"CCU Excellent....By John Bear"

[Randall Flagg]

You know John Bear does his best to deny having ever said that unaccredited schools were good or that he ever recommended them to people, but, guess what, he DID, over and over. He also likes to say there were no DL accredited options back then.....20-30 years ago, but again, he is telling the story as best re-colors his history, or should we say, hides it from view, but you are lucky.  His favorite historian has found you a little treat from the past, enjoy.  

Now here is the EXCELLENT statement:

"California Coast University was one of the first of California's non-resident universities.  CCU is the only non-resident school in California to have received state approval of all degree programs offered....each faculty member holds recognized degrees from traditional schools."

"For those persons willing to spend a year or more to earn their (Graduate) degree, California Coast University offers an EXCELLENT alternative."
--John Bear--Bear's Guide--10th Edition--Page 85

You know, maybe statements like this from John Bear was why John Gray decided to get his doctorate from CPU in 1982.  Bear was still part owner back then by the way. So when Bear did the very negative interview on Inside Edition about Gray, he was raising hell about a degree sold from a school (CPU) in which Bear was a minority owner.  

Now ain't that a hat trick. A school in which Bear is part owner sells a degree to John Gray and then Bear goes on national tv and rats out the buyer, in this case, John Gray. He tells the world that a degree from CPU is problematic and doesn't carry enough weight. Since Bear was part owner and helped design the programs it would seem if it was not good enough it must have been Bear's fault. How about that. He sells it and then attacks the buyer, nice that. And makes money both times.  Sweet---  

[Randall Flagg]

I thought I should show the hatchet job Bear did on his former student, John Gray.

"Gray's doctorate is from an unaccredited school, which is problematic. It holds a lot less weight. People look for respectability, would he reach millions in sales with the non-Ph.D.? I would guess not."
--John Bear--Inside Edition


John Bear:
"Involved with COLUMBIA PACIFIC 1978-83
Involved with Fairfax for two months in 1986
Involved with Greenwich in 1990-1991
Involved with Edinburgh Business School 1991-1998
--John Bear--AED--May 2, 2003

Gray finished his doctorate from CPU in 1982.  Bear was there, as he admits in this post, in 1983.  Gray obviously began the Ph.D. program before 1982.

[Randall Flagg]

"Known worldwide for his Mars and Venus books, Gray completed his Ph.D. at Columbia Pacific University in 1982."
--Columbia Pacific University Info.

"At the time I was a small minority owner of Columbia Pacific stock, they were a California-approved school."
--John Bear--AED--Feb. 7, 2003

[Randall Flagg]

"No other non-resident, doctoral granting institution, has a staff with the credentials, reputation, and experience of Columbia Pacific. Many major universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton have expressed a willingness to accept CPU degrees. I have had more positive enthusiastic feedback from CPU students and alumni than from any other school, accredited or not. These people praise the very personal approach, the valuable learning experience and the comparatively low cost."
--John Bear--Bear's Guide--1982--8th Edition
Columbia Pacific Alumni Info.

[Randall Flagg]

"Columbia Pacific is the largest university in the USA and one of the largest in the world. The faculty numbers more than 200, nearly all with traditional doctorates. No other non-resident, doctorate-granting institution has a staff with the credentials, reputation, and experience of Columbia Pacific."
--John Bear--Bear's Guide--1984

John Gray obtained a Ph.D. degree from a school that Bear rated as one of the best DL schools in America. He was one of the owners and designers of CPU. If it was lacking, he should have done a better job of creating and not blame the students for using what he very strongly helped sell. John Gray made a decent choice based on the information he received from CPU and the writings of John Bear. Who could imagine that after these rave reviews and having been a minority owner that Bear would do a hatchet job on a graduate?  I can't imagine anyone with such low regard for someone taking his advice and buying what he has strongly promoted. It is simply not understandable or acceptable.

[Richard Kimble]

I think Dr. Bear still holds CCU in high esteem.

[Randall Flagg]

Richard Kimble Wrote:I think Dr. Bear still holds CCU in high esteem.

I have not seen that. My information does not reflect that.

"Agreed that Cal Coast and California Pacific rank very low on the "horror stories" index. My files have a few negative stories on California Western, the earlier name of California Coast (one from the NY times, and several from the Long Beach, CA newspaper), but nothing for many years.

Why am I thinking of the famous advertising slogan in an early Soviet attempt at marketing products outside the country, which translated as. "Dnrepepetrovsk Tuna is considered by many to be nearly as good as several other brands."
--John Bear--AED--oCT. 25, 2000

[Richard Kimble]

That was five year's ago.

[Randall Flagg]

More like seven years ago. But the truth has no expiration dates. Unfortunately we can't trust Bear to be telling the truth. He tells the same story too many different ways.

"They had claimed accreditation from an unrecognized agency for many years, but dropped it a few years ago.  They are about as reputable as an unaccredited school can be.  However it all depends on what you want to make of the degree...and where you live. For instance CCU degrees have almost no acceptance in the academic world, either in or outside of California.  There is better acceptance in the business world, but, I think, not nearly as high as schools with recognized accreditation.  And in some states, such as Oregon, New Jersey, and North Dakota, use of of CCU degree is a criminal offense, subjecting the user to a stiff fine and up to six months in prison."
--John Bear--AED--2003

In 1996 John Bear listed CCU as one of the twelve "Good Unaccredited Schools" giving it a good write-up in his book, College Degrees by Mail 100 Accredited Schools.  page-167

"But it remains the case that many, many folks' needs can be filled by degrees from the more reputable unaccredited schools."
--John Bear--College Degrees by Mail--page 165--1996  

"On one visit to Cal. Coast, when it was owned and run by its founder, Thomas Neal, I noted, in the library room, some dissertations on open shelves and others in locked glass fronted cases. I asked Dr.* Neal about this. In a burst of candor, he told me that the ones in the locked cases were those they were embarrassed about, but had to keep on display for when students came to visit."
* His two Ph.D.'s from California Coast.
--John Bear--AED--Dec. 13, 1999  

In 1996 good, by 1999, well, you see. He even makes sure to hit Thomas Neal on where his degrees are from. High esteem from Bear today, not likely. I have not seen anything to make me think this. But I hardly see how someone saying "it's excellent/good, oh no it's bad /a joke, hey it's good again", all in a span of 5-10 years is a sign of sincerity and judgement. And how in the hell does one choose a school based on these shifting moods and desires of the speaker. And that is what we are talking about, the needs and wants of the author, not the students. He's more like a man saying what best fits the immediate situation and location, tell them what they want to hear.

[Randall Flagg]

On CPU:

"My position was as consultant. Co-founders Les Car and Richard Crews asked me to help then DESIGN a distance program of MERIT, and I was happy to participate."
--John Bear--AED--Oct. 10, 2002

So he designed what he calls (a program of merit). From this we can assume that John Gray obtained a degree from a program that Bear helped design and that it was one of MERIT.

"I have read one CPU dissertation in its entirety. I was on the man's committee, the only time I did that, because he was a friend."
--John Bear--AED--Jan. 2000

A friend of John Bear used CPU for a doctorate and John Bear was on his committee.  So one must wonder how Gray's doctorate could become "Problematic or of less weight." How strange are the shifting stories that come from Bear. It's as if he just makes it up as he goes along, or, as is required to make the news. (you know-to get the face on the TV or the words into print) Got to keep the face before the public if you want the money coming in. If you have to do a hatchet job on someone--so be it.

Bear even did a piece on his partner at Greenwich, John Walsh. Being an enemy of Bear ain't good, being a friend isn't much better. Being a former business partner is---very negative--CPU / Fairfax / Greenwich-John Walsh. All of his former business partners have felt the lash of Bear's tongue, but, only after Bear left. strange that