American World University
Encyclopedia
American World University (AWU) is an unaccredited
institution offering post-secondary education programs by distance learning. It has no physical campus
. It awards academic degree
s. In January 2005 American World University offered "all degrees" for $1,000 as a "New Years Special".
Founded in 1990 by Maxine Asher
, AWU operated out of a Rapid City
, South Dakota office until 2000, when an increase in Iowa standards for post-secondary institutions forced it to relocate to Pascagoula
, Mississippi. Asher herself is based in California
.
by any institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education
. However, it is listed as "accredited" by the World Association of Universities and Colleges
, an organization that is also run by Maxine Asher.
As part of its services, AWU claims to offer people the opportunity to earn college credits based on work and life experience, and to take courses at home through distance education
. However, some dispute AWU's claim to provide legitimate academic services. John Bear
, the author of Bear's Guide to Earning Degrees through Distance Learning, said of AWU, "Academically, there's nothing there."
In January, 2004, the State of Hawaii's Office of Consumer Protection won a lawsuit against AWU; the judgment enjoined AWU from "Providing any post-secondary instructional programs or courses leading to a degree" or "Acting as or holding themselves out as a 'college', 'academy', 'institute', 'institution', 'university' or anything similar thereto."
The Daily Iowan describes AWU in depth in an article entitled "Stealth U. in Iowa City duped many, experts say." According to the article, Michael Lambert, the executive director of the Washington, DC-based Distance Education and Training Council
said Asher applied for accreditation for AWU to his organization in 1996. He said she complained about the requirements and the paperwork and challenged him to visit her in person. He recalls flying to Iowa City and meeting her in a few empty rooms that were the headquarters of AWU. After a 30-minute meeting, Asher withdrew the application for accreditation.
The same article relates the experiences of a student named John Shaw who he says he received specific assurances from Asher that the master's degree he was seeking would be acknowledged in Saudi Arabia
. When he applied for a job in that country, he was told that neither the degree nor the school were considered legitimate: "In fact, they told me that I was wasting my time and money studying with that school."
In March 2004 the Washington Post reported a public official was criticized for possessing a doctorate from American World University. The article quoted John Bear
as saying "Academically, there's nothing there," said Bear who noted "I don't call it a school, I call it a business."
As of 2006, the Los Angeles-area Better Business Bureau
's report on AWU gave it a D rating, apparently based on one complaint, which the BBB says AWU "refuse[d] to adjust, relying on terms of agreement." The Mississippi Better Business Bureau, however, called AWU's record "satisfactory," again mentioning only a single complaint (presumably a different one) which, they judged, AWU had "made every reasonable effort to resolve."
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
institution offering post-secondary education programs by distance learning. It has no physical campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
. It awards academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s. In January 2005 American World University offered "all degrees" for $1,000 as a "New Years Special".
Founded in 1990 by Maxine Asher
Maxine Asher
Maxine Klein Asher , an Atlantis researcher who founded and operates American World University, an institution which sells academic degrees, and the World Association of Universities and Colleges, an institution which "accredits" American World University, as well as other universities selling...
, AWU operated out of a Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, South Dakota office until 2000, when an increase in Iowa standards for post-secondary institutions forced it to relocate to Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
, Mississippi. Asher herself is based in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Criticism and controversy
American World University is not accreditedEducational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
by any institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. However, it is listed as "accredited" by the World Association of Universities and Colleges
World Association of Universities and Colleges
The World Association of Universities and Colleges, WAUC, is an institutional accrediting body not recognized by the United States Department of Education. It is run by Maxine Asher, director of the American World University, an unaccredited school. WAUC's website claims that "laws in the U.S.A...
, an organization that is also run by Maxine Asher.
As part of its services, AWU claims to offer people the opportunity to earn college credits based on work and life experience, and to take courses at home through distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
. However, some dispute AWU's claim to provide legitimate academic services. John Bear
John Bear
John Bjorn Bear is an American authority on distance education and a writer of creative reference works. Bear holds bachelor and master degrees from University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate from Michigan State University...
, the author of Bear's Guide to Earning Degrees through Distance Learning, said of AWU, "Academically, there's nothing there."
In January, 2004, the State of Hawaii's Office of Consumer Protection won a lawsuit against AWU; the judgment enjoined AWU from "Providing any post-secondary instructional programs or courses leading to a degree" or "Acting as or holding themselves out as a 'college', 'academy', 'institute', 'institution', 'university' or anything similar thereto."
The Daily Iowan describes AWU in depth in an article entitled "Stealth U. in Iowa City duped many, experts say." According to the article, Michael Lambert, the executive director of the Washington, DC-based Distance Education and Training Council
Distance Education and Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
said Asher applied for accreditation for AWU to his organization in 1996. He said she complained about the requirements and the paperwork and challenged him to visit her in person. He recalls flying to Iowa City and meeting her in a few empty rooms that were the headquarters of AWU. After a 30-minute meeting, Asher withdrew the application for accreditation.
The same article relates the experiences of a student named John Shaw who he says he received specific assurances from Asher that the master's degree he was seeking would be acknowledged in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. When he applied for a job in that country, he was told that neither the degree nor the school were considered legitimate: "In fact, they told me that I was wasting my time and money studying with that school."
In March 2004 the Washington Post reported a public official was criticized for possessing a doctorate from American World University. The article quoted John Bear
John Bear
John Bjorn Bear is an American authority on distance education and a writer of creative reference works. Bear holds bachelor and master degrees from University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate from Michigan State University...
as saying "Academically, there's nothing there," said Bear who noted "I don't call it a school, I call it a business."
As of 2006, the Los Angeles-area Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
's report on AWU gave it a D rating, apparently based on one complaint, which the BBB says AWU "refuse[d] to adjust, relying on terms of agreement." The Mississippi Better Business Bureau, however, called AWU's record "satisfactory," again mentioning only a single complaint (presumably a different one) which, they judged, AWU had "made every reasonable effort to resolve."