Wyoming makes some changes

House passes bills...

You need to scroll down to get to the interesting part:

• The House also passed SF78, which seeks to toughen licensing requirements and standards for nonaccredited private schools.
  
  Rep. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, a co-sponsor, said the measure was brought because of a national magazine article that listed Wyoming as one of the most permissive states in its licensure and was allowing rapid growth of "mail-order diploma mills."
  
  Bona fide schools have no problem with the bill, Wasserburger said, but bogus ones had better watch out.
  
  The bill increases state fees and bond requirements for nonaccredited private schools and outlines when their licenses can be suspended or revoked.
  
  It also would give the state authority to make unannounced inspections and require that the schools have an office staffed by at least one full-time employee.
  
  Current law requires that 50 percent of instructors at private schools to have master's or doctor's degrees. The bill would extend a bachelor's degree requirement to the other faculty members.
  
  That degree must be from a regional accredited institution to prevent schools from issuing degrees to their own instructors.
  
  The measure would not apply to the University of Wyoming, community colleges or other vocational facilities, such as truck driving schools, that do not issue bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees.

 

Kennedy-Western would meet these requirements, wouldn't it?

Nosborne, JD

 

It appears that this bill is so weak that it'll do little more than legitimize the degree mills.

 

A step in the right direction

Kennedy-Western should meet these requirements.

I welcome the tightening of the law, as it is a step in the right direction. I think the unplanned visits by the WY Department of Education reinforces. Is it comparable to CA Approval, no. Is it better than it was, yes. What does it do: holds the school accountable for having legitimately graduated adjunct-faculty; causes the school maintain a in-state, described presence; alerts the school that they should be prepared for an unplanned Department of Education visitation. It reminds me of the steps Hawaii took. The proof will be in the enforcement. However, even in a state with strict regulations, like CA, I wonder how many on-site reviews actually take place? …. Again, is it perfect, far from, but – it is a step forward; albeit, perhaps a positive, but a "baby" step.

Thanks,

 

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education story, Kennedy-Western's campus in Wyoming consisted of two clerks working in a basement office. So this would presumably meet the new law . . . but what exactly would the state inspectors evaluate on their unannounced visit?

 

Apparently the only thing to inspect is that there is at least one full time employee? The other rule that might discourage some degree mills is percentage of RA degrees in the faculty. So they (someone other than KWU) might have to have a list of two or three "faculty members" to show the inspectors as well. I would guess that KWU is hoping for the passage of this law. The law appears to be a paper tiger to me, even if vigorously enforced.

 

So a school could qualify with a 6' X 8' rented office, one full-time minimum wage earning secretary, as well as two faculty--one of whom has at least a RA 2 year degree?

Well, at least it would curb the proliferation of Internet only scam schools.

 

Oxpecker said, "Current law requires that 50 percent of instructors at private schools to have master's or doctor's degrees. The bill would extend a bachelor's degree requirement to the other faculty members. That degree must be from a regional accredited institution to prevent schools from issuing degrees to their own instructors."

So I guess one part-time faculty with at least an RA master's should work. If Wyoming goes through with it and enforces the law then it might make some improvement.