Course Requirements of K-WU

Re: Re: Be done with it!

This is sadly true, I have a student from Pakistan that has a degree from Preston University, she invested "a fortune" thinking that she was investing in a serious education. When she arrived to Canada with her husband they found out the sad reality. A crime to humanity to fill the pockets of some.

RJIT seems indeed very involved with K-W, he knows more about K-W than the any normal student would and it is obvious that his (her) intentions are not clean.

 

"How can you judge how difficult the paper is going to be, without having done so?" Rat own!

 

Re: Be done with it!

I've personally never fallen from a roof. I suppose that by your logic, I can't speak to the difficulty of falling. But I have plenty of anecdotal evidence indicating that falling is really pretty easy- and pretty painful, to boot.

What I *haven't* seen in the case of K-W is any evidence-- even anecdotal-- which supports the proposition that K-W is anything more than a mill in a nice suit. Why would a research paper-- graded to God only knows what standards, if any-- make it any more convincing?

If it weren't for the expense, I'd love to try a simple experiment: pay the money, and let my 7-year-old nephew take the on-line tests for 5-7 classes and submit the "study paper." Even odds that the diploma would look the same as yours, as long as the check cleared.

- DM

 

Cerebellum Sensationalism

I'm sure I've some old exam copies kicking around. I'll scan them if I can find a few moments and we'll have a go. How's that sound?

 

A Great Experiment (?)

Why not give Dennis your user ID and password so he can submit the Final Paper with request for grade assignment ??

Regards,
Dick

 

Re: Be done with it!

The whole setup is a scam. We've been over this before.

It is a scam because the graduation requirements are not published. It is a scam because the details for converting of work experience to credits is not published.

Here's the way that the CLASSIC degree mill scam works . The degree mill scam-artist (usually referred to as the "admissions officer" or some other grand sounding name) tells you that your graduation requirements are dependent on your work/life experience plus any credits you may already have which will, of course, also be accepted. Depending on how academically rigorous this particular degree mill wants to appear, it can be more or less, anywhere from a chat on the phone to filling out some forms. Now to make sure that the candidate is convinced that the information has been looked at, they will then ask for clarification or more information on certain items. The whole time the scam-artist is telling the candidate how impressive their portfolio is and they are so superior it should be a breeze getting them into the program. Once they finally tell them "CONGRATULATIONS you have been accepted!", they will mention the price and if there's any hesitation then probably offer a deal that if the candidate acts quickly then there can be a discount or alternatively the price will go up if you wait.

Bottom line, it's a scam because the life experience and the credits being transferred in, in reality, have very little to do with the graduation requirements. Real schools do not work that way. Real schools publish their graduation requirements and publish their entrance requirements. Typically in a real school if an entrance requirement is waved for a particular case it will still need to be satisfied before graduation. Typically in a real school if they accept life/work experience for credit then it must be converted into satisfying specific courses. This is done via portfolio and/or exam. It must show that the student has already learned the material that would be required to pass that specific class. That class then satisfies one of the classes that are part of the published requirements.

For K-W I believe that we've seen people saying that they had 103 units transferring in versus zero units transferring in and the graduation requirements were the same. It seems to always be 5-7 classes.

RJT (or anyone), why are the graduation requirements always the same or very similar if it is not a scam? Why are they doing it that way if they aren't trying to scam the students?

 

Re: Re: Be done with it!

Were you listening on the phone? That's exactly what happened, to the letter! I feel so S*T*U*P*I*D. I was offered an even more handsome discount if I paid the full-monty, up front. Heck, what a deal! Please, don't ask.

 

Re: Re: Be done with it!

For example, it would appear to be much more honest to just say on the website.

Bachelor's degrees for only 6 classes. It might be 5 classes if that's what it takes to get your money. If you really want to EARN your degree we'll even charge you for 7 classes. It's your choice. We'll happily take anyone's money. If you act now then, free of charge, over the phone, we will praise you for all of the accomplishments that you're proud of over your life so that you will like us and be happy that you gave us your money.

 

Re: Re: Be done with it!

If I am not mistaken, K-W got a representative over in Singapore that scouts for established businesspersons and offered them 'honorary doctorates' for a handsome sum in return ! What a great way to sell degrees !

 

Re: Re: Re: Be done with it!

It is obvious that 5 to 6 classes it is just a justification to ask for more money rather than a sign of some academic standard. Plus it gives the feeling of some achievement to the students spending the money for it. They can proudly said "I earned the degree" instead of I bought the degree. I would love to see a sample of those "tough" and "rigorous" exams that according to RJIT are tougher than any RA university that he attended.

 

Re: Re: Re: Be done with it!

Don't feel that way. These guys are good. I'm talking about degree mill owners in general. They've been perfecting these techniques for years and have learned from one another. Each degree mill is a little bit different and uses slightly different methods to avoid prosecution. They know exactly what buttons to push and when to push it when they have a potential student on the hook. Also K-W is almost a hybrid. Probably most of the experts on this forum use more strict definitions of degree mill than I do so won't even call K-W a degree-mill. (Note that I don't consider myself a distance learning expert. I just find this forum entertaining.)

To me though just the fact that K-W bounced around from state to state to state and they won't accept California students is so "degree mill" like that I call them a degree mill. The old saying that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then I'm calling it a duck applies here, at least IMHO.

Anyway, the point of my rambling is that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. You are apparently an unhappy customer of a very sophisticated operation that is intended to look very similar to an accredited institution of distant learning.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Be done with it!

Stay tuned!

(would it been illegal in some way if I posted a scanned image of a K-W exam?)

I'm pretty sure I photo-copied a few. One particularly rigorous brute, comprised of about 20 multiple-guess questions, will be of great academic interest. I feel a swelling pride (in my chest that is) knowing it is *surely* worth the equivalent 6 credit hours of an old-fashioned, traditional university.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Be done with it!

Why would it be illegal? did you sign a non-disclosure agreement with them?

I hope that with all this publicity we can keep away students from K-W. I remember when the MIGS scandal was news, there was some students that in spite of all the evidence still enrolled with them. For some people, the more you talk against it the more the want it.

 

In some cases, I have needed to sign a statement on cover saying that I would not keep or share a copy of the exam.

Even if this is not the case, a university could (and probably should) claim that this is copyrighted material that should not be published.

 

I'm not a lawyer but I would think that an important issue is that it is a real expense to create the exams. If for example, someone was angry with the institution and put all the exams up on the web, I'm sure that the person would be making themselves vulnerable to a lawsuit.

On the other hand, posting a couple examples of the questions from a test for discussion purposes I believe would be well within "fair use" principles. I don't think it could be reasonably argued that the whole test has been significantly compromised, it's not being done for profit, it's not being done to force the production of a new test. It seems that it would be very similar to posting the quote out of a book. If you posted the whole book then that would be violating fair use but a quote is okay.

 

Wrong

I think that it is definitly wrong to post the exam or even questions. Why? Because, Kennedy-Western employs, albeit, part-time professors to develop exams, grade papers and the course outlines. Many of these professors use the same questions within their regular classes (within Regionally Accredited Colleges). Therefore, in addition to K-W, you may also be compromising the professor's traditional class, and his/her intellectual property. Hypothetically, if a student knew that a professor taught parttime at K-W, the student could identify a possible question ahead of a future exam. Just my ten cents.

RJT

 

Re: Wrong

Most of the RA universities publish their exams. At USQ you can download previous exams from their online database free of charge. In the canadian universities, normally you can get the exams from previous courses in the library. Why K-W should be the exeption? unless they have something to hide.

Oracle Guy, even if K-W wants to sue you, they would have to hire a canadian lawyer to prosecute you in Canada. And before that, a private eye that can find someone in Alberta with the nick of "Oracle Guy". Good luck!. This could be as difficult as finding an employee with the nick of RJT at K-W.

 

According to Bears' Guide, 13th edition, KW is operated out of CA but CA residents cannot enrol????? Big reg flag # 1. The Bears also report that KW had an address in Honolulu, Boise & now in Wyoming. Hmmmm...state-jumping...huge big red flag # 2. A search of this board as well as other forums indicate a great deal of less than postive comments concerning this institution.

Why would someone pay tuition for a KW degree when there are SO MANY other BETTER options available?

 

KW - Exam Scam...Oh sorry, Exam scan

Hmmm...

I'll attempt to get hold of Dr. Alksjdfiouewrsdkjowerupvccn in the morning and seek permission. Although, I'm pretty sure he will turn out be yet another defunked if not an outright debunked, adjunct. Come to think of it, a number of my K-W “profs.” weren’t "from around here" . Odd, but then again, according to WY State law, they don’t have to be (local, not odd that is).

I believe I'm getting the hang of this.

 

Exams

RF:

Most RA Universities publish their exams. ... Hmmm, I went to Philadelphia University, and a RA Community College, prior to K-W, and the exams were never published at either institution. Always the exams remained confidential, prior to class distribution. I can not see what benefit you, nor your bashing buddies get from trashing K-W. Yes they did in the past move localities, but their corporate offices have remained in WY for several years. They are also a totally DL institution, and conduct no classes on-site out of either their administrative or corporate locations.

By the way, I've not claimed that K-W is better than an RA choice; however, for a state liscenced/approved option, I feel they remain viable. The number of courses varies, and the school does not publish its method for life experience credits, and yes I had to take 5 classes, with 103 RA credits. And, yes, apparantly someone with limited college experience may have had to complete only 7 classes. However, I am not sure how much relevant work experience the individual had completed. I've read of students having to take as much as 9 classes. However, in the catalog, the school provides up to 13 classes. In addition the Final proposal and paper count as classes. Finally, the vast majority of students I've heard from are mature, and likely have several years of college under their belt, so this model seems reasonable.

That said, I feel the courses themselves are challanging, and I am confident that without studying, one would have difficulty passing. Impossible, no, but I've passed RA exams without ever cracking a book. Just my ten cents, plus a nickel.