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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neeka who wrote (123389)	7/5/2005 1:30:11 PM
From: Neeka	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793963

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 12:00 AM Oregon would cast spotlight on dubious college degrees By The Associated Press SALEM, Ore. — In an effort to discourage bogus degrees, Oregon lawmakers want people to be required to include a disclaimer on their résumé if their degree is from a nonaccredited institution. The bill passed by the Oregon Senate last week is part of an effort by legislators to combat degrees from less-than-reputable institutions, which require a fraction of the coursework required at accredited colleges. "It's unfair competition if there are people vying for the same job and there is a minimum requirement for a degree, when one applicant has a real degree and the other has a counterfeit from a degree mill," said Sen. Ted Ferrioli, a Republican from John Day. The legislation is part of the fallout from a lawsuit filed against Oregon by a Wyoming-based company that sells college degrees. That outfit is one of many popping up across the country that offer mail-order degrees without the rigorous coursework that typically accompanies higher education. Until the recent lawsuit, it was illegal in Oregon to claim a degree on a résumé, Web site or other marketing material if the degree did not come from an accredited school. Enforcement was coordinated by the Office of Degree Authorization in Eugene, which has the authority to levy fines and refer cases to prosecutors. The state lists more than 300 nonapproved schools. But Kennedy-Western University in Wyoming filed a First Amendment case against Oregon, arguing that if students own a degree, they have a freedom-of-expression right to claim it. To avoid a legal tangle, Oregon officials have agreed to stop making it illegal to mention the degree on a résumé, so long as it is accompanied by the disclaimer. "There are certain states with such poor oversight of private for-profit colleges, such as Idaho, Alabama and Hawaii, that we formerly didn't accept the degrees at all," said Alan Contreras, administrator of the state office. "But we can't do that anymore, and it doesn't matter how bad the standards are." He said that the fact that students will have to place the disclaimer on their résumé and letterhead will act as a "scarlet letter on their forehead," discouraging others from taking the same shortcut. Professionals who had their degrees challenged have included an employee at Oregon Health & Sciences University, who listed a doctorate degree from a nonaccredited school, Contreras said. seattletimes.nwsource.com