Caribbean diploma mills?

[Little Arminius]

Some of the DI crowd are showed their true colors in a discussion of the legitimacy of Caribbean-based schools. Bill Huffman suggested following the guidance of the ODA which effectively rules out all but non-RA schools. Steve Foerster responded with a mild-to-fair critique of the ODA (and by inference Alan Contreras) concerning a bias against schools in the Caribbean. BOOM!!!

You would have thought that Foerster attacked Contreras personally, judging by moderator Kizmet's response. Kizmet, noted for being ill-informed on all matters related to DL, responded in a shrill manner by creating a fictional dialogue between Steve Foerster and herself. She must have thought that this is a clever device to use; after all, John Bear and vinny123 use it on occasion with varying degrees of effectiveness. Unfortunately when Kizmet attempts it, the results are embarrassing.

DI thread

[Dennis Ruhl]

As I said elsewhere the matter is black and white to civil rights violator Contreras.

I think the problem with many Caribbean universities is that they are not actually located where they are licensed. No problem with Ross and St. Georges, both excellent schools with worldwide recognition.

[ham]

Kizmet, noted for being ill-informed on all matters related to DL, responded in a shrill manner by creating a fictional dialogue between Steve Foerster and herself.

PFFT!
Another colossal attitude from a modernist novel...or another quack playing the big shot online?

[Gabe]

It's a good thing there is more than one person involved in an accreditation review, but imagine if ONE atheist, for example, was charged with reviewing a religious college for accreditation. It would be impossible for his/her bias not to have an effect on the outcome of the accreditation process.

In the United States we have no clear cut answers to accreditation and state laws vary widely regarding licensing/approval. It's bad enough coming from public officials (Mr. Oregon) who really don't have any accreditation experience, but it certainly doesn't help matters when institutions place themselves on a pedestal. One quick visit to Indiana Wesleyan University's FAQ's section and you'll see what I mean:

http://www.iwuonline.com/iwuonline-faq.htm

Q: "My last college was nationally accredited. Why doesn't IWU accept its credits for transfer?"

A: "National accreditation, though it sounds broader in scope, is quite different from regional accreditation. While many national or international accrediting agencies perform valid accreditation of specific programs - and IWU holds several such national accreditations - the majority of national accreditations are technical or specific to a profession, rather than academic, in nature."  

WTF? They admit national accreditation is valid and they admit they hold national accreditations (not DETC, etc. of course) and yet they still tell the prospective student national accreditation isn't good enough!

What a mangled, anti-competitive mess.