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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 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

Since inception in 1984, Warren National University has been committed to providing academic excellence through the highest qualified faculty and their ongoing commitment to technological and learning resources. The selection of its curriculum is central to the University's philosophy of providing the adult learner with a quality post-secondary education. The Faculty Council and Deans benchmark the University's curricula to major universities within the United States. Course offerings are regularly updated to remain current with the most recent trends and theories. 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 five concentrations; Master degrees in four 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 the Health Administration concentration.


Licensing and accreditation

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Bureau of Higher and Continuing Education, Division of Eligibility and Agency Evaluation state:

“The United States has no Federal ministry of education or other centralized authority exercising single national control over educational institutions in this country. The States assume varying degrees of control over education, but, in general, institutions of post secondary education are permitted to operate with considerable independence and autonomy. As a consequence, American educational institutions can vary widely in the character and quality of their programs. “Degrees granted or issued in conformance with cited statutes…are all equally legal under the law. Judgments of value and applicability of a certain degree are not made by the law or by the State. The appropriateness of a degree or the applicability of a degree to a job or the transfer of education credit is decided by those who must render such evaluations for those specific purposes.” (United States Department of Education)

Warren National is currently licensed, but not accredited by any higher education accreditation body. 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 allows WNU to do business in Wyoming; it should not be confused with educational accreditation, which is a quality assurance process that addresses institutional quality as well as financial stability. The university is forbidden from awarding degrees to residents of Oregon or California. As a condition of Wyoming 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.

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 (now Warren National University) was academically substandard. Kennedy-Western officials 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

Footnotes

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

External links

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