To Mr Alan Contreras

Hello Bill,

Yes, I can understand your point of view, in saying that, I also should inform you that, that no undergard Fairfax University degree can be completed in less than one year.

Minimum required time for an undergrad is some where between 18- 24 months and for post- grads its i think about 15 months.

My understanding is that Fairfax will not any completed work which falls less than a year. They also advised me, allocate around 12 hours per week on studies, research and so forth.

Migara

 

Why has Fairfax never become accredited? Clearly, they are no longer a new school. Clearly, there are accreditors that accredit the sort of programs that Fairfax purports to offer.



Tom Nixon

 

Tom,

I dont know, though I neve they Applied to DETC sometimes ago but DETC does not approve the use of one on one monitoring systems used by Fairfax.

I think they also applied RA as well, and the result was RA does not approve School's using one on one monitoring.

All I know is that they are going to make few major anncoucements in Jan 2005.

Will have to wait and see!!!!

Migara

 

Perhaps the big announcement is that they are closing because the owners are trying to stay a step ahead of prosecutors.

 

I do not believe that the only reason that it was not able to be accredited is the use of "one on one monitoring."

And, unless, it is going to become accredited, I doubt many will care what it says in January.



Tom Nixon

 

Hi Migara,

Can you please point to where on the website these time requirments are posted?

BTW, the degree mill Kennedy-Western University also has minimum length of times for degrees. That doesn't prove that KWU isn't a degree mill only that they have such a policy. I suspect that before someone had signed up for KWU, if they said they would sign only on condition that this policy be waved then KWU would make an exception in a heart beat. This is the way of degree mills.

Note that I have not called Fairfax a degree mill. I don't really know but if the ODA lists them as a degree mill then I think there's a most excellent chance that they are a degree mill. Although I am very willing to learn otherwise.

 

Bill,

The requirements are not shown on the website. I got those from the materials I had in the mail from Fairfax University.

I am keeping my fingers cross till Jan 2005 to see what type of information Fairfax will announce.

Migara

 

Hi Miagra


Is there some reason to believe this annoucement will be anything of value? When a person or institution is of questionable reputation, I look to past actions not future ones to reinforce their status.

 

Excellent point and policies that are presented for show rather than defining procedure are really only intended to mislead.

 

Hi

In the interest of being clear, let me say that I think an accredited school with a process like Miagra mentioned would be valuable. The question then becomes how do you prove such a flexible process is uniformly rigorious? That could be very difficult.

My impression is that Union process is similiar. They, however, had the huge advantage of a consortium of established RA schools supporting them. My hunch is it would be next to impossible for Fairfax to gain either DETC or Regional accreditation without totally changing their process. I wonder how likely they are to do that?

Without accreditation a Fairfax degree has little utility or value, although the education it provides may be valuable.

 

I assume that Union offerred those degrees at the graduate level only. I question the wisdom in allowing someone so much freedom in the design of their own Bachelor's? At least theoritically, my concerns would be significantly reduced though if the person was already experienced in the field. My concern is that a Bachelor's is supposed to lay theoritical ground work that someone without any college background may not appreciate.

 

Hi Bill

Any rigorious program would not be 100% or even 90% self-designed. It might be partially self-designed, but only under the guidence of appropriate faculty or outside examiners.

 

Hello Dave,

Yes I believe it will be worth while the wait for new annoucements, as I understand the Fairfax Uni is going annouce a New Chancellor, few of the change of directions, few other things, also i think few new programs as well. Hence I think it will be interesting to what exactly the outcome.

If you look at past actions of Fairfax, i believe they havent done anything misleading, Fairfax is still in the same state as it was since 1986.

Also can you point out any wrong doings by the Fairfax since its formation in 1986? If Fairfax was/is a diploma mill or a Degree mill, how is it possible to Survive this long of 18 years by operating?

Dave, past actions are not Necessarily a good indicator of future directions. If you look at the past actions, why not look at people that was part of the Fairfax? I think I dont need to name any of them. Those people were well respected, educated and well know in the Academia.

Dave, can you ever point out if Fairfax applied to any of the Bogus accrediting agencies? So the past actions says NO they havent.

Also Dave, it would be nice to spell a person's name correctly.

Migara

 

Again, I'm not saying that Fairfax is a degree mill but, these are not indicators whether or not an institution is a degree mill or not. For example, Sussex College of Technology was (is?) a blatant degree mill operating out of the UK for longer than that and from the same home the whole time. From their own website, Fairfax admits that they have appeared to move from once place to another. This is typical degree mill behavior that helps to avoid prosecution. The Fairfax site even admits that they needed to do this because of the authorities.

 

Bill,

Are you referring to the various incorporation in different states?

Bill: The Fairfax site even admits that they needed to do this because of the authorities

Migara: where on earth you get this from the website?

Migara

 

Obviously a TOEFL test is not a requirement either.

 

Hi Migara,

It is most interesting that it seems that the information explaining why Fairfax moved their "incorporation" from state to state has been removed. If I remember correctly it was in the FAQ. IIRC, there was also some verbage referring to the LA laws changing and therefore them being run out of LA by uptight paper pushers (maybe it was more like closed minded conformists?). In other words when LA passed it's set of anti-degree-mill laws, Fairfax had to flee the state to Montana and then to the Caymen islands. If you don't like my interpretations then please explain exactly why Fairfax had to start claiming that they were no longer a Louisiana business. The only essentual difference between my statements and what I read was that FU painted the reason as simply avoiding conformists in the establishment. I say these conformists were simply trying to enforce the law so FU had to flee.

I guess that I either couldn't find the correct FAQ/page or it has been removed. If it was removed then I guess I should retract my earlier comment "which indicates a degree of honesty which I appreciated".

 

MIGARA...

Your fixation with Fairfax goes back almost a year...haven`t you researched it enough?

http://www.talkabouteducation.com/group/alt.education.distance/search.html?q=MIGARA


I don`t know if this is the same Migara:

http://www.rushmore.edu/gs/students3.htm

 

PETEUSA 1,

I have done my research on Fairfax University, hence my reason for undertaking my B.A in Management Studies.

Yes, I did a lot of research before deciding on Fairfax Uni, so i had posted many questions on Here (degreeinfo) and as well as other discussion forums.

Migara

 

Hi Migara

Thanks for your post.

So from your description there will be no significant change in Jan. 2005.

I am not an expert on Fairfax history. If you are stating Fairfax has not been deceptive and deceitful. I'll take you at your word. That doesn't mean they aren't a degree mill or near degree mill. To me those terms speak to the minimum amount of work required and the value/utility of the degree.

As to your final point, I'll have to disagree strongly. In my experience, past action IS BY FAR the best predictor of future behavior. That does not mean it is 100%. I certainly believe any person or institution CAN change. When such an entity has record of less than stellar preformance, I am clearly of Missouri persuasion. "Show me!" Talk is cheap, but serious and committed change shows in REAL (not promised) actions.

As I said before, I think an institution that allows real independent study has great value. To have that value, it really MUST have accreditation. Without accreditation you might as well spend the time in the library without the added expense of the school.

As to the spelling, my apologies. My mistake and obtuse of me not to notice.