State of Hawaii Sues Pacific Western Univ. (Hawaii)

Gus Sainz · Mar 30, 2005

Originally posted by BillDayson
Last I heard, Kennedy Western isn't operating in California. In fact, they won't even send me a catalog, because I live in California.

If California is supposed to go after Kennedy Western, then presumably the state's Education Code would have to be amended so that the BPPVE has jurisdiction not only over schools operating from California addresses under California authority, but also over schools operating from out of state addresses under some other state's authority, provided that they are actually "run from" California (however that last part ended up being defined).

Jeffrey Brunton is able to file suit against all of these schools in Hawaiian courts because they operate from Hawaiian addresses under Hawaiian legal authority. That gives his office jurisdiction over them regardless of where their owners actually live or where they are "run from".

The corresponding authority in the Kennedy Western case would be in Wyoming.

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Aside from the outright purchasing of a diploma, does anything more definitively define a degree mill than the fact that the entity, as a matter of policy, does not (cannot?) accept students from the locality from which it actually operates?

Rich Douglas · Mar 30, 2005

Originally posted by BillDayson
Last I heard, Kennedy Western isn't operating in California. In fact, they won't even send me a catalog, because I live in California.

Depends on your definition. They're running their operations from a California location.

The fact that they don't enroll California students is their way of staying out of trouble. My take is that the state should take a greater interest in such things being run from the state, even if their customers are elsewhere.

If someone opened a marijuana mail order business and promised not to sell any to people with California addresses, don't you think the state law enforcement officials would get involved? Same thing.

If California is supposed to go after Kennedy Western, then presumably the state's Education Code would have to be amended so that the BPPVE has jurisdiction not only over schools operating from California addresses under California authority, but also over schools operating from out of state addresses under some other state's authority, provided that they are actually "run from" California (however that last part ended up being defined).

Neither you nor I are attorneys, so I can't say whether or not the state already has that authority. But allowing that K-WU is somehow legal in California (because it has a license elsewhere and doesn't sell to Californians in-state) seems counterintuitive to me.

Jeffrey Brunton is able to file suit against all of these schools in Hawaiian courts because they operate from Hawaiian addresses under Hawaiian legal authority. That gives his office jurisdiction over them regardless of where their owners actually live or where they are "run from".

But they no more "run" from Hawaii than does K-WU "run" from Wyoming. And just because Wyoming chooses to permit K-WU's license, doesn't mean California should allow it. California should show K-WU the door. (The state line, actually.)

If K-WU moved its actual operations to Hawaii (while still retaining a Wyoming license), do you think Mr. Brunton would get involved? Can you imagine what New York would do if K-WU (and its Wyoming license) opened up a phone bank and a printing press in, say, Buffalo?

I say it is a shame and a sham to permit an unaccredited school to operate in California without that state exercising its (meager) oversight--something that chased K-WU "out" of California in the first place. Let those degree sellers sell their Southern California homes and really move to Cheyenne.

The corresponding authority in the Kennedy Western case would be in Wyoming.

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Bill Huffman · Mar 30, 2005

Originally posted by Gus Sainz
Aside from the outright purchasing of a diploma, does anything more definitively define a degree mill than the fact that the entity, as a matter of policy, does not (cannot?) accept students from the locality from which it actually operates?
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The three most telling practices for a degree mill are probably the above item. Using an address in a different jurisdiction from where they operate. Fleeing from one jurisidiction to another. KWU has all three and the third one they've done THREE times!!!

plcscott · Mar 30, 2005

I wonder if the recent name change for Pacific Western University occured because of this pending law suit with Hawaii.

Why would PWU change the name that it has had for many years?

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State of Hawaii Sues Pacific Western Univ. (Hawaii)

Gus Sainz New Member

Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

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State of Hawaii Sues Pacific Western Univ. (Hawaii)

Gus Sainz New Member

Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

plcscott New Member

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