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Warren National University

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Warren National University, formerly known as Kennedy-Western University, is an American distance learning university that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees.

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.

Licensing and accreditation

The university was established in 1984.

Warren is currently not accredited by any accreditation body recognized by its country. 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. The institution is licensed by the Wyoming State Department of Education, under W.S. 21-2-401 through 21-2-407. This licensure requires the University to meet standards contained in Article 4: Private School Licensing. This licensing allows WNU to do business in Wyoming, it should not be confused with school accreditation which is what ensures that a university follows academic standards thereby providing greater degree utility that can be expected from accredited universities. In order to continue operating in Wyoming, Warren applied for accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, which is approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

The university is forbidden from awarding degrees to residents of Oregon or California. It has been a member of the Mountain States Better Business Bureau since 1996.

Academics

Warren National offers nine degree programs: Bachelor's and Master degrees in business administration, computer science, management information systems, and health administration. Also offered is a doctorate in business administration.

As Kennedy-Western University many more various degrees were also offered although these offerings have since been discontinued.

Controversy and criticism

The findings of an investigation by the Government Accountability Office of the U.S. government was presented in 2004 to a 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.

"It's not clear who has jurisdiction When the school itself has a presence (or an apparent presence) in more than one location Such operations fall through the cracks, until finally some federal agency that operates across state lines (typically the FBI, the Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and/or the Internal Revenue Service) finally takes action."

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.

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

Footnotes

  1. Wyoming Department of Education website at: http://www.k12.wy.us/F/psl/degree.html
  2. Better Business Bureau "BBB Reliability Report for Kennedy Western" April 2006
  3. page 34, Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, 15th edition, 2003, John Bear, Ph.D. & Mariah P. Bear, M.A.
  4. "Fraudulent or Substandard Institutions with No Known Texas Connection". Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  5. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2006/Summaries/SF0069.htm
  6. Globe Investor "Oregon Settles Federal Lawsuit Filed by Kennedy Western University" December 21, 2004

External links

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