Oregon Update

http://www.degreeinfo.com/static/forum_archive/4/4391/thread_4391_page_1.html

817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.--

(1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 246.021, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is:

(a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation;

(b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government;

(c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;

(d) Licensed by the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities pursuant to ss. 246.011-246.151 or exempt from licensure pursuant to s. 246.085; or

(e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program.


The problems with the law as written (according to the court ruling) was that unaccredited degrees could not ever be considered valid and the wording for foreign degrees was incorrect. This would have made it possibly illegal for some people with valid degrees to use them which was unfairly deprieving them of their rights. Sorry, I don't have a copy of the ruling.

 

Interesting. "Regional or professional". Where would that leave DETC? It's not regional nor is it professional; it's institutional and national.

 

This board merged with another and became the Commission for Independent Education. Just FYI.

 

Where's Alan? He started this thread.

I wonder, seriously, if he being required to complete the defamation training?

 

Agreed. How would K-W get around the fact that they can't enroll students from California, the very state from which they operate? (That is, at least until they move again.)

Kit

 

It doesn't appear that 817.567 was actually struck down or substantially changed in terms of Florida law. See the current 2004 statute and history notes below. With slight changes to subsection (d), the substance and intent of the statute appear to remain fully intact. Therefore, it looks like the use or presentation of a K-W degree in Florida remains illegal.

The 2004 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 817
FRAUDULENT PRACTICES

View Entire Chapter

817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.--

(1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 1005.02, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is:

(a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation;

(b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government;

(c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;

(d) Licensed by the Commission for Independent Education pursuant to ss. 1005.01-1005.38 or exempt from licensure pursuant to chapter 1005; or

(e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program.

(2) No person awarded a doctorate degree from an institution not listed in subsection (1) shall claim in the state, either orally or in writing, the title "Dr." before the person's name or any mark, appellation, or series of letters, numbers, or words, such as, but not limited to, "Ph.D.," "Ed.D.," "D.N.," or "D.Th.," which signifies, purports, or is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of a doctorate degree, after the person's name.

(3)(a) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(b) In addition to any penalty imposed under paragraph (a), a violator shall be subject to any other penalty provided by law, including, but not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator's license or certification to practice an occupation or profession.

History.--s. 2, ch. 89-40; s. 32, ch. 94-310; s. 1039, ch. 2002-387; s. 160, ch. 2004-5; s. 21, ch. 2004-41.

Source:

http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=CH0817/Sec567.HTM

The following "CHAPTER 2004-41 and Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 340" appear to highlight the actual changes:

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/laws/04laws/ch_2004-041.pdf