Pacific Western University

I hired someone to do my taxes this year and in his office he had two diplomas hanging on his wall from Pacific Western University:

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• Doctor of Business Administration

Initially, I was extremely impressed because I remembered how hard my Bachelors in business management was and I could not imagine how hard a doctorate in business was to complete, but I kept remembering the name of "Pacific Western University" from reading DegreeInfo.com, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. I thought, "Could it be a degree mill??? Naw, because this guy is so respectable."

When I commented on the doctoral diploma on the wall, he said, "That and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee." It seemed like a strange comment at the time. On the surface, it seemed like an attempt at humility, but something told me that there was something more to his comment. Was it a Freudian slip where he was admitting that it is worthless? I don't know.

He is a workaholic and is a very successful man. He owns several successful restaurants, bars and companies, to include the tax service that I was using. Many of the local cops go to him because he's pretty good.

At any rate, I saw my first Pacific Western University diplomas hanging on an office wall. Just thought I'd share the story.

 

To MeAgain:

Thanks for your interesting and illuminating post.

Suggestion: In all of your post above, do this experiment:

Substitute "Kennedy" for "Pacific" (and vice versa) - and you will know the true nature of both beasts.

The only thing wrong with the substitution - both before and after - would be that neither of them are "Universities."

So, do one more substitution. Replace "University" with "Entity."

Ah, now you have arrived at the truth of the matter!!

Thanks.

 

Very very very early on in my explorations of DL (first week or two, before discovering this website), I almost got taken in by PWE. Almost, but not quite.

I googled 'em and realized that scarcely any of the "graduates" in academic positions need have been hired on the strength of (representations made about) their PWE erm degrees. PWE said I would have such and such an individual as a diss director--who was totally ignorant about my proposed field and told me he had never had a single course in the discipline involved. Then I found out (here) about the double game between Hawai'i and Kalifornien. I then received an e-mail from a cleric who "graduated" from the entity, who told me point blank it was a degree mill and that he bought the erm degree to enhance his credibility in a sideline business he was pursuing.

So much for that.

Warning against that kind of thing is why degreeinfo matters. I was lucky (or sufficiently suspicious). Many people aren't--or are colluding in deception.

 

And you don't see the problem already? I mean... yes... clearly you did (and do) see the problem with his diplomas, generally. But what about the problem of allowing someone who would buy and display them to do your taxes?

What... you have some sort of secret audit wish or something? Should not tax preparation, generally, require a more refined ethical sensibility than that which he's clearly exhibiting? Like accounting, tax preparation is not really about math or calculations as much as it is about categorization... something which requires good judgement and, if you're to be saved the indignity and expense of an audit and the possibility of penalties and interest (or worse), a well-developed ethical underpinning on the part of the tax preparer so that such judgements will be made by someone who puts some value on following and interpreting the law as much in its spirit as its letter.

Would someone who displays a pair of Western Pacific University diplomas in his office be more or less likely, in your opinion, to do the truly right thing when called upon to choose between highly-questionable alternatives... as tax preparers are called upon to do every single day of the tax season?

Hmm?

And let us not forget: He's not a CPA... therefore, whatever questionable judgements he makes will fall into your lap, not his. It's not his money, or possible criminal record, or liberty on the line, is it? It's yours.

Into the hands of what kind of person should something that important be entrusted... or, perhaps more appropriately asked, never entrusted?

 

Actually, I have had - since 1989 - nothing but the most pleasant conversations with PWU counselors.

I was working overseas without a diploma of any sort. I had already gained some competency in my field. I came across their add in the Economist - one of the most respectable international magazines. I had no clue about accreditation.

Anyway, I called PWU and they were extremely honest. PWU is for those who have already achieved their career positions. They told me it was NOT an entry level degree.

When I mentioned that I may want to one day work in academia, the counselor told me to foget it. He absolutely insisted that PWU was not for me.

Thus, having demonstrated honesty and integrity, I will continue to defend PWU until their marketing practices change.

If you look closely at their web site, they really do market to those near or past retirement.

So, why shouldn't grandpa or grandma, who worked hard his/her entire life, and didn't get the degree he/she dreamt of, but had a respectable profession with a proven expertise, put the icing on the cake with a PWU degree? Why take their fun away with the label: "diploma mill" or "shill"?

Vanity - it's my favorite sin!

Morgan Khanstein, Esq.

 

PWU is a California state approved degree mill. A TV station went there and their article on PWU proved that PWU was a degree mill.

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14436

 

You mean like when the PWU Vice President coaches prospective students on how to cheat on PWU tests?

Hopefully Grandma and Grandpa's vanity will be held in place by their integrity. A degree mill degree isn't something to be proud of.

 

If the truth ruins grandpa or grandma's fun then so be it. Perhaps they should consider partaking in other fun activitites that are not involved in academic fraud? Or, if they insist on getting a vanity degree then the ULC will sell them one for only $100.

P.S. Look at the TV article linked to in my previous post and then come back and tell me how "honest" you think PWU is.

 

The moral and ethical dimensions of the huge diploma mill/unaccredited and un-wonderful school boondoggle and phenomena that is taking over sizeable chunks of the Internet and the very public cyberspace - separate and apart from even the legal and financial considerations - merit serious attention from all of us.

Gregg, your quote above is apt to make one wonder about what our nation may be coming to.

According to several major news outlet reports that have come to light (since the US Senate Hearings of Diploma Mills and how they are costing us, taxpayers money and possibly jeopardizing our national security in some respects) - several law enforcement officers and personnel, as well as teachers, principals, and some public school administrators, even a Mayor or two, have been caught with diploma mill "degrees" that have, actually in monetary terms, benefited them greatly.

Not too subtle a measure of cultural and moral/ethical decay and malfeasance, one might say.

Keepers of our public order - Law enforcement personnel and police officers! - with diploma mill degrees, seeking the quick and easy route to a "degreed" future!

Guardians of the early education of our future generation, the most easily impressionable children in public schools, grades K to 12 - caught with diploma mill degrees!

Health care and Hospital Administrators - considered trustworthy and reliable and who may be called upon at a moment's notice, help to make a decision or two on the continuance of life support or life itself, for a patient or two - caught with their hands in the diploma mill jar!

And there are persons out there who are verily and shrilly shilling constantly for the continuance of these entities, with no guilt, no shame, no regrets, no moral compass.

It's not just Scott Peterson with a fake degree or two on his wall. What is really scary is the notion that some who one might consider upstanding citizens consider this "not a big deal" - they are hurting themselves, it's their time-bomb, not ours.

It’s far worse, in my estimation, and thus must be unrelentingly fought and exposed at every turn and everywhere and with all applicable tools available.

Shill toleration on Degreeinfo must be nil. Give them something that can look forward to - incessant pummeling and public discomfort at each and every one of their posts in here.

It is amazing that some of them peddle their nonsense with absolutely no sense of shame. some even expect some of us to buy their weak rationalizations and outright lies!

We must stop this deceit and charade for the newbies' sakes, for the constant stream of new daily arrivals here, and in support of the honest DL information seekers who need help and must be given the painful pill of truth.

Tax preparers with fake and dishonest "degrees" - now, that is one easy target for the mighty IRS if ever there was one!

Thanks.

 

Another very dishonest ploy practiced by PWU is to sell many different kinds of degrees through PWU-Hawaii (not state approved) and let people claim they earned it at PWU-California (which is state approved). PWU-California only offers one degree, Bachelor's degree in business administration, IIRC. Yet, PWU-Hawaii offers any level degree in a large variety of disciplines. Of course both "campuses" are run from LA, California by the same people.

 

The New Pacific Western University

Pacific Western University has always been accepted in government and business situations in the past where an accredited degree may have not always been necessary.

Pacific Western University is a California State Approved, degree granting institution and has been awarding degrees since 1977.

Since about the middle of last August PWU has been undergoing some changes that have been noticicable to anyone who takes the time to check in on their web sight. They are under new management and possibly new ownership and their goal is to make PWU (again) an attractive, alternate way of learning and earning a degree. They are doing this by making several changes in their programs and academic structure.

These are recent changes. There will be some people here, and on different forums that simply do not know these things.

RXI

 

PWU Changes

Pacific Western University has seperated themselve from the Hawaiian school. The school know as Pacific Western University - "Hawaii" does not exist as such. It has been changed to American PacWest International University ( I'm not sure how to pronounce this).

As mentioned, they have a new president and some of the faculty has been changed. They are dedicated to making this school a quality business school with 15 concentrations in related business fields.

They have become a member of AACSB, a recognized accredited member of CHEA. One needs to become a member for one to two years before complete acceptance in this organization.

These programs have been looked at and approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accounting (NASBA) for CPE credit.

The address for PWU is www.pwu-ca.edu. To access American PacWest International go to www.pwu.com.

RXI

 

Re: The New Pacific Western University

It is generally been shown to be a bad idea for people to come here and defend a degree mill because it generally ends up looking even worse for the degree mill. I really do appreciate your posts though.

First off this is the frist time I've looked at the PWU website in a long time. I've personally never seen a school that I consider a degree mill ever manage to successfully extract itself from the quagmire once fallen into diploma milldom. I hope that PWU will be the first!

I found no mention of the PWU-Hawaii connection. Instead I find this.

Since BPPVE only evaluated one degree but many other degree options are mentioned, please explain to me why I should believe that PWU is no longer a dishonest and deceitful enterprise?

Thank you,

 

PWU

Hi Bill,

Thank you for responding to my post. First off I did not think of myself as defending a degree mill as you say but as one who was reporting new information or 'the news', as it were. I must say I have no concern for the school other than giving it a fair shake if it is truley changing.

I thought PWU was allowed to grant three degrees, the Bachelor, the Masters, and the Doctorate in business administration and related fields. Am I missing something?

Thank you,

RXI

 

Re: Re: The New Pacific Western University

A good question.

Only time will tell.

RXI

 

Does it really make sense to defend an entire school on the basis of some pleasant phone conversations?

Personally, I'd be more comfortable with PWU's marketing ethics if they eliminated the funny stuff about the AACSB:

PWU is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International (http:www.aacsb.edu).

AACSB is listed with the Counsel of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and was established in 1916.

Of course, being a member of the AACSB isn't the same thing as being accredited by the AACSB. That being the case, it's simply irrelevant that AACSB is listed with CHEA.

(It would also help if they knew how to spell 'council'.)

This isn't so hot either:

Approval under this section indicates that the institute has been visited and reviewed according to specific standards and that the curriculum is consistent in quality with curricula offered by appropriate established degree granting institutions within the State of California.

Apparently PWU is trying to suggest that CA-approval is some kind of government certification of accreditation-equivalency.

Isn't that condescending towards senior citizens?

Besides, PWU doesn't seem at all oriented towards providing avocational programs to seniors. All of the PWU offerings are in the field of business and are vocational in nature.

A good candidate for a Bachelor's degree would be someone who needs the qualification for career and academic advancement, increased earning capability, job advancement, a specific job promotion or a work visa.

A good candidate for a Master's degree would be someone who needs the qualification for business, government, industry or academic advancement purposes.

A good candidate for a Doctorate degree would be someone who needs the qualification to facilitate foreign travel, obtaining a work visa, publish a book or professional articles, join professional associations or to elevate his or her standing in professional circles, particularly in the consulting field.

So all of the PWU degrees are aimed squarely at people who hope to receive additional consideration, whether in careers or immigration, because they possess academic degrees.

 

Re: Re: Pacific Western University

The guy is a sharp Jewish man who knows how to make an honest buck -- what business is that of mine??? Okay, so maybe he did get a diploma from PWU -- should I hold that against him? It simply means he can never be a teacher at a regionally accredited college.

As far as "trusting" him to do my taxes... well... he was using a computer program, so the computer did all the work. I generally do my own taxes, but with a loss of over 100,000, I frankly wasn't quite sure how to handle it, so I used his tax service, based upon the recommendation of a detective / friend of mine. Everything that we did (tax wise) is legit and was checked and re-checked it with governmental publications that we had with us. In governmental publications we trust.

It sounds like you have some "issues" that you need to resolve. I'll pray for you. LOL

Do you have an unaccredited non-RA degree yourself?

 

Pacific Western a mill; what a funny story.

Pacific Western is not a degree mill. Is State Approved in California; one of the finest States in Approving Universities.

California is so excellent, that they closed the infamous degree mill Columbia Pacific University (In a Court Decision) and the other infamous California Alternative High School and many others.

The New PWU “Kalifornien” now, with the new administration gain

1.Membership in (AACSB) international. That membership is not just a membership like the BBB membership.

2.Is a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) that is approved to grant university degrees and provide specialized training programs. PWU is registered with the Department of Veteran's Administration.

3.Now, the new administration of Pacific Western University, archived that the courses in Management, Business and Accounting have been individually approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) for CPE credit; a incredibly highly regarded association.



It is false; that PWU is doing a bad thing is displaying the Logo of (AACSB). For the reason that (AACSB) international says that members are encouraged to exhibit the AACSB International logo and name on their Web site and other appropriate communications to stakeholders and the public. http://www.aacsb.edu/members/nameref.asp


It is also false, that Pacific Western University has only one program approved in California. The California Government approved these programs:

BS in Business Administration/BS in Public Administration
MBA in Business/MS in Management
Ph.D. in Business Administration

 

Naked, unadorned, shameless shilling.

To any newbies and lurkers: please do not be deceived by the mill shill junk in the previous post. Use the search function to find out the real deal on Pacific Western Entity. The previous poster never met a mill he didn't like, or responsible oversight he didn't resent.

 

Naked, unadorned, shameless shilling.

To any newbies and lurkers: please do not be deceived by the mill shill junk in the previous post. Use the search function to find out the real deal on Pacific Western Entity. The previous poster never met a mill he didn't like, or responsible oversight he didn't resent.