Preston University, Wyoming
Bernard
the IT/Gen Bus field.
Is Preston a reasonable choice?
temp
accreditation "business" established to accredit paper universities.
Bernard <mbat...@iafrica.com> wrote in message
news:7a473g$1auf$1...@nnrp01.iafrica.com...
John Bear
<mbat...@iafrica.com> wrote:
> A friend of mine is in the retail industry and is looking for a degree in
> the IT/Gen Bus field.
>
> Is Preston a reasonable choice?
If you friend has been looking for a Pakistani university operating from
Wyoming, with accreditation from the unrecognized World Association of
Universities and Colleges, then this would be a great choice.
There are many hundreds of properly accredited schools with distance
learning Bachelor's and Master's degrees in general business, and some in
IT. One could search the archives of this newsgroup (www.dejanews.com) or
do ones own internet research or look at Peterson's, Thorson's, and/or
Bears' Guides, which list many of these.
--
John Bear, Ph.D. (Michigan State University, 1966)
Co-Author, Bears' Guide (13th edition at http://www.degree.net)
Larry McQueary
have to be a lot better choices out there. Preston U. is not regionally
accredited, and unfortunately claims accreditation from an organization (WAUC)
that many regular participants of this newsgroup believe to be an "accreditation
mill."
Here's what Preston has to say about there accreditation status:
"Preston University is accredited by the World Association of Universities and
Colleges, U.S.A. Presently, the University is pursuing an additional
accreditation through a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting
body. Preston University will continue these efforts to achieve the goal of
additional U.S. accreditation as expediently as possible."
Since this school has only been around for a few years, perhaps this is a
promising statement. But on a sobering note, WAUC was founded by Dr. Maxine
Asher, alleged discoverer of the Lost City of Atlantis and
founder/owner/operator of a degree mill herself. The mere fact that Preston
ever sought accreditation from this organization, regardless of their intent to
seek DoEd-recognized accreditation, would have me running away to the dozens if
not hundreds of other established, regionally accredited DL schools with
IT/business programs.
Please search DejaNews for more opinions on WAUC and (perhaps?) Preston at
www.dejanews.com/home_ps.shtml. Also, for a list of schools offering the type
of program you're interested in, try Peterson's distance learning site at
www.petersons.com/dlearn. Last but by NO means least, pick up a copy of Bears'
Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally, 13th ed., available at
www.degree.net, which was where I looked up Preston originally to answer your
question.
Stay tuned to this newsgroup if you have more questions, and good luck.
Larry
Bernard wrote in message <7a473g$1auf$1...@nnrp01.iafrica.com>...
bake...@qni.com
> the IT/Gen Bus field.
>
> Is Preston a reasonable choice?
>
>
"Preston University is accredited by the World Association of Universities
and Colleges, U.S.A. Presently, the University is pursuing an additional
accreditation through a U.S. Department of Education-recognized
accrediting body. Preston University will continue these efforts to achieve
the goal of additional U.S. accreditation as expediently as possible."
A noble endeavor, if indeed true. Also, they don't state the accreditation
they're pursuing. I would advise my friend to exercise caution before pouring
time and money into any non-accredited institution. Especially, since Wyoming
is currently a state of choice among degree mills. Too many red flags.
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Harold Henke
>A noble endeavor, if indeed true. Also, they don't state the accreditation
>they're pursuing. I would advise my friend to exercise caution before
pouring
>time and money into any non-accredited institution. Especially, since
Wyoming
>is currently a state of choice among degree mills. Too many red flags.
I usually lurk around this forum but since I live near Wyoming, I would like
to comment that I have not read that Wyoming is a magnet for degree mills.
Do you have any other examples? Wyoming does not have many colleges and the
University of Wyoming is considered to be a good school, which by the way is
actively advertising in newspapers and television for students in the
Colorado area. Some folk have criticized them for that but the population of
potential students is not that high in Wyoming so they need to recruit
students from Colorado and surrounding states.
As for Preston, their web site is well done and every school has to start
somewhere. If you were starting a business, you would want to get some cash
flow, which is tuition, and then work your way up to accreditation which I
believe is a long and expensive proposition.
Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one? How long
does the process take?
bake...@qni.com
"Bernard" <mbat...@iafrica.com> wrote:
> A friend of mine is in the retail industry and is looking for a degree in
> the IT/Gen Bus field.
>
> Is Preston a reasonable choice?
>
>
keh...@my-dejanews.com
"Harold Henke" <he...@boulder.prodigy.net> wrote:
[clip]
> As for Preston, their web site is well done and every school has to start
> somewhere. If you were starting a business, you would want to get some cash
> flow, which is tuition, and then work your way up to accreditation which I
> believe is a long and expensive proposition.
>
> Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one? How long
> does the process take?
Accreditation does take time, but it can be completed expeditiously (The
Graduate School of America, http://www.tgsa.edu, achieved accreditation
relatively quickly.)
According to Preston's own website, which *is* pretty clear and
well-organized (though short on faculty information and academic course
information):
"Preston University was originally established in 1976. The campus in
Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA, started operations in 1994, and is now the
headquarters for the University's world wide operations."
(http://www.preston.edu/faq_index.html#established)
Twenty-two years is more than enough time to achieve accreditation; four-five
years is sufficient. Claiming "accreditation" by the WAUC (World Association
of Universities and Colleges) is worse than not being accredited -- either
Preston Univ administration doesn't realize or they hope that potential
students won't know that this is meaningless.
Kristin Evenson Hirst
mailto:distancel...@miningco.com
http://distancelearn.miningco.com
John Bear
<he...@boulder.prodigy.net> wrote:
>>Do you have any other examples?<<
Well for starters, there is the totally fake Hamilton University, which
sells any degree anyone wants, no questions asked.
Moving along, we come to the Wyoming University for Advanced Studies,
which had, or has, a mailing service address, and is run from California.
Then we've got Senior University, apparently run from British Columbia.
And there are the schools, like Kennedy-Western, which operate from
California but do not qualify for California approval, so they have
addresses in other states. After trying Idaho and then Hawaii,
Kennedy-Western found a welcome in Wyoming.
There are others. A New York Times article on the sad state of things in
Wyoming mentioned more than 20, as I recall. But that ought to do for
starters.
Mr. Henke also asks:
> Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one?
Yes it can, when the accrediting agency is the unrecognized World
Association for Universities and Colleges. "Universities" such as Acton
University (run from Texas by the imprisoned founder of La Salle) and
Cambridge State (closed down by Louisiana, and that's saying something),
both with campuses that are mailbox rental stores in Hawaii, got immediate
WAUC accreditation. That is the accreditor that Preston has chosen, as
well.
Harold Henke
>
>There are others. A New York Times article on the sad state of things in
>Wyoming mentioned more than 20, as I recall. But that ought to do for
>starters.
>
Okay, I stand corrected, never have read any articles in our local Denver
papers on this subject.
I actually meant accreditation by one of the recognized associations, like
North-Central.
Harold Henke
>> Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one? How long
>> does the process take?
>
>Accreditation does take time, but it can be completed expeditiously (The
>Graduate School of America, http://www.tgsa.edu, achieved accreditation
>relatively quickly.)
>
>Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA, started operations in 1994, and is now the
>headquarters for the University's world wide operations."
>(http://www.preston.edu/faq_index.html#established)
>
>Twenty-two years is more than enough time to achieve accreditation;
four-five
>years is sufficient. Claiming "accreditation" by the WAUC (World
Association
>of Universities and Colleges) is worse than not being accredited -- either
>Preston Univ administration doesn't realize or they hope that potential
>students won't know that this is meaningless.
>
interested in how long they have been in business. But as you say for those
first four to five years, a school would have to offer a degree that is not
accredited. So the question is, would it be "legitimate" for a university to
offer degrees with not accreditation while they work on obtaining
accreditation? If so, this should be clear to students.
Chip White
Harold Henke wrote:
> I usually lurk around this forum but since I live near Wyoming, I would like
> to comment that I have not read that Wyoming is a magnet for degree mills.
> Do you have any other examples?
There are quite a few "less-than-wonderful" schools in Wyoming, most of which
exist somewhere else (Preston, for example, is in Pakistan, according to John
Bear). If my Bears' Guide wasn't still packed in a box somewhere, I'd pull out
a few names.
> Wyoming does not have many colleges and the
> University of Wyoming is considered to be a good school, which by the way is
> actively advertising in newspapers and television for students in the
> Colorado area. Some folk have criticized them for that but the population of
> potential students is not that high in Wyoming so they need to recruit
> students from Colorado and surrounding states.
>
This is *wildly* different from a diploma mill duping people. Uof Wyoming is a
legitimate, regionally accredited school. Most of the schools we're referring to
have no faculty, no physical presence in the state, and no interest in actually
developin g a quality, accreditation-worthy program.
> As for Preston, their web site is well done and every school has to start
> somewhere. If you were starting a business, you would want to get some cash
> flow, which is tuition, and then work your way up to accreditation which I
> believe is a long and expensive proposition.
>
True, but Preston does not appear to be going the route that legitimate schools
seeking accreditation take.
> Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one? How long
> does the process take?
For DL schools, probably seven years at a minimum... some much longer.
Harold Henke
>There are quite a few "less-than-wonderful" schools in Wyoming, most of
which
I stand corrected, was surprised to hear that as we don't hear much about
dipolma mills in Wyoming here in Colorado.
>> Can a university be created and get accreditation from day one? How long
>> does the process take?
> For DL schools, probably seven years at a minimum... some much longer.
Seven years is a long time which begs the question, if you attend a school
that is not accredited by a recognized organization but later the university
receives accreditation, does that improve the value of your education? I
probably offend a few people since I am interested in the business aspect
read profit of these schools. Schools like DeVry and University of Phoenix
have rewarded investors quite well.
Chip White
Harold Henke wrote: Seven years is a long time which begs the question, if you
attend a school
> that is not accredited by a recognized organization but later the university
> receives accreditation, does that improve the value of your education?
Interesting question that has been raised here before. Basically, if you
receive a degree from a school that later gains regional accreditation, unless
someone is into splitting gnat hairs, your degree will likely be seen as
accredited... and there is a reasonable argument to be made, which is basically
that once a school gains candidacy status with one of the regionals, it is seen
in the eyes of many (if not most) other schools as essentially equivalent to
accredited.
As I understand it, *candidacy* can occur relatively quickly after application
if it's a legit school and a good application; it's actual accreditation that
can take forever. (John, Steve, Max, or anyone else who knows, correct me if I'm
wrong...)
Hence, although there may be a couple of years after a school starts when it's
neither accredited nor in the process, for the most part the argument about "all
school started out unaccredited" really doesn't hold a lot of water... the
schools that have been around for five or ten years and haven't even applied are
the ones to watch out for... and a large percentage of the scam schools,
"legally operating" or not, probably fall into this category.
Harold Henke
Chip White wrote in message <36CF9A1B...@ix.netcom.com>...
>Hence, although there may be a couple of years after a school starts when
it's
>neither accredited nor in the process, for the most part the argument about
"all
>school started out unaccredited" really doesn't hold a lot of water... the
>schools that have been around for five or ten years and haven't even
applied are
>the ones to watch out for... and a large percentage of the scam schools,
>"legally operating" or not, probably fall into this category.
I would agree that these schools should post the exact steps they are taking
to become accredited. A school or a company are only as good as their
products and their perceived reputation. If a school is working on
accreditation, then they should post the facts and status. Let the buyers
(students) know what is going on so they can make informed decisions.