Ashwood University
Encyclopedia
Ashwood University is an institution which claims to award academic degrees based on "life experience". Ashwood University is not accredited by any recognised accreditation body. As such, its degrees may not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions. The Toronto Star
reports that Ashwood University operates out of Pakistan
.
". Degree mills have been dubbed by John Bear, an ex-FBI consultant, as a "huge crime wave...and almost no one has noticed."
The Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
states that Oregon
"has no evidence that this is an accredited or otherwise acceptable provider of postsecondary education meeting Oregon standards." The location of the organization's offices is not known with certainty; no address is given on the website or the whois
record; a 2003 Usenet
posting indicated that the company is based in a California strip mall
, but all diplomas are mailed from Pakistan.
, a reporter described his experience obtaining a series of "bogus academic credentials" from Ashwood, including a "Doctorate Degree in Medicine & Surgery". He wrote: "All I have to do is persuade my editors to pay $699 'tuition,' including a $75 surcharge guaranteeing me a 4.0 grade-point average."
Several journalists or entertainers have publicized their experiences when they applied for and received bogus credentials from Ashwood in order to investigate its practices.
Television producer Tom Kenny won an Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Award
(Service News Story - Consumer/Financial) in 2005 for his documentary
on online diploma mills entitled, "Degrees of Deception". During his research for the documentary, Kenny bought a degree from Ashwood University; he chose a degree in aerospace engineering
, a field he knew nothing about. The diploma he received had been sent from Pakistan
.
In 2008, news media reported that the recipient of a doctorate degree from Ashwood University had resigned from her position with the Tacoma, Washington
, school district
amid an investigation into her use of that degree to obtain a promotion. School district officials said she had resigned due to personal issues. The local newspaper reported that Ashwood issued degrees based on "life experience".
In 2010, the principal of Sir J.J. College of Architecture
Mr. Rajan Lakule resigned from his position as it was discovered that he had a doctorate degree from Ashwood University.
An Australian satirical TV program, The Chaser's War on Everything
, reported receiving a medical
diploma from Ashwood University in the name of a dog named Sunny. The diploma, displayed on the program, was issued one week after they paid 450 dollars. The presenters claim that in the "life experience" part of the application for the diploma, they listed "has eaten out of hospital rubbish bin for 5 years (35 dog years) ... has significant proctology
experience sniffing other dog's bums
". The academic transcript, reportedly given together with the diploma and shown on TV, listed that the dog received grades of A in "Immunology
", "Zoo Preceptorship" and "Medical Bacteriology
" and an A- grade in "Oral Communication and Presentation Skills".
, Rochville University
, and Speedy Degrees (speedydegrees.com), are operated by the same people. Other sources link speedydegrees.com to Ashwood University.
The World Online Education Accrediting Commission
(WOEAC), which lists this particular university as accredited, is itself not recognized or accredited by the United States Department of Education
or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
.
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reports that Ashwood University operates out of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Recognition and accreditation status
The website "onlinelearning101" lists Ashwood University among examples of degree mills, and suggests that the name was selected because it "sounds like the very reputable Ashford UniversityAshford University
Ashford University is a private, for-profit university located in Clinton, Iowa. It is the largest educational holding of Bridgepoint Education...
". Degree mills have been dubbed by John Bear, an ex-FBI consultant, as a "huge crime wave...and almost no one has noticed."
The Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
The Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization is a unit of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission with responsibilities related to maintaining high standards in private higher education institutions in Oregon...
states that Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
"has no evidence that this is an accredited or otherwise acceptable provider of postsecondary education meeting Oregon standards." The location of the organization's offices is not known with certainty; no address is given on the website or the whois
WHOIS
WHOIS is a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system, but is also used for a wider range of other information. The protocol stores...
record; a 2003 Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
posting indicated that the company is based in a California strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
, but all diplomas are mailed from Pakistan.
Incidents of fraudulent degrees
In a 2008 article in the Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, a reporter described his experience obtaining a series of "bogus academic credentials" from Ashwood, including a "Doctorate Degree in Medicine & Surgery". He wrote: "All I have to do is persuade my editors to pay $699 'tuition,' including a $75 surcharge guaranteeing me a 4.0 grade-point average."
Several journalists or entertainers have publicized their experiences when they applied for and received bogus credentials from Ashwood in order to investigate its practices.
Television producer Tom Kenny won an Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
(Service News Story - Consumer/Financial) in 2005 for his documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
on online diploma mills entitled, "Degrees of Deception". During his research for the documentary, Kenny bought a degree from Ashwood University; he chose a degree in aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, a field he knew nothing about. The diploma he received had been sent from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
In 2008, news media reported that the recipient of a doctorate degree from Ashwood University had resigned from her position with the Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
amid an investigation into her use of that degree to obtain a promotion. School district officials said she had resigned due to personal issues. The local newspaper reported that Ashwood issued degrees based on "life experience".
In 2010, the principal of Sir J.J. College of Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
Mr. Rajan Lakule resigned from his position as it was discovered that he had a doctorate degree from Ashwood University.
An Australian satirical TV program, The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
, reported receiving a medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
diploma from Ashwood University in the name of a dog named Sunny. The diploma, displayed on the program, was issued one week after they paid 450 dollars. The presenters claim that in the "life experience" part of the application for the diploma, they listed "has eaten out of hospital rubbish bin for 5 years (35 dog years) ... has significant proctology
Proctology
Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine, dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. The field is also known as proctology, but the term is outdated in the more traditional areas of medicine...
experience sniffing other dog's bums
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
". The academic transcript, reportedly given together with the diploma and shown on TV, listed that the dog received grades of A in "Immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
", "Zoo Preceptorship" and "Medical Bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
" and an A- grade in "Oral Communication and Presentation Skills".
Connections
Affordable Degrees (affordabledegrees.com), Belford UniversityBelford University
Belford University is an organization offering online unaccredited degrees for "life experience". The organization maintains a post office box in Humble, Texas, but its certificates are mailed from the United Arab Emirates.-Accreditation status:...
, Rochville University
Rochville University
Rochville University is an unaccredited online university offering a "Life Experience Degree, and Certificate Program". It has been accused of being a diploma mill...
, and Speedy Degrees (speedydegrees.com), are operated by the same people. Other sources link speedydegrees.com to Ashwood University.
The World Online Education Accrediting Commission
World Online Education Accrediting Commission
The World Online Education Accrediting Commission is an entity with no identified geographic location that represents itself as an accrediting organization for online degree providers...
(WOEAC), which lists this particular university as accredited, is itself not recognized or accredited 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...
or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation in order to certify the quality of higher education...
.