05-06-2010, 06:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-06-2010, 10:41 PM by RespectableGent.)
I don't particularly see how any school or organization calling attention to the issue of "degree mills" helps anyone. Here's how the typical conversation goes:
CHEA/ODA: Beware of Degree Mills!
Public: What's a Degree Mill?
CHEA/ODA: Well... It's hard to say...
Public: Oh...
I'm afraid doing such a thing just puts degree mills in a positive light, and alerts the degree-hungry general public to the fact that there may, indeed, be a quick and easy path to a legal degree. Also, those seeking to avoid degree mills may avoid or drop out of their Capella/Walden-type RA university after reading about them being "degree mills".
Take a look at the CHEA's latest publication: http://www.chea.org/pdf/degree_mills_eff...actice.pdf
They want to "come up with a working definition of degree mills" and also want to "regularly alert the public and media" about them. It's sort of hard to alert the public about something you can't even define.
A school which allows you to test out of its classes, is that a degree mill?
A school which wants a 20 page dissertation, is that a degree mill?
Low quality courses over a period of five months, is that a degree mill?
Too few assignments? How few?
How about the fact that at Excelsior College (RA) you can earn a degree in under three hours? Must be a degree mill, right?
This bullshit has been going on and on for the last several hundred years. I've found articles about "degree mills" and "diploma mills" dating back to the early 1800's. Obviously if these dumb-fuck professors at the CHEA can't quantify what is and is not a degree mill, the general public isn't going to do anything about them, let alone be able to identify one, so why let them know about "degree mills"?
CHEA/ODA: Beware of Degree Mills!
Public: What's a Degree Mill?
CHEA/ODA: Well... It's hard to say...
Public: Oh...
I'm afraid doing such a thing just puts degree mills in a positive light, and alerts the degree-hungry general public to the fact that there may, indeed, be a quick and easy path to a legal degree. Also, those seeking to avoid degree mills may avoid or drop out of their Capella/Walden-type RA university after reading about them being "degree mills".
Take a look at the CHEA's latest publication: http://www.chea.org/pdf/degree_mills_eff...actice.pdf
They want to "come up with a working definition of degree mills" and also want to "regularly alert the public and media" about them. It's sort of hard to alert the public about something you can't even define.
A school which allows you to test out of its classes, is that a degree mill?
A school which wants a 20 page dissertation, is that a degree mill?
Low quality courses over a period of five months, is that a degree mill?
Too few assignments? How few?
How about the fact that at Excelsior College (RA) you can earn a degree in under three hours? Must be a degree mill, right?
This bullshit has been going on and on for the last several hundred years. I've found articles about "degree mills" and "diploma mills" dating back to the early 1800's. Obviously if these dumb-fuck professors at the CHEA can't quantify what is and is not a degree mill, the general public isn't going to do anything about them, let alone be able to identify one, so why let them know about "degree mills"?