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Warren National University, formerly known as Kennedy-Western University, is an American distance learning private university that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. It was established in 1984.

The institution has administrative offices in Agoura Hills, California, and corporate offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is named for Francis E. Warren, the first governor of the state of Wyoming.

Academics

Warren National University offers 18 academic degree programs specially designed to supplement and advance the learner's work skills. Its degree programs are grouped within its three primary schools: School of Business, School of Technology, and the School of Health Administration. Also available is the Department of General Education. The School of Business offers Bachelor degrees in six concentrations; Master degrees in five concentrations, and a Doctorate in Business Administration. The School of Technology offers Bachelor and Master degrees in two concentrations. The School of Health Administration offers Bachelor and Master degrees in one concentration, that of Health Administration.

Accreditation

Warren National is currently not accredited by any higher education accreditation body recognized in the United States. As such, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions. For instance, The university is forbidden from awarding degrees to residents of Oregon or California.

Warren National is licensed by the Wyoming State Department of Education under W.S. 21-2-401 through 21-2-407. This licensure allows WNU to do business in Wyoming; it should not be confused with educational accreditation, which is a voluntary quality assurance process that addresses institutional quality as well as financial stability. As a condition of licensing, the University must meet standards contained in Article 4: Private School Licensing. In order to continue operating in Wyoming, Warren applied for accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Note: "There are institutions that may not be accredited, but are not degree mills. For example, the institution may be seeking accreditation, but the process is not complete. Or a legitimate institution may choose not to be accredited for reasons that do not relate to quality."

In the United States, accreditation organizations are private. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) oversees accrediting agencies for institutions of higher education and provides guidelines as well as resources and relevant data.

WNU has been a member of the Mountain States Better Business Bureau since 1996. As of August 2007, the Better Business Bureau reported receiving 14 complaints against the school in previous 36 months, including one complaint about advertising, two complaints about billing or collection, three complaints about sales practices, one complaint about "product," and seven complaints about refunds or exchanges. All complaints were addressed by WNU, including two that were resolved to the satisfaction of the complainants.

Controversy and criticism

The findings of an investigation by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) were presented in 2004 to a U.S. Senate committee. This investigation found that Kennedy-Western University was academically substandard. Kennedy-Western officials, however, asserted that students are required to undergo extensive work and take examinations to receive credit.

During the 2004 federal investigation, a former employee, Andrew Coulombe, testifying to the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, described his feeling that his work there was unethical and summarized it thus: "I can tell you that there is no value to a Kennedy-Western education. Anything you learn there can be learned by buying a book and reading it on your own."

As a result of the scrutiny, 463 federal employees were disciplined or terminated for using dubious degrees that were paid for with Federal tax money.

Though Kennedy-Western was not invited to testify before the Senate, the school's Director of Corporate Communications, David Gering, stated to The Oregonian, "We clearly believe that we are not a diploma mill and have an academically rigorous program, and if you ask our students and alumni, they would agree."

The Seattle Times noted in an article, that included Kennedy-Western, that some believe KWU has an address in Wyoming because the state has "become a haven for diploma mills."

Another criticism of the institution is that it operates primarily out of California but uses a mailing address in Wyoming. Past mailing addresses have been in places including California, Hawaii, Idaho, and Wyoming. The arrangement of having a primary operation in one state but a mailing address in another state is uncommon for legitimate academic institutions but common for diploma mills.

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Kennedy Western University has "No accreditation from a CB recognized accreditor. AKA Warren National University. Oregon reports that degrees from this entity do not meet requirements for employment by the State of Oregon or for work in any profession licensed by that state."

Kennedy Western University operates legally from the state of Wyoming. The university has to have an application for accreditation under Wyo. Stat §§21-2-401 through 21-2-407, but neither the Department of Education nor the Wyoming State Board of Education has accredited or endorsed any course of study being offered by Kennedy-Western University.

WNU's operations are based largely in California but will not accept residents of California as students. Author, John Bear, has said, "degree mills that do not muddy their own local waters, but sell their products only in other states or other countries, are more likely to get away with it longer".

State of Oregon lawsuit

The State of Oregon passed a law making it illegal for graduates to list Kennedy-Western on résumés, specifically referring to the school as a diploma mill. In July 2004, the school filed a lawsuit challenging the law on behalf of three former students.

In December 2004, Kennedy-Western and Oregon reached an out-of-court settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, graduates of Kennedy-Western may list the school on a résumé as long as they note in the résumé its unaccredited status. Further, the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization may no longer refer to the school as a diploma mill or substandard; however, the State still does not allow the degrees to be used for governmental employment or for professional licenses.

See also

• List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
• School accreditation
• Diploma mill

Footnotes

1. Warren National University Areas of Study
2. U.S. Department of Education, Diploma Mills and Accreditation
3. Oregon Office of Degree Authorization: http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.aspx
4. Wyoming Department of Education website at: http://www.k12.wy.us/F/psl/degree.html
5. CHEA Diploma Mill Criteria
6. CHEA Accreditation
7. Mountain States Better Business Bureau "BBB Reliability Report for Kennedy Western" August 27, 2007
8. Lawmakers consider legislation to close diploma-mill loophole, Government Executive, May 12, 2004
9. page 34, Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, 15th edition, 2003, John Bear, Ph.D. & Mariah P. Bear, M.A.
10. "Fraudulent or Substandard Institutions with No Known Texas Connection". Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
11. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2006/Summaries/SF0069.htm
12. Degree Mills http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/dm0.html
13. Globe Investor "Oregon Settles Federal Lawsuit Filed by Kennedy Western University" December 21, 2004

External links

• Warren National University, official website
• Office of Degree Authorization - Official State of Oregon website
• Moonlighting for an Unaccredited University, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 12, 2002.
• Regulating Kennedy-Western -- or Not, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 12, 2002.
• Government funds in question
• Andrew Coulombe's statements

• Unaccredited institutions of higher learning
• Distance education institutions