Union Institute & University CLOSES- Rich Doulgas defending his PhD

[Douglas Union bye-bye]

Hi Everyone,

I just saw the news that Union Institute and University will be PERMANENTLY CLOSED on June 30, 2024 after losing accreditation: https://www.wvxu.org/education/2024-06-2...ity-closes

I saw Rich Douglas was helplessly defending Union (and the quality of his "PhD") since we know Union isn't exactly a good boy when it was placed on probation by the same accreditor (The Higher Learn Commission/HLC) many years ago.

I also remember Mr. Douglas' "Doctor of Science" degree was rated as a Master's degree only by a credential evaulator.

This must really suck for him since the DEAC-accredited schools supposed to close first. Are there any ways we can help out the Union people? Are there any teach-out programs? I'm wondering if schools like California Myramar Univeristy would accept their students? Like sanantone and other super-capable individuals I am focused on academic quality only. You know what I mean and I certainly don't want to see any substandard Union graduates/students flowing around and defending their degrees.

Thanks,
Tom

[Albert Hidel]

Nice catch, Tom. It looks like Union has indeed "made its mark" on the world...sort of like the way a dog makes its mark on a fire hydrant. Grads include not just Doogle but his equally worthless running mate Levi-jerkoff, as well as perpetual student Robert McGee (twice). Doogle's D.Soc.Sci was from Leicester, but as you noted, evaluated as master's degree equivalent (i.e., pretty much as useless as his Union foreskin, urrr, I mean, sheepskin).

Union Institute & University announces closure
91.7 WVXU | By Zack Carreon
Published June 20, 2024 at 11:30 AM EDT


Union Institute & University Headquarters in Walnut Hills

Cincinnati-based Union Institute & University is closing.

In a statement shared with WVXU Wednesday, President Karen Schuster Webb and Vice President of Academic Affairs Tom Frederick announced the university — which has been open for 60 years — will close for good June 30.

Union Institute's Board of Trustees decided to dissolve the university this week after it voluntarily decided to resign its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.

The loss of accreditation means the largely online Union Institute is no longer eligible to receive financial aid, and every student would have to pay out-of-pocket or take out a private loan to attend the school. Even if enough students were willing to do that, without accreditation, the degrees they would earn would be considered invalid by many employers, licensing boards, and other colleges.

How Union got here

Union Institute's closure comes after a turbulent year for the university. In early 2023, university employees claimed they weren't being paid and were asked by the school's leaders to continue working without pay.

RELATED: Union Institute & University placed on 'administrative probation' by accreditor

From the beginning, employees called into question Union's financial transparency, claiming they had been left in the dark and blindsided by the university's financial issues. As the months went by, workers said President Webb and university leaders continued to mislead and encourage them to stay, knowing the school didn't have the money to pay them adequately.

By that summer, students began to claim their federal student loan refunds were missing and they couldn't get a straight answer from the university about where their money went. In emails obtained by WVXU, the school's leadership team admitted it used the student loan refunds to pay a small number of full-time employees.

The missing paychecks and student refunds loan led to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which dropped a nearly $4.3 million fine on the university for its misuse of funds.

Additionally, several Union Institute employees filed lawsuits against the school, President Webb, and the Board of Trustees. One lawsuit led to a financial settlement, while another federal lawsuit is still in the courts.

WVXU reached out to Vice President Frederick for comment on the closure, but he said he was instructed not to speak on the matter.

RELATED: Union Institute & University employees reach settlement over unpaid wages

Union Institute was evicted from its headquarters in Walnut Hills and students and employees say the university hasn't really been operating since the 2023 spring semester. Its loss of accreditation and closure is only a formality.

The college has established teach-out arrangements approved by its accreditor with Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts.

In Union's farewell statement, President Webb and VP Frederick said, "We leave knowing that we have made our mark on the higher education world."

[Douglas Union bye-bye]

It was with mixed emotions, I found out today that long-time Distance Education Expert Rich Douglas' PhD alma mater- Union Institute and University CLOSES PERMANENTLY June 30, 2024 after it was placed on PROBATION a SECOND time by its accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission. I'm particularly saddened for the people who used degreeinfo for advice and went with the then-regionally accredited Union- solely on the endorsement by Rich Douglas:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/uni...ngNewsSerp

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-t...nt-closure

Having said that, however, I'm also pleased that toilet bowls like Union are no longer in operation. Seeing Rich Douglas now writes essays to defend his embattled "PhD" degree at degreeinfo, I couldn't help but to wonder- what would it be like to tell someone- "Oh Union closed. The accreditor placed it on probation twice and when they knew they weren't going to be re-accredited, they pulled the plug."

Here's an interesting research topic for Rich Douglas so that he can actually get a PhD from a school that doesn't have limited utility (I say this because his Doctor of Science wasn't evaulated as a PhD by the gay boys at WES): Would a PhD credential be respected, if one learns that the school granting the PhD was on probation multiple times, due to various accreditation problems which caused it to close permanently?

I think Rich Douglas can definitely use John Bear's help again, since he has first-hand experience as a co-owner of the defunct and unaccredited Columbia Pacific University. I suggest Charisma University for this project.

Tom

[Armando Ramos]

...Grads include not just Doogle but ...

Mrs. Bernie Sanders (an MA and a PhD).

She made good use of all that Marxist Union book-lernin': The unraveling of Jane Sanders' Burlington College legacy

Hey, let's put a socialist nimrod in charge of our business! What could go wrong?

[Armando Ramos]

...I suggest Charisma University for this project. 

 

Doogle will be teaching Intro to Process Server Avoidance Techniques. He needs to improve his slam-the-door-on-the-process-server times to offset the age-related decline in his reflexes.

[Douglas Union bye-bye]

Nice catch, Tom. It looks like Union has indeed "made its mark" on the world...sort of like the way a dog makes its mark on a fire hydrant. Grads include not just Doogle but his equally worthless running mate Levi-jerkoff, as well as perpetual student Robert McGee (twice). Doogle's D.Soc.Sci was from Leicester, but as you noted, evaluated as master's degree equivalent (i.e., pretty much as useless as his Union foreskin, urrr, I mean, sheepskin).

Union Institute & University announces closure
91.7 WVXU | By Zack Carreon
Published June 20, 2024 at 11:30 AM EDT


Union Institute & University Headquarters in Walnut Hills

Cincinnati-based Union Institute & University is closing.

In a statement shared with WVXU Wednesday, President Karen Schuster Webb and Vice President of Academic Affairs Tom Frederick announced the university — which has been open for 60 years — will close for good June 30.

Union Institute's Board of Trustees decided to dissolve the university this week after it voluntarily decided to resign its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.

The loss of accreditation means the largely online Union Institute is no longer eligible to receive financial aid, and every student would have to pay out-of-pocket or take out a private loan to attend the school. Even if enough students were willing to do that, without accreditation, the degrees they would earn would be considered invalid by many employers, licensing boards, and other colleges.

How Union got here

Union Institute's closure comes after a turbulent year for the university. In early 2023, university employees claimed they weren't being paid and were asked by the school's leaders to continue working without pay.

RELATED: Union Institute & University placed on 'administrative probation' by accreditor

From the beginning, employees called into question Union's financial transparency, claiming they had been left in the dark and blindsided by the university's financial issues. As the months went by, workers said President Webb and university leaders continued to mislead and encourage them to stay, knowing the school didn't have the money to pay them adequately.

By that summer, students began to claim their federal student loan refunds were missing and they couldn't get a straight answer from the university about where their money went. In emails obtained by WVXU, the school's leadership team admitted it used the student loan refunds to pay a small number of full-time employees.

The missing paychecks and student refunds loan led to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which dropped a nearly $4.3 million fine on the university for its misuse of funds.

Additionally, several Union Institute employees filed lawsuits against the school, President Webb, and the Board of Trustees. One lawsuit led to a financial settlement, while another federal lawsuit is still in the courts.

WVXU reached out to Vice President Frederick for comment on the closure, but he said he was instructed not to speak on the matter.

RELATED: Union Institute & University employees reach settlement over unpaid wages

Union Institute was evicted from its headquarters in Walnut Hills and students and employees say the university hasn't really been operating since the 2023 spring semester. Its loss of accreditation and closure is only a formality.

The college has established teach-out arrangements approved by its accreditor with Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts.

In Union's farewell statement, President Webb and VP Frederick said, "We leave knowing that we have made our mark on the higher education world."

You are welcome sir. I can see that Robert McGee Robert McGee will soon be Mr. Robert McGee Robert McGee Robert McGee. Now that Union's reputation and closure have clearly gone down the toilet bowl (ones in public washrooms), I wouldn't be surprised he will go for a third PhD, hopefully it wouldn't be the same place where Rich Douglas went for his Master of Science...oops...I meant Doctor of Science. Ouch.

Tom

[Douglas Union bye-bye]

...I suggest Charisma University for this project. 

 

Doogle will be teaching Intro to Process Server Avoidance Techniques. He needs to improve his slam-the-door-on-the-process-server times to offset the age-related decline in his reflexes.

LOL...so much for that bald head ))))