Colby Nolan
Encyclopedia
Animals have been submitted as applicants to suspected diploma mill
s in several cases. On some occasions the animal has been not only admitted, but granted a degree. In one case, a cat
's degree helped lead to a successful fraud prosecution against the institution which issued it.
degree in 2004 by Trinity Southern University, a Dallas, Texas
-based diploma mill
, sparking a fraud
lawsuit
by the Pennsylvania
attorney general
's office.
Colby Nolan belongs to a deputy attorney general. In looking to expose
Trinity Southern University for fraud
, some undercover agents had the then six-year-old Colby Nolan obtain a bachelor's degree in business administration for $299. On the cat's application, the agents claimed that the cat had previously taken courses at a community college
, worked at a fast-food restaurant, babysat, and maintained a newspaper route. Then the school informed Colby that, due to the job experience listed on his application, he was eligible for an executive MBA for $100 more. The agents then sent for Colby's transcript
, which claimed that Nolan had a 3.5 grade point average.
Jerry Pappert
, Pennsylvania's attorney general, filed a lawsuit against Trinity Southern University upon learning that the cat had received the degree. In the lawsuit, Pappert also told the diploma mill, which had used e-mail spam
to sell degrees, to provide restitution to anyone who had ordered a degree from them.
In December 2004 the Texas Attorney General obtained a temporary restraining order under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act against Trinity Southern and its owners, Craig B. and Alton S. Poe. The court also ordered the school's assets frozen. In March 2005 the Poes were assessed fines of over $100,000 by the court and were ordered not to market or promote fraudulent, substandard degree programs or to represent their university as being accredited or affiliated with legitimate universities. It was reported that the Poes also were associated with the names Wesleyan International University and Prixo Southern University. Since 2005, Trinity Southern University's website at trinitysouthernuniversity.org is offline.
show Inside Out
, was registered with three professional organizations, the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists, and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association, securing George's accreditation as a hypnotherapist.
, a UK-based doctor and science journalist, wrote in 2004 of obtaining a diploma in nutrition from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants
for his cat, Henrietta, while investigating allegations about the qualifications claimed by Gillian McKeith
. Although the cat has since died, Goldacre claims to have kept the certificate on display in a toilet.
obtained a high school diploma from "Washington High Academy" for "Kitty O'Malley", a cat also known as Spanky. While the diploma was deemed insufficient to gain Kitty admission to local colleges, the state attorney general's office planned to investigate the institution.
reported that Oliver Greenhalgh had been accepted as a Fellow of the English Association of Estate Agents and Valuers, after a payment of eleven guineas
(his two references were not verified). Oliver was a cat belonging to Michael Greenhalgh, a cameraman with Television Wales and the West
, pursuing an investigation of bogus professional associations.
of Central Georgia headed by Kelvin Collins, Oreo's owner.
real estate appraiser Roy Schaeffer obtained a Certified Real Estate Appraiser (CREA) designation for $75 from the Scottsdale, AZ National Association of Real Estate Appraisers (NAREA) for his cat, Tobias F (for "Feline") Schaeffer. He mounted Tobias' certification above his litter box. NAREA sued in federal court for fraud and "for disparaging remarks about the organization to members of Congress, other appraisers and the media". After two years and $70,000 in legal costs, the judge ruled that no fraud or defamation had occurred.
certifications for his cat, circa 2001. The ease with which "Dr." Zoe obtained these credentials became the subject of an article by the American Bar Association and a news report by CBS News
. The certification of "Dr." Katze has been cited in several books and articles on credentialing scams, and has appeared in psychology and forensic curricula. Dr. Eichel also served as the consultant to the BBC
investigation that ultimately led to the certification of George the cat (see above) by various U.K. hypnosis associations.
as local Police Chief John McGuire. At the time, McGuire was being sued and investigated for allegedly lying on his resume and application for the job of chief. A judge later found "no similarity" between Rocko's diploma and McGuire's, in acquitting McGuire of wrongdoing.
. Lulu "graduated" with higher marks than the plaintiff's key witness, who lied that he had attended classes for his Concordia MBA
. In the legal community, the story of the witness's MBA is "infamous", and a supervisory management cautionary tale.
reported that Sassafras, a female poodle
belonging to a New York City physician, had received a diploma from the American Association of Nutrition and Dietary Consultants
. Her owner had bought the diploma for $50 to demonstrate that "something that looks like a diploma doesn't mean that somebody has responsible training."
comedy show The Chaser's War on Everything
documented host Chas John Licciardello applying online and obtaining a medical degree for his dog Sonny from diploma mill Ashwood University
. Sonny's "work experience" included "significant proctology
experience sniffing other dogs' bums."
ran a report in which reporter Peter Brancato applied to Almeda University
for, and received, an associate's degree on behalf of his dog, Wally. On the application, Brancato listed "Plays with the kids every day ... teaches them to interact better with each other ... Teaches them responsibilities like feeding the dog." Almeda University granted Wally a "life experience" associate degree in "Childhood Development". After the report aired, Almeda University protested that Brancato perjured
himself by creating a false identity using a fabricated name and date of birth. In a public statement, an Almeda University representative wrote: "He completed an application that included a background of the following: Eight-years tutoring pre-K children, curriculum design and development, teaching coping skills, and volunteer coaching." In March 2008, Wally was featured in a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
mayoral campaign political cartoon, with a dialogue bubble reading "I graduated with Bill Chesen," referring to Chesen's Almeda University bachelor's degree. Chesen took the cartoon to the police, who passed the defamation complaint to the District Attorney's office, which six months later declined to prosecute, since negative campaigning is legal, and Chesen had publicly "detailed his educational background in his campaign literature."
Diploma mill
A diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
s in several cases. On some occasions the animal has been not only admitted, but granted a degree. In one case, a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
's degree helped lead to a successful fraud prosecution against the institution which issued it.
Colby Nolan
Colby Nolan is a housecat who was awarded an MBAMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree in 2004 by Trinity Southern University, a Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-based diploma mill
Diploma mill
A diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
, sparking a fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
by the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
's office.
Colby Nolan belongs to a deputy attorney general. In looking to expose
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
Trinity Southern University for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, some undercover agents had the then six-year-old Colby Nolan obtain a bachelor's degree in business administration for $299. On the cat's application, the agents claimed that the cat had previously taken courses at a community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
, worked at a fast-food restaurant, babysat, and maintained a newspaper route. Then the school informed Colby that, due to the job experience listed on his application, he was eligible for an executive MBA for $100 more. The agents then sent for Colby's transcript
Transcript
Transcript may refer to:* Transcript , a copy of a student's permanent academic record* Transcription , the process of creating an equivalent RNA copy of a sequence of DNA* Transcript , a record of all court proceedings...
, which claimed that Nolan had a 3.5 grade point average.
Jerry Pappert
Jerry Pappert
Gerald J. Pappert is a former Pennsylvania Attorney General.When he was chief of staff to Michael Fisher, the political website PoliticsPA named him to their "Pennsylvania's Smartest Staffers and Operatives" list, saying that he "adds brainpower to the Office of Attorney General."-References:...
, Pennsylvania's attorney general, filed a lawsuit against Trinity Southern University upon learning that the cat had received the degree. In the lawsuit, Pappert also told the diploma mill, which had used e-mail spam
E-mail spam
Email spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
to sell degrees, to provide restitution to anyone who had ordered a degree from them.
In December 2004 the Texas Attorney General obtained a temporary restraining order under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act against Trinity Southern and its owners, Craig B. and Alton S. Poe. The court also ordered the school's assets frozen. In March 2005 the Poes were assessed fines of over $100,000 by the court and were ordered not to market or promote fraudulent, substandard degree programs or to represent their university as being accredited or affiliated with legitimate universities. It was reported that the Poes also were associated with the names Wesleyan International University and Prixo Southern University. Since 2005, Trinity Southern University's website at trinitysouthernuniversity.org is offline.
George
In 2009, George, a cat owned by Chris Jackson, the presenter of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Inside Out
Inside Out (BBC TV series)
Inside Out is the brand name for a number of regional television programmes in England broadcast on BBC One. Each series, made by a BBC region, focuses on stories from the local area...
, was registered with three professional organizations, the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists, and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association, securing George's accreditation as a hypnotherapist.
Henrietta Goldacre
Ben GoldacreBen Goldacre
Ben Michael Goldacre born 1974 is a British science writer, doctor and psychiatrist. He is the author of The Guardian newspaper's weekly Bad Science column and a book of the same title, published by Fourth Estate in September 2008....
, a UK-based doctor and science journalist, wrote in 2004 of obtaining a diploma in nutrition from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants
American Association of Nutritional Consultants
The American Association of Nutritional Consultants is an organisation which seeks to enhance the reputation of Nutritional and Dietary Consultants by consolidating them into a professional organisation....
for his cat, Henrietta, while investigating allegations about the qualifications claimed by Gillian McKeith
Gillian McKeith
Gillian McKeith is a Scottish nutritionist, television presenter, and writer. She is the former host in the UK of Channel 4's You Are What You Eat and Granada Television's Dr Gillian McKeith's Feel Fab Forever, and as of 2010 presents Eat Yourself Sexy on the W Network in Canada...
. Although the cat has since died, Goldacre claims to have kept the certificate on display in a toilet.
Kitty O'Malley
In 1973, Florida newspaper The LedgerThe Ledger
The Ledger is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida and the Polk County area. It is owned by The New York Times Company. Jerome Ferson became publisher of the newspaper on July 30, 2007....
obtained a high school diploma from "Washington High Academy" for "Kitty O'Malley", a cat also known as Spanky. While the diploma was deemed insufficient to gain Kitty admission to local colleges, the state attorney general's office planned to investigate the institution.
Oliver Greenhalgh
On December 10, 1967, The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that Oliver Greenhalgh had been accepted as a Fellow of the English Association of Estate Agents and Valuers, after a payment of eleven guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
(his two references were not verified). Oliver was a cat belonging to Michael Greenhalgh, a cameraman with Television Wales and the West
Television Wales and the West
Television Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the WestTelevision Wales and the West , accessed 19 August 2006, accessed 19 August 2006 was the British "Independent Television" contractor for the franchise area serving 'South Wales and West of England' 1956–68 Television Wales and the...
, pursuing an investigation of bogus professional associations.
Oreo Collins
Oreo C. Collins (born circa 2007) is a tuxedo cat who gained notoriety when she received a diploma from Jefferson High School Online in 2009, although her age was misrepresented in order to qualify. The sting was an investigative operation by the Better Business BureauBetter 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...
of Central Georgia headed by Kelvin Collins, Oreo's owner.
Tobias F. Schaeffer
In 1986, Rhode IslandRhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
real estate appraiser Roy Schaeffer obtained a Certified Real Estate Appraiser (CREA) designation for $75 from the Scottsdale, AZ National Association of Real Estate Appraisers (NAREA) for his cat, Tobias F (for "Feline") Schaeffer. He mounted Tobias' certification above his litter box. NAREA sued in federal court for fraud and "for disparaging remarks about the organization to members of Congress, other appraisers and the media". After two years and $70,000 in legal costs, the judge ruled that no fraud or defamation had occurred.
Zoe D. Katze
"Dr." Zoe D. Katze is a housecat owned by Steve K. D. Eichel, Ph.D., ABPP. Dr. Eichel was able to obtain several well-known hypnotherapyHypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a therapy that is undertaken with a subject in hypnosis.The word "hypnosis" is an abbreviation of James Braid's term "neuro-hypnotism", meaning "sleep of the nervous system"....
certifications for his cat, circa 2001. The ease with which "Dr." Zoe obtained these credentials became the subject of an article by the American Bar Association and a news report by CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
. The certification of "Dr." Katze has been cited in several books and articles on credentialing scams, and has appeared in psychology and forensic curricula. Dr. Eichel also served as the consultant to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
investigation that ultimately led to the certification of George the cat (see above) by various U.K. hypnosis associations.
John I. Rocko
It was alleged during a 2007 Fostoria, Ohio drug trial that police dog (John I.) Rocko received the same criminal justice Bachelor's degree from Concordia College and UniversityConcordia College and University
Concordia College and University is an entity with a primary mailing address in Dominica that represents itself as a higher education institution that awards associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in almost any subject, based solely on the purchaser's work and life experience, without...
as local Police Chief John McGuire. At the time, McGuire was being sued and investigated for allegedly lying on his resume and application for the job of chief. A judge later found "no similarity" between Rocko's diploma and McGuire's, in acquitting McGuire of wrongdoing.
Lulu
In 2010, Mark Howard QC, a member of the legal team for the defendants in BSkyb Ltd & Anor v HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd & Anor [2010] obtained a degree for his dog Lulu from Concordia College and UniversityConcordia College and University
Concordia College and University is an entity with a primary mailing address in Dominica that represents itself as a higher education institution that awards associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in almost any subject, based solely on the purchaser's work and life experience, without...
. Lulu "graduated" with higher marks than the plaintiff's key witness, who lied that he had attended classes for his Concordia MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
. In the legal community, the story of the witness's MBA is "infamous", and a supervisory management cautionary tale.
Sassafras Herbert
In 1984 Time MagazineTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
reported that Sassafras, a female poodle
Poodle
The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
belonging to a New York City physician, had received a diploma from the American Association of Nutrition and Dietary Consultants
American Association of Nutritional Consultants
The American Association of Nutritional Consultants is an organisation which seeks to enhance the reputation of Nutritional and Dietary Consultants by consolidating them into a professional organisation....
. Her owner had bought the diploma for $50 to demonstrate that "something that looks like a diploma doesn't mean that somebody has responsible training."
Sonny
The May 30, 2007 episode of the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
comedy show 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...
documented host Chas John Licciardello applying online and obtaining a medical degree for his dog Sonny from diploma mill Ashwood University
Ashwood University
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...
. Sonny's "work experience" included "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 dogs' bums."
Wally Brancato
In 2004 Albany, NY television station WRGBWRGB
WRGB, channel 6, is a television station located in Schenectady, New York, USA. WRGB is owned by Freedom Communications, and is the CBS affiliate for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy television market...
ran a report in which reporter Peter Brancato applied to Almeda University
Almeda University
Almeda University is an unaccredited American institution that offers various academic degrees through distance education, including a "Life Experience Degree".-History:Almeda was founded in 1997 and currently has an address in Boise, Idaho...
for, and received, an associate's degree on behalf of his dog, Wally. On the application, Brancato listed "Plays with the kids every day ... teaches them to interact better with each other ... Teaches them responsibilities like feeding the dog." Almeda University granted Wally a "life experience" associate degree in "Childhood Development". After the report aired, Almeda University protested that Brancato perjured
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
himself by creating a false identity using a fabricated name and date of birth. In a public statement, an Almeda University representative wrote: "He completed an application that included a background of the following: Eight-years tutoring pre-K children, curriculum design and development, teaching coping skills, and volunteer coaching." In March 2008, Wally was featured in a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
mayoral campaign political cartoon, with a dialogue bubble reading "I graduated with Bill Chesen," referring to Chesen's Almeda University bachelor's degree. Chesen took the cartoon to the police, who passed the defamation complaint to the District Attorney's office, which six months later declined to prosecute, since negative campaigning is legal, and Chesen had publicly "detailed his educational background in his campaign literature."
See also
- Diploma millDiploma millA diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
- List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
- Non-human electoral candidates
- Who's Who scamWho's Who scamA Who's Who scam is a fraudulent Who's Who biographical directory. While there are many legitimate Who's Who directories, some individuals have created Who's Who scams that involve the selling of "memberships" in Who's Who directories that are created online and through instant publishing services...