4 Accreditation Documents: Columbia Commonwealth/Malawi

The following documents concerning the accreditation of Columbia Commonwealth University in the Republic of Malawi were provided to me yesterday (via fax) by Dr. Les Carr, CCWU’s President (Carr is away on business for 2 weeks). I have scanned the faxed documents into PDF format and uploaded them to my website. Below are the links for each document and a brief abstract for each. The PDF documents tend to load slowly. If there any problems with the links please advise ([email protected]). I tested them and they worked fine.

Acting on behalf of the alumni of CCWU, I have recently had contact with Republic of Malawi officials concerning the allegations raised here by Timmy Ade. I am told the matter is being investigated, and I hope to have some kind of statement soon. If/when I get such a statement I will upload it and place a link for it on this forum. There is no guarantee or promise that such a statement would be forthcoming but I am requesting it.
Earon

4 (four) Documents from Republic of Malawi Pertaining to Accreditation of CCWU

1. CCWU - Document from the Republic of Malawi, stating accreditation of Columbia Commonwealth University, signed by the Secretary of Human Resource Management and Development, in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
www.changeconstructs.ca/ccwu/malawiaccreditationdoc.pdf

2. CCWU - Document from the Republic of Malawi stating that recognition and accreditation in Malawi is carried out by the Department of Human Resource Management and Development in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
www.changeconstructs.ca/ccwu/recognitioninst.pdf

3. CCWU - Document from Republic of Malawi to Malawi’s Chief Ambassador, regarding the incorporation of Registered Trustees of Columbia Commonwealth University, signed by Chief Parliamentary Draftsman for the Solicitor General and Secretary for Justice.
www.changeconstructs.ca/ccwu/solicitorgeneraloffice.pdf

4. CCWU - Document from the Republic of Malawi, signed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, certifying the incorporation of the registered trustees of Columbia Commonwealth University.
www.changeconstructs.ca/ccwu/justiceminister.pdf
4 (four) Documents from Republic of Malawi Pertaining to Accreditation of CCWU

 

The first two are the key documents (the last two are simply documents of incorporation). It's interesting that the accreditation comes from the Department of Human Resources Management & Development (DHRMD). This department reports directly to the Office of the President (not through one of the Ministries -- and in particular not through the Ministry of Education). DHRMD is responsible for the Malawian Civil Service in general. It establishes and implements employment policies for civil servants (i.e. government employees), training for civil servants, etc. It's basically the HR department for the Malawi government. The closest equivalent in the U.S. would be the Office of Personnel Management.

I am mystified by this.

What would we think if the U.S. Office of Personnel Management were to accredit a university?

I note that the second document states "... the institution which facilitates the recognition and accreditation of qualifications in the Government of the Republic of Malawi is the Department of Human Resources Management & Development ..." Now DHRMD (as the government's HR department) is certainly responsible for ascertaining the legitimacy of credentials accepted for employment in the civil service. Does this letter imply more than this?

 

Hi Gert,
You left out something important in your quote. The actual quote should read "... the institution which facilitates the recognition and accreditation of qualifications in the Government of the Republic of Malawi is the Department of Human Resources Management & Development in the Office of the President and Cabinet".

The President and Cabinet are usually the highest offices in a country under the British system (actually it's usually Prime Minister and Cabinet). Once a President (Prime Minister) is chosen s/he picks a Cabinet and assigns one or more Ministries to the various Cabinet Ministers, who then preside over their respective ministries (e.g., finance, transportation, fisheries, agriculture, culture, etc). At least that's how it's done in Canada and Britain.

There are websites providing information on the Republic of Malawi. You might consider researching them to help increase our understanding of the Republic of Malawi's governance system. You seem to have some passion for this.
Earon
Earon

 

Looks like Earon followed through with everything and posted what he promised. Sounds like a person of integrity. Where are you Timmy?

 

Hi James,
Thanks for the goodwill. I certainly walk my talk.

But I have not yet posted everything I want to post.

I am lobbying the Republic of Malawi authorities, on behalf of the CCWU alumni association, for a statement of some kind regarding the Timmy Ade allegations. As I have already implied, I do not know if I will get such a statement, and what Timmy has raised makes this a sensitive issue. If I should get such a statement I will also post it here.
Earon

 

I said that DHRMD reported to the Office of the President rather than to one of the Ministries. And I mentioned the role of DHRMD in the Malawi government. You may think I'm a cretin, Earon, but I really didn't need to be told what a Cabinet Minister is.

 

No worries, Gert
I don't think that you are a cretin.
Earon

 

I've been looking for information on Malawian accreditation, but have not been having much luck. I have seen references to things like 'accreditation' of school teachers, but that seems to mean the same thing that we would mean by a teaching 'credential'. I haven't seen any references to accreditation of universities in the American sense.

(And considering that Malawi only has two universities, I doubt if they even have a formal accreditation apparatus.)

I'm wondering if this may be another case, like the Trinity/Liverpool business, where the word 'accreditation' doesn't have the same meaning in the country doing the accrediting as in the home country of the accredited institution.

 

I do not know if Columbia Commonwealth has the recognition of the Republic of Malawi; I think that the documentation provided so far is inadequate.

Document 1
This one ostensibly grants accreditation. I’m not sure why the document uses the term accreditation—in regards to education, it is a uniquely American term. My gut feeling tells me that the term was used in response to specific request.

The document makes mention of the fact that the accreditation was granted, in part to, “the related effective performance of Malawian graduates of Columbia Commonwealth University.” If CCU only received accreditation in April 2001, how many graduates could have been evaluated?

My biggest concern is that the document is from an administrative department within the Office of the President and Cabinet. Moreover, it is signed not by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Human Resources Management & Development, but by a lower level functionary. Every other university and college in Malawi are under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, why not CCU? Moreover, there aren’t any references to any of the other universities and colleges in Malawi being “accredited” in any way.

The wording of this document is ambiguous. The wording that Malawi looks, “forward to collaborative working relationships with your institution of distance education particularly [ ] as regards to Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctoral Degree Programmes” could easily be interpreted to mean that CCU was either being authorized to market their programs, or their degrees were approved for use in Malawi. Considering that the document signatory is the Director of Human Resource Planning and Development, this is more than plausible.

Moreover, where are the documentary stamps and other regalia that underdeveloped countries are so fond of putting on all of their documentation? Could it be that this document is plain, even by austere American standards, because is that it is nothing more than a letter from a government official rather than a Republic of Malawi official government document?

Document 2
This document states that, “the institution which facilitates the recognition and accreditation of qualifications in the Government of the Republic of Malawi is carried out by the Department of Human Resource Management and Development in the Office of the President and Cabinet.”

Why is this document even necessary? On the surface, it seems that the authenticity of Document 1 was questioned in some way. Then again, it may just be stating that the DHRMD is responsible for evaluating credentials. (To me the word "facilitates" brings to mind images of the Mexican “mordida.” )The gist of the document, however, reminds me of the answer my mother use to give when I questioned her authority: “Because I said so, that why!”

I am somewhat troubled by the coloring on these documents. I don’t know how or why emblems and stamps are in blue, and some handwriting and signatures are partly blue and partly black, if these are faxed documents. Is this due to some scanning glitch or have these documents been altered?

I’m not that troubled that this document was prepared on December 6, 2001 but faxed on October 12, 2001; my fax machine frequently displays the wrong date.

Document 3 & 4
Document 3 is a cover letter for the certificate of incorporation (Document 4) addressed to Dr. Mlotha. It was written in response to a direct inquiry by Dr, Mlotha concerning the incorporation documents. In addition to being the Malawian High Commissioner in Canada, Dr. Mlotha is the Chairman of the Board Trustees of CCU. In his role as High Commissioner, Dr. Moth tried to convince the Department of Education of the State of Montana that CCU be allowed to operate in the state. (He was not successful in his efforts; CCU ended up moving to Wyoming.)

In any event, Registered Trustees of Columbia Commonwealth University is a catchy name for a corporation. I wonder if the stockholders are the same individuals that serve of the Board of Trustees of CCU? If so, according to CCU’s Web site, in addition to Dr. Mlotha, it would include the President of Malawi and several judges of the High Court of Malawi (among other powerful and well-placed Malawians).

Considering the individuals involved, you would think that much better documentation would have been provided. Therefore, if this is the sole documentation to attest to accreditation, it appears woefully inadequate. This could be either because the situation is being handled quasi "under the table" by a few well-placed individuals without going through proper channels, or the simple fact that no proper channels, procedures and jurisdictions exist as this the first time such a unique arrangement has been established. However, without ascertaining the particulars of the “corporate arrangement,” one cannot discount the possibility that those involved feel that the “pie” is being divided into enough pieces already, leading to great reluctance to include anyone else (Ministry of Education, etc.).

Based on the documentation provided, I cannot reach a definitive conclusion at this time. I trust that CCU and the Republic of Malawi will be able to provide documentation that is more both authoritative and explanatory of the nature of the recognition.

 

not only,
it´s getting a HUGE issue in europe these days, also (for example)

greets,
trigger

 

I am yawning.

 

Interesting. I would have thought they would incorporate before seeking accreditation.

And I wonder how many Malawians have graduated from CCU and how they have made their mark.....

Wes

 

Bill & Gus,

I knew all along that one of you fellows would decode this. The so-called letter of accreditation seemed perfectly scripted for the intended purpose. Mr. Banda simply had to type it on a Government stationary and sign it. Now are you still wondering while the folks in the Embassy of Malawi here in the US are still investigating? May be they really don’t know what to investigate. My suspicion on all of these is that the outcome will very much be a function of how powerful CCWU’s political connection really is, in Malawi. After all even the Honorable Ambassador himself is a political appointee.

Timmy Making faces at James Lyons?

 

Is that what it has come to Timmy, making faces? Earon followed through with his information and you did not. If making faces makes you feel good, have fun.

 

The term "investigating" is my language. Look at the matter a little more closely. I began my own investigation last Thursday. Thursday was July 4th, a most important holiday in the USA, involving the diplomatic corps in Washington. Yesterday, July 8, is a major holiday in Malawi as I understand it. People are already busy with already planned schedules. Think about it some more. An alleged employee of the Malawi embassy in Washington supposedly makes a claim to a virtual somebody that contravenes an official recognition bestowed by the country's top officers. The virtual somebody has already misrepresented himself to Earon Kavanagh in previous emails looking for information on CCWU and claiming he wants to send people there. My response was that he should refrain from such recommendations at this time, pending further development of CCWU. The allegations raised by this virtual somebody are potentially embarrassing and very sensitive. If you, virtual somebody, were working for John Bear as his loyal assistant in some capacity would you go around shooting your mouth off or entering potentially inflammatory and embarrassing text into his latest edition that without first consulting with John? Think about it. The allegations raised by you with the help of a certain poet involves a break with standard protocol and is being investigated. It is not CCWU that's being investigated. As I have stated before, it is time to be accountable for what what you say, and I might add, grow up.
Earon

 

Okay....I've had it. Earon, as a Malawi-accredited degree holder, you should certainly know that July 6th is the important Malawi holiday in July, which is their Independence Day. The question is, independence from what? Civilization? Running Water? Electricity?

I've done a bit of research on Malawi, and, to put it bluntly, it's a fourth-world shithole. This is a country whose life expectancy is 37 years. The AIDS rate is almost 16%, and the infant mortality rate is 121:1000. Perhaps more germane to DL, their literacy rate is 58% among adults.

I could go on and on, but I think the last statistic speaks for itself. Slightly over half of the adult population of Malawi can read and write, but this is the country that accredits a US "University"??? That's beyond questionable, it's just plain laughable. That is just my personal opinion, of course.

Source:CIA Factbook


Bruce

 

Earon Wrote-
" .An alleged employee of the Malawi embassy in Washington supposedly makes a claim to a virtual somebody that contravenes an official recognition bestowed by the country's top officers. The virtual somebody has already misrepresented himself to Earon Kavanagh in previous emails looking for information on CCWU and claiming he wants to send people there. My response was that he should refrain from such recommendations at this time, pending further development of CCWU. The allegations raised by this virtual somebody are potentially embarrassing and very sensitive. If you, virtual somebody, were working for John Bear as his loyal assistant in some capacity would you go around shooting your mouth off or entering potentially inflammatory and embarrassing text into his latest edition that without first consulting with John? Think about it. The allegations raised by you with the help of a certain poet involves a break with standard protocol and is being investigated. It is not CCWU that's being investigated. As I have stated before, it is time to be accountable for what what you say, and I might add, grow up."

Timmy says : ARRANT NONSENSE

 

James Lyons - Looks like Earon followed through with everything and posted what he promised. Sounds like a person of integrity. where are you Timmy?

TIMMY – James, Earon’s credibility or lack thereof, was never the issue. The issue remains the validity of Malawi Govt. accreditation as claimed by CCWU officials. If you are taken by those documents posted by Earon, then you are certainly new to this and really have a few things to learn about how to make unaccredited schools look accredited. Or better yet, HOW TO DETECT BOGUS ACCREDITATION.

Timmy Now making faces at his ex-friend Earon.

 

I see no more reason to distrust the education attache than the names on the CCWU documents.

In fact, what Dr. Chipasunga said was entirely unobjectionable. Based on what one can find out on the web, CCWU sounds suspicious. (It does.) Timmy should exercise caution regarding it. (Excellent advice.) And Dr. Chipasunga will make inquiries back home and try to find out what's what. (Good for him.)

The most suspicious thing about this is the fact that the education attache at the Malawi embassy hadn't heard of CCWU. If it were actually a part of the Malawi higher education system, wouldn't Dr. Chipasunga know? If this kind of off-shore accreditation were a standard Malawian practice, wouldn't he be familiar with it?

It's possible of course that he is incompetent. But his credibility is buttressed by the fact that there is no reference to CCWU on any Malawian, or Malawi-related website that I could find. There's also CCWU's odd history with earlier dodges like the Fallon Paiutes.

My money is on Dr. Chipasunga.

That sounds like a threat.

Look Earon, rather than you and Carr thrashing around like a couple of hooked fish, why not go straight?

Why not set up a new school at a real physical address in the North Central territory? That accreditor is open to DL schools, has accredited Jones and is considering North Central. If you guys could reproduce what you did with CPU, a school I once had a lot of fondness for, you'd have a fighting chance. You would need to admit up-front that the school wasn't accredited, at least until it was, and work hard to make its name through real scholarship and not through gimmicks. Other schools are doing that as we speak, it isn't impossible. Carr has done it before.

I don't know why Carr is so intent on ruining his own credibility, or why you are so intent on helping him do it. It doesn't have to be this way.

 

What is better - Berne or IUFS

Now Timmy and the rest ...

I have the translations of the 'official'certificates' relating to IUFS, just to liven up this debate.

Richard J. Hoyer, Ph.D., MD, Ed.D.
Academician of the Russian Academy of Science
Awarded Highest Medal of Honor (Yurgi Gagarin) Federation of Cosmonauts
Russia
Author: "A College Degree in Your Spare Time" www.4acollegedegree.com
President/CEO: Global Capital, LLC www.globalcap.org

kindly sent me the origial Russian certificates which I have had translated and they read ...

The multi-colored one says:

St.-Petersburg city administration
Committee for Science and Higher Learning
-----------------------------------------
LICENCE

to conduct learning activities
in the area of professional education

7/28/99 #4058-D77

This is to certify that
Non-governmental institution of higher learning
"The International University of Fundamental Knowledge"
(the title of the professional school)

#61 Moyka Embankment, St.-Petersburg, 191186
(the legal address of the professional school)

is licensed to conduct learning activities in the area of

supplementary
(secondary, undergraduate, graduate, supplementary)

professional education
with respect to concentrations, educational levels
and within time limits as set forth in the rider(s) to this
license
conditional on adherence to the testing norms established
therein
and provided the number of students does not exceed the agreed
limit

(Seal of the Committee for Science and Higher Learning)

Chairman of Committee for Science and Higher Learning
(Signed) V. A. Rychkov.

Filing series D #4058
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blue-and-pink one says:
The Registry Chamber of the city of St.-Petersburg

Affidavit #76034
of the registration with the state

Non-governmental institution
of higher professional learning
"The International University of Fundamental Knowledge"

IS HEREBY REGISTERED

according to the decision of The Registry Chamber of the city of
St.-Petersburg #121618
October the 29th, 1998

The official address of the legal entity: #61 Moyka Embankment,
St.-Petersburg, 191065

Director of the Registry Chamber (signed) A. V. Denisov

051332

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, as I asked, Berne of UIFS which includes the new ACU and St Regis plus another?

Now, I am just telling you what the translation says. I am not saying anything else, but i dare say that someone else will say something, which I will gladly read.

Maybe the 'foreign' accreditation is the way to go? Malawi or Russia, or Norfolk Island? Rich and I have both given up Mexico