberty University with a B.A. in Oriental Medicine, including acupunture.

    My wife has been in agony for the last 2 weeks and has needed specialist "regular" Doctors to stem the pain and emotional damage caused by this treatment which was witnessed by 30+ women at a club for the graduate to demonstrate her skill and how she could help them.

    While not looking at a litigious response, yet, I need a quintessential answer to the question that started this thread...

    IS THIS BODY OF LEARNING GENUINE OR NOT?

    Is the person that worked on my wife legitimately qualified to do the treatments a BA from this establishment?

    I want to stop ANYONE else from being subjected to such reckless abandonment of valid skills that this individual obviously demonstrated and has been ratified by the the other witnessess to the demonstration.

    The course was a 3 year course here in the UK.

    The website is (I was hired to design and develop it) - Su Wen Oriental Medicine

    Please help me with an answer ASAP if you can, ANYONE!

    Tia,
    Mark
     
  17. AussieInLondon

    AussieInLondon New Member

    Hi Everyone,

    New to the forum. Would really appreciate knowing if this Unversity IS valid to issue BA's for Oriental Medicine in the Unitied Kingdom?

    From what I have seen in this thread, there are questions regarding it's validity in the US.

    I have a friend who is thinking of taking a 3 year course in Oriental Medicine for a BA here in London from this establishment.

    If they could be giving up 3 years of their life, not to mention the money, on a BA that will not be recognised, I would really like to help her from such a monumental mistake.

    Any help is appreciated.
    Tia,
    Mark
     
  18. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member


    American Liberty University is on ODA list of non-wonderfuls. With a huge number of locations, for a small unknown school having a huge number of locations is usually a bad sign.

    http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.aspx

    It's also on Maine's list of unaccredited institutions.

    http://www.maine.gov/education/highered/Non-Accredited/a-am.htm


    Bad press e.g.,
    http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070211/NEWS/702110399/-1/Category=TL20

    Nothing in Google scholarly search
    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_q=&num=100&btnG=Search+Scholar&as_epq=American+Liberty+University&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_occt=any&as_sauthors=&as_publication=&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&as_allsubj=all&hl=en

    A degree is available in about anything that one could possibly want. That is not reasonable for a small private school. I think that it would be a waste of money and a waste of time. Tell your friend to run away.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 21, 2009
  19. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    What other schools are you looking at? Perhaps those here can make some recommendations.
     

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