[Vision2020] Attention Ben Merkle

Art Deco aka W. Fox deco@moscow.com
Fri, 26 Mar 2004 17:29:20 -0800


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College President on Accreditation Board Found to Have Questionable Degree From
Online College
The Associated Press
Published: Mar 26, 2004









LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A college president who serves on a national
accreditation board is among several Georgia educators who received questionable
degrees from an online school in Liberia.
Michael Davis, president of Gwinnett College of Business in Lilburn, received a
doctorate from St. Regis University, which grants master's degrees and
doctorates largely based on "life experience."

Davis said his decades in education counted 60 percent toward his doctorate at
St. Regis, for which he paid $3,000. The other 40 percent was earned through 10
months of course work and a 65-page thesis.

"I did think it was a short amount of time, but I said OK," he said.

Until last week, St. Regis degrees were accepted by Georgia's Professional
Standards Commission. But after complaints that teachers were earning extra pay
by purchasing the online degrees, the commission revoked the certificates from
10 Georgia teachers, six of them in Gwinnett County.

St. Regis' director, Jallah Faciann, defended the school Friday, saying it is
accredited by the Commission of Higher Education in Liberia.

"I don't know why some people are saying it's not a real school," Faciann said
in a telephone interview.

Davis is not required to have his credentials certified by the state because
Gwinnett College is a private school. But his standing as commissioner for the
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, an agency that
accredits about 600 schools, is uncertain.

"We know very little at this point," said council Chairman Dennis Kerr. "We have
a meeting scheduled on the 31st, and that is on our items to be discussed."

AP-ES-03-26-04 2013EST

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<DIV><FONT size=3D4><STRONG><FONT size=3D5>College President on =
Accreditation Board=20
Found to Have Questionable Degree From Online =
College</HEADLINE><BR></FONT><SPAN=20
class=3Dbyline><CREDITLINE>The Associated =
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height=3D4 src=3D"http://media.tbo.com/tbo/images/spacer.gif" =
width=3D1><BR><SPAN=20
class=3Dpubdate>Published:<STORYDATE> Mar 26, 2004</STORYDATE></SPAN> =
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height=3D39></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><NOSCRIPT><A=20
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      </NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BOD>LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) =
- A college=20
president who serves on a national accreditation board is among several =
Georgia=20
educators who received questionable degrees from an online school in =
Liberia.=20
<P>Michael Davis, president of Gwinnett College of Business in Lilburn, =
received=20
a doctorate from St. Regis University, which grants master's degrees and =

doctorates largely based on "life experience."=20
<P>Davis said his decades in education counted 60 percent toward his =
doctorate=20
at St. Regis, for which he paid $3,000. The other 40 percent was earned =
through=20
10 months of course work and a 65-page thesis.=20
<P>"I did think it was a short amount of time, but I said OK," he said.=20
<P>Until last week, St. Regis degrees were accepted by Georgia's =
Professional=20
Standards Commission. But after complaints that teachers were earning =
extra pay=20
by purchasing the online degrees, the commission revoked the =
certificates from=20
10 Georgia teachers, six of them in Gwinnett County.=20
<P>St. Regis' director, Jallah Faciann, defended the school Friday, =
saying it is=20
accredited by the Commission of Higher Education in Liberia.=20
<P>"I don't know why some people are saying it's not a real school," =
Faciann=20
said in a telephone interview.=20
<P>Davis is not required to have his credentials certified by the state =
because=20
Gwinnett College is a private school. But his standing as commissioner =
for the=20
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, an agency that =

accredits about 600 schools, is uncertain.=20
<P>"We know very little at this point," said council Chairman Dennis =
Kerr. "We=20
have a meeting scheduled on the 31st, and that is on our items to be =
discussed."=20

<P>AP-ES-03-26-04 2013EST</BOD></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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