Liberian Accreditation Update

[Robert J.]

LIBERIA

The Ministry of Education in May 2005 placed the tertiary institutions into eight categories.

1. Chartered and fully recognized but need to complete the new
accreditation process:

Cuttington University
University of Liberia
William V. S. Tubman College of Science and Technology (presently closed)

2. Chartered, with a temporary operation permit, accreditation pending:

Liberian Baptist Theological Seminary

3. Chartered, with a temporary operation permit:

Don Bosco Polytechnic
New Life Bible College and Seminary (now closed)
United Methodist Seminary

4. Chartered, met some requirements for a temporary operation permit:

African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion University College
Liberian Christian College
Monrovia Bible College

5. Chartered, no temporary operation permit, operating without
recognition:

African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) University

6. Chartered, met some requirements for a temporary operation permit:

Christian Theological Seminary
Christopolis University of Liberia
LICOSSES Mobile Teacher Training College
Smythe Institute of Management and Technology

7. Not chartered, no temporary operation permit, operating without
recognition:

Assemblies of God Bible College of Liberia
Leigh-Sherman Community College
Liberia Bible Institute
West Africa School of Mission and Technology

8. So-called colleges and universities illegally established and operating
without any consultation with the Liberian Government through the National Commission on Higher Education.

The following institutions which claim to be officially recognized in Liberia are not mentioned at all in the Ministry’s list of institutions:

Adam Smith University
Adam Smith University of America
Concordia College and University
Episcopal Seminary of Higher Learning
International Free Protestant Episcopal University
James Monroe University Monroe University
Robertstown University
Saint Regis University
St. Luke Medical College


Source: ECE

[Hielo]

What is ECE?

Where can I find website?

Thank you.
LIBERIA

The Ministry of Education in May 2005 placed the tertiary institutions into eight categories.

1. Chartered and fully recognized but need to complete the new
accreditation process:

Cuttington University
University of Liberia
William V. S. Tubman College of Science and Technology (presently closed)

2. Chartered, with a temporary operation permit, accreditation pending:

Liberian Baptist Theological Seminary

3. Chartered, with a temporary operation permit:

Don Bosco Polytechnic
New Life Bible College and Seminary (now closed)
United Methodist Seminary

4. Chartered, met some requirements for a temporary operation permit:

African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion University College
Liberian Christian College
Monrovia Bible College

5. Chartered, no temporary operation permit, operating without
recognition:

African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) University

6. Chartered, met some requirements for a temporary operation permit:

Christian Theological Seminary
Christopolis University of Liberia
LICOSSES Mobile Teacher Training College
Smythe Institute of Management and Technology

7. Not chartered, no temporary operation permit, operating without
recognition:

Assemblies of God Bible College of Liberia
Leigh-Sherman Community College
Liberia Bible Institute
West Africa School of Mission and Technology

8. So-called colleges and universities illegally established and operating
without any consultation with the Liberian Government through the National Commission on Higher Education.

The following institutions which claim to be officially recognized in Liberia are not mentioned at all in the Ministry’s list of institutions:

Adam Smith University
Adam Smith University of America
Concordia College and University
Episcopal Seminary of Higher Learning
International Free Protestant Episcopal University
James Monroe University Monroe University
Robertstown University
Saint Regis University
St. Luke Medical College


Source: ECE

[Robert J.]

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.

www.ece.org

[seek4advice]

See also my current posts at the "Adam Smith University" thread:

The Liberian MoE/NCHE has set a deadline for all educational institutions currently operating in Liberia which has expired June 30, 2007. All such institutions had to (re)submit their recognition/accreditation credentials for "examination" so that their REAL status can be established.
Unfortunately, I could not find the newspaper article, but it was called "Bogus Universities under Fire"... Maybe somebody else still has the article!

At least 6 of such institurions have been declared illegal, including Concordia College & Universities.

I have directed an inquiry regarding the status of Adam Smith University. The reply was positive, ASU's accreditation/recognition documents are genuine!

I believe that the new Liberian government are doing a good job and we should have some faith in them...
I hope a list of all truly accredited/recognized Liberian schools will be available soon on the Liberian government's websites!

Now - at least to me - it looks like that the Liberian accreditation of a school (if confirmed under the new government) should be trusted and the focus should shift to discussing the kind and value of education available at Liberian accredited/recognized schools.

[LLKK]

SRU -
http://www.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/pigeons/SRUCourt/2007_06_29_motion_to_dismiss_1.pdf

Could the invesigators have done something this sloppy?

[Dennis Ruhl]

It is quite amazing that the Secret Service would taint a case by not following procedure known to every idiot who watches cop shows on TV. I suspect the evidence from the search and all evidence that flowed from the search is out. What's left? Not much.

[Neil Hayes]

Could the invesigators have done something this sloppy?

In much the same way as eleven actors in three limos bearing Canadian flags and escorted by two 'police' motorcyclists drove straight up to the APEC meeting hotel in Sydney - with one dressed as Bin Laden! And the two motorcyclists have still not been caught. The 'security' in Sydney is purported to have cost the Ausie taxpayers nearly $500,000, but when it came to crunch time there was no security/brains involved. Another complete and utter charade by the Secret Service - and by the Ausie security 'experts'.

[john]

Hello, Neil I am pleased that the protest was peaceful, yes they got it together.

Cheers,
John

[Jay1]

This is what they say:

"Adam Smith University holds a charter in Liberia that was approved by a vote of the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia."

http://www.study-online.net/colleges-universities/1721.html

Of course what they claim and the truth could well be completely different. I suspect it is.

It's hard to take a chicken claiming to be an eagle seriously. Especially when it....clucks and can't fly.

[seek4advice]

As I wrote above, I received an official reply from Liberia.
Here it is (names erased):
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear xxxx,

Sorry about the long silence.

I contacted authorities at the Ministry of Education, and confronted them with the issues you raised.

They examined the documents, and have confirmed their validity.

However, the Department of Higher Education has requested all such institutions to resubmit their credentials, so that the status of these institutions can be updated.

They have actually been given a deadline of June 30.

I will, however make a follow up and encourage them to make the results of the findings and a full listing of all duly accredited institutions available to our offices for posting on the internet.

Thanks once again for your patience.

Sincerely,

xxxx
Director, Information Technology
Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs
Monrovia, Liberia
---------------------------------------------------------------


The documents referred to above are ASU's Liberian charter, their 2001 accreditation and their 2005 recognition (accreditation under new guidelines) pending.

So there is no more room for speculation if ASU has such recognition in Liberia.

The pending issue is: what academic value does an ASU degree represent?

[George Brown]

The pending issue is: what academic value does an ASU degree represent?

I think the more relevant question is what is the rigor of Liberian accreditation? Is it equivalent to RA, DETC or State Licensing? The corruption in this country doesn't help the process IMHO.

Cheers,

George

[Jay1]

Liberia does not have to satisfy the United States, we are not the world accreditor, but it (Liberia) does have to show itself to the world as capable of establishing standards and enforcing them. Those standards are theirs to create and theirs to present to the world. The different countries will then decide if those standards are meaningful to them.

As of now, I would not use ASU or recommend it to others. I do not trust Liberia to get it right, YET. I'm not saying they accredit degree mills, but I'm saying that people don't have to use schools they doubt, and I do doubt ASU.

I would say that both Liberia and ASU have a long way to go to be trusted. The ball is in their court. Let's see if they can move it along.

[George Brown]

Yeah, I should have added the equivalence, and stuck in Royal Charter and Act of Parliament - my bad.

Cheers,

George

[Dew]

Liberia orders closure of sub-standard universities. The Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education named these institutions as the Concordia University, Vitual University, James Monroe University, Global University, St. Clement University, Brendan University, Evangel Christian University, St Luke School of Medicine and Adam Smith University.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=50554

[seek4advice]

So be it.
Liberia has decided to close, inter alia, all distance ed. related schools until finalization of a new policy governing distanced ed.
O.K., why not! Sounds reasonable.

One big issue remains that Liberia obviously does not have a very reliable "institutional memory"!
E.g. the first posting here includes a list not having Adam Smith University on it. On another (Asian / Chinese (?)) forum I could find a response from Dr. Isaac Roland regarding this issue:
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Dr. *****,

I must first apologize for the delay in resonding to
your message.

Please be that as a result of the recent decision
by the National Commission on Higher Education
in the Republic of Liberia, accreditation for all
online universities engaged in distance-related
education are hereby suspended until a clearly de-
fined National Policy on distance education is
formulated and established.

Until then no accreditation for all those universities
that fall in this category. Adam Smith University has
applied to the Commission for accreditation, and it
therefore falls under the category in paragraph 2.

Thank you very much.

2 /15 /2005
Ministry of Education of Liberia
Dr. Isaac Rolland:vauhan@yahoo.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Later, but very recently, as government officials have again changed, I inquired again and received the also above-posted response (please scroll up!) that ASU's documentation (charter, accreditation / recognition) is genuine. But that such institutions will face an update in their status...

So you need to cook a piece meal to obtain the whole picture. And that's not good, especially for the students and graduates.

Regarding ASU of Liberia, the (as whole as possible) picture is:
chartered in 1995, approved by Liberian House & Senate
accredited 2001
recognition confirmed 2005, new education policy and renewed accreditation pending
mid 2007: ASU's documentation confirmed by new MoE, but status change pending
end 2007: ASU closed together with all other distance-related schools

==> So ASU of Liberia was indeed genuine and recognized/accredited in Liberia, but only until the end of 2007.