California Pacific University

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Vinipink, Sep 9, 2016.

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  1. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Hi. Are you interested in starting a degree mill, Steve? If we want to start a degree mill, we'll definitely include you in the discussions... ;)
     
  2. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    Degree Mill, eh? Um, no, and that's a very serious no. And please do review the info I wrote about two years ago on this topic. Link: https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/you-want-to-own-a-deac-accredited-school.47543/

    Post #21 - https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/you-want-to-own-a-deac-accredited-school.47543/page-2#post-472135
    Post #34 - https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/you-want-to-own-a-deac-accredited-school.47543/page-2#post-472148

    To answer questions/elaborate on what wasn't mentioned in the previous thread. Yes, the school will be very similar to what the Big 3 and WGU does with the main difference being the target market is Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, US first. Then further expand to, East Asian, BRIC and ASEAN countries.

    The school will offer courses through licensing third-party offerings (and required Cornerstone/Capstone), in addition to Credit By Exams, ACE/NCCRS, AP/IB/CLEP/DSST, and other exam equivalency transfers. The operation would be considered very similar to the smaller DEAC accredited institutions, where there is only a handful of staff.

    The goal is to be a private non-profit institution that caters to mainly homeschooled youth to working adults or seniors on a limited income, disadvantaged overseas individuals, and to help them further their education. The courses offered would be courses taught by partner providers which I will license and it will display the name of the institution.
     
  3. Common_Sense

    Common_Sense New Member

    You would want to contact the Bureau directly or visit Cal Pacific's Alumni page https://californiapacificuniversity.education/
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The school wasn't closed "just for being small." I believe there was an unpaid fine of around $5K owing to the BPPE, incurred under the administration of the last known owner. That might have had something to do with it. I believe when Dr. Dalton passed away, the school came into the hands of his daughter, who, like her father, also held an RA doctorate. I heard there were plans to get accredited, possibly via DEAC, but they never materialized. The school was subsequently sold. The last owner I know of is Roel Fernandez.

    I think it would be great if the school could arise from the ashes. It served well for 30+ years and I believe it taught the first home-study degree program to be approved by the State of California. It would have to be reincarnated under different rules though. I'm sure the fine would have to be paid and if the school were to remain in California, it would have to seek (and obtain) recognized accreditation. We are witnessing the last days of unaccredited schools in California.

    The BPPE citation is here: http://www.bppe.ca.gov/enforcement/actions/citation_1516079.pdf If you want to contact Mr. Fernandez, he has a Linked-in page. I think you may find him - and whatever remains of the school - in Escondido CA.
    Good luck, if you decide to pursue this, Dave. It would be quite a rescue story.
     
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes, the last owner is Roel C. Fernandez. Here's the wiki on California Pacific - the whole story, beginning to end. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Pacific_University
    I'd bet that some among the record-keepers at the Alumni page (listed above by Common_Sense) would also be very interested in efforts to revive the University.
     
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    @Dave Wagner

    Perhaps working on the rehab. of California Pacific could be the basis of an excellent Doctoral Project for some aspiring DBA or Ed.D. - or even two candidates - one of each. Just a thought ...
     
    Common_Sense likes this.
  7. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Interesting... OK, let's talk.

    Thanks,

    Dave
     
  8. Michigan68

    Michigan68 Active Member

  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The new rehabbed school appears to be a closed shop for students who belong to one single Association. From the web page:

    "California Pacific University is Sponsored by the Association of American Financials Alliance Association Corporation (AFAAC). Education is available only for members of the Association American Financials Alliance Association Corporation. California Pacific University provides affordable, industry-designed programs for the members of (AFAAC) with the support of field experts from globally recognized top universities. Through the membership of (AFAAC), professionals from all over the world will enjoy benefits like networking and training opportunities."

    Not my favourite accreditor by a long shot, but why should CPU (or anyone, really) care what I think. I wish them success in their new mission. It would be great to see the revived school do well.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    ASIC is not recognized accreditation - not by CHEA,* not by USDoE. I have seen a pattern before - some schools get up and running with ASIC and later apply for recognized accreditation - TRACS or DEAC, mostly. I only know of one school that has started with ASIC and gone on to achieve National Accreditation, thus far. There are one or two pending, plus others that were either unsuccessful or never applied to an NA agency. .

    I'm hoping that CPU will be a school that will successfully follow the ASIC - NA path, that only a single school has navigated so far.

    * CHEA recognizes ASIC as an overseas accrediting agency, which it is (UK). That does not mean its accreditation is recognized for US use by CHEA or any other US authority. It isn't.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
  11. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I'm sure CPU abandoned the name when they closed nearly two decades ago. I doubt the old school is being revived.

    ASIC accreditation is meaningless in the way we think of accreditation. It's more of a quality control thing rather than a body that recognizes institutions and degrees.
     
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'm not so sure. After the school closed, whatever remained of it was sold, by the founder's daughter - herself a holder of an RA Doctorate - to Roel Fernandez. I'm pretty sure the name was part of the deal, since he attempted to revive the school under that same name. The school was later fined about $5,000 under that name for a BPPE infraction and was subsequently ordered closed for non-payment of that fine. It looks like new owners may have bought any remaining assets and have picked up the right to the name.

    I think it could possibly be considered a rehab deal, and I hope it is. The original school was a class act and I'd like to see history repeat itself -- in a good way, for once.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Absolutely - and I think we covered that here:
     
  14. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I certainly have not followed it as closely as this. Is there any indication of a continuation? Or does it remain a hope?

    I had a nice conversation with the owner once. He was convinced the school would get accreditation some day, but that never happened. And that hope was vaguely held.

    I liked the fact that the school had a very narrow focus with just three degree programs in one discipline. But it seemed like a passion project, and progeny do not always carry that same passion. I've consulted another such school--it's trying to survive long enough to get DEAC accreditation before California stops extending the deadline to do so. I'd give them a 50-50 chance at this point, which is much more likely than I thought in the past. Anyway, the founder is still leading the school. He's trying to build and sustain a community who will carry on once he leaves. (I'm not part of that crew, declining an invitation to take a larger and more active role on a few occasions.)
     
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Beginning to look very much like a "no," unfortunately. This school is owned by a Dr Ehab el Shamy, who is also head (and founder) of the Association American Financials Alliance Association Corporation - the org. to which one must belong, to study at the new California Pacific University.

    Dr., el Shamy has also owned the American Learning Center in Vienna VA. for about 17 years. That school claims accreditation from UQIM and does not carry any info on UQIM on its site. The only references to UQIM I can find are to an electric scooter, marketed in Bangladesh. Obviously no kind of accreditor.

    American Learning Center's "Approved International Partners include some familiar names: Charisma University, Turks and Caicos, with which you and I are familiar, Rich. Also St. Monica's University in Cameroon. That school once had a branch in Hawaii - no recognized US accreditation. The Cameroon location is ASIC-Accredited now and also claims accreditation from the National Institute on Private Higher Education at Yaounde Caneroon. Its website is not inspiring. You can see here its 11 identical directors -- https://smuedu.org/staff/ Incidentally, Fr. George Gonzalez, who is a director, has also had a role at Charisma and other schools.

    I'm glad you commented, Rich. Neither this school or any of its associated partners look anything like the original concept of California Pacific U. You're right. This certainly does not look like a rehab of the original CPU.

    New CPU website: https://cpu.ac/
    American Learning center website: https://www.americanlearningcenter.com/
    Saint Monica's University site: https://smuedu.org/
    American Financials etc site: https://afaassociation.org/

    Another observation. The four sites look very much like they were coded by the same team, using the same software. Look-alike and work-alike.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
    tadj likes this.
  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    If we're looking for a revised CPU that in any way resembles the original CPU - we have a long, long wait.

    Oh yes, I forgot. I still don't know where accreditor UQIM is, but American Learning Center is now accredited by ....ASIC, according to this article on Dr. El Shamy:

    https://ezinearticles.com/expert/Dr._Ehab_M_El_Shamy/1120981
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
  17. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    It can be done, hypothetically. They died too soon for DEAC to be a reality. But if someone wanted to start a small, one-discipline school offering just a B/M/D lineup (with a professional doctorate instead of a PhD, and perhaps even dropping the ubiquitous bachelor's), and had enough money and patience, DEAC could be a viable route. That is, if one was to (a) offer it by distance, (b) have canned coursework, and (c) locate it in a state that will allow you to operate an unaccredited start-up for two years (or more).

    Sounds like a fun way to blow through one's retirement fund.
     
  18. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Arguably there have been counterexamples to canned coursework being required: maybe Harrison Middleton, maybe some arts programs. (In other news, WISR is on To Be Considered.)
     
    Johann likes this.
  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Blew through mine once. Took me fifteen years to get it ALL back, Alhamdulillah! Not going through that again, insh'Allah! :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2023
  20. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    Does getting it chopped in half due to divorce count? At least the "not going through that again" part does.
     

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