Bienville University was an unaccredited institution that was based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was run by Thomas J. Kirk.[1] Bienville University was referred to as a diploma mill or degree mill in a 2003 article by KVBC News 3.[2] It was never recognised or approved by any accreditation agency and was not approved by the US Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and has been closed by the State of Louisiana.[3]
It then moved to Woodville, Mississippi.[1] The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has put Bienville University on the list of Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas.[4] Without recognized accreditation, Bienville's degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other academic institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.[5]
Jurisdictions that have restricted or made illegal the use of credentials from unaccredited schools include Oregon,[3][6] Michigan,[7] Maine,[8] North Dakota,[6] New Jersey,[6] Washington,[3][9] Nevada,[3][10] Illinois,[3] Indiana,[3] and Texas.[4][11] Many other states are also considering restrictions on the use of degrees from unaccredited institutions.[12]
A Las Vegas police chief was told in 2002 that his diploma from Bienville would not earn him more pay because the institution does not meet the standards of accreditation required.[13]
References edit
- ^ a b Louisiana Board of Regents Shuts Down 4 Distance-Learning Institutions, By Andrea L. Foster, The Chronicle of Higher Education
- ^ Online Universities Promising "Accredited" Degrees & Diplomas
- ^ a b c d e f "Unaccredited Colleges". Oregon Office of Degree Authorization. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas Archived 2017-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- ^ Diploma Mills and Accreditation – Accreditation
- ^ a b c State mulls online learning Archived January 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine by the Associated Press, Billings Gazette, January 30, 2005
- ^ Colleges and Universities not accredited by CHEA, Michigan Education and Children's Services
- ^ Accredited and Non-Accredited Colleges and Universities, Maine’s List of Non-Accredited Post-Secondary Schools
- ^ Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board Archived January 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Washington Consumer Information
- ^ Use of False or Misleading Degrees Nevada statute NRS 394.700
- ^ Two less doctors in the house - Hebert, Wilson back away from Ph.D.'s issued by ‘diploma mills', by Stephen Palkot, Fort Bend Herald, September 28, 2007
- ^ Is Oregon the only state that disallows use of unaccredited degrees? Archived 2012-08-30 at the Wayback Machine Oregon Office of Degree Authorization
- ^ Police captain not allowed education bonus for degree, By Carri Geer Thevenot, Las Vegas Review journal