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RA_Ph.D.
01-31-2005, 10:55 PM
"Validity of non-U.S. degrees in Oregon
We have had several inquiries about how the Kennedy-Western settlement language will affect the way ODA handles foreign degrees. The answer is, not much, because they are covered by different sections of the law.

In Oregon, foreign degrees must have the "foreign equivalent" of U.S. accreditation, which means that the question of accredited vs. unaccredited does not really come up. What does come up, of course, is whether the foreign supplier in fact has that equivalent.

We have found that the single best way to make this determination is to require the foreign supplier to show that its degrees can be used inside its country of approval on the same basis as any other degrees issued there. This factor separates 99 percent of the skunks from the sheep.

From our point of view, if degrees issued by an entity that is licensed as a business in, to pick a nation at random, Denmark, cannot be used as credentials inside Denmark, then the degrees are inherently invalid as emanating from an entity without true legal authority to issue degrees. To put it another way, an entity such as, to pick a name at random, Knightsbridge, issues degrees under the same legal authority as would a fish processor or lumber mill.

Oregon still bans the use of such degrees as inherently false.


__________________
Alan L. Contreras
Administrator
Oregon Office of Degree Authorization
Oregon Student Assistance Commission"

This blantant intellectual fascism and attack on the freedom to learn, to teach and to be awarded and use a status within a learning society (a degree within a university or college) evidenced by Alan Contreas' remarks are horryfying in a free society. Certainly, we have above no answer to the problem of degree mills but rather a much greater problem of the establishment a governmental degree police who have not a clue about non-U.S. degrees. ODA has set itself up as a unversal, world-wide accreditation agency with the force of state power behind it. ODA has no educational competence as a world-wide accreditation organization. This farce would be ludicrous if it were not an actual legal problem for real people in real life, and more, a possible model for further government internvention in matters where it has no real business nor comptent standing.

When government(= big business) controls all education by legal fiat, denying the right to display non-government approved degrees for employment purposes, then we have no possibility of dissenting educational structures in society. Contreras and crew are, indeed, BIG BROTHER, very dangerous, tolalitarian anti-intellectuals, and they deserve full opposition by all thinking minds. :mad: :mad: :mad:

michael
02-01-2005, 12:27 AM
I believe he also mentions that if a degree is evaluated to be equivelant then its a non issue. MOST if not all employer's ask for degree evalautions for foreign degrees. Also, its not Alan making these rules, but the State of Oregon. He is only doing their bidding.

RA_Ph.D.
02-01-2005, 02:36 AM
I believe he also mentions that if a degree is evaluated to be equivelant then its a non issue. MOST if not all employer's ask for degree evalautions for foreign degrees. Also, its not Alan making these rules, but the State of Oregon. He is only doing their bidding.


My concern is not so much about any individual but the principle of state evaluation of all degrees as legal or not. Government evaluation may be proper is some limited cases such as degrees for state employment where the state is the employer or in certain very resticted areas of health care where improper training could be life threatening.

But what about a "doctor of metaphysiscs" from an unaccredited, non-approved school. Should such a type be denied, under threat of imprisonment, the right to hawk his "intellectual" wares, set up his own school of philosophy and pactice his own brand of "scholarship" even if it is outside the mainstream of academic convention. Shouldn't even the type with a milled, life-experience degree have the right to try to sell himself to an employer as long as no fraud or deception is involved in the way he presents his (psuedo ?)degree ? "I really deserve it because I do have the relevant experience." Let the employer, not the state, determine if the candidate has the qualifications, again as long as no misrepresentation is involved.

In most cases, I think that judgements about the merit or value of any degree or institution are best left in the hands of the private sector and private individuals lest we invite government to reduce our freedom of thought, study and educational practice to its perceived version "Truth". I want to be able to select my own version of truth from a variety of sources; if graduates from The World University of Metaphysical Sciences or The Patriarchal Hellenic Institute of Constantinople are already preselected out by the state as nut cases or frauds, then I don't get the chance to pick my own poison. I don't trust the ODA or any other such state government outfit to make these judgements for me without heavy ideological and contemporary societal biases. Some would say that's the very point of ODA.

Neil Hayes
02-01-2005, 08:34 AM
I believe he also mentions that if a degree is evaluated to be equivelant then its a non issue. MOST if not all employer's ask for degree evalautions for foreign degrees. Also, its not Alan making these rules, but the State of Oregon. He is only doing their bidding.

Sadly it's the interpretation of the ODA rules by Mr Contreras that is all at sea, and his only knowledge about Knightsbridge is what he has read at DegreeInfo. In any case why mention Knightsbridge? Because he has lost the KWU battle and has selected another unaccredited school to pour scorn on.
Whilst he gets a mention in the new DEGREE MILLS book it is apparent that he has never read it.

George Brown
02-01-2005, 09:20 AM
So what did you think Neil? A balanced view of 'both sides of the fence'?

Cheers,

George

Neil Hayes
02-01-2005, 10:07 AM
So what did you think Neil? A balanced view of 'both sides of the fence'?
Cheers,
George

I'm not quite ready to comment yet George. I need more Banrock wine!

George Brown
02-01-2005, 10:30 AM
Ha, ha!! Know the feeling. I am currently polishing off a nice bottle of Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise. Now *this* is a nice coiffing wine - you should give it a burl. Not majorly expensive (ie not Church Block level), and easy to throw back. Having a little celebration and night off - found out today my abstract was accepted for a conference at Australian National University so am a little stoked!

Cheers and beers,

George