Newlane University

I really appreciate your openness with us. I understand that your students likely do understand the limits and opportunities of a Newlane degree. We're perhaps more sensitive than the general public to ASIC because it's almost a trope here that someone will advertise a school that talks up ASIC as if it's equivalent to RA/NA in the US, when it's not. I'm glad to see that you don't intend to do that.

It's more that many operators of less-reputable schools have a history of misusing ASIC to imply that it means more, inside the US, than it does. So I don't think it's a case of there being a better accreditor out there, but rather being clear that you have ASIC accreditation, you don't have DOE/CHEA recognized accreditation, but you'd like to pursue it in the future.

 

Hard to say. But I would almost say that no accreditation is still better than ASIC accreditation; regardless of how rigorous it is in reality. Why? Dustin said it better than I could: "because it's almost a trope here that someone will advertise a school that talks up ASIC as if it's equivalent to RA/NA in the US, when it's not".

However, I don't think that you intended to do so. But others, however, did.

 

If I can jump in here -- I've had the impression that Global or International Accreditation (Institutional, that is - not Programmatic) is largely a myth. No such thing exists as far as I know. Each country has its own rules for accreditation-or-equivalent and if the country's authority (Ministry etc.) does a good job of oversight, the degrees will travel well.

ASIC - you said yourself, Josh, is much less rigorous than the US accreditation process. In UK, ASIC's mandate is to make sure a school (mostly non-degree granting schools there) that enrols foreign students is NOT a hotbed of terrorism or immigration violations, that classes really take place. Their overseas branch, ASIC International makes sure schools abroad are reasonably honest, respectable places - a decent environment for students and teachers to be in and so on. You know the drill. Their literature makes clear the areas ASIC delves into. As I see it, academic oversight is very limited, because ASIC simply isn't designed to major in that. ASIC seems to agree - as you know, their materials say ASIC accreditation has no bearing on degree-granting authority. The school gets what its own country gives it.

And they're right. If you're in the US, you get degree-granting permission there - and you get your institutional accreditation from there. Institutional accreditation or equivalent, with the necessary academic oversight, is a local product, as I see it. Not aware of a global supplier at University level.

Holy Cow! Three others wrote replies while I was writing this post! I agree with them all. Especially the part about some schools claiming ASIC is more than it is. More than ASIC says it is, in fact. They do themselves no good, saying things that ASIC itself cautions them against.

 

Another thing: ASIC has shown itself not to be infallible. It appears to have, on a couple or three occasions, accredited totally fraudulent schools and found it necessary to rescind the newly-granted accreditation shortly thereafter. It took only 38 days, in one case. They have accredited three schools - two of them on US soil, that were found to be linked in one way or the other to the Axact scheme - a mega-fraud. A worldwide scam operated from Karachi, Pakistan. Several hundred fake Universities were involved (Axact is still creating new ones) as well as many fake Accreditation agencies, most of which made claims that their accreditation was good world-wide. The accreditation of these fake agencies wasn't (and isn't) good anywhere.

The schools reported to be Axact-linked, that were accredited at one time or another by ASIC were, to the best of my recollection:

(a) Orlando University - gone now. Briefly ASIC accredited. There is another Orlando University (actually located there) now that has nothing to do with Axact or this other school.
(b) Coronado Pacific University (or was it Pacific Coronado -or both?) . This University was accredited by ASIC for less than two months.
(c) University of Atlanta. This school was accredited by DEAC for 5 years. DEAC accreditation was not renewed and subsequently ASIC accreditation was granted. I don't know how long that lasted - but it was rescinded and I believe the school is closed. Long story.

 

Links to the media articles etc. on the above are in the Axact thread. It's a long read.

 

Did a quick count. ASIC International has now accredited about 24 active Universities / Colleges / Tertiary Schools in US, 2 in Canada.

They are:

Akamai University
All-American Institute of Medical Sciences
American International Theism University
American International University
Atlantic International University
Austin University
Brentwood University
Distance Learning Systems (Indiana)
Global Finance School
Heritage International University
International Institute of Entrepreneurs and Skills Acquisition
Jehovah Jireh Institute of Bible learning
Lifestyle Prescriptions University
LIGS University
Logos University International
Lucent University
Newlane University
Nexford University
Noble International University (Toronto Can.)
Revelation University
St. Bede's Anglican Catholic Theological College (Victoria BC Can.)
Southern California International University
College of Metaphysical Studies
Continents State University
Theological International University
West Coast Bible College (Plano TX?)

We have discussed quite a few of these in detail already.
Q. Can any member recall a US based school, accredited by ASIC, which went on to obtain recognized US accreditation? (I cannot recall one, myself. -J)

 

I should correct something I wrote earlier. Global Accreditation / International Accreditation is not a myth. For instance, ASIC accredits globally, though ASIC has no remit outside UK. What I call a myth is Global / International Accreditation, as Accreditation is known in the US - with strong Academic Oversight. That kind of accreditation-or-equivalent is the domain of individual countries. Sorry for any confusion my earlier statement may have caused.

 

Thanks for the info Johann, I'm not doubting your info at all, but do you know if any of these schools later applied for US accreditation and were rejected? I'm aware of at least two of those schools that have not intention right now of pursuing DOE accreditation.

 

As far as I know, Josh, that does not apply to any US school on ASIC's current list - the 24 or so I listed. I'm not sure, but I seem to remember one or two schools that may or not have ASIC any more and may have been DEAC applicants at some time. I'm not positive - I'll have to go through old DEAC listings etc. Can do that over the next few days.

One thing I DO know. There have been at least some schools that have first operated as unaccredited, then acquired ASIC and subsequently ceased operation. One such is Excel College that operated in Minnesota IIRC. There's a DI thread on that school, I remember. There may be another one or two closures among California's unaccredited schools that were subject to an "accredit-or-die" law. I remember a couple that acquired ASIC and I believe doing so may not have enabled them to meet the State's requirement for US-recognized accreditation.

The general US pattern seems to be - get ASIC and keep right on going with it, as long as their State is OK with it. There are schools on that list that I believe have had ASIC and no other accreditation for oh- I dunno, ten years or more - e.g. Akamai University in Hawaii.

 

@Joshs Another problem, Josh: If a school applies to DEAC and is rejected, I'd not (nearly) always know. The first we'd know around here is from the "To be considered" list on the DEAC site. The school first has to complete an extensive self-appraisal satisfactory to DEAC before it is added to the list. If an application is made and doesn't get that far - outsiders would not see any trace. All I can do is check around here for old news - and look at the former "to be considered" lists and see if any relevant schools dropped from the list.

Another thing I can say for sure: It's tough, looking for any ASIC-accredited US schools that DID go on to recognized US accreditation. I don't recall ANY offhand - and if there are some, very few. (I put out a call to all other DI members, in a post above.) And like I said, it's been at least 10 years now, that ASIC has been accrediting US schools. Maybe ACICS accredited one or two ASIC schools - I'll have to hunt. For sure, that's not a well-trodden path. I'll get back to you.

 

The one that wasnt on your list for a US School because of its deceiving name: American University of Athens

If you click on their information is says it is based out of . . . . Greece.

But there website Contact Us says is it based in: Athens, Alabama USA
1207, E.FORREST ST. ATHENS, AL 35613, USA

 

I think I'll start the American University in Paris...Texas.

 

Right then, back in the days:

Trans-Atlantic College - run by a International University of Fundamental Studies bloke with ties to the Dominion of Melchizedek

Concepts College - later Concepts University, run by another IUFS bloke who got apprehended by the police in Nigeria for running illegal Concept's campuses down there. Concepts College's website was taken down for a while because of what we can refer to as copyright infringements.

Manchester College of Professional Studies - lots of money that went missing with the owners

Cromwell College of IT and Management - degrees awarded by Barbican University, not a registered body.

Notting Hill College - degrees awarded by Eton University USA.

Etc.

I'd say five, at least.

Yes, the most recent one I've seen is less than two months old. Look out for new hatchlings in February.

I think it was Paramount California University, in ASIC's directory of international schools from 11 February to 8 March 2015. But fair enough, PCU and CPU were most likely owned by the same individual, who sold out to Axact. In addition, there were South Asian University and Global Vision University.

 

run by Breyer State people

Accredited by three accreditation mills and ASIC

Once upon a time known as Delta International University of New Orleans

No, but there are examples of schools that were denied approval by the BPPE in California and then became ASIC accredited shortly after.

 

Thanks. Yep - I left this off because I thought it was in Greece. Silly me. Thanks!

 

There you have it, Josh. Thanks to a member with demonstrated extensive knowledge, you now have way more info than I was able to provide. As I conjectured, It looks like - if your school goes from ASIC to recognized US accreditation - it will probably be the first.

@mbwa shenzi My sincere thanks for filling in the blanks in my script - and your kind corrections. Great job.

 

deleted - dup. post. J.

 

Thanks. I believe Dustin is considering incorporating the American University of Paris, (Texas). I'd probably opt for the Canadian University of Mongolia (Ontario). This Mongolia is a very small town maybe 120 miles from where I live.

Unless Josh has any more questions for us, I think we're pretty well done, here.

 

Oh yes - for anyone interested, it appears the Alabama-domiciled University of Athens (addresses in Athens AL and Montgomery AL) also had premises of sorts in Greece where students were enrolled. Its site refers to European studies. There are also reports of a "fake" school with this same name in Kuwait. It gets around.

Some unhappy camper sites etc.

https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/595828
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/our-diplomas-are-not-fake-american-university-of-athens-students/
http://maryhonest115.blogspot.com/
https://eservices.mohe.gov.om/student/externaluniversities/fake-universities.pdf

From the last listing shown: "American University of Athens Greece - Claim of Delaware authority invalid since 2005. Claim of ACICS accreditation invalid since 2005."
(It looks like this school may have at some time (2005-2010?) claimed Delaware authority and ACICS accreditation.)
I cannot find a current license for this school in Alabama. The State discontinued licensing most unaccredited universities /colleges (or not having US NA or RA accreditation) about 12 years ago - e.g. Breyer State, which then moved to Idaho, then California, then Panama. (Recently, some former Breyer State folks started International Theism University in Florida - which is also ASIC-accredited.)

IT APPEARS ASIC HAD NO DIFFICULTY IN ACCREDITING THIS ALABAMA/GREEK/KUWAITI SCHOOL. ???

 

Yes: Here's American University of Athens (Alabama & Greece) page that has pics of student life in Athens Greece: https://www.aua.edu/student-life/