Earlier this morning Helen dropped a news article on my desk. The article was local, just a few counties down from our office here in Hudson County, New Jersey. The topic covered something that I've become very familiar with: professionals using the fradulent services of diploma mills to purchase an advanced degree.
The superintendent and assistant superintendent of the Freehold Regional High School District of Monmouth County in New Jersey are reported to have earned doctoral degrees from Breyer State University. The former assistant superintendent, who is now retired, is also reported to have earned a doctorate from Breyer State.
I checked the Web site of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to see if Breyer State was listed in their database of accredited academic institutions. I was not surprised when I received "0" results for my search. Currently, Breyer State University is not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
I encourage any prospective online and on-campus students to utilize CHEA's Web site to ensure that any school they are considering is accredited. It will prevent a lot of future heartache, I can assure you!
The article mentioned some other interesting facts about these three educational professionals who attended Breyer State. Here are some that stuck out to me:
- They received tuition assistance ($8,700.00) from their employer to help pay for their tuition. Please note that their employer is a public school system funded by tax dollars.
- After completing their doctorates, administrators received salary increases.
- The retired former assistant superintendent claims to have reviewed Breyer State's Web site and was not aware that it was not accredited, stating that he found it "reputable."
Who approves tuition reimbursement requests? Why was their institution not checked out by one of their superiors?
After reading this article, I wonder if readers will become increasingly suspicious of online education. "All online education is fake and phoney! Just look at this example!"
I am optimistic that is not the case. I think it is more likely that readers and the public and online education will benefit from news stories like this, because it emphasizes the importance of accreditation. "I thought all schools were the same. I guess not!"
To read the article cited in this blog post, go to Schools chief's doctorate reviewed from APP dot com.