this bjturk.commentary:
alternative education or ripoff?

In these days of long hours and multiple two-earner families, some (like myself) cannot complete a traditional four-year college degree before being propelled into the workforce. Often, this means that the degree will never be earned, dooming the person to low-paying jobs unless and until he can work his way into a better job after having spent years with a given company. It is not uncommon for these people to have to start all over again if they dare to relocate or change companies through termination or layoff. As a result, numerous schools of higher education have presented themselves to the public as a quick and easy way to get that degree without attending regular college classes. The question is: Are they worth it?

These so-called schools are not always what they seem. John Bear, Ph.D., has made a career out of both informing people of the good alternative educators out there and exposing the ripoffs, commonly called "diploma mills." As a qualified expert witness, Dr. Bear does a tremendous service for those looking to advance their education without tying themselves to the routine and expense of a traditional university. In his books, which can be found in many public libraries (ordering information is available at 1-800-835-8535), Dr. Bear covers the degrees offered by non-traditional schools throughout the United States, how they work, how much they cost and whether or not they are accredited. The last point is important because you may not want to spend thousands for a degree only to find that employers will not accept it because the degree-granting institution lacks accreditation.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to make an accurate judgment based on what the school presents. As Dr. Bear notes, some unaccredited colleges are very good, while others are little more than diploma mills. He also points out that some states are better than others in running down diploma mills and putting them out of business, while other states have laws so relaxed that a diploma mill will relocate to take advantage. Without passing judgment, I reflect on my contacts by mail with two alternative colleges located in the southeastern United States.

La Salle University, located in Mandeville, Louisiana, advertises in a number of national magazines. Information is available by calling 1-800-809-9044. Offering B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in law, education, theology, business and engineering (and others), La Salle is relatively inexpensive (most degree programs are less than US$4,000) and yet shows signs of providing a quality education at a fair price. An associate of mine acquired his doctorate in human resources management from La Salle and put in quite a bit of work to do it. He definitely did not merely write a check and get his Ph.D. The materials they send to prospective students are well-done and they follow up with every person who sends them information to evaluate for admission.

On the other hand, Columbia Southern University in Foley, Alabama, gave me pause. Columbia Southern (1-800-977-8449 or http://www.Colsouth.edu) also advertises in national magazines and offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in business and engineering. What I found troubling is their brochure/catalog. The Columbia Southern catalog I read contained numerous typographical and grammatical errors. Even the stylized CSU design looked differently throughout. Looking at their administration, I saw that several had "CECM" following his name, including the Chancellor. Why, I asked myself, did so many people in the administration of a by-mail college have or need a Certified Environmental Compliance Manager certificate? (CSU offers the CECM, as you may have guessed) I felt suspicious, and that bothered me. My concern after reviewing the catalog was that CSU might be less than legitimate, so I wrote the chancellor, Bob Mayes, Ph.D., a letter telling him so, among other things, and to be fair, I was not very kind (click here to read it). He was not grateful for the criticism.

Not only was he not grateful, he wrote several impolite things. After having read his response (which I have taken down from the site to avoid any potential copyright issues), it was apparent to me that a) I was unwelcome as a student at CSU now and at any time in the future, and b) Dr. Mayes may have himself written the catalog with which I found fault. I only guess at that because the letter he sent was riddled with the same kind of errors that I found in the catalog! If he did write the catalog, I might understand his taking my remarks so personally, but the response was more hostile than I would have expected from the chancellor of a legitimate university. No, I am not implying anything, but to have a senior college official tell me that I should grow up, and "appear to be a hostile person lacking any class what so ever" (sic) itself implies a defensive hostility. What was I to think when it was conspicuously noted that a copy of his letter went to a person with a J.D. degree? Would you want to enroll in a school whose chancellor sent you such a letter?

Instead, I am attending Western International University in Phoenix, Arizona. Campuses are also located in other Arizona cities as well as in London, England. It is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and offers Bachelors and Masters degrees in business management, information systems, behavioral science, aviation management and many others. Tuition costs are fairly high, $185 per credit hour at this writing. WIU (http://www.wintu.edu or 602-943-2311) is an accelerated school, offering classes that meet for four hours a night, one night a week for two months (nine sessions). One might argue that the courses are too short to explore the subject matter in any depth. This is mostly true, but the quality of instruction is reasonably good given the constraints by which the instructors are bound. WIU does fairly well at serving the needs of adult students who work. The same could be said of many similar schools.

Is my money well-spent? Maybe. I now have my B.S. in Information Systems, and am pursuing an MBA in Management Information Systems. Whether or not I can improve my income with these degrees will be the test of their worth. All I know is that if I cannot earn at least $500 more per month after graduation than I am making now, I will not be able to pay off the thousands of dollars in student loans that I will have racked up.

The commonly-quoted statistics say that if you get a B.S. or B.A., you will earn US$300,000 more over your lifetime than a high school graduate. The numbers go up to US$500,000 for a Masters and US$1,000,000 for a doctorate. For this reason alone, earning a college degree should be a worthwhile pursuit. At some colleges, it is, but at others, you may throw your money away. You have to determine yourself which school is which. Bear's Guide is a useful resource, but if that is not available, go with your gut feel. Regardless, you are always better off with a properly- and fully-accredited college or university.

* * * * * UPDATE * * * * *

What a difference a little time makes, and how things turn around. LaSalle University, which I had thought at one time was among the more legitimate of non-traditional schools, was shut down several years ago and from what I understand, the then-owner is now either a fugitive or in jail. It seems that LaSalle fell under the legal description of "diploma mill," despite my belief to the contrary. It has since been resurrected, however, and the new owners, who took over in 1997, have been actively pursuing accreditation, though they have not yet succeeded in that regard. My first helping of crow has been served, so you'll excuse me if I stuff myself on that one for a moment...

Columbia Southern University has engaged in a magnificent turnaround of its own. While at one time appearing to this writer as unprofessional, possibly a scam, and seeming to have all the trappings of a diploma mill itself, it has become genuinely accredited! CSU is now accredited by the Accrediting Division of the Distance Training and Education Council, a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency. Bob Mayes, Ph.D. is still running the place, which is a mild surprise given that many schools change leadership substantially before gaining accreditation. I did note, in perusing the CSU web site, that "Robert Mayes, Jr." is now listed as the Chief Operating Officer. Not everything has changed, apparently, though Bob Sr. is no longer proudly waving his CECM, and neither is anyone else on their staff. Maybe they actually paid attention to my letter after all...

Time to eat a second helping of crow.

Revised February 19, 2001

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