Aristotle U Gets DHS Scrutiny
#1
Unaccredited Aristotle University in Carlsbad, California is under scrutiny from the DHS. Not just unaccredited but not even approved by the lamers at the California BPPE. Yet somehow they got approved to issue student visas. Good thing it's not a flight school.

If the name "Gionis" sounds familiar, one of Aristotle U's deans, Dr. Thomas Gionis, MD JD LLM MBA MHA etc. etc, formerly was married to John Wayne's daughter Aissa, and was sentenced to five years for having her roughed up by thugs.

His "sister and business manager" is Xanthi Gionis, who also claims an astonishing array of degrees, including a JD at the age of 20 from an unspecified school, MD, an MS in Human Health Sciences from unaccredited Golden State, and an LLM. Neither is shown as admitted to the California bar.

Quote:Homeland Security Launches Investigation into Aristotle University
Special agents want to know how Aristotle University was authorized to issue student visas

By Mari Payton | Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013

[Image: Aristotle-Founder-Xanthi-Gi.jpg]
Xanthi Gionis, founder and dean of Aristotle University at a downtown news conference Feb. 7, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into a North [San Diego] County university.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security oversees the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) which manages schools and student visas.

Special agents with the agency want to know how Aristotle University was authorized to issue student visas, which they said is a stringent process.

The investigation was launched after an NBC 7 Investigates story revealed that some of the students (say they) used their life savings to attend Aristotle University the Carlsbad school, for a Master's Degree in Public Health.

On its website,which has now been taken down, Aristotle University claimed it was licensed by the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education, but a spokesperson from that bureau told NBC 7 there is no record of it ever being licensed by the state.

Students say they attended class once a week for months, with little instruction.

Students also claim Xanthi Gionis, the school’s dean and cofounder, threatens to take away their visas and have them deported if they are late on tuition payments.

Gionis challenged the allegations against the school first brought to light and reported by the NBC 7 Investigation.

“The allegations against Aristotle University are ridiculous and unfounded,” she said at a news conference held Thursday.

Following NBC 7 San Diego’s report, U.S. Sen. Mark Wyland, 38th District sent a letter to Denise Brown who heads the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs.

Wyland sent Brown our report stating that,“the school is, at best, nothing more than a diploma factory.”

Read Sen. Wyland’s letter

On Thursday, Gionis told NBC 7, "Aristotle University has been a homeland security SEVIS approved school to issue the F1 student visas to international students wishing to pursue their masters of public health since 2008."

“It’s extremely hard to get certification,” immigration attorney Ginger Jacobs explained. “So I was very surprised that this school had obtained that certification.”

One student told NBC 7 San Diego that Aristotle University postponed this week’s class scheduled for Monday and informed students the class would resume next week.

NBC 7 reached out to Gionis for comment Wednesday in regards to the investigation into Aristotle University launched by the Department of Homeland Security.

"Aristotle University looks very much forward to and welcomes any and all investigations, particularly from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the California Department of Consumer Affairs," Gionis told NBC 7.
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#2
(02-18-2013, 08:58 PM)Armando Ramos Wrote: Neither is shown as admitted to the California bar.

Great post, Armando. Interestingly, Aissa Wayne is admitted to the Cal bar.
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/175719

The quoted statement by the BPPE rep ("no record") is itself a bit misleading. The BPPE didn't exist until 2009. Looks like Aristotle U was approved by the predecessor BPPVE in May 2007, just before the BPPVE closed shop in July 2007.

Quote:Is Aristotle U. a Sham or a Scam?
rjriehl, February 9, 2013

According to her LinkedIn account, Xanthi Gionis is the self-described owner of Carlsbad's Aristotle University College of Law. As a former university administrator, I found that a curious title for the chief executive of an academic institution. So after watching the video of her Thursday press conference, blasting local reporters for smearing her school, I took a closer look. What I found suggests she probably should have taken Abe Lincoln's advice about silence and fools.

The school's website is currently unavailable because it's "Under Maintenance." But I found its archived version, which has the look of most university websites. There's a "Dean's Welcome," followed by overviews of the school's mission and curriculum and a much more detailed account of tuition and fees. What's missing is any evidence of a faculty, enrolled students, instructional methodology or a campus. The school's address says it all--Suite #200B.

Here are the major claims the school's owner made at her press conference and what I found out about them after a little online research.

Claim #1: "Aristotle University was, in fact, accredited by BPPVE (Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education) from May 1, 2007 to April 30, 2012." Fact: The BPPVE ceased operations on July 1, 2007. The school's five-year approval was meaningless. There was no state oversight of private postsecondary institutions until 2009, when the new Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) was created. Aristotle University is not on the list of BPPE approved schools. Five other Carlsbad private postsecondary schools appear there.

Claim #2: "From 2007 to 2010 Aristotle operated 3 law schools that were fully registered with the State Bar of California and graduates were eligible for licensure to practice law in the State of California." Fact: Aristotle University cannot be found on the California State Bar Website under either accredited or approved unaccredited schools. A search revealed that in 2009 one student from "Aristotle University Institute of Law" took the First-year Law Student Exam and failed. Maybe Aristotle's owner could shed some light on why more light's not shed on her school by the California Bar Association.

In my 30 years in education I'd never heard a school official call a student a liar in public, the final clue to this school owner's lack of professionalism.

That student better be careful or he'll wind up with a sliced Achilles tendon, like Aissa Wayne's boyfriend received from the thugs hired by big bro.
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#3
Quote:[Image: Aristotle-Founder-Xanthi-Gi.jpg]

She's not fat, she's just big-boned...and she has a great personality!

Ouch, damn, my Achilles tendon seems to have been severed...
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#4
(02-19-2013, 02:59 PM)Dickie Billericay Wrote:
Quote:[Image: Aristotle-Founder-Xanthi-Gi.jpg]

She's not fat, she's just big-boned...and she has a great personality!

Ouch, damn, my Achilles tendon seems to have been severed...

[Image: transvestites_05.jpg]

I agree. She's hot.
A.A Mole University
B.A London Institute of Applied Research
B.Sc Millard Fillmore
M.A International Institute for Advanced Studies
Ph.D London Institute of Applied Research
Ph.D Millard Fillmore
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#5
Oink! She's baaaack!

Quote:State Orders Aristotle University to Close
If Aristotle University does not comply, co-founder and dean Xanthi Gionis faces $50,000 in fines

By Mari Payton | Wednesday, Mar 6, 2013 | Updated 3:48 PM PST

[Image: Aristotle-Founder-Xanthi-Gi.jpg]
Xanthi Gionis, founder and dean of Aristotle University at a downtown news conference Feb. 7.

State regulators ordered Aristotle University in Carlsbad to shut down or face a fine. The school must also stop enrolling students.

The Bureau for Postsecondary Education gave NBC 7 a copy of a letter they sent to Aristotle University. Read letter here

In the letter, the agency says the university has been operating without a license.

If Aristotle University does not comply, the letter states, co-founder and dean Xanthi Gionis will be fined $50,000.

A spokesperson for the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, Russ Heimerich said Gionis had not yet responded to the letter.

She did not return NBC 7’s requests for comment on the letter.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also launched an investigation into Aristotle University.

The DHS oversees the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) which manages schools and student visas.

Special agents want to know how Aristotle University was authorized to issue student visas, which they said is a stringent process.

The investigation was launched after an NBC 7 Investigates story revealed that some of the students say they used their life savings to attend the school for a Master's Degree in Public Health.

On its website, which has now been taken down, Aristotle University claimed it was licensed by the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education, but a spokesperson from that bureau told NBC 7 there is no record of it ever being
licensed by the state.

Students say they attended class once a week for months, with little instruction.

Students also claim Xanthi Gionis threatened to take away their visas and have them deported if they were late on tuition payments.

Gionis challenged the allegations against the school first brought to light and reported by the NBC 7 investigation.

“The allegations against Aristotle University are ridiculous and unfounded,” she said at a news conference held last month.
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#6
Department of Dubious Testimonials.......aka Wooopsy-doodle! Is Steve no longer on their side? Say goodnight, Xanthi.

Quote:"Steve was our biggest asset in achieving regulatory approval – without a doubt. He is the consummate consultant. Steve knows what it takes to achieve regulatory compliance, and also understands and is able to explain what type of alternative thoughts regulators might have about your submissions. That type of advice and consulting is invaluable. Further, he knows and understands the intricacies of how subsequent levels of approval and accreditation may apply, or affect, your current submissions. Our entire team at Aristotle University worked closely with Steve – and in every step of the process we were glad “Steve is on our side!” We have continued to seek his advice and counsel – he has become an integral part of our regulatory thinking, strategic planning, and success. We simply don't make any regulatory or strategic move without first "running it by Steve" - then we can sleep at night!!"

Thomas A. Gionis, MD JD MBA MPH MHA LLM FCLM FICS
President, Aristotle University
http://www.edventuresconsulting.com/
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#7
Quote:State regulators ordered Aristotle University in Carlsbad to shut down or face a fine. The school must also stop enrolling students.

The Bureau for Postsecondary Education gave NBC 7 a copy of a letter they sent to Aristotle University. Read letter here

...And just a week before the 40th District State Senate special election on March 12, 2013, in which Xanthi Gionis is a candidate. How conveeeeeenient!

I smell politics at work here. She had approval before the BPPVE went out of business. How tough would it have been to send her a form to fill out? Sounds like just another politically motivated game of goverment gotcha.
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#8
(03-08-2013, 11:33 AM)Winston Smith Wrote: ...And just a week before the 40th District State Senate special election on March 12, 2013, in which Xanthi Gionis is a candidate. How conveeeeeenient!

Good point. Did you also notice that the address to which the BPPE sent their Order of Abatement (6693 Golfcrest Dr, San Diego) is different than the address Xanthi is showing for her state senate campaign (1545 Calle De La Rosa, Apt. 6-304, Chula Vista).

If you check the map, the Golfcrest address is a 3 BR, 2 BA residence located north of I-8 and west of SR-125--nowhere near the district boundaries well to the south of I-8.

California requires Legislature (Assembly or Senate) candidates to have one year of residency in the district and three years in the state.

So maybe the BPPE just has an old address. Or maybe not.
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#9
(03-08-2013, 11:33 AM)Winston Smith Wrote: ...And just a week before the 40th District State Senate special election on March 12, 2013, in which Xanthi Gionis is a candidate. How conveeeeeenient!

Carl Douglas Wrote:Everybody was kung-fu fighting
Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightning
But they fought with expert timing
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#10
(03-08-2013, 11:33 AM)Winston Smith Wrote: ...And just a week before the 40th District State Senate special election on March 12, 2013, in which Xanthi Gionis is a candidate. How conveeeeeenient!

Xanthi pulls 15% of the vote (below the predicted 18%), good for third place behind fellow Republican Gastelum with 22% (above the predicted 20%), both way behind Hueso with 52% in a heavily Democrat district.

Did the bad publicity turn a close 2 point race into an easy 7 point win for Gastelum? In this district a total of 49,552 votes were cast, so a 2% margin would be less than 1,000 votes (991.04 to be exact), which as ACORN has taught us is easily overcome with the votes of the dead, illegal aliens and busloads of touring Somalis. Has Gastelum put in his order for kevlar sweatsocks yet?
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