My Journal Article About Diploma Mills & DL

In a shameless act of blatant self-promotion I wanted to inform my Degreeinfo colleagues that an article of mine, "How Online Diploma Mills Hurt e-Learning" was published in the latest issue of e-Mentor, a refereed (peer reviewed) international journal edited at the University of Warsaw.

http://www.e-mentor.edu.pl/e_index.php

 

Great article, Anthony. This was a very good point: "While many institutions of higher education fret over competition by accredited for-profit universities, such as University of Phoenix, they are unaware that diploma mills are doing a far more lucrative business and are siphoning away students from legitimate e-learning programs." Traditional institutions need to identify who the real enemy is. It's not the legitimate online institutions who are doing an honest and reputable job, it's the mills who are making it cheap and easy. They are damaging the reputation of all online schools and subverting students who would otherwise go to legitimate universities.

Also, it was great to hear that some states are moving against the mills. Other than the case against CPU, I didn't know that was happening. It need's to happen more. I think there needs to be stronger legislation that identifies minimum standards for a degree. Would it be a good idea to only allow RA schools to award graduate degrees?

 

Tony,

While it is true many states do not have specific laws with regard to using a fake degree there are often penalties associated with misrepresenting credentials for gain. Often these penalties fall in the realm of criminal statutes so that specific laws regarding the use of a fake degree (or other credential) may not be required.

Thank you for sharing and making the article available. Your contributions are always appreciated

 

Kudos to you!

 

Thank you for your kind words, Michael. Since so many nationally accredited schools award graduate degrees, it would be extremely difficult to reign that in. In a follow up article (currently in peer review with a different journal), I focus upon common practices in higher education (such as the non-intuitive and somewhat contradictory system of U.S. accreditation), that actually encourage the proliferation of diploma mills.

 

You are quite correct. Some of the most effective methods of addressing diploma mills have been convictions for mail fraud or tax evasion.

 

Yes, I'm glad you brought that up. I am just beginning to look into the accreditation process and finding that it is not as unified as I expected. I was surprised to learn that there are so many different accrediting bodies and very little standardization across the board.

 

I had an idea for an article regarding some of the problems (including my own experience) of legitimate online learning institutions. However, I don't think I am the right person to write such an article. I suspect you are.

Please PM me and I would be happy to share my ideas.

 

Excellent article, Dr. Pina.

 

Dr Pina,

We had a discussion on this topic the other day in a committee meeting at work. Thanks for the article.

Shawn

 

I just sent one to you.

 

I'm going to expose my ignorance about accreditation even further with this question: Even the diploma mills boast some sort of accreditation, don't they? Do they invent their own, non-recognized accrediting bodies? That's not the same as being nationally accredited, which is still legitimate, correct? If you had a nationally accredited graduate degree, is it true that you may find that many institutions would not recognize it? How does all that work?

 

Yes there are degree mills who invent their own unrecognized accreditation agencies. Yes, national accreditation is legitimate, if the national accreditor has recognition from the United States Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Yes, it is true that many regionally accredited universities and many employers will refuse to recognize nationally accredited degrees. The regional accreditors are older and more prestigious than the national accreditors. The regional accreditors started out life accrediting everything from associate's degrees through the bachelor's and master's up to the doctorate. The national accreditors started out life accrediting little career diplomas and occupational associate's degrees and have only recently started accrediting bachelor's, master's, and now even doctoral programs.

 

I'm honored to be cited by Dr. Pena alongside some true greats in this field. An acorn among oaks, surely.

Nice work, Tony.

 

Rich, was just noticing that your post number is 7777. You should go right out and buy a lottery ticket.

 

Rich,

Your work definitely made a contribution to the field. I refer to it regularly.

Tony

 

Well said, Ted. Just days before I wrote my latest diploma mills article (which is currently undergoing peer review by another international journal), I was sent a resume for a potential online instructor who had a doctorate from a "university" whose "accrediting body" had a website registered to the same address as the university. Allen Ezell wrote a nice book on accreditation mills that was published by the AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers).

 

I was extremely flattered to read it. You were right to pick up on the regulation recommendation. As you stated, I was referring to recommendations of others. As we witness regularly, most of our legislators and many in the Dept. of Ed. really have a very cursory comprehension of distance learning.

 

So....did you phone screen him/her? I have gotten a few resumes with mills on them (like Belford) and have been tempted to call and ask who they think they are fooling but I have resisted.