How good is Kennedy-Western?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Mike Albrecht, Sep 6, 2004.

Loading...
?

What do YOU think of Kennedy-Western?

  1. Kennedy-Western is a scam

    46 vote(s)
    59.0%
  2. Kennedy-Western is substandard

    25 vote(s)
    32.1%
  3. Kennedy-Western has some value as a university

    11 vote(s)
    14.1%
  4. Kennedy-Western is a a good university

    1 vote(s)
    1.3%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. JimS

    JimS New Member

    Uncle janko,
    Did KWU only require you to take 5 classes? Wow! You must have had lots of transfer credit.
    Jim
     
  2. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    There have been many people reporting that they only had to take 5-7 classes for any kind of KWU degree. Are you claiming that it is not correct? There does not seem to be any relationship between how many classes they had to take to get a KWU diploma and what the number of credits transferring in were. It seemed to have more to do with how good the person was at negotiating.

    There was testimony in the senate hearing from someone that once worked for KWU. He said that there was no admitance review committee. He said that he had NEVER, not once, ever heard of anyone being turned down at KWU. On the KWU Pub there were multiple reports of KWU not even following their own despicable, substandard policies, at least not when potential revenue was at stake. For example, people being offerred entrance into the doctorate program when they had zero college credits or people being offerred entrance into the Master's program with only a year or two working experience.

    An agent testified in the senate hearing that she passed 40% of the credits required for a KWU Master's degree in engineering with only 16 total hours worth of work. She just had to familiarize herself with the text book's index and table of contents and then passed two tests with very little trouble and didn't really learn anything in the process (except that KWU was a diploma mill).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 9, 2004
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    By repeating previously dismissed mill-speak regarding Kennedy-Western? No, this isn't sacasm. It is shilling. And your comments towards me were rude.
     
  4. PaulC

    PaulC Member

    Jim, you re not getting it - or you are getting it and refusing to acknowledge it. There is NO process for assessing previous coursework or prior learning. Everyone gets the same thing, plus or minus. There is a reason that legitimate academic processes are legitimate, and those that aren't are not.

    The veil of legitimacy breaks down once you accept there is no real academic review process, committee, whatever. The operative word here is "accept" this reality.
     
  5. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    True enough, that's what it is. So what are you suggesting that we conclude from that?

    I disagree with that suggestion. Some reasons:

    1. The accreditors are the academic and professional communities. Who is better qualified to set educational standards? For example, the regional accreditors are associations made up of the accedited schools themselves. The specialized accreditors are groups like the American Bar Association or the IEEE (a partner in ABET).

    2. If education is a state responsibility, there may be Constitutional problems with the federal government usurping the power to manage it.

    3. If we beliee that existing state regulation isn't always effective, then why should we assume that federal regulation would be?

    4. Mandatory government regulation would face various legal difficulties. Courts around the country have upheld religious exemptions to government regulation. In California, the Institute for Creation Research won a court case in which the BPPVE's predecessor was forbidden from enforcing subject-matter requirements on state-approved schools, on free-speech grounds. If the government handled academic standards, then academic standards would become matters for litigation and would ultimately be decided by the courts.

    5. There are differences of opinion on what a good education should look like, what values it should maximize. With multiple accreditors and voluntary association, alternatives are possible and diversity fostered. For example, we have ACICS and its vocational orientation, that might want to deemphasize general education. And we have AALE that sees general education as the heart and soul of a liberal education.

    6. The current system treats the public as adults. It provides people with information than then lets them make their own decisions.
     
  6. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    The only good shilling is an Owstrian schilling

    Just for the record, I have no connection to Kennedy Western Eunuchversity and never have had any connection to that entity. Nor do I hit myself in the head with a brick, or set my money on fire, or fart the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

    I am, however, just smart enough to cash my whole paycheck, such as it is, and to have done standard amounts and quality of coursework for my degrees, such as they are. Move yer ass, Miss Manners, the wild Carpathian is putting his feet on the table (atop a serviette, of course). Mustn't be a snob, now.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 9, 2004
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I dont' always take the time/effort to parse Unc's posts, but that one was solid. Funny stuff.

    Saying something and getting away with it doesn't make the claim true. If you get a PMP from somewhere besides PMI, you aren't a PMP. You might get away with calling yourself one, but you're not. A "degree" from Kennedy-Western is the same thing. You might get away with saying you have a degree, but you don't.

    Re-read that last sentence. I'm not talking about getting degrees from Kennedy-Western. They don't really award degrees. They just say they do, and pay you a stiff cover charge to join them in the Liars' Club. Kennedy-Western has a business license. Getting a "degree" from them is like getting a "degree" from Sears. (Except, unlike Sears, if your degree breaks--or breaks you--Kennedy-Western won't give you a refund.)

    Kennedy-Western isn't a university.
     
  8. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Uncle:

    You no longer "interpret" the Battle Hymn of the Republic? I AM disappointed.

    Theological reasons, of course??
     
  9. BubbaGump

    BubbaGump New Member

    I used to work for a fortune 100 company. While I was there my division got re-organized and I got a new boss, an older lady who thought very highly of herself. She had a fewer years prior submitted a life experience portfolio and gotten a BBA and a MBA from KW. She was very snobbish about it and only would hire people with Masters degrees.

    Alas at the time I did not have one, and was fourced out.

    To this day she displays them in her office.

    I wish I had found this forum back then.

    Bubba
     
  10. degreeseeker

    degreeseeker New Member

    about what? K-W or the investigation and all that were involved in it?

    Since you do not like hearsay how about facts?

    K-W has agreements with the AG's of two states that they will not market to or accept their residents as students. One of those states is where K-W is actually located.

    K-W has moved its license from California, Hawaii, Idaho and to Wyoming. The license is in Wyoming even though all correspondence to the school is through the main office in California. Odd?

    K-W has no procedures for giving experience credit, and nothing seems to be evaluated or verified.

    Wyoming has no academic oversight! It is more like a business license. From the Wyoming statute:Here!

    K-W keeps secret how they determine the number of courses each person takes. Do you know the secret? :confused: Once the number is determined the student chooses which courses he or she wants to take. It does not matter if he or she is already knowledgeable in the areas chosen. Is that how a legitimate university does things?

    K-W has no course work for their courses. A student simply gets a text book, a practice exam, and a then takes an open book final exam for every course according to the Lt. Comm.'s testimony.

    K-W pays admissions (sales) counselors commission. So they get paid for closing the deal. Here is an ad currently running for admissions counselors right now Check it out! Check out hotjobs.com and type in Kennedy Western if you are looking for other opportunities. Oops sorry, you can't apply. :D

    K-W will not accept graduates of K-W for teaching positions or employees even if they have accredited undergraduate or first professional degrees from accredited schools. They will not even accept their own degrees or graduates. :D

    Does K-W publish or give the graduation requirements for a K-W degree?

    Should I keep going or are these enough facts for now?

    I do not expect to convince you JimS, but it looks like you have the lone vote for good amongst people who know a lot about legitimate schools.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 10, 2004
  11. JimS

    JimS New Member

    You are right about that. And I don't suppose I will ever convince you that I know from first hand experience that a KWU education is of some value. I know it isn't as great as some universities, but it is as good as some B&M schools. It satisfies my needs, and that is what counts to me. You see non-accreditation as a failure. I see it as an opportunity.
     
  12. degreeseeker

    degreeseeker New Member

    A self educated K-W student may have value, but a K-W education has no value because K-W is not a university no matter how much it calls itself one.

    It is as good as which B&M schools? I would love to hear any that you think are as bad as K-W, and have the same practices as listed above. I sure can't think of any.

    Opportunity for what?

    You never answered, you can't think of anything nice to say about what?
     
  13. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    OK, JimS, let's watch the dancing bear.

    What is the value of your KW um experience?
    How do you document that value?
    How do you demonstrate that value to a neutral observer?
    How do you quantify that value?
    What is the utility of that value?
    Does that value rise or fall with greater knowledge about KW?
    What is the marketability of that value?
    How do you argue for that value apart from whining that the cold cruel world dunnit unnerstan'.
    Hell, what is the snob value
    (pardon, had to scratch an itch there)
    of that value?


    Ve're vaitink.
     
  14. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    It has been amply demonstrated that, with very, very few exceptions (such as Test Pilots or Buddhist Monks), there are no reasons for settling for an unaccredited degree. They are not more available. They are not less expensive. My own opinion is that the only reason that a person settles for an unaccredited degree (and, of course, degree mill degrees are included here) is because they do not believe that they can successfully complete an accredited degree program. I believe this is true on every academic level (and especially true for people who have earned accredited degrees and then go on to earn unaccredited degrees). If you buy a DVD player out of the trunk of someones car, you know that it is stolen merchandise. If you don't know this then you are a moron. Take your pick. Moron or Liar.
    Jack
     
  15. JimS

    JimS New Member

    name calling? I thought this site was moderated. Perhaps only non-gang members are moderated.
    This is why I will not answer your questions. Why should I justify my opinions to you? Whatever I say will feed the fire. You have made up your collective mind.
     
  16. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    So it seems that you have, yourself, bought a DVD player from the trunk of someones car? I repeat, if you don't known that you've bought stolen property then you are a moron (and in violation of the law). As to your pursuit of a degree, you can do whatever you want. I'm not interested in changing your mind. I'm just expressing my opinion.
    Jack
     
  17. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Jimbo - I didn't ask any questions.
    Jack
     
  18. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    He's afraid to answer mine, or doesn't know how--which is funny, since they're mostly seeking elaborations of his own rationales. Like most persons who cannot explain themselves, our friend is taking refuge in abstractions ("collective mind") and pot-shots. See, once you start trashing the moderators and parroting terminology from other fora that suggests a lockstep and contumacious uniformity here, you pretty well reveal yourself as someone who was never interested in a real discussion, but only in stroking a tumescent and misplaced sense of grievance, as though we evil folks on degreeinfo swindled the poor darling out of his money at KW, or as though Senator Collins, Alan Contreras, or Lauren Bacall* made him "go" "there" with a whip and a chair, or as though I called payroll at the poor dollink's job and told them, speaking in his name, that henceforth he only wanted a fraction of his paycheck, inasmuch as a fraction is equal to the whole thing anyway.


    *Why la Bacall? Why not, once the moorings have been slipped?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 11, 2004
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    For what? To keep a scam going for decades? To run an operation its owners call a university, but doesn't act like one? To issue academic degrees that have no meaning academically?
     
  20. PaulC

    PaulC Member

    I that think there is a more overriding reason one selects a place like K-W to be awarded a diploma. Perhaps not so much because they cannot do the work, but because they have decided that to go the legitimate route requires far more work than they are willing to put into it. I think most could do it, but choose the lazy, rationalization route. You know the, "I have worked x number of years and deserve it already" rationalizations.
     

Share This Page