Westland College

I have someone applying for a job with us who indicated that she attended and received an AA degree from Westland College out of Citrus Heights, CA. Does anyone know if this is a degree mill or anything about this school? I know it is not accredited, but I can't seem to find anything else out. Your input would be appreciated. Thank you

Stephanie

 

Here is some information about Westland College. It seems to be a private organization created to train the employees of Westland Insurance.

http://www.westland-insurance.com/about_us_introduction.html

 

Thank you for the link. Westland Insurance seems to be out of British Columbia though, and I am looking for something in California. I'm not sure it even exists, but I'm trying to find out. Thank you.

 

The insurance school is in British Columbia.

There is or was such a school in Michigan.

There apparently was a Westland College, a two-year school, in Fresno or L.A. or someplace California.

 

Westland College may have changed name or been absorbed into another school. Can you ask the applicant?

 

I have a call out to her and am waiting to hear back. I wanted to check here though to see if anyone knew anything about the school because she has not called back yet and I am suspicious that she may have made the school up. Thanks for the advice.

Stephanie

 

Citrus Heights

A search for Westland College brings up some sites with an address of 6060 Sunrise Vista Drive. At that same address is a campus of the NCE (National Career Education). Their accreditation page is here:

http://www.ncecollege.com/license.html

The building appears to be an office building with several organizations:

http://shopsandservices.sunrisemarketplace.com/centers/merchant_list.aspx?center_id=19

There is also an institution known as the University of New Haven which appears to be the real UNH out of Connecticut. They do have a California campus. However, there is no Westland College.

This guy worked there:

http://www.purdue.anderson.edu/etd/jamest.html

 

There used to be one in Clovis, CA. What city is she stating the school was/is in?

 

She gave two locations, which is what got me suspicious in the first place. She said it was either out of Citrus Heights or Fair Oaks, CA.

 

I would go ahead and not consider her for employment. If there was such a legitimate school it would seem that you would have heard of it or been able to get some information about it by now. It sounds like she is giving you the business. Avoid!

 

NO, NO, NO....

I can't believe you would say that! This is the same advice some use for avoiding legitimate DL schools. The woman has a degree in office technology and I would bet she doesn't have a lot of money. She may actually be busy. A google search of Westland College reveals several resumes with the school on it from the 80's. Another has a bio from someone who was attending the school when it went bankrupt. There are people who are listed as having worked there. To categorily dismiss her resume is kind of heartless.

 

We would not dismiss her application without discussing the school situation with her first. I just wanted to have some background information on the school so when I tell her I can't locate a listing, I can actually substantiate that I have looked everywhere possible.

 

Re: NO, NO, NO....

I agree with your sentiment, DTechBA. The college which I attended in the early 1990s has since changed its name after being absorbed by a larger educational organization. Hence, at someone could inadvertently assume I was "making up" a school for my resume.

If I was the employer in who started this thread I would at the very least contact the appropriate state department of education or training and inquire as to whether the named school had ever been registered and licensed.

 

I located a listing of what seems to be various schools in California.

https://ir.calstatela.edu/ir/co/cosar.030a.htm

Westland College is listed. There is no address however which may suggest it is no longer in business.

 

Depending on whether your business allows for state approved NA or RA, I would contact the accreditors for information. Based upon their response I would present the information to the potential employee.

I have found a simple email blind copied to the different accreditors normally nets a response fairly quick.

Kevin

 

I check the accredidation site I normally do -

http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

and they did not have this college as an accredited institution, but I did not try emailing. I will try that. Thank you.

 

The website www.educationdepartment.org/names/W-5 turned up four campuses of Westland College in California:
6060 Sunrise Vista Dr., Citrus Heights, CA 95610
390 W. Westland Ave., Clovis, CA 93612
2575 N. Blackstone, Fresno, CA 93703
300 S. Hobart Blvd. Ste. 200, Los Angeles, CA 90020

According to the aforementioned website, the National Center for Educational Statistics says that all four of the aforementioned Westland Colleges are private, for profit schools. Program duration at three of the four campuses is 2-4 years, while the program duration at the Los Angeles campus is less than 2 years.

 

Perfect - thank you!

 

Hi Stephanie.

It sounds to me like Westland College is a defunct vocational college of some kind. There are lots of these kind of schools. While a few of these schools are regionally accredited two-year colleges, most of them are either accredited by a vocational accreditor like ACICS or ACCSCT, or else they aren't accredited at all.

In the state of California, all postsecondary institutions that aren't state run or accredited by WASC (the local regional accreditor) have to be approved to operate by the state's Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

So my suggestion is to contact the BPPVE and ask them what the scoop is on Westland. They should be able to tell you what kind of school it was, what degrees and certificates it offered, who accredited it (if anyone), and when it ceased operations.

You should be able to find contact information for your inquiries on one of these pages:

The BPPVE home page:

http://www.bppve.ca.gov/index.html

The BPPVE school-search page:

http://app1.dca.ca.gov/bppve/school-search/

 

I use to be a student at Westland Business College in Citrus Heights, CA. I went there 1984-85. I was part of the electronics program. One day we all showed up for class and there were chains and pad locks on the doors. The They had taken all of our student loan monies and skipped town. It was a big scandal in the news papers. I was left paying off my loan for the next 5 years!