Victor Berlin
Encyclopedia
Victor Berlin is an American educator specializing in information security
who has founded and led several post secondary
institutions, including Potomac College
and the University of Fairfax
. His tenure as president of the University of Fairfax ended in 2010.
in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from Northwestern University
and a B.A.
from Cornell University
.
, a career college offering primarily vocational training. In 1994 Maryland
authorities found that the school had "serious and egregious deficiencies," including admitting students who lacked high school diploma
s or the equivalent, and changing the academic program without regulatory approval. GCI declared bankruptcy
in 1995 after an administrative judge assessed fines of $20,000 for misleading advertising and $100,000 for not enforcing academic standards and attendance policies and ordered the school to refund the tuition
of about 500 students. Later the U.S. Department of Education investigated the school and found it to be liable for $4 million. In March 2000, Maryland approved payments of $2,625 to repay the loans of 379 students, and the federal government agreed to write off the remainder of the obligations. As a result, Berlin was barred from operating colleges in Maryland.
, also in Rockville
. The school was operated by the Potomac Education Foundation, which Berlin controlled. The college offered people with two years of college the opportunity to complete bachelor's degree
s in management or microcomputer systems management. The Potomac Education Foundation sold the school in 1995 after Maryland state authorities determined that they would allow its continued operation only if Berlin and his wife Janet did not have decision-making authority for it. Two years earlier Maryland regulators had temporarily suspended college operations after finding several violations of state standards at Potomac, including inadequate library, curriculum and faculty resources; poor recordkeeping; and admission of students who lacked the required two years of college education. The college was subsequently sold to private investors and reorganized as a for-profit university headquartered in the District of Columbia.
, providing courses in computer programming for technical professionals. In 2000 he persuaded Anteon executives to establish Rockwell University to offer master's degrees in e-commerce. Rockwell was approved to enroll students in November 2000, but in June 2001, before any students enrolled it was sold to Pinnacle Software Solutions, a technology training company. Berlin remained with Rockwell until December 2001.
which offers online instruction
and issues graduate degrees (Master of Science and Ph.D.) and graduate certificates in Information Systems. In November 2007, Fairfax announced a collaboration with Jones International University's School of Business to offer a dual degree program leading to both a master's or doctoral degree from Fairfax and a Master of Business Administration
in Information Security Management from Jones International. Berlin served as president of the university until 2010.
The University of Fairfax is also the doing business as
name of the Potomac Education Foundation. As of 2008, Berlin was president of this foundation and his wife was the chief operating officer
.
Information security
Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction....
who has founded and led several post secondary
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
institutions, including Potomac College
Potomac College
Potomac College is a for-profit higher education institution in Washington, DC, and Herndon, Virginia. The school offers Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, international business, government contract management, management, and information systems, with more than 40...
and the University of Fairfax
University of Fairfax
University of Fairfax is an unaccredited non-profit institution of higher education headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. The University of Fairfax is also the DBA name of the Potomac Education Foundation....
. His tenure as president of the University of Fairfax ended in 2010.
Education
On his curriculum vitae, Berlin lists a Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
General Communications
Berlin's first educational employment was with General Communications, Inc. (GCI), located in Rockville, MarylandRockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, a career college offering primarily vocational training. In 1994 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
authorities found that the school had "serious and egregious deficiencies," including admitting students who lacked high school diploma
High school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
s or the equivalent, and changing the academic program without regulatory approval. GCI declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1995 after an administrative judge assessed fines of $20,000 for misleading advertising and $100,000 for not enforcing academic standards and attendance policies and ordered the school to refund the tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
of about 500 students. Later the U.S. Department of Education investigated the school and found it to be liable for $4 million. In March 2000, Maryland approved payments of $2,625 to repay the loans of 379 students, and the federal government agreed to write off the remainder of the obligations. As a result, Berlin was barred from operating colleges in Maryland.
Potomac College
In 1991, Berlin started Potomac CollegePotomac College
Potomac College is a for-profit higher education institution in Washington, DC, and Herndon, Virginia. The school offers Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, international business, government contract management, management, and information systems, with more than 40...
, also in Rockville
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
. The school was operated by the Potomac Education Foundation, which Berlin controlled. The college offered people with two years of college the opportunity to complete bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s in management or microcomputer systems management. The Potomac Education Foundation sold the school in 1995 after Maryland state authorities determined that they would allow its continued operation only if Berlin and his wife Janet did not have decision-making authority for it. Two years earlier Maryland regulators had temporarily suspended college operations after finding several violations of state standards at Potomac, including inadequate library, curriculum and faculty resources; poor recordkeeping; and admission of students who lacked the required two years of college education. The college was subsequently sold to private investors and reorganized as a for-profit university headquartered in the District of Columbia.
Anteon International Corporation and Rockwell University
In 1998 Berlin headed the training division at Anteon International Corporation in Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, providing courses in computer programming for technical professionals. In 2000 he persuaded Anteon executives to establish Rockwell University to offer master's degrees in e-commerce. Rockwell was approved to enroll students in November 2000, but in June 2001, before any students enrolled it was sold to Pinnacle Software Solutions, a technology training company. Berlin remained with Rockwell until December 2001.
University of Fairfax
In 2002, Berlin founded the University of FairfaxUniversity of Fairfax
University of Fairfax is an unaccredited non-profit institution of higher education headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. The University of Fairfax is also the DBA name of the Potomac Education Foundation....
which offers online instruction
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...
and issues graduate degrees (Master of Science and Ph.D.) and graduate certificates in Information Systems. In November 2007, Fairfax announced a collaboration with Jones International University's School of Business to offer a dual degree program leading to both a master's or doctoral degree from Fairfax and a Master of Business Administration
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 Information Security Management from Jones International. Berlin served as president of the university until 2010.
The University of Fairfax is also the doing business as
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
name of the Potomac Education Foundation. As of 2008, Berlin was president of this foundation and his wife was the chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
.