College Success Blog

Or, Should a College Degree Be Worth More Than Knowledge and Ability.

This is Part 3 of a series of three on diploma mills.

I am setting politics and issues of politicians aside in this first case to focus on ability alone. Laura Callahan had successfully preformed the duties of Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the US Department of Labor and Senior Information Technology Manager at the White House. She then became Senior Director at the United States Department of Homeland Security. No one has questioned her ability to do the job but she was forced to resign due to the fact she listed a diploma mill as the the source of her doctorate in computer information systems. In fact she was able to perform all her duties successfully with her only accredited degree being from a two year degree from a community college.

Frank Reed is a softball coach for University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. The position of coach requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree at that university. His team has just finished another winning season(41-22). The college website with his biography proudly lists Western States (wildly considered a diploma mill) as his alma mater.

So whats the point? If people can be successful and are being successful with a a fake degree why are having degrees a requirement of employment. A measurement of a person’s abilities should not be the the weight of there degrees. If Frank Reed can consistently lead a team to a winning season who cares if he can even write, or has a masters degree. If Laura Callahan was able to run the computer network at the White House she is capable of doing that with or with out the proper pedigree.

More and more educational requirements are becoming the norm in our society. Capable teachers are forced back to school for advance degrees even when they do an excellent job with there current educational level. See College: Door to Opportunity or a Barrier to Enter?

It is time to look at a person as a whole with no one part of the resume being used as a trump card or a barrier to entry. I do not condone lying on a resume or using fakes degrees. It is also wrong to use degrees to keep the capable out of jobs they would succeed at.

The Dumb Kid

References: http://www.gomocs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=92092&SPID=10582&DB_OEM_ID=17700&ATCLID=1146493&Q_SEASON=2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Callahan
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=8674699

Useful links:

How to choose an online college

College Tips

Fake College Degrees: Why to Avoid

This is Part 2 of a series of three on diploma mills.

A lot people feel like they need a degree more than they need the education and earning that degree is suppose to represent. I will go over the motivation and why of degree mill exist in the next installment. Right now, I just want to tell you why you should avoid them and what they are.

What is a degree mill? Wikipedia defines it as “A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. ” It is important to note that while being accredited is part of the definition it in itself does not make it a diploma mill. For example, It is unlikely that a bartender school is accredited but if all the students that graduate know how to bartend then it would not be a diploma mill.

First, you can harm others with your degree. If you are using a degree to convince someone you are qualified to perform a task that you are not. This could be as a financial planner or even in the medical field. An article in USA Today stated, “Diploma mills insert degree of fraud into job market” tells the story of a gentleman with a “slew of medical degrees from universities” and a mother who had taken her diabetic daughter off insulin. The girl later died.

The second reason to avoid degree mills is it can harm you. Many employers will fire you if they find out you did not have a legitimate degree. Some states are starting to criminalize the use of degrees from degree mills. This can also hurt your reputation because once you are caught not only do you not have a degree but you are also liar and a fraud.

While some students actively seek out such degrees others are fooled. The schools can have great websites and mail you glossy brochures. Make sure the school is accredited and more important, not claiming bogus accreditation.

Degree mills are no short-cut to success in college. Real college success requires hard work and dedication.

This is the first of three posting on degree mills and online education.

I just finished going to nursing school at 40 years old and got my Computer Science degree at 30. I did not go to college right after high school like most people think I probably should have. To be honest I would have fallen flat on my face if I went to college right after high school.

There are many reasons that people decide to go back to college later in life but mostly they need a better job. There are also many reasons that people did not go to college after high school perhaps they did not even complete high school and that is what I want to address here. The person that want to go to college for a better job but does not have a high school diploma.
A recent article “Quick-Fix Diplomas Often Aren’t Real GEDs talks about how colleges do not accept High School Diplomas that are offered either online or though the mail. The marketing for these programs are all too familiar “Earn your high school diploma in 30 days” with a picture of a smiling parent in her cap and gown with a proud child looking on. These programs pray on students that are low income and strapped for time that want nothing more than to earn a fair living.

So how do you avoid this pitfall and save yourself some time. Either it is a GED or it is not. Do not except any thing that is just as good as a GED. Secondly, visit a local publicly owned college. Either a State university or a community college and speak to an adviser on what is needed to be accepted- do this even if the you do not plan on attending that school because as a publicly owned entity they have no profit motivation to deceive you. Then ask them is there any financial assistance available, there may not be but it does not hurt to ask.

Ok, you got your Real GED and are ready to apply to college now what. Decide on what your goals are either to get a good job or is it to get a good job in a specific career. Then do some research in whether this degree will help you achieve your goals and what is the best school for you to attend to achieve that degree? But beware of sales pitches that sound to good to be true.

The Dumb Kid

For more information see:

Just because the college is accredited…

Eight steps to choose the right college

With apologies to David Letterman, I present the College Success Top Ten List. There are many things that make you successful in college, but here is what I believe are the most important.

Reasons for College Success:

10. You show up sober to class.
9. Your parents or the government gave you money for college.
8. You know where you classes are located.
7. You read your textbooks.
6. You stop paying someone else to do your homework.
5. You party after the class is over instead of during.
4. You actually want an education.
3. You work as a dishwasher and are extremely motivated to finish college.
2. Your study group does not meet at the bar.

And the Number 1 reason for College Success is

You realize study is not a four letter word.

Visit College Success

By the Dumb Kid

Dear Instructor

We are the serious students in your class. We work hard for our education and respect the teachers and students who appreciate this. Here are some expectations we have to make the most of our time and education.

Please:

• Show up on time. If there is audio visual equipment, show up early enough to have it set up, and please know how to use it. Or, find somebody that can use the equipment, as you provide the lecture that goes with the slideshow.
• Ensure your students show up ready and prepared. Do not cater to lazy students, there are enough serious students in the class who want to start on time to get the most out of the class.
• Dress appropriately for your age and profession. As students, and as working citizens, we are subject to so many dress codes and rules that should apply to everybody. We do not need to see stretch marks, an overabundance of skin, opinions on t-shirts, etc. We would truly show you much more respect if you looked like our teacher and not one of our friends or roommates.
• Strike the phrase “there are no stupid questions” from your vocabulary. Actually, there ARE stupid questions, they are the ones asked repeatedly by lazy, late or unprepared students.
• If you use the powerpoint that came with the textbooks, know what they cover before the lecture.
• Please control your classroom. Consider giving a quiz at the start of class so people attend on time. The late students would not be able to take the quiz (or would miss it completely) and if it affects their grade, there is more incentive to get to class on time.
• Understand the technology you use, see the first suggestion. It keeps the class running smoothly.
• Do not conduct research on your students, it is unethical. Yes, an instructor actually did this, and left the students feeling used and insulted. This person also compromised professional ethics and it’s hard to learn from an instructor you do not respect.
• Please lecture during lecture group. Projects and activities work best as assignments, not as a way to kill class time. Also please do not let any discussions get out of hand, there are some current events that can spark a lively debate, but probably do not relate to the class. We also do not need to hear about anybody’s love life, children, vehicular problems, or personal matters that may be considered too much information?

Serious students (and you will recognize us almost immediately) want respect, want to respect you as an instructor, and want the most you can give us from your course. As a result we will praise your course, recommend it to others and commend your teaching abilities.

Thank you

The Dumb Kid