Lack of Recognition

You may take this as insulting but the last sentence does not make sense. CLEP and a TESC/EXC/COSC degree (very inexpensive) is better. Far better in terms of utility and acceptance. They will not blow up in your resume. Who knows with KWU. I realize you/broderick/brandon are determined to pursue the least quality option avaliable to you and judging by your last remark the least amount of work short of absolutely none. With the internet today people will be able to see the KWU diploma on your wall & then look it up on the internet and then possibly crack up although they may not do it to your face.

You mentioned your age which I do not see as a factor. May I refer you to blahetka, and a host of others.

I think John Bear once referred to a student who was taken by a school and ended up trying to find his alma mater and eventually found the post box and took his picture next to it.

I wish you good luck with the option you have found to be best for you.

North

 

Another example of "five classes"!!! Out of three people that have told me how much work it takes to get a K-W degree all three have said FIVE CLASSES!

RJT, do all or almost all K-W graduates take five K-W classes? If this is true, does it mean anything to you?

 

North, I believe he was trying to say KWU is more rigorous than CLEP tests.

Everyone else. While your posts lampooning his spelling did make me laugh, it really shouldn't be a laughing matter. People with dyslexia have a really hard time spelling but that certainly doesn't indicate lack of intelligence. In fact, CEOs and Presidents of some of the largest companies have dyslexia and can't spell worth a damn, but they make up for it in other areas. There was a pretty good article about this in Fortune Magazine a couple months ago, you should read it.

Tony

 

Originally posted by RJT
I couldn't transfer to another RA school becuse my BCC credits were earned in 1982, so I'd loose them.

Weak. None of the "big three" had any problem whatsoever with my RA credits from the same era. Nor, for that matter, did the University of Pennsylvania's CGS. Penn would have required all of 30 hours in residence at the time.. a little short of 12 classes.

A Quality Liscenced School, like Kennedy-Weste4rn

It's neither Quality nor a School. But it might be, as you put it, "Liscenced."

...allowed me to earn credit for life experience, which I feel as a professional, is very valid.

Life credit? I have lots of Life Credit, but only about 130 semester hours from accredited schools. Much of that life has been professionally lived. Think K-W will give me a doctorate?

My course load was gratly reduced to five classes. I statrted in April and I have one more class left.

Unless you're saving all of your Composition classes for the end, this gives further credence to my baseline belief that K-W is a joke which requires no academic work of any measurable quality whatsoever.

...Then I have to do my Thesis (on my HR interest), and I GRADUATE.

No, you'll have a near-worthless piece of paper.

Oh yes, I feel that I've earned it. When I get my KWU Diplama, I will gladly display in my office, in a expensive Josten's frame.

Bluntly put, that'd be like gold-plating a turd.

But believe me: I'm not going to either argue or hurl insults. Your posts paint a more accurate picture of the average K-W consumer than I could ever paint with invective. Please, continue. I'll be preparing popcorn.

 

I believe you are correct and on that part I stand corrected.

The rest of my statement stands.

North

 

Point taken. If RJT is dyslexic, then my criticisism of his spelling is out-of-bounds and in poor taste.

So instead, I'll confine myself to criticism of his monumentally poor judgement, consistent misstatements of fact, and ill-advised championship of an educational disaster area.

 

Facts

Tony ... Thanks.

The five classes doesn't mean any thing to me simply because I am not sure how much life experience the other two students had, which could be applicable to the degree.

I guess we could go round and round, but here are the 100% undisputable facts.

1. Like it or not KWU is state licened and a legal post seconadry school, except in CA where for what ever reason KWU has chosen not to except students, and OR, which unconsitutionally has decided not to except any unaccredited schools except Bob Jones U (bet the Pope is happy).

2. They employ RA Professors, who work part time for the school to advise, develop courses and grade tests.

3. They are annualy audited by WY, and sperately, by a group of unaffillitated RA professors for course content and cirricula.

4. The courses are difficult and require content knowlege, exams are computer timed or procterd.

5. For a BA you have to complete a 75 page research paper, MA 100, Ph.D. 150, plus all couse work.

6. If you don't do well in the exam - You will fail.

7. KWU does not just hand out diplomas, you have to work for it.

8. The reason I completed my courses so quickly, that as a HR professional, I live these courses everyday, so after reading the text and reviewing materials, I am able to take the fianls, and do fairly well.

9. Like it or not, KWU has a good repuation amongst adult learners.

10. They are not a Diploma Mill.

11. I'll look at my Degree as a culmination of eighteen yers of part-time college work (RA and SL).

 

Just for the record

RJT

A person of your intelligence and experience SHOULD know better than saying RA and state licensed is comparable, or even close, and you probably do. However, since you are already in the field with a good job, you might think it doesn't matter. If you stay in the same job then it probably won't. From what I gather you just want to validate your knowledge and experience. Possible problems could arise from change of management, layoffs, plant/company closure, et cetera. What everyone is trying to tell you is that no life is laid out perfectly ahead of time, all of us need to plan ahead for life's inconveniences. They are, of course, right in what they are saying and perhaps you should listen, it isn't too late. With 100 credits plus what you could get with portfolio or testing a RA degree is very close to your grasp and relatively inexpensive taking into account it's portability. I know you want all of us here to keep an open mind, and I think that is what we are asking of you also.

Regards,

Tony

 

Re: Facts

Originally posted by RJT
Tony ... Thanks.

The five classes doesn't mean any thing to me simply because I am not sure how much life experience the other two students had, which could be applicable to the degree.

I guess we could go round and round, but here are the 100% undisputable facts.

Actually, they're not just disputABLE.. they ARE disputed.

1. Like it or not KWU is state licened and a legal post seconadry school, except in CA where for what ever reason KWU has chosen not to except students, and OR, which unconsitutionally has decided not to except any unaccredited schools except Bob Jones U (bet the Pope is happy).

Unconstitutional? How?

2. They employ RA Professors, who work part time for the school to advise, develop courses and grade tests.

Why the emphasis on RA faculty? (I know the answer, incidentally.. but I suspect you don't, or we would have heard it by now.) If graduation from a RA institution is of sufficient importance for faculty, why not for you?

3. They are annualy audited by WY, and sperately, by a group of unaffillitated RA professors for course content and cirricula.

"Audited" is a complete and utter overstatement. The state is required by statute to visit and inspect the *principal place of business in Wyoming* every three years. The scope of the inspection? The same as the initial visit: Does the school have a physical presence in Wyoming? Does it have policies in place for grading, admission, and readmission (note that the site visit doesn't inquire into whether those standards are credible, or for that matter, followed.) Does any school official have convictions for fraud, sexual abuse, or other crimes of moral turpitude? Does the school keep records? Et al, but not much of substance. And oh, yes.. a $50,000 performance bond.

4. The courses are difficult and require content knowlege, exams are computer timed or procterd.

That's subjective. It's also at odds with a least antectdotal accounts to the contrary. Any examples of their difficulty and content you'd care to provide?

5. For a BA you have to complete a 75 page research paper, MA 100, Ph.D. 150, plus all couse work.

To what standards? If you produce high-quality work, apparently you get a piece of paper. If you produce low-quality work, apparently you also get a piece of paper.

6. If you don't do well in the exam - You will fail.
See #5.

7. KWU does not just hand out diplomas, you have to work for it.
Define "work."

8. The reason I completed my courses so quickly, that as a HR professional, I live these courses everyday, so after reading the text and reviewing materials, I am able to take the fianls, and do fairly well.

And if a transient on the street gave me an exam on my field of expertise, I'd do well, too. But unless that transient has been reviewed and held to credible standards, he's not a school.. he's a transient.

9. Like it or not, KWU has a good repuation amongst adult learners.

For the love of God.. WHERE ARE THEY???

10. They are not a Diploma Mill.

Again, subjective.

11. I'll look at my Degree as a culmination of eighteen yers of part-time college work (RA and SL).

You'll look at a piece of paper with zero credibility in the academic world, and near-zero in the workplace. And hopefully, it'll pass as a degree when you need it to. If it doesn't, you've sent several thousand dollars into the rat-hole.

K-W is not held to any academic standards by virtue of their Wyoming licensure- PERIOD. A school without accountability to peer-established standards isn't a school.

 

Re: Facts

You know it would be interesting to get feed back from some of the professors as to whether they even know that they are listed on the K-W site.

Take for example the first name: John P. Byrne, Ph.D. who also teaches at St. Ambrose (or at least a similarly named professor with a very similar albeit older picture teachers there). E-mail at [email protected]

 

Discussions not possible

Hey Guys:

Please remember that largely what is discussed here is opinion. Hence, this area of discussion. I am not sure why some respondants are resorting to less than professional language.

All along I've been stating that his has been my opinion. However, I feel there are some worthy facts that should be examined when considering school choice.

I made my choice, and I feel I made a good one. My choice may not be right for you, or the next guy/gal.

In stating what the US DoE posts on thir website:

Accreditation in the U.S.

The United States has no Federal Ministry of Education or other centralized authority exercising single national control over postsecondary educational institutions in this country. The States assume varying degrees of control over education, but, in general, institutions of higher education are permitted to operate with considerable independence and autonomy. As a consequence, American educational institutions can vary widely in the character and quality of their programs.

....

I have decided to go with a State Liscenced School, this may or may not be right for you. But, this would be the forum to discuss such matters.

I feel that a discussion is not possible, given the hostility I've encountered. Therfore, I offically retire my participation on this topic.

 

Re: Facts

RJT, I'm guessing that this really will be the key to understanding KWU. I would like to spend some time to try and really understand your point of view and the KWU degree requirements. Can you please send me a copy of the KWU catalog? I tried to get it but the KWU computer wouldn't send it to me because I have a California address.

Thank you much,
Bill

 

Re: Discussions not possible

Considering that almost everything you have stated has been proven false, the way you presented your stance, and the fact that when presented with questions you have never responded, I think you have been treated very kindly. When it became obvious that you didn't want a discussion based on logic several posters wished you well. It was you who came back to post the same tired degree mill defenses that have been heard over and over. It is clear to just about everyone except you that you are making a rather large mistake. You have made your choice and to some degree seem happy with it. Good luck. I believe you will need it.

 

Re: Re: Discussions not possible

I find the mind set of many of the students of less-than-wonderful schools to be interesting. They really are in general the most vigorous defenders of the people that have taken their "tuition". In this regard, probably the strongest tool that the less-than-wonderful school has is the "credit for life experience". In a way it is telling the people everything that they want to hear. Their life experience is recognized as valuable and accomplishing something. It shows that they are intelligent and successful. When they are told that this isn't true they can get very defensive, hurt and feel that they're being attacked.

Please note, I know that I'm generalizing here. I know that there are also many students/graduates of closer-to-wonderful/wonderful unaccredited schools that were fully aware of the utility of the degree before going in. I believe this group to be much different.

I would like to look at the K-W catalog. It can be fetched off the K-W website, if you're not from California. http://www.kw.edu/aboutus/catalog.asp
I would appreciate it if someone would be so kind as to email it to me. My email address is in my profile.

Thanks,

 

"seperate"???

======================================

Here I go again. Sticking my nose in ,but 33 years of grading Junior High papers has me in its control.

Dave, you might wish to check your dictionary on that one.