Warren National University shut down

[Virtual Bison]

I would really prefer not discussing the legitimacy of WNU (or KWU as it was called). It seems that this is a lively topic of discussion all over the web. The other DL board so often quoted here seems to have a field day with this. There seem to be individuals there who built careers destroying WNU's reputation, as well as that of students and graduates.

Personally I could not give a dam about Paul Saltman or the administration of WNU. Maybe they are opportunistic individuals more concerned with making profits than with education. Maybe not.

What concerns me is that there are students and graduates who seem to be left in the lurch here. For instance, WNU says it will close its doors at the end of March and the current students need to finish by then.

Preston University, which is currently based in Alabama, has agreed to take in WNU's graduates and supply transcripts and provide other Alumni services. This leaves another question, what will happen with this school? Preston's website seems to be down for now. I spoke with some grads of WNU who had problems contacting them.

So whats the story here?

Now I am a KWU grad from a while back. I think it was not 100% bad but I really think that politics got mixed up and some individuals wanted to destroy WNU for their own profit. Thats why that who GAO "Investigation" took place and why Oregon made an attempt to force grads to not put their education on their resume.

[Fort Bragg]

WNU/KWU had a problem with success. The trolls seem to love attacking schools that are almost good enough. While we are led to believe that accredited schools are such wonderful institutions, they continue pumping out many graduates who can neither read nor write. Accreditation does not measured the quality of student output. They measure inputs that should normally produce a good output. Accreditors take the big private or state schools as the ideal and measure how well schools fit the mold.

Wyoming was getting quite an industry of almost respectable schools and has now run them all off. They set the bar too high and lost dozens if not hundreds of jobs and some not too bad schools. I don't know what's happening in Wyoming that they can give up an industry but looking around they don't appear to be all that wealthy. Even the last time I saw Old Faithful, it was little more than a sputter.

The nice thing about unaccredited schools is that they often provide an education at a fraction of the cost of other schools. I think the whole crackdown is more about guarding turf than maintaining quality.

[Virtual Bison]

WNU/KWU had a problem with success.  The trolls seem to love attacking schools that are almost good enough.  While we are led to believe that accredited schools are such wonderful institutions, they continue pumping out many graduates who can neither read nor write.  Accreditation does not measured the quality of student output.  They measure inputs that should normally produce a good output.  Accreditors take the big private or state schools as the ideal and measure how well schools fit the mold.

Wyoming was getting quite an industry of almost respectable schools and has now run them all off.  They set the bar too high and lost dozens if not hundreds of jobs and some not too bad schools.  I don't know what's happening in Wyoming that they can give up an industry but looking around they don't appear to be all that wealthy.  Even the last time I saw Old Faithful, it was little more than a sputter.

The nice thing about unaccredited schools is that they often provide an education at a fraction of the cost of other schools.  I think the whole crackdown is more about guarding turf than maintaining quality.

Those are some good points.

I believe that the administration are largely responsible for their own demise. Maybe there is some truth to the accusations leveled against them. I recall that when I heard the sale pitch from the recruiter she seemed to have promised me the world. They definitely did not do themselves a service by stating on their website that students can get credit for "live experience." But then again University of Phoenix, which is an accredited school did the exact same thing also.

I will give WNU credit for one thing. Unlike other institutions (including many actual diploma mills in the truest sense) they did not take the easy way out and move to Romania or China.

All the same its really not fair to say to those of us who really did earn our degrees there that WNU is a phony school. I know from experience that it is not. So does anyone who ever took classes there.

But, its really the students who are the victims. Its a shame how little you hear about us. We were the ones caught in the middle of this seesaw battle between the University and the Accreditation cabal. We fought tooth and nail to defend our reputations. We spent the money, we went through the time and effort to earn our degrees. I can tell you about family events I had to miss, my daughter's piano recital that I could not attend, the arguments with my spouse and so on and so forth. I went through hell to earn a degree. Well that's my story and I am sure there are thousands just like me.

Off topic: Yellowstone used to be a wonderful place. I was there when I was about 10 with my mom and dad. I came back 30 years later (to give my age here) and I was very much disappointed. Seems like there are too many tourists coming in and out. There is so much garbage that even the grizzly bears have become fat and lazy.

[Herbert Spencer]

We were the ones caught in the middle of this seesaw battle between the University and the Accreditation cabal.

You make some good points too VB.  That entire situation strikes me as very odd.  KW/WNU has been bobbing and weaving with various state and federal agencies since 1984.  It seems strange they would give up the ghost simply because the NCACS clowns weren’t buying.  It’s like Rocky throwing in the towel with a minute left in the 15th round.  Until we know all the facts it’s just speculation.  Let the clones enjoy the thought that they had a hand in the destruction of another lawful business.  By all accounts KW was making money, so I suspect they will be around again.

[Virtual Bison]

We were the ones caught in the middle of this seesaw battle between the University and the Accreditation cabal.

You make some good points too VB.  That entire situation strikes me as very odd.  KW/WNU has been bobbing and weaving with various state and federal agencies since 1984.  It seems strange they would give up the ghost simply because the NCACS clowns weren’t buying.  It’s like Rocky throwing in the towel with a minute left in the 15th round.  Until we know all the facts it’s just speculation.  Let the clones enjoy the thought that they had a hand in the destruction of another lawful business.  By all accounts KW was making money, so I suspect they will be around again.

My guess is that the investors gambled on going legit and lost so they pulled out. Maybe they have some other ideas they are working on but are hiding from the public. Who know?